Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just say wickedness is in their hearts; it states it's in their inwards. This tiny shift points to a deeply ingrained corruption, so fundamental it permeates their very being, not just their actions or their homes. It highlights how a person's inner core can become so saturated with evil that it dictates their entire existence.
Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is pouring out his anguish over a betrayal by someone he considered a close friend and trusted confidant, a situation far worse than an enemy's attack. He laments how this intimate betrayal has led to wicked plots against him, and now, in verses 12-15, he cries out for God's justice upon those who have so deeply wronged him, praying for their swift and utter destruction because of the pervasive evil within them and their homes.
Have you ever been blindsided by someone you trusted? David understands. This psalm dives deep into the pain of betrayal.
A Friend Turned Foe
David isn't just lamenting an attack from an open enemy. He's reeling from the betrayal of someone close – a trusted leader, a close companion, someone he shared deep counsel and worship with. This isn't just a political or personal slight; it's a deep wound.
When wickedness takes root, what is the ultimate outcome? David calls for a decisive, immediate end.
The Imprecation of Judgment
David's words here are strong – a call for swift and utter destruction ('Let death seize upon them; let them go down quick into Sheol'). This isn't just a personal outburst of anger; it's a prophetic declaration of God's righteous judgment against pervasive evil.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
Sheol · Hebrew Noun
The place of the dead; the unseen realm or underworld where all souls go upon death. It represents the grave, the end of earthly life, and the inevitable destination of humanity apart from God's intervention.
levavam · Hebrew Noun
The core of the human personality, encompassing the mind, will, emotions, and moral intentions. In Scripture, it is the center of human agency and the seat of either devotion to God or corruption by sin.
This psalm reflects the deep pain of betrayal and persecution, particularly from those once trusted. The imprecation in verse 15 likely alludes to the swift and violent ends of traitors like Ahithophel and Absalom, seen as divine judgment on their wickedness.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign and Absalom's Rebellion
King David's reign is marked by internal strife, culminating in the rebellion led by his own son, Absalom. This event causes deep personal anguish for David.
c. 1000 BC
Ahithophel's Betrayal
Ahithophel, a trusted counselor to David, defects to Absalom's side and gives strategic advice to overthrow David. His counsel is initially followed.
c. 1000 BC
David Flees Jerusalem
Fearing for his life due to Absalom's rebellion and Ahithophel's counsel, David is forced to flee Jerusalem with his loyal followers.
c. 1000 BC
Ahithophel's Counsel Rejected
Absalom and his advisors choose the counsel of Hushai (loyal to David) over Ahithophel's strategic advice to immediately attack David. This proves to be a fatal turning point for the rebellion.
c. 1000 BC
Ahithophel's Suicide
Realizing his counsel has been rejected and that Absalom's rebellion will likely fail, Ahithophel returns to his home and hangs himself.
c. 1000 BC
Defeat and Death of Absalom
Absalom's forces are defeated in battle. Absalom himself is tragically killed despite David's orders to spare him.
This passage describes Korah, Dathan, and Abiram being swallowed alive by the earth as a judgment for their rebellion, paralleling the 'go down to Sheol alive' imprecation in Psalm 55:15.
2 Samuel 17:23This verse details Ahithophel's suicide after his counsel was rejected, illustrating the sudden and violent end predicted in Psalm 55:15 for those deeply entrenched in wickedness.
Matthew 27:5Judas Iscariot's remorse and subsequent suicide by hanging is a stark example of a traitor meeting a grim end, echoing the severe judgment called for against betrayal in Psalm 55:15.
Proverbs 1:10-16This passage warns against being enticed into sin by wicked companions, highlighting the destructive path and eventual downfall that awaits those who harbor evil intentions, much like the psalmist describes.
Revelation 19:20The judgment of the beast and the false prophet being cast alive into the lake of fire provides a future, ultimate fulfillment of the 'go down alive' imagery, signifying complete and immediate divine wrath.
gillPsalms 55:15: "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them."
Let death seize upon them,.... Ahithophel and his accomplices, Judas and the men with him; as a mighty man, as the king of terrors, and shake them to pieces. Or, "let him exact upon them" (a); as a creditor upon the debtor, and demand the debt of punishment for sin: or let him come upon them at an unawares; let them not die a natural, but a violent death. The Ta…
poolePsalms 55:15: "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them."
Them, i.e. him and all such false-hearted wretches, that pretended religion with wicked design, and now have manifestly apostatized, both from the profession and practice of it, and fallen into all manner of wickedness; for such are the vilest of men, and most obnoxious to the curse of God. Into hell; or, into the grave ; cut them off by a sudden and violent dea…
The verse doesn't just say wickedness is in their hearts; it states it's in their inwards. This tiny shift points to a deeply ingrained corruption, so fundamental it permeates their very being, not just their actions or their homes. It highlights how a person's inner core can become so saturated with evil that it dictates their entire existence.
David is pouring out his anguish over a betrayal by someone he considered a close friend and trusted confidant, a situation far worse than an enemy's attack. He laments how this intimate betrayal has led to wicked plots against him, and now, in verses 12-15, he cries out for God's justice upon those who have so deeply wronged him, praying for their swift and utter destruction because of the pervasive evil within them and their homes.
David is pouring out his anguish over a betrayal by someone he considered a close friend and trusted confidant, a situation far worse than an enemy's attack. He laments how this intimate betrayal has led to wicked plots against him, and now, in verses 12-15, he cries out for God's justice upon those who have so deeply wronged him, praying for their swift and utter destruction because of the pervasive evil within them and their homes.
"Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart." — The verse doesn't just say wickedness is in their hearts; it states it's in their inwards. This tiny shift points to a deeply ingrained corruption, so fundamental it permeates their very being, n…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026