Psalms 139:22 — Word Study
WLCתַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃
BSAI hate themsânêʼ■ [with absolute hatred, completely] with perfecttaklîyth [complete, utmost] hatredsinʼâh I count themhâyâh■ [regard, consider] as my enemiesʼôyêb [personal, utter, adversaries, foes]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תַּכְלִ֣ית | completeness of | Noun common, feminine singular construct |
| שִׂנְאָ֣ה | hatred | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים | I hate them | Verb qal perfect first person common singular, suffix |
| לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים | enemies | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural |
| הָ֣יוּ | they have become | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| לִֽי׃ | of me | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies. |
| KJV | I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. |
| ASV | I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies. |
| YLT | [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me. |
| WEB | I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies. |
| BBE | My hate for them is complete; my thoughts of them are as if they were making war on me. |
The translations agree on the core message of the verse, emphasizing the psalmist's complete hatred for his enemies.
The sentence has a main clause supported by adverbial and prepositional phrases, clearly defining the psalmist's feelings and their context.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
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 — Psalms 139:22
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 — The Intensity of Hatredgenerated
Psalm 139:22 reveals the psalmist's profound feelings towards those who oppose God. This verse is part of a larger reflection on the nature of enmity, where the psalmist grapples with the concept of hatred in relation to divine justice and personal integrity. The surrounding verses further explore the psalmist's desire for God's guidance and understanding of his own heart, as seen in verses 21 and 23.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 101:3–8 | I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. |
| 2 | Luke 14:26 | “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תַּכְלִית, takh.Litgenerated
The noun תַּכְלִית (takhliyth) is derived from the root meaning of completion. It conveys the idea of finality or perfection, often used to describe the completeness of God's law in Psalm 119. Here, it emphasizes the psalmist's absolute and complete hatred towards his enemies.
This term is significant as it reflects the intensity of the psalmist's emotions. The use of תַּכְלִית indicates that the psalmist's hatred is not merely a fleeting feeling but a deeply held conviction, underscoring the seriousness of his stance against those who oppose God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.' The KJV and ASV agree, using similar phrasing to convey the depth of the psalmist's feelings.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse centers around the finite verb שְׂנֵאתִ֑י, I hate, which governs the object ם, them. The verse then elaborates on the nature of this hatred with the phrase תַּכְלִית, completeness of hatred, and concludes with a statement of identification with his enemies.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the verb and its object, highlighting the psalmist's direct expression of hatred and the completeness of that sentiment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, תַּכְלִית is rendered as τέλειον (teleion), which conveys a sense of perfection or completeness. This choice reflects a similar emphasis on the intensity and finality of the psalmist's hatred.
The translation choice indicates a continuity in the understanding of the psalmist's feelings across both Hebrew and Greek texts, maintaining the depth of his emotional response.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 139:22 expresses the psalmist's strong feelings of hatred towards his enemies, describing this hatred as complete and perfect. This verse is part of a meditation on the nature of enmity, where the psalmist seeks to understand his feelings in relation to God's justice.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist uses 'perfect hatred' to convey an absolute and complete aversion towards his enemies, indicating that this feeling is deeply held and not superficial.
The psalmist's hatred is framed within a context of loyalty to God, suggesting that his feelings towards enemies are tied to their opposition to God.
The Bible presents complex views on hatred, often contrasting human emotions with divine justice. This verse illustrates a personal response to enmity, emphasizing the psalmist's struggle with such feelings.
The psalmist's candid expression of hatred invites reflection on our own feelings towards those we consider enemies, encouraging a deeper understanding of our emotions in light of God's justice.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I reconcile feelings of hatred towards those who oppose my beliefs?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of my enemies?
- In what ways can I express my feelings honestly while seeking God's guidance?
- How can I ensure that my emotions align with God's perspective on justice and love?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 139:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI hate them with perfect hatred,.... Heartily and really; not in word only, but in deed and in truth; "odio vatiniano", with consummate hatred: this is an answer to his own question; I count them
Read John Gill on Psalms 139 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 139 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI am no less grieved with their enmity against thee, than if they directed it against myself.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 139 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.Ver. 22. I hate them with a perfect hatred] That is, unfeignedly, and with a round heart (saith one), for this only cause, that they are workers of iniquity. It was said of Antony, he hated a tyrant, not tyranny; and of Crassus, he hated a covetous man, not covetousness. It may as truly be said of a hypocrite, he hates sinners, not sins; these he nourisheth, those he censures. David was none such; and yet, as something mistrusting his own heart, he thinks good to add,
Read John Trapp on Psalms 139 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(22) With perfect hatred.—Literally, with perfection of hatred. Comp. Tennyson’s “Dowered with the hate of hate.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 139 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 22. With perfect hatred] Their conduct, their motives, their opposition to thee, their perfidy and idolatrous purposes, I perfectly abhor. With them I have neither part, interest, nor affection.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 139 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges22. The energy of the Psalmist’s indignation seems to many readers to be a jarring note: yet it is but the limited and imperfect form in which he expresses his intense hatred of evil. “The duty of keeping alive in the human heart the sense of burning indignation against moral evil—against selfishness, against injustice, against untruth, in ourselves as well as in others,—that is as much a part of the Christian as of the Jewish dispensation.” Stanley, Lect. on Jewish Church, 1. p. 216 (Lect. xi), quoted by Kay.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 139 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI hate them with perfect hatred - With no approval whatever of their conduct; with no sympathy for the evil they do; with no words of apology for their sinful acts; with entire disapprobation.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 139 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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
I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies.
I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
I absolutely hate them, they have become my enemies!
Tyndale line
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies.
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them my enemies.
I hate them with an vnfained hatred, as they were mine vtter enemies.
Strictly literal
I hate them with perfect hatred; I account them mine enemies.
[With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me.
I have hated them [with] perfect hatred, || They have become enemies to me.
With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
I hate them completely; they have become my enemies.
Simplified
I hate them with absolute hatred—they have become my enemies!
My hate for them is complete; my thoughts of them are as if they were making war on me.
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 and the Septuagint align closely, with all six words matched in meaning. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support this reading, confirming the integrity of the text across these ancient witnesses.
תַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃
6 of the 6 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.
תכלית שנאה שנאתי׳ם לאויבים היו ל׳י
6 words on the leather.
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 Psalms 139:22
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.
תַּכְלִית (takliyth) refers to concepts of completion and extremity, encompassing meanings like end, perfection, and completeness. It is derived from the root meaning of completion. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts related to limits and finality.
תַּכְלִית n.f. end, completeness
base
H8503 תַּכְלִית
8503 takliyth tak-leeth'
from 3615; completion; by implication, an extremity:--end,
perfect(-ion).
see HEBREW for 03615
תַּכְלִית (takh.lit) — limit.
1) end, perfection, consummation, completion, completeness
1a) end
1b) completeness
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular constructHNcfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
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…
שִׂנְאָה (sin'ah) refers to the concepts of hating and hatred. It encompasses the idea of intense dislike, applicable to both human and divine contexts. The word is derived from a root meaning to hate, and its usage is noted in various instances throughout the Old Testament.
שִׂנְאָה n.f. hating, hatred
base
H8135 שִׂנְאָה hating, hatred
8135 sin'ah sin-aw'
from 8130; hate:--+ exceedingly, hate(-ful, - red).
see HEBREW for 08130
שִׂנְאָה (sin.ah) — hating.
1) hating, hatred, hate
1a) hatred
1a1) of man, God
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
Hatred
Among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:20). Altogether different is the meaning of the word in Deut. 21:15; Matt. 6:24; Luke 14:26; Rom. 9:13, where it denotes only a less degree of love.
שָׂנֵא (sane') is a primitive root meaning 'to hate.' It covers various forms of hatred, including personal animosity and enmity, and can refer to both humans and God. The word appears in different grammatical forms, with uses in Qal, Niphal, and Piel, indicating actions of hating or being hated. Its Aramaic equivalent is שְׂנָא.
שָׂנֵא 145 vb. hate
Qal 128 hate
Niph. is hated
Pi. enemy
base
H8130 שָׂנֵא hate
8130 sane' saw-nay'
a primitive root; to hate (personally):--enemy, foe, (be)
hate(-ful, -r), odious, X utterly.
שָׂנֵא (sa.ne) — to hate.
1) to hate, be hateful
1a) (Qal) to hate
1a1) of man
1a2) of God
1a3) hater, one hating, enemy (participle) (subst)
1b) (Niphal) to be hated
1c) (Piel) hater (participle)
1c1) of persons, nations, God, wisdom
Aramaic equivalent: se.ne (שְׂנָא "to hate" H8131)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal perfect first person common singular · suffixHVqp1cs/Sp3mp
אֹיֵב (oyeb) means 'enemy' or 'foe,' indicating hostility. It can refer to personal or national adversaries. The word is derived from the active participle of another root, אָיַב (ayab), which also conveys the sense of being hostile.
[אָיַב] 283 vb. be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
base
H341 אָיַב be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
341 'oyeb o-yabe'
or (fully) owyeb {o-yabe'}; active participle of 340;
hating; an adversary:--enemy, foe.
see HEBREW for 0340
אֹיֵב (o.yev) — enemy.
1) (Qal) enemy
1a) personal
1b) national
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine pluralHR/Vqrmpa
- Christ prayed for his
- The lives of, to be spared
- The goods of, to be taken care of
Ex 23:4,5
- SHOULD BE
. Loved
. Prayed for
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
be-kum':
(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.
(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs