Psalms 44:13 — Word Study
WLCתְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
BSAto sellmâkar Amawʻam notlôʼ substancehôwn notlôʼ to multiplyrâbâh pricemᵉchîyr
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ | you have made us | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| חֶ֭רְפָּה | a reproach | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ | to neighbors our | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| לַ֥עַג | mockery | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס | and derision | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ | to [those] around us | Preposition, noun common both plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. |
| KJV | Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. |
| ASV | Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us. |
| YLT | Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders. |
| WEB | You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us. |
| BBE | You have made us to be looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and shamed by those who are round about us. |
Where they part company is חֶ֭רְפָּה — see How Translations Differ.
The structure features a main clause followed by two noun phrases and two prepositional phrases, illustrating the relationship between the action and its impact on the community.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 44:13
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 — A Lament of Shamegenerated
Psalm 44:13 is part of a lament where the psalmist recounts the disgrace and reproach faced by the people of Israel among their neighbors. The psalm reflects on their suffering and the seeming abandonment by God, highlighting feelings of shame and humiliation. This verse emphasizes the scorn directed at them, contrasting their plight with the honor they once enjoyed as God's chosen people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 79:4 | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. |
| 2 | Psalm 80:6 | You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us. |
| 3 | Psalm 89:51 | how Your enemies have taunted, O LORD, and have mocked every step of Your anointed one! |
| 4 | Jeremiah 24:9 | I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them. |
| 5 | Ezekiel 36:19–23 | I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֶ֭רְפָּה, Cher.pahgenerated
The noun חֶרְפָּה (cherpah) refers to reproach or shame, often associated with scorn or disgrace. It indicates a state of being looked down upon or mocked, capturing the emotional weight of humiliation experienced by the psalmist and the community.
This word is derived from the root חָרַף (charaf), which relates to scorn or rebuke. The usage of חֶרְפָּה in this context emphasizes the deep feelings of shame that accompany the reproach from their neighbors.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb governing the verse is תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ, you have made us, which connects to two phrases: a noun phrase indicating the object of reproach and a prepositional phrase describing the surrounding context. The structure highlights the relationship between the action and its impact on the psalmist's community.
The sentence flows from the verb to the direct object חֶ֭רְפָּה and then to the prepositional phrases, emphasizing the collective experience of shame felt by the people in relation to their neighbors.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew חֶרְפָּה is rendered as σου, which maintains the sense of reproach but may imply a more personal connection to the audience. This choice indicates a focus on the relational aspect of shame.
The Greek translation captures the essence of the Hebrew, emphasizing the ridicule faced by the people, but also reflects the broader context of their social standing among neighboring nations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 44:13 expresses the psalmist's feelings of shame and humiliation, stating that God has made them a target of scorn among their neighbors. The verse highlights the mockery and derision they face from those around them, illustrating a deep sense of disgrace.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Being a reproach means being looked down upon or scorned by others, often resulting in feelings of shame and humiliation.
The psalmist turns to God to express their pain and seek understanding of their suffering, highlighting the relationship between the people and their God.
This verse captures the essence of the psalm's lament, reflecting the community's feelings of abandonment and disgrace in the face of their suffering.
The psalmist's expression of shame reminds us of the importance of acknowledging our feelings and seeking God in times of distress.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I feel reproached or scorned by those around me, and how can I bring those feelings to God?
- How can I support others who are experiencing shame or mockery in their lives?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between suffering and faith?
- How can I find hope and strength in God when facing ridicule or derision?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, highlighting the reproach faced by the people as a reflection of their relationship with God.
"You made us a reproach to our neighbours; a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us" [Psalms 44:13].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 44 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 44:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou makest us a reproach to our neighbours,.... Which is the common lot of Christians: Christ and his apostles have given reason for the saints in all ages to expect it, and have fortified their
Read John Gill on Psalms 44 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 44 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThey contemn our persons, and sport themselves in our miseries.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 44 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 44:13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.Ver. 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours] This to a generous spirit is very grievous. The Cappadocians were noted for a servile people; and Tiberius said of his Romans, that they were homines ad servitutem parati men prepared for slavery, (Ammian. 1. 2). The Jews at this day hear ill among all nations for a nasty and sordid people. O Marcomanni, O Quades, O Sarmatae, tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni, said that emperor, O Marcomans, O Quades, O Sarmatians, I have at length found a more odious and contemptible people than you are any, meaning the Jews, with whose…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 44 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13, 14) These verses become very suggestive, if we refer them to one of those periods under the Seleucidæ, when the Jews were so frequently attacked on the Sabbath, and from their scrupulous regard to it would make no resistance.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 44 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. Repeated almost verbatim in Psalms 79:4; cp. Psalms 80:6. The neighbouring nations, Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, were always jealous of Israel, and ready to rejoice with a malicious delight at Israel’s humiliation.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 44 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou makest us a reproach to our neighbors - Compare the notes at Psalms 39:8. The word neighbors here refers to surrounding people or nations.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 44 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible9-16. The strain suddenly turns to lamentation and complaint, and the poet spreads the national distress before God.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 44 →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
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us.
