Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

PSALMS 89:40KJV
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Psalms 89:40 (KJV)

What does Psalms 89:40 mean?

Psalms 89:40 describes how God has allowed the protective barriers and strong defenses of someone—likely the king or the nation—to be destroyed, leaving them vulnerable and exposed. The verse pictures a situation where what once kept danger out has been broken down, and the places of safety have been ruined.

The psalmist, speaking to God, is lamenting the downfall of Israel’s king or the nation itself. This comes in the middle of a longer prayer where the writer is troubled by God’s apparent withdrawal of support and protection. The verse uses vivid, physical imagery—broken hedges and ruined strongholds—to express a deep sense of loss and insecurity.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 89:40

  • "down" (פָּרַץ, pārats): This word means to break through or breach. It emphasizes the idea of a forceful removal of protection, not just a gentle opening.
  • "hedges" (גְּדֵרָה, gederah): This refers to stone walls or fences, the kind used to protect vineyards or fields. The image is of every boundary being torn down, leaving what’s inside exposed.
  • "holds" (מִבְצָר, mivtsar): This word means a fortress or stronghold, a place meant to be secure against attack. Its ruin signals total vulnerability.
  • "ruin" (מַחֲתָּה, machattah): This word carries the sense of complete destruction or collapse, not just damage.

Why Psalms 89:40 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the loss of protection is not accidental but is described as something God has allowed or caused, which can be a challenging idea for readers.
  • The imagery of broken hedges and ruined strongholds connects to the larger theme of the psalm, where the writer is wrestling with God’s promises to David and the apparent reality of defeat.
  • Understanding the specific words for "hedges" and "strongholds" helps readers see that the psalmist is not just talking about spiritual or emotional loss, but also about real, physical vulnerability and the collapse of defenses.

Where else these words appear

“hedges” Hebrew H1448 · used in 10 verses

  • Numbers 32:16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
  • 1 Samuel 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
  • Ezekiel 42:12 And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.

“ruin” Hebrew H4288 · used in 11 verses

  • Proverbs 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
  • Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
  • Proverbs 21:15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

“holds” Hebrew H4013 · used in 37 verses

  • Numbers 13:19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
  • 2 Kings 18:8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
  • Jeremiah 48:18 Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

“down” Hebrew H6555 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
  • 2 Kings 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
  • Nehemiah 4:7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,