Psalm 140:10
New International Version
May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise.

New Living Translation
Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.

English Standard Version
Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!

Berean Standard Bible
May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again.

King James Bible
Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

New King James Version
Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

New American Standard Bible
“May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into bottomless pits from which they cannot rise.

NASB 1995
“May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.

NASB 1977
“May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.

Legacy Standard Bible
May burning coals be shaken out upon them; May He cause them to fall into the fire, Into bottomless pits from which they can never rise.

Amplified Bible
“Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be thrown into the fire, Into deep [water] pits from which they cannot rise.

Christian Standard Bible
Let hot coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into the abyss, never again to rise.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Let hot coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into the abyss, never again to rise.

American Standard Version
Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise.

Contemporary English Version
Dump flaming coals on them and throw them into pits where they can't climb out.

English Revised Version
Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into a pit, never to rise again.

Good News Translation
May red-hot coals fall on them; may they be thrown into a pit and never get out.

International Standard Version
May burning coals fall on them; may they be cast into fire, and into miry pits, never to rise again.

Majority Standard Bible
May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again.

NET Bible
May he rain down fiery coals upon them! May he throw them into the fire! From bottomless pits they will not escape.

New Heart English Bible
Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not again.

World English Bible
Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They cause burning coals to fall on themselves, "" He casts them into fire, "" Into deep pits—they do not arise.

Young's Literal Translation
They cause to fall on themselves burning coals, Into fire He doth cast them, Into deep pits -- they arise not.

Smith's Literal Translation
Burning coals shall be shaken upon them; he shall cast them into fire, into whirlpools; they shall not rise up.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Burning coals shall fall upon them; thou wilt cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Burning coals will fall upon them. You will cast them down into the fire, into miseries that they will not be able to withstand.

New American Bible
Drop burning coals upon them; cast them into the watery pit never more to rise.

New Revised Standard Version
Let burning coals fall on them! Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Let burning coals fall upon them; let them fall into the fire, that they rise not up again.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And coals will come down upon them and they will fall into fire and they will not be able to rise.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Coals of fire shall fall upon them on the earth; and thou shalt cast them down in afflictions: they shall not bear up under them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rescue Me, O LORD, From Evil Men
9May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused. 10May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again. 11May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.…

Cross References
Proverbs 26:27
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

Psalm 11:6
On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.

Job 18:15-21
Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur rains down on his dwelling. / The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away. / The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. ...

Isaiah 30:33
For Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

Ezekiel 38:22
I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.

Jeremiah 23:19
Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked.

Nahum 1:6
Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.

Isaiah 34:8-10
For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. / Edom’s streams will be turned to tar, and her soil to sulfur; her land will become a blazing pitch. / It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.

Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it consumes the earth and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains.

Revelation 20:9
And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

Matthew 13:41-42
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. / And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. / They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,

Revelation 14:10-11
he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. / And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

Luke 16:24
So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

Hebrews 10:27
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.


Treasury of Scripture

Let burning coals fall on them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

burning coals

Psalm 11:6
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

Psalm 18:13,14
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire…

Psalm 21:9
Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

let them

Daniel 3:29-25
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort…

Matthew 13:42,50
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth…

into keep

Psalm 55:23
But 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.

Proverbs 28:10,17
Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession…

Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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Arise Burning Cast Cause Coals Deep Fall Fire Flames Miry Pits Rise Themselves Thrown Waters Whence
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Arise Burning Cast Cause Coals Deep Fall Fire Flames Miry Pits Rise Themselves Thrown Waters Whence
Psalm 140
1. David prays to be delivered from Saul and Doeg
8. He prays against them
12. He comforts himself by confidence in God














May burning coals
The imagery of "burning coals" in this verse is vivid and powerful, often symbolizing divine judgment and purification throughout the Scriptures. In the Hebrew context, coals were used in sacrificial rituals, representing the consuming fire of God's holiness. This phrase suggests a call for God's righteous judgment to be executed upon the wicked, aligning with the justice themes found throughout the Psalms. The burning coals can also be seen as a metaphor for the intense and purifying trials that lead to repentance and transformation.

fall upon them
The phrase "fall upon them" indicates a sudden and overwhelming action, reminiscent of divine intervention. In the historical context of the Old Testament, God's judgment often came swiftly upon those who opposed His will. This phrase underscores the psalmist's plea for God to act decisively against the wicked, ensuring that justice is served. It reflects a deep trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to protect the righteous by dealing with their adversaries.

may they be thrown
The act of being "thrown" suggests a forceful removal or casting away, which is a common theme in biblical narratives where the wicked are separated from the community of the faithful. This phrase emphasizes the psalmist's desire for the wicked to be removed from positions of influence and power, ensuring that their harmful actions do not continue to affect the righteous. It is a call for divine intervention to restore order and righteousness.

into the fire
Fire, in biblical literature, is often associated with God's presence, judgment, and purification. The phrase "into the fire" evokes the image of ultimate judgment, where the wicked are consumed by the consequences of their actions. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative of God's justice, where evil is ultimately destroyed, and righteousness prevails. The fire serves as both a warning and a promise that God will not allow wickedness to go unpunished.

into the miry pits
"Miry pits" conjure images of entrapment and helplessness, often used in the Psalms to describe situations of despair and danger. In this context, it symbolizes the inescapable consequences of sin and rebellion against God. The psalmist's use of this phrase highlights the futility of opposing God's will and the inevitable downfall of those who do. It serves as a reminder of the security and deliverance found in trusting God, contrasting the fate of the wicked with the hope of the righteous.

never to rise again
The finality of "never to rise again" underscores the complete and irreversible nature of God's judgment against the wicked. It reflects the biblical theme of ultimate justice, where evil is permanently defeated, and God's kingdom is established in righteousness. This phrase offers assurance to the faithful that God's justice will prevail, and the forces of evil will not have the final say. It is a powerful reminder of the hope and victory promised to those who remain steadfast in their faith.

(10) In this verse too there is a grammatical difficulty, which the margin, "Let there fall on them," instead of "Let them bring upon them," does not remove, since the subject of the next verb is third person singular. The first verb is usually taken impersonally, as by the LXX., which version is actually to be followed in rendering coals of fire (literally, coals accompanied with fire, or, coals as fire), and we get the somewhat awkward, but intelligible--

"Let them bring upon them coals of fire;

Let him cast them into pits that they rise not again.'

But a very slight change gives a plain grammatical sentence with the subject carried on from the last verse:

"Let it (mischief) bring even upon themselves coals of fire;

Let it cast them into pits, so that they rise no more."

(Burgess.)

The word "pits" is peculiar to the passage. Gesenius, deriving from a root meaning "to boil up," renders, "whirlpools," which, as in Psalm 66:12, combines "water" with "fire," as joint emblems of perils that cannot be escaped. But Symmachus, Theodotion, and Jerome render "ditches," which is supported by a Rabbinical quotation, given by Delitzsch: "first of all they burned them in pits; when the flesh was consumed they collected the bones, and burned them in coffins."

Verse 10. - Let burning coals fall upon them, or, "burning coals shall be thrown upon them." Let them be cast (or, "they shall be cast") into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again. The clauses are declaratory rather than optative. The psalmist sees the wrath of God poured out upon his enemies, who are at the same time God's enemies - they are cast into the fire prepared to receive the wicked - and plunged into deep pits whence they find it impossible to extricate themselves.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
May burning coals
גֶּֽחָ֫לִ֥ים (ge·ḥā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1513: An ember

fall
יִמּ֥וֹטוּ (yim·mō·w·ṭū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4131: To waver, to slip, shake, fall

on them;
עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

may they be thrown
יַפִּלֵ֑ם (yap·pi·lêm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

into the fire,
בָּאֵ֥שׁ (bā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

into the miry pits,
בְּ֝מַהֲמֹר֗וֹת (bə·ma·hă·mō·rō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4113: A flood, watery pit

never
בַּֽל־ (bal-)
Adverb
Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest

to rise again.
יָקֽוּמוּ׃ (yā·qū·mū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand


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OT Poetry: Psalm 140:10 Let burning coals fall on them (Psalm Ps Psa.)
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