Psalms 141:7

New King James Version

Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, As when one plows and breaks up the earth.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Our bones lye scattered at the graues mouth, as he that heweth wood or diggeth in the earth.

Christian Standard Bible®
As when one plows and breaks up the soil,turning up rocks,so our bones have been scatteredat the mouth of Sheol.

Hebrew Names Version
"As when one plows and breaks up the eretz, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of She'ol."

Easy-to-Read Version
Like rocks in a field that a farmer has plowed, so our bones will be scattered in the grave.

Amplified Bible
As when the one plows and breaks open the ground [and the soil scatters behind him], Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol [by the injustices of the wicked].

American Standard Version
As when one ploweth and cleaveth the earth, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Contemporary English Version
and their bones lie scattered like broken rocks on top of a grave.

Complete Jewish Bible
As when one plows and breaks the ground into clods, our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sh'ol.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
As when one cleaveth and breaketh up the earth, our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth.

King James Version (1611)
Our bones are scattered at the graues mouth: as when one cutteth and cleaueth wood vpon the earth.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As a lump of earth is crushed upon the ground, our bones have been scattered by the mouth of the grave.

English Revised Version
As when one ploweth and cleaveth the earth, our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth.

Berean Standard Bible
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Lexham English Bible
As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Literal Translation
As when one plows and tears the earth, so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

New Century Version
"The ground is plowed and broken up. In the same way, our bones have been scattered at the grave."

New English Translation
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

New Living Translation
Like rocks brought up by a plow, the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.

New Life Bible
Our bones have been spread around the mouth of the grave like the broken ground behind the plow.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
As when one plougheth and furroweth the earth, Scattered about, are our bones at the mouth of hades!

Douay-Rheims Bible
(140-7) As when the thickness of the earth is broken up upon the ground: Our bones are scattered by the side of hell.

George Lamsa Translation
Like the ploughshare that scatters the earth, let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.

Good News Translation
Like wood that is split and chopped into bits, so their bones are scattered at the edge of the grave.

New American Standard Bible
As when one plows and breaks open the earth, Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

King James Version
Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Our bones lye scattered vpon the graues mouth: lyke as when one breaketh and heweth [wood] vpon the earth.

New Revised Standard
Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land, so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.

Darby Translation
Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for tho weren myyti. As fatnesse is brokun out on the erthe; oure bonys ben scatered niy helle. Lord, Lord,

Young's Literal Translation
As one tilling and ripping up in the land, Have our bones been scattered at the command of Saul.

World English Bible
"As when one plows and breaks up the earth, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol."

Revised Standard Version
As a rock which one cleaves and shatters on the land, so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.

Update Bible Version
As a millstone broken on the earth, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Webster's Bible Translation
Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth.

Bible in Basic English
Our bones are broken up at the mouth of the underworld, as the earth is broken by the plough.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Their iudges stoble at the stone, yet heare they my wordes, yt they be ioyfull.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
As when one plows and breaks open the earth, Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Legacy Standard Bible
As when one plows and splits open the earth,Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. ⁶ Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet. ⁷ Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, As when one plows and breaks up the earth. ⁸ But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute. ⁹ Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity. ¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bones: Psalms 44:22, 1 Samuel 22:18, 1 Samuel 22:19, Romans 8:36, 2 Corinthians 1:9, Hebrews 11:37, Revelation 11:8, Revelation 11:9

Reciprocal: Psalms 53:5 - scattered Psalms 79:3 - and there Psalms 129:3 - The plowers Ezekiel 37:2 - they were Ezekiel 37:11 - Our bones 2 Corinthians 4:11 - are alway

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth,.... Into which they were not suffered to be put, but lay unburied; or from whence they were dug up, and lay scattered about; which is to be understood of such of David's friends as fell into the hands of Saul and his men, and were slain: perhaps it may refer to the fourscore and five priests, and the inhabitants of Nob, slain by the order of Saul, 1 Samuel 22:18. Though the phrase may be only proverbial, and be expressive of the danger David and his men were in, and their sense of it, who looked upon themselves like dry bones, hopeless and helpless, and had the sentence of death in themselves, and were as it were at the mouth of the grave, on the brink of ruin;

as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth: and the chips fly here and there, and are disregarded; such was their case: or as men cut and cleave the earth with the plough, and it is tore up by it, and falls on each side of it, so are we persecuted, afflicted, and distressed by our enemies, and have no mercy shown us; so the Targum,

"as a man that cuts and cleaves with ploughshares in the earth, so our members are scattered at the grave's mouth.''

The Syriac and Arabic versions understand it of the ploughshare cutting the earth.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth - We are, indeed, now like bones scattered in the places of graves; we seem to be weak, feeble, disorganized. We are in a condition which of itself seems to be hopeless: as hopeless as it would be for dry bones scattered when they were buried to rise up and attack an enemy. The reference is to the condition of David and his followers as pursued by a mighty foe. His hope was not in his own forces, but in the power and interposition of God Psalms 141:8.

As when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth - Like chips, blocks, splinters, that have no strength; as when these lie scattered around - a fit emblem of our feeble and scattered forces.