Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, November 28th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Psalms 11:1

In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   The Topic Concordance - Trust;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Turtle-Dove;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dove;   Hachilah, the Hill;   Nehemiah;   Shemaiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Imprecation, Imprecatory Psalms;   Psalms, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Psalms;   Sin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Birds;   Mercy;   Psalms, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Birds;   Resurrection;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
English Revised Version
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
Update Bible Version
For the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. In Yahweh I take refuge: How do you say to my soul, Flee to your mountain, birds;
New Century Version

For the director of music. Of David.

I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly like a bird to your mountain.
New English Translation

For the music director; by David.

In the Lord I have taken shelter. How can you say to me, "Flee to a mountain like a bird!
Webster's Bible Translation
To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David. In the LORD I put my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee [as] a bird to your mountain?
World English Bible
<> In Yahweh do I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain!"
Amplified Bible
In the LORD I take refuge [and put my trust]; How can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to your mountain;
English Standard Version

To the choirmaster. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The title of the tenthe salm. To the victorie of Dauid. I triste in the Lord; hou seien ye to my soule, Passe thou ouere in to an hil, as a sparowe doith?
Berean Standard Bible
For the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. So how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to your mountain!
Contemporary English Version

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The Lord is my fortress! Don't say to me, "Escape like a bird to the mountains!"
American Standard Version

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

In Jehovah do I take refuge: How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain;
Bible in Basic English
In the Lord put I my faith; how will you say to my soul, Go in flight like a bird to the mountain?
Complete Jewish Bible
For the leader. By David: In Adonai I find refuge. So how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to the mountains!
Darby Translation

To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David.

In Jehovah have I put my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee [as] a bird to your mountain?
Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: A song of David.

I trust in the Lord , so why did you tell me to run and hide? Why did you say, "Fly like a bird to your mountain?"
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the Leader. [A Psalm] of David.
King James Version (1611)
[To the chiefe Musician. A Psalme of Dauid.] In the Lord put I my trust: how say yee to my soule, Flee as a bird to your mountaine?
New Life Bible
In the Lord I am safe. How can you say to me, "Fly away as a bird to your mountain?
New Revised Standard

To the leader. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to the mountains;
Geneva Bible (1587)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid. In the Lorde put I my trust: howe say yee then to my soule, Flee to your mountaine as a birde?
George Lamsa Translation
IN the LORD put I my trust; how say you to me, Flee as a bird to the mountains?
Good News Translation
I trust in the Lord for safety. How foolish of you to say to me, "Fly away like a bird to the mountains,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
In Yahweh, have I sought refuge. How can ye say to my soul, Flee to a mountain like a little bird;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(10-1) <Unto the end. A psalm to David.> (10-2) In the Lord I put my trust: how then do you say to my soul: Get thee away from hence to the mountain, like a sparrow.
Revised Standard Version
To the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to the mountains;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
In God I put my trust: howe say ye then to my soule, that she shoulde flee as a byrde from your hyll.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
In the Lord I have put my trust: how will ye say to my soul, Flee to the mountains as a sparrow?
Christian Standard Bible®
I have taken refuge in the Lord.How can you say to me,“Escape to the mountains like a bird!
Hebrew Names Version
<> In the LORD do I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain!"
Lexham English Bible

For the music director. Of David.

In Yahweh I have taken refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee to your mountain like a bird"?
Literal Translation
To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. I sought refuge in Jehovah; how can you say to my soul, Flee like a bird to your hill.
Young's Literal Translation
To the Overseer. -- By David. In Jehovah I trusted, how say ye to my soul, `They moved [to] Thy mountain for the bird?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In the LORDE put I my trust: how will ye then saye to my soule: that she shulde fle as a byrde vpon youre hill?
THE MESSAGE
A David Psalm I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God . So why would I run away now when you say, "Run to the mountains; the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance"?
New American Standard Bible
In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain?
New King James Version
In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain"?
New American Standard Bible (1995)

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

In the Lord I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain;
Legacy Standard Bible
In Yahweh I take refuge;How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain;

Contextual Overview

1 In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2942, bc 1062

In the: Psalms 7:1, Psalms 9:10, Psalms 16:1, Psalms 25:2, Psalms 31:14, Psalms 56:11, 2 Chronicles 14:11, 2 Chronicles 16:8, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 26:4

how: 1 Samuel 19:11, 1 Samuel 20:38, 1 Samuel 21:10-12, 1 Samuel 22:3, 1 Samuel 23:14, 1 Samuel 27:1

Flee: Psalms 55:6, Psalms 55:7, Proverbs 6:5, Luke 13:31

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 33:7 - and be thou Joshua 2:16 - Get you 1 Samuel 17:33 - Thou art not 1 Samuel 17:37 - The Lord 1 Samuel 22:4 - in the hold 1 Samuel 23:3 - Behold 1 Kings 22:13 - Behold now 2 Kings 6:16 - Fear not 2 Kings 18:30 - make you 2 Chronicles 32:11 - The Lord our God Nehemiah 4:10 - The strength Nehemiah 6:11 - Should such Psalms 10:6 - said Psalms 27:1 - of whom Isaiah 7:2 - And his heart Jeremiah 48:6 - Flee Jeremiah 48:9 - wings Jeremiah 48:14 - How Daniel 6:10 - as he John 11:8 - the Jews John 14:9 - how John 14:27 - afraid

