Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” New Living Translation The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” English Standard Version if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Berean Standard Bible If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” King James Bible If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? New King James Version If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? New American Standard Bible “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” NASB 1995 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” NASB 1977 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” Legacy Standard Bible If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” Amplified Bible “If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” Christian Standard Bible When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? ” Holman Christian Standard Bible When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” American Standard Version If the foundations be destroyed, What can the righteous do? Contemporary English Version What can an honest person do when everything crumbles?" English Revised Version If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? GOD'S WORD® Translation When the foundations [of life] are undermined, what can a righteous person do?" Good News Translation There is nothing a good person can do when everything falls apart." International Standard Version When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Majority Standard Bible If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?? NET Bible When the foundations are destroyed, what can the godly accomplish?" New Heart English Bible If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Webster's Bible Translation If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? World English Bible If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWhen the foundations are destroyed, "" The righteous—what has he done? Young's Literal Translation When the foundations are destroyed, The righteous -- what hath he done? Smith's Literal Translation If the pillars shall be pulled down, what did the just one? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleFor they have destroyed the things which thou hast made: but what has the just man done? Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible If foundations are destroyed, what can the just one do?” New Revised Standard Version If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor if they have destroyed the foundations which the LORD has prepared, what can the righteous do? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because they have overthrown that which you have prepared, but what is the righteous doing? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917When the foundations are destroyed, What hath the righteous wrought? Brenton Septuagint Translation For they have pulled down what thou didst frame, but what has the righteous done? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context In the LORD I Take Refuge…2For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.… Cross References Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. Proverbs 28:2 A land in rebellion has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order. Ezekiel 22:30 I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no one. Isaiah 59:14-15 So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. / Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. Jeremiah 5:1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city. Micah 7:2-4 The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net. / Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together. / The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion. Habakkuk 1:4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. Psalm 82:5 They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. Isaiah 3:12 Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths. Isaiah 24:5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. / For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, ... Matthew 24:12 Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. Romans 1:18-32 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. / For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. / For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. ... 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. Treasury of Scripture If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? If the Psalm 75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. Psalm 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. what 2 Kings 19:13-18 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah? … 2 Kings 22:12-14 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, … 2 Chronicles 32:13-15 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? … Jump to Previous Bases Broken Destroyed Foundations Righteous Upright WroughtJump to Next Bases Broken Destroyed Foundations Righteous Upright WroughtPsalm 11 1. David encourages himself in God against his enemies4. The providence and justice of God If the foundations are destroyed The word "foundations" in Hebrew is "שָׁתוֹת" (shatot), which refers to the underlying principles or structures that uphold society. In the context of ancient Israel, these foundations would include the law of God, justice, and righteousness. Historically, the Israelites understood that their society was built upon the covenant with God, which provided moral and ethical guidelines. The destruction of these foundations implies a breakdown of societal order and divine principles. In a modern conservative Christian perspective, this phrase can be seen as a warning against the erosion of biblical values and truths in contemporary society. It calls believers to be vigilant in upholding God's standards, as these are the bedrock of a just and moral community. what can the righteous do? Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of this Psalm, David was the second king of Israel, known for his deep faith and reliance on God amidst trials. 2. The Righteous Refers to those who live in accordance with God's laws and seek to maintain a relationship with Him, often facing challenges and opposition. 3. Foundations Symbolic of the moral and spiritual principles that uphold society and individual lives, rooted in God's truth and justice. 4. The Wicked Those who oppose God's ways, often seeking to undermine the moral and spiritual order established by God. 5. The Lord's Temple While not directly mentioned in this verse, the context of the Psalm suggests a focus on God's presence and His sovereign oversight from His holy temple. Teaching Points The Importance of FoundationsJust as a building requires a solid foundation to stand, so too does a society or individual life need a strong moral and spiritual base. This foundation is rooted in God's truth and righteousness. The Role of the Righteous In times when moral and spiritual foundations are under attack, the righteous are called to stand firm in their faith, trusting in God's sovereignty and justice. God's Sovereignty and Justice Despite the apparent destruction of foundations, God remains in control. Believers can find comfort in His unchanging nature and His ultimate plan for justice. Active Faith in Troubling Times The righteous are not called to passivity but to active faith, seeking God's guidance and strength to uphold His principles in their lives and communities. Building on Christ, the Cornerstone Believers are encouraged to build their lives on the foundation of Jesus Christ, ensuring that their faith and actions align with His teachings.(3) The foundations.--By this word must be understood the principles of morality, which are the foundation of society. Symmachus and Jerome render "laws." But the rendering "What could the righteous do?" is doubtful. The image is of a house shattered by an earthquake (comp. Psalm 82:5); in such a case how find safety? The LXX. and Vulg. have "Since they have destroyed what thou hast established, what has the righteous done?" The order of the Hebrew words seems to support this rendering, "While morality has been overthrown, the righteous what has he done?" A suggested emendation, involving but a slight change in the Hebrew letters, would produce, however, a far better sense: "If the foundations be destroyed, what will become of the tower, or superstructure?"Verse 3. - If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The word translated" foundations" is a rare one, only occurring here and in Isaiah 19:10. The meaning of "foundations," first given to it by Aquila, is now generally adopted. We must suppose the timid friends to be still speaking, and to mean that, under the lawless rule of Saul, the very foundations of society and of moral order were swept away; the righteous (צַדִּיק, a collective) had done and could do nothing to prevent it. What remained for David, but to withdraw from a community where there was neither law nor order, where the first magistrate commanded (1 Samuel 19:1) and attempted (1 Samuel 19:10) assassination? Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Ifכִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction the foundations הַ֭שָּׁתוֹת (haš·šā·ṯō·wṯ) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8356: A basis, political, moral support are destroyed, יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּן (yê·hā·rê·sūn) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Strong's 2040: To pull down, in pieces, break, & destroy what מַה־ (mah-) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what can the righteous צַ֝דִּ֗יק (ṣad·dîq) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 6662: Just, righteous do?” פָּעָֽל׃ (pā·‘āl) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6466: To do, make, to practise Links Psalm 11:3 NIVPsalm 11:3 NLT Psalm 11:3 ESV Psalm 11:3 NASB Psalm 11:3 KJV Psalm 11:3 BibleApps.com Psalm 11:3 Biblia Paralela Psalm 11:3 Chinese Bible Psalm 11:3 French Bible Psalm 11:3 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Psalm 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed what can (Psalm Ps Psa.) |