Psalms 11:3

3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

Psalms 11:3 in Other Translations

3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”

3 The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance"?

3 When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

Psalms 11:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 11:3

If the foundations be destroyed
Or, "for the foundations are destroyed" ^F19; all things are out of order and course both in church and state; the laws, which are the foundations of government, are despised and disregarded; judgment is perverted, and justice stands afar off; the doctrines and principles of religion are derided and subverted; so that there is no standing, either in a political or religious sense. Jarchi interprets this of the priests of the Lord, the righteous, who are the foundations of the world, particularly the priests of Nob, slain by Doeg. Other Jewish writers, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, understand it of the purposes and counsels, nets and snares, laid by the wicked for the righteous, which are broken and destroyed; not by them, for what can they do? but by the Lord, who is in his holy temple. So it

what can the righteous do?
or "what does the righteous one do" ^F20? that is, the righteous Lord, he sits in the heavens, he beholds all the actions of the wicked, he distinguishes the righteous from them, and rains a violent storm of wrath upon them, as in the following verses; or "what has the righteous man done" ^F21? what has David done, that the priests of Nob should be slain? nothing that was criminal; nor shall he bear the sin, but they, according to Jarchi's sense; or rather, what has he done that the wicked should bend their bow, prepare their arrow, and attempt to shoot privily at him, and to overturn the foundations of justice and equity? nothing that deserves such treatment: or if the fundamental doctrines of true religion and everlasting salvation be subverted, what can the righteous do? he can do nothing to obtain salvation, nor do any good works of himself; the Chaldee paraphrase is, "wherefore does he do good?" he can have no principle, motive, or end to do good, if fundamental truths are destroyed: or "what should he do" {w}? something the righteous ones may do, and should do, when men are attempting to undermine and sap the foundation articles of religion; they should go to the throne of grace, to God in his holy temple, who knows what is doing, and plead with him to put a stop to the designs and attempts of such subverters of foundations; and they should endeavour to build one another up on their most holy faith, and constantly affirm it while others deny it; and should contend earnestly for it, and stand fast in it.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Nworhy twtvh yk) "nam fundamenta destruuntur", Piscator, Michaelis; "quoniam", Pagninus, Montanus; so Ainsworth.
F20 (lep hm qydu) "justus quid operatus est?" Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus; "quid facit?" Syr. Arab.
F21 "Justus quid fecit?" V. L. Munster, Tigurine versiom, Piscator; so Ainsworth.
F23 "Quid fuerit operatus justus?" Junius & Tremellius; "quid fecerit?" Schmidt.

Psalms 11:3 In-Context

1 In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.

5 The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 18:15; Psalms 82:5; Isaiah 24:18