Psalms 149:7 — Word Study
WLCלַעֲשׂ֣וֹת נְ֭קָמָה בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת בַּל־ אֻמִּֽים׃
BSAto inflictʻâsâh [execute, take] vengeancenᵉqâmâh [punishment, retribution] on the nationsgôwy [Gentiles, heathen] and punishmenttôwkêchâh [corrections, rebuke] onbal
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת | to execute | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| נְ֭קָמָה | vengeance | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם | on the nations | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת | punishment | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| בַּל־ | not | Particle |
| אֻמִּֽים׃ | peoples | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, |
| KJV | To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; |
| ASV | To execute vengeance upon the nations, And punishments upon the peoples; |
| YLT | To do vengeance among nations, Punishments among the peoples. |
| WEB | to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; |
| BBE | To give the nations the reward of their sins, and the peoples their punishment; |
Where they part company is תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is followed by an object, establishing the focus on vengeance and punishment.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 149:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Praise of God and His Justicegenerated
Psalm 149:7 is part of a psalm celebrating God's people and their role in executing His judgments. The psalmist emphasizes the theme of divine vengeance, highlighting that God's justice will be enacted against the nations and peoples who oppose Him. This reflects a broader biblical motif where God avenges His people and punishes the wicked, as seen in other psalms and prophetic writings.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 137:8–9 | O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us. |
| 2 | Numbers 31:2–3 | “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” |
| 3 | Judges 5:23 | ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’ |
| 4 | 1 Samuel 15:2–3 | This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt. |
| 5 | Zechariah 9:13–16 | For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נְקָמָה, Ne.ka.mahgenerated
The noun נְקָמָה (nekaamah) means vengeance or retribution. It is derived from the root נָקָם (naqam), which conveys the act of avenging. This term is used to describe God's actions against those who harm His people, emphasizing His role as a just judge.
In this verse, it encapsulates the idea of divine justice being executed against the nations that oppose God and His people, reinforcing the belief that God will not leave wrongs unpunished.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses vengeance and punishment consistently with the original Hebrew terms.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת (la'asot), meaning 'to execute', governs the clause, with two objects: נְ֭קָמָה (nekaamah), 'vengeance', and תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת (tokhechot), 'punishment'. This structure highlights the actions God commands His people to take.
The order of the Hebrew words emphasizes the execution of vengeance first, followed by the punishment, indicating a sequence of divine justice.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת as ποιῆσαι (poiēsai), meaning 'to make' or 'to do', which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning of executing actions.
For נְקָמָה, the term used is ἐκδίκησιν (ekdikēsin), which specifically denotes vengeance or retribution, reinforcing the theme of divine justice present in both texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 149:7 speaks about God's command to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples. This verse highlights God's role in executing justice against those who oppose Him, showcasing the importance of divine retribution in the biblical narrative.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It refers to God's judgment against those who oppose Him, ensuring justice is served.
Punishment emphasizes the corrective aspect of God's justice, addressing wrongdoing and seeking to restore order.
It connects to themes in other psalms and prophetic writings that affirm God's commitment to avenging His people and punishing the wicked.
It highlights that God's justice is not limited to Israel but extends to all nations, affirming His sovereignty over the entire world.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's justice at work in the world around me?
- How can I understand the concept of divine vengeance in light of God's love and mercy?
- What responsibilities do I have as part of God's people in upholding justice?
- How do I reconcile the idea of punishment with the hope of redemption for all people?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 149:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTo execute vengeance upon the Heathen,.... Either upon the Gentile world, in the first times of the Gospel; when the apostles, going there with the twoedged sword of the word, vehemently inveighed
Read John Gill on Psalms 149 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryTo execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To execute vengeance upon the heathen - as the Maccabees (according to the prophetic anticipation here) subsequently did upon Antiochus Epiphanes' hosts.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 149 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFor all their cruelties and injuries towards God’ s people. This was literally accomplished by David upon the Philistines, Ammonites, Syrians, and other neighbouring nations and princes, which were bitter enemies to God’ s people. And the same thing was done afterward in the Christian world, when God raised up Christian princes, who did by the help of the Christians, fighting with and under them, severely revenge the blood of the martyred Christians upon their cruel persecutors and tyrants in divers ages. It may also be understood of the spiritual plagues which Christ by the hand or ministry of his apostles and ministers did inflict upon the hearts and consciences of his incorrigible…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 149 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 149:7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, [and] punishments upon the people;Ver. 7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen] viz. Upon a just calling, and not for private revenge; yea, that soldier can never answer it to God that strikes not more as a justicer than as an enemy, be his cause never so good. But that is the most noble vengeance that is executed upon men’ s lusts; while they thrust the sword of the Spirit into the throats of them, and let out their life blood. That is a good sense that some give of these words, viz. that the saints, when they go forth to battle, should go with holy songs in their mouths, as well as with swords in their hands. See Judges 7:19-20, &c.; 2…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 149 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) Heathen . . . people.—Rather, nations . . . peoples.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 149 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen] This may refer simply to their purpose of defending themselves to the uttermost, should their enemies attack them while building their wall: and they had every reason to believe that God would be with them; and that, if their enemies did attack them, they should be able to inflict the severest punishment upon them. Punishments upon the people] The unfaithful and treacherous Jews; for we find that some, even of their nobles, had joined with Sanballat and Tobiah; (see Ne 6:17-19:) and it appears also that many of them had formed alliances with those heathens, which were contrary to the law; see Ne 13:15-29.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 149 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. vengeance upon the nations] Cp. Isaiah 61:2; Isaiah 63:4. punishments upon the peoples] Lit. corrections.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 149 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleTo execute vengeance upon the heathen - To inflict punishment upon them as a recompence for their sins. The word pagan here means nations.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 149 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples;
to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
in order to take revenge on the nations, and punish foreigners.
