Psalms 64 · Verse 6

Psalms 64:6

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
Psalms 64:6, King James Version

Psalms 64:6 in other translations

BSBThey devise injustice and say, “We have perfected a secret plan.” For the inner man and the heart are mysterious.
WEBThey plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.
ASVThey search out iniquities; We have accomplished, say they, a diligent search: And the inward thought and the heart of every one is deep.
YLTThey search out perverse things, ‘We perfected a searching search,' And the inward part of man, and the heart are deep.
DARBYThey devise iniquities: We have it ready, the plan is diligently sought out. And each one's inward thought and heart is deep.
BBEOr make discovery of our secret purpose? The design is framed with care; and the inner thought of a man, and his heart, is deep.
WebsterThey search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

What does Psalms 64:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. This is further evinced by their diligent efforts and deeply laid schemes.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search - The word חפש chaphash, which is used three times, as a noun and a verb, in this sentence, signifies to strip off the clothes. "They investigate iniquities; they perfectly investigate an investigation." Most energetically translated by the old Psalter: Thai ransaked wickednesses: thai failled ransakand in ransaking. To ransack signifies to search every corner, to examine things part by part, to turn over every leaf, to leave no hole or cranny unexplored. But the word investigate fully expresses the meaning of the term, as it comes either from in, taken privately, and vestire, to clothe, stripping the man bare, that he may be exposed to all shame, and be the more easily wounded; or from the word investigo, which may be derived from in, intensive, and vestigium, the footstep or track of man or beast. A metaphor from hunting the stag; as the slot, or mark of his foot, is diligently sought out, in order to find whither he is gone, and whether he is old or young, for huntsmen can determine the age by the slot. Tuberville, in his Treatise on Hunting, gives rules to form this judgment, To this the next verse seems to refer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 64:1-6

The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him. There is no guard against a false tongue. It is bad to do wrong, but worse to encourage ourselves and one another in it. It is a sign that the heart is hardened to the greatest…

Read the full comment on Psalms 64:1-6 →

Psalms 64:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יַֽחְפְּֽשׂוּ\־yach.pe.su-they plotH2664
עוֹלֹ֗תo.Lotinjustice<s>H5766
תַּ֭מְנוּTam.nuwe have finishedH8552
חֵ֣פֶשׂChe.fesa plotH2665
מְחֻפָּ֑שׂme.chu.PasplottedH2664
וְקֶ֥רֶבve.Ke.revand [the] inner being ofH7130
אִ֝֗ישׁ'Isha personH376
וְלֵ֣בve.Levand [the] heartH3820
עָמֹֽק\׃'a.Mok[is] deepH6013

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 64:6

  • Matthew 26:59

    Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

  • Jeremiah 17:9-10

    The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

  • Psalms 5:9

    For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

  • Isaiah 29:15

    Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

  • Daniel 6:4-5

    Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:5

    Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

  • Psalms 35:11

    False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

  • John 18:29-30

    Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

  • Proverbs 20:5

    Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

  • 1 Samuel 24:9

    And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

  • 1 Samuel 25:10

    And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

  • Psalms 49:11

    Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
search.
35:11; 1Sa 22:9; 24:9; 25:10; Da 6:4,5; Mt 26:59; Joh 18:29,30; 19:7
they accomplish, etc. or, we are consumed by that which theyhave thoroughly searched. a diligent search. Heb. a search searched. both.
5:9; Pr 20:5; Isa 29:15; Jer 17:9,10; 1Co 4:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 64:5

    They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

  • Psalms 64:6

    They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

  • Psalms 64:7

    But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Read all of Psalms 64

Psalms 64:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Inquieren iniquidades, hacen una investigación exacta; y el íntimo pensamiento de cada uno de ellos, así como el corazón, es profundo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils s’affermissent dans de mauvaises choses, ils s’entretiennent ensemble pour cacher des pièges; ils disent: Qui le verra?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sie denken Schlechtigkeiten aus: "Wir habens fertig, der Plan ist ausgedacht!" Und eines jeden Inneres und Herz ist tief.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		mirabile in æquitate. Exaudi nos, Deus, salutaris noster, spes omnium finium terræ, et in mari longe.