Psalm 110:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.

NIV: He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

NASB: He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.

CSB: He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses; he will crush leaders over the entire world.

NLT: He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; he will shatter heads over the whole earth.

KJV: He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

NKJV: He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.

David has overheard God the Father telling God the Son about His position of power and authority (Psalm 110:1). As part of that rule, Jesus, the Son, will return to earth to bring judgment (Psalm 110:5; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 6:17). The early stage of this judgment will involve widespread death among those who oppose God's authority (Romans 1:18; Revelation 19:11–15).

Jesus was referred to as sitting at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1, 5). This power is contrasted with the "shattering" of worldly leaders. None will have any opportunity to resist. Revelation chapter 13 identifies two prominent end-time figures who embody unrighteousness and ungodliness. They are the beast, a political chief, and the false prophet, a religious chief. They violate the truth by opposing God and His people. They defile the temple and put an end to the Jewish sacrifices and offerings (Daniel 9:27). But they and their followers will perish under the Messiah's hand (2 Thessalonians 2:1–2; Revelation 14:17–20). Although God offers a way of salvation today, He will execute His wrath someday on all who reject His Son as Savior, those whose names are not found written in the Lamb's book of life (2 Peter 3:8–13; Revelation 20:11–15).

Psalm 110:5–7 completes a series of declarations regarding a "Lord" who is spoken to by God the Father, yet who is also greater than David. This passage uses symbolic language to describe the extent of this "Lord's" eventual victory and rule over the earth. Enemy kings are overwhelmingly defeated, while the blessed One is refreshed and affirmed.

David records statements made between two persons, described using the Hebrew terms YHWH and Adonai. These are promises made by God the Father to the Messiah. Adonai is guaranteed total victory over the earth as well as an unending priesthood. These references point to someone who is both king and priest: Jesus Christ, a descendant of David.

This is the most-often cited psalm in the New Testament. Psalm 110:1 is quoted in Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42–43, Acts 2:34–35, and Hebrews 1:13. The book of Hebrews extensively comments on the meaning of Psalm 110:4. Many other verses refer to subjects touched on in the psalm. David hears YHWH speaking to someone David identifies as his "Lord." This helps to ground important concepts such as the Trinity and Jesus' role as Messiah.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.