You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us.
You made us an object of disdain to our neighbors; those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.
Tyndale line
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are around us.
Thou makest vs a reproche to our neighbours, a iest and a laughing stocke to them that are round about vs.
Strictly literal
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.
You make us a reproach to our neighbors, || A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.
(44:14) Thou renderest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those that are round about us.
You make us a rebuke to our neighbors, scoffed and mocked by those around us.
From the Latin
And the daughters of Tyre with gifts, yea, all the rich among the people, shall entreat thy countenance.
Simplified
You have made a mockery of us before our neighbors, we are ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
You have made us to be looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and shamed by those who are round about us.
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 agree in the wording of תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃. The Septuagint matches each Hebrew word, showing consistency in the translation of this lament.
תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
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.
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 44:13
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.
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
HVqi2ms/Sp1bp — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
חֶרְפָּה (cherpah) means reproach or taunt, often associated with shame or disgrace. It can refer to the condition of being reproached or the object of reproach itself. The word is derived from חָרַף (charaf), which relates to scorn or rebuke.
חֶרְפָּה n.f. reproach
taunt of enemy
reproach which rests upon one, condition of shame, disgrace
a reproach, the object of reproach, the person or thing reproached
base
H2781 חֶרְפָּה reproach . taunt of enemy
. reproach which rests upon one, condition of shame, disgrace
. a reproach, the object of reproach, the person or thing reproached
2781 cherpah kher-paw'
from 2778; contumely, disgrace, the pudenda:--rebuke,
reproach(-fully), shame.
see HEBREW for 02778
חֶרְפָּה (cher.pah) — reproach.
1) reproach, scorn
1a) taunt, scorn (upon enemy)
1b) reproach (resting upon condition of shame, disgrace)
1c) a reproach (an object)
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
שָׁכֵן (sha.khen) refers to an inhabitant or neighbor, derived from the root word for dwelling. It encompasses meanings related to residency and proximity, indicating a fellow citizen or someone living nearby.
שָׁכֵן adj. inhabitant, neighbor
base
H7934 שָׁכֵן inhabitant, neighbor
7934 shaken shaw-kane'
from 7931; a resident; by extension, a
fellow-citizen:--inhabitant, neighbour, nigh.
see HEBREW for 07931
שָׁכֵן (sha.khen) — neighboring.
1) inhabitant, neighbour
1a) inhabitant
1b) neighbour
HR/Ncmpc/Sp1bp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncmpc/Sp1bp
לַ֫עַג (la'ag) refers to mocking or derision, and it can also denote stammering. It is derived from the root word associated with scorn and is used in contexts that involve ridicule. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to mockery and scorn.
לַ֫עַג n.[m.] mocking, derision, (barbarous) stammering
base
H3933 לַ֫עַג
3933 la`ag lah'-ag
from 3932; derision, scoffing:--derision, scorn (-ing).
see HEBREW for 03932
לַ֫עַג (la.ag) — derision.
1) mocking, derision, stammering
1a) mocking, derision
1b) stammerings
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
קֶ֫לֶס (qelec) refers to derision or ridicule, indicating something that is an object of mockery. It is derived from the root word represented by Strong's H7046. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to being a laughing-stock.
קֶ֫לֶס n.[m.] derision, i.e., object of it
base
H7047 קֶ֫לֶס
7047 qelec keh'-les
from 7046; a laughing-stock:--derision.
see HEBREW for 07046
קֶ֫לֶס (qe.les) — derision.
derision, ridicule
HC/Ncmsa — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
de-rizh'-un: Three verbs are so translated luts, "scorn" (Ps 119:51); la`agh, "mock" (Ps 2:4; 59:8; Eze 23:32); and sachaq, "laugh at" (Job 30:1; Ex 32:25 margin, "a whispering"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 5:3). This word is found almost exclusively in the Psalms and Prophets; Jeremiah is fond of it. It is used both as a substantive and a verb, the latter in the phrase "to have in derision:"
→ The wicked held in, by God Ps 2:4; Pr 1:26
→ INSTANCES OF
Sarah, when the angels gave her the promise of a child Ge 18:12
The evil children of Beth-el deride Elisha 2Ki 2:23
The people of Israel scoff at Hezekiah 2Ch 30:1-10
See IRONY
See SARCASM
See SCOFFING
סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.
סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
base
H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'
or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a
circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with
or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,
circuit, compass, on every side.
see HEBREW for 05437
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.
: around/border
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.
: side
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.
: whole
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.
: neighours
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
HR/Ncbpc/Sp1bp — Preposition · noun common both plural construct · suffixHR/Ncbpc/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we