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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Psalms 57:4

I find myself in a pride of lions who are wild for a taste of human flesh; Their teeth are lances and arrows, their tongues are sharp daggers.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arrow;   Enemy;   Malice;   Sword;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Alliance and Society with the Enemies of God;   Spear;   Sword, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Sword;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Sword;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Al-Tashheth;   Music and Musical Instruments;   Psalms;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Tongue ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Arms;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Lion;   Psalms the book of;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Lion;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fire (kindle);   Sword;   Teeth;   Tongue;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Child;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Psalms, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Selah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I am surrounded by lions;I lie down among devouring lions—people whose teeth are spears and arrows,whose tongues are sharp swords.
Hebrew Names Version
My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
King James Version
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
English Standard Version
My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
New Century Version
Enemies, like lions, are all around me; I must lie down among them. Their teeth are like spears and arrows, their tongues as sharp as swords.
New English Translation
I am surrounded by lions; I lie down among those who want to devour me; men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a sharp sword.
Amplified Bible
My life is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe out fire— The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
New American Standard Bible
My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who devour, Among sons of mankind whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue is a sharp sword.
World English Bible
My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
Geneva Bible (1587)
My soule is among lions: I lie among the children of men, that are set on fire: whose teeth are speares and arrowes, & their tongue a sharpe sworde.
Legacy Standard Bible
My soul is among lions;I am lying down among those who breathe forth fire,Sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrowsAnd their tongue a sharp sword.
Berean Standard Bible
My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Contemporary English Version
I live among lions, who gobble down people! They have spears and arrows instead of teeth, and they have sharp swords instead of tongues.
Complete Jewish Bible
He will send from heaven and save me when those who would trample me down mock me. (Selah) God will send his grace and his truth.
Darby Translation
My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down [among] them that breathe out flames, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Easy-to-Read Version
My life is in danger. My enemies are all around me. They are like man-eating lions, with teeth like spears or arrows and tongues like sharp swords.
George Lamsa Translation
He has delivered my life from the vicious as I slept in fear, and from the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongues sharp swords.
Good News Translation
I am surrounded by enemies, who are like lions hungry for human flesh. Their teeth are like spears and arrows; their tongues are like sharp swords.
Lexham English Bible
My soul is among lions. I lie down among those who devour— the children of humankind whose teeth are spears and arrows and whose tongues are sharp swords.
Literal Translation
My soul is among lions; I lie among those on fire, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sela. This shal God sende, for his mercy and faithfulnesse sake. I lye with my soule amonge the cruell lyons:
American Standard Version
My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
Bible in Basic English
My soul is among lions; I am stretched out among those who are on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He will send from heaven, and save me, when he that would swallow me up taunteth; Selah
King James Version (1611)
My soule is among lyons, and I lie euen among them that are set on fire: euen the sonnes of men, whose teeth are speares and arrowes, and their tongue a sharpe sword.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
My soule is among Lions, and I lye among those that are set on fire: among the children of men whose teeth are speares and arrowes, and their tongue a sharpe sword.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and he has delivered my soul from the midst of lions’whelps: I lay down to sleep, though troubled. As for the sons of men, their teeth are arms and missile weapons, and their tongue a sharp sword.
English Revised Version
My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and delyuerede my soule fro the myddis of whelpis of liouns; Y slepte disturblid. The sones of men, the teeth of hem ben armuris and arowis; and her tunge is a scharp swerd.
Update Bible Version
My soul is among lions; I lie among those that are set on fire, Even the sons of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
Webster's Bible Translation
My soul [is] among lions: [and] I lie [even among] them that are set on fire, [even] the sons of men, whose teeth [are] spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
New King James Version
My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
New Living Translation
I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.
New Life Bible
My soul is among lions. I must lie among the sons of men who breathe fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongues are a sharp sword.
New Revised Standard
I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
My soul, is in the midst of lions, I lie down amidst flames, As for the sons of men, Their teeth, are spear and arrows, And, their tongue, is a sharp sword.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(56-5) And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Revised Standard Version
I lie in the midst of lions that greedily devour the sons of men; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
Young's Literal Translation
My soul [is] in the midst of lions, I lie down [among] flames -- sons of men, Their teeth [are] a spear and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword.

Contextual Overview

1A David Psalm, When He Hid in a Cave from Saul Be good to me, God—and now! I've run to you for dear life. I'm hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over. I call out to High God, the God who holds me together. He sends orders from heaven and saves me, he humiliates those who kick me around. God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word. 4 I find myself in a pride of lions who are wild for a taste of human flesh; Their teeth are lances and arrows, their tongues are sharp daggers. 5 Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with your glory! 6 They booby-trapped my path; I thought I was dead and done for. They dug a mantrap to catch me, and fell in headlong themselves.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

among: Psalms 10:9, Psalms 17:12, Psalms 17:13, Psalms 22:13-16, Psalms 35:17, Psalms 58:6, Proverbs 28:15, Daniel 6:22-24

set: Judges 9:20, James 3:6

whose: Psalms 58:6, John 4:10, John 4:11, Proverbs 30:14

tongue: Psalms 52:2, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 64:3, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 25:18, Revelation 19:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:1 - Jacob Numbers 17:10 - rebels Numbers 35:20 - by laying Job 4:10 - the teeth Job 5:21 - be hid Job 41:14 - his teeth Psalms 4:2 - O Psalms 25:19 - Consider Psalms 31:13 - fear Psalms 35:15 - they Psalms 59:7 - swords Psalms 119:121 - leave me Psalms 120:4 - Sharp Psalms 120:6 - soul Psalms 140:3 - sharpened Psalms 142:6 - for they Proverbs 14:3 - the mouth Proverbs 16:27 - in Jeremiah 2:15 - young lions Jeremiah 9:8 - tongue Jeremiah 18:18 - Come and let us smite Jeremiah 20:10 - I heard Ezekiel 38:13 - with Hosea 7:16 - the rage Luke 23:5 - they Luke 23:23 - General Romans 3:13 - with their James 3:8 - an unruly Revelation 9:8 - and their

Gill's Notes on the Bible

My soul [is] among lions,.... Not literally understood; though such there might be in the wildernesses where he sometimes was; but figuratively, men comparable to lions, for their stoutness, courage, strength, fierceness, and cruelty; meaning not his own men, as some think, who were fierce, and of keen resentment against Saul, and would fain have killed him when he was in the cave, had they not been restrained by David, 1 Samuel 24:4; but Saul, and those with him, who were three thousand chosen men, stout, courageous, fierce, and furious. It is usual in scripture to describe powerful princes, and especially persecuting ones, by the name of lions, Proverbs 28:15. Achilles, in Homer o, is compared to a lion for his cruelty. The soul of Christ was among such, when he was apprehended by the band of men that came with Judas to take him; when he was in the high priest's hall buffeted and spit upon; and when he was in the common hall of Pilate, surrounded by the Roman soldiers; and when he was encircled on the cross with the crowd of the common people, priests and elders,

Matthew 26:55; and so the souls of his people are often among lions, persecuting men, and Satan and his principalities, who is compared to a roaring lion, 1 Peter 5:8; and among whom they are as wonderfully preserved as Daniel in the lion's den;

[and] I lie [even among] them that are set on fire; of hell, as the tongue is said to be in James 3:6; by the devil, who stirred up Saul against David, filled him with wrath and fury, so that he breathed out nothing but flaming vengeance, threatening and slaughter, against him; and by wicked men his courtiers, who kindled and stirred up the fire of contention between them; among these incendiaries, as Junius renders the word p, David was, who inflamed the mind of Saul against him, which he suggests in 1 Samuel 24:10;

[even] the sons of men, whose teeth [are] spears and arrows; whose words, formed by means of their teeth, were very devouring ones,

Psalms 52:4; were very piercing and wounding; calumnies, detractions, and backbitings, speaking against him when absent and at a distance, may be meant; see Proverbs 30:14;

and their tongue a sharp sword; Proverbs 30:14- :; and there was a sort of swords called "lingulae", because in the shape of a tongue q.

o Iliad. 24. v. 40, 41. p להטים "incendiarios", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "flammantes", Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth, Cocceius, Vatablus, Musculus. q A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 10. c. 25.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My soul is among lions - That is, among people who resemble lions; men, fierce, savage, ferocious.

And I lie even among them that are set on fire - We have a term of similar import in common use now, when we say that one is “inflamed” with passion, referring to one who is infuriated and enraged. So we speak of “burning” with rage or wrath - an expression derived, perhaps, from the inflamed “appearance” of a man in anger. The idea here is not that he “would” lie down calmly among those persons, as Prof. Alexander suggests, but that he actually “did” thus lie down. When he laid himself down at night, when he sought repose in sleep, he was surrounded by such persons, and seemed to be sleeping in the midst of them.

Even the sons of men - Yet they are not wild beasts, but “men” who seem to have the ferocious nature of wild beasts. The phrase, “sons of men,” is often used to denote men themselves.

Whose teeth are spears and arrows - Spears and arrows in their hands are what the teeth of wild beasts are.

And their tongue a sharp sword - The mention of the tongue here has reference, probably, to the abuse and slander to which he was exposed, and which was like a sharp sword that pierced even to the seat of life. See the notes at Psalms 55:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 57:4. My soul is among lions — לבאם bethoch lebaim. I agree with Dr. Kennicott that this should be translated, "My soul dwells in parched places," from לאב laab, he thirsted. And thus the Chaldee seems to have understood the place, though it be not explicit.

I lie even among them that are set on fire — I seem to be among coals. It is no ordinary rage and malice by which I am pursued: each of my enemies seems determined to have my life.


 
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