Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a wish for punishment; it's a prophetic declaration of God's judgment. The imagery of "burning coals" and "deep pits" isn't merely about fiery destruction, but about complete and utter annihilation, a finality where there's no escape or return, ensuring they can never again threaten God's people.
Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is crying out to God against those who plot against him, picturing their destruction as a consequence of their evil schemes. This verse isn't a prayer for God to initiate their suffering, but rather a bold declaration that their wicked plans will backfire, leading to their utter and inescapable ruin. It echoes the consequences faced by those who actively oppose God's chosen ones, suggesting a finality to their downfall.
The psalmist uses intense imagery to describe the fate of his enemies. What do these vivid pictures really convey about God's judgment?
The verse paints a picture of total and irreversible destruction.
Together, these images don't just suggest punishment; they represent utter ruin and the permanent removal of the threat posed by these enemies.
It sounds like the psalmist is just wishing ill upon his enemies. But what's the deeper spiritual reality behind these strong words?
While the words express intense suffering for enemies, they are best understood as expressions of divine justice rather than petty personal revenge.
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Understand the original words
gechalim · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the judgment of God, often manifesting as divine wrath, purification, or the destructive consequences of sin returning upon the heads of the wicked.
This Psalm vividly expresses the anguish and desperate prayers of someone facing severe betrayal and imminent danger, likely within the treacherous political landscape of ancient Israel, calling for God's ultimate and irreversible judgment on enemies.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign and Court Intrigue
The Psalms were largely composed during the united monarchy and early divided kingdom, a period often marked by political instability, conspiracies, and warfare. David, as king, faced numerous threats from both within and outside his kingdom.
c. 1000-970 BC
Absalom's Rebellion
This major rebellion, led by David's son Absalom, forced David to flee Jerusalem and created immense personal and political turmoil, illustrating the kinds of betrayal and danger a ruler could face.
c. 970 BC
Ahithophel's Betrayal
Ahithophel, a trusted counselor to David, famously defected to Absalom's side, offering strategic advice that David would have found particularly dangerous and bitter.
This passage directly parallels the imagery of 'burning coals' and fire, describing God raining down judgment upon the wicked, which strongly echoes the Psalmist's imprecation.
Psalms 18:12Here, God's divine wrath is depicted as 'dark clouds, thick clouds, hail stones and coals of fire,' reinforcing the idea of fiery judgment as a powerful metaphor for divine retribution.
Isaiah 30:33This verse speaks of Topheth being prepared for the king of Assyria, which is described as 'prepared long ago; it is made deep and wide, with fire and plenty of wood, and the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it,' vividly illustrating the inescapable and consuming nature of God's judgment.
Revelation 20:10This New Testament passage describes the final judgment where the devil, the beast, and the false prophet are 'thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur,' signifying utter and eternal destruction, which aligns with the Psalmist's desire for enemies to be cast into pits 'no more to rise'.
Genesis 37:24The story of Joseph being thrown into an empty cistern illustrates the danger of being cast into a pit with no means of escape, providing a historical parallel to the imagery of being cast into deep pits from which one cannot rise.
ellicottPsalms 140:10: "Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again."
(10) In this verse too there is a grammatical difficulty, which the margin, “Let there fall on them,” instead of “Let them bring upon them,” does not remove, since the subject of the next verb is third person singular. The first verb is usually taken impersonally, as by the LXX., which version is actually to be followed in rendering coals of fire (literally, coals acco…
clarkePsalms 140:10: "Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again."
Let burning coals - The Chaldee considers this as spoken against Ahithophel, who was head of a conspiracy against David; and translates this verse thus: "Let coals from heaven fall upon them, precipitate them into the fire of hell, and into miry pits, from which they shall not have a resurrection to eternal life." This is a proof that the Jews did believe in a resurrec…
This isn't just a wish for punishment; it's a prophetic declaration of God's judgment. The imagery of "burning coals" and "deep pits" isn't merely about fiery destruction, but about complete and utter annihilation, a finality where there's no escape or return, ensuring they can never again threaten God's people.
The psalmist is crying out to God against those who plot against him, picturing their destruction as a consequence of their evil schemes. This verse isn't a prayer for God to initiate their suffering, but rather a bold declaration that their wicked plans will backfire, leading to their utter and inescapable ruin. It echoes the consequences faced by those who actively oppose God's chosen ones, suggesting a finality to their downfall.
The psalmist is crying out to God against those who plot against him, picturing their destruction as a consequence of their evil schemes. This verse isn't a prayer for God to initiate their suffering, but rather a bold declaration that their wicked plans will backfire, leading to their utter and inescapable ruin. It echoes the consequences faced by those who actively oppose God's chosen ones, suggesting a finality to their downfall.
"Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!" — This isn't just a wish for punishment; it's a prophetic declaration of God's judgment. The imagery of "burning coals" and "deep pits" isn't merely about fiery destruction, but about complete and utte…
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Last reviewed October 2026