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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Psalms 55:20

Their mouthes are softer then butter, & yet haue they batell in their mynde: their wordes are smoother then oyle, and yet be they very swerdes.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Friends;   Hypocrisy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Covenant-Breakers;   Faithfulness-Unfaithfulness;   The Topic Concordance - Destruction;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hypocrisy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Ahithophel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Psalms;   Sin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Covenant, in the Old Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Poetry;   Selah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
My friend acts violentlyagainst those at peace with him;he violates his covenant.
Hebrew Names Version
He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.
King James Version
He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
English Standard Version
My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant.
New Century Version
The one who was my friend attacks his friends and breaks his promises.
New English Translation
He attacks his friends; he breaks his solemn promises to them.
Amplified Bible
He [my companion] has put out his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant [of friendship and loyalty].
New American Standard Bible
He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated his covenant.
World English Bible
He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Hee layed his hande vpon such, as be at peace with him, and he brake his couenant.
Legacy Standard Bible
My companion has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;He has violated his covenant.
Berean Standard Bible
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
Contemporary English Version
My friend turned against me and broke his promise.
Complete Jewish Bible
God will hear and will humble them, yes, he who has sat on his throne from the start. (Selah) For they never change, and they don't fear God.
Darby Translation
He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
Easy-to-Read Version
This one who was once my friend now attacks his friends. He is breaking every promise he made.
George Lamsa Translation
They have put forth their hands against their neighbours, they have broken his covenant.
Good News Translation
My former companion attacked his friends; he broke his promises.
Lexham English Bible
He has put forth his hands against his friends; he has defiled his covenant.
Literal Translation
He sent out his hand against those who wish him well; he polluted his covenant.
American Standard Version
He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.
Bible in Basic English
He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
God shall hear, and humble them, even He that is enthroned of old, Selah
King James Version (1611)
He hath put foorth his handes against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his couenant.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He layde his handes vpon such as be at peace with him: and he brake his couenaunt.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He has reached forth his hand for retribution; they have profaned his covenant.
English Revised Version
He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: he hath profaned his covenant.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he holdith forth his hoond in yelding. Thei defouliden his testament,
Update Bible Version
He has put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He has profaned his covenant.
Webster's Bible Translation
He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
New King James Version
He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant.
New Living Translation
As for my companion, he betrayed his friends; he broke his promises.
New Life Bible
He goes against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his agreement.
New Revised Standard
My companion laid hands on a friend and violated a covenant with me
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He hath thrust forth his hands, against them he was wont to salute, he hath violated his covenant;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(54-21) He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
Revised Standard Version
My companion stretched out his hand against his friends, he violated his covenant.
Young's Literal Translation
He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.
THE MESSAGE
And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends; his life betrayed his word. All my life I've been charmed by his speech, never dreaming he'd turn on me. His words, which were music to my ears, turned to daggers in my heart.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated his covenant.

Contextual Overview

16 In the eueninge, mornynge and at noone daye wil I mourne and complayne: and he shal heare my voyce. 17 It is he that delyuereth my soule in peace, from them that laye waite for me: for they are many agaynst me. 18 Yee euen God that endureth for euer, shal heare me, and brynge them downe. Sela. For they wil not turne: and why? they feare not God. 19 Yee they laye hondes vpon soch as be at peace with him, and so thei breake his couenaunt. 20 Their mouthes are softer then butter, & yet haue they batell in their mynde: their wordes are smoother then oyle, and yet be they very swerdes. 21 O cast thy burthen (or care) vpon the LORDE, he shal norish the, and not leaue the rightuous in vnquietnesse. 22 But as for them, thou (o God) shalt cast them downe in to the pitte of destruccion. 23 The bloudthurstie and disceatfull shal not lyue out half their daies. Neuerthelesse my trust is in the.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

put: 1 Samuel 22:17, 1 Samuel 24:10, 2 Samuel 18:12, Acts 12:1

at peace: Psalms 7:4, Psalms 109:5, Psalms 120:6, Psalms 120:7

broken: Heb. profaned, Psalms 89:28, Psalms 89:34, Psalms 89:38, 2 Samuel 2:4, 2 Samuel 5:3, 2 Samuel 14:32, 2 Samuel 14:33, 2 Samuel 15:10-12, Ecclesiastes 8:2, Ezekiel 17:16-19

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:14 - broken Numbers 30:2 - break Job 19:19 - my inward friends Psalms 41:9 - Yea Psalms 89:31 - break Proverbs 3:29 - Devise not evil Proverbs 11:9 - An hypocrite Micah 2:8 - securely Matthew 26:48 - Whomsoever Mark 14:44 - Whomsoever

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He hath put forth his hands,.... The psalmist returns and describes, in this verse Psalms 55:3, the cruelty, perfidy, and hypocrisy of his false friend; who had stretched forth his hands

against such as be at peace with him, or he pretended to be at peace with. So Ahithophel put forth his hands against David, by whom he had been admitted into his privy council, and there had taken sweet counsel together, by entering into a conspiracy and rebellion against him, and by forming a scheme to smite the king only, 2 Samuel 17:1; and Judas, though he did not lay hands on Christ himself, yet he gave his enemies a sign by which they might know him, and seize him, and hold him fast, as they did; and him Christ calls the man of his peace, Psalms 41:9; they being at peace when he lifted up his heel against him;

he hath broken his covenant; of friendship that was made between them; he proved false and treacherous, broke through his engagements, and violated his faith.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him - Against those who were his friends, or who had given him no occasion for war. The Septuagint and Vulgate render this, “He hath put forth his hands in recompensing;” that is, in taking vengeance. The Hebrew would bear this construction, but the more correct rendering is that in our common version. The “connection” here would seem to indicate that this is to be referred to God, as God is mentioned in the previous verse. But evidently the design is to refer to the enemies, or the principal enemy of the psalmist - the man whom he had particularly in his eye in the composition of the psalm; and the language is that of one who was “full” of the subject - who was thinking of one thing - and who did not deem it necessary to specify by name the man who had injured him, and whose conduct had so deeply pained him. He, therefore, begins the verse, “He hath put forth his hands,” etc.; showing that his mind was fixed on the base conduct of his enemy. The language is such as leads us to suppose that the psalmist had Ahithophel in view, as being eminently the man that had in this cruel and unexpected manner put forth his hands against one who was his friend, and who had always treated him with confidence.

He hath broken his covenant - He, Ahithophel. The margin, as the Hebrew, is, “He hath profaned.” The idea is, that he had defiled, or polluted it; or he had treated it as a vile thing - a thing to be regarded with contempt and aversion, as a polluted object is. The “covenant” here referred to, according to the views expressed above, may be supposed to refer to the compact or agreement of Ahithophel with David as an officer of his realm - as an adviser and counselor - that he would be faithful to the interests of the king and to his cause. All this he had disregarded, and had treated as if it were a worthless thing, by identifying himself with Absalom in his rebellion. See 2 Samuel 15:12, 2 Samuel 15:31.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 55:20. He hath put forth his hands — A farther description of Ahithophel. He betrayed his friends, and he broke his covenant with his king. He had agreed to serve David for his own emolument, and a stipulation was made accordingly; but while receiving the king's pay, he was endeavouring to subvert the kingdom, and destroy the life of his sovereign.


 
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