Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.
- BSB May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again.
- NKJV Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
- NASB “May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into bottomless pits from which they cannot rise.
- NLT Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.
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
David asks that burning coals and fire fall on the wicked, casting them into pits from which they never rise. It calls for decisive divine judgment on persistent evildoers.
Overview
The vivid images of coals, fire, and pits depict thorough and final judgment, echoing God's judgment on Sodom. David prays for God to act as the righteous Judge rather than taking matters into his own hands. Such warnings of judgment make the offer of mercy in Christ all the more urgent (2 Corinthians 5:11).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 11:6Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
- Ps 21:9Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
- Rev 21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
- Rev 20:15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
- Rev 16:8–9And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
- Prov 28:10Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
- Ps 55:23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
- Gen 19:24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
- Exod 9:23–24And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
- Matt 13:50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- Prov 28:17A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
- Matt 13:42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- Ps 18:13–14The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
- Ps 120:4Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
- Dan 3:20–25And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 140:10 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.