Psalms 80:6 — Word Study
WLCתְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ מָ֭דוֹן לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ וְ֝אֹיְבֵ֗ינוּ יִלְעֲגוּ־ לָֽמוֹ׃
BSAto eatʼâkal foodlechem tearsdimʻâh to watershâqâh tearsdimʻâh thirdshâlîysh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ | you make us | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| מָ֭דוֹן | a contention | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ | to neighbors our | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְ֝אֹיְבֵ֗ינוּ | and enemies our | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| יִלְעֲגוּ־ | they mock | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| לָֽמוֹ׃ | themselves | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us. |
| KJV | Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves. |
| ASV | Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors; And our enemies laugh among themselves. |
| YLT | Thou makest us a strife to our neighbours, And our enemies mock at it. |
| WEB | You make us a source of contention to our neighbors. Our enemies laugh among themselves. |
| BBE | You make us a cause of war among our neighbours; our haters are laughing at us among themselves. |
The translations agree on the key elements of the verse, emphasizing contention and mockery.
The sentence has a main clause followed by several phrases that elaborate on the contention and the relationships involved.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁלִישׁ
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 80:6
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 for Israel's Strugglesgenerated
Psalm 80:6 expresses a deep sense of conflict and mockery faced by the people of Israel. The psalmist acknowledges that God has made them contend with their neighbors, highlighting the strife that surrounds them. This lamentation is part of a larger plea for restoration, as seen in the verses surrounding it, where the psalmist calls for God's intervention and help in their distress.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 15:10 | Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me. |
| 2 | Psalm 44:13–14 | You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. |
| 3 | Psalm 79:4 | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. |
| 4 | Judges 16:25 | And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars. |
| 5 | Isaiah 36:8–12 | Now, therefore, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ, te.si.Me.nugenerated
The verb שׂוּם (sum) means to set, place, or make, indicating an action where God causes the people to be in a state of contention. This form is a second person masculine singular imperfect, showing that the action is ongoing or habitual.
In this context, it implies that God has positioned the people in a situation of strife, suggesting divine agency in their struggles with neighbors.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase make us contend.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ governs the structure, indicating the action of making the people contend. This is followed by a noun phrase מָ֭דוֹן that describes the contention, and prepositional phrases that clarify the relationships involved.
The sentence structure places the emphasis on the action of God and the resulting state of conflict, illustrating the psalmist's plea.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the verb תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ with ἡμᾶς (G2248), which means 'us'. This choice reflects a direct rendering of the Hebrew, maintaining the focus on the people affected by God's action.
However, the noun מָ֭דוֹן is rendered as ἄρτον (G740), meaning 'bread', which introduces a different nuance and may imply sustenance in the context of conflict.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 80:6 expresses how God has made the people of Israel contend with their neighbors, leading to mockery from their enemies. This verse highlights the struggles and conflicts faced by the community, calling for God's help in their time of need.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It suggests that God has placed the people in a situation of conflict, indicating a divine role in their struggles and the strife they experience with those around them.
The enemies refer to those who oppose or mock the people of Israel, highlighting their adversarial stance and the challenges the community faces.
Mockery from enemies signifies humiliation and scorn, reflecting the deeper struggles and the need for divine intervention in the face of adversity.
This verse is part of a lament that calls for restoration and help from God, showing the community's reliance on divine support amid their conflicts.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced conflict with those around me, and how can I seek God's help in those situations?
- How does understanding God's role in our struggles change my perspective on the challenges I face?
- What can I learn from the psalmist's plea for restoration in my own life?
- How can I support others who are facing mockery or scorn from their enemies?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, reference this verse to discuss the struggles of God's people and their relationship with neighbors.
