Psalms 89:32
Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Original Language Analysis
וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י
Then will I visit
H6485
וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י
Then will I visit
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
1 of 5
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
בְשֵׁ֣בֶט
with the rod
H7626
בְשֵׁ֣בֶט
with the rod
Strong's:
H7626
Word #:
2 of 5
a scion, i.e., (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan
פִּשְׁעָ֑ם
their transgression
H6588
פִּשְׁעָ֑ם
their transgression
Strong's:
H6588
Word #:
3 of 5
a revolt (national, moral or religious)
Cross References
2 Samuel 7:14I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:Amos 3:2You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.1 Kings 11:39And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.1 Kings 11:14And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
Historical Context
God's disciplinary visitation came through historical judgments: the kingdom's division under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12), Assyrian invasions that destroyed northern Israel (2 Kings 17), Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25), and the 70-year exile. These were the 'rod' and 'stripes'—painful but purposeful, driving Israel to repentance. The prophets interpreted these disasters not as covenant failure but as covenant discipline (Jeremiah 30:11: 'I will discipline you in just measure'). The exile ended, and God preserved the Davidic line for the coming Messiah.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's use of 'the rod' demonstrate that He treats covenant-breakers as sons rather than enemies (Hebrews 12:5-11)?
- What is the difference between divine discipline ('I will visit with the rod') and divine rejection?
- How did Jesus bear the 'rod' and 'stripes' that our covenant-breaking deserved, and what does this reveal about God's justice and mercy?
Analysis & Commentary
Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. God responds to covenant violation with disciplinary judgment, yet the language carefully distinguishes between covenant discipline and covenant abandonment (see v. 33). Then will I visit their transgression uses ûp̄ā-qaḏ-tî bə-šē-ḇeṭ piš-ʿām (וּפָקַדְתִּי בְשֵׁבֶט פִּשְׁעָם). The verb pāqaḏ (פָּקַד) means to visit, attend to, punish—it's the same word used for God 'visiting' His people in both judgment and deliverance (Exodus 3:16, Jeremiah 29:10). The preposition "with" (bə) indicates the instrument of visitation.
With the rod (šēḇeṭ, שֵׁבֶט) refers to the instrument of correction, the disciplinary rod used for training children (Proverbs 13:24, 23:13-14). This is paternal discipline, not enemy destruction. "Transgression" (pešaʿ, פֶּשַׁע) means rebellion, willful violation of covenant. Their iniquity with stripes uses ûḇa-nĕḡāʿîm ʿăwōnām (וּבִנְגָעִים עֲוֹנָם), where nəḡāʿîm (נְגָעִים) means wounds, blows, plagues—the marks left by discipline. "Iniquity" (ʿāwōn, עָוֹן) refers to guilt, perversity, the crooked bent of sin.
This verse fulfills 2 Samuel 7:14's promise: "I will be his father...when he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men." God treats David's line as sons, disciplining but not disowning. The discipline came through foreign invasions, defeats, exile—yet these were corrective, not destructive. Ultimately, Christ bore the rod and stripes due to covenant-breakers: "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).