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Updated Bible Version

Psalms 64:5

They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; They commune of laying snares secretly; They say, Who will see them?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Infidelity;   Malice;   Speaking;   Wicked (People);   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sin;  

Dictionaries:

- Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hunting;   Psalms;   Sin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Matter;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They adopt an evil plan;they talk about hiding traps and say,“Who will see them?”
Hebrew Names Version
They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, "Who will see them?"
King James Version
They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
English Standard Version
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who can see them?"
New Century Version
They encourage each other to do wrong. They talk about setting traps, thinking no one will see them.
New English Translation
They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. They plan how to hide snares, and boast, "Who will see them?"
Amplified Bible
They encourage themselves in [their pursuit of] an evil agenda; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, "Who will discover us?"
New American Standard Bible
They make firm for themselves an evil purpose; They talk of setting snares secretly; They say, "Who can see them?"
World English Bible
They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, "Who will see them?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
They encourage themselues in a wicked purpose: they commune together to lay snares priuilie, and say, Who shall see them?
Legacy Standard Bible
They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose;They talk of laying snares secretly;They say, "Who can see them?"
Berean Standard Bible
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they speak of hiding their snares. "Who will see them?" they say.
Contemporary English Version
They are determined to do evil, and they tell themselves, "Let's set traps! No one can see us."
Complete Jewish Bible
in order to shoot from cover at the innocent, shooting suddenly and fearing nothing.
Darby Translation
They encourage themselves in an evil matter, they concert to hide snares; they say, Who will see them?
Easy-to-Read Version
They encourage each other to do wrong. They talk about setting traps and say, "No one will see them here!
George Lamsa Translation
They encourage themselves with evil speech; they plan to hide snares; they say, Who shall see us?
Good News Translation
They encourage each other in their evil plots; they talk about where they will place their traps. "No one can see them," they say.
Lexham English Bible
They encourage themselves in the evil matter. They talk of secretly laying snares. They say, "Who will see them?"
Literal Translation
They make themselves strong in an evil plan; they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who shall see them?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They haue deuysed myschefe, and commoned amonge them selues, how they maye laye snares: tush (saye they) who shall se them?
American Standard Version
They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; They commune of laying snares privily; They say, Who will see them?
Bible in Basic English
They make themselves strong in an evil purpose; they make holes for secret nets; they say, Who will see it,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
That they may shoot in secret places at the blameless; suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
King James Version (1611)
They incourage themselues in an euill matter: they commune of laying snares priuily; they say, Who shall see them?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They courage them selues in mischiefe: and comune among them selues how they may lay snares, and say, who shall see them?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
They have set up for themselves an evil matter, they have given counsel to hide snares; they have said, Who shall see them?
English Revised Version
They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sodeynli thei schulen schete hym, and thei schulen not drede; thei maden stidefast to hem silf a wickid word. Thei telden, that thei schulden hide snaris; thei seiden, Who schal se hem?
Webster's Bible Translation
They encourage themselves [in] an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who will see them?
New King James Version
They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, "Who will see them?"
New Living Translation
They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. "Who will ever notice?" they ask.
New Life Bible
They talk each other into doing sinful things. They talk about setting hidden traps. They say, "Who will see them?"
New Revised Standard
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who can see us?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They strengthen for them a wicked word, They talk of hiding snares, They have said, Who can see them?
Douay-Rheims Bible
(63-6) They will shoot at him on a sudden, and will not fear: they are resolute in wickedness. They have talked of hiding snares; they have said: Who shall see them?
Revised Standard Version
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who can see us?
Young's Literal Translation
They strengthen for themselves an evil thing, They recount of the hiding of snares, They have said, `Who doth look at it?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, "Who can see them?"

Contextual Overview

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint: Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 2 Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers, From the tumult of the workers of iniquity; 3 Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words, 4 That they may shoot in secret places at the perfect: Suddenly they shoot at him, and aren't afraid. 5 They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; They commune of laying snares secretly; They say, Who will see them? 6 They search out iniquities; We have accomplished, [they say], a diligent search: And the inward thought and the heart of a man is deep.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

encourage: Exodus 15:9, Numbers 22:6, Proverbs 1:11-14, Isaiah 41:6, Revelation 11:10

matter: or, speech.

commune: 1 Samuel 23:19-23, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 26:3, Matthew 26:4

of laying snares: Heb. to hide snares, Psalms 124:7, Psalms 140:5

Who: Psalms 10:11, Psalms 59:7, Psalms 94:7, Ezekiel 8:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 11:3 - they said one to another Genesis 20:13 - This Genesis 27:42 - comfort himself Genesis 37:20 - and let Judges 20:22 - encouraged Psalms 11:2 - that Psalms 140:2 - imagine Isaiah 29:15 - seek Isaiah 47:10 - thou hast said Jeremiah 5:26 - lay wait Jeremiah 18:22 - and hid Jeremiah 36:24 - they Matthew 12:34 - how Luke 14:1 - they

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They encourage themselves [in] an evil matter,.... Or "strengthen him" c; that is, Saul, by making use of arguments and reasonings to induce him to go on in his wicked persecution of David; or they strengthened and hardened themselves in their wickedness, as Saul's courtiers and the enemies of Christ did, and as all wicked men do, when they observe the sentence against them is not speedily executed, Ecclesiastes 8:11;

they commune of laying snares privily; that is, they conversed together, and consulted how to lay snares for the perfect man in the most private manner, that they might entrap him and destroy him;

they say, who shall see them? either the snares laid, or the persons that laid them? None; no, not even God himself; see Psalms 10:11.

c יהזקו למו "firmant illi", Muis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They encourage themselves - literally, they strengthen themselves, or make themselves strong. That is, they take counsel; they encourage each other; they urge one another forward; they suggest to each other methods by which what they purpose may be done, and by which difficulties may be overcome. This was a part of their “secret counsel” or their consultation, Psalms 64:2.

In an evil matter - Margin, as in Hebrew, speech. The reference is to their purpose or plan. They strengthen themselves for doing what they know to be a wrong or wicked thing.

They commune - literally, they tell or speak. That is, they tell each other how it may be done, or suggest different methods by which it may be successfully accomplishled. They compare views, that they may select that which will be most likely to be successful. All this indicates plan, consultation, design.

Of laying snares privily - Margin, as in Hebrew, to hide snares. This is a figure derived from the method of taking wild beasts. See Psalms 7:15, note; Psalms 38:12, note. The reference here is to some secret plan by which they intended that the author of the psalm should be entrapped and ruined. It was not a plan of open and manly warfare, but a purpose to destroy him when he would have no opportunity of defense.

They say, Who shall see them? - That is, who will see the snares or pit-falls? Who will be aware of their existence? They sought to make the plan so secret that no one could discover it, or even suspect it; to keep it so concealed that he for whom it was intended could not be put on his guard. Compare Psalms 10:8-9.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 64:5. They commune of laying snares — They lay snares to entrap those whom they cannot slay by open attack or private ambush.


 
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