Psalm 73:19
New International Version
How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

New Living Translation
In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.

English Standard Version
How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!

Berean Standard Bible
How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!

King James Bible
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

New King James Version
Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

New American Standard Bible
How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

NASB 1995
How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

NASB 1977
How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

Legacy Standard Bible
How they become desolate in a moment! They are completely swept away by terrors!

Amplified Bible
How they are destroyed in a moment! They are completely swept away by sudden terrors!

Christian Standard Bible
How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors.

American Standard Version
How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

Contemporary English Version
They will be terrified, suddenly swept away and no longer there.

English Revised Version
How are they become a desolation in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They are suddenly destroyed. They are completely swept away by terror!

Good News Translation
They are instantly destroyed; they go down to a horrible end.

International Standard Version
How desolate they quickly become, completely destroyed by calamities.

Majority Standard Bible
How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!

NET Bible
How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete!

New Heart English Bible
How they are suddenly destroyed. They are completely swept away with terrors.

Webster's Bible Translation
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

World English Bible
How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
How they have become a desolation as in a moment, "" They have been ended—consumed from terrors.

Young's Literal Translation
How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended -- consumed from terrors.

Smith's Literal Translation
How they were for desolation as in a moment they perished; they were finished from sudden destruction.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
How are they brought to desolation? they have suddenly ceased to be: they have perished by reason of their iniquity.

Catholic Public Domain Version
How have they been brought to desolation? They have suddenly failed. They have perished because of their iniquity.

New American Bible
How suddenly they are devastated; utterly undone by disaster!

New Revised Standard Version
How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
How suddenly they have ended in insensibility and they are finished by tumult!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are wholly consumed by terrors.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
How have they become desolate! suddenly they have failed: they have perished because of their iniquity.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Endow the King with Your Justice
18Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. 19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! 20Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.…

Cross References
Job 20:5
the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

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.

Obadiah 1:3-4
The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ / Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Proverbs 24:20
For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Isaiah 29:5-6
But your many foes will be like fine dust, the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff. Then suddenly, in an instant, / you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire.

Matthew 24:39
And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

Jeremiah 51:8
Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Isaiah 30:13
this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant!

Ezekiel 7:25-27
Anguish is coming! They will seek peace, but find none. / Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders. / The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

1 Corinthians 10:12
So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.


Treasury of Scripture

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

how

Psalm 58:9
Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

Job 20:5
That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

Isaiah 30:13
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

they are

Numbers 17:12,13
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish…

1 Samuel 28:20
Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

Job 15:21
A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

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Cause Completely Consumed Desolate Desolation Destroyed Destruction Ended Fears Moment Sudden Suddenly Swept Terrors Utterly Wasted Wholly
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Cause Completely Consumed Desolate Desolation Destroyed Destruction Ended Fears Moment Sudden Suddenly Swept Terrors Utterly Wasted Wholly
Psalm 73
1. The prophet, prevailing in a temptation
2. Shows the occasion thereof, the prosperity of the wicked
13. The wound given thereby, diffidence
15. The victory over it, knowledge of God's purpose.














How suddenly
The phrase "how suddenly" captures the abruptness and unexpected nature of the events described. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "פִּתְאֹם" (pit'om), which conveys a sense of immediacy and surprise. This suddenness reflects the swift and unforeseen judgment of God upon the wicked. In the broader biblical context, this serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of life and the certainty of divine justice. It encourages believers to remain vigilant and faithful, knowing that God's intervention can occur at any moment.

they are laid waste
The phrase "they are laid waste" speaks to the complete and utter destruction that befalls the wicked. The Hebrew root "שָׁמַם" (shamem) implies desolation and ruin. This imagery is often used in the Old Testament to describe the aftermath of divine judgment, where once-thriving places are left barren and empty. Historically, this can be seen in the destruction of cities and nations that opposed God's will. For the believer, it serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of living in opposition to God's righteousness.

completely swept away
"Completely swept away" emphasizes the totality and finality of the judgment. The Hebrew word "סָפָה" (saphah) suggests being consumed or annihilated. This phrase underscores the irreversible nature of God's judgment against those who persist in wickedness. In the scriptural context, it echoes the fate of those who, despite warnings and opportunities for repentance, choose to continue in their sinful ways. For the faithful, it is a call to trust in God's justice and to live in a manner that aligns with His will, knowing that His judgments are both righteous and inevitable.

by terrors!
The concluding phrase "by terrors" highlights the fear and dread that accompany divine judgment. The Hebrew word "בַּלָּהוֹת" (ballahot) refers to sudden and overwhelming fears. This is not merely a physical destruction but an existential terror that grips the soul. In the biblical narrative, such terrors often precede or accompany God's acts of judgment, serving as a warning to those who witness them. For believers, this is a powerful reminder of the awe-inspiring power of God and the importance of living in reverence and obedience to Him. It also offers comfort, knowing that God is just and will ultimately right all wrongs.

(19) In a moment.--Literally, in a wink. (Comp. "In the twinkling of an eye.")

Verse 19. - How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! There is something very striking in the suddenness with which the prosperity of a wicked man often collapses. Saul, Jezebel, Athaliah, Epiphanes, Herod Agrippa, are cases in point, likewise Nero, Galerius, Julian. The first and second Napoleonic empires may also be cited. They are utterly consumed with terrors; literally, they perish; they come to an end through terrors (comp. Job 18:11; Job 24:17; Job 27:20).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
אֵ֤יךְ (’êḵ)
Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

suddenly
כְרָ֑גַע (ḵə·rā·ḡa‘)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7281: A wink, a very short space of time

they are
הָי֣וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

laid waste,
לְשַׁמָּ֣ה (lə·šam·māh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8047: Ruin, consternation

completely
תַ֝֗מּוּ (ṯam·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8552: To be complete or finished

swept away
סָ֥פוּ (sā·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5486: To snatch away, terminate

by
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

terrors!
בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ (bal·lā·hō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1091: Terror, dreadful event, calamity, destruction


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OT Poetry: Psalm 73:19 How they are suddenly destroyed! (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 73:18
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