Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

PSALMS 11:6KJV
Know the Bible

Psalms 11:6 (KJV)

What does Psalms 11:6 mean?

Psalms 11:6 says that God will send traps, fire, burning sulfur, and a terrible storm as punishment upon the wicked; these harsh judgments are described as the share or fate that they will receive. The verse uses vivid images to show that those who do evil cannot escape the consequences set by God.

In this psalm, David is speaking about the fate of people who act wickedly, contrasting their end with the safety God provides for the righteous. The language of "rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest" paints a picture of complete and overwhelming judgment, showing that God’s justice is certain and severe for those who oppose Him.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 11:6

  • "wicked" (רָשָׁע, rāshā‘): This word refers to people who are morally wrong or guilty, highlighting that the judgment is aimed specifically at those who act in opposition to God’s ways.
  • "snares" (פַּחִים, paḥim): This word means traps or pitfalls, suggesting that the punishment is not just destructive but also inescapable and cunning, catching the wicked by surprise.
  • "brimstone" (גָּפְרִית, gāphrīt): Brimstone is sulfur, often associated in the Bible with divine judgment (as in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah), emphasizing the seriousness and intensity of the punishment.
  • "portion" (מְנָת, menāt) and "cup" (כּוֹס, kôs): These words together create the image of a personal allotment or destiny, as if each wicked person is handed their own cup of judgment to drink, making the punishment individual and unavoidable.

Why Psalms 11:6 matters

  • Psalms 11:6 makes clear that God’s justice is not abstract or distant; it is described in concrete, forceful terms that would have been very real to the original audience.
  • The verse helps explain the contrast running through Psalm 11 between the fate of the wicked and the security of the righteous, reinforcing the theme that God is actively involved in the world.
  • The imagery of "cup" and "portion" ties into a larger biblical theme where a person’s life outcome is pictured as a cup they must drink, helping readers see the personal nature of divine justice.

Where else these words appear

“horrible” Hebrew H2152 · used in 3 verses

  • Psalms 119:53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
  • Lamentations 5:10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

“brimstone” Hebrew H1614 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
  • Job 18:15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
  • Isaiah 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

“portion” Hebrew H4521 · used in 7 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 31:3 He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 12:44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
  • Nehemiah 13:10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.

“rain” Hebrew H4305 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
  • Exodus 9:23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
  • Psalms 78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.