The wicked will see it, and be grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish.
Parallel Translations
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The wicked will see it, and be grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish.
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The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
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The wicked shall see it, and be vexed; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Psalms 112:10 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 58:7-8 Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt. Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.
- Proverbs 10:28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish.
- Job 8:13 So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,
- Psalms 37:12 The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.
- Psalms 86:17 Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me.
- Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dies, hope perishes, and expectation of power comes to nothing.
- Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s Kingdom, and yourselves being thrown outside.
- Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’
- Luke 16:23-26 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’
- Revelation 16:10-11 The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn’t repent of their works.
- Esther 6:11-12 Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!” Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
- Isaiah 65:13-14 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry; behold, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, my servants will rejoice, but you will be disappointed; Behold, my servants will sing for joy of heart, but you will cry for sorrow of heart, and will wail for anguish of spirit.
- Matthew 8:12 but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 10. The wicked shall see it. Here follows a…
10. The wicked shall see it. Here follows a contrast similar to that which we met with in Psalm 2:5, which renders the grace of God towards the faithful the more illustrious. His meaning is, that though the wicked may cast off all regard to piety, and banish from their minds all thoughts of human affairs being under the superintending providence of God, they shall yet be made to feel, whether they will or no, that the righteous, in compliance with God’s command, do not vainly devote themselves to the cultivation of charity and mercy. Let them harden themselves as they choose, yet he declares that the honor, which God confers upon his children, shall be exhibited to them, the sight of which shall make them gnash with their teeth, and shall excite an envy that shall consume them by inches. In conclusion, he adds, that the wicked shall be disappointed of their desires They are never content, but are continually thirsting after something, and their confidence is as presumptuous as their avarice is unbounded. And hence, in their foolish expectations, they do not hesitate at grasping at the whole world. But the prophet tells them that God will snatch from them what they imagined was already in their possession, so that they shall always depart destitute and famishing.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The blessings of God upon his children shall cause…
The blessings of God upon his children shall cause the wicked to die for envy.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 112:10 The wicked shall see [it], and be…
Psa 112:10 The wicked shall see [it], and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Ver. 10. The wicked shall see it] Vir improbus et reprobus; the covetous wretch who sat a brood upon his bags, and befooled the bountiful man, shall himself come to beggary, which he so much feared, and be ready to eat his own nails through envy at the other’s prosperity; and because he cannot come at his heart, he feeds upon his own, yea, puts himself into a hell above ground, both for pain of loss and pain of sense, as here.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Be grieved at the felicity of good men, partly,…
Be grieved at the felicity of good men, partly, from envy at the happiness of others; partly, from his peculiar hatred of all godly men; and partly, because it is a plain testimony of God’s justice and providence, and therefore a certain presage of his own ruin. The desire; his desire either of the misery of good men, or of his own constant prosperity and happiness in the world.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The wicked shall see it,.... The glory and happiness…
The wicked shall see it,.... The glory and happiness of the upright man: so when the witnesses shall ascend to heaven, a phrase expressive of a more glorious state of the church, their enemies shall behold them, Rev 11:12.
And be grieved; at their happiness, and grudge it: the Targum is,
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"and shall be angry at him;''
the upright man.
He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away; like snow water (r); or as a snail melteth, or as wax before the fire, Psa 58:7, shall pine away with grief and envy at the happiness and prosperity of the righteous; the wicked will weep and gnash their teeth, when they shall see them in the kingdom of heaven, and they themselves shut out, Luk 13:28. The desire of the wicked shall perish; they shall not have their desire, neither of good things for themselves here and hereafter, nor of evil things for the righteous.
(r) "Mens mea tabida liquescit", &c. "Liquescunt pectora", &c. Ovid. de Ponto, l. 1. Eleg. 1. v. 68. & Eleg. 2. v. 57.
Next: Psalms Chapter 113
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The desire - Either of the misery of good…
The desire - Either of the misery of good men; or of his own constant prosperity.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 10. The wicked shall see it] רשע rasha,…
Verse 10. The wicked shall see it] רשע rasha, the wicked one. Some think Satan is meant. It is distinguished from reshaim, wicked men, in the conclusion of the verse.
Shall gnash with his teeth] Through spite and ill will.
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And melt away] Through envy and hopeless expectation of similar good; for his desire in reference to himself, and in reference to him who is the object of his envy, shall perish - shall come to nothing.
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND TWELFTH PSALM
The psalmist, having put it down for an infallible maxim, in the close of the former Psalm, "that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," in this sets down the felicity of that man who fears God, in several particulars.
There are two parts in this Psalm: -
I. A general proposition, that he is blessed.
II. An enumeration of particulars in which that blessedness consists, Ps 112:2-10.
I. To the first part he prefixes a hallelujah, "praise the Lord," which is the intent and scope of the Psalm; that he be praised for those rewards of piety he bestows on such as fear him.
He delivers this one general proposition to persuade them to piety: "Blessed is the man," c., that believes, honours, and serves him.
For fear a man should mistake, supposing he fears the Lord when he really does not, he adds these three restrictions to his proposition: -
1. "Keep his commandments." An obedient fear.
2. "He delights in them," c. Is pleased with their equity, and loves them.
3. "He delights greatly," &c. It must be a thankful and ready fear, performed with alacrity and earnestness, done with all the heart.
II. In the rest of the Psalm he insists on what this blessedness consists in: -
1. That the righteous shall have temporal goods, and that they shall be blessings.
2. That though they shall enjoy them, they are not exempted from crosses, 2Ti 3:12.
3. That God distributes these temporal blessings not equally, but most profitably for him.
This being premised, he enumerates the blessings here promised: -
1. "His seed shall be mighty," c. Which was verified in Abraham and his posterity: "I will show mercy to thousands," &c.
2. "Wealth and riches," &c. That is, abundance of all things shall be in his house, and remain in it for his just dealing and contentment preserves his well obtained goods to his posterity.
3. "Unto the upright there ariseth light," c. The light of counsel and consolation, in the midst of doubts, tribulations, and afflictions, which the prophet ascribes to God's mercy and goodness.
4. He hath bowels of compassion, of which he shows two effects: 1. "A good man showeth favour," &c. Easily forgives an injury. 2. Imagines he is not born for himself, but to do good to others.
5. "He will guide his affairs with discretion." Discern between truth and falsehood be no accepter of persons, but in all things just and upright.
6. He is patient and constant. Troubles and dangers may increase but in the midst of all he looks to heaven, and remains firm in his principles.
7. "The righteous shall be had," c. His name is written in the book of life, and it is precious in the Church, such as those of the martyrs while the wicked are detested, such as Judas, Cain, Pilate. At the last day the one shall have "Come, ye blessed;" the other, "Go, ye cursed."
8. "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings." Scandals may arise; but he remembers "the servant is not above his lord," therefore he bears all patiently, and for these reasons: 1. "Because his heart is fixed," c. He has a sure rock God will clear his innocency. 2. "His heart is established," c. He knows God will take care of him.
9. The ninth felicity to the righteous is, God has given him a charitable heart. 1. "He hath dispersed," acts liberally, that others as well as himself may reap. 2. He does it freely, without looking for any thing again: "He gives." 3. "He hath given to the poor." To those who need his kindness.
For this liberality he is a great gainer in two respects: -
1. "The good work he hath done," &c. His charity and piety are increased by it.
2. "His horn," &c. His power, honour, dignity, and glory.
His last felicity is,
1. "The wicked shall see it," and be grieved at his felicity.
2. "He shall gnash his teeth" as a mad dog, and seek his ruin.
3. But shall not be able to harm him: "The desire of the wicked shall perish." He that fears God is a happy man he that fears him not, most unhappy. Reader, in what state art thou? Happy or unhappy?
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Psa 112:10. The wicked shall be grieved — At…
Psa 112:10. The wicked shall be grieved — At the felicity of the righteous, partly from envy at the happiness of others, and partly from their peculiar hatred of godly men. It will vex them to see the innocence of such cleared, and their low state regarded; to behold those, whom they hated and despised, and whose ruin they sought and hoped to witness, now made the favourites of heaven, and advanced to have dominion over them. This will make them gnash with their teeth, and melt away — “The sight of Christ in glory with his saints,” says Dr. Horne, “will, in an inexpressible manner, torment the crucifiers of the one, and the persecutors of the others; as it will show them the hopes and wishes of their adversaries all granted to the full, and all their own desires and designs for ever at an end; it will excite an envy which must prey upon itself, produce a grief which can admit of no comfort, give birth to a worm which can never die, and blow up those fires which nothing can quench.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The wicked shall see it, and be grieved -…
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved - They shall see his prosperity; shall see the evidence that God approves his character and his conduct. The word rendered “grieved” means rather to be angry or enraged. Perhaps the word “fret” would best express the sense.
He shall gnash with his teeth - As indicative of hatred and wrath. See the notes at Psa 37:12.
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And melt away - Disappear - as snow does that melts; or as a snail (see the notes at Psa 58:8); or as waters that run away (see the notes at Psa 58:7); or as wax (see the notes at Psa 68:2). Their wrath shall be of no avail, for they themselves shall soon disappear.
The desire of the wicked shall perish - He shall not be able to accomplish his desire, or to carry out his purposes. He shall be disappointed, and all his cherished plans will come to nought. This is in strong contrast with what is said in the psalm would occur to the righteous. They would be prospered and happy; they would be able to carry out their plans; they would be respected while living, and remembered when dead; they would find God interposing in their behalf in the darkest hours; they would be firm and calm in the day of danger and of trouble; they would put their trust in the Lord, and all would be well. Surely there is an advantage in our world in being a friend of God.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 10. The spirit of the world toward Christ and…
10. The spirit of the world toward Christ and his Church is well set forth in this verse.
Grieved—Properly, enraged.
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Gnash with his teeth— Expressive of a transport of impotent rage. See Psa_35:16; Psa_37:12; Act_7:54.
Melt away—Their combinations dissolve, their adherents lessen, and their hearts grow faint and feeble, as they behold the futility of all their schemes, and remember that God and public sentiment are against them. Psa_68:2.
The desire of the wicked shall perish—In Hebrew psychology this simply means the desire shall not be gratified. While the desire or passion itself remains—namely, the envy, jealousy, hatred, rage, toward God and his holy people—the gratification is precluded. As the thirsty man, when water is taken away, becomes a prey to his appetite, so these perish in the defeat and disappointment of their malice, which now returns upon the soul and becomes a fire that is unquenchable. See Pro_10:28; Pro_11:7.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 10. The wicked looks on in impotent rage and…
10. The wicked looks on in impotent rage and is consumed with vexation. While “the desire of the righteous is granted” (Pro_10:24), his desire comes to nought. The end of the Psalm, like the beginning, is an echo of Psalms 1.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (10) Gnash.—See Psa_35:16.
(10) Gnash.—See Psa_35:16.
Melt away.—As we say, “Consume with vexation.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The wicked shall see it, and be grieved. The…
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved. The wicked hate the righteous, (Psa_105:25) and are naturally "grieved" to see them prosper. "When shall he die, and his name perish?" is the thought of their heart against the godly man. He shall gnash with his teeth. (comp. Job_16:9 Psa_35:16 Psa_37:12 Lam_2:16 Act_7:54) Civilization represses these emotional displays, but the feeling remains nevertheless. And melt away; or, "consume away away through envy and hate. The desire of the wicked shall perish. (comp. Psa_1:6) "The desire of the wicked that which they earnestly long for, which is the downfall and destruction of the righteous does not come to pass, but falls to the ground, "perishes," comes to naught.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 10. The tenth and last verse sets forth…
Ver. 10. The tenth and last verse sets forth very forcibly the contrast between the righteous and the ungodly, thus making the blessedness of the godly appear all the more remarkable. Usually we see Ebal and Gerizim, the blessing and the curse, set the one over against the other, to invest both with the greater solemnity.
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved. The ungodly shall first see the example of the saints to their own condemnation, and shall at last behold the happiness of the godly and to the increase of their eternal misery. The child of wrath shall be obliged to witness the blessedness of the righteous, though the sight shall make him gnaw his own heart. He shall fret and fume, lament and wax angry, but he shall not be able to prevent it, for God's blessing is sure and effectual.
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He shall gnash with his teeth. Being very wrathful, and exceedingly envious, he would fain grind the righteous between his teeth; but as he cannot do that, he grinds his teeth against each other.
And melt away. The heat of his passion shall melt him like wax, and the sun of God's providence shall dissolve him like snow, and at the last the fire of divine vengeance shall consume him as the fat of rams. How horrible must that life be which like the snail melts as it proceeds, leaving a slimy trail behind. Those who are grieved at goodness deserve to be worn away by such an abominable sorrow.
The desire of the wicked shall perish. He shall not achieve his purpose, he shall die a disappointed man. By wickedness he hoped to accomplish his purposethat very wickedness shall be his defeat. While the righteous shall endure for ever, and their memory shall be always green; the ungodly man and his name shall rot from off the face of the earth. He desired to be the founder of a family, and to be remembered as some great one: he shall pass away and his name shall die with him. How wide is the gulf which separates the righteous from the wicked, and how different are the portions which the Lord deals out to them. O for grace to be blessed of the Lord! This will make us praise him with our whole heart.
Ver. 10. The wicked. The word evr, the wicked, is used emphatically, by the Jews, to denote him who neither gives to the poor himself, nor can endure to see other people give; while he who deserves but one part of this character is only said to have an evil eye in regard of other people's substance, or in regard of his own. Mishna.
Ver. 10. The wicked shall see it and be grieved, etc. The sight of Christ in glory with his saints, will, in an inexpressible manner torment the crucifiers of the one, and the persecutors of the other; as it will show them the hopes and wishes of their adversaries all granted to the full, and all their own "desires" and designs for ever at an end; it will excite envy which must prey upon itself, produce a grief which can admit of no comfort, give birth to a worm which can never die, and blow up those fires which nothing can quench. George Horne.
Ver. 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved, etc. It is the property of the Devil, not to mistake the nature of virtue, and esteem it criminal, but to hate it for this reason, because it is good, and therefore most opposite to his designs. The wicked, as his proper emissaries, resemble him in this, and grieve to have the foulness of their vices made conspicuous by being placed near the light of virtuous example...They may, like the giants of ancient fable, attempt a romantic war with heaven; but all their preparations for that purpose must recoil with double force upon themselves, and cover them with shame and confusion...If such be the effect of their malice in the present life, that, instead of injuring those they rage against, it usually turns to their own vexation, how much more, when the scene shall open in the life to come... They shall continue then to gnash their teeth (the wretched amusement of that cursed state) as well in grief and anguish for their own torments, as in rage and envy at the abundant honour which is done the saints. William Berriman.
Ver. 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; that is, he shall have secret indignation in himself to see matters go so;
he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. Gnashing of teeth is caused by vexing the heart; and therefore it follows,
he melts away; which notes (melting is from the heart) an extreme heat within. The sense is very suitable to that of Eliphaz (Job 5:2) "wrath slayeth the foolish, "or wrath makes him melt away, it melts his grease with chafing, as we say of a man furiously vexed. Hence that deplorable condition of the damned, who are cast out of the presence of God for ever, is described by "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth"; which imports not only pain, but extreme vexing at, or in themselves. These finally impenitent ones shall be slain for ever with their own wrath, as well as with the wrath of God. Joseph Caryl.
Ver. 10. The wicked shall see it. The psalm which speaks of the blessedness of the saints also bears solemn testimony to the doom of the wicked. Cowper sings as if this verse was before his eyes.
...The same word, that like the polished share
Ploughs up the roots of a believer's care,
Kills, too, the flowery weeds wherever they grow,
That bind the sinner's Bacchanalian brow.
Oh that unwelcome voice of heavenly love,
Sad messenger of mercy from above,
How does it grate upon his thankless ear,
Crippling his pleasures with the cramp of fear.
His will and judgment at continual strife,
That civil war embitters all his life;
In vain he points his powers against the skies,
In vain he closes or averts his eyes;
Truth will intrude.
Ver. 10. He shall gnash with his teeth. An enraged man snaps his teeth together, as if about to bite the object of his anger. Thus in the book Ramyanum, the giant Ravanan is described as in his fury gnashing together his "thirty-two teeth!" Of angry men it is frequently said, "Look at the beast, how he gnashes his teeth!" "Go near that fellow! not I, indeed! he will only gnash his teeth." Joseph Roberts.
Ver. 10. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The effect of envy, which consumes the envious. Thus the poet: "Envy is most hateful, but has some good in it, for it makes the eyes and the heart of the envious to pine away." John Le Clerc, 1657-1736.
Ver. 10.
1. What the wicked must see, and its effect upon them.
2. What they shall never see (their desire), and the result of their disappointment.
An Exposition upon the 112 Psalme. The high way to everlasting blessednesse. Written for the benefit of God's Church. By T. S. ...London, 1621. (8vo. This exposition is upon the first two verses of the Psalm only.)
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 will see this
will see this
"will see that things go well for the godly person." The word "this" refers to everything good that the writer has described in the previous verses about the godly person.
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he will grind his teeth in rage
The grinding of teeth is an expression of extreme anger. See how you translated a similar phrase in Psalms 35:16. (See: Symbolic Action)
melt away
The writer speaks of the wicked person's eventual death as if that person were something, such as ice, that can melt. AT: "eventually die" (See: Metaphor)
the desire of the wicked people will perish
Possible meanings of "desire" are 1) the emotional desire that wicked people have. AT: "the things that wicked people want to do will never happen" or 2) it is a metonym for the things that wicked people have desired. AT: "wicked people will lose the things that they desired" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
evil
anger
melt
perish
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 112:10 The wicked . . . grind their teeth…
112:10 The wicked . . . grind their teeth in anger out of their bitter envy (35:16; 37:12). The vigor and reputation of the godly cause conflict with those who want them dead. • The wicked will slink away out of fear and shame.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.