EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Psalms 57:4
4My enemies are all round me, like hungry lions! I must lie down among wild animals, that want to eat me! They are men who use spears and arrows to bite like teeth. They use their tongues to hurt people, like sharp swords.
Psalms 57:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- New International Version (NIV)I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts— men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
- English Standard Version (ESV)My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
- New King James Version (NKJV)My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
Context of Psalms 57:4
2I will call to the Most High God to help me. He is the God who stands beside me. 3He will send help from heaven and he will save me. He will punish the people who attack me. Selah. God will show me his faithful love, and he will do what he has promised. My enemies are all round me, like hungry lions! I must lie down among wild animals, that want to eat me! They are men who use spears and arrows to bite like teeth. They use their tongues to hurt people, like sharp swords. 5God, show how great you are, high above the sky! Let everybody on the earth see your glory! 6My enemies have prepared a trap to catch me. That makes me very upset. They have dug a deep hole on the path where I walk. But they have fallen into it themselves! Selah.
Read all of Psalms 57Psalms 57:4 word by word
נַפְשִׁ֤י׀ בְּת֥וֹךְ לְבָאִם֮ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪ה לֹ֫הֲטִ֥ים בְּֽנֵי־אָדָ֗ם שִׁ֭נֵּיהֶם חֲנִ֣ית וְחִצִּ֑ים וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם חֶ֣רֶב חַדָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- My soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- amongתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- lionsלְבִיlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
- I lieשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
- them that are set on fireלָהַטlâhaţ · to kindleH3857
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- whose teethשֵׁןshên · toothH8127
- spearsחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
- and arrowsחֵץchêts · arrowH2671
- and their tongueלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongueH3956
- a sharpחַדchad · sharpH2299
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
Cross-references for Psalms 57:4
- Psalms 10:9Quietly, he hides like a lion among some bushes. He waits there to catch a poor, weak person. Like a hunter, he catches poor people in his net.
- Psalms 17:12They are like hungry lions. They want to tear me into pieces. They are hiding like young lions. They are ready to jump out and catch me!
- Psalms 22:13They open their mouths like lions! They are ready to eat me! They are like lions that tear their food into pieces.
- Psalms 35:17My Lord, how long will you continue to watch as they do this to me? Keep me safe when they attack me. They attack me like hungry lions. Do not let them kill me!
- Psalms 58:6God, break the teeth of my enemies! Yes, Lord, break into pieces the teeth of those lions!
- Proverbs 28:15A wicked ruler brings danger to poor people. He is as dangerous as an angry lion or a hungry bear.
- Daniel 6:22My God sent his angel, and he shut the lions' mouths. So the lions have not hurt me. God knows that I have done no wrong thing. I have not done anything to hurt you, the king, either.’
- Judges 9:20But if you have not been faithful, I pray that Abimelech will destroy you! I pray that his fire will completely burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And I pray that fire from you leaders will completely destroy Abimelech!’
- James 3:6A person's tongue is like a fire. It has the power of everything in the world that is wrong. It is a small part of the body but it can spoil the whole person. Like a fire, it can destroy all of a person's life. It is a fire that comes from the fire of hell itself.
- John 4:10Jesus answered the woman, ‘You do not know what God could give to you. I asked you to give a drink to me. But you do not know who I am. If you did know, you would have asked me to give a drink to you. Then I would have given to you water that gives life.’
- Proverbs 30:14There are some people who are very cruel. Their teeth are like swords and sharp knives. They want to eat up all the poor and helpless people, so that they disappear from the earth.
- Psalms 52:2Your tongue is like a sharp knife! You talk about how to hurt other people, You speak nothing but lies.
- Psalms 55:21He speaks a message of peace, but he is really thinking about war. His words are easy to listen to, but they hurt like sharp knives.
- Psalms 64:3Their tongues are like sharp swords that hurt people. Their cruel words are like arrows that they shoot at people.
- Proverbs 12:18If you speak in a careless way, you may hurt other people. But when wise people speak, it makes people feel well.
- Proverbs 25:18Some people may tell lies about their neighbour in court. Those people are like dangerous weapons, like sharp swords or arrows.
Commentaries on Psalms 57:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4My soul is among lions - לבאם בתוך bethoch lebaim . I agree with Dr. Kennicott that this should be translated, "My soul dwells in parched places," from לאב laab, he thirsted. And thus the Chaldee seems to have understood the place, though it be not explicit. I lie even among them that are set on fire - I seem to be among coals. It is no ordinary rage and malice by which I am pursued: each of my enemies seems determined to have my life.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4My soul is among lions - That is, among people who resemble lions; men, fierce, savage, ferocious. And I lie even among them that are set on fire - We have a term of similar import in common use now, when we say that one is “inflamed” with passion, referring to one who is infuriated and enraged. So we speak of “burning” with rage or wrath - an expression derived, perhaps, from the inflamed “appearance” of a man in anger. The idea here is not that he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4These verses are a prayer for rescue from strong enemies. The metaphor of fierce lions describes human foes. The psalmist feels unable to escape them without God's help (see also Psalms 35:11–21; 124:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. The mingled figures of wild beasts (Psa 10:9; 17:12) and weapons of war (Psa 11:2) heighten the picture of danger. whose ... tongue--or slanders.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 57:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 57
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
EasyEnglish Bible 2018 — Copyright © MissionAssist 2018
Commentaries