Psalm 21:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.

NIV: Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.

NASB: Though they intended evil against You And devised a plot, They will not succeed.

CSB: Though they intend to harm you and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.

NLT: Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.

KJV: For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

NKJV: For they intended evil against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.

The assembled people are celebrating God's favor for David (Psalm 21:8–10). They are confident that those who try to defeat the king will fail.

God knows the intentions of evil men and women as surely as He knows their sinful deeds. In Noah's day civilization had descended into a quagmire of wicked intentions as well as depraved behavior. The Lord saw this wickedness. Genesis 6:5 reports that "the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." The Lord responded to those evil intentions and wicked deeds by sending a devastating flood to destroy the wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9 describes the human heart as "deceitful above all things, and desperately sick." The same verse raises the question, "Who can understand it?" The answer appears immediately afterwards: "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind" (Jeremiah 17:10). No human can read the intentions of another person's heart, but the Lord can (1 Samuel 16:7). He knew what David's enemies were planning, and He would cause them to fail.

Psalm 21:8–13 contains the people's address to King David. They express their confidence that he will win future battles because they believe the Lord will swallow up his enemies. This section is similar to the closing section of Psalm 20. Psalm 18:50, 2 Samuel 7:16, and Genesis 12:1–3 guarantee the continuance of the nation of Israel and David's descendants. Psalm 21 ends with a swelling chorus of praise.

Psalm 21 opens and closes with praise to the Lord for the strength He gave David and his army for gaining a victory over the enemy. In verses 1–7 David and the people extol God for answering their prayer and for giving David rich blessings. They rejoice in knowing the Lord is present, and they express their trust in the Lord. They feel safe knowing the Lord's love is unfailing. The people of the congregation voice their assurance that King David will defeat his enemies. David's enemies may plan evil and devise mischief against him, but they will not succeed. David will rout them, and his arrows will strike them. The closing verse of Psalm 21 is a prayer by David and the congregation—it is also a pledge to sing and praise the Lord God for His power.

This psalm is likely a follow-up to Psalm 20. In Psalm 20 the congregation of Israel and David prayed for victory in an upcoming battle. Psalm 21 offers thanks for the victory and expresses David's joy over the strength from the Lord that secured the victory. David also anticipates victory in future encounters. Second Samuel 7:4–16 contains the covenant God made with David.

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.