Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.
Parallel translations
- KJV When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
- BSB When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
- NKJV Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
- NASB Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
- NLT When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff, the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
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
When the wicked judges fall, the people will heed David's well-spoken words. It anticipates the vindication of truth once evil rulers are overthrown.
Overview
This verse is difficult and variously interpreted, but it broadly pictures the downfall of corrupt leaders and the eventual hearing of David's righteous words. The fall of unjust authority opens the way for truth to be received. Faithful readers see here a foreshadowing of God's overturning of all unjust powers under Christ's righteous reign.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 2 Chr 25:12The children of Judah carried away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces.
- 2 Sam 5:1–3Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
- 1 Sam 31:1–8Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
- 2 Sam 1:17–27David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
- 2 Sam 2:4–6The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.”
- 1 Chr 13:2David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of Yahweh our God, let us send word everywhere to our brothers who are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves to us.
- Ps 45:2You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever.
- Luke 4:22All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
- 1 Chr 11:1–3Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
- 2 Sam 23:1Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
- 1 Chr 10:1–7Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
- 1 Chr 12:38All these were men of war, who could order the battle array, and came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 141:6 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.