Psalms 112:10 · Bible study
Psalms 112:10 Commentary: The Wicked’s End
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The wicked's gnashing teeth and melting away reveal the final frustration of all who oppose God's people. Hebrew grammar and commentary unpack the meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked react with helpless rage when they see the righteous blessed, and their own cherished plans collapse.
- Key words: “Wicked” (רָשָׁע, singular; רְשָׁעִים, plural); “gnash” (חָרַק, to grind teeth); “melt away” (נָמָ֑ס, to dissolve, waste away); “desire” (תַּאֲוָה, longing or object of longing); “perish” (אָבַד, to be destroyed).
- Main debate: Whether “the wicked one” in the first line refers to a specific individual (Satan) or is a generic singular representing all the wicked.
- Theological theme: The certainty of divine justice, the righteous are secure, the wicked are undone by their own passions.
- Best use: A caution against envy and a comfort for those who suffer under opposition; reinforces confidence in God’s ultimate reversal of fortunes.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The wicked will see it, and be grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish.
KJV King James Version 1769
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: The desire of the wicked shall perish.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The wicked seeth, and hath been angry, His teeth he gnasheth, and hath melted, The desire of the wicked doth perish!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The wicked [man] shall see [it] and be vexed; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Verálo el impío, y se despechará; crujirá los dientes, y se repudrirá: perecerá el deseo de los impíos.
O perverso verá, e ficará incomodado; rangerá seus dentes, e se consumirá. O desejo dos perversos perecerá.
Le méchant le voit et s’ irrite,
Der Gottlose wird's sehen, und es wird ihn verdrießen; seine Zähne wird er zusammenbeißen und vergehen. Denn was die Gottlosen gerne wollten, das ist verloren.
Resch. De goddeloze zal het zien, en hij zal zich vertoornen; Schin. hij zal met zijn tanden knersen en smelten. Thau. de wens der goddelozen zal vergaan.
L’empio lo vedrà e ne avrà dispetto, digrignerà i denti e si struggerà; il desiderio degli empi perirà.
Widząc to niepobożny, będzie się gniewał, i zębami swemi zgrzytał, i schnąć będzie; żądość niepobożnych zginie.
惡人 看見 便惱恨，必咬 牙 而消化；惡人 的心願 要歸滅絕。
The sinner will see it with grief; he will be wasted away with envy; the desire of the evil-doers will come to nothing.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 112:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse paints the final, futile rage of the wicked as they witness the prosperity of the righteous. Barnes notes that “grieved” (כָּעַס) means rather to be angry or enraged, not mere sadness. The gnashing of teeth expresses hatred and wrath, while “melt away” (נָמָ֑ס) pictures the wicked disappearing like snow or wax before fire. Clarke observes the shift from singular “the wicked one” (רָ֫שָׁע, rasha) at the start to plural “the wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, reshaim) at the end, hinting that the individual may represent the archetypal enemy, even Satan himself. Gill connects the scene to Jesus’ words in Luke 13:28, where the wicked weep and gnash their teeth when they see the righteous in the kingdom. The overwhelming consensus: the wicked’s desire, whether for prosperity or for the downfall of the righteous, comes to nothing. They are consumed by their own envy, and their plans perish.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Archetypal enemy (Satan): The switch from singular 'the wicked one' (רָשָׁע) to plural 'the wicked' (רְשָׁעִים) hints at a head of the wicked, as Clarke notes; also supported by the parallel with Psalm 109:6 and the figure of the Accuser in Job.
- Generic collective: The singular can be a collective noun representing all wicked individuals; the plural at the end reiterates the same group. Most modern commentaries take this view.
What is clear: The wicked will inevitably experience frustration, rage, and finally destruction — their desires will not be fulfilled, and they will perish.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'the wicked one' | All interpreters agree the wicked are hostile to God and to the righteous, and they will ultimately come to ruin. | Clarke notes the singular form 'rasha' could point to an archetypal enemy (Satan), while most commentators read it as a collective singular referring to wicked people in general. Both readings lead to the same conclusion about their end. |
| Meaning of 'melt away' | The wicked waste away or disappear as a result of their rage and envy. | Some (Barnes, Gill) view it as a physical dissolution (like snow, wax, or a snail), while others (Cambridge Bible) emphasize the psychological aspect: they are consumed by vexation. Both stress that the effect is real and total. |
| The object of the wicked's desire | Whatever the wicked longs for, prosperity for themselves or harm to the righteous, will not be achieved. | Wesley suggests the desire could be 'the misery of good men' or 'his own constant prosperity.' The Hebrew word allows both meanings. The outcome is the same regardless. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 112 is a wisdom acrostic, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It stands with Psalm 111 as a pair: one extolling God’s covenant faithfulness, the other describing the blessed life of the one who fears the Lord. This final verse provides the dark foil to the psalm’s promises. The wicked “sees it”, the “it” refers to the whole picture of the righteous man’s security: his wealth, his steadfast heart, his honor, and his enduring righteousness (Ps. 112:1, 9).
“Gnash with his teeth” appears elsewhere in the Psalms as a gesture of defiant hatred (Ps. 37:12; 58:8). In the ancient Near East, gnashing teeth communicated impotent fury. “Melt away” (נָמָ֑ס) is a vivid image of dissolution; the same root is used of a snail melting (Ps. 58:8) and wax before fire (Ps. 68:2). The wicked do not simply die, they waste away under the weight of their own rage.
The phrase “the desire of the wicked shall perish” echoes Proverbs 10:28 (“the hope of the wicked will perish”) and Job 8:13 (“the hope of the godless man will perish”). This is a staple of wisdom literature: the wicked’s deepest longings, for wealth, revenge, or simply the triumph of their way, ultimately fail. The Hebrew word תַּאֲוַת (ta’avat) can mean either a longing or the object longed for. Both senses are possible here. The wicked do not get what they want, and even the thing they wanted collapses.
Clarke and others note the grammatical clue: the opening “the wicked” is singular, while the closing “the wicked” is plural. This may point to a head or representative figure (like the Satan of Job) whose downfall encompasses all his followers. The verse thus functions as a decisive conclusion to the psalm’s argument: the way of the righteous leads to life; the way of the wicked leads to frustration and extinction.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 112:10. The verse is stable across manuscripts and versions, including the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the Vulgate. The shift from singular “the wicked one” to plural “the wicked” appears in all textual witnesses and is accepted as original.
Reception History
Psalm 112:10 has been read across Christian tradition as the final contrast in a wisdom psalm that highlights the two ways. Early church fathers, following the New Testament use of gnashing teeth as a sign of final judgment (cf. Luke 13:28; Matt. 8:12), saw in this verse a description of eschatological punishment, the wicked’s fury when they see the righteous in glory. Augustine, in his Enarrationes in Psalmos, connected the melting away to the dissolution of the wicked at the last judgment. Reformed commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized the moral implication: envy and hatred are self-consuming. In liturgical settings, the verse often appears as a sobering conclusion to readings on the blessedness of the righteous, reminding worshippers of the certainty of divine justice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The wicked see what they cannot have. The righteous man’s stability, prosperity, and peace become a spectacle that fuels the wicked’s envy (Ps. 112:1, 9 summarized).
- The wicked’s anger implodes. Gnashing teeth, melting away, the reaction is self-destructive. Their hatred hurts them more than their target.
- The wicked’s deepest desire evaporates. Their plans, their hopes, and their very existence collapse. The reversal is total: the righteous rise, the wicked sink.
Five-point outline
- Seeing the blessing, the wicked witness the righteous man’s security (v. 6, 8).
- Grieving, the Hebrew word means anger, not sadness. They are furious that God rewards his people.
- Gnashing teeth, a sign of utter hatred and impotence.
- Melting away, the wicked disintegrate like snow, wax, or a snail. They lose all substance.
- The end, their desire perishes. They gain nothing they wanted.
Illustration hooks
- The sports rivalry. A fan who watches the opposing team win the championship. The rage, the teeth-grinding, the sense of injustice, only multiplied eternally when the wicked see God’s people vindicated.
- The business competitor. A dishonest colleague who cuts corners and spreads rumors sees the ethical coworker promoted and honored. The envy eats away at him, sabotaging his own peace.
- The courtroom scene. A guilty defendant watches the innocent person go free. The frustration of a world turned upside down, but here, the righteous are the ones who go free, and the wicked are left with nothing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean Christians should gloat over the downfall of their enemies? (No, the psalm teaches that God’s justice is certain, not that we rejoice in suffering.)
- What about wicked people who seem to prosper all their lives? (This verse looks at the final outcome, their desire will perish, even if they succeed temporarily.)
- Is the “wicked one” a specific person like Satan? (Some commentators see that connection, but the main point is that all who oppose God’s ways will ultimately be undone.)
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 112 ends with a stark contrast. After ten verses of describing the blessings of the righteous, we see the wicked’s reaction: they look, they rage, they dissolve. This discussion will help your group wrestle with the reality of God’s justice and the fate of those who reject him.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 112:1, 9 first. What specific blessings are promised to the righteous? Which of these do you find most encouraging in your own life?
- Verse 10 says the wicked “see it.” What do they see? (Look back at vv. 6, 9.) How does watching someone else’s blessing affect the wicked according to this verse?
- The Hebrew word for “grieved” (כָּעַס) means to be angry or enraged. Why do you think the wicked respond with anger rather than indifference or repentance?
- “Gnash with his teeth” and “melt away” are vivid physical images. What do they tell us about the inner state of the wicked? Have you ever felt that kind of consuming frustration?
- The phrase “the desire of the wicked shall perish”, what desires do you think the wicked cherish most? Why do those desires fail?
- Verse 10 echoes several other scriptures (Psalm 37:12, Proverbs 10:28, Job 8:13). How do these cross-references deepen your understanding of God’s justice?
- How does this verse free us from the need to take revenge or prove ourselves to others? In what situations do you most need to trust God’s final judgement?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Esther 6:11 | Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!” |
| Esther 6:12 | Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered. |
| Job 8:13 | So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish, |
| Psalms 37:12 | The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. |
| Psalms 58:7 | Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt. |
| Psalms 58:8 | Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun. |
| Psalms 86:17 | Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me. |
| Proverbs 10:28 | The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests the wicked one in this verse may refer to Satan himself, not just wicked people in general. The gnashing of teeth arises from spite, the melting away from envy and hopeless longing, and every desire he holds against the righteous comes to nothing.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the wicked are not merely saddened by the righteous person's success but enraged by it. Their anger is powerless, however, because they themselves will soon vanish, while the righteous remain secure under God's favor.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin contrasts the common worldly view that happiness comes from plunder and injustice with the psalmist's assertion that God's fatherly care is more beneficial than any ill-gotten gain. The prophet calls us back to integrity by holding out the certain hope of reward that attends those who fear the Lord.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The wicked looks on in impotent rage and is consumed with vexation. While “the desire of the righteous is granted” ( Pro_10:24 ), his desire comes to nought. The end of the Psalm, like the beginning, is an echo of Psalms 1. d
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes focus on the wicked’s reaction to the righteous: rage and gnashing of teeth, followed by wasting away. Their anger cannot stop the destruction of their own hopes; every desire they cherished comes to nothing.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the wicked are consumed with grief and envy when they see the righteous rewarded. They gnash their teeth and waste away, like melting snow or wax, because their own desires are completely frustrated, both for themselves and for harming the righteous.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown observe that the wicked are punished not by a direct blow from heaven but by the internal torment of their own evil passions. When they see the righteous prosper, their malicious hopes are dashed, and that very frustration consumes them until they collapse.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insist the three adjectives in verse 4 describe God, not the righteous person, because the Hebrew words for gracious and merciful never take the article. God Himself is the light that rises in darkness for the upright, the Sun of righteousness whose rays dispense grace and tender mercies.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that the righteous may be shaken temporarily but will never be permanently moved. Their reputation endures both on earth and in heaven, where memory and honor last forever. The wicked, by contrast, see this and are consumed with grief while their own desires vanish.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley presents two possible interpretations of "the desire" in this verse. It may refer to a longing for the suffering of righteous people, or else to a craving for one's own unbroken success. He leaves both options open without choosing between them.