that you may strike your feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse paints a vivid, almost shocking picture of total victory, not just defeating enemies but utterly overwhelming them. The graphic image of feet being dipped in blood and dogs having their portion from the slain emphasizes the completeness of God's judgment and the decisive nature of His rescue for His people.
that you may strike your feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse, which speaks of triumph and utter defeat for enemies, directly follows God's promise to bring His people back from places of past victories and great challenges like Bashan and the sea. It’s part of a grand declaration of God’s ongoing power and protection, assuring Israel that He will continue to deliver them from their foes, just as He did throughout their history. This imagery of wading through the blood of enemies sets the stage for the next verses, which describe God's majestic procession into His sanctuary.
Ever feel like the world is just too much? Like evil forces are overwhelming?
This verse paints a vivid, almost shocking, picture of God's power over His enemies. It's not a gentle victory, but a decisive, total defeat of those who oppose Him and His people. The imagery of feet dipped in blood and dogs licking up the spoils isn't meant to be pleasant, but to convey the completeness of God's judgment. Think of it like this: when God steps in to protect His own, there's no holding back. He utterly demolishes the opposition, leaving no doubt about who is sovereign.
We often pray for justice, but do we truly grasp what God's justice looks like for His people?
This verse is a powerful expression of God's commitment to His people. The vivid, even brutal, imagery serves to underscore how fiercely God protects those He loves. It's a reminder that God doesn't just passively wish evil away; He actively intervenes to secure victory and vindicate His people. The 'dogs' here are often understood as scavengers, highlighting the utter destruction of the enemy, leaving nothing for them to do but consume the remnants of God's judgment. This isn't about cruelty, but about the complete removal of threats so that His people can live in peace and security under His rule.
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This psalm vividly uses imagery of complete conquest and utter destruction of enemies, drawing on historical victories like the crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of Bashan. It speaks to the fierce totality of God's judgment against His foes, a theme that resonated deeply during periods of national struggle and exile.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Bashan
The Israelites, under Moses' leadership, conquered Og, the king of the Amorites in Bashan, a significant victory east of the Jordan River.
c. 1400 BC
Crossing the Red Sea
God miraculously parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape Egypt, then allowed the waters to return, drowning the pursuing Egyptian army.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Consolidation of the Kingdom
King David unified the tribes of Israel and expanded its borders through numerous military victories, establishing Jerusalem as the capital.
c. 870 BC
Confrontation with Ben-Hadad of Aram
Israel, under Ahab, achieved victories against the Arameans (Syrians) led by Ben-Hadad, reinforcing God's protection of his people.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and marking a period of great national trauma.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling much of the population, a devastating event that profoundly shaped Jewish identity.
This passage echoes the imagery of wading through blood, but here it is God himself who is described as stained with the blood of his enemies, emphasizing His powerful judgment against those who oppose Him.
Revelation 14:19-20This New Testament vision describes a similar scene of divine judgment where the winepress of God's wrath is trodden, resulting in blood flowing out as far as a horse's bridle, providing a prophetic fulfillment of this imagery.
2 Kings 9:35-36This historical account shows the literal fulfillment of a prophecy where Jezebel's body is left for dogs and birds to eat, reflecting the grim reality of the consequences for those who defy God.
Psalm 58:10-11This psalm shares the theme of righteous rejoicing over divine justice, including the image of the righteous washing their feet in the blood of the wicked, which parallels the imagery found in Psalm 68:23.
pulpitPsalms 68:23: "That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same."
Verse 23. - That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies; i.e. "I will bring them back for thee, my people, to dip your feet in their blood." The same metaphor is used in Isaiah 63:1-3; but it is God himself who, in that passage, has his feet reddened in his enemies' blood, And the tongue of thy dogs in the same. The Authorized Version has omitted one word of the origi…
ellicottPsalms 68:23: "That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same."
(23) That thy foot. —This makes an unnecessary transposition of a very involved sentence. The image is perfectly clear, though the syntax, as often happens in all languages, goes tripping itself up. The conqueror, after wading in the blood of his enemies, is met by the dogs, who lick his gory feet. With a change of one letter we may render, “That thou mayest wash thy foot in blood—…
This verse paints a vivid, almost shocking picture of total victory, not just defeating enemies but utterly overwhelming them. The graphic image of feet being dipped in blood and dogs having their portion from the slain emphasizes the completeness of God's judgment and the decisive nature of His rescue for His people.
This verse, which speaks of triumph and utter defeat for enemies, directly follows God's promise to bring His people back from places of past victories and great challenges like Bashan and the sea. It’s part of a grand declaration of God’s ongoing power and protection, assuring Israel that He will continue to deliver them from their foes, just as He did throughout their history. This imagery of wading through the blood of enemies sets the stage for the next verses, which describe God's majestic procession into His sanctuary.
This verse, which speaks of triumph and utter defeat for enemies, directly follows God's promise to bring His people back from places of past victories and great challenges like Bashan and the sea. It’s part of a grand declaration of God’s ongoing power and protection, assuring Israel that He will continue to deliver them from their foes, just as He did throughout their history. This imagery of wading through the blood of enemies sets the stage for the next verses, which describe God's majestic procession into His sanctuary.
"that you may strike your feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”" — This verse paints a vivid, almost shocking picture of total victory, not just defeating enemies but utterly overwhelming them. The graphic image of feet being dipped in blood and dogs having their po…
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Last reviewed October 2026