Psalms 11:6
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Study Note
Study Note
The declaration 'upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup' draws on the Genesis 19 destruction of Sodom as the paradigm of divine judgment on those who target the righteous (Ps 11:2: 'the wicked… shoot at the upright in heart'). The 'portion of their cup' metaphor (assigned divine allotment) contrasts with Psalm 11:7's 'the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright' — face-to-face divine favour as the cup of the righteous. The Psalm responds to advisors who counsel flight from danger (v. 1-3), and the psalmist's counter-confidence rests on Yahweh's heavenly throne-position from which he examines and judges all humanity. Revelation 14:10's unmixed cup of wrath and 19:20's lake of fire and brimstone are the eschatological fulfilment of this Sodom-judgment typology.
Other Translations
Upon the wicked he will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
He poureth on the wicked snares, fire, and brimstone, And a horrible wind <FI>is<Fi> the portion of their cup.
On the evil-doer he will send down fire and flames, and a burning wind; with these will their cup be full.
Cross References
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as …
And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along …
So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in …
And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and …
And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set …
It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall …
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of …
Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.