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

PSALMS 11:3KJV
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Psalms 11:3 (KJV)

What does Psalms 11:3 mean?

Psalms 11:3 asks what hope or action remains for good people if the very foundations of society or moral order are destroyed. The verse pictures a situation where the basic supports for justice and right living have collapsed, leaving the righteous with no clear way forward.

King David is speaking, likely reflecting on a time of crisis or threat when it seems like the core principles that hold up a just society are under attack. This question is not just about physical structures, but about the underlying values and laws that make life stable and fair. It highlights a moment of deep uncertainty, where even those who want to do right are left wondering what can be done when everything they depend on is shaken.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 11:3

  • foundations (שָׁתָה, shathah): This word refers to the base or support of something, often used for the moral or social principles that uphold a community. Here, it points to the essential things that keep society steady.
  • destroyed (הָרַס, haras): This word means to tear down or demolish. The verse imagines a total collapse, not just damage, but a ruin of what holds things together.
  • righteous (צַדִּיק, tsaddiq): This word describes someone who lives according to what is right and just. The verse centers on what such a person can do when the world around them falls apart.
  • do (פָּעַל, pa‘al): This word means to act or accomplish. The question is about what action, if any, is possible for the righteous in such a situation.

Why Psalms 11:3 matters

  • Psalms 11:3 clarifies that the concern is not just about personal troubles, but about the collapse of the very things that make justice and goodness possible in a community.
  • The verse emphasizes the vulnerability even of the righteous when the broader system fails, showing that individual goodness alone cannot always overcome a broken society.
  • This question sets up the rest of the psalm, where David looks to God as the ultimate foundation, inviting readers to think about where true security comes from when human systems fail.

Where else these words appear

“foundations” Hebrew H8356 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 19:10 And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

“destroyed” Hebrew H2040 · used in 42 verses

  • Exodus 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
  • Psalms 58:6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
  • Jeremiah 50:15 Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

“do” Hebrew H6466 · used in 55 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Psalms 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
  • Psalms 125:5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.