Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Psalms 17:4

Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Temptation;   Word of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Scriptures, the;   Sin;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Upright, Uprightness;   Word;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Future State;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abigail;   David;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Prayer;   Psalms;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - David;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

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

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 27;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
English Revised Version
As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
Update Bible Version
As for the works of man, by the word of your lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
New Century Version
I have obeyed your commands, so I have not done what evil people do.
New English Translation
As for the actions of people— just as you have commanded, I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men.
Webster's Bible Translation
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept [me from] the paths of the destroyer.
World English Bible
As for the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
Amplified Bible
Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept away from the paths of the violent.
English Standard Version
With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That my mouth speke not the werkis of men; for the wordis of thi lippis Y haue kept harde weies.
Berean Standard Bible
As for the deeds of men-by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
Contemporary English Version
I don't do like others. I obey your teachings and am not cruel.
American Standard Version
As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
Bible in Basic English
As for the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
Complete Jewish Bible
As for what others do, by words from your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent;
Darby Translation
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept from the paths of the violent [man].
Easy-to-Read Version
Unlike most people, I have obeyed your commands, so I have never been like those who are cruel and evil.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
As for the doings of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
King James Version (1611)
Concerning the workes of men, by the word of thy lips, I haue kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
New Life Bible
As for the actions of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept myself from the paths of those who want to hurt others.
New Revised Standard
As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Concerning the workes of men, by the wordes of thy lips I kept mee from the paths of the cruell man.
George Lamsa Translation
Through the conversation of my lips thou hast kept me from evil ways.
Good News Translation
as others do; I have obeyed your command and have not followed paths of violence.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
As for the workings of men, By the word of thy lips, have, I, taken heed of the paths of the violent one.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(16-4) That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.
Revised Standard Version
With regard to the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
As touchyng [other] mens workes: through the wordes of thy lyppes I haue kept me from the way of the violent.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As for the works of men, by the words of thy lips I have guarded myself from hard ways.
Christian Standard Bible®
Concerning what people do:by the words from your lipsI have avoided the ways of the violent.
Hebrew Names Version
As for the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
Lexham English Bible
As for the works of humankind, by the word of your lips, I have kept from the ways of the violent.
Literal Translation
As to the doings of men, by the Words of Your lips I keep from the paths of the violent.
Young's Literal Translation
As to doings of man, Through a word of Thy lips I have observed The paths of a destroyer;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Because of the wordes of thy lippes, I haue kepte me fro the workes of men, in ye waye off the murthurer.
THE MESSAGE
I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word's way. I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot In front of the other. I'm not giving up.
New American Standard Bible
As for the works of mankind, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the ways of the violent.
New King James Version
Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent.
Legacy Standard Bible
As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lipsI have kept from the paths of the violent.

Contextual Overview

1 Hear the right, O Lord , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. 2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. 6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

works: Psalms 14:1-3, Genesis 6:5, Genesis 6:11, Job 15:16, Job 31:33, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Peter 4:2, 1 Peter 4:3

word: Psalms 119:9-11, Proverbs 2:10-15, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 4:7, Matthew 4:10, John 17:17, Ephesians 6:17, James 1:18, Revelation 12:11

destroyer: 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 9:11, *marg.

Reciprocal: Job 33:22 - his life Psalms 18:21 - For I Proverbs 2:12 - deliver Proverbs 6:22 - General John 8:23 - Ye are from Galatians 5:19 - the works 1 John 4:5 - are 1 John 5:18 - keepeth

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Genesis 13:16
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Genesis 16:10
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:11
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Genesis 17:18
And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Genesis 22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Genesis 32:12
And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 35:11
And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
Genesis 48:19
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Concerning the works of men,.... Of wicked men, as to what respects and concerns them, or in the midst of them; in the midst of a wicked generation of men, and their filthy conversation; who appear to be so,

by the word of thy lips; the law of God, the Scriptures of truth, the rule and standard of faith and practice, which show what works are good and what are not; by the use, help, and benefit of this;

I have kept [me from] the paths of the destroyer; such is the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning; antichrist, whose name is Abaddon and Apollyon, both which signify a destroyer; false teachers, and all wicked men: the "paths" of such are their wicked principles and practices, their damnable errors and heresies, their sins and lusts, which make up the broad road that leads to destruction: these the psalmist "kept" or "observed" a, for the words "me" and "from" are not in the original text; and the sense is, that he took notice of them, and avoided them, and, as a faithful prince and magistrate, forbad his subjects walking in them, and restrained them from them, making the word of God the rule of his conduct.

a שמרתי "custodivi", Pagninus, Montanus; "observavi", Musculus, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus; so Ainsworth; "vel prohibui", Muis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Concerning the works of men - In respect to the works or doings of men. The reference is here probably to the ordinary or common doings of mankind, or to what generally characterizes the conduct of men. As their conduct is so commonly, and so characteristically wicked, wickedness may be spoken of as their “work,” and it is to this doubtless that the psalmist refers. In respect to the sinful courses or “paths” to which men are so prone, he says that he had kept himself from them. This is in accordance with what he says in the previous verse, that he had given no occasion by his conduct for the treatment which he had received at the hands of his enemies.

By the word of thy lips - Not by his own strength; not by any power which he himself had, but by the commands and promises of God - by what had proceeded from his mouth. The reference is doubtless to all that God had spoken: to the law which prescribed his duty, and to the promises which God had given to enable him to walk in the path of uprightness. He had relied on the word of God as inculcating duty; he had submitted to it as authority; he had found encouragement in it in endeavoring to do right.

I have kept me - I have preserved myself. I have so guarded my conduct that I have not fallen into the sins which are so common among men.

The paths of the destroyer - The paths which the “destroyer” treads; the course of life which such men lead. The idea is, not that he had been able to save himself from violence at their hands, but that he had been enabled to avoid their mode of life. The word rendered “destroyer” is from a verb which means “to break, to rend, to scatter,” and would properly refer to acts of violence and lawlessness. He had kept himself from the modes of life of the violent and the lawless; that is, he had been enabled to lead a peaceful and quiet lift. He had given no occasion to his enemies to treat him as a violent, a lawless, a wicked man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 17:4. The paths of the destroyer. — Some render, hard or difficult paths, the sense of which is given above. But the passage is exceedingly obscure. My old Psalter translates and paraphrases as follows: -

Trans. That my mouthe speke noght the werkes of men, for the wordes of thi lippes I haf keped hard wayse.

Par. That es, that nothing passe of my mouthe bot at falles to the louyng of the; noght til werkes of men, that dos o gaynes thy wil; als to say, I spak noght bot gude; and for the wordes of thi lippes, that es, to ful fil the wordes that thi prophetes saide; I kepe hard waies of verteus and of tribulacioun, the qwilk men thynk hard; and for thi thai leve the hard way til heven, and takes the soft way til hel; but it es ful hard at the end.


 
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