Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The imagery of pregnancy and childbirth isn't just about the act of sinning, but about the deep, agonizing struggle and the ultimately futile effort wicked plans require. Even though the wicked person conceives mischief and labors intensely, the end result isn't a successful evil deed, but "falsehood" – a self-deception, a vain hope that will ultimately crash against God's justice.
Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is describing the intense, deliberate plotting of his enemies, likely referring to King Saul and his court, who were actively seeking his death with all their resources. This verse emphasizes the deep-seated evil and the deceptive nature of their schemes, which, despite all their efforts, are destined to fail and bring only emptiness.
The Bible doesn't shy away from how deeply evil can take root in a person's heart. This verse paints a vivid picture of that process.
The verse uses powerful imagery of pregnancy and childbirth to describe how wickedness develops in a person:
This isn't just about a fleeting thought; it's about a deep, consuming process of planning and striving to do wrong.
Evil plans can seem formidable, but this verse reveals their ultimate outcome. What is born from such intense labor?
The culmination of the wicked person's deep conception and painful travail is 'lies.' This isn't just about speaking untruths, but points to several outcomes:
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In essence, the intense labor of wickedness produces nothing of lasting value or truth.
Understand the original words
rasha · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
The one who stands in opposition to God’s law and character. It refers to those who persist in willful disobedience and moral rebellion against the Creator.
aven · Hebrew Noun
Morally bad, harmful, or corrupt thoughts and deeds that are contrary to God’s nature and will. It encompasses both the internal state of rebellion and the external results of such attitudes.
amal · Hebrew Noun
Harmful or troublesome behavior that disrupts the order and well-being of others. It implies a malicious intent to cause distress or injustice.
sheqer · Hebrew Noun
A deliberate untruth or a departure from what is factually and morally true. Biblically, lies are often associated with deception and a refusal to acknowledge the reality of God and His creation.
This psalm vividly reflects the intense, personal danger David faced under King Saul's relentless persecution. The imagery of conceiving and bringing forth evil powerfully depicts Saul's malicious plotting and its ultimately fruitless, self-deceptive outcome.
c. 1025 BC - 1015 BC— this verse
Saul's Reign and Persecution of David
King Saul, increasingly paranoid and jealous of David's popularity and success, launches a brutal campaign to kill David, forcing him to flee and live as a fugitive.
c. 1015 BC
David's Flight to the Wilderness of Ziph
David, hunted by Saul, takes refuge in the wilderness of Ziph, a period marked by extreme danger and betrayal, highlighting his reliance on God for deliverance.
c. 1012 BC
Saul's Death at Mount Gilboa
Saul and his sons are killed in battle against the Philistines, ending his violent pursuit of David and clearing the way for David's eventual ascension to the throne.
This passage uses the same imagery of conception and bringing forth harmful things, describing the wicked who conceive trouble and give birth to ruin.
Isaiah 26:17-18This prophecy echoes the theme of conception and birth, where attempts to bring forth something significant result in 'wind' and emptiness, highlighting the futility of wicked schemes.
Isaiah 59:4This verse directly speaks of conceiving mischief and bringing forth violence, showing a consistent Old Testament understanding of the wicked's harmful intentions and their eventual failure.
James 1:15This New Testament passage applies the same 'conception and birth' metaphor to sin, showing how it leads to death, reinforcing the destructive outcome of the wicked's plans.
calvinPsalms 7:12-14: "If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready."
- If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow and made it ready. [111] 13. And he hath prepared for [112] the instruments of death; he shall make fit his arrows for them that persecute. [113] 14. Behold, he shall travail to bring forth iniquity; he hath conceived wickedness, and he shall bring forth falsehood. [114]
12 If he turn not These verses are usually explained in two wa…
gillPsalms 7:14: "Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood."
Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,.... Is full of it, and big with it, as a woman with child, and eagerly desires to bring it forth, and is in pain till he commits it; and hath conceived mischief; that which is injurious to God and the perfections of his nature, a transgression of his law, and an affront to his justice and holiness, is doing wrong to fellow creatures, and harm to them…
The imagery of pregnancy and childbirth isn't just about the act of sinning, but about the deep, agonizing struggle and the ultimately futile effort wicked plans require. Even though the wicked person conceives mischief and labors intensely, the end result isn't a successful evil deed, but "falsehood" – a self-deception, a vain hope that will ultimately crash against God's justice.
David is describing the intense, deliberate plotting of his enemies, likely referring to King Saul and his court, who were actively seeking his death with all their resources. This verse emphasizes the deep-seated evil and the deceptive nature of their schemes, which, despite all their efforts, are destined to fail and bring only emptiness.
David is describing the intense, deliberate plotting of his enemies, likely referring to King Saul and his court, who were actively seeking his death with all their resources. This verse emphasizes the deep-seated evil and the deceptive nature of their schemes, which, despite all their efforts, are destined to fail and bring only emptiness.
"Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies." — The imagery of pregnancy and childbirth isn't just about the act of sinning, but about the deep, agonizing struggle and the ultimately futile effort wicked plans require. Even though the wicked per…
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Last reviewed October 2026