Psalms 110:6

Psa 110:6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill [the places] with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

Ver. 6. He shall judge among the heathen] Do execution upon his enemies, as Psa 110:1, whether kings or commoners.

He shall fill the places] The ditches of their own camps.

He shall wound the heads] Heb. head; cruentabit caput, whereby some understand the Roman empire, with its image, antichrist with his adherents, who are called heathens, Rev 11:2. Others, Turks and Saracens, reading the next words, Over the land of Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites, who were likewise Arabians; and so they make it an allusion to David’s victories over the Ammonites, 2Sa 10:6-19; 2Sa 12:26-31

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 110:6. He shall judge among the heathen — Shall demonstrate himself to all the heathen world to be their lawgiver and judge, and shall condemn and punish those that reject his salvation, and disobey his laws, rendering indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish unto all that refuse to obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, Rom 2:8-9. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies — Of his enemies, or of those powers whom he shall strike through in the day of his wrath; and he shall wound the heads — The principals, or rulers, over, or of, many countries — That is, the Roman emperors themselves, who shall then rule over the greatest part of the world, or all those princes who oppose him. The reader will easily discern that the psalmist here describes the exercise of Christ’s regal power and supreme dominion; his conquest over sin and sinners, and over all the opposition of the powers of darkness, in metaphorical expressions, taken from earthly conquests; and that this, and the like passages, are not to be understood literally and grossly, but figuratively and spiritually, according to the nature of Christ’s kingdom.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. (Psa 110:6) He will judge among the nations—he has filled (them) with corpses—he has smitten the head over much, land (or over the wide earth). By another sudden change of form, the Messiah is again spoken of as a third person. The judgment here ascribed to him is only another name and figure for the conquest just described. The form of expression in the last clause is unusual and obscure. The common version makes both head and land collectives, the heads over many countries. Some interpreters explain the second word in this way, but the first more strictly, as. denoting a single ruler over many countries. Others invert the torms, and understand by head the various chiefs of nations, but by earth the whole earth with its qualifying epithet of great or wide. Amidst these questions of construction or minute interpretation, the general idea is clear enough, to wit, that of universal conquest on the part of the Messiah, and extending to all earthly principalities and powers.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

No power shall be able to resist him.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 6. He shall judge among the heathen] David shall greatly extend his dominion, and rule over the Idumeans, Moabites, Philistines, c.

He shall fill-with the dead bodies] He shall fill pits - make heaps of slain there shall be an immense slaughter among his enemies.

He shall wound the heads] He shall so bring down the power of all the neighbouring kings, as to cause them to acknowledge him as their lord, and pay him tribute.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) He shall judge.—Comp. Psa_9:8, &c.

He shall fill.—The construction is peculiar, and in the Hebrew for heathen and corpses there is a play on words. A slight change in the vowel pointing gives a better construction than is obtained by understanding any word as the Authorised Version does, and critics generally: He judges among the heathen fulness of corpses. At first the poet meant to write, “He judges among the heathen fulness of judgment” (comp. Job_36:17), but, for the sake of the play on the sound, changed his words to “fulness of corpses.”

He shall wound the heads.—Literally, crushes a head over a vast land, where “head” means, as in Jdg_7:16; Jdg_7:20, a band or host of men. The picture is of a vast battle-field with heaps of slain. Others understand, “the chief or master of a wide land.” (Comp. Hab_3:14, “head of his villages.”)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. He shall judge among the nations] The subject of the sentence must be Jehovah. Cp. Psa_7:8; Psa_9:8; Psa_76:9. The nations are the enemies of Psa_110:2. On them He will execute judgement, vindicating the cause of His king and people.

he shall fill (the battle-field) with corpses] This is on the whole the best rendering of an obscurely brief phrase. The tense is, as before, a prophetic perfect.

he shall shatter the heads over many countries] i.e. their rulers. But the usage of the phrase in Psa_68:21, Hab_3:13, points rather to the rendering, he shall shatter the head (of his enemies) over (all) the wide earth. The earth is the battle-field whereon He deals deadly blows upon all His enemies. Delitzsch and others think that the last words may also be rendered the land of Rabbah, and may contain at least an allusive reference to David’s conquest of the Ammonite capital (2Sa_12:26 ff.).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall judge among the Heathen,.... Either rule among the Gentiles, making them through his Gospel obedient by word and deed, and so reigning in their hearts by his Spirit and grace; and, by making many converts among them, enlarge his dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth: or inflict judgments on the Heathen; that is, the Papists, as they are called. These are the Gentiles to whom the outward court is given; the nations that will be angry when the time of his wrath, and to judge the dead, is come; and whom Christ will break in pieces with his iron rod; and are the Heathen that shall perish out of his land, when he is King over all the earth, Rev 11:2.

