Psalm 7:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

NIV: God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.

NASB: God is a righteous judge, And a God who shows indignation every day.

CSB: God is a righteous judge and a God who shows his wrath every day.

NLT: God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.

KJV: God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

NKJV: God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.

David acknowledges God as a righteous Judge. Part of that perfect righteousness is God's ability to know everything that happens. Because He is all-knowing, God knows every sinful thought and action that human beings commit (Psalm 139:2–3). Because humanity constantly sins (Romans 3:10–11, 23), the Lord has reason to be "indignant" every day.

When He judges, God judges righteously. He is neither random nor inconsistent. God sees sin as it is, and judges it as it deserves to be judged. He does not let unrepentant sin pass without judgment. Although many people believe God is too kind and loving to send anyone to hell, God's righteousness does not allow Him to simply excuse sin. To the contrary, all sinners who do not believe on Jesus as Savior will spend eternity in hell (John 3:18). Every day of their life on earth they are the objects of God's wrath. John 3:36 assures us that "whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Psalm 7:6–11 follows the section in which David asked the Lord to vindicate him. This seems to have been a response to slander. Here, he asks God, the righteous Judge, to bring consequences to his wicked enemies. David expresses faith that God sees and is angered by sin and that the Lord serves as David's Protector.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 4:06:15 PM