New Living Translation
Psalms 120:4
4You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.
Psalms 120:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
- New International Version (NIV)He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush.
- English Standard Version (ESV)A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree!
Context of Psalms 120:4
2Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people. 3O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you? How will he increase your punishment? You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals. 5How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar. 6I am tired of living among people who hate peace.
Read all of Psalms 120Psalms 120:4 word by word
חִצֵּ֣י גִבּ֣וֹר שְׁנוּנִ֑ים עִ֝֗ם גַּחֲלֵ֥י רְתָמִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 120:4
- Psalms 57:4I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.
- Psalms 59:7Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
- Proverbs 11:9With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.
- Proverbs 16:27Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze.
- Proverbs 18:8Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.
- James 3:5In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.
- Psalms 7:13He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.
- Psalms 52:5But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude
- Psalms 140:9Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me.
- Deuteronomy 32:23I will heap disasters upon them and shoot them down with my arrows.
- Proverbs 12:22The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.
- Proverbs 19:5A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
- Revelation 21:8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Commentaries on Psalms 120:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Sharp arrows - The Chaldee has, "The strong, sharp arrows are like lightning from above, with coals of juniper kindled in hell beneath." On the juniper, see the note on Job 30:4, where this passage is explained. Fiery arrows, or arrows wrapped about with inflamed combustibles, were formerly used in sieges to set the places on fire. See my notes on Ephesians 6:16; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Sharp arrows of the mighty - This is an answer to the question in Psalm 120:3. The consequence - the effect - of such a use of the tongue must be like sharp and piercing arrows, or like intensely burning coals. The “sharp arrows of the mighty” are the arrows of the warrior - as war was conducted mainly by bows and arrows. Those arrows were, of course, sharpened to make them piercing, penetrating, more deadly. With coals of juniper - On the word here…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The psalmist speaks with the liars around him. He feels confident that the Lord will judge them. The Divine Warrior (see Psalms 7:12–13; 11:4–6) will attack the liars with sharp arrows and burning coals.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Sharp arrows of the mighty--destructive inflictions. coals of juniper--which retain heat long. This verse may be read as a description of the wicked, but better as their punishment, in reply to the question of Psa 120:3.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 120:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 120
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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