"You have set us for a contradiction to our neighbours" [Psalms 80:6].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 80 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 80:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou makest us a strife unto our neighbours,.... Either obliges us to contend with them for our defence and safety; or having given us into their hands, they strive and contend one with another about
Read John Gill on Psalms 80 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 80 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleA strife, i.e. the object or matter of their strife or contention; either, 1. They strive one with another who shrill do us most mischief, or take our spoils to themselves; or, 2. They are perpetually quarrelling with us, and seeking occasions against us. Our neighbours, who used and ought to live peaceably and kindly with us. Laugh among themselves; insult over us, and take pleasure in our miseries.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 80 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 80:6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.Ver. 6. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours] We have as many enemies as neighbours, all striving to enslave us. We are crushed between them as corn is between millstones. And our enemies laugh among themselves] Make them merry in our misery, revel in our ruins.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 80 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) A strife—i.e., an object of contention. In no other sense could Israel be a strife to neighbouring nations. For the bearing of this on the date of the psalm see its Introduction. Laugh among themselves.—Literally, for themselves. But LXX. and Vulg. read, “at us.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 80 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. Thou makest us a strife] The neighbouring districts have a controversy about us; we are a subject of contention to them. A people so wonderfully preserved, and so wonderfully punished, is a mystery to them. They see in us both the goodness and severity of God. Or, all the neighbouring nations join together to malign and execrate us. We are hated by all; derided and cursed by all.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 80 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. a strife &c.] An object of contention (Jeremiah 15:10): the petty states round about (Psalms 79:4; Psalms 79:12), Edomites, Arabians, and the like, quarrel among themselves for our territory. Lagarde conjectures that we should read mânôd, shaking (of the head), for mâdôn, strife, as in Psalms 44:14, which would suit the parallelism better. laugh among themselves] Rather, to their heart’s content, so, laugh scornfully. Cp. Psalms 79:4. P.B.V. ‘laugh us to scorn’ follows LXX, Vulg., Jer.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 80 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou makest us a strife - An occasion of strife or wrangling; that is, of strife among themselves, to see who will get the most of our spoils; or of contention, to see which could do most to
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 80 →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 make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.
You make us a source of contention to our neighbors. Our enemies laugh among themselves.
You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.
You have made our neighbors dislike us, and our enemies insult us.
Tyndale line
Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors; And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Thou makest us a strife to our neighbors: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Thou hast made vs a strife vnto our neighbours, and our enemies laugh at vs among themselues.
Strictly literal
Thou hast made us a strife unto our neighbours, and our enemies mock among themselves.
Thou makest us a strife to our neighbours, And our enemies mock at it.
You make us a strife to our neighbors, || And our enemies mock at it.
(80:7) Thou renderest us a contest unto our neighbors: and our enemies hold derision among themselves.
You make us something for our neighbors to argue over, and our enemies laugh about us among themselves.
From the Latin
He ordained it for a testimony in Joseph, when he came out of the land of Egypt: he heard a tongue which he knew not.
Simplified
You turn us into victims our neighbors fight over; our enemies mock us.
You make us a cause of war among our neighbours; our haters are laughing at us among themselves.
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 shows consistency in the words used: תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ מָ֭דוֹן לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ וְ֝אֹיְבֵ֗ינוּ יִלְעֲגוּ־ לָֽמוֹ׃. The Septuagint matches 4 of the 6 words, indicating a general agreement, though with some variations in translation.
תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ מָ֭דוֹן לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ וְ֝אֹיְבֵ֗ינוּ יִלְעֲגוּ־ לָֽמוֹ׃
4 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 80:6
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
מָדוֹן (madown) refers to strife or contention, encompassing disputes and quarrels. It can also denote an object of contention. The word is derived from a root meaning to contend and is associated with conflict in various contexts.
מָדוֹן n.m. strife, contention
strife, contention
object of contention
base
H4066 מָדוֹן
4066 madown maw-dohn'
from 1777; a contest or quarrel:--brawling,
contention(-ous), discord, strife. Compare 4079, 4090.
see HEBREW for 01777
see HEBREW for 04079
see HEBREW for 04090
מָדוֹן (ma.don) — strife.
1) strife, contention
1a) strife, contention
1b) object of contention
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
→ See STRIFE
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
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
HC/Vqrmpc/Sp1bp — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHC/Vqrmpc/Sp1bp
לָעַג (la'ag) is a Hebrew verb meaning to mock or deride. It can also refer to stammering, particularly in the Niphal form, which suggests speaking unintelligibly. The entries indicate that the word conveys ridicule and scorn, with variations in its use across different grammatical forms.
[לָעַג] vb. mock, deride; also (Niph.) stammer, poet.
Qal mock, deride, have in derision
Niph. a people stammering of tongue (i.e. barbarians)
Hiph. mock, deride
base
H3932 [לָעַג] mock, deride; also (Niph.) stammer, poet.
3932 la`ag law-ag'
a primitive root; to deride; by implication (as if imitating
a foreigner) to speak unintelligibly:--have in derision, laugh
(to scorn), mock (on), stammering.
לָעַג (la.ag) — to mock.
1) to mock, deride, ridicule
1a) (Qal) to mock, deride, have in derision
1b) (Niphal) to stammer
1c) (Hiphil) to mock, deride
HVqi3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp