Psalm 35:8
New International Version
may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

New Living Translation
So let sudden ruin come upon them! Let them be caught in the trap they set for me! Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.

English Standard Version
Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction!

Berean Standard Bible
May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.

King James Bible
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

New King James Version
Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

New American Standard Bible
Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware, And let the net which he hid catch him; Let him fall into that very destruction.

NASB 1995
Let destruction come upon him unawares, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

NASB 1977
Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let destruction, which he does not know, come upon him, And let the net, which he hid, catch him; Let him fall into it in destruction.

Amplified Bible
Let destruction come upon my enemy by surprise; Let the net he hid for me catch him; Into that very destruction let him fall.

Christian Standard Bible
Let ruin come on him unexpectedly, and let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his ruin.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Let ruin come on him unexpectedly, and let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his ruin.

American Standard Version
Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself: With destruction let him fall therein.

Contemporary English Version
Surprise them with disaster! Trap them in their own nets and let them fall and rot in the pits they have dug.

English Revised Version
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: with destruction let him fall therein.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let destruction surprise them. Let the net that they hid catch them. Let them fall into their own pit and be destroyed.

Good News Translation
But destruction will catch them before they know it; they will be caught in their own trap and fall to their destruction!

International Standard Version
Let destruction come upon them unawares, and let the net that he hid catch him; let him fall into destruction.

Majority Standard Bible
May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.

NET Bible
Let destruction take them by surprise! Let the net they hid catch them! Let them fall into destruction!

New Heart English Bible
Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

World English Bible
Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Desolation meets him—he does not know, "" And his net that he hid catches him, "" He falls into it for desolation.

Young's Literal Translation
Meet him doth desolation -- he knoweth not, And his net that he hid catcheth him, For desolation he falleth into it.

Smith's Literal Translation
Desolation shall come to him not knowing, and his net which he hid shall take him: in destruction he shall fall in it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let the snare which he knoweth not come upon him : and let the net which he hath hidden catch him : and let the net which he hath hidden catch him : and into that very snare let them fall.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Let the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.

New American Bible
Let ruin overtake them unawares; let the snare they have set catch them; let them fall into the pit they have dug.

New Revised Standard Version
Let ruin come on them unawares. And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Let evil come upon them unawares; and let the net that they have hidden trap them; into that very pit which they have dug let them fall.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Let evil come against them suddenly, and the net that they have hid will take them and they will fall into the ditch which they have dug.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself; With destruction let him fall therein.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let a snare which they know not come upon them; and the gin which they hid take them; and let them fall into the very same snare.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Contend with My Opponents
7For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. 8May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created. 9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.…

Cross References
Proverbs 26:27
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

Matthew 7:2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Obadiah 1:15
For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.

Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Proverbs 11:5-6
The righteousness of the blameless directs their path, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. / The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the faithless are trapped by their own desires.

Psalm 7:15-16
He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. / His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.

Ecclesiastes 10:8
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Job 4:8
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.

Jeremiah 18:20-23
Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them. / Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle. / Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet. ...

Romans 2:1-3
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. / And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. / So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

1 Samuel 26:10
David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

Isaiah 47:11
But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.


Treasury of Scripture

Let destruction come on him at unawares; and let his net that he has hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

Let destruction.

Psalm 64:7
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Psalm 73:18-20
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction…

Proverbs 29:1
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

at unawares [heb.

Psalm 7:15,16
He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made…

Psalm 57:6
They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

Psalm 141:9,10
Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity…

into

1 Samuel 18:17
And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

1 Samuel 31:2-4
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons…

2 Samuel 17:2-4,23
And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: …

Jump to Previous
Catch Catcheth Desolation Destruction Ensnare Entangle Fall Falleth Falling Hid Hidden Meet Net Nets Overtake Pit Ruin Secret Surprise Themselves Therein Unawares
Jump to Next
Catch Catcheth Desolation Destruction Ensnare Entangle Fall Falleth Falling Hid Hidden Meet Net Nets Overtake Pit Ruin Secret Surprise Themselves Therein Unawares
Psalm 35
1. David prays for his own safety, and his enemies' confusion
11. He complains of their wrongful dealing
22. Thereby he incites God against them














Let destruction
The Hebrew word for "destruction" here is "shoah," which conveys a sense of ruin or devastation. In the context of Psalm 35, David is calling upon God to bring about a complete and utter downfall of his enemies. This reflects a deep trust in divine justice, where the psalmist believes that God will intervene to protect the righteous and bring about the downfall of the wicked. Historically, this plea for divine intervention is consistent with the ancient Near Eastern understanding of gods as protectors and avengers of their people.

come upon him
The phrase "come upon him" suggests an unexpected and sudden event. The Hebrew verb "bo" is used here, which means "to come" or "to enter." This implies that the destruction David is praying for will be swift and unforeseen, catching the enemy off guard. This reflects the biblical theme of divine retribution, where God acts in His timing to bring justice.

by surprise
The element of surprise is crucial in this verse. The Hebrew word "lo-yada" means "he does not know," indicating that the enemy will be unaware and unprepared for the impending judgment. This highlights the sovereignty of God, who orchestrates events beyond human understanding and control. It serves as a reminder that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His plans are often hidden from human sight until they unfold.

let the net he hid
The imagery of a net is often used in the Psalms to describe traps set by the wicked. The Hebrew word "resheth" refers to a net used for hunting or fishing, symbolizing deceit and entrapment. David is asking for poetic justice, where the schemes of the wicked backfire on them. This reflects the biblical principle that those who dig a pit for others will fall into it themselves (Proverbs 26:27).

ensnare him
The verb "lakad" means "to capture" or "to ensnare." This word choice emphasizes the inevitability of the wicked being caught in their own devices. It serves as a warning that evil plans ultimately lead to self-destruction, reinforcing the moral order established by God.

into that very destruction
The repetition of the concept of destruction underscores the certainty and completeness of the judgment. The Hebrew word "shoah" is used again, emphasizing the totality of the ruin that awaits the wicked. This reflects the biblical assurance that God's justice will prevail, and evil will not go unpunished.

(8) Let destruction.--There is considerable difficulty here, and the ancient versions, by their variations, seem to point to some confusion in the text. The LXX., no doubt, are right in reading the pronouns as plurals, instead of singular. The word translated "destruction" means, primarily, a storm, or the crash that accompanies a storm (Proverbs 1:27), and if with the Syriac we might supply a clause, both parallelism and sense would be complete.

"Let men come upon him (them) unexpectedly.

Let the net which he had catch himself,

The pit which he (they) digged, let him (them) fall into it,

In ruin let him (them) fall into it."

For "unawares," see margin and Note, Song of Solomon 6:12.

Verse 8. - Let destruction come upon him at unawares; i.e. let the evil happen to him that he designed against others. As he sought to catch others in traps of which they knew nothing (ver. 7), so let an unexpected destruction come upon him. And let his net that he hath hid catch himself (comp. Psalm 9:15, 16; Psalm 57:6; Psalm 141:10). It is the perfection of poetic justice when "the engineer" is "hoist by his own petard." Into that very destruction lot him fall; rather, for destruction let him fall therein; i.e. let him not only fall into his own trap, but let his fall prove his destruction. David's imprecations have always something about them from which the Christian shrinks; and this is particularly the case when he asks for his enemies' destruction.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
May ruin
שׁוֹאָה֮ (šō·w·’āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7722: A tempest, devastation

befall them
תְּבוֹאֵ֣הוּ (tə·ḇō·w·’ê·hū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

by surprise;
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

may the net
וְרִשְׁתּ֣וֹ (wə·riš·tōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7568: A net

they hid
טָמַ֣ן (ṭā·man)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2934: To hide, conceal

ensnare them;
תִּלְכְּד֑וֹ (til·kə·ḏōw)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3920: To catch, to capture, occupy, to choose, to cohere

may they fall
יִפָּל־ (yip·pāl-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

into
בָּֽהּ׃ (bāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

their own destruction.
בְּ֝שׁוֹאָ֗ה (bə·šō·w·’āh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7722: A tempest, devastation


Links
Psalm 35:8 NIV
Psalm 35:8 NLT
Psalm 35:8 ESV
Psalm 35:8 NASB
Psalm 35:8 KJV

Psalm 35:8 BibleApps.com
Psalm 35:8 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 35:8 Chinese Bible
Psalm 35:8 French Bible
Psalm 35:8 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 35:8 Let destruction come on him unawares (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 35:7
Top of Page
Top of Page