Psalms 34:16
Psalms 34:16 in Multiple Translations
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to take away the memory of them from the earth.
The Lord sets himself against those who do evil. He will wipe out even the memory of them from the earth.
But the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill, to cut off their remembrance from the earth.
(The face of Jehovah [is] on doers of evil, To cut off from earth their memorial.)
The LORD’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth.
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
They were separated, and repented not: they tempted me, they scoffed at me with scorn: they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
But Yahweh [SYN] ◄is opposed to/turns away from► those who do what is evil. And after they die, people will forget them completely.
But God punishes people that do bad things. After they die, God doesn’t want anybody in the world to remember those bad people. So God will make everybody forget them.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 34:16
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 34:16 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
עֵינֵ֣י
יְ֭הוָה
אֶל
צַדִּיקִ֑ים
וְ֝/אָזְנָ֗י/ו
אֶל
שַׁוְעָתָֽ/ם
עֵינֵ֣י
ʻayin
H5869
eye
N-cd
יְ֭הוָה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
to(wards)
Prep
צַדִּיקִ֑ים
tsaddîyq
H6662
righteous
Adj
וְ֝/אָזְנָ֗י/ו
ʼôzen
H241
ear
Conj | N-fd | Suff
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
to(wards)
Prep
שַׁוְעָתָֽ/ם
shavʻâh
H7775
cry
N-fs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 34:16
עֵינֵ֣י
ʻayin
H5869
"eye"
N-cd
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 828 OT verses. KJV: affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves). See also: Genesis 3:5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 28:67.
יְ֭הוָה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
"to(wards)"
Prep
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Definition: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Usage: Occurs in 4205 OT verses. KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in). See also: Genesis 1:9; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 31:13.
צַדִּיקִ֑ים
tsaddîyq
H6662
"righteous"
Adj
Means being just or righteous, as seen in government, personal conduct, or character, often describing someone made right with God. It appears in descriptions of King David and other biblical leaders. The concept is central to the Bible's teachings on morality and ethics.
Definition: 1) just, lawful, righteous 1a) just, righteous (in government) 1b) just, right (in one's cause) 1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character) 1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God) 1e) right, correct, lawful
Usage: Occurs in 197 OT verses. KJV: just, lawful, righteous (man). See also: Genesis 6:9; Proverbs 10:31; Psalms 1:5.
וְ֝/אָזְנָ֗י/ו
ʼôzen
H241
"ear"
Conj | N-fd | Suff
The Hebrew word for ear, referring to the body part or the ability to hear, is used in various contexts, including listening to God's voice in Psalm 40:6. It can also mean to uncover or reveal something, as in 1 Samuel 20:2.
Definition: : ear 1) ear, as part of the body 2) ear, as organ of hearing 3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation
Usage: Occurs in 179 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show. See also: Genesis 20:8; Psalms 40:7; Psalms 10:17.
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
"to(wards)"
Prep
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Definition: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Usage: Occurs in 4205 OT verses. KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in). See also: Genesis 1:9; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 31:13.
שַׁוְעָתָֽ/ם
shavʻâh
H7775
"cry"
N-fs | Suff
This word means to cry out for help, like a loud cry for assistance. It is used to describe a desperate call for aid. In the Bible, it is translated as crying.
Definition: cry for help
Usage: Occurs in 11 OT verses. KJV: crying. See also: Exodus 2:23; Psalms 39:13; Psalms 18:7.
Study Notes — Psalms 34:16
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 34:16 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 34:16
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 34:16
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 34:16
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 34:16
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
- Sermons on Psalms 34:16
Context — Taste and See That the LORD Is Good
14Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
16But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles. 18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 10:7 | The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 17:13 | O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 44:11 | Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will set My face to bring disaster and to cut off all Judah. |
| 4 | Job 18:17 | The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. |
| 5 | Leviticus 17:10 | If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people. |
| 6 | Amos 9:4 | Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good.” |
| 7 | Leviticus 26:17 | And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you. |
| 8 | Psalms 10:16 | The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. |
| 9 | Ezekiel 14:7–8 | For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself. I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. |
| 10 | Ecclesiastes 8:10 | Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile. |
Psalms 34:16 Summary
Psalms 34:16 tells us that God is against those who do evil things, and He wants to remove all memory of their evil actions from the earth. This doesn't mean God hates people, but rather He hates the evil things they do (as seen in Proverbs 6:16-19). To avoid God's judgment, we need to stop doing evil and start doing good, like it says in Psalms 34:14. By seeking a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1), we can experience His love and presence in our lives, and He will hear our cries and deliver us from troubles (Psalms 34:17).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for the face of the LORD to be against those who do evil?
This phrase indicates God's active opposition to and judgment of those who persist in evil, as seen in Psalms 34:16, and is consistent with the teachings of Proverbs 3:32 which says God is opposed to the wicked.
Will God completely forget those who do evil?
