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The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
Psalms 11:4 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men.
  • KJV The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
  • NKJV The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
  • NASB ¶The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
  • NLT But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

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

Yahweh is in His holy temple and on His heavenly throne, observing all people. God still reigns and sees everything despite earthly chaos.

Overview

David answers the crisis of collapsing foundations by lifting his eyes to God enthroned in heaven. God's watchful gaze examines all humanity, so nothing escapes His just attention. This vision of the sovereign, all-seeing God is the bedrock of confidence when earthly securities fail.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Ps 103:19The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
  • Ps 2:4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.
  • Ps 18:6In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
  • Hab 2:20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
  • Ps 34:15–16The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
  • Ps 33:13The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
  • Jer 23:24“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
  • Isa 66:1This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?
  • Heb 4:13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
  • Rev 4:2At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it.
  • 2 Chr 16:9For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”
  • Matt 23:21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
  • 1 Chr 17:5For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling.
  • Matt 5:34But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
  • Ps 66:7He rules forever by His power; His eyes watch the nations. Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
  • Prov 15:3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
  • 2 Th 2:4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
  • Jer 17:10I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
  • Acts 7:49‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?
  • Ps 9:11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations.
  • Exod 40:34–35Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
  • Zech 2:13Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
  • Ps 44:21would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
  • Mic 1:2Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! May the Lord GOD bear witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 11:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 11:4 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.