Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 140:10

Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

10. Let the fate of Sodom overtake these defiant offenders! Possibly we should read, comparing Psa 11:6, May he rain hot coals upon them! may he cast them into the fire!

deep pits ] A word of uncertain meaning, found here only. Some render whirlpools: cp. R.V. marg. floods. If they try to escape the fiery storm, may they be swept away by torrents!

that they rise not up again ] Let their fall be final and irremediable (Psa 36:12), in contrast to that of the righteous, who falls to rise again (Pro 24:16).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Let burning coals fall upon them – Let them be punished, as if burning coals were poured upon them. See Psa 11:6, note; Psa 18:12-13, notes; Psa 120:4, note.

Let them be cast into the fire – Punished as if they were cast into the fire and consumed.

Into deep pits, that they rise not up again – That they may utterly perish. This was one mode of punishing, by casting a man into a deep pit from which he could not escape, and leaving him to die, Gen 37:20, Gen 37:24; Psa 9:15; Psa 35:7; Jer 41:7.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 10. Let burning coals] The Chaldee considers this as spoken against Ahithophel, who was head of a conspiracy against David; and translates this verse thus: “Let coals from heaven fall upon them, precipitate them into the fire of hell, and into miry pits, from which they shall not have a resurrection to eternal life.” This is a proof that the Jews did believe in a resurrection of the body, and an eternal life for that body, in the case of the righteous.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Burning coals; Divine vengeance, which is compared to coals of fire, as Psa 18:12, and elsewhere.

Rise not up again; either to my danger, or their own comfort.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

10. (Compare Psa 11:6;Psa 120:4).

cast into the fire; into deeppitsfigures for utter destruction.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Let burning coals fall upon them,…. From heaven, as the Targum, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi, by way of explanation; alluding to the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from thence: and may design both the terrible judgments of God in this life, and everlasting burnings in hell; so Jarchi interprets it of the coals of hell; see

Ps 11:6;

let them be cast into the fire; into the fire of divine wrath, and have severe punishment inflicted on them in this world; and into the fire of hell hereafter, as the Targum, which is unquenchable and everlasting; and into which all wicked men, carnal professors, the followers of antichrist, the devil and his angels, will be cast: of the phrase of casting into hell, see Mt 5:29;

into deep pits, that they rise not up again; meaning either the grave, the pit of corruption; from whence the wicked will not rise to eternal life, as the Targum adds, for though they will rise again, it will be to everlasting shame and damnation, Da 12:2; or else the pit of hell, the bottomless pit, from whence there will be no deliverance; where they must lie till the uttermost farthing is paid, and that will be for ever. Arama refers this to Korah, who was burnt and swallowed up, and rose not again in Israel.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(10) In this verse too there is a grammatical difficulty, which the margin, Let there fall on them, instead of Let them bring upon them, does not remove, since the subject of the next verb is third person singular. The first verb is usually taken impersonally, as by the LXX., which version is actually to be followed in rendering coals of fire (literally, coals accompanied with fire, or, coals as fire), and we get the somewhat awkward, but intelligible

Let them bring upon them coals of fire;
Let him cast them into pits that they rise not again.

But a very slight change gives a plain grammatical sentence with the subject carried on from the last verse:

Let it (mischief) bring even upon themselves coals of fire;
Let it cast them into pits, so that they rise no more.

(Burgess.)

The word pits is peculiar to the passage. Gesenius, deriving from a root meaning to boil up, renders, whirlpools, which, as in Psa. 66:12, combines water with fire, as joint emblems of perils that cannot be escaped. But Symmachus, Theodotion, and Jerome render ditches, which is supported by a Rabbinical quotation, given by Delitzsch: first of all they burned them in pits; when the flesh was consumed they collected the bones, and burned them in coffins.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

10. Let burning coals fall upon them The verb is declarative: “He shall cause coals of fire to fall,” etc., “coals” being taken figuratively, for great distress, as Pro 25:22, “Thou shalt heap coals of fire,” etc., meaning, “Thou wilt overwhelm him with shame and remorse for his enmity toward thee.” Gesenius. Whether human instruments were employed, or only direct divine judgments, as Psa 11:6, (comp. Gen 19:24,) the result would be the same.

Deep pits Many interpreters, ancient and modern, Jewish and Christian, understand water pits. R. Parchi, as quoted by Gesenius, understands “rivers flowing with strength and impetuosity.” The word indicates whirlpools or rapids swift and noisy waters. The Septuagint and Vulgate have, “calamities.” The figurative sense of sudden and overwhelming calamities, such as they had plotted for the psalmist, must be admitted.

That they rise not up again That they may never recover their stations of power and wealth, to outrage justice and derange society.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psa 140:10. Let burning coals Burning coals shall, &c. They shall fall into miry pits. Mudge. The Psalmist seems here to allude to the destruction of the Sodomites. See what has been said on the 8th and 9th verses of the 137th psalm.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Psa 140:10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

Ver. 10. Let burning coals fall upon them ] Conflagrent ut corruant. Haec sunt non tam vota quam vaticinia.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)