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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Psalms 17:11

They have been following me, and now they are all around me. They watch me, waiting to throw me to the ground.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Future State;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Prayer;   Psalms;   Sin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Belly;   Eschatology of the Old Testament (with Apocryphal and Apocalyptic Writings);   Psalms, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They advance against me; now they surround me.They are determinedto throw me to the ground.
Hebrew Names Version
They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the eretz.
King James Version
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
English Standard Version
They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
New Century Version
They have chased me until they have surrounded me. They plan to throw me to the ground.
New English Translation
They attack me, now they surround me; they intend to throw me to the ground.
Amplified Bible
They track us down and have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to force us to the ground,
New American Standard Bible
They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
World English Bible
They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
They haue compassed vs now in our steps: they haue set their eyes to bring downe to the ground:
Legacy Standard Bible
They have now surrounded us in our steps;They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
Berean Standard Bible
They have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground,
Contemporary English Version
They have caught up with me! My enemies are everywhere, eagerly hoping to smear me in the dirt.
Complete Jewish Bible
they track me down, they surround me; they watch for a chance to bring me to the ground.
Darby Translation
They have now encompassed us in our steps; their eyes have they set, bowing down to the earth.
George Lamsa Translation
They have praised me, and now have surrounded me; they have determined to bury me in the ground.
Good News Translation
They are around me now, wherever I turn, watching for a chance to pull me down.
Lexham English Bible
Now they surround us at our every step. They intend to pin me to the ground.
Literal Translation
now they have hemmed in our steps; they set their eyes to extending to the earth;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They lye waytinge in or waye on euery syde, turnynge their eyes downe to the grounde.
American Standard Version
They have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
Bible in Basic English
They have made a circle round our steps: their eyes are fixed on us, forcing us down to the earth;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
At our every step they have now encompassed us; they set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
King James Version (1611)
They haue now compassed vs in our steps: they haue set their eyes bowing downe to the earth:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
His [doynges] be lyke a lions that is greedy to take a pray: and as a lions whelpe lurkyng in secrete places.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
They have now cast me out and compassed me round about: they have set their eyes so as to bow them down to the ground.
English Revised Version
They have now compassed us in our steps: they set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei castiden me forth, and han cumpassid me now; thei ordeyneden to bowe doun her iyen in to erthe.
Update Bible Version
They advance against me, now they surround me; They set their eyes to cast [me] down to the earth.
Webster's Bible Translation
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
New King James Version
They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
New Living Translation
They track me down and surround me, watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
New Life Bible
They have followed our every step and are all around us. They are watching for a way to bring us down to the ground.
New Revised Standard
They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
As for our own goings, now, have they surrounded us, - Their eyes, they fix, bending to the earth:
Douay-Rheims Bible
(16-11) They have cast me forth, and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.
Revised Standard Version
They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
Young's Literal Translation
`Our steps now have compassed [him];' Their eyes they set to turn aside in the land.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.

Contextual Overview

8 Protect me like the pupil of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. 9 Save me from the wicked people who are trying to destroy me. Protect me from those who come to hurt me. 10 They think only of themselves and brag about what they will do. 11 They have been following me, and now they are all around me. They watch me, waiting to throw me to the ground. 12 Like hungry lions, they want to kill and eat. Like young lions, they hide, ready to attack. 13 Lord , get up and face the enemy. Make them surrender. Use your sword and save me from these wicked people. 14 Use your power, Lord , and remove them from this life. But as for the people you treasure, fill them with food. Give them plenty for their children and their grandchildren. 15 I have done only what is right, so I will see your face. And seeing you, I will be fully satisfied.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

compassed: 1 Samuel 23:26, 1 Samuel 24:2, 1 Samuel 24:3, 1 Samuel 26:2, 1 Samuel 26:3

set: Psalms 10:8-10, Proverbs 6:13, Proverbs 6:14

Reciprocal: Psalms 109:3 - compassed

Cross-References

Genesis 17:25
And Ishmael, his son, was 13 years old when he was circumcised.
Genesis 17:27
Also, on that day all the men in Abraham's house were circumcised. All the slaves born in his house and all the slaves he had bought were circumcised.
Exodus 4:25
But Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She took the skin and touched his feet. Then she said to Moses, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me."
Exodus 12:48
If a foreigner living among you wants to share in the Lord 's Passover, he must be circumcised. Then he can share in the meal like any other citizen of Israel. But a man who is not circumcised cannot eat the Passover meal.
Deuteronomy 10:16
"Stop being stubborn. Give your hearts to God.
Joshua 5:3
So Joshua made knives from flint rocks and circumcised the men of Israel at Gibeath Haaraloth.
2 Samuel 3:14
David sent messengers to Saul's son Ish Bosheth. David said, "Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me. I killed 100 Philistines to get her."
Acts 7:8
"God made an agreement with Abraham; the sign for this agreement was circumcision. And so when Abraham had a son, he circumcised him when he was eight days old. His son's name was Isaac. Isaac also circumcised his son Jacob. And Jacob did the same for his sons, who became the twelve great ancestors of our people.
Romans 4:11
Abraham was circumcised later to show that God accepted him. His circumcision was proof that he was right with God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all those who believe but are not circumcised. They believe and are accepted as people who are right with God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They have now compassed us in our steps,.... The sense is, they could not stir a step but they were at their heels, surrounding them on every side. This was true of David, when he was pursued by Saul, and followed by him to Keilah and the wilderness of Maon,

1 Samuel 23:8; according to the "Cetib", or textual writing, it should be rendered, "they have compassed me"; but, according to the "Keri", or marginal reading, and the points, it is as we have translated it, and which is followed by the Targum, and both are right, and design David as a principal person, and those that were with him, who were encompassed by Saul and his men. This also was verified in Christ, when Judas followed him into the garden with a band of men to betray him, and when he was enclosed by wicked men as he went to the cross, and hung upon it, John 18:2; and may likewise be accommodated to the case of all the saints, who are troubled on every side, are beset with the corruptions of their hearts, the temptations of Satan, and the reproaches and persecutions of the men of the world, 2 Corinthians 4:8;

they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; which posture either denotes fraudulence and hypocrisy, showing, by looking only upon the ground, as if they were harmless and inoffensive, and had no ill designs, and took no notice of anything; which, as it was true of David's enemies, so of the Jews and of Judas with respect to Christ, and of false teachers with respect to the church, Luke 20:20 Matthew 7:15; or else inhumanity and contempt, not caring to turn their eyes to look upon them in distress, but kept their eyes fixed upon the earth, so Christ was treated by the Jews, Isaiah 53:3; or rather their being intent upon mischief, their diligence and watchfulness to observe all motions, and take every opportunity "to strike", or "cast me down to the earth", as the Arabic and Syriac versions render it; or the sense is, as Kimchi gives it, their eyes are upon our ways, to spread nets for us in the earth to take us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They have now compassed us - Myself, and those who are associated with me. It would seem from this that the psalmist was not alone. It is to be observed, however, that there is a difference of reading in the Hebrew text. The Masoretic reading is: “us;” the Hebrew text is “me,” though in the other expression the plural is used - “our steps.” There is no impropriety in supposing that the psalmist refers to his followers, associates, or friends, meaning that the wrong was done not to him alone, but to others connected with him. The meaning of “compassed” is, that they “surrounded” him on every side. Wherever he went, they were there.

In our steps - Wherever we go.

They have set their eyes - As those do who are intent on any thing; as the lion does that is seeking its prey Psalms 17:12. They looked keenly and directly at the object. They did not allow their eyes to wander. They were not indifferent to the object of their pursuit.

Bowing down to the earth - That is, as the translators evidently understood this, having their eyes bowed down to the ground, or looking steadily to the ground. The image, according to Dr. Horsley, is borrowed from a hunter taking aim at an animal upon the ground. A more literal translation, however, would be, “They have fixed their eyes to lay me prostrate upon the ground.” The Hebrew word - נטה nâṭâh - means properly “to stretch out, to extend;” then, “to incline, to bow, to depress;” and hence, the idea of “prostrating;” thus, to make the shoulder bend downward, Genesis 49:15; to bring down the mind to an object, Psalms 119:112; to bow the heavens, Psalms 18:9. Hence, the idea of prostrating an enemy; and the sense here clearly is, that they had fixed their eyes intently on the psalmist, with a purpose to prostrate him to the ground, or completely to overwhelm him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 17:11. They have now compassed us in our steps — Instead of אשרנו ashshurenu, "our steps," Dr. Kennicott and others recommend אשרינו ashreynu, "O lucky we, at last we have compassed him." He cannot now escape; he is sure to fall into our hands.

They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth — All the commentators and critics have missed the very expressive and elegant metaphor contained in this clause. Kennicott says, They drove the hart into toils, and then shot him. Bishop Horsley says, on the clause, They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth: "This is the attitude of huntsmen, taking aim at an animal upon the ground." No, it is the attitude of the huntsmen looking for the slot, or track of the hart's, hind's, or antelope's foot on the ground. See at the conclusion of the Psalm. Psalms 17:15.


 
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