Psalm 141:6
New International Version
Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

New Living Translation
When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff, the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.

English Standard Version
When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

Berean Standard Bible
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

King James Bible
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

New King James Version
Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet.

New American Standard Bible
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

NASB 1995
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

NASB 1977
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

Legacy Standard Bible
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

Amplified Bible
Their [wicked, godless] judges are thrown down the sides of the rocky cliff, And they [who followed them] will hear my words, for they are pleasant (just).

Christian Standard Bible
When their rulers will be thrown off the sides of a cliff, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When their rulers will be thrown off the sides of a cliff, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasing.

American Standard Version
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; And they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Contemporary English Version
Everyone will admit that I was right when their rulers are thrown down a rocky cliff,

English Revised Version
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; and they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When their judges are thrown off a cliff, they will listen to what I have to say. It will sound pleasant [to them].

Good News Translation
When their rulers are thrown down from rocky cliffs, the people will admit that my words were true.

International Standard Version
When their judges are thrown off the cliff, the people will hear my words, for they are appropriate.

Majority Standard Bible
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

NET Bible
They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. They will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

New Heart English Bible
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.

Webster's Bible Translation
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

World English Bible
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Their judges have been released by the sides of a rock, "" And they have heard my sayings, "" For they have been pleasant.

Young's Literal Translation
Their judges have been released by the sides of a rock, And they have heard my sayings, For they have been pleasant.

Smith's Literal Translation
Their judges were cast down against the hands of the rock, and they heard my words, for they were sweet.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
their judges falling upon the rock have been swallowed up. They shall hear my words, for they have prevailed:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Their judges have been engulfed, joined to the rocks. They will hear my words, which have prevailed,

New American Bible
May their leaders be cast over the cliff, so that they hear that my speeches are pleasing.

New Revised Standard Version
When they are given over to those who shall condemn them, then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When their judges are stopped by a strong hand, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And their Judges were restrained by the hand of The Stone, and they heard my words, for they are sweet.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; And they shall hear my words, that they are sweet.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Their mighty ones have been swallowed up near the rock: they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Come Quickly to Me
5Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked. 6When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant. 7As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.…

Cross References
Proverbs 11:21
Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

Isaiah 28:17
I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.

Jeremiah 18:18
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

Ezekiel 11:1-4
Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people. / And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked counsel in this city. / They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’ ...

Micah 3:1-4
Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice? / You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones. / You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.” ...

Matthew 23:33-36
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? / Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. / And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ...

Luke 11:49-51
Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ / As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, / from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

Acts 7:51-53
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— / you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

Romans 11:8-10
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” / And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them. / May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”

1 Corinthians 3:19-20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” / And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

1 Thessalonians 2:15-16
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, / hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

2 Timothy 3:8-9
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. / But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

Hebrews 3:12-13
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. / But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.


Treasury of Scripture

When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

when their judges

1 Samuel 31:1-8
Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa…

2 Samuel 1:17
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:

1 Chronicles 10:1-7
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa…

they shall hear

2 Samuel 2:4
And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

2 Samuel 5:1-3
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh…

1 Chronicles 11:1-3
Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh…

for they

Psalm 45:2
Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

2 Samuel 2:5,6
And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him…

2 Samuel 23:1
Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

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Cliffs Condemn Destruction Ear Hear Heard Judges Learn Overthrown Places Pleasant Rock Rocks Rulers Side Sides Stony Sweet Thrown True. Wicked Word Words
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Cliffs Condemn Destruction Ear Hear Heard Judges Learn Overthrown Places Pleasant Rock Rocks Rulers Side Sides Stony Sweet Thrown True. Wicked Word Words
Psalm 141
1. David prays that his suit may be acceptable
3. His conscience sincere
7. And his life free from snares














When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs
This phrase evokes a vivid image of judgment and downfall. The Hebrew word for "rulers" here can be understood as leaders or those in authority. Historically, the imagery of being "thrown down from the cliffs" suggests a sudden and dramatic fall from power, reminiscent of ancient practices where cliffs were sometimes used for executions or as places of divine judgment. This can be seen as a metaphor for God's justice prevailing over corrupt leadership. In a spiritual sense, it reminds believers that no earthly power is beyond God's sovereign control and that He will ultimately bring justice to those who misuse their authority.

the people will listen to my words
The phrase "the people will listen" indicates a shift in attention and allegiance. The Hebrew root for "listen" implies not just hearing but obeying and heeding. This suggests a transformation in the hearts of the people, who, witnessing the downfall of corrupt rulers, turn their ears to wisdom and truth. In the context of David, the psalmist, it reflects his hope and confidence that his words, inspired by God, will be recognized as true and worthy of following. For contemporary believers, it serves as an encouragement to speak truth and wisdom, trusting that God will open the ears of those who need to hear.

for they are pleasant
The word "pleasant" here is derived from a Hebrew term that conveys beauty, agreeableness, and delight. It suggests that the words spoken by the psalmist are not only true but also carry a sense of grace and attractiveness. This aligns with the biblical principle that truth, when spoken in love and wisdom, has an inherent beauty that draws people to it. For Christians, it is a reminder that the gospel message, though sometimes counter-cultural, is ultimately a message of hope and beauty that resonates with the deepest longings of the human heart. It encourages believers to communicate God's truth in a manner that reflects its inherent beauty and grace.

(6) This verse again is full of obscurities. The first clause probably should be rendered, Let their judges be broken to pieces by the force (literally, hands) of the rock; or, let their judges be cast down by the sides of the cliff--i.e., hurled down the precipitous face of the ravine (See 2Chronicles 25:12, and notice that the word here is "Sela'," the name of the capital of Edom; comp. Hosea 10:14; Psalm 137:9, where, however, the expression is "against the cliff.")

They shall . . .--Better, then shall they hear my words; how dainty they are, &c. The expression is ironical. The ungodly party, when their power is broken, instead of being entertained by the poet at a licentious banquet, will listen indeed to his words--shall hear a "dainty song" from him--viz., "a song of triumph."

Verse 6. - When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words. Calamity opens the heart to receive instruction. The "judges" - i.e. the leaders - among David's enemies are visited with a grievous calamity, expressed metaphorically by their being dashed upon rocks. This disposes them to listen to David's words, which are well worth listening to, since they are sweet.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When their rulers
שֹׁפְטֵיהֶ֑ם (šō·p̄ə·ṭê·hem)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

are thrown
נִשְׁמְט֣וּ (niš·mə·ṭū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8058: To fling down, to jostle, to let alone, desist, remit

from
בִֽידֵי־ (ḇî·ḏê-)
Preposition-b | Noun - fdc
Strong's 3027: A hand

the cliffs,
סֶ֭לַע (se·la‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5553: A craggy rock

the people will listen
וְשָׁמְע֥וּ (wə·šā·mə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to my words,
אֲ֝מָרַ֗י (’ă·mā·ray)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 561: Something said

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they are pleasant.
נָעֵֽמוּ׃ (nā·‘ê·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5276: To be pleasant, delightful, or lovely


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