He shall fill the places with the dead bodies: the Targum adds,

"of the ungodly that are slain;''

namely, at the battle of Armageddon; when the fowls of the air shall be called to eat the flesh of kings, captains, and mighty men; of horses and their riders; of all men, bond and free, great and small, Rev 19:17.

He shall wound the heads over many countries; that is, kings over many countries; as the Targum explains it: it is to be read in the singular number, "he shall wound the heads over a large country" (c); him who is the head over a large country; meaning either Satan, the god of this world, the wicked one, under whom the world lies; and who has deceived the inhabitants of the earth, and rules them at his pleasure; him Christ has wounded and bruised, even his head; destroyed him and all his power, policy, schemes, and works, agreeably to the first hint concerning him, Gen 3:15 or else antichrist, who is head over a large country, or many countries; the whore that sits on many waters, which are people, nations, and tongues, and reigns over the kings of the earth; who has seven heads and ten horns; one of whose heads has been wounded already, of which it has been curing again; but ere long this beast will receive such a wound from Christ, as that he will never recover of it; when he shall consume him with the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming; see Rev 17:2, Th2 2:8. Musculus renders it, "the head of the country of Rabbah": and refers it to David's conquest of the king of the Ammonites, whose head city was Rabbah, Ch1 20:1.

(c) "caput super terram multam", Pagninus, Montanus; "vel amplam", Piscator, Coceius; so Gejerus & Michaelis.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He shall judge among the heathen - Among the “nations.” That is, he shall set up a kingdom, or shall rule over the nations of the earth. He shall come to execute judgment and justice, and shall apportion to people what is due to them. See the notes at Isa 11:3-5.

He shall fill the places with the dead bodies - He shall make a great slaughter - indicative of conquest, and of the subjugation of the world to himself. It would be “as if” the bodies of the slain in battle strewed the ground, or filled the valleys of the earth.

He shall wound the heads - The same word is used here that occurs in the previous verse, and that is there rendered “shall strike.” It is the language of “conquest,” as if the world was to be subdued to himself by war.

Over many countries - Margin, “great.” Over vast and extensive regions, carrying his conquests into distant lands. This will be fulfilled only when all the earth shall be subject to the reign of the Messiah. 1Co 15:24-28.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Shall judge; either,

1. Conquer and govern them; or rather,

2. Condemn and punish them, as it is explained in the following clauses, and as this word is used, Gen 15:14; Rom 2:1,2; 1Pe 4:6, and elsewhere.

The places; or, the place of battle, which is necessarily supposed in the fight, and therefore may very well be understood. Dead bodies of his enemies, slain by his hand, and lying in the field in great numbers and heaps, and that unburied, to their greater infamy.

Shall wound the heads, Heb. the head; which may be understood, either,

1. Of some one person and eminent adversary of Christ, and of his kingdom; either the devil, by comparing this with Gen 3:15; Heb 2:14, who was indeed the head or ruler of many countries, and indeed of all nations, except that of Israel; or the Roman empire, which was the great enemy and obstructer of Christ’s kingdom, and therefore was to be destroyed by him, as is declared, Dan 2:44,45; 7:7, &c.; or the great antichrist, or the beast after which the whole world wondered, Rev 13:3, which Christ will destroy, as we read, 2Th 2:8, and in divers places of St. John’s Revelation. Or,

2. Of all those heads or princes which opposed him; the singular number head being here put collectively for heads, as is very usual in the Hebrew tongue and text; and so the meaning is, that none of Christ’s enemies, though never so many or great, and their empire be never so large and potent, shall be able to withstand his force, or escape out of his hand; and that he shall not only destroy the common soldiers, but also their greatest commanders and princes, who in such cases do frequently make their escape. But this and the other like passages, both here and in the prophets, are not to be understood grossly and carnally, but spiritually, according to the nature of Christ’s kingdom, the weapons of Christ’s warfare, by which he accomplished his great works, being spiritual; and therefore such must be his battles and judgments, as is evident from many other scriptures, although these also are followed many times with temporal plagues.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 6. He shall judge among the heathen, or, among the nations. All nations shall feel his power, and either yield to it joyfully or be crushed before it.

He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. In the terrible battles of his gospel all opponents shall fall till the field of fight is heaped high with the slain. This need not be understood literally, but as a poetical description of the overthrow of all rebellious powers and the defeat of all unholy principles. Yet should kings oppose the Lord with weapons of war, the result would be their overwhelming defeat and the entire destruction of their forces. Read in connection with this prophecy the passage which begins at the seventeenth verse of Re 19:1 and runs on to the end of the chapter. Terrible things in righteousness will be seen ere the history of this world comes to an end.

