Psalm 7:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

NIV: The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.

NASB: His harm will return on his own head, And his violence will descend on the top of his own head.

CSB: His trouble comes back on his own head; his own violence comes down on top of his head.

NLT: The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.

KJV: His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

NKJV: His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.

Scripture indicates that those who plan to do evil, eventually, see their schemes coming back to harm them (Proverbs 6:12–15; 11:17). The prior verse was another example, with David stating that those who lay traps for others can expect to be caught in their own plots. In that sense, their own efforts will come back in what is often called "poetic justice."

Scripture gives examples of people who were warned against evil and eventually done in by their own schemes. Queen Jezebel imported Baal worship into Israel and murdered prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4). But in the end, Elijah was instrumental in killing the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40). Both Jezebel and her evil husband, Ahab, met violent deaths. Ahab was killed in battle (1 Kings 22:29–35), and Jezebel was thrown from a widow, trampled by horses, and eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:30–35). At the end of the tribulation period the Devil's two wicked henchmen—the beast and the false prophet— will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19–20). After 1,000 years of imprisonment, Satan will join the beast and the false prophet in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Wickedness pays dreadful wages!

Psalm 7:12–17 is the closing section of this psalm. David expresses confidence in God's inevitable punishment of the wicked. David's enemies would be defeated by God, whom David describes as a warrior prepared for battle. The psalm began with a prayer for deliverance and concludes with thanks for answered prayer.

David takes refuge in God and asks to be rescued from those seeking his life. He boldly defends himself from accusations of fraud or plunder. Rather than seek his own revenge, David calls on the Lord to execute judgment. The wicked man plots evil, is full of mischief, and gives birth to lies. However, trouble will come back to strike such a person. His sin and violence will lead to a sinful, violent end. David concludes this psalm by giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

This psalm was written by David. He prays to the Lord, the righteous Judge of the universe, to judge his wicked enemies. David may have written this psalm when he was being pursued by Saul's forces (1 Samuel 24:1–2). Themes expressed by David in 1 Samuel chapter 24 resemble those found in Psalm 7. The accusations he responds to may have come from Cush, mentioned in the psalm's title.

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.