Psalm 69:28
New International Version
May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

New Living Translation
Erase their names from the Book of Life; don’t let them be counted among the righteous.

English Standard Version
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

Berean Standard Bible
May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.

King James Bible
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

New King James Version
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.

New American Standard Bible
May they be wiped out of the book of life, And may they not be recorded with the righteous.

NASB 1995
May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.

NASB 1977
May they be blotted out of the book of life, And may they not be recorded with the righteous.

Legacy Standard Bible
May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.

Amplified Bible
May they be blotted out of the book of life [and their lives come to an end] And may they not be recorded with the righteous (those in right standing with God).

Christian Standard Bible
Let them be erased from the book of life and not be recorded with the righteous.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Let them be erased from the book of life and not be recorded with the righteous.

American Standard Version
Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous.

Contemporary English Version
Wipe their names from the book of the living; remove them from the list of the innocent.

English Revised Version
Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let their [names] be erased from the Book of Life. Do not let them be listed with righteous people.

Good News Translation
May their names be erased from the book of the living; may they not be included in the list of your people.

International Standard Version
May they be erased from the Book of Life, and their names not be written with the righteous.

Majority Standard Bible
May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.

NET Bible
May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! Do not let their names be listed with the godly!

New Heart English Bible
Let them be blotted out of the Book of Life, and not be written with the righteous.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

World English Bible
Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They are blotted out of the scroll of life, "" And are not written with the righteous.

Young's Literal Translation
They are blotted out of the book of life, And with the righteous are not written.

Smith's Literal Translation
They shall be wiped off from the book of the living, and with the just they shall not be written.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; and with the just let them not be written.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Delete them from the Book of the Living, and let them not be written down with the just.

New American Bible
May they be blotted from the book of life; not registered among the just!

New Revised Standard Version
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Let them be blotted out of thy book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Let them be blotted out from your Book of Life and let them not be written with your righteous ones.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and let them not be written with the righteous.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Waters Are Up to My Neck
27Add iniquity to their iniquity; let them not share in Your righteousness. 28May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous. 29But I am in pain and distress; let Your salvation protect me, O God.…

Cross References
Revelation 3:5
Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.

Exodus 32:32-33
Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.” / The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.

Luke 10:20
Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Philippians 4:3
Yes, and I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have contended at my side for the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

Revelation 20:15
And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:27
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Isaiah 4:3
Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—

Malachi 3:16
At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.

Revelation 13:8
And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

Revelation 17:8
The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.

Hebrews 12:23
in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Ezekiel 13:9
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

Psalm 109:13
May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.


Treasury of Scripture

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

blotted

Exodus 32:32,33
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written…

Isaiah 65:16
That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

Hosea 1:9
Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

be written

Isaiah 4:3
And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

Isaiah 13:9
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Luke 10:20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

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Blotted Book Enrolled Life Names Numbered Recorded Righteous Upright Written
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Blotted Book Enrolled Life Names Numbered Recorded Righteous Upright Written
Psalm 69
1. David complains of his affliction
13. He prays for deliverance
22. He devotes his enemies to destruction
30. He praises God with thanksgiving














May they be blotted out
The phrase "may they be blotted out" carries a strong connotation of removal or erasure. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "מָחָה" (machah), which means to wipe out or obliterate. This is a plea for divine justice, reflecting the psalmist's deep anguish and desire for God to act against those who oppose Him. The imagery of blotting out suggests a permanent removal, akin to erasing ink from a scroll, which in ancient times was a significant act due to the permanence of written records. This reflects the seriousness of the psalmist's request, emphasizing the gravity of being removed from God's favor.

of the Book of Life
The "Book of Life" is a significant biblical concept, representing a divine ledger in which the names of the righteous are inscribed. In Jewish tradition, this book is believed to be a heavenly record of those who are granted eternal life. The idea of a celestial book is found throughout Scripture, including in Exodus 32:32-33 and Revelation 3:5. The psalmist's reference to this book underscores the eternal consequences of one's actions and the ultimate judgment of God. It serves as a reminder of the hope and assurance for those who remain faithful to God, contrasting with the fate of the wicked.

and not listed
The phrase "and not listed" further emphasizes exclusion. The Hebrew word "כָּתַב" (kathab) means to write or inscribe. In the context of ancient record-keeping, being listed was synonymous with being acknowledged or recognized. The psalmist's plea for the wicked not to be listed with the righteous highlights the separation between those who follow God's ways and those who do not. It is a call for divine justice, ensuring that the wicked do not share in the blessings and eternal life promised to the faithful.

with the righteous
The term "the righteous" refers to those who live in accordance with God's laws and commandments. In Hebrew, the word "צַדִּיק" (tzaddik) denotes someone who is just, lawful, and in right standing with God. Throughout the Bible, the righteous are depicted as those who seek God's will, live by His statutes, and are rewarded with His favor and protection. This phrase serves as a reminder of the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, reinforcing the biblical theme of divine justice and the ultimate vindication of those who remain faithful to God. The psalmist's desire is for a clear demarcation between those who are aligned with God's purposes and those who oppose Him.

(28) Book of the living--or life.--This image, which plays so great a part in Christian poetry (Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 21:27. Comp. Philippians 4:3; Luke 10:20), is derived from the civil lists or registers of the Jews. (Exodus 32:32; Jeremiah 22:30; Ezekiel 13:9.) At first erasure from this list only implied that a man was dead, or that a family was extinct (see references above); but as death was thought to deprive of all benefit of the covenant (see Note, Psalm 6:5), such erasure came to imply exclusion from all the rights and privileges of the Theocracy, and therefore from the glory of participating in the promised deliverance and restoration of the race, and so gradually, as eschatological ideas developed, from the resurrection to eternal life. Daniel 12:1 marks a stage in this development. In the psalmist's mouth the words would correspond to the ideas current when he wrote. From the next clause, Let them not be written with the righteous, it might be argued that the idea had already appeared which limited the resurrection to the righteous--an idea current at the date of 2 Maccabees 7:14, but probably familiar to some minds much sooner. . . . Verse 28. - Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living. God is supposed to have a "book of the living" in his possession, which contains the names of all those on whom he looks with favour, and whom he will bless both in this world and beyond the grave (comp. Exodus 32:32; Psalm 86:6; Ezekiel 13:9; Daniel 12:1). From this list, as from any register of earthly citizenship, the names of the unworthy may be erased. David prays for the erasure of the names of those unworthy ones against whom his imprecations are uttered. And not be written with the righteous; i.e. not remain written in the book side by side with the names of the righteous. The New Testament, no less than the Old, tells of this book (see Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 20:12; Revelation 21:27).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
May they be erased
יִ֭מָּחֽוּ (yim·mā·ḥū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4229: To stroke, rub, to erase, to smooth, grease, make fat, to touch, reach to

from the book
מִסֵּ֣פֶר (mis·sê·p̄er)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

of life
חַיִּ֑ים (ḥay·yîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

and not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

listed
יִכָּתֵֽבוּ׃ (yik·kā·ṯê·ḇū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

with
וְעִ֥ם (wə·‘im)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the righteous.
צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים (ṣad·dî·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous


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OT Poetry: Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 69:27
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