Psalms 7:12

If a man doesn’t relent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow.

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

If a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow.

BSB

If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow.

KJV

If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

ASV

If a man turn not, he will whet his sword; He hath bent his bow, and made it ready;

BBE

If a man is not turned from his evil, he will make his sword sharp; his bow is bent and ready.

Original Hebrew

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אִם־ 'im- if H518 לֹא lo' not H3808 יָשׁוּב ya·shuv anyone will repent H7725 חַרְבּוֹ char·bo sword his H2719 יִלְטוֹשׁ yil·to·osh he will sharpen H3913 קַשְׁתּוֹ kash·to bow his H7198 דָרַךְ da·rakh he has bent H1869 וַיְכוֹנְנֶהָ vay·kho·ne·ha and he has prepared it H3559

The early church

"Unless ye be converted," He says, "He will brandish His sword" [Psalm 7:12]. The Lord Man Himself may be taken to be God's double-edged sword, that is, His spear, which at His first coming He will not brandish, but hides as it were in the sheath of humiliation: but He will brandish it, when at the second coming to judge the quick and dead, in the manifest splendour of His glory, He shall flash light on His righteous ones, and terror on the ungodly. For in other copies, instead of, "He shall brandish His sword," it has been written, "He shall make bright His spear:" by which word I think the last coming of the Lord's glory most appropriately signified: seeing that is understood of His person, which another Psalm has, "Deliver, O Lord, my soul from the ungodly, Your spear from the enemies of Your hand. He has bent His bow, and made it ready." The tenses of the words must not be altogether overlooked, how he has spoken of "the sword" in the future, "He will brandish;" of "the bow" in the past, "He has bent:" and these words of the past tense follow after.

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 10–17

David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The sinner is described, ver. #(14-16), as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. Blessed Lord, give us grace to look to thee in the path of tribulation, going before thy church and people, and marking the way by thine own spotless example. Under all the persecutions which in our lesser trials mark our way, let the looking to Jesus animate our minds and comfort our hearts.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 7 →

Spurgeon · Verse 12

"If he turn not, he will whet his sword." What blows are those which will be dealt by that long uplifted arm! God's sword has been sharpening upon the revolving stone of our daily wickedness, and if we will not repent, it will speedily cut us in pieces. Turn or burn is the sinner's only alternative. "He hath bent his bow and made it ready."

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 7 →

Cross-references

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.