Psalms 7:13

13 And therein he hath made ready the vessels of death; he hath fully made his arrows with burning things.

Psalms 7:13 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 7:13

He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death
The weapons of his indignation, ( Isaiah 13:5 ) ; which, will issue both in the first and second death, corporeal and eternal; the instruments of the former are diseases of various kinds, and judgments, as famine, pestilence and of the latter not only the law is an instrument of it, that being the letter which kills, and is the ministration of condemnation and death, but even the Gospel itself to wicked men is the savour of death unto death; and devils will be the executioners of it;

he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors:
the word for persecutors signifies "hot" or "burning" ^F8, and designs such persons who burn in malice and wrath, In rage and fury, against the saints, and hotly pursue after them, as Laban did after Jacob, ( Genesis 31:36 ) ; for these more especially God has determined in his eternal purposes and decrees, and for these he has provided in his quiver, arrows of wrath and vengeance, fiery ones; and against these will he bring them forth, direct them, and shoot them at them, ( Psalms 64:7 ) . Some ^F9 understand all this not of God, but of the wicked man, and read "if he turn not", but, on the contrary, instead of that, "will whet his sword, bend his bow", &c. against the righteous; yet he shall be disappointed, he shall not accomplish his designs, as appears by the following verses; these phrases are used of wicked men, ( Psalms 11:2 ) ( Psalms 37:14 Psalms 37:15 ) ( 64:2-4 ) , but the former sense seems best.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Myqlwdl) "ardentibus", V. L. "in ardentes", Montanus; "hot persecutors", Ainsworth.
F9 So Brentius & Glassius in Gejerus.

Psalms 7:13 In-Context

11 The Lord is a just judge, strong and patient; whether he is wroth by all days? (The Lord is a righteous judge; every day he is angry with the wicked.)

12 If ye be not converted (If they be not turned from their evil ways), he shall flourish his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

13 And therein he hath made ready the vessels of death; he hath fully made his arrows with burning things.

14 Lo! the wicked hath conceived sorrow; he painfully hath brought forth unrightfulness, and he hath childed wickedness. (Lo! he who is wicked hath conceived many ways to bring sorrow; yea, he hath painfully brought forth unrighteousness, and he hath birthed wickedness.)

15 He opened a pit, and digged it out; and he fell into the ditch which he made. (He opened a pit, and dug it out; but he himself shall fall into the ditch, which he hath made.)