Psalms 17:14 · Bible study
Psalms 17:14 Commentary: The World's Portion vs. Hope in God
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 17:14 contrasts the transient prosperity of the wicked with the eternal hope of the faithful. A study of what the world's portion really means.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A contrast between the wicked whose only reward is earthly prosperity and the godly who hope in God’s presence beyond this life.
- Key words: חלד (ḥeled, fleeting world), portion (ḥeleq, one’s assigned share), hidden treasure (tsafun, stored up wealth or God’s secret stores).
- Main debate: Whether “men of your hand” means they are instruments for God’s discipline (like the Assyrian rod) or simply that they are under God’s sovereign control.
- Theological theme: The tension between common grace (God provides for all) and saving grace (only the righteous have God as their portion).
- Best use: A pastoral text for those troubled by the prosperity of the wicked, pointing them to the superior satisfaction of knowing God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
from such men, O LORD, by Your hand— from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.
WEB World English Bible 2000
from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
KJV King James Version 1769
From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
From men by thy hand, O Jehovah, From men of the world, whose portion is inthislife, And whose belly thou fillest with thy treasure: They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
From men, Thy hand, O Jehovah, From men of the world, their portion is in life, And with Thy hidden things Thou fillest their belly, They are satisfied with sons; And have left their abundance to their sucklings.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
From men [who are] thy hand, O Jehovah, from men of this age: their portion is in [this] life, and their belly thou fillest with thy hid [treasure]; they have their fill of sons, and leave the rest of their [substance] to their children.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the Highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
De los hombres con tu mano, oh Jehová, de los hombres de mundo, cuya parte es en esta vida, y cuyo vientre hinches de tu tesoro: hartan sus hijos, y dejan el resto á sus chiquitos.
Dos homens com tua mão, SENHOR, dos homens que são do mundo, cuja parte está n esta vida, cujo ventre enches de teu secreto tesouro ; os filhos se fartam, e deixam sua sobra para suas crianças.
Délivre-moi des hommes par ta main, Éternel, des hommes de ce monde!
von den Leuten mit deiner Hand, HERR, von den Leuten dieser Welt, welche ihr Teil haben in ihrem Leben, welchen du den Bauch füllst mit deinem Schatz, die da Söhne die Fülle haben und lassen ihr übriges ihren Kindern.
Met Uw hand van de lieden, o HEERE! van de lieden, die van de wereld zijn, welker deel in dit leven is, welker buik Gij vervult met Uw verborgen schat; de kinderen worden verzadigd, en zij laten hun overschot hun kinderkens achter.
liberami, con la tua mano, dagli uomini, o Eterno, dagli uomini del mondo la cui parte è in questa vita, e il cui ventre tu empi co’ tuoi tesori; hanno figliuoli in abbondanza, e lasciano il resto de’ loro averi ai loro fanciulli.
Wyrwij mię od ludzi ręką twoją, o Panie! od ludzi tego świata, których dział jest w tym żywocie, a których brzuch z szpiżarni twojej napełniasz, skąd nasyceni bywają, i synowie ich, a zostawiają ostatki swoje dzieciom swoim.
Возгремел на небесах Господь, и Всевышний дал глас Свой, град и угли огненные.
耶和華啊，求你用手 救我脫離世人，脫離那只在今生 有福分 的世 人！你把你的財寶 充滿 他們的肚腹；他們因有兒女 就心滿意足，將其餘 的財物留給 他們的嬰孩。
With your hand, O Lord, from men, even men of the world, whose heritage is in this life, and whom you make full with your secret wealth: they are full of children; after their death their offspring take the rest of their goods.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 17:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Psalm 17:14 describes the wicked as those whose entire hope is confined to this present age. The Hebrew term ḥeled (world) suggests a fleeting, temporary existence, men who “shift with the times,” as Adam Clarke puts it, with no fixed principle beyond securing their own interests. Calvin and Barnes both note that these people “have their portion in this life” and therefore live by worldly principles, having nothing to look toward in the world to come. The Cambridge Bible connects them with the New Testament phrase “sons of this age” (Luke 16:8). Gill adds that the phrase thy hand does not necessarily mean they are instruments of God’s will, but rather that their power is relative to God and easily restrained. The verse shows God filling their bellies, giving them material success, but that is their full reward. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown highlights the sharp contrast with verse 15: the wicked get what they want now; the godly wait for something better.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Instruments of discipline: Those who read 'men of your hand' as tools God uses to chasten his people, drawing on Job 19:21 and the similar phrase in 2 Samuel 24:14.
- Worldlings under judgment: The wicked are described as having their only reward in this life; their prosperity is their judgment, with no inheritance to come.
- Objects of common grace: God's goodness still reaches them (filling their belly) even though they reject him, showing his patience and universal provision (Matthew 5:45).
What is clear: What is not in dispute: the wicked find their satisfaction in this life alone, while the believer looks beyond it to see God face to face.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'men of your hand' | All traditions read the phrase as describing people who are under God's sovereign authority or used by him in some way. | Some see them as instruments for God's discipline (similarly to Job 19:21); others see them simply as those whose power is constrained by God's hand. The grammar allows both. |
| Meaning of 'hid treasure' | The phrase refers to material blessings, wealth, food, abundance, that God gives. | Some commentators read it literally as treasure hidden in the earth (Barnes); others as the secret store of God's providential gifts that satisfies their appetites (Calvin). The term itself means 'treasured/hidden thing.' |
| The prosperity of the wicked | Christians agree that the wicked can and do prosper materially in this life, as described in the Psalms and Job. | Some traditions emphasize that this prosperity is a form of judgment, their reward comes now, leaving nothing for eternity. Others stress that God's common goodness still reaches them, even though they reject him. |
| Contrast with verse 15 | Verse 15 is intended as the positive counterpart: the believer's satisfaction comes from seeing God, not from earthly gain. | Whether 'awake' refers to resurrection (most evangelical and Catholic readings) or to waking from sleep after a night of prayer (some older Protestant readings). The psalm's flow favors the eschatological interpretation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within a prayer of David, likely during the years of persecution by King Saul. The surrounding context (vv. 8, 13) is urgent: David speaks of enemies who surround him like lions, proud and callous. He pleads for God to confront them and deliver him. Verse 14 then shifts from the immediate threat to a broader theological observation. The wicked are not just his personal attackers, they represent a class of people who live entirely for this world.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, material prosperity and many children were widely seen as signs of divine blessing. David’s description of the wicked enjoying both, then, would have been jarring. The Old Testament elsewhere raises this tension (Job 21:7, 15; Psalm 73), but here David does not deny the prosperity of the wicked. He simply names it as their only portion. The word ḥeleq (portion) echoes Psalm 16:5, where David says “Yahweh is the portion of my inheritance.” For the worldling, their share is limited to this life; for the believer, God himself is the share.
The phrase “hid treasure” (tsᵉfunekha) can mean either secret stores or the hidden resources of God’s creation. Barnes suggests it refers to the riches God has concealed in the earth, which the wicked work to obtain. The image is of a full belly, an ancient metaphor for complete satisfaction of material desires. Yet the very next verse (v. 15) shows that true satisfaction lies elsewhere: “As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.” The historical setting of a king on the run gives weight to this contrast, David had been promised a throne, but while God’s enemies prospered, he was hiding in caves.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for Psalm 17:14. The Masoretic Text is stable across manuscripts. The primary variation occurs in English translation of key terms: the Hebrew tsᵉfunekha is rendered either “thy hid treasure” (KJV, ASV) or “your treasured ones” (WEB, likely a shift in reading, treating the object as persons rather than things). The WEB rendering “cherished ones” is unusual; most older versions keep the sense of hidden treasure. This appears to be an interpretive choice rather than a manuscript difference. The broader shape of the verse is not in dispute.
Reception History
This verse has been read across traditions as a sobering description of the limits of worldliness. Early church fathers, including Augustine, cited it to argue that temporal blessings without eternal hope are empty. In the monastic tradition, the verse was used as a warning to those who exchanged their heavenly portion for earthly comfort. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin drew on the contrast with verse 15 to comfort believers persecuted by wealthy opponents. Calvin notes that David's complaint is not envy but faith: he sees the wicked prospering and still announces his confidence in God. The passage has also been used in funeral meditations for believers who died with little worldly goods, pointing them to a better portion. Hymns of refuge and longing for heaven often echo the language of a treasure that does not fade, a wealth found only in God's presence.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Whose hand? The wicked are from “your hand, Yahweh”, they exist under God’s sovereign control, not independent of it. Even in their rebellion, they are not outside his rule.
- What is their portion? They have their share in this life only: material gain, family, wealth. Their horizon ends at the grave. They trade eternal glory for temporal fullness.
- What is the believer’s better portion? Verse 15 answers: to see God’s face, to be satisfied with his likeness. The prosperity of the wicked is real but temporary; the hope of the righteous is secure.
Five-point outline
- Men of the world, defined by their love for the present age (חלד, fleeting life).
- Portion in this life, no longing for the age to come.
- Full bellies, God gives them what they want, but it is a shallow satisfaction.
- Sons and wealth, they even pass on their earthly treasure, but it does not endure beyond death.
- The contrast, the believer’s satisfaction comes from seeing God, not from what the world offers.
Illustration hooks
- The wealthy farmer in Luke 12:16, 21 who built bigger barns, only to die that night. He had his portion in this life.
- A young athlete who earns fame and fortune, yet admits to emptiness, the belly is full but the soul is starving.
- The discomfort of watching someone cut corners at work and get promoted, while an honest colleague is passed over. This verse names the tension.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If God is good, why do dishonest people seem to get ahead while I struggle to be faithful?”
- “How can I tell if I am living for my portion in this life or for the next?”
- “Does God still love the wicked, even as he fills their bellies with good things?”
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 17:14 forces us to examine what we really live for. David describes the wicked as people whose portion is entirely in this life. They have food, children, wealth, and that is all. The verse does not deny their enjoyment; it names its limit. As a group, read the verse aloud, then move through these questions. Try not to rush to application before sitting with what the text actually says about God’s provision and the world’s values.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the verse say about the people David is describing? List every detail the text gives about them.
- Observation: How does verse 15 contrast with verse 14? Write the contrast in one sentence.
- Interpretation: The Hebrew word ḥeled (world) carries the sense of something that slips away. Why is that word choice significant for understanding these people?
- Interpretation: “You fill the belly of your cherished ones”, in context, does this phrase mean God favors the wicked? Or something else? Read Job 22:18 alongside it.
- Interpretation: Commentators debate whether “from men by your hand” means the wicked are God’s instruments or simply under his control. How does your reading of the phrase affect how you understand God’s involvement in their success?
- Application: Where in your own life do you find yourself wanting a “portion in this life” more than a vision of God’s face? Be specific without naming others.
- Application: How can this passage shape the way you pray when you see injustice? What does it free you to ask God for?
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)
| Job 12:6 | The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands. |
| Job 12:9 | Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this, |
| Job 21:7 | “Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power? |
| Job 21:15 | What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’ |
| Job 21:21 | For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off? |
| Job 22:18 | Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. |
| Job 27:14 | If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring will not be satisfied with bread. |
| Job 27:17 | he may prepare it, but the just will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver. |
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
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke focuses on the phrase "men of the world" as describing those who live only for the present, shifting with the times to secure their own interests. They satisfy their sensual appetites, have no spiritual aim, and pass on earthly wealth to children who often squander it dissolutely.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the phrase "from men which are thy hand" does not mean men are God's instruments, but is a prayer for deliverance by God's own hand from worldly people. These people have their entire portion in this life, satisfying their desires and leaving an inheritance to their children, with no regard for the world to come.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin focuses on David's protest of innocence against specific charges of treason and ambition. He argues that David appeals to God for judgment based on the righteousness of his cause, not personal sinlessness, and that his enemies’ accusations stem from cruel pride rather than any wrong he committed.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator prefers the Revised Version's phrasing: God acts against the wicked by His own sword and hand, not by using the wicked as His tool. Worldly people are defined by having their portion in this life, content with material and passing blessings rather than God Himself.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws a sharp line: the wicked have their full reward in this life. God fills them with hidden treasures here, and they leave plenty to their children. The point is that such worldly satisfaction marks those who have no portion in God.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill’s distinctive reading is that the psalmist’s enemies are not independent agents but instruments in God’s own hand, raised up and controlled by Him to chasten His people. He compares them to the forces that afflicted Job, showing that God can restrain their fury and deliver by that same strong hand.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a contrast between the outward prosperity of worldly people and its fleeting nature. Those who seem successful now by earthly standards do not have a lasting portion. The psalmist's better inheritance is a joyful union with God that outlasts this present time.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasize that the psalmist contrasts the worldly person's portion in this temporal life with the godly person's satisfaction in God alone. The Old Testament believer's faith is marked by implicit trust in God without explicit knowledge of a future life, resting in Him even in death. There is no envy in this observation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads David's hope in this psalm as reaching beyond earthly deliverance to the resurrection itself. He insists that awakening from the sleep of death, not from a night of trouble, brings full satisfaction in
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads David's prayer for protection as both a prophecy of Christ preserved through his humiliation and a model for every believer. He stresses that the request goes beyond physical safety: David asks for his soul to be kept from sin, and those who trust in God's care may confidently pray for the same.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley contrasts the psalmist's experience of God's correcting hand with the worldly people who are content with earthly wealth, pleasure, and many children. He interprets "belly" as the appetite or mind, emphasizing that these individuals desire only this world's portion and have no longing for anything beyond it.