Psalms 34:16 · Bible study
Psalms 34:16 Commentary: God's Face Against Evil
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Psalm 34:16: God's face against evildoers, cutting off their memory. Exegesis, commentary, and pastoral application for this verse.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God actively opposes persistent evildoers and ensures their name and legacy are erased from human memory.
- Key words: ‘Face of the Lord’, anthropomorphic expression for God’s hostile attention; ‘cut off remembrance’, complete removal from honorable posterity.
- Main debate: Little debate on this verse; some discuss whether ‘those who do evil’ includes believers, resolved by context (they are persistent, unrepentant).
- Theological theme: Divine retribution and the contrast between the legacy of righteousness and wickedness.
- Best use: A sobering warning within a broader call to fear God and seek His mercy; paired with v. 18 for gospel balance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth.
KJV King James Version 1769
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
(The face of Jehovah is on doers of evil, To cut off from earth their memorial.)
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
They were separated, and repented not: they tempted me, they scoffed at me with scorn: they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
La ira de Jehová contra los que mal hacen, para cortar de la tierra la memoria de ellos.
A face do SENHOR está contra aqueles que fazem o mal, para tirar da terra a memória deles.
Les yeux de l’ Éternel sont sur les justes,
das Antlitz aber des HERRN steht gegen die, so Böses tun, daß er ihr Gedächtnis ausrotte von der Erde.
Ain. De ogen des HEEREN zijn op de rechtvaardigen, en Zijn oren tot hun geroep.
La faccia dell’Eterno è contro quelli che fanno il male per sterminare di sulla terra la loro memoria.
Oczy Pańskie otworzone są na sprawiedliwych, a uszy jego na wołanie ich;
с лицемерными насмешниками скрежетали на меня зубами своими.
耶和華 向行 惡 的人變臉，要從世上 除滅 他們的名號。
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to take away the memory of them from the earth.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 34:16 stands in deliberate contrast to verse 15. Barnes notes that the shift from ‘eyes upon’ to ‘face against’ signals a change from protection to punishment: God observes the wicked with hostile intent. Keil and Delitzsch press the Hebrew prepositions, el (toward, gracious) in verse 15, b (against, hostile) in verse 16, to argue a carefully designed opposition. The phrase ‘cut off their memory’ is interpreted as complete obliteration of legacy and name (Barnes, Gill). As Gill writes, they are ‘no more thought of, nor spoken of, but with contempt and reproach.’ Cross-references from Job 18:17 and Proverbs 10:7 reinforce the certainty of this erasure. The purpose, Matthew Henry explains, is to motivate the young to fear God (v. 11), recognizing that righteousness leaves a blessed memory while wickedness is eventually forgotten. There is broad agreement that the verse does not describe God’s attitude toward struggling believers but toward those whose lives are defined by persistent evil (Gill, Poole).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God actively opposes persistent, unrepentant evildoers and will ensure their names are forgotten in favor of the righteous.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'face of the Lord' | Christians agree it is an anthropomorphic way of describing God's personal presence and attention. | Some traditions emphasize it as God's wrath against sin (Calvinist), while others see it as a consistent biblical idiom for God's active opposition to evil without necessarily implying eternal anger. |
| Scope of 'those who do evil' | All Christians agree the verse refers to those who make evil their habitual practice. | Some interpret this as excluding believers who sin but repent (Gill), while a few early readings question whether any sin invokes this judgment, but the surrounding verses clarify the distinction. |
| Cutting off remembrance: literal or figurative? | It means the wicked will be forgotten or dishonored in future generations. | Some see it as a purely earthly consequence (Barnes, Calvin); others see it as a type of final judgment (Matthew Henry), but both affirm the loss of honorable memory. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 34 is set against David’s flight from Saul. The title recalls his desperate act of feigning madness before Abimelech (Achish) at Gath (1 Samuel 21). Calvin notes that David’s escape, seemingly impossible, became the occasion for teaching the congregation about God’s care. In this historical moment, David experienced both deliverance from evil and the longing to be remembered rightly. The psalm is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive Hebrew letter, lending a sense of completeness and order to its instruction.
The concept of a ‘face’ of God is deeply anthropomorphic in the Old Testament. The face of Yahweh can shine for blessing (Numbers 6:25), or be set against someone for judgment (Leviticus 17:10; 26:17; Jeremiah 44:11). The Cambridge Bible notes that this verse echoes the theophany at the Red Sea, where ‘the Lord looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians and discomfited them’ (Exodus 14:24). In ancient Near Eastern culture, to have one’s memory cut off was a severe punishment: no children to carry on the name, no tomb inscription, no place in the community’s story. Good kings built monuments; the wicked were erased. David’s own desire to be remembered (his dynasty continued) stands in the background.
Literarily, verses 15, 16 form an antithetical parallel: the righteous are under God’s protective gaze; the wicked face His opposition. This stark contrast sets up the psalm’s central exhortation: depart from evil and do good (v. 14), because outcomes are not identical. The verse functions as a warning but also as a comfort to those who suffer under evildoers, God sees and will act.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 34:16. The verse is stable across manuscript traditions. Differences in English translations (e.g., WEB ‘memory’ vs. KJV ‘remembrance’) reflect translation choices, not textual uncertainty.
Reception History
Psalm 34:16 has been read throughout church history as a clear statement of God’s opposition to evil. Early church fathers like Augustine saw it as a warning to the impenitent and a comfort to the persecuted. In the medieval period, it was used in penitential liturgies, reminding worshippers that God’s face could be turned against sin. The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) emphasized the verse as part of the law that drives sinners to Christ. In modern preaching, it often appears in series on the psalms of lament or imprecation, paired with the New Testament call to love enemies while trusting God’s justice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s position toward evil is not neutral. His face is set against those who make sin their practice (v. 16; see also Lev 17:10; Jer 44:11).
- The wages of a sinful life is oblivion. The wicked will be forgotten, no lasting legacy, no honorable name (Job 18:17; Prov 10:7).
- The righteous need not fear this judgment. Those who cry out and are brokenhearted find God near (vv. 17, 18); the warning drives us to humility and trust.
Five-point outline
- The face of the Lord: a phrase of presence and power. In blessing (Num 6:25) or judgment (this verse), God’s face means He is personally engaged.
- Contrast with verse 15. Eyes toward the righteous, face against the wicked, no one escapes His notice.
- The terrible end of the wicked: memory cut off. Not annihilation of the soul, but removal from earthly honor and influence.
- Why this matters for the young. The psalm opens with a call to children (v. 11); the promise of a blessed memory motivates a life of integrity.
- Hope beyond judgment. For the repentant sinner, God offers a new name (Isa 56:5) and a place in His book (Rev 3:5).
Illustration hooks
- A town names a street after a beloved teacher; decades later, the street is renamed and the plaque removed. Few remember why it was there. The psalm warns that evil lives are forgotten, not because God is petty, but because sin leaves nothing worth remembering.
- A courtroom: the judge’s gaze can be either protective (toward the victim) or severe (toward the guilty). One look carries opposite meanings depending on who you are.
- A memorial wall in a church lists names of faithful members. No one adds the name of someone who caused harm and never repented. Communities instinctively recognize that some actions forfeit the right to be honored.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean God is angry with me when I sin, even if I repent? (Gill clarifies it describes persistent, unrepentant evil, not the struggling believer.)
- What about wicked people who are remembered, like dictators? (Barnes notes that ‘bad eminence’ exists, but the world forgets them as soon as it can; the ‘memory’ here is honorable remembrance, not infamy.)
- How do I avoid having God’s face against me? (The surrounding verses answer: keep your tongue from evil, depart from evil, do good, seek peace, v. 13, 14.)
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 34:16 presents a sobering truth: God is not indifferent to evil. His face is set against those who persist in wrongdoing. Yet this same psalm assures us that God hears the brokenhearted (v. 18). The tension between judgment and mercy is at the heart of Scripture. As you discuss, notice how David weaves warning and promise together, inviting us to fear God and find refuge in Him.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 15, 16 side by side. What do the different images, ‘eyes of the Lord’ and ‘face of the Lord’, communicate about God’s relationship to righteous and wicked?
- ‘Cut off their memory from the earth’ seems extreme. In what ways have you seen evil people or deeds fade into obscurity, even in modern times? Why is this a just outcome?
- Verse 16 follows a call to depart from evil (v. 14). How does the threat of being forgotten motivate you to pursue righteousness? Is it a healthy motivation?
- Gill and other commentators stress that this verse is about persistent, unrepentant evildoers, not struggling Christians. Why is that distinction important for understanding the gospel?
- How does the promise that God is near to the brokenhearted (v. 18) relate to the warning of verse 16? What does this say about God’s character?
- Think of the legacy you want to leave. Does your current life reflect the ‘blessed memory’ of Proverbs 10:7, or something else? What small change could you make this week to align with God’s desire?
- How can this verse comfort someone who has been harmed by evil people? What hope does it offer?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 17:10 | “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. |
| Leviticus 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. |
| Job 18:17 | His memory will perish from the earth. He will have no name in the street. |
| Psalms 10:16 | Yahweh is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land. |
| Proverbs 10:7 | The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. |
| Ecclesiastes 8:10 | So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity. |
| Jeremiah 17:13 | Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be disappointed. Those who depart from me will be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yahweh, the spring of living waters. |
| Jeremiah 44:11 | “Therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a distinction between God’s eyes on the righteous and His face against the wicked, meaning God observes the wicked to bring judgment. He also argues that the deep human desire to be remembered after death is a God-given motive for righteousness, especially for the young, prompting them to avoid sin and pursue what is honorable.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights how improbable David's escape was, since he had fled to his deadliest enemy and could only save himself by feigning madness. The deliverance was so remarkable that David intended it as an instruction for the whole Church. Calvin also notes that Abimelech was a royal title, not a personal name.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator explains that the face of the Lord can manifest either in wrath or in blessing; here it is wrath. He also notes that the remembrance of them means their memorial or name, which perishes
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that God's opposition to evildoers is not mild or temporary. His face is set against them with the specific purpose of wiping out their very memory from the earth, a complete and final judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp line between believers who still struggle with sin and those who make evil their settled way of life. The face of the Lord is not against every sinner, but only against those who live in wickedness without shame or fear. Their end is utter destruction, cut off from memory with everlasting disgrace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that when God sets His face against people, it means He is directly opposed to them. Cutting off their remembrance goes beyond physical death to complete obliteration, leaving no trace or memory of them behind.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that David, though a warrior and king burdened with cares, still made time to teach children about the fear of the Lord. That he instructed the children of his people, not his own, shows his pastoral heart for the next generation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
The face - His anger, which discovers itself in the face.