According to Psalms 34:16, God's desire is to wipe out all memory of them from the earth, but this doesn't mean He forgets them; rather, it signifies their complete removal from His presence and the earth, much like what is described in Deuteronomy 29:20.
How can we avoid having God's face against us?
To avoid God's judgment, we must turn away from evil and do good, as instructed in Psalms 34:14, and seek a personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, as explained in Romans 5:1.
Is this verse talking about God's hatred for people or their actions?
This verse is specifically talking about God's opposition to evil actions, not His hatred for people; God loves all people and desires their salvation, as seen in John 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:4.
Reflection Questions
- What are some evil actions in my life that I need to turn away from, and how can I replace them with good?
- How does knowing that God is opposed to evil actions affect my daily choices and behavior?
- In what ways can I seek peace and pursue it, as instructed in Psalms 34:14, and how will this impact my relationship with God and others?
- What does it mean for God to be near to the brokenhearted, and how can I experience His presence in my life?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 34:16
The face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil,.... Not against everyone that sins; for the righteous are not without sin; they have sin in them, and they do no good without it; but against them
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 34:16
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The face of the Lord is against. The Hebrew of the English version "against" is simply 'upon' [bª-].
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
The face of the Lord, i.e. his anger, oft called his face, as 20:5 , because anger discovers itself in the face. Them that do evil, i.e. whose common course, and study, arid business it is to do evil; for else there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not, . To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth; utterly to deprive both them and their children of that worldly happiness, which is the only thing that they desire, and seek by their wicked courses.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
Psalms 34:16 The face of the LORD [is] against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.Ver. 16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil] Let not such dream of a long and happy life, as Psalms 34:12. This they are apt to do; but shall be carried from a fool’ s paradise to a true prison. For that people may not imagine God to be μονοφθαλμαν, and so made up of mercy as to forget his judgments, the wicked are here assured, that the face of the Lord is against them, that he beholdeth them from heaven with a terrible countenance, that he is grievously angry with them, and will surely and severely punish them, and theirs after them. To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth] And so to cross them in the thing that they most coveted, viz. to renown themselves among men. God writeth them in the earth in opposition to those whose names are written in heaven, Luke 10:20, because they forsook the Lord, the fountain of living waters, Jeremiah 17:13.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
(16) To cut off.—Notice the fear, so intense and recurring to the Semitic mind, of the extinction of race. (Comp. Psalms 21:10; Job 18:17, &c) This verse, according to the sense, should certainly change places with Psalms 34:15. This would disarrange the acrostic, bringing pe before ayin; but, as in Lamentations 2, 3, 4 the same sequence of letters occurs, we are led to the conclusion that the order of the alphabet was not definitely or invariably fixed in respect of these two letters, a license intelligible enough when we remember that tsadde, which follows pe, was often interchanged with ayin, which precedes it.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 34:16
16. The face of the Lord means the manifestation of His Presence, either as here in wrath (cp. Psalms 9:3), or as in Numbers 6:25, in blessing. See Oehler’s O.T. Theology, § 57. Comp. “The Lord looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians … and discomfited them” (Exodus 14:24). the remembrance of them] Or, their memorial; even the name by which they might be remembered. Cp. Psalms 9:5-6; Job 18:17. Contrast Psalms 112:6.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 34:16
The face of the Lord - This phrase is synonymous with that in the previous verse: “The eyes of the Lord.” The meaning is, that the righteous and the wicked are alike under the eye of God; the one for
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 34:16
15-22. These closing words are devoted to an earnest digest of the moral government of God in redeeming the humble and contrite, and punishing the wicked. Broken heart… contrite spirit—Comp. Psalms 51:17; 1 Samuel 16:7.
Sermons on Psalms 34:16
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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The Righteous by Robert B. Thompson | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the challenges of being a school teacher and dealing with disruptive students. He emphasizes the importance of being a shining light in the |
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And the Lord, Seeking His Laborer by St. Benedict of Nursia | St. Benedict of Nursia emphasizes the importance of seeking true and everlasting life by keeping our speech pure and turning away from evil, while actively pursuing peace. He remin |
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Jonathan Edwards by Leonard Ravenhill | Leonard Ravenhill reflects on the life and impact of Jonathan Edwards, highlighting him as a profound preacher and theologian whose passionate sermons ignited spiritual awakenings. |
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The Future Life - Personal Recognition in Heaven by W.B. Dunkum | W.B. Dunkum preaches about the composition of individuality symbolizing two worlds, with the body representing the present world and the soul representing the spiritual world. He d |
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Death-Beds by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot reflects on the blessed memory of the righteous, especially in their peaceful and triumphant death-beds, which serve as a powerful testimony to God's faithfulness and |
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Enduring Monuments by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot speaks about the desire for enduring monuments that outlast death, highlighting how individuals seek to be remembered even after they pass away. He contrasts physical |
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"The Wretched Woman of John Eight" by Charles Alexander | Charles Alexander preaches about the importance of preserving the roots of faith and language by holding onto the Authorized Version of the Bible amidst the influx of newer transla |