New American Standard Bible 1995
Psalms 143:3
3For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life 1to the ground; He 2has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
Psalms 143:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
- New International Version (NIV)The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead.
Context of Psalms 143:3
1Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! 2And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. 4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me. 5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands.
Read all of Psalms 143Psalms 143:3 word by word
כִּ֥י רָ֘דַ֤ף אוֹיֵ֨ב׀ נַפְשִׁ֗י דִּכָּ֣א לָ֭אָרֶץ חַיָּתִ֑י הוֹשִׁיבַ֥נִי בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃Read the interlinear
- For the enemyאָיַב'âyab · be hostileH340
- has persecutedרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
- my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- He has crushedדָּכָאdâkâ' · to crushH1792
- to the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- has made me dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in darkמַחְשָׁךְmachshâk · darknessH4285
- like those who have longעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: antiquityH5769
- been deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for Psalms 143:3
- Psalms 7:1O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
- Psalms 17:9From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me.
- Psalms 35:4Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
- Psalms 54:3For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.
- Psalms 142:6Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me.
- Psalms 7:5Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
- 2 Samuel 2:22Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”
- 2 Samuel 18:11Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”
- Psalms 31:12I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
- Psalms 88:4I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength,
- Ezekiel 37:11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’
Commentaries on Psalms 143:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul - Has persecuted me; has sought my life. He hath smitten my life down to the ground - He has, as it were, trampled me down to the earth. The word rendered “smitten” means to break in pieces, to beat small, to crush. See Psalm 72:4; Psalm 89:10; Job 6:9. His very life seemed to be crushed out as one that is trodden down to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness - He has made my life like that of one who…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4My spirit grows faint within me: The psalmist admits his desperation as his life seems to slip away under cruel and powerful enemies.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. The exciting reason for his prayer--his afflictions--led to confession as just made: he now makes the complaint. as those that have been long dead--deprived of life's comforts (compare Psa 40:15; 88:3-6).Read the comment
- Rashi on Tanakh · v. 3For an enemy pursued my soul That is to say: If I have sinned before You, behold, I have suffered. This psalm was recited as referring to all of Israel in Babylon.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 143:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
Commentaries on Psalms 143
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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