But you, Yahweh, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations.
Parallel translations
- KJV But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
- BSB But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.
- NKJV But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.
- NASB But You, Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.
- NLT But Lord, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations.
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
In contrast to the boasting wicked, the LORD simply laughs at them and their schemes. It reveals how futile human rebellion is before God.
Overview
Echoing Psalm 2, this verse depicts God's serene mastery over those who plot against his people. The mighty appear formidable, but to the sovereign Lord they are objects of holy derision. This assures the believer that no opposition can finally thwart God's purposes in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Prov 1:26I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;
- Ps 37:13The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.
- Ps 2:4He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.
- Ps 59:5You, Yahweh God of Armies, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah.
- Matt 18:17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.
- 1 Sam 19:15–16Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”
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 59:8 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.