Psalms 82:7 — Word Study
WLCאָ֭כֵן כְּאָדָ֣ם תְּמוּת֑וּן וּכְאַחַ֖ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים תִּפֹּֽלוּ׃
BSAButʼâkên like mortalsʼâdâm [as surely as, human beings, frail and temporary] you will diemûwth▸ [cease to exist, perish] and likeʼechâd [in the same manner as] rulerssar [princes, leaders, those in authority] you will fallnâphal▸ [be overthrown, come to an end]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אָ֭כֵן | nevertheless | Particle |
| כְּאָדָ֣ם | like humankind | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| תְּמוּת֑וּן | you will die ! | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural, suffix |
| וּכְאַחַ֖ד | and like one of | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| הַשָּׂרִ֣ים | the princes | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| תִּפֹּֽלוּ׃ | you will fall | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.” |
| KJV | But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. |
| ASV | Nevertheless ye shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes. |
| YLT | But as man ye die, and as one of the heads ye fall, |
| WEB | Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.” |
| BBE | But you will come to death like men, falling like one of the rulers of the earth. |
Where they part company is כְּאָדָ֣ם — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is built around a main clause with two comparisons and their corresponding verbs, highlighting the parallel fates.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָפַל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 82:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Judgment of the Earth’s Rulersgenerated
Psalm 82:7 emphasizes the inevitable fate of rulers, asserting that despite their power, they are not exempt from death. This verse follows a declaration of their divine status as 'gods' in Psalm 82:6, reminding them of their human limitations and the ultimate accountability they have before God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 49:12 | But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 2 | Job 21:32 | He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 31:14 | This happened so that no other trees by the waters would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the depths of the earth, among the mortals who descend to the Pit.’ |
| 4 | Psalm 83:11 | Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תִּפֹּֽלוּ, ti.Po.lugenerated
The verb נָפַל (*naphal*) means 'to fall' and is used here in the second person plural form, indicating that the rulers will experience a downfall. This term encompasses a variety of meanings, including physical falling, failing in duty, or experiencing defeat.
The use of the verb in this context highlights the certainty of their demise, paralleling their mortality with that of ordinary humans. The structure of the sentence emphasizes that despite their elevated status, they will ultimately succumb to the same fate as all mortals.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb תִּפֹּֽלוּ governs the main clause, with a prepositional phrase preceding it that establishes the comparison to mortals. The structure underscores the parallel drawn between rulers and ordinary humans.
The sentence flows from the adverbial introduction אָ֭כֵן, which sets a tone of certainty, leading into the verb phrase that describes the fate awaiting both groups.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew תִּפֹּֽלוּ is rendered as πίπτετε (you will fall), which captures the same sense of downfall but may imply a broader context of failure or defeat.
The choice of ἀρξόντων for הַשָּׂרִ֣ים (the princes) suggests a focus on their authority, indicating that even those in power are not immune to judgment.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 82:7 reminds us that rulers, despite their power, will die like ordinary people. This verse follows a declaration of their divine status, showing that they too are subject to mortality and accountability.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that no matter how powerful they are, rulers are still human and will face death, just like everyone else.
This comparison emphasizes the limitations of human authority and the inevitability of death, reminding rulers of their accountability before God.
It follows a declaration that rulers are like 'gods', contrasting their elevated status with their ultimate fate of mortality.
We learn that power does not grant immunity from death, and all humans, regardless of status, are accountable to God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding our mortality impact the way we view authority and power?
- In what ways can we ensure that we act justly, knowing that we are accountable for our actions?
- How can this verse encourage humility among leaders and those in positions of power?
- What reminders do we have in our lives that highlight the temporary nature of human authority?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 82:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBut ye shall die like men,.... As men in common do, to whom it is appointed to die, Hebrews 9:27 or as common men, as men in the lowest class of life: the wise man dies as the fool, the king as the
Read John Gill on Psalms 82 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. But ye shall die like men - like any ordinary man; Hebrew, 'aadaam (H120) (Psalms 9:20).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 82 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleBut ye shall die: but let not this make you insolent and secure; for though you are gods by name and office, yet still you are mortal men, you must die and give up your account to me your superior Lord and Governor; and you shall die and fall by the hands of my justice, if you persist in your unjust and ungodly courses. Like men; or, like ordinary men, as the Hebrew word adam sometimes signifies, as it doth . If it be objected, that there adam is opposed to ish, which notes persons of a higher rank; in like manner it is here opposed to the same sort of men, who are here called gods. And fall like one of the princes: so the sense is, You (who are esteemed by yourselves and others gods upon…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 82 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.Ver. 7. But ye shall die like men] Yea, if wicked, like beasts, but only for their pillow and bolster. Super cubilia forsan in honore moriuntur, quo a bestiis differunt, sed non in morte, saith Kimchi. God, who had so highly advanced such, will lay them low enough; even in the slimy valley (if not in hell), where are many already like them, and more shall come after them, Job 21:31-32. Our Henry VIII was told on his death bed that he should go to the place of princes; which was no great comfort, if the old proverb be true, that hell is paved with the crowns of princes and helmets of soldiers. The Spanish friar used to…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 82 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. But ye shall die like men] כאדם keadam, "ye shall die like Adam," who fell from his high perfection and dignity as ye have done. Your high office cannot secure you an immortality. And fall like one of the princes.] Justice shall pursue you, and judgment shall overtake you; and you shall be executed like public state criminals. You shall not, in the course of nature, fall into the grave; but your life shall be brought to an end by a legal sentence, or a particular judgment of God.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 82 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. But] R.V., Nevertheless. Though they bear this high title, it will not exempt them from punishment. They shall die like common men, and fall like any other princes whose ruin is recorded in history (Hosea 7:7). Or is there an allusion to the princes mentioned in Psalms 83:9 ff.?
Read Cambridge on Psalms 82 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBut ye shall die like men - You are mortal, like other people. This fact you have forgotten.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 82 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible7. Ye shall die like men—Your high office and titles will give you no immunity, from the common fate of mortal men.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 82 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”
Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.”
But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”
Yet you will die like mortals; you will fall like all the other rulers.”
Tyndale line
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
Nevertheless ye shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.
Nevertheless ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
But ye shall die as a man, and yee princes, shall fall like others.
Strictly literal
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
But as man ye die, and as one of the heads ye fall,
But you die as man, and you fall as one of the heads.”
But verily like men shall ye die, and like one of the princes shall ye fall.
Nevertheless you will die like men and fall like one of the princes.”
From the Latin
The tabernacles of the Edomites, and the Ismahelites: Moab, and the Agarens,
Simplified
But you will die like any human being, you will fall like any other leader.”
But you will come to death like men, falling like one of the rulers of the earth.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls agree closely, with both texts preserving the same wording for this verse. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew closely in terms of word correspondence, though its phrasing differs.
אָ֭כֵן כְּאָדָ֣ם תְּמוּת֑וּן וּכְאַחַ֖ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים תִּפֹּֽלוּ׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
אכן כאדם תמותו׳ן וכאחד השרים תפלו
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 82:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word אָכֵן (*aken*) is an adverb that conveys strong affirmation, meaning 'surely' or 'truly.' It can also emphasize contrast, translating to 'but indeed' or 'but in fact.' The word is derived from related roots indicating firmness and certainty.
אָכֵן adv. with strong asseverative force:
surely, truly
emphasizing a contrast, but indeed, but in fact
base
H403 אָכֵן with strong asseverative force: . surely, truly
. emphasizing a contrast, but indeed, but in fact
403 'aken aw-kane'
from 3559 (compare 3651); firmly; figuratively, surely; also
(advers.) but:--but, certainly, nevertheless, surely, truly,
verily.
see HEBREW for 03559
see HEBREW for 03651
אָכֵן (a.khen) — surely.
1) surely, truly, indeed
1a) truly, indeed (strong assertive force)
1b) but indeed, but in fact (emphasizing a contrast)
Adv — ParticleHTj
אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.
אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind
a man = human being
coll. man, mankind
n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)
n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)
base
H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being
. coll. man, mankind
120 'adam aw-dawm'
from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the
species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common
sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
see HEBREW for 0119
אָדָם (a.dam) — man.
1) man, mankind
1a) man, human being
1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
1c) Adam, first man
1d) city in Jordan valley
אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).
The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;
married to Eve (H2332);
father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;
Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)
man, human being
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.
מוּת vb. die
Qal
die, of natural or other causes
die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
subj. God, by inflicting penalty
of animals killing men
bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
base
H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes
. die as a penalty = be put to death
. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
. of animals killing men
. bring to a premature death
. be killed, put to death
4191 muwth mooth
a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);
causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,
man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,
be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,
slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.
מוּת (mut) — to die.
1) to die, kill, have one executed
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to die
1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be killed, be put to death
1d1a) to die prematurely
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffixHVqi2mp/Sn
(muth, gawa`; apothnesko, teleutao): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of muth, meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To die," should be the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit (Ge 2:17; compare Ge 20:7; 2Ki 1:4,6). "Die" is commonly used of natural death (Ge 5:8; 25:8). It is used also of violent death (Ge 26:9,11; Ex 21:20); punitive (Ex 19:12; 21:12,14; 28:43; Nu…
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
Conj | Prep | Adj — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHC/R/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
שַׂר (sar) refers to a leader or ruler, encompassing a range of meanings from prince and chief to official and captain. It denotes various ranks, including military commanders and religious leaders, and can also imply a noble or merchant of high status. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to rule'.
שַׂר 420 n.m. chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
base
H8269 שַׂר chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
8269 sar sar
from 8323; a head person (of any rank or class):--captain
(that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper,
lord, ((-task- ))master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.
see HEBREW for 08323
שַׂר (sar) — ruler.
1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain
1a) chieftain, leader
1b) vassal, noble, official (under king)
1c) captain, general, commander (military)
1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes)
1e) heads, princes (of religious office)
1f) elders (of representative leaders of people)
1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity)
1h) patron-angel
1i) Ruler of rulers (of God)
1j) warden
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa
נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.
נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie
Qal 366
fall, by accident
Esp. of violent death
fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.
fig. = experience calamity
fall, of a city
Fall prostrate
fall = prostrate oneself before
fall upon one's neck, in embrace
Fall upon = attack
desert or fall away to, go over to
Fig., of deep sleep
Other idiomatic uses
= lie; = lie prostrate
Hiph.
cause to fall
Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction
Esp. of casting lot
Fig., let drop, cause to fail
cause deep sleep to fall
Other idioms
Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself
base
H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident
. . Esp. of violent death
. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.
. fig. = experience calamity
. fall, of a city
. . Fall prostrate
. fall = prostrate oneself before
. fall upon one's neck, in embrace
. . Fall upon = attack
. desert or fall away to, go over to
. Fig., of deep sleep
. Other idiomatic uses
. = lie; = lie prostrate
. . cause to fall
. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction
. Esp. of casting lot
. Fig., let drop, cause to fail
. cause deep sleep to fall
. Other idioms
. throw, or prostrate oneself
5307 naphal naw-fal'
a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications
(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be
accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide
(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall
(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have
(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay
(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,
lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make
to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.
see HEBREW for 06419
נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.
: fall/drop/fail
1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to fall
1a2) to fall (of violent death)
1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before
1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of
1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result
1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to
1a7) to lie, lie prostrate
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate
1b2) to overthrow
1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot
1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)
1b5) to cause to fall
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon
1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself
1d) (Pilel) to fall
נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.
: deserting
1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to fall
1a2) to fall (of violent death)
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine pluralHVqi2mp
fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5…