Psalms 74:6
Psalms 74:6 in Multiple Translations
and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
And now all the carved work thereof They break down with hatchet and hammers.
Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.
With axes and hammers they smashed in the carved wooden panels.
But nowe they breake downe the carued worke thereof with axes and hammers.
And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,
Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
But now they break down the carved work of it at once with axes and hammers.
Lift not up your horn on high: speak not iniquity against God.
Then they smashed all the carved wood with their axes and hammers.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 74:6
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 74:6 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
ו/עת
וְ֭/עַתָּה
פִּתּוּחֶ֣י/הָ
יָּ֑חַד
בְּ/כַשִּׁ֥יל
וְ֝/כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת
יַהֲלֹמֽוּ/ן
ו/עת
ʻattâh
H6258
now
Conj | Adv
וְ֭/עַתָּה
ʻattâh
H6258
now
Conj | Adv
פִּתּוּחֶ֣י/הָ
pittûwach
H6603
engraving
N-mp | Suff
יָּ֑חַד
yachad
H3162
unitedness
Adv
בְּ/כַשִּׁ֥יל
kashshîyl
H3781
axe
Prep | N-ms
וְ֝/כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת
kêylaph
H3597
axe
Conj | N-fp
יַהֲלֹמֽוּ/ן
hâlam
H1986
to smite
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 74:6
ו/עת
ʻattâh
H6258
"now"
Conj | Adv
This word means now or at this time, like in Exodus when God says now is the time to act. It can also be used to connect ideas or show a change in time, as seen in the book of Isaiah.
Definition: 1) now 1a) now 1b) in phrases
Usage: Occurs in 422 OT verses. KJV: henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas. See also: Genesis 3:22; Joshua 24:23; 2 Samuel 24:13.
וְ֭/עַתָּה
ʻattâh
H6258
"now"
Conj | Adv
This word means now or at this time, like in Exodus when God says now is the time to act. It can also be used to connect ideas or show a change in time, as seen in the book of Isaiah.
Definition: 1) now 1a) now 1b) in phrases
Usage: Occurs in 422 OT verses. KJV: henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas. See also: Genesis 3:22; Joshua 24:23; 2 Samuel 24:13.
פִּתּוּחֶ֣י/הָ
pittûwach
H6603
"engraving"
N-mp | Suff
This Hebrew word means an engraving or carving, often referring to intricate designs cut into stone or wood, like the carvings in Solomon's temple.
Definition: engraving, carving
Usage: Occurs in 11 OT verses. KJV: carved (work) (are, en-) grave(-ing, -n). See also: Exodus 28:11; Exodus 39:30; Psalms 74:6.
יָּ֑חַד
yachad
H3162
"unitedness"
Adv
This adverb means together, describing people doing something in unity, like in Psalm 133:1.
Definition: 1) union, unitedness
Usage: Occurs in 139 OT verses. KJV: alike, at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-) together, withal. See also: Genesis 13:6; Psalms 62:10; Psalms 2:2.
בְּ/כַשִּׁ֥יל
kashshîyl
H3781
"axe"
Prep | N-ms
An axe is a tool used for chopping or felling, as mentioned in Deuteronomy 19:5 and 1 Kings 6:7. It was a common instrument in ancient times, used for various tasks, including construction and warfare.
Definition: axe
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: ax. See also: Psalms 74:6.
וְ֝/כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת
kêylaph
H3597
"axe"
Conj | N-fp
This word means a heavy tool, like an axe or sledge-hammer. It is used for breaking or crushing things. The KJV translation is 'hammer'.
Definition: large axes, axe
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: hammer. See also: Psalms 74:6.
יַהֲלֹמֽוּ/ן
hâlam
H1986
"to smite"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff
To smite means to strike down or conquer, like God smiting the Egyptians in Exodus 3:20. It can also mean to hammer or overcome, as in Jeremiah 23:29.
Definition: (Qal) to smite, strike, hammer, strike down
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: beat (down), break (down), overcome, smite (with the hammer). See also: Judges 5:22; Psalms 141:5; Psalms 74:6.
Study Notes — Psalms 74:6
Show Verse Quote Highlights
Context — Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
4Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,
5like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
6and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name. 8They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Kings 6:18 | The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen. |
| 2 | 1 Kings 6:29 | Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. |
| 3 | 1 Kings 6:35 | He carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold, hammered evenly over the carvings. |
| 4 | 1 Kings 6:32 | The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. |
Psalms 74:6 Summary
[Psalms 74:6 is describing a very sad and violent event, where the enemies of God's people came into the Temple and started smashing and destroying all the beautiful carvings and furnishings, which is similar to what happened in Jeremiah 52:13. This was a way of showing their hatred for God and His people. Even in the midst of such destruction and suffering, God's people can cry out to Him and trust in His sovereignty, as seen in Psalms 74:1-2 and Romans 8:28. We can learn from this verse that God is always with us, even in hard times, and will ultimately bring justice and vindication, as promised in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to smash carvings with hatchets and picks in Psalms 74:6?
This verse is describing the violent destruction of the Temple and its furnishings, likely by the Babylonians, as they sought to erase the presence of God from the land (see also Psalms 74:3-8, Jeremiah 52:13).
Why would the enemies of God want to destroy the carvings in the Temple?
The enemies of God sought to destroy the carvings, which were intricate and beautiful, to demonstrate their contempt for God and His people, much like the desecration described in Daniel 5:2-3.
How does this verse relate to the rest of Psalms 74?
This verse is part of a lament, in which the psalmist is mourning the destruction of the Temple and the suffering of God's people, as seen in Psalms 74:1-23, and is a call to God to remember His people and avenge their suffering (see also Psalms 74:1-2, Psalms 74:18-23).
What can we learn from the destruction described in Psalms 74:6?
We can learn that God's people will face persecution and hardship, but God is always with them, and will ultimately vindicate them, as promised in Romans 8:28 and 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I have seen God's presence and beauty being desecrated in my own life or community?
- How can I, like the psalmist, cry out to God in times of suffering and persecution, and trust in His sovereignty?
- What are some ways that I can work to preserve and promote the beauty and presence of God in my own life and in the world around me?
- How can I balance the reality of suffering and hardship with the promise of God's ultimate vindication and justice?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 74:6
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 74:6
Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. -The enemy has destroyed God's sanctuary and synagogues, and there are no tokens of God's presence in the land.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 74:6
See Poole "". Axes and hammers: it hath been ingeniously observed that these two words are not Hebrew, but Chaldee or Syriac words, to point out the time when this was done, even when the Chaldeans brought in their language together with their arms among the Israelites.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 74:6
Psalms 74:6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.Ver. 6. But now they break down the carved work thereof] The Chaldeans did with military violence, and afterwards the Romans under Titus, who could not preserve it from the soldiers’ fury, though he desired so to have done, as some historians have told us. Now, if the enemies’ rage were so great as is here described against the outward marks of religion, how much more should our zeal kindle against the most costly or curious monuments of idolatry and superstition? Zisca, the valiant Bohemian, overthrew three hundred monasteries with their idols, and among the rest the famous monastery called the king’ s court, a mile from Prague, in the walls whereof the whole Bible was most exquisitely written in letters of gold.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 74:6
4–9. A graphic picture of the desecration of the Temple by the heathen enemies of Israel.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 74:6
But now they break down the carved work thereof ... - literally, “But now the carvings of it together, at once, with sledge and hammers they beat down.” The carved work refers evidently to the ornaments of the temple.