All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive.
- KJV All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
- BSB All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—even those unable to preserve their lives.
- NKJV All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
- NLT Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust.
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
Both the prosperous and the dying will bow before God. Worship embraces all classes of humanity, even those who cannot preserve their own lives.
Overview
David envisions the rich and the dying alike bowing in worship, declaring that no human being, however powerful, can keep himself alive apart from God. All stand in dependence on the Lord of life. The verse points to the universal scope of Christ's lordship, before whom the living and the dead must ultimately acknowledge his reign.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Phil 2:10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
- Isa 26:19Your dead shall live. My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.
- Ps 113:7He raises up the poor out of the dust. Lifts up the needy from the ash heap;
- Ps 45:12The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor.
- John 11:25–26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
- Isa 45:23I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
- Rev 20:12–15I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
- Rom 14:10–12But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
- Isa 60:16You will also drink the milk of the nations, and will nurse from royal breasts. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Isa 10:16Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.
- Rev 21:24The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
- Hos 13:9You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your help.
- Ps 78:31when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their fattest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
- Ps 73:7Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.
- Ps 72:10–11The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
- John 3:36One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
- Isa 29:4You will be brought down, and will speak out of the ground. Your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will be as of one who has a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and your speech will whisper out of the dust.
- Isa 60:3–5Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
- Ps 49:6–9Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches —
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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 22:29 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
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