Tyndale line
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
To execute vengeance upon the nations, And punishments upon the peoples;
To execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishments upon the peoples;
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
To execute vengeance vpon the heathen, and corrections among the people:
Strictly literal
To execute vengeance against the nations, [and] punishment among the peoples;
To do vengeance among nations, Punishments among the peoples.
To do vengeance among nations, || Punishments among the peoples.
To execute vengeance on the nations, and chastisements on the people:
to execute vengeance on the nations and acts of punishment on the peoples.
From the Latin
To execute vengeance upon the nations, chastisements among the people:
Simplified
ready to take revenge on the nations, to punish the foreign peoples,
To give the nations the reward of their sins, and the peoples their punishment;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text (MT) of Psalms 149:7 states, "לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת נְ֭קָמָה בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת בַּל־ אֻמִּֽים׃" which translates to "to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples." The Septuagint (LXX) agrees with the MT, as all six words correspond directly, though the word order and articles are unique to the Greek translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls (11Q5) preserve five words from this verse, matching the MT and LXX in meaning, but do not contain the complete text. Overall, the MT, LXX, and the surviving fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls align closely in their message, with minor differences in word order and completeness.
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת נְ֭קָמָה בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת בַּל־ אֻמִּֽים׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לעשות נקמה בגויים תוכחות בלאומים
5 words of the verse are on this fragment. The rest of the verse is not on it.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 149:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.
עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make
Qal 2524
do (1560 t.)
deal with
oft. in phr. do kindness with
abs. act, act with effect
make (670 t.)
produce, yield
prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
make offering
attend to, put in order
observe, celebrate, religious festival
acquire property of various kinds
appoint priests
bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
use
spend, pass, days of life
Niph.
97be done
be made, of concr. things
be produced from vine
be prepared, of food
be offered
be observed, passover
be used
Pu. I was made
base
[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze
base
H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)
. deal with
. oft. in phr. do kindness with
. abs. act, act with effect
. . make (670 + t.)
. produce, yield
. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
. make offering
. attend to, put in order
. observe, celebrate, religious festival
. acquire property of various kinds
. appoint priests
. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
. use
. spend, pass, days of life
. . be done
. . be made, of concr. things
. be produced from vine
. be prepared, of food
. be offered
. be observed, passover
. be used
. I was made
H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze
6213 `asah aw-saw'
a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and
widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,
appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,
bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal
(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)
execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +
finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go
about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X
indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,
make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,
bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,
provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,
spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be
(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.
: do/perform
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
1a2c) to prepare
1a2d) to make (an offering)
1a2e) to attend to, put in order
1a2f) to observe, celebrate
1a2g) to acquire (property)
1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute
1a2i) to bring about
1a2j) to use
1a2k) to spend, pass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be done
1b2) to be made
1b3) to be produced
1b4) to be offered
1b5) to be observed
1b6) to be used
1c) (Pual) to be made
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.
(Piel) to press, squeeze
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.
: make(OBJECT)
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
נְקָמָה (nqamah) refers to vengeance or avengement, stemming from the related word נָקָם (naqam). It encompasses the act of seeking revenge, whether by God, Israel, or their enemies. The term appears in contexts involving divine or national retribution.
נְקָמָה n.f. vengeance
base
H5360 נְקָמָה
5360 nqamah nek-aw-maw'
feminine of 5359; avengement, whether the act of the
passion:--+ avenge, revenge(-ing), vengeance.
see HEBREW for 05359
נְקָמָה (ne.qa.mah) — vengeance.
1) vengeance
1a) vengeance (by God, by Israel, by enemies of Israel)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
ven'-jans.
See AVENGE; GOEL; RETRIBUTION; REVENGE.
In De 32:35 Ro 12:19 Heb 10:30 Jude 1:7, means retributive justice- a prerogative of God with which those interfere who seek to avenge themselves. So also in Ac 28:4; though many suppose that the islanders meant the goddess of justice, Dike, whom the Greeks and Romans regarded as a daughter of Jupiter, and feared as an independent, just, and unappeasable deity.
גּוֹי (goy) refers to a nation or people, often indicating non-Hebrew groups, but can also encompass descendants of Abraham and Israel. It may figuratively describe a swarm of locusts or animals. The plural form, גּוֹיִם (goyim), is noted as a proper noun referring to the people of Goim, specifically mentioned in Genesis 14:1.
גּוֹי 661 n.m. nation, people
base
גּוֹיִם n.pr.gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
base
H1471a גּוֹי nation, people H1471b גּוֹיִם n. pr. gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
1471 gowy go'-ee
rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same
root as 1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation;
hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a
flight of locusts:--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
see HEBREW for 01465
גּוֹי (goy) — nation.
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
גּוֹיִם (go.yim) — Goiim.
People descended from Goy(?), first mentioned at Gen.14.1
§ Goyim (Tidgal, king of)
גּוֹי (goy) — Gentile.
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
1c) Goyim? = "nations"
Also named: ethnos (ἔθνος "Gentiles" G1484)
גּוֹי (goy) — (Harosheth)-hagoyim.
Goyim (Tidgal, king of)
Combined with cha.ro.shet (חֲרֹ֫שֶׁת "Harosheth" H2800)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa
na'-shunz.
See GENTILES; GOIIM; HEATHEN; TABLE OF NATIONS.
תּוֹכֵחָה (towkechah) refers to rebuke or correction, while תּוֹכַ֫חַת (towkachath) pertains to argument or reproof. Both terms involve verbal expressions of correction or chastisement. The entries emphasize their use in contexts of correction and reasoning, but do not provide specific verse references.
תּוֹכֵחָה n.f. rebuke, correction
base
תּוֹכַ֫חַת n.f. argument, reproof
argument, impeachment, spoken by lips and mouth
reproof, chiding
correction, rebuke
base
H8433a תּוֹכֵחָה rebuke, correction H8433b תּוֹכַ֫חַת argument, reproof . argument, impeachment, spoken by lips and mouth
. reproof, chiding
. correction, rebuke
8433 towkechah to-kay-khaw'
and towkachath {to-kakh'-ath}; from 3198; chastisement;
figuratively (by words) correction, refutation, proof (even in
defence):--argument, X chastened, correction, reasoning,
rebuke, reproof, X be (often) reproved.
see HEBREW for 03198
תּוֹכֵחָה (to.khe.chah) — rebuke.
rebuke, correction, punishment, chastisement
תּוֹכַ֫חַת (to.kha.chat) — argument.
1) argument, reproof
1a) argument, impeachment
1b) reproof, chiding
1c) correction, rebuke
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
Punishment
The New Testament lays down the general principles of good government, but contains no code of laws for the punishment of offenders. Punishment proceeds on the principle that there is an eternal distinction between right and wrong, and that this distinction must be maintained for its own sake. It is not primarily intended for the reformation of criminals, nor for the purpose of deterring others from sin. These results may be gained, but crime in itself demands punishment. (See MURDER; THEFT.)
Endless, of the impenitent and unbelieving. The rejection of this doctrine “cuts the ground from under the gospel...blots out the attribute of retributive justice; transmutes sin into misfortune instead of guilt; turns all suffering into chastisement; converts the piacular work of Christ into moral influence...The attempt to retain the evangelical theology in connection with it is futile”…
בַּל (bal) is an adverb meaning 'not' or 'none.' It conveys a sense of negation, indicating absence or failure. The word is derived from a root that implies nothingness and can also be used in contexts like 'lest' or 'neither.' The entries consistently emphasize its function as a negation in various forms.
בַּל 69 adv. not
base
H1077 בַּל not
1077 bal bal
from 1086; properly, a failure; by implication nothing;
usually (adverb) not at all; also lest:--lest, neither, no,
none (that...), not (any), nothing.
see HEBREW for 01086
בַּל (bal) — not.
not, hardly, else
Part — ParticleHTn
אֻמָּה (ummah) refers to a community or collection of persons, encompassing meanings such as tribe and nation. It is derived from a root related to gathering, specifically linked to the concept of people. The term appears in contexts relating to groups within the Old Testament.
[אֻמָּה] n.f. tribe, people
base
H523 אֻמָּה tribe, people
523 'ummah oom-maw'
from the same as 517; a collection, i.e. community of
persons:--nation, people.
see HEBREW for 0517
אֻמָּה (um.mah) — people.
people, tribe, nation
Aramaic equivalent: um.mah (אֻמָּה "people" H0524)
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa