2 Samuel 22:46 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֥י נֵכָ֖ר יִבֹּ֑לוּ וְיַחְגְּר֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתָֽם׃
BSAForeignersbên [strangers, those from other nations] lose heartnâbêl▸ [fade away, become senseless] and come tremblingchâgar▸ [shaking with fear, afraid] from their strongholdsmiçgereth [close places, secret chambers, perimeters of their territories]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֥י | sons of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| נֵכָ֖ר | foreignness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יִבֹּ֑לוּ | they withered | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| וְיַחְגְּר֖וּ | and they may girdethemselves | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine plural |
| מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתָֽם׃ | from strongholds their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds. |
| KJV | Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. |
| ASV | The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. |
| YLT | Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by their close places. |
| WEB | The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places. |
| BBE | They will be wasted away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear. |
Translations agree on the rendering of the verse, maintaining a consistent understanding of the foreign nations' fear.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by a verb phrase and a prepositional phrase, emphasizing the actions and their source.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָבֵל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 2 Samuel 22:46
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — David's Song of Praisegenerated
2 Samuel 22:46 is part of a larger passage where David praises God for His deliverance from enemies. The context shows how foreign nations react in fear when faced with God's power, emphasizing His sovereignty and strength in battle. This song reflects David's experiences and the faithfulness of God in protecting His people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 64:6 | Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. |
| 2 | James 1:11 | For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. |
| 3 | Isaiah 2:19–21 | Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. |
| 4 | Amos 9:3 | Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. |
| 5 | Micah 7:17 | They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִבֹּ֑לוּ, yi.Bo.lugenerated
The verb נָבַל (nabal) means 'to wither' or 'to fade away.' It is used here to describe the loss of strength and resolve among foreign nations when confronted by God's might. The parsing as an imperfect verb indicates a continuous or repeated action, suggesting that this is a regular response of enemies to God's power.
This word carries a dual meaning: it can refer to both a physical decline, like a plant wilting, and a moral failing, such as acting foolishly. In this context, it emphasizes the complete inability of foreign nations to stand against God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations of this verse agree that foreigners lose heart and tremble.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main verbs: יִבֹּ֑לוּ, they withered, and יַחְגְּר֖וּ, and they may gird themselves. The structure highlights the actions of the foreigners as they respond to their fear and helplessness.
The verbs are followed by a prepositional phrase, מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתָֽם, from their strongholds, indicating the source of their trembling. The organization emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between God's might and the reaction of the nations.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew נֵכָר is rendered as ἀλλότριοι, which means 'strangers' or 'foreigners.' This choice reflects a broader understanding of those who are outside the covenant community.
The Greek translation captures the essence of fear and alienation felt by these nations when faced with the power of Israel's God, emphasizing their status as outsiders.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:46 shows that foreigners lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds when faced with God's power. This verse is part of David's song, celebrating God's deliverance and the fear of enemies.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that foreign nations become fearful and powerless in the presence of God's might.
They come trembling because they recognize their inability to stand against God's power and authority.
Strongholds refer to fortified places or secure areas that enemies rely on for protection, but they are rendered ineffective before God.
This verse illustrates that God's presence causes even the mightiest enemies to tremble and lose their strength, showcasing His sovereignty.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to recognize God's power over my fears?
- How can I remind myself of God's sovereignty when facing challenges?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of true strength?
- How can I support others in recognizing God's power in their lives?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:46 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleStrangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. [See comments on Psalms 18:45].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryStrangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(46) Shall be afraid out of their close places.—The English here follows Psalms 18:45. but the Hebrew verbs differ by the transposition of a letter. This is probably a mere clerical error, but if it be retained the sense will be a little changed. The psalm means, came trembling from their fastnesses, representing the conquered as submitting with fear; the text here, came limping from their fastnesses, suggesting that the remnant of the enemy had already been injured and wounded.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges46. shall fade away] Faded away: like plants scorched up by the burning sun. Cp. Exodus 18:18 (marg.). shall be afraid] Probably, came limping out of their fastnesses: a picture of the exhausted defenders of a fort dragging themselves along with difficulty and reluctance to lay down their arms before their conqueror. But the word may also be explained according to the slightly different reading of Psa 18:45, came trembling out of their fastnesses, terrified into surrendering at discretion to the triumphant invader. Cp. Micah 7:17; 1 Samuel 14:11.
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible46. Fall away — Wither and fade away like decaying leaves.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Samuel 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
Foreigners lose their courage; they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.
Tyndale line
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.
The strangers shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places.
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall tremble from their close places.
Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
Strictly literal
Strangers have faded away, And they come trembling forth from their close places.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by their close places.
Sons of a stranger fade away, || And gird themselves by their close places.
The children of the stranger shall fade away, and come forth tottering out of their close places.
The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
From the Latin
The strangers are melted away, and shall be straitened in their distresses.
Simplified
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
They will be wasted away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: בְּנֵ֥י נֵכָ֖ר יִבֹּ֑לוּ וְיַחְגְּר֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתָֽם׃. The Septuagint matches four of the five words, indicating a close correspondence in meaning.
The Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q51 includes three words from the verse, with the rest supplied by an editor, suggesting some preservation of the text despite damage.
בְּנֵ֥י נֵכָ֖ר יִבֹּ֑לוּ וְיַחְגְּר֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתָֽם׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[בני] [נכר] [יכחשו] [ל׳י] לא יחגרו ממסרות׳ם
3 words on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 2 Samuel 22:46
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
See SON, SONS.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
נֵכָר (nekar) refers to something foreign or alien, encompassing the concepts of foreignness and foreigners. It can also denote foreign gods or vanities. The word is derived from a root meaning to recognize or acknowledge, suggesting a distinction from the familiar.
נֵכָר n.[m.] that which is foreign, foreignness
base
H5236 נֵכָר that which is foreign, foreignness
5236 nekar nay-kawr'
' from 5234; foreign, or (concretely) a foreigner, or
(abstractly) heathendom:--alien, strange (+ -er).
see HEBREW for 05234
נֵכָר (ne.khar) — foreign.
1) foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign
1a) foreignness, foreign gods
1b) alien, foreigner
1c) foreign (vanities)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
נָבַל (nabal) has two main meanings: to be senseless or foolish, and to wither or fade. It can describe both a moral failing and a physical decline, such as a plant wilting. The word's usage in the Old Testament reflects these themes, though the lexicons do not present significant disagreement on its meanings.
נָבַל vb. be senseless, foolish
Qal if thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself
Pi. regard or treat as a נָבָל (q.v.), i.e. with contumely
base
נָבֵל vb. sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade
Qal
sink or drop down
usu. fall like a leaf, or flower wither and fall, fade
base
H5034a נָבֵל be senseless, foolish H5034b נָבֵל sink or dropdown, languish, wither and fall, fade
5034 nabel naw-bale'
a primitive root; to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail,
faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked;
causatively, to despise, disgrace:--disgrace, dishounour,
lightly esteem, fade (away, - ing), fall (down, -ling, off),
do foolishly, come to nought, X surely, make vile, wither.
נָבַל (na.val) — be senseless.
1) to be senseless, be foolish
1a) (Qal) to be foolish
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to regard or treat as foolish
1b2) to treat with contempt
נָבֵל (na.vel) — to wither.
1) to sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sink or drop down
1a2) to fall, wither and fall, fade
1a3) to droop
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
with'-erd (nabhel, "to fade away," "to be dried up"):
(1) Used figuratively to express leanness of soul, spiritual impotence, a low condition of spiritual life, a lack of moral nourishment: "My heart is smitten like grass, and withereth" (Ps 102:4). The contrasting figure emphasizes this idea: "All my fountains are in thee" (Ps 87:7). Also Ps 1:3, where the freshness and beauty of the righteous man's life are thus described: "And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, .... whose leaf also doth not wither." In the New Testament xeraino, "to wither," is used to carry out the same idea of moral decay, or malnutrition of soul (Mt 13:6; 21:19).
חָגַר (chagar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gird or to put on a belt. It is a primitive root that conveys the action of binding or restraining oneself, often in preparation for action. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of girding on clothing or armor.
[חָגַר] vb. gird, gird on, gird oneself
base
H2296 [חָגַר] gird, gird on, gird oneself
2296 chagar khaw-gar'
a primitive root; to gird on (as a belt, armor, etc.):--be
able to put on, be afraid, appointed, gird, restrain, X on
every side.
חָגַר (cha.gar) — to gird.
1) to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to gird
1a2) to gird on, bind on
1a3) to gird oneself
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine pluralHC/Vqu3mp
מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת (misgereth) refers to a border or rim, as well as a fastness or stronghold. It is derived from the root meaning to enclose, indicating something that serves as a margin or boundary. The term appears in contexts related to borders and strongholds, highlighting its use in describing enclosed spaces.
מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת n.f. 1. border, rim. 2. fastness
base
H4526 מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת 1. border, rim. 2. fastness
4526 micgereth mis-gheh'-reth
from 5462; something enclosing, i.e. a margin (of a region,
of a panel); concretely, a stronghold:--border, close place,
hole.
see HEBREW for 05462
מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת (mis.ge.ret) — perimeter.
1) border, fastness, rim
1a) border, rim
1b) fastness
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp