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Psalms 94:11

The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. "The thoughts" or 'schemes' of men against His people God not only 'knows,' but 'knows that they will prove vanity' - i:e., abortive. But the sense rather is, "they" [ heemaah (H1992), the masculine], not "the thoughts," but 'men' (as the Hebrew for "man" is) are vanity. In opposition to the scoff that God does not "see" or know, the Psalmist declares that God, as being 'Yahweh,' the self-existing Being whereas 'men are vanity' or nothingness, must and 'does know the thoughts' or 'schemes of men,' (cf. Psalms 40:17; Psalms 39:5; Psalms 39:11; Psalms 62:9). Translate, 'Yahweh knoweth the devices of men, seeing that they (men) are vanity.' So the Syriac. Seeing that men possess all their knowledge only by God's gratuitous gift, Yahweh, the self-existent source of intelligence, must know their thoughts.

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See also Psalms 94:11 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE LORD KNOWETH THE THOUGHTS OF MAN - That is, He who teaches people all that they know Psalms 94:10, must understand all that there is in the mind. See the notes at 1 Corinthians 3:20. THAT THEY ARE...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PSALM 94-100 Psalms 94 Prayer for the Execution of the Vengeance of God _ 1. The Prayer on account of the enemy (Psalms 94:1)_ 2. Expostulation with the wicked (Psalms 94:8) 3. The comfort of the...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    XCIV. A PRAYER FOR VENGEANCE ON OPPRESSIVE RULERS AND FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THEM. Psalms 94:1. The wickedness of the arrogant. The bad rulers here are evidently Jews. They are oppressors, not invaders...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    KNOWETH, &C. See 1 Corinthians 3:20....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    Psalms 92-97 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE A Service of Song for a Sabbath Day. ANALYSIS Psalms 92: Personal SongProbably by a King. Psalms 93: Jehovah Proclaimed King. Psalms 94: Prayer for Vengeance on the...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    94:11 vanity. (f-10) Or 'a breath,' as Job 7:16 ; Psalms 39:5 ,Psalms 39:6 ,Psalms 39:11 , &c....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    This is a national Ps., written at a time when Israel was oppressed by foreign enemies. It may be connected either with the days of the exile or with some later period of national distress. The openin...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    This v. is quoted with some modification in 1 Corinthians 3:20....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 90:106 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ GOD, SHOW THAT YOU ARE A GREAT *JUDGE! PSALMS 94 Jesus said, "I am a good *judge. I do not do what I want to do. I obey the words of (God) that sent me". ...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THAT THEY ARE VANITY — The literal rendering, “for they are breath,” referring not to thoughts, but to man collectively, gives equally good sense, and would, notwithstanding the order of the words, be...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    יְֽהוָ֗ה יֹ֭דֵעַ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות אָדָ֑ם כִּי ־הֵ֥מָּה...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 94:1 THE theme of God the Judge is closely allied to that of God the King, as other psalms of this group show, in which His coming to judge the world is the subject of rapturous praise. This ps...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE LORD OUR DEFENSE AGAINST EVIL-DOERS Psalms 94:6 Let us ponder all the great things that God will do for them that trust Him. He planted the ear, and will detect the sigh, sob, or broken utterance...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The placing of this song immediately after the one which sets forth the fact of the enthronement of Jehovah is remarkable. It creates a contrast, while it suggests a continuity of ideas. The contrast...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    So. Roman Psalter and Milan, "to whom." Both occur in St. Paul, and answer the Hebrew asher, (Berthier) quibus. (St. Jerome) --- Not. Literally, "if they shall." The Israelites were excluded from a se...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    This is a beautiful appeal to the oppressor. In the contemplation of the divine perfections, the oppressed believer points out how impossible it is for the wicked to escape the all-seeing eye and almi...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    11._Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of men, etc_. He again insists upon the folly of men in seeking to wrap themselves up in darkness, and hide themselves from the view of God. To prevent them from flatt...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 94 gives us this cry, which is at the same time the expression of the fullest intelligence of their position, of the dealings of God, of the position of the wicked, and the result about to be p...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE LORD KNOWETH THE THOUGHTS OF MAN,.... He not only hears their words, and sees their actions; but he knows their thoughts, the secret thoughts of their hearts, though he is afar off from them, and,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they [are] vanity. Ver. 11. _The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity_] Or worse; that they are ever weaving spiders' webs, or else hatchi...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man_ This is an answer to the foregoing question, _Shall not he know?_ Yes, he knoweth all things, yea, even the most secret things, as the thoughts of men; and in pa...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AGAINST TYRANTS IN THE CHURCH. The psalmist, whose name is not given, appeals to God in view of the oppression of the adversaries, who included not only the enemies from without, but also the tyrants...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, He is familiar with even the inmost workings of tile minds of men, THAT THEY ARE VANITY, all their objects and intentions by nature being vain. Cf 1 Corinthians 3...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 We may with boldness appeal to God; for he is the almighty Judge by whom every man is judged. Let this encourage those who suffer wrong, to bear it with silence, committing themselves to Him who...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    This is an answer to the foregoing question, _shall not he know_ ? Yes, he _knoweth_ all things, yea, even the most secret things, as the thoughts of men; and in particular your atheistical thoughts,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 94:11 LORD H3068 knows H3045 (H8802) thoughts H4284 man H120 futile H1892 Ps

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    This is the prayer of a man of God in great trouble, standing out for God in an evil day, when the Lord's people were greatly oppressed, and the honour of God was being trampled in the mire. The praye...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Let us read this evening the ninety-fourth Psalm, and may the Spirit of God instruct us while we read it! Psalms 94:1. _O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, sh...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: An appeal to God to appear for His people against His and their enemies. CHARACTERS: God, Psalmist. CONCLUSION: There is a God to whom vengeance belongs who will certainly call enemies to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm was written under great oppression, in a time of war, but it bears no marks of being written in Babylon, for then they had no hope to rise against the wicked: Psalms 94:16. Psalms 94:6. _Th...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity._ GOD’S INDICTMENT OF OUR THOUGHTS In treatises on morals and in manuals of religion, much has been said about controlling one’s thoughts....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth. .. show Thyself._ PERSECUTORS AND THEIR VICTIMS I. The awful condition of the wicked persecutor. The persecutors referred to (Psalms 94:1) are represented as...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 94:1. This is a community lament, written for a time when the wicked not only exult (v. Psalms 94:3) but also oppress the faithful (many of wh

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 94:8 This is the reply to v. Psalms 94:7. The God WHO PLANTED THE EAR, WHO FORMED THE EYE,...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “There is no superscription to this Psalm. There is no indication of its authorship, of the period at which it was written, or of the circumstances to which it refers. There are many of t...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THIS psalm is primarily (Psalms 94:1) a "cry for vengeance on Israel's oppressors, passing into an appeal for more faith to God's own people" (Cheyne). In the latter half (Psalms 94:12) the...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth (Psalms 94:1); Now, it's hard for us to remember that. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). So often we try to take vengeance ourse...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 1:25; Job 11:11;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Thoughts — Yes, he knoweth all things, even the most secret things, as the thoughts of men; and in particular your thoughts; much more your practices....

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