Psalms 55:8 — Word Study
WLCאָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ סֹעָ֣ה מִסָּֽעַר׃
BSAbeholdhinnêh to removerâchaq to wandernâdad to lodgelûwn mouthmidbâr Selahçelâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אָחִ֣ישָׁה | I want to make haste | Verb, Hiphil, infinitive construct first person common singular |
| מִפְלָ֣ט | a place of escape | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לִ֑י | of me | Preposition, suffix |
| מֵר֖וּחַ | from a wind | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| סֹעָ֣ה | rushing | Verb, Qal, participle (active) feminine singular |
| מִסָּֽעַר׃ | from a storm | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.” |
| KJV | I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. |
| ASV | I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest. |
| YLT | I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind. |
| WEB | “I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.” |
| BBE | I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind. |
Where they part company is מִפְלָ֣ט — see How Translations Differ.
The structure features one main verb with two phrases that elaborate on the action and its destination, highlighting the urgency of the speaker's intent.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהִנֵּה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 6 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.
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 55:8
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 Cry for Helpgenerated
Psalm 55:8 captures a moment of desperation where the speaker wishes to escape the turmoil surrounding them. The preceding verses express a longing for solitude and safety, and this verse highlights the urgency of seeking shelter from the stormy chaos of life. The speaker's emotional state reflects a deep need for protection and peace, resonating with the themes of refuge found throughout the Psalms.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 18:4 | The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. |
| 2 | Isaiah 17:12–13 | Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters. |
| 3 | Matthew 7:25–27 | The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אָחִ֣ישָׁה, 'a.Chi.shahgenerated
The verb אָחִ֣ישָׁה ('a.Chi.shah) is a Hiphil infinitive construct, meaning 'to hasten' or 'to make haste.' This word conveys a sense of eagerness and urgency, often used in contexts where quick action is necessary. The parsing indicates it is first person singular, emphasizing the speaker's personal desire to escape.
This word is built from the root חוּשׁ (chush), which primarily means to hurry or make haste. Its use here underscores the speaker's intense need to find safety from the impending danger.
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 אָחִ֣ישָׁה governs the entire verse, with several phrases detailing the speaker's intent and the nature of the escape. The structure emphasizes the urgency of the action, as the speaker desires to flee from danger.
The prepositional phrases specify the direction and nature of the escape, indicating both the source of danger and the desired refuge. The order of the Hebrew words places emphasis on the speaker's immediate need for safety.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, אָחִ֣ישָׁה is rendered as ἰδοὺ (idoú), meaning 'behold.' This choice shifts the focus slightly, suggesting a moment of realization or recognition rather than just urgency.
The other words align closely with the Hebrew, indicating that the translators aimed to maintain the original meaning while adapting the expression to Greek.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 55:8 expresses a desire to quickly find a safe place away from the chaos and danger. The speaker feels overwhelmed and seeks refuge from the storm, emphasizing the urgency of their situation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a desperate need for safety and protection from danger, indicating the urgency of finding a safe haven.
The speaker refers to a tumultuous situation, likely involving conflict or emotional distress, represented by the 'raging tempest'.
This verse resonates with the frequent themes of seeking refuge and safety in God found throughout the Psalms, where the psalmists often express their need for divine protection.
The storm symbolizes chaos and danger, contrasting the desire for peace and safety that the speaker seeks in their shelter.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some storms in my life that I need to seek shelter from?
- How can I find refuge in God during times of trouble?
- In what ways can I prepare myself to respond quickly to challenges that arise?
- What does it mean for me to have a place of escape in my life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse in his exposition, reflecting on the need for salvation from mental turmoil and external chaos.
"I was looking for him that should save me from weakness of mind and tempest" [Psalms 55:8].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 55 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 55:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI would hasten my escape from the windy storm [and] tempest. Of an army of rebellious subjects, bearing down all before them, and threatening with utter ruin and destruction; so a powerful army of
Read John Gill on Psalms 55 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. I would hasten my escape - not only would I gladly go, but I would hasten my escape (Hengstenberg).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 55 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFrom the force and fury of mine enemies, which now highly threaten me.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 55 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 55:8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm [and] tempest.Ver. 8. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm, &c.] I would thrust my ship into any creek in the whole world, go as far as my legs, nay, wings, could carry me. Of the swiftness of the dove’ s flight, see Plin. l. 10, c. 37; and how David hastened his flight from Absalom, see 2 Samuel 15:14.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 55 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. The windy storm] From the sweeping wind and tempest-Absalom and his party and the mutinous people in general.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 55 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Or as R.V., I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest, the storms of faction and party spirit raging in the city.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 55 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI would hasten my escape - I would make haste to secure an escape. I would not delay, but I would flee at once.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 55 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. Storm and tempest—The description is of one of those tropical winds which swept away every moveable thing in its course.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 55 →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
I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
“I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.”
I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
I will hurry off to a place that is safe from the strong wind and the gale.”
Tyndale line
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.
I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
Hee would make haste for my deliuerance from the stormie winde and tempest.
Strictly literal
I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
I hurry escape for myself, || From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
(55:9) I would prepare hastily a refuge for me from the sweeping wind [and] from storm.
I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.”
From the Latin
For nothing shalt thou save them: in thy anger thou shalt break the people in pieces, O God,
Simplified
I would hurry to a place to hide, out of the wind, safe from the raging storm.
I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.
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 אָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ סֹעָ֣ה מִסָּֽעַר׃, and the Septuagint matches five out of six words. This close correspondence suggests a strong alignment in the core message, though the Septuagint's word order and phrasing differ.
אָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ סֹעָ֣ה מִסָּֽעַר׃
5 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 55:8
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.
