But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
Parallel translations
- WEB But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand,
- BSB But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.
- NKJV But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands.
- NASB “But the worthless, every one of them, are like scattered thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand;
- NLT But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The ungodly are like thorns that cannot be safely handled and must be cast away.
Overview
In contrast to the fruitful blessing of righteous rule, the wicked are pictured as worthless, dangerous thorns. This imagery echoes throughout Scripture as a warning of judgment, pointing to the final separation of the righteous and the wicked that Christ Himself will accomplish.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ezek 2:6And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
- Isa 33:12And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
- Deut 13:13Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
- Song 2:2As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
- Gen 3:18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
- 2 Sam 20:1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
- 1 Sam 2:12Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
- Matt 13:41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 23:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.