But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
Parallel translations
- WEB But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
- BSB Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.
- NKJV But God will wound the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
- NASB God certainly will shatter the heads of His enemies, The hairy head of one who goes about in his guilt.
- NLT But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
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
God will surely crush the heads of his enemies, namely those who persist in their guilt and rebellion. It assures us that unrepentant evil cannot stand before him.
Overview
In this triumphal psalm celebrating God's victories, David affirms that the Lord himself will shatter the skull of his foes. The picture of striking the head recalls the promise of Genesis 3:15 that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, ultimately fulfilled in Christ's decisive victory over sin and Satan. Judgment falls not arbitrarily but on those who continue in guiltiness, refusing to repent.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Hab 3:13Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
- Ps 7:12If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
- Luke 13:5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
- Ps 110:6He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
- Heb 12:25See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
- Ezek 18:27–30Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
- Rev 2:14–16But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
- Heb 2:1–3Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
- Prov 1:24–33Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
- 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.
- Mark 12:4And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
- Ps 68:18Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
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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 68:21 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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