New King James Version
Psalms 64:3
3Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
Psalms 64:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
- New International Version (NIV)They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.
- English Standard Version (ESV)who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
- New Living Translation (NLT)They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.
Context of Psalms 64:3
1Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 2Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, 4That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. 5They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?”
Read all of Psalms 64Psalms 64:3 word by word
אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁנְנ֣וּ כַחֶ֣רֶב לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם דָּרְכ֥וּ חִ֝צָּ֗ם דָּבָ֥ר מָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 64:3
- Psalms 57:4My 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.
- Proverbs 12:18There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
- Proverbs 30:14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.
- Isaiah 54:17No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 9:3“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” says the Lord.
- James 3:6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
- Psalms 11:2For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
- Psalms 58:7Let them flow away as waters which run continually; When he bends his bow, Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
Commentaries on Psalms 64:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Who whet their tongue like a sword - They devise the evil they shall speak, and meditate on the most provoking, injurious, and defamatory words; as the soldier whets his sword that he may thereby the better cut down his enemies. Their arrows - bitter words - Their defamatory sayings are here represented as deadly as poisoned arrows; for to such is the allusion here made.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Who whet their tongue like a sword - Who sharpen their tongue; that is, they utter words that will cut deep, or penetrate the soul. The idea is that of slander or reproach - the same idea which we have in Shakespeare (Cymbeline): “Tis slander; Whose edge is sharper than the sword.” This comparison is a favorite one with David. Compare Psalm 52:2; Psalm 57:4; Psalm 59:7. And bend their bows - That is, they prepare for this - as they make ready to shoot…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3their tongues … bitter words: Liars use their words to harm others. This description might also refer to practicing magic.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. Similar figures for slander (Psa 57:4; 59:7). bend--literally, "tread," or, "prepared." The allusion is to the mode of bending a bow by treading on it; here, and in Psa 58:7, transferred to arrows.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 64:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 64
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries