Psalm 7:16
New International Version
The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.

New Living Translation
The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.

English Standard Version
His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

Berean Standard Bible
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.

King James Bible
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

New King James Version
His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.

New American Standard Bible
His harm will return on his own head, And his violence will descend on the top of his own head.

NASB 1995
His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate.

NASB 1977
His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate.

Legacy Standard Bible
His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own skull.

Amplified Bible
His mischief will return on his own head, And his violence will come down on the top of his head [like loose dirt].

Christian Standard Bible
His trouble comes back on his own head; his own violence comes down on top of his head.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
His trouble comes back on his own head, and his violence falls on the top of his head.

American Standard Version
His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.

Contemporary English Version
The trouble they cause comes back on them, and their heads are crushed by their own evil deeds.

English Revised Version
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violence shall come down upon his own pate.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
His mischief lands back on his own head. His violence comes down on top of him.

Good News Translation
So they are punished by their own evil and are hurt by their own violence.

International Standard Version
The trouble he planned will return on his own head, and his violence will descend on his skull.

Majority Standard Bible
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.

NET Bible
He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head.

New Heart English Bible
The trouble he causes shall return to his own head, and his violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.

Webster's Bible Translation
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

World English Bible
The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
His perverseness returns on his head, "" And his violence comes down on his crown.

Young's Literal Translation
Return doth his perverseness on his head, And on his crown his violence cometh down.

Smith's Literal Translation
His trouble shall turn back upon his head, and his violence shall come down upon his crown.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
His sorrow shall be turned on his own head: and his iniquity shall comedown upon his crown.

Catholic Public Domain Version
His sorrow will be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity will descend upon his highest point.

New American Bible
His malice turns back upon his head; his violence falls on his own skull.

New Revised Standard Version
Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads their violence descends.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his iniquity upon his own pate.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
His evil will return upon his head, and upon his desire his evil will descend.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
His trouble shall return on his own head, and his unrighteousness shall come down on his own crown.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Take Refuge in You
15He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. 16His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head. 17I will thank the LORD for His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.…

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.

Esther 7:10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

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 9:15-16
The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. / The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah

Proverbs 1:31
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

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

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.

Hosea 8:7
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.

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.

Psalm 35:8
May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.

Jeremiah 6:19
Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.

Isaiah 3:11
Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.


Treasury of Scripture

His mischief shall return on his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own pate.

Psalm 36:4,12
He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil…

Psalm 37:12,13
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth…

1 Samuel 23:9
And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

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Behaviour Causes Crown Dealing Descend Descends Head Mischief Perverseness Recoils Returns Trouble Violence Violent Wrongdoing
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Behaviour Causes Crown Dealing Descend Descends Head Mischief Perverseness Recoils Returns Trouble Violence Violent Wrongdoing
Psalm 7
1. David prays against the malice of his enemies, professing his innocence
10. By faith he sees his defense, and the destruction of his enemies














His trouble
The Hebrew word for "trouble" here is "ʿāmāl," which often denotes labor, toil, or distress. In the context of this Psalm, it refers to the malicious intent and actions of the wicked. Theologically, this suggests a divine principle of justice where the wicked's own schemes become their burden. Historically, this reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of retributive justice, where one's evil deeds inevitably lead to personal suffering.

recoils on himself
The imagery of "recoiling" suggests a boomerang effect, where the consequences of one's actions return to the originator. The Hebrew root "shuv" means to return or turn back. This phrase emphasizes the self-destructive nature of sin and evil. Scripturally, it aligns with the principle found in Proverbs 26:27, where those who dig a pit for others fall into it themselves. This reflects the moral order established by God, where evil is inherently self-defeating.

and his violence
The term "violence" is translated from the Hebrew word "ḥāmās," which implies physical harm, injustice, or oppression. This word is often used in the Old Testament to describe the actions of the wicked against the innocent. In a broader biblical context, it underscores the destructive power of sin and the moral corruption it brings to individuals and societies.

falls on his own head
The phrase "falls on his own head" uses the Hebrew verb "yārad," meaning to descend or fall. This vivid imagery portrays the inevitable downfall of the wicked due to their own actions. Historically, this reflects the ancient belief in divine retribution, where the gods would ensure that justice prevails. In the biblical narrative, it serves as a warning and a reminder of God's sovereignty and justice, assuring the faithful that evil will not go unpunished.

Verse 16. - His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing upon his own pate. Some critics see in this a continuation of the metaphor, and suppose that, while the sinner is in the pit, the heap which his own hands have thrown out falls in upon him and crushes him. But it is perhaps better to understand the words in a more general way.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
His trouble
עֲמָל֣וֹ (‘ă·mā·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

recoils
יָשׁ֣וּב (yā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

on himself,
בְרֹאשׁ֑וֹ (ḇə·rō·šōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

and his violence
חֲמָס֥וֹ (ḥă·mā·sōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2555: Violence, wrong, by meton, unjust gain

falls
יֵרֵֽד׃ (yê·rêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

on
וְעַ֥ל (wə·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his own head.
קָ֝דְקֳד֗וֹ (qā·ḏə·qo·ḏōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6936: Head, crown of the head


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OT Poetry: Psalm 7:16 The trouble he causes shall return (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 7:15
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