Psalms 7:14-16
Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The powerful imagery here isn't just about a bad plan; it reveals the wicked person's self-deception. Their "conceived mischief" and "laborious attempts" ultimately "give birth to falsehood" not for their victims, but because their own efforts spectacularly backfire, leaving them empty-handed and fooled by their own schemes.
David is describing the intense, personal danger he's facing from his enemies, specifically highlighting their malicious plotting and readiness to strike. He uses vivid imagery of warfare and the pains of childbirth to show how these wicked individuals conceive and prepare their harmful schemes. However, he contrasts this with the ultimate futility of their efforts, implying God's intervention will thwart their evil plans.
Have you ever seen someone so consumed by a bad idea that they seem 'pregnant' with it? The psalmist uses this powerful image to describe the wicked.
The verse paints a picture of the wicked individual as someone carrying a dangerous, developing plan.
Conception and Gestation
First, they 'conceive mischief.' This isn't just a passing thought; it's a deliberate, internal formation of harmful intent. Then, they 'travaileth with iniquity,' bringing to mind the intense labor and pain of childbirth. This shows the immense effort and struggle involved in bringing wicked schemes to fruition.
The 'Birth' of Lies
Finally, the outcome is 'falsehood.' This isn't always a direct lie told to someone else. Often, it refers to self-deception – the wicked believe their plans will succeed, or that they are justified, but this 'birth' results in nothing but empty wind, a complete disappointment.
This imagery highlights how deeply evil thoughts can take root and consume a person, yet ultimately lead to failure and emptiness.
Why does David describe the wicked person's actions in such detail? It's not just about their sin, but about God's response to it.
Psalms 7:14 isn't just a description of human depravity; it's a prelude to divine justice. The detailed imagery of conceiving, laboring, and birthing evil highlights the deliberate and intense nature of the wicked's plans against God's people.
God's Awareness and Action
David, inspired by God, reveals that these 'births' of lies and mischief do not go unnoticed. While the wicked may feel they are successfully executing their plans, God sees the full picture. The 'falsehood' they 'bring forth' is ultimately a deception to themselves, as God's righteous judgment will thwart their ambitions.
The Ultimate Outcome
As Calvin notes, this verse sets the stage for understanding God's vengeance. The wicked's intense efforts are ultimately futile because they are fighting against the Almighty. Their carefully crafted schemes will 'fail,' proving to be 'empty wind' in the face of God's sovereign power.
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 captures the intense personal danger David faced from King Saul. The imagery of conception and painful 'birth' powerfully illustrates how Saul's evil plans against David were not random acts but deeply conceived, malicious schemes that ultimately proved empty and self-deceptive.
c. 1030 BC
Saul Anointed King
Saul is chosen and anointed as Israel's first king, marking a significant shift in Israel's political and religious landscape.
c. 1020 BC
David Anointed King
While Saul is still king, David is secretly anointed by Samuel, setting the stage for future conflict and rivalry.
c. 1015-1010 BC— this verse
Saul Pursues David
Saul, consumed by jealousy and paranoia, relentlessly hunts David across the wilderness of Judah, viewing him as a threat to his throne.
c. 1010 BC
Death of Saul
Saul dies in battle against the Philistines, ending his turbulent reign and paving the way for David's eventual ascension to the throne.
This passage uses a similar metaphor of conceiving trouble and bringing forth ruin, highlighting how wickedness often produces its own downfall.
Isaiah 59:4This verse describes people who conceive trouble and give birth to destruction, mirroring the theme of evil intentions leading to destructive outcomes.
Matthew 15:19Jesus explains that evil thoughts, schemes, and lies originate from within the human heart, paralleling the internal conception and outward 'birth' of wickedness described in the psalm.
James 1:15This verse directly links desire to conception, and conception to sin and death, showing a progression from internal thought to outward action and consequence, much like the imagery in Psalm 7:14.
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 powerful imagery here isn't just about a bad plan; it reveals the wicked person's self-deception. Their "conceived mischief" and "laborious attempts" ultimately "give birth to falsehood" not for their victims, but because their own efforts spectacularly backfire, leaving them empty-handed and fooled by their own schemes.
David is describing the intense, personal danger he's facing from his enemies, specifically highlighting their malicious plotting and readiness to strike. He uses vivid imagery of warfare and the pains of childbirth to show how these wicked individuals conceive and prepare their harmful schemes. However, he contrasts this with the ultimate futility of their efforts, implying God's intervention will thwart their evil plans.
David is describing the intense, personal danger he's facing from his enemies, specifically highlighting their malicious plotting and readiness to strike. He uses vivid imagery of warfare and the pains of childbirth to show how these wicked individuals conceive and prepare their harmful schemes. However, he contrasts this with the ultimate futility of their efforts, implying God's intervention will thwart their evil plans.
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amal · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to wickedness, evil deeds, or harmful intent. In a biblical context, it often denotes the moral perversity or deceitful schemes of the wicked that inevitably lead to their own judgment.
chamas · Hebrew Noun
Refers to lawlessness, physical force, or injustice used to harm others. It characterizes the conduct of the wicked who violate God's moral order and will face retributive justice.
"Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head,…" — The powerful imagery here isn't just about a bad plan; it reveals the wicked person's self-deception. Their "conceived mischief" and "laborious attempts" ultimately "give birth to falsehood" not for…
