Psalms 7:15

He has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit which he made.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

He has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit which he made.

BSB

He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.

KJV

He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

ASV

He hath made a pit, and digged it, And is fallen into the ditch which he made.

BBE

He has made a hole deep in the earth, and is falling into the hole which he has made

YLT

A pit he hath prepared, and he diggeth it, And he falleth into a ditch he maketh.

DARBY

He digged a pit, and hollowed it out, and is fallen into the hole that he made.

Original Hebrew

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Study this passageThe verses around Psalms 7:15: translations side by side, notes, key words and a guided study

Study notes

Whole chapter

On Psalms 3:1–7.17

This group of psalms moves from an orderly world to a troubled one. Psalms 1–2 describe stability. The righteous person is blessed, and the Lord’s anointed king rules with authority.

In the psalms that follow, the tone changes. The Lord’s anointed cries out for help. He faces enemies, strong opposition, and evil plans.

It even seems at times that the Lord is far away. The psalmist feels confusion and distress instead of confidence and calm.

On Psalms 7:1–17

This psalm includes the following:

  • A lament (Psalm 7:1–2): The psalmist cries out to God for help and protection from enemies.

  • An oath of innocence (Psalm 7:3–5): The psalmist declares that he has done no wrong and maintains his integrity.

  • A call for God's justice (Psalm 7:6–9): He asks God to act against evildoers and defend the righteous.

  • An affirmation of God’s just kingship (Psalm 7:10–16): The psalmist praises God as a fair judge who rules the world rightly.

  • A concluding hymn of praise (Psalm 7:17): The psalmist ends with a song of thanksgiving, honoring God’s righteousness and deliverance.

Tyndale Open Study Notes (adapted by Mission Mutual) and Biblica Study Notes, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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The early church

"He hath opened a ditch, and digged it" (ver. 15). To open a ditch is, in earthly matters, that is, as it were in the earth, to prepare deceit, that another fall therein, whom the unrighteous man wishes to deceive. Now this ditch is opened when consent is given to the evil suggestion of earthly lusts: but it is digged when after consent we press on to actual work of deceit. But how can it be, that iniquity should rather hurt the righteous man against whom it proceeds, than the unrighteous heart whence it proceeds? Accordingly, the stealer of money, for instance, while he desires to inflict painful harm upon another, is himself maimed by the wound of avarice. Now who, even out of his right mind, sees not how great is the difference between these men, when one suffers the loss of money, the other of innocence? "He will fall" then "into the pit which he hath made." As it is said in another Psalm, "The Lord is known in executing judgments; the sinner is caught in the works of his own hands."
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Henry (concise) · 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 Henry (concise) on Psalm 7 →

Spurgeon · Verse 15

"He made a pit, and digged it." He was cunning in his plans, and industrious in his labours. He stooped to the dirty work of digging. He did not fear to soil his own hands, he was willing to work in a ditch if others might fall therein. What mean things men will do to wreak revenge on the godly. They hunt for good men, as if they were brute beasts; nay, they will not give them the fair chase afforded to the hare or the fox, but must secretly entrap them, because they can neither run them down nor shoot them down. Our enemies will not meet us to the face, for they fear us as much as they pretend to despise us. But let us look on to the end of the scene. The verse says, he "is fallen into the ditch which he made." Ah! there he is, let us laugh at his disappointment. Lo! he is himself the beast, he has hunted his own soul, and the chase has brought him a goodly victim. Aha, aha, so should it ever be. Come hither and make merry with this entrapped hunter, this biter who has bitten himself. Give him no pity, for it will be wasted on such a wretch. He is but rightly and richly rewarded by being paid in his own coin. He cast forth evil from his mouth, and it has fallen into his bosom. He has set his own house on fire with the torch which he lit to burn a neighbour. He sent forth a foul bird, and it has come back to its nest.

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 7 →

What other commentators say on this verse

Cross-references

19

Topics

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