Psalm 7:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;

NIV: If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.

NASB: If one does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and taken aim.

CSB: If anyone does not repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has strung his bow and made it ready.

NLT: If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.

KJV: If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

NKJV: If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.

This verse pictures God as a warrior with a bent bow, prepared to sharpen His sword. He is ready to strike anyone who refuses to repent. To repent means to change the mind; a "repentant" person changes his attitude about sin. He wants to turn his back on sin and believe that Jesus died for him, a sinner. In changing his mind, a sinner who used to love sin comes to hate it, while learning to love Christ, who paid the penalty of sin by shedding His blood on the cross. David has been praying for God to bring judgment on slanderous enemies (Psalm 7:8–11), possibly the person mentioned at the beginning of the psalm (Psalm 7:1).

Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Graciously, God forgives repentant sinners who believe on Jesus as their Savior. All heaven rejoices when a sinner repents. Jesus told a group of Pharisees and scribes who objected to His association with sinners: "I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7).

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 2:39:26 PM