¶Pay attention, you stupid ones among the people; And when will you understand, foolish ones?
Parallel translations
- WEB Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?
- KJV Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
- BSB Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
- NKJV Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise?
- NLT Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on?
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
The psalmist calls the senseless and foolish to finally become wise. He summons the spiritually dull to reckon with the God who sees.
Overview
Turning to address the foolish, the psalmist urges them to abandon their absurd assumption that God is unaware. To deny God's knowledge is the height of folly, contradicting His very nature as Creator. True wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD, who knows all things (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 14:1).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 92:6A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this:
- Titus 3:3For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
- Ps 49:10For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.
- Deut 32:29Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
- Isa 27:11When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off. The women will come and set them on fire, for they are a people of no understanding. Therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them, and he who formed them will show them no favor.
- Rom 3:11There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.
- Prov 12:1Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
- Jer 8:6–8I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
- Jer 10:8But they are together brutish and foolish, instructed by idols! It is just wood.
- Prov 8:5You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.
- Ps 73:22I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.
- Prov 1:22“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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 94:8 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.