New Living Translation
Psalms 125:3
3The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
Psalms 125:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
- New International Version (NIV)The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
Context of Psalms 125:3
1Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. 2Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. 4O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. 5But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!
Read all of Psalms 125Psalms 125:3 word by word
כִּ֤י לֹ֪א יָנ֡וּחַ שֵׁ֤בֶט הָרֶ֗שַׁע עַל֮ גּוֹרַ֪ל הַֽצַּדִּ֫יקִ֥ים לְמַ֡עַן לֹא־יִשְׁלְח֖וּ הַצַּדִּיקִ֨ים בְּעַוְלָ֬תָה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the rodשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribe: staffH7626
- of the wickedרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
- shall not restנוּחַnûach · to restH5117
- upon the lotגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
- of the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- lestמַ֫עַןma‛an · becauseH4616
- put forthשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
- their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- unto iniquityעַוְלָה‛evel ‛âvel ‛avlâh ‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · injusticeH5766
Cross-references for Psalms 125:3
- Psalms 103:9He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
- Proverbs 22:8Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.
- Isaiah 10:5“What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger.
- Isaiah 14:5For the Lord has crushed your wicked power and broken your evil rule.
- Isaiah 27:8No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
- Revelation 2:10Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
Commentaries on Psalms 125:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For the rod of the worked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous - Rod, here. may be taken for persecution, or for rule; and then it may be thus interpreted: "The wicked shall not be permitted to persecute always, nor to have a permanent rule." In our liturgic version this clause is thus rendered: "The rod of the ungodly cometh not into the lot of the righteous." "This," said one of our forefathers, "is neither truth nor scripture. First, it is not…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For the rod of the wicked - Margin, as in Hebrew, “wickedness.” The word “rod” - the staff, the scepter, the instrument of inflicting punishment - here means dominion, power, that condition in which the wicked are commonly found, as one of prosperity or power. God will not deal with the righteous as the wicked are often dealt with: that is, God will not give his people prosperity as he does them. The righteous will be afflicted, and will be placed in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The godly may be tempted to abandon God’s ways because of pressure from others or from the surrounding culture.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Though God may leave them for a time under the "rod," or power (Psa 2:9), and oppression of the wicked for a time, as a chastisement, He will not suffer them to be tempted so as to fall into sin (1Co 10:13). The wicked shall only prove a correcting rod to them, not a destroying sword; even this rod shall not remain ("rest") on them, lest they be tempted to despair and apostasy (Psa 73:13, 14). God may even try His people to the uttermost: when nothing…Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 125:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 125
- 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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