חוּשׁ (chush) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to hurry or make haste. It can also imply eagerness or enjoyment. The entries indicate two main uses: one related to hastening actions and the other to feelings of enjoyment. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
חוּשׁ vb. haste, make haste
Qal make haste
Hiph.
shew haste, act quickly
transit. I will hasten it
base
[חוּשׁ] vb. feel, enjoy
base
H2363a חוּשׁ haste, make haste .make haste
. . shew haste, act quickly
. transit. I will hasten it
H2363b חוּשׁ feel, enjoy
2363 chuwsh koosh
a primitive root; to hurry; figuratively, to be eager with
excitement or enjoyment:--(make) haste(-n), ready.
חוּשׁ (chush) — to hasten.
1) to haste, make haste, hurry
1a) (Qal) to make haste
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to show haste, act quickly, hasten, come quickly
חוּשׁ (chush) — to enjoy.
to feel, enjoy
HVhc1cs — Verb · Hiphil · infinitive construct first person common singularHVhc1cs
hast (chaphaz, chush, mahar; speudo): "Haste" (from a root meaning "to pursue") implies "celerity of motion."
(1) The noun occurs as translation of mahar, "to hasten," etc. (Ex 10:16; 12:33, "in haste"); of chapaz, "to make haste" (2Ki 7:15; Ps 31:22; 116:11, "I said in my haste (the Revised Version margin "alarm"), All men are liars"); of chippazon, a "hasty flight" (Ex 12:11; De 16:3; Isa 52:12); of nachats, "to be urgent" (1Sa 21:8, "The king's business required haste").
→ In judgment, by Moses and the Israelites Nu 32:1-19; Jos 22:10-34
→ See RASHNESS
מִפְלָט (miph.lat) refers to an escape or a place of escape. It is derived from the root meaning to escape, and is mentioned in Psalm 55:9.
מִפְלָט n.[m.] escape or place of escape;—ψ 55:9
ref
H4655 מִפְלָט
4655 miphlat mif-lawt'
from 6403; an escape:--escape.
see HEBREW for 06403
מִפְלָט (miph.lat) — escape.
escape, place of escape
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bs
רוּחַ (ruach) means breath, wind, or spirit. It encompasses various meanings, including the breath of life, emotional disposition, and the spirit of God. The term can refer to both physical phenomena, like wind, and abstract concepts, such as moral character or mental acts. Notably, it is used frequently in the context of divine inspiration and the Holy Spirit.
רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit
breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
wind (117 t.)
spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
spirit of the living, breathing being
spirit as seat of emotion
occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
rarely of the will
רוּחַ esp. of moral character
spirit of God (94 t.)
base
H7307 רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit . breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
. wind (117 t.)
. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
. spirit of the living, breathing being
. spirit as seat of emotion
. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
. rarely of the will
. רוּחַ esp. of moral character
. spirit of God (94 t.)
7307 ruwach roo'-akh
from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or
even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger,
unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by
resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including
its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X
cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)),
tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
see HEBREW for 07306
רוּחַ (ru.ach) — spirit.
: spirit
1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
1a) breath
1b) wind
1b1) of heaven
1b2) quarter (of wind), side
1b3) breath of air
1b4) air, gas
1b5) vain, empty thing
1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)
1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour
1c2) courage
1c3) temper, anger
1c4) impatience, patience
1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)
1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse
1c7) prophetic spirit
1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)
1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being
1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)
1e1) desire
1e2) sorrow, trouble
1f) spirit
1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts
1f2) rarely of the will
1f3) as seat especially of moral character
HR/Ncfsa — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
wind (anemos:
1. Causes:
Unequal distribution of heat in the atmosphere causes currents of air or wind. The heated air rises and the air from around rushes in. The direction from which a current comes determines its name, as west wind coming from the West but blowing toward the East. When two currents of air of different directions meet, a spiral motion sometimes results.
See WHIRLWIND.
2. West Wind:
In Palestine the west wind is the most common. It comes from the sea and carries the moisture which condenses to form clouds, as it is turned upward by the mountains, to the cooler layers of the atmosphere. If the temperature reached is cool enough the cloud condenses and rain falls. Elijah looked toward the West for the "small cloud," and soon "the heavens grew black with clouds and wind" (1Ki 18:44 f). "When ye see a cloud rising in the…
סָעָה (sa.ah) is a primitive root meaning to rush, specifically in the context of a storm wind. The entries highlight its use in the Qal form, particularly in Psalm 55:9, where it conveys the sense of rushing or storm-like movement.
[סָעָה] vb. (dub.) rush, of storm-wind;—Qal ψ 55:9
ref
H5584 סָעָה
5584 ca`ah saw-aw'
a primitive root; to rush:--storm.
סָעָה (sa.ah) — to rush.
(Qal) to rush (of storm wind)
HVqrfsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singularHVqrfsa
סַ֫עַר (sa'ar) refers to a tempest or storm, while סְעָרָה (se'arah) is a feminine form that also means tempest or storm-wind. The entries indicate that both forms are related and cover similar meanings, including hurricane and whirlwind.
סַ֫עַר n.m. tempest
base
סְעָרָה n.f. tempest, storm-wind
base
H5591a סַ֫עַר tempest H5591b סְעָרָה tempest, storm-wind
5591 ca`ar sah'-ar
or (feminine) ctarah {seh-aw-raw'}; from 5590; a
hurricane:--storm(-y), tempest, whirlwind.
see HEBREW for 05590
סַ֫עַר (sa.ar) — tempest.
tempest
Another spelling of se.a.rah (סְעָרָה "tempest" H5591B)
סְעָרָה (se.a.rah) — tempest.
tempest, storm, whirlwind
Also means: sa.ar (סַ֫עַר "tempest" H5591A)
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa