Psalms 7:5
Psalms 7:5 in Multiple Translations
then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. [Selah
Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah.)
Then let my enemies chase me down; let them trample me in the dust and drag my reputation through the dirt. Selah.
Then let the enemie persecute my soule and take it: yea, let him treade my life downe vpon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
An enemy pursueth my soul, and overtaketh, And treadeth down to the earth my life, And my honour placeth in the dust. Selah.
let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it ; yes, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.
allow my enemies to pursue me and capture me. Allow them to trample me into the ground and leave me [SYN] lying dead in the dirt. (Think about that!)
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 7:5
BAB
Word Study
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Psalms 7:5 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אִם
גָּ֭מַלְתִּי
שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥/י
רָ֑ע
וָ/אֲחַלְּצָ֖/ה
צוֹרְרִ֣/י
רֵיקָֽם
אִם
ʼim
H518
if
Conj
גָּ֭מַלְתִּי
gâmal
H1580
to wean
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥/י
shâlam
H7999
to complete
V-Qal | Suff
רָ֑ע
raʻ
H7451
bad
Adj
וָ/אֲחַלְּצָ֖/ה
châlats
H2502
to rescue
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff
צוֹרְרִ֣/י
tsârar
H6887
to confine
V-Qal | Suff
רֵיקָֽם
rêyqâm
H7387
emptily
Adv
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 7:5
אִם
ʼim
H518
"if"
Conj
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Definition: : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather
Usage: Occurs in 931 OT verses. KJV: (and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), though, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] unless, [phrase] verily, when, whereas, whether, while, [phrase] yet. See also: Genesis 4:7; Exodus 22:3; Leviticus 27:27.
גָּ֭מַלְתִּי
gâmal
H1580
"to wean"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
This verb means to wean a child or to treat someone well or poorly. It can also mean to ripen or bear fruit, and is translated as bestow, recompense, or requite in the KJV.
Definition: 1) to deal fully with, recompense 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to deal out to, do to 1a2) to deal bountifully with 1a3) to recompense, repay, requite 2) (Qal) to wean a child (Niphal) to be weaned 3) (Qal) to ripen, bear ripe (almonds)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, [phrase] serve, mean, yield. See also: Genesis 21:8; Psalms 103:10; Psalms 7:5.
שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥/י
shâlam
H7999
"to complete"
V-Qal | Suff
This verb means to be at peace or to make peace with someone. It is used in the Bible to describe a state of safety or friendship. In the KJV, it is translated as 'make amends' or 'be at peace'.
Definition: 1) to be complete, be sound 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be complete, be finished, be ended 1a2) to be sound, be uninjured 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to complete, finish 1b2) to make safe 1b3) to make whole or good, restore, make compensation 1b4) to make good, pay 1b5) to requite, recompense, reward 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be performed 1c2) to be repaid, be requited 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to complete, perform 1d2) to make an end of Aramaic equivalent: she.lam (שְׁלֵם "be complete" H8000)
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 44:4; Psalms 7:5; Psalms 22:26.
רָ֑ע
raʻ
H7451
"bad"
Adj
Ra means bad or evil, referring to moral or natural harm. It describes adversity, affliction, or distress, and is often used to convey a sense of misery or injury.
Definition: : harmful adj 1) bad, evil 1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant 1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery) 1c) evil, displeasing 1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc) 1e) bad (of value) 1f) worse than, worst (comparison) 1g) sad, unhappy 1h) evil (hurtful) 1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition) 1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically) 1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts 1j2) deeds, actions
Usage: Occurs in 623 OT verses. KJV: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.). See also: Genesis 2:9; Judges 9:57; 2 Kings 21:6.
וָ/אֲחַלְּצָ֖/ה
châlats
H2502
"to rescue"
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff
To arm or equip for war is the meaning of this verb, used to describe preparing for battle. It is translated as arm, deliver, or strengthen in the KJV Bible.
Definition: 1) to draw off or out, withdraw 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw, draw off 1a2) to withdraw 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be delivered 1b2) to be saved 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to pull out, tear out 1c2) to rescue, deliver, set free 1c3) to take away, plunder
Usage: Occurs in 44 OT verses. KJV: arm (self), (go, ready) armed ([idiom] man, soldier), deliver, draw out, make fat, loose, (ready) prepared, put off, take away, withdraw self. See also: Leviticus 14:40; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalms 6:5.
צוֹרְרִ֣/י
tsârar
H6887
"to confine"
V-Qal | Suff
To rival means to oppose or afflict someone. In the Bible, this word is used to describe the struggles of the Israelites, such as when they were oppressed by their enemies or faced internal conflicts and afflictions.
Definition: to confine, besiege Another spelling of tsur (צוּר "to confine" H6696A)
Usage: Occurs in 52 OT verses. KJV: adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress, enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait (trouble), vex. See also: Exodus 12:34; Psalms 8:3; Psalms 6:8.
רֵיקָֽם
rêyqâm
H7387
"emptily"
Adv
This Hebrew word means doing something empty or without purpose, like acting in vain. It is used in the Bible to describe actions that have no real effect. In the KJV, it is translated as 'without cause' or 'in vain'.
Definition: 1) vainly, emptily 1a) in empty condition, empty, emptily 1b) in vain, without effect, vainly
Usage: Occurs in 16 OT verses. KJV: without cause, empty, in vain, void. See also: Genesis 31:42; 1 Samuel 6:3; Psalms 7:5.
Study Notes — Psalms 7:5
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 7:5 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 7:5
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 7:5
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 7:5
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 7:5
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
- Sermons on Psalms 7:5
Context — I Take Refuge in You
3O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands,
4if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause,
5then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah
6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment. 7Let the assembled peoples gather around You; take Your seat over them on high.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 10:6 | I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets. |
| 2 | Zechariah 10:5 | They will be like mighty men in battle, trampling the enemy in the mire of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the horsemen to shame. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 17:13 | O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water. |
| 4 | Psalms 60:12 | With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies. |
| 5 | Isaiah 63:3 | “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. |
| 6 | Malachi 4:3 | Then you will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the LORD of Hosts. |
| 7 | Job 40:12–13 | Look on every proud man and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand. Bury them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave. |
| 8 | Psalms 49:12 | But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 9 | Psalms 3:2 | Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah |
| 10 | Job 16:15 | I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust. |
Psalms 7:5 Summary
Psalms 7:5 is a statement of willingness to accept the consequences of one's actions, even if it means being humiliated or shamed by others. The speaker is saying that if they are guilty of wrongdoing, they deserve to be punished, and are willing to accept that punishment, as seen in (Proverbs 28:13). This verse is a powerful example of humility and a willingness to accept the consequences of our actions, which is a key aspect of following God, as seen in (Micah 6:8). By reflecting on this verse, we can consider how we might need to humble ourselves and accept the consequences of our own actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'leave my honor in the dust' in Psalms 7:5?
This phrase means to utterly humiliate or shame someone, leaving them with no dignity or respect, much like what is described in Psalms 35:4, where the psalmist prays for his enemies to be put to shame.
Is the speaker in Psalms 7:5 asking to be punished by God?
The speaker is saying that if they are guilty of wrongdoing, as described in Psalms 7:3-4, then they deserve to be punished by their enemies, but this is not necessarily a request for punishment, rather a statement of willingness to accept the consequences of their actions, as seen in Proverbs 28:13.
What is the significance of the word 'Selah' at the end of Psalms 7:5?
The word 'Selah' is a musical term that means 'pause' or 'rest', it's an instruction to the musicians to pause and reflect on what has just been sung, giving the listener a moment to consider the significance of the words, similar to what is seen in Psalms 3:2 and Habakkuk 3:3.
How does Psalms 7:5 relate to the concept of humility in the Bible?
Psalms 7:5 shows a willingness to accept humiliation and shame if it is deserved, which is a key aspect of humility, as seen in Proverbs 22:4 and Micah 6:8, where humility is described as a key virtue for those who follow God.
Reflection Questions
- What would it mean for you to 'leave your honor in the dust' and how might that impact your relationship with God and others?
- In what ways can you identify with the speaker's willingness to accept the consequences of their actions, and how might that impact your own relationships and decisions?
- How does the concept of humility, as seen in Psalms 7:5, challenge or encourage you in your own walk with God?
- What are some areas in your life where you might need to 'pause' and reflect, like the instruction to 'Selah', and how might that impact your spiritual growth?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 7:5
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it],.... That is, if the above things he was charged with could be proved against him; then he was content that Saul his enemy should pursue after him, and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 7:5
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. A consequence which he prays may follow IF he has done what his foes allege (Psalms 7:3-4).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
I am contented, and wish that Saul may so persecute my life as to overtake it, and take it away. Mine honour; either, 1. That honourable and royal estate to which I am chosen and designed. Or, 2. My reputation and memory. Or rather, 3. The same thing which he called his soul and his life in the former branch of the verse, and here his honour; it being very frequent to express one thing in several words or phrases in one verse. And so here may be observed a gradation. Let him, 1. Persist to persecute it; 2.
Take it; 3. Tread it down, or destroy it; and, 4. Lay it in the dust, or bury it, to prevent all hopes of restitution.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
Psalms 7:5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it]; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.Ver. 5. Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it] Thus he cleareth himself by a holy imprecation (the Spanish Bible hath the Shiggaion Davidis, in the title, Purgatio Davidis, as the same Hebrew word çשׁà signifieth both sin and purification from sin, Psalms 51:1-19), taking God to witness his innocence and good conscience, and wishing evil to himself if it were otherwise. This he did from a good cause, in a good manner, and for a good end. And not as many profane ones do today, who, taxed, though never so truly, with some evil they have done, seek to justify themselves by appealing to God, and calling for his curse upon them if guilty; who, therefore, striketh such impudent imprecators immediately, as Anne Averies and others. See Mr Clark’ s Mirror. And tread down my life] Heb. my lives; so usually called, saith an interpreter, for the many faculties and operations that are in life, the many years, degrees, estates thereof. And lay mine honour in the dust. Selah] Let him brand me for a most treacherous, ignominious wretch, and let me lie buried in a bog of indelible infamy.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
(5) Let the enemy.—Better, let an enemy. Persecute.—Literally, burn. (See Note on Psalms 10:2.) Tread.—Used of a potter treading the clay (Isaiah 41:25); of the trampling of horses (Ezekiel 26:11); of a herd trampling down their pasture (Ezekiel 34:28). Dust.—Either as Psalms 22:15, “the dust of death,” and if so, then khabôd’.Honour must be the soul or life, as plainly in Psalms 16:9; Psalms 57:8, where the Authorised Version has “glory.” The parallelism is in favour of this. On the other hand, to lay one’s honour in the dust is a common figurative phrase. Shakespeare, K. Hen. VI., i. 5, “Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust”; and Coriol. iii. 1, “And throw their power in the dust.” Selah.—See Note on Psalms 3:2. This is one of the places which suggest its interpretation as a direction to the music, to strike up with passion and force.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
Verse 5. Let the enemy persecute my soul] If I have been guilty of the things laid to my charge, let the worst evils fall upon me.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 7:5
5. Render: Let an enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; Yea, trample my life to the ground, And make my glory to dwell in the dust. With the first line comp. Exodus 15:9, echoed again in Psalms 18:37. The last line might mean only, ‘degrade my dignity, treat me with insult and ignominy;’ but the parallelism of ‘my soul,’ ‘my life,’ ‘my glory,’ is decisive in favour of interpreting ‘my glory’ to mean ‘my soul, as in Psalms 16:9; Psalms 30:12; Psalms 57:8. The ‘soul’ is so designated either as the noblest part of man, or as the image of the divine glory. ‘The dust’ will then be ‘the dust of death.’ Cp. Psalms 22:15; and the exact parallel ‘dwellers in the dust,’ Isaiah 26:19. David then invokes death by an enemy’s hand if he is guilty, and death, as the language implies, with every circumstance of violence and disgrace.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 7:5
Let the enemy persecute my soul - Persecute my “life,” for so the word rendered “soul,” נפשׁ nephesh, is evidently used here.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 7:5
5. Let the enemy persecute my soul—Here is a direct and solemn appeal to God to judge and punish him if he were not upright and pure in the matters urged by his accuser.
Sermons on Psalms 7:5
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
"The Wretched Woman of John Eight" by Charles Alexander | Charles Alexander preaches about the importance of preserving the roots of faith and language by holding onto the Authorized Version of the Bible amidst the influx of newer transla |
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The Testimony of a Fixed Heart by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the focus is on Psalm 108 and the situation described in it. The speaker highlights the fear and sense of abandonment expressed in the psalm, suggesting that it ref |
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Christian Cannibalism - a Critical Spirit by Don Courville | This sermon emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and avoiding criticalness towards others, God, and His ways. It warns against being consumed by distractions and possession |
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God's Hornets by C.H. Spurgeon | C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that God sends His own forces, likened to 'hornets', to prepare the way for His people, ensuring their victory over adversaries without direct confrontatio |
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We Shall Do Valiantly by Mary Wilder Tileston | Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the continuous battle to strive to be more like Jesus, emphasizing the importance of self-sacrifice, purity, truth, and tenderness in the Christ |
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The Triumphal Procession by George Kulp | George Kulp preaches on the triumphal procession led by Christ, comparing it to a victorious Roman army returning to the city after a conquest. He emphasizes that as believers, we |
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The Missionary When He Is Alone by Bud Elford | Bud Elford emphasizes the significance of solitude in a missionary's life, drawing from Isaiah 63:3 where Jesus speaks of treading the winepress alone. He explains that being alone |