Psalm 73:8
New International Version
They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.

New Living Translation
They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.

English Standard Version
They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.

Berean Standard Bible
They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.

King James Bible
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

New King James Version
They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.

New American Standard Bible
They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.

NASB 1995
They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.

NASB 1977
They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.

Legacy Standard Bible
They scoff and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.

Amplified Bible
They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak loftily [with malice].

Christian Standard Bible
They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression.

American Standard Version
They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily.

Contemporary English Version
They sneer and say cruel things, and because of their pride, they make violent threats.

English Revised Version
They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: they speak loftily.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They ridicule. They speak maliciously. They speak arrogantly about oppression.

Good News Translation
They laugh at other people and speak of evil things; they are proud and make plans to oppress others.

International Standard Version
In their mockery they speak evil; from their arrogant position they speak oppression.

Majority Standard Bible
They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.

NET Bible
They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence.

New Heart English Bible
They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.

Webster's Bible Translation
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

World English Bible
They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They do corruptly, "" And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, "" They speak from on high.

Young's Literal Translation
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.

Smith's Literal Translation
They will mock and speak in evil of oppression: they will speak from elevation.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They have thought and spoken wickedness. They have spoken iniquity in high places.

New American Bible
They scoff and spout their malice; from on high they utter threats.

New Revised Standard Version
They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They imagine and speak evil things: they talk unjustly against the most High.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They have conceived and have spoken evil and oppression; they have spoken against The Highest.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression; They speak as if there were none on high.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They have taken counsel and spoken in wickedness: they have uttered unrighteousness loftily.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Endow the King with Your Justice
7From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; the imaginations of their hearts run wild. 8They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. 9They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.…

Cross References
Proverbs 21:24
Mocker is the name of the proud and arrogant man—of him who acts with excessive pride.

James 3:5-6
In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. / The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Isaiah 14:13-14
You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. / I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

2 Peter 2:18
With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

Proverbs 6:12-14
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth, / winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers. / With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.

Matthew 12:34-37
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. / The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. / But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ...

Isaiah 3:9
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Romans 3:13-14
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” / “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Jude 1:16
These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

Isaiah 10:12-14
So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes. / For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers. / My hand reached as into a nest to seize the wealth of the nations. Like one gathering abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. No wing fluttered, no beak opened or chirped.’”

Mark 7:21-23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

Proverbs 18:12
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

1 Timothy 6:4-5
he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, / and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.

Isaiah 37:23-24
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! / Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the finest of its cypresses. I have reached its farthest heights, the densest of its forests.


Treasury of Scripture

They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

corrupt

Psalm 53:1-4
To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good…

Proverbs 30:13,14
There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up…

speak wickedly

Psalm 10:2,10,11
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined…

Psalm 12:4,5
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? …

Exodus 1:9,10
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: …

speak loftily

2 Peter 2:10
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Jude 1:16
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

Jump to Previous
Acts Arrogance Corrupt Corruptly Cruel Deep Designs Evil High Loftily Malice Mock Oppression Power Scoff Seats Speak Talk Thoughts Threaten Utter Wickedly Wickedness
Jump to Next
Acts Arrogance Corrupt Corruptly Cruel Deep Designs Evil High Loftily Malice Mock Oppression Power Scoff Seats Speak Talk Thoughts Threaten Utter Wickedly Wickedness
Psalm 73
1. The prophet, prevailing in a temptation
2. Shows the occasion thereof, the prosperity of the wicked
13. The wound given thereby, diffidence
15. The victory over it, knowledge of God's purpose.














They scoff
The Hebrew word used here is "mālaq," which conveys a sense of speaking with derision or contempt. In the context of Psalm 73, this scoffing is directed towards God and His people. Historically, scoffing has been a tool used by the ungodly to undermine faith and instill doubt. The psalmist Asaph observes this behavior among the wicked, highlighting their arrogance and lack of reverence for the divine. This scoffing is not merely verbal but reflects a heart posture that dismisses God's authority and righteousness.

and speak with malice
The phrase "speak with malice" translates from the Hebrew "dābar ḥāmās," where "dābar" means to speak or declare, and "ḥāmās" refers to violence or injustice. This indicates that their words are not only contemptuous but also intended to harm or oppress. In a broader biblical context, malicious speech is condemned as it reflects a heart that is far from God. The wicked use their words as weapons, contributing to the moral decay that Asaph laments.

with arrogance
The Hebrew root "gā'āh" is used here, which means to be high or exalted. This arrogance is a hallmark of the wicked, who elevate themselves above others and even above God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such arrogance was often associated with rulers or those in power who believed themselves to be invincible. The psalmist contrasts this with the humility that God desires from His followers, reminding us that pride precedes a fall.

they threaten oppression
The phrase "threaten oppression" comes from the Hebrew "lāḥaṣ," meaning to press or oppress. This suggests a deliberate intention to subjugate or exploit others. In the biblical narrative, oppression is consistently portrayed as contrary to God's will, as He is a God of justice and mercy. The wicked's threats of oppression reveal their disregard for God's commandments and their desire to maintain power through fear and intimidation.

(8) They are corrupt . . .--This, which is the Rabbinical rendering, is now universally abandoned in favour of another derivation of the verb. The Masoretic arrangement of the clauses may be also improved on:

"They scoff and speak of wickedness,

Of violence from their eminence they speak,"

where the first clause means, they speak mockingly of wickedness, or make a jest of sin.

Verse 8. - They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily; rather, they scoff, and speak wickedly; of oppression do they speak from heaven's height; i.e. "they scoff at the righteous, and speak wickedly concerning them; they talk of the oppressive acts which they meditate, as though they were Divine beings, speaking from the heavenly height" (Cheyne).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They mock
יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀ (yā·mî·qū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4167: To jeer, blaspheme

and speak
וִידַבְּר֣וּ (wî·ḏab·bə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

with malice;
בְרָ֣ע (ḇə·rā‘)
Preposition-b | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

with arrogance
מִמָּר֥וֹם (mim·mā·rō·wm)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4791: Altitude

they threaten
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ (yə·ḏab·bê·rū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

oppression.
עֹ֑שֶׁק (‘ō·šeq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6233: Injury, fraud, distress, unjust gain


Links
Psalm 73:8 NIV
Psalm 73:8 NLT
Psalm 73:8 ESV
Psalm 73:8 NASB
Psalm 73:8 KJV

Psalm 73:8 BibleApps.com
Psalm 73:8 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 73:8 Chinese Bible
Psalm 73:8 French Bible
Psalm 73:8 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 73:8 They scoff and speak with malice (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 73:7
Top of Page
Top of Page