Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 11:6

"Upon the wicked he will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup." — Psalms 11:6 (ASV)

Upon the wicked — Upon all the wicked.

He will rain — He will pour down as in a furious tempest.

Snares — It seems rather incongruous to speak of raining down “snares”—understanding by the word snares, as we use it, that which entangles, like the snares by which we catch a bird, or by which a wild animal is taken. Compare the notes at Job 18:8-10. The word used here, however, seems to refer to anything by which one is caught in one's path or course, or is involved in difficulties; and the meaning is, that God will arrest or seize the wicked, as a wild beast is secured by the snares or the toils of the hunter. Their being sent down as in a “rain” denotes that such means of their arrest and punishment will exist in abundance, so that they cannot escape.

Fire and brimstone — There is probably an allusion here to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). As those cities were eminent for their wickedness, and were destroyed on account of their guilt, they serve as an illustration of the manner in which God will treat the wicked in all future times. As they were destroyed on account of their wickedness, so will all the wicked be destroyed.

And a horrible tempest — As a furious blast of wind sweeps away houses and trees, spreading wide desolation, so will the wicked be swept away by the manifestation of the wrath of God.

This will be the portion of their cup — That is, this will be what they will drink. See the note at Isaiah 51:17. The idea is that the Lord holds out to them a cup to drink—a cup containing a deadly mixture. The allusion is to the mode of administering punishment by a poisonous draft—a not infrequent mode of punishment in ancient times.

The idea in the whole verse is that the wicked will be destroyed, and therefore, there is nothing ultimately to be feared from them. God will protect His own friends and will destroy all those who sought to harm them. In these circumstances, the righteous should confide in Him as their protector and not “flee.”