Psalms 55:6

New King James Version

So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I said, “If only I had wings like a dove!I would fly away and find rest.

Hebrew Names Version
I said, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

King James Version
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

English Standard Version
And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;

New Century Version
I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove. Then I would fly away and rest.

New English Translation
I say, "I wish I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and settle in a safe place!

Amplified Bible
And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

New American Standard Bible
I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

World English Bible
I said, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a doue: then would I flie away and rest.

Legacy Standard Bible
I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!I would fly away and be at rest.

Berean Standard Bible
I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.

Contemporary English Version
I wish I had wings like a dove, so I could fly far away and be at peace.

Complete Jewish Bible
fear and trembling overwhelm me, horror covers me.

Darby Translation
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;

Easy-to-Read Version
Oh, I wish I had wings like a dove. I would fly away and find a place to rest.

George Lamsa Translation
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away and be at rest.

Good News Translation
I wish I had wings like a dove. I would fly away and find rest.

Lexham English Bible
So I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove. I would fly away and be at rest.

Literal Translation
And I said, Who will give to me wings like a dove? I would fly away and be at rest.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Lo, then wolde I get me awaye farre of, and remayne in the wildernesse.

American Standard Version
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.

Bible in Basic English
And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

King James Version (1611)
And I said, O that I had wings like a doue; for then would I flee away and be at rest.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I sayde, O that I had wynges like a doue: for then woulde I flee away, and be at rest.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, O that I had wings as those of a dove! then would I flee away, and be at rest.

English Revised Version
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide, Who schal yyue to me fetheris, as of a culuer; and Y schal fle, and schal take rest?

Update Bible Version
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I said, O that I had wings like a dove! [for then] I would fly away, and be at rest.

New Living Translation
Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!

New Life Bible
And I say, "If only I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest.

New Revised Standard
And I say, "O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then I said - Oh that there were given me a pinion, like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest:

Douay-Rheims Bible
(54-7) And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?

Revised Standard Version
And I say, "O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;

Young's Literal Translation
And I say, `Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

Contextual Overview

¹ To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. [fn] A Contemplation [fn] of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God,And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. ² Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, ³ Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me. ⁴ My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. ⁵ Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. ⁶ So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. ⁷ Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness.Selah ⁸ I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 11:1, Psalms 139:9, Revelation 12:14

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 20:38 - General Proverbs 21:19 - better Ecclesiastes 4:3 - who Jeremiah 9:2 - that I had Jeremiah 48:9 - wings Jeremiah 48:28 - like

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I said, oh that I had wings like a dove,.... The psalmist pitches upon this creature, partly to suggest that his enemies pursuing him were like the ravenous hawk, and he like the harmless, innocent, and trembling dove; and partly because of its swiftness in flying. Aben Ezra thinks the dove is mentioned, because it is sociable with men, and who send letters by them for quick dispatch, of which instances may be given r. This wish is expressed suitably to his character and case. The church is sometimes compared to a dove for its innocence, modesty, chastity, purity, affection, inconsolableness for the loss of its mate, and for its fearfulness, Song of Solomon 2:14; and so is Christ, Song of Solomon 5:12; who was typified by Jonah, whose name signifies a dove; and on whom the Spirit of God descended as a dove, at his baptism, and by whom he was filled with his dovelike graces;

[for then] would I fly away; so David desired to flee, and did flee with good speed and haste from Absalom his son, 2 Samuel 15:14, title. Arama observes of the dove, that, when weary with flying with one wing, it rests that, and flies with the other, and so has strength to fly continually without stopping, which he supposes to be the reason why the wing of a dove is desired. So every sensible sinner desires to flee from sin and sinners, and from wrath to come; from avenging justice, to Christ the city of refuge; so Christ, under the terrors of death, in his human nature, in a view of the law's curse and wrath, desired the cup might pass from him, and he might flee and escape death, though with submission to the divine will;

and be at rest; safe and secure from the conspirators, as David was; and as a sinner is that has fled to Christ; in whom is rest from the burden and guilt of sin, from the wrath, curse, and condemnation of the law, and under all afflictions, whether of body or mind; and not in the world, and worldly enjoyments; nor in the law, and the works of it: and as Christ is; not by escaping death, but through dying, and having done his work has ceased from it, and is entered into his rest; which was the joy set before him, that animated him as man to endure the cross, and despise the shame; here also true believers, weary of the world, desire to be, enjoying that rest which remains for the people of God.

r Vid. Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 9. c. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And I said - That is, when I saw these calamities coming upon me, and knew not what the result was to be.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove! - literally, “Who will give me wings like a dove?” or, Who will give me the pinion of a dove? The original word - אבר 'êber - means properly, “a wing-feather;” a pinion; the penna major or flagfeather of a bird’s wing by which he steers his course, - as of an eagle, Isaiah 40:31, or of a dove, as here. It is distinguished from the wing itself, Ezekiel 17:3 : “A great eagle, with great wings, “long-winged,” full of feathers.” The reference here is supposed to be to the turtle-dove - a species of dove common in Palestine. Compare the notes at Psalms 11:1. These doves, it is said, are never tamed. “Confined in a cage, they droop, and, like Cowper, sigh for ‘A lodge in some vast wilderness - some boundless contiguity of shade;’ and no sooner are they set at liberty, than they flee to their mountains.” Land and the Book (Dr. Thomson), vol. i., p. 416.

For then would I fly away, and be at rest - I would escape from these dangers, and be in a place of safety. How often do we feel this in times of trouble! How often do we wish that we could get beyond the reach of enemies; of sorrows; of afflictions! How often do we sigh to be in a place where we might be assured that we should be safe from all annoyances; from all trouble! There is such a place, but not on earth. David might have borne his severest troubles with him if he could have fled - for those troubles are in the heart, and a mere change of place does not affect them; or he might have found new troubles in the place that seemed to him to be a place of peace and of rest. But there is a world which trouble never enters. That world is heaven; to that world we shall soon go, if we are God’s children; and there we shall find absolute and eternal rest. Without “the wings of a dove,” we shall soon fly away and be at rest. None of the troubles of earth will accompany us there; no new troubles will spring up there to disturb our peace.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 55:6. O that I had wings like a dove! — He was so surrounded, so hemmed in on every side by his adversaries, that he could see no way for his escape unless he had wings, and could take flight. The dove is a bird of very rapid wing; and some oil them passing before his eyes at the time, might have suggested the idea expressed here.

And be at rest. — Get a habitation.