the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
King James Version
Psalms 17:11
Bible Study Resources
Dictionaries:
- CharlesEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
They track me down and surround me, watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
They have now compassed us in our steps: they set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
They advance against me, now they surround me; They set their eyes to cast [me] down to the earth.
They have chased me until they have surrounded me. They plan to throw me to the ground.
They attack me, now they surround me; they intend to throw me to the ground.
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
They track us down and have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to force us to the ground,
They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
Thei castiden me forth, and han cumpassid me now; thei ordeyneden to bowe doun her iyen in to erthe.
They have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground,
They have caught up with me! My enemies are everywhere, eagerly hoping to smear me in the dirt.
They have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
They have made a circle round our steps: their eyes are fixed on us, forcing us down to the earth;
they track me down, they surround me; they watch for a chance to bring me to the ground.
They have now encompassed us in our steps; their eyes have they set, bowing down to the earth.
They have been following me, and now they are all around me. They watch me, waiting to throw me to the ground.
At our every step they have now encompassed us; they set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
They haue now compassed vs in our steps: they haue set their eyes bowing downe to the earth:
They have followed our every step and are all around us. They are watching for a way to bring us down to the ground.
They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
They haue compassed vs now in our steps: they haue set their eyes to bring downe to the ground:
They have praised me, and now have surrounded me; they have determined to bury me in the ground.
They are around me now, wherever I turn, watching for a chance to pull me down.
As for our own goings, now, have they surrounded us, - Their eyes, they fix, bending to the earth:
(16-11) They have cast me forth, and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.
They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
His [doynges] be lyke a lions that is greedy to take a pray: and as a lions whelpe lurkyng in secrete places.
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.
They advance against me; now they surround me.They are determinedto throw me to the ground.
They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the eretz.
Now they surround us at our every step. They intend to pin me to the ground.
now they have hemmed in our steps; they set their eyes to extending to the earth;
`Our steps now have compassed [him];' Their eyes they set to turn aside in the land.
They lye waytinge in or waye on euery syde, turnynge their eyes downe to the grounde.
They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
They have now surrounded us in our steps;They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
Contextual Overview
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
And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord , let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
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.
