the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Easy-to-Read Version
Psalms 64:3
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Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword.They aimed bitter speech as their arrow,
Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow,
Who haue whet their tongue lyke a sword: who haue drawne their arrow, euen a bitter worde.
Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword, [and] have aimed their arrow, a bitter word;
Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows--bitter words,
who sharpen their tongue like a sword; they tread their arrows, a bitter word,
Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And aim their arrows, deadly words,
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bowes to shoote their arrowes, euen bitter words:
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
Which whette their tuges like a swerde, & shute wt their venimous wordes like as wt arowes.
Who have sharpened their tongues like a sword. They aim venomous words as arrows,
Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,
Who make their tongues sharp like a sword, and whose arrows are pointed, even bitter words;
Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,
Who whet their tongue like a sword, [and] bend [their bows to shoot] their arrows, [even] bitter words:
They sharpen their tongues like a sword; they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge,
Their words cut like swords, and their cruel remarks sting like sharp arrows.
Hide me from the secret intrigues of the wicked and the open insurrection of evildoers.
Which haue whette their tongue like a sword, and shot for their arrowes bitter wordes.
Who whet their tongues like a sword, and charge their words with poison like an arrow,
Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And aim their arrows, deadly words,
Hide me from the council of evil-doers; from the tumult of the workers of iniquity;
They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.
They have made their tongues sharp like a sword. They use poison words like arrows.
who have sharpened their tongues as a sword; they have bent their bow maliciously;
Who have whet their tongue like a sword, and have aimed their arrows, even bitter words:
who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,
who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
Who have sharpened, like a sword, their tongue, Have made ready their arrow - a bitter word;
(63-4) For they have whetted their tongues like a sword; they have bent their bow a bitter thing,
who sharpen their tongue like a sword. They bend their bow to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
Who have sharpened their tongues like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrows,
They sharpen their tongues like swords and shoot bitter words like arrows.
They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like arrows.
who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows,
For thei scharpiden her tungis as a swerd, thei benten a bowe, a bittir thing;
Who sharpened as a sword their tongue, They directed their arrow -- a bitter word.
who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
Contextual Overview
To the director: A song of David.
God, listen to my complaint. Save me from the terrible threats of my enemies! 2 Protect me from the secret plans of the wicked. Hide me from that gang of evil people. 3 They sharpen their tongues to use like swords. They aim their poisonous words like arrows. 4 Suddenly, from their hiding places, they let their arrows fly. They shoot to kill innocent people. 5 They encourage each other to do wrong. They talk about setting traps and say, "No one will see them here! 6 No one will discover our crime. We have the perfect plan!" Yes, people can be very tricky and hard to understand.Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
whet: Psalms 57:4, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 30:14, Isaiah 54:17, Jeremiah 9:3, James 3:6-8
bend: Psalms 11:2, Psalms 58:7
Reciprocal: Genesis 31:1 - Jacob Genesis 49:23 - General Job 15:5 - thou choosest Job 19:2 - break me Psalms 7:13 - ordaineth Psalms 10:7 - and deceit Psalms 31:18 - speak Psalms 50:19 - tongue Psalms 55:21 - The words Psalms 59:7 - swords Psalms 94:4 - shall Psalms 109:2 - the mouth Psalms 140:3 - sharpened Proverbs 18:8 - words Ecclesiastes 10:11 - a babbler Jeremiah 9:5 - taught Jeremiah 9:8 - tongue Jeremiah 18:18 - Come and let us smite Hosea 5:2 - profound Matthew 12:34 - how Luke 6:45 - and an Luke 23:2 - forbidding Ephesians 4:31 - bitterness James 3:8 - an unruly
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Who whet their tongue like a sword,.... Use cutting, wounding, killing, and devouring words; on which they set an edge, and make them keener and keener to hurt and ruin the characters and reputations of good men, and grieve and distress their minds;
[and] bend [their bows to shoot] their arrows, [even] bitter words; such are the these doctrines of heretical men, which are roots of bitterness, that defile some and trouble others; such are the oaths and curses of profane sinners, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness; and such are the blasphemies of antichrist against God, against his tabernacle, and against them that dwell therein; and such are the hard speeches spoken by ungodly sinners against Christ and his people; these are like arrows shot from a bow, and full of deadly poison. The Targum is
"they stretch out their bows, they anoint their arrows with deadly and bitter poison.''
There seems to be an allusion to fixing letters in arrows, and so shooting or directing them where it was desired they should fall and be taken up; so Timoxenus and Artobazus sent letters to one another in this way, at the siege of Potidaea a: and after the same manner, the Jews say b, Shebna and Joab sent letters to Sennacherib, acquainting him that all Israel were willing to make peace with him; but Hezekiah and Isaiah would not allow them to.
a Herodot. Urania, sive l. 8. c. 128. b Derash R. Aba in Kimchi in Psal. xi. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who 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 Psalms 52:2; Psalms 57:4; Psalms 59:7.
And bend their bows ... - That is, they prepare for this - as they make ready to shoot who bend their bows, and fix their arrows on the string. The idea here is, that this was deliberate, or was the result of counsel and purpose. It was not an outbreak of mere passion and excitement; it was by fixed design and careful preparation. See Psalms 11:2, note; Psalms 58:7, note.
Even bitter words - We apply the same term bitter now to words of malice and reproach.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Psalms 64:3. Who 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.