Cross-References

Isaiah 19:18
In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.
Zephaniah 3:9
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord , to serve him with one consent.
Acts 2:6
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

In the Lord put I my trust,.... Not in himself, in his own heart, nor in his own righteousness and strength; nor in men, the greatest of men, the princes of the earth; nor in his armies, or any outward force; but in the Lord, as the God of providence and of grace; and in the Messiah, in his person and righteousness; so the Chaldee paraphrase renders it, "in the Word of the Lord do I hope": and the phrase denotes a continued exercise of faith in the Lord; that he was always looking to him, staying himself on him, and committing himself and all his concerns to him; for he does not say, I "have", or I "will", but I "do", put my trust in the Lord; at all times, even in the worst of times, and in the present one; wherefore he is displeased with his friends for endeavouring to intimidate him, persuading him to flee and provide for his safety, when he had betaken himself to the Lord, and was safe enough;

how say ye to my soul, flee [as] a bird to your mountain? they compare him to a little, fearful, trembling bird, wandering from its nest, moving through fear from place to place, whereas his heart was fixed, trusting in the Lord; and this gave him a disgust: they advise him to flee either "from" his mountain, so Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it; that is, either from Judea, which was a mountainous country, especially some parts of it; or from Mount Zion, or rather from the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph, or the hill of Hachilah, where David sometimes was, 1 Samuel 23:14; or it may be rendered "to your mountain", as we, so the Targum; that is, to the said place or places where he had sometimes hid himself; and this they said to his "soul", which was very cutting and grieving to him; the word rendered "flee" in the "Cetib", or writing of the text, is נודו, in the plural, "flee ye"; but is pointed for, and in the "Keri", or marginal reading, is נודי, "flee thou"; the latter agrees with this being said to David's soul, the former with the phrase "your mountain", and both are to be taken into the sense of the words; not as if the one respected David's soul only, and the other both soul and body, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; but the one regards David's person, and the other his companions, or the people with him; and contains an advice, both to him and them, to flee for their safety; the reasons follow.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the Lord put I my trust - This, in general, expresses the state of mind of the author - a state of feeling which runs through the entire psalm. It is designed to be an answer to the counsel which others had been giving him to escape, and it implies that he was determined at that time, and always, to put his trust in God. They advised him to flee. In the existing circumstances he felt that that would have implied a want of confidence in God. He determined, therefore, to maintain his present position, and to rely upon the interposition of God in due time.

How say ye to my soul - How say ye to “me” - the soul being put for the person himself. “Why” do you say this to me? how can you give me such counsel, as if I were to run away from danger, and to put no trust in God? He seems to have supposed that such an act of flight would have been construed by his enemies, and by the enemies of religion, as evidence that he had no faith or confidence in God. Such circumstances often occur in the world; and when that would be the “fair” and “natural” construction of one’s conduct, the path of duty is plain. We are to remain where we are; we are boldly to face the danger, and commit the whole matter to God.

Flee as a bird to your mountain - This implies that it was supposed there was no longer any safety where he then was. The use of the plural number here - “Flee ye,” by a change not uncommon in the Hebrew writings - seems designed to refer to the whole class of persons in those circumstances. The mind turns from his own particular case to that of others in the same circumstances; and the language may be designed to imply that this was the usual counsel given to such persons; that, on the same principle on which they now advised flight in this particular case, they would also advise flight in all similar cases. That is, they would counsel persons to flee to a place of safety when they were in danger of their life from persecution. This is the common counsel of the world; this would be the ordinary teaching of human prudence. The mountains in Palestine were regarded as places of safety, and were the common refuge of those who were in danger. In their caves and fastnesses, and on their heights, those who were in danger found security, for they could there hide themselves, or could more easily defend themselves, than they could in the plains and in the vallies. Hence, they became the place of retreat for robbers and banditti, as well as for the persecuted. The allusion to the bird here does not imply that birds sought a refuge in the mountains, and that he was to resemble them in this respect; but the point of the comparison turns on the rapidity with which this refuge should be sought:” Fly to the mountains as swiftly as a bird flies from danger.” Compare Matthew 24:16; Judges 6:2; Hebrews 11:38.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM XI


David's friends advise him to flee to the wilderness from

Saul's fury, 1-3.

He answers that, having put his trust in God, knowing that he

forsakes not those who confide in him, and that he will punish

the ungodly, he is perfectly satisfied that he shall be in

safety, 4-7.


NOTES ON PSALM XI

The inscription is, To the chief Musician, A psalm of David. By the chief musician we may understand the master-singer; the leader of the band; the person who directed the choir: but we know that the word has been translated, To the Conqueror; and some deep and mystical senses have been attributed to it, with which I believe the text has nothing to do.

Verse Psalms 11:1. In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye — Some of David's friends seem to have given him this advice when they saw Saul bent on his destruction: "Flee as a bird to your mountain;" you have not a moment to lose; your ruin is determined; escape for your life; get off as swiftly as possible to the hill-country, to some of those inaccessible fortresses best known to yourself; and hide yourself there from the cruelty of Saul. To which advice he answers, "In the Lord put I my trust," shall I act as if I were conscious of evil, and that my wicked deeds were likely to be discovered? Or shall I act as one who believes he is forsaken of the protection of the Almighty? No: I put my trust in him, and I am sure I shall never be confounded.


 
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