Psalm 34:21
New International Version
Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

New Living Translation
Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

English Standard Version
Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Berean Standard Bible
Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

King James Bible
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

New King James Version
Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.

New American Standard Bible
Evil will bring death to the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.

NASB 1995
Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

NASB 1977
Evil shall slay the wicked; And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Legacy Standard Bible
Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Amplified Bible
Evil will cause the death of the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty and will be condemned.

Christian Standard Bible
Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

American Standard Version
Evil shall slay the wicked; And they that hate the righteous shall be condemned.

Contemporary English Version
Wicked people are killed by their own evil deeds, and if you hate God's people you will be punished.

English Revised Version
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be condemned.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Evil will kill wicked people, and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.

Good News Translation
Evil will kill the wicked; those who hate the righteous will be punished.

International Standard Version
Evil will kill the wicked; those who hate the righteous will be held guilty.

Majority Standard Bible
Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

NET Bible
Evil people self-destruct; those who hate the godly are punished.

New Heart English Bible
Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.

Webster's Bible Translation
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

World English Bible
Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Evil puts the wicked to death, "" And those hating the righteous are desolate.

Young's Literal Translation
Evil doth put to death the wicked, And those hating the righteous are desolate.

Smith's Literal Translation
Evil shall slay the unjust one: and they hating the just one shall transgress.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The death of the wicked is very evil: and they that hate the just shall be guilty.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The death of a sinner is very harmful, and those who hate the just will fare badly.

New American Bible
Evil will slay the wicked; those who hate the righteous are condemned.

New Revised Standard Version
Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be destroyed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Evil kills the wicked and those who hate the righteous will come to an end.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Evil shall kill the wicked; And they that hate the righteous shall be held guilty.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The death of sinners is evil: and they that hate righteousness will go wrong.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Taste and See that the LORD is Good
20He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken. 21Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned. 22The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.…

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

Proverbs 13:21
Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

Proverbs 24:16
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.

Isaiah 3:11
Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.

Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

Job 4:8
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.

Job 15:35
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”

Psalm 7:14-16
Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. / He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. / His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.

Psalm 9:15-16
The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. / The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah

Psalm 37:38
But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

Psalm 94:23
He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness. The LORD our God will destroy them.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

James 1:15
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.


Treasury of Scripture

Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

Evil

Psalm 37:30-40
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment…

Psalm 94:23
And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

Isaiah 3:11
Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

they

Psalm 37:12-15
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth…

Psalm 40:15
Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

Psalm 89:23
And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

desolate.

Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Jump to Previous
Bear Condemned Death Desolate Destroy Destruction End Evil Foes Guilt Guilty Hate Haters Hating Held Kill Righteous Righteousness Sinner Slay Wicked
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Bear Condemned Death Desolate Destroy Destruction End Evil Foes Guilt Guilty Hate Haters Hating Held Kill Righteous Righteousness Sinner Slay Wicked
Psalm 34
1. David praises God, and exhorts others thereto by his experience
8. They are blessed who trust in God
11. He exhorts to the fear of God
15. The privileges of the righteous














Evil will slay the wicked
The word "evil" in Hebrew is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which can denote calamity, disaster, or moral evil. In this context, it suggests that the inherent nature of wickedness carries within it the seeds of its own destruction. The phrase implies a divine justice system where evil acts are self-destructive. Historically, this reflects the biblical principle of reaping what one sows, as seen in Proverbs 11:5, "The righteousness of the blameless directs their path, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness." Theologically, it underscores the belief that God’s moral order is such that evil cannot ultimately prevail.

the wicked
The Hebrew word for "wicked" is "רָשָׁע" (rasha), referring to those who are guilty of sin and rebellion against God. In the biblical narrative, the wicked are often portrayed as those who reject God's commandments and live in opposition to His will. This term is not just about actions but also about a state of being that is contrary to God's holiness. The wicked, therefore, are those who have chosen a path away from God, and their end is destruction, as seen in Psalm 1:6, "For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

and the haters of the righteous
The phrase "haters of the righteous" highlights a specific group of people who not only live in wickedness but actively oppose those who live according to God's standards. The Hebrew word for "haters" is "שָׂנֵא" (sane), which implies an intense aversion or hostility. This enmity is often seen throughout scripture, where the righteous face persecution from those who despise their godly living. Jesus Himself warned of this in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first." This phrase serves as a reminder of the spiritual battle between good and evil.

will be condemned
The term "condemned" in Hebrew is "אשם" (asham), which means to be held guilty or to bear punishment. This reflects the ultimate judgment that awaits those who oppose God and His people. In a biblical context, condemnation is not merely a temporal punishment but an eternal separation from God. This aligns with the New Testament teaching in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The phrase assures believers that God will vindicate the righteous and that justice will prevail.

(21) Desolate.--Better (as in margin), shall be found guilty, or condemned.

Verse 21. - Evil shall slay the wicked. His own misconduct shall bring destruction upon the wicked man-destruction of the body in many cases (Psalm 7:15, 16), in all, if he persists in his wickedness, destruction of the soul. And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate; rather, shall be held guilty (comp. Psalm 5:10, and the comment ad loc.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Evil
רָעָ֑ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

{will} slay
תְּמוֹתֵ֣ת (tə·mō·w·ṯêṯ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

the wicked,
רָשָׁ֣ע (rā·šā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

and the haters
וְשֹׂנְאֵ֖י (wə·śō·nə·’ê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8130: To hate

of the righteous
צַדִּ֣יק (ṣad·dîq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous

will be condemned.
יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ׃ (ye’·šā·mū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 816: To be guilty, to be punished, perish


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OT Poetry: Psalm 34:21 Evil shall kill the wicked (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 34:20
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