The Meaning of Psalms 94:21 Explained

Psalms 94:21

KJV: They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

YLT: They decree against the soul of the righteous, And innocent blood declare wicked.

Darby: They band together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.

ASV: They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn the innocent blood.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They gather themselves together  against the soul  of the righteous,  and condemn  the innocent  blood. 

What does Psalms 94:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 94:6-23 - The Lord Our Defense Against Evil-Doers
Let us ponder all the great things that God will do for them that trust Him. He planted the ear, and will detect the sigh, sob, or broken utterance of His child, Psalms 94:9. He formed the eye, and He knows our sorrows. He watches the sparrow's fall, and His child is of more value than many sparrows. He corrects us; shall we not be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live, Psalms 94:10? He knows our thoughts; let us ask Him to purify and restrain them, Psalms 94:11. He teaches out of His Law; let us be diligent students of the Scriptures, Psalms 94:12. He will neither cast us off nor forsake us, Psalms 94:14.
The Lord is our help, and the soul that trusts Him shall not be silenced, Psalms 94:17. He holds us up when our foot slips, Psalms 94:18. Whatever thoughts may startle or affright us, God has a comfort suited to counteract each of them. His comforts delight the soul. They bring joy and hope with them, Psalms 94:19. He defends us against the charges laid at our door, and is a rock on which we may stand steadily, amid the seething waters, Psalms 94:22. If God be for us, who can be against us, or who can separate us from His love? Romans 8:31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 94

1  The prophet, calling for justice, complains of tyranny and impiety
8  He teaches God's providence
12  He shows the blessedness of affliction
16  God is the defender of the afflicted

What do the individual words in Psalms 94:21 mean?

they gather together against the life of the righteous and blood innocent condemn
יָ֭גוֹדּוּ עַל־ נֶ֣פֶשׁ צַדִּ֑יק וְדָ֖ם נָקִ֣י יַרְשִֽׁיעוּ

יָ֭גוֹדּוּ  they  gather  together 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּדַד 
Sense: to penetrate, cut, attack, invade.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
נֶ֣פֶשׁ  the  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
צַדִּ֑יק  of  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
וְדָ֖ם  and  blood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
נָקִ֣י  innocent 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: נָקִי 
Sense: clean, free from, exempt, clear, innocent.
יַרְשִֽׁיעוּ  condemn 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.