Psalm 59:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision.

NIV: But you laugh at them, LORD; you scoff at all those nations.

NASB: But You, Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.

CSB: But you laugh at them, Lord; you ridicule all the nations.

NLT: But Lord, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations.

KJV: But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

NKJV: But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.

Although David's enemies (Psalm 59:1–2) thought there would be no consequences for their evil actions (Psalm 59:7), they were deeply wrong. David celebrates that God knows everything men do (Hebrews 4:13) and will hold each one accountable (Matthew 12:36–37). God is depicted as "laughing" here, in the sense of irony (Psalm 2:4). The idea that anyone—even an entire nation—could defy Him is ridiculous. "The nations" is a phrase often used in reference to Gentiles, and more broadly as those who set themselves up as enemies of the God of Israel.

This statement is meant to contrast the "howling" and "bellowing" of wicked men with the righteousness of God. All who oppose the Lord and His people may snarl and snap, but God takes notice, and He will judge them. The reaction depicted here echoes the scene that unfolds in Psalm 2. The unbelieving nations rage against the Lord and the Messiah. They plot to overthrow God's rule, but "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will…terrify them in his fury…shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:4–9). Romans 6:23 declares that "the wages of sin is death." Those wages have never been reduced, and pay day is coming for all who oppose God, righteousness, and His people.

David prays, asking the Lord to deliver him from a lurking band of bloodthirsty enemies. He calls on the God of Israel to make an example of these lying, evil men, and to destroy them entirely. Rather than despair, David firmly trusts in the Lord and looks forward to victory. David concludes his psalm with praise to the Lord, his Strength, whose love is loyal. David praises God for being his fortress and shelter.

This is one of many psalms where David prays for rescue from his enemies (Psalm 3:1–3; 7:1–2; 54:1–2). King Saul jealously sent men to wait outside David's home to assassinate him (1 Samuel 19:11–16), but David was able to escape with the help of his wife. Because David asks for the Lord to severely judge the wicked, this is considered one of the "imprecatory" psalms, along with Psalms 5, 10, 58, 69, 83, 109, 137, 140, and others.

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.