He shall wound the heads over many countries. He will strike at the greatest powers which resist him, and wound not merely common men, but those who rule and reign. If the nations will not have Christ for their Head, they shall find their political heads to be powerless to protect them. Or the passage may be read, "he has smitten the head over the wide earth." The monarch of the greatest nation shall not be able to escape the sword of the Lord; nor shall that dread spiritual prince who rules over the children of disobedience be able to escape without a deadly wound. Pope and priest must fall, with Mahomet and other deceivers who are now heads of the people. Jesus must reign and they must perish.

Ver. 6. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. This notes the greatness of the victory, that none should be left to bury the dead. There shall be an universal destruction of wicked men together in the day of God's wrath, they shall be bound up in bundles, and heaped for damnation, Mt 13:30; Ps 37:38; Isa 1:28; Ps 66:17. And it notes the shame and dishonour of the enemy, they shall be like dung upon the face of the earth, and shall be beholden to their victors for a base and dishonourable burial, as we see in the great battle with Gog and Magog, Eze 39:11-16. Edward Reynolds.

Ver. 6. Dead bodies. Either the corpses of the vanquished enemy; or (possibly) the living bodies of men in a state of servitude, as in Ge 47:18; Ne 9:37. (The construction as in Ex 15:9) In the latter case, the meaning may be: that the bodies of those who had been enslaved by the Usurper, Death, were now claimed back by their rightful Lord. The full number is claimed back. The "last enemy" being destroyed, "all things" are brought beneath Christ's sway. William Kay.

Ver. 6. The heads. Rather, the head; doubtless, the head of the Old Serpent (according to the prophecy in Ge 3:15), who acts in all who resist Christ. The verb "machats", which is used here, is employed to describe the prophetical and typical act of Jael, smiting the head of God's enemy, Sisera (Jud 5:26 4:22); and it is used in Ps 68:21, which describes Christ's victory, "God shall wound the head of his enemies"; and also by Hab 3:13, "Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked." Christopher Wordsworth.

Ver. 6. The fearful calamities which have happened to nations

through their sinful rejection of the Lord Jesus.

Psalms 110:7*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. He shall judge—See on Psa_110:5.

Fill the places with the dead bodies—This may be considered as a simple carrying out of the figure, to give it symmetry and completeness, not to be applied literally. The gospel, indeed, makes no provision for civil war, or physical resistance, for its own propagation, but disclaims and forbids both. Yet, as physical resistance of the gospel, on the part of human governments, involves the natural rights of conscience and of human liberty, such oppression must originate wars, wherein, in a secondary sense, the issue will lie between the oppressors and the oppressed, but, in a higher sense, between the kingdom and government of Christ and the wicked persecutors of his cause. Such wars are a conflict between right and wrong, truth and error, Christ and the hostile powers of the earth; and they are the last appeal for justice on the part of the oppressed, against “those which destroy the earth.” In such cases Christ is the arbiter, who will cause wars to turn to the interests of humanity and the breaking down of obstacles to his kingdom. See Rev_11:17-18; Rev_19:11-21.

Heads over many countries—Same as “kings,” Psa_110:5, where the word rendered strike through, is the same as wound here. The Hebrew for head is singular, and the clause might be rendered “The chief of the great, or wide, earth,” applying it to Satan. But such a rendering, though it formerly found favour, could not be sustained from the Old Testament standpoint. We should take it collectively for kings and heads of governments, or better, perhaps, with Bishop Alexander, for antichrist, “the head of a dark confederacy of evil, which shall not be shattered until the last dread struggle.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall judge among the heathen; i.e. execute the royal office not only over Israel, but over the nations of the earth generally. (comp. Psa_7:9 Psa_9:9 Psa_96:10, etc.) He shall fill the places with the dead bodies; rather, he shall fill the earth with dead bodies; i.e. with the corpses of those whom he has slain while executing judgment. He shall wound the heads over many countries. Thus translated, the clause merely repeats ver. 5. Perhaps a better rendering is that of Dr. Kay, "He shall smite him that is head over the wide earth either Satan or "the central power of the whole confederacy of evil."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Judge - Condemn and punish them. The places - Or, the place of battle. Dead bodies - Of his enemies. Heads - All those princes who oppose him. But this and the like passages are not to be understood grossly, but spiritually, according to the nature of Christ's kingdom.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

a heap of corpses Heb. מלא, a heap of corpses. מלא is an expression of gathering, as (Jer. 12:6): “have called a gang (מלא) after you”; (Isa. 31:4), “although a band (מלא) of shepherds gather against him.” Now where did He execute justice, making them a heap of corpses? (Exod. 14:30), “the Egyptians dead on the seashore.”

He crushed the head on a great land This resembles the prophecy of Habakkuk (3:12): “You have crushed the head of the house of the wicked.” [This refers to] the head of Pharaoh, who was the head and the prince of a land greater and more esteemed than all the lands, as is said (above 102:20): “a ruler of peoples [sent] and loosed his bonds,” for all the nations were under the rule of Egypt.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.