Psalms 89:44 — Word Study
WLCהִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ מִטְּהָר֑וֹ וְ֝כִסְא֗וֹ לָאָ֥רֶץ מִגַּֽרְתָּה׃
BSAalsoʼaph to returnshûwb rocktsûwr swordchereb notlôʼ -kamaiqûwm battlemilchâmâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ | you have made cease | Verb, Hiphil, perfect second person masculine singular |
| מִטְּהָר֑וֹ | from luster his | Preposition, suffix |
| וְ֝כִסְא֗וֹ | and throne his | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| לָאָ֥רֶץ | to the ground | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| מִגַּֽרְתָּה׃ | you have thrown | Verb, Piel, perfect second person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have ended his splendor and cast his throne to the ground. |
| KJV | Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. |
| ASV | Thou hast made his brightness to cease, And cast his throne down to the ground. |
| YLT | Hast caused [him] to cease from his brightness, And his throne to the earth hast cast down. |
| WEB | You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground. |
| BBE | You have put an end to his glory: the seat of his kingdom has been levelled to the earth. |
Where they part company is הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the action of ending splendor, followed by a conjunction that introduces the action of casting down the throne.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbאַף
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 89:44
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 Lament of Royal Declinegenerated
Psalm 89:44 expresses a deep sorrow over the loss of a king's glory and authority. The preceding verses highlight the tension between the king's past victories and the current state of decline. This lament reflects the psalmist's struggle to reconcile God's promises with the present reality of defeat and shame, as seen in Psalm 89:43 and Psalm 89:45.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Samuel 4:21–22 | And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed. |
| 2 | 1 Kings 12:16–20 | When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home, |
| 3 | 1 Kings 14:25–28 | In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak king of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. |
| 4 | Lamentations 4:1–2 | How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner. |
| 5 | 2 Thessalonians 2:3–10 | Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ, hish.Ba.tagenerated
The verb הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ (hish.Ba.ta) is a Hiphil perfect form meaning 'you have made cease.' It derives from the root שָׁבַת (shabath), which means to cease or rest. This form indicates that an action has been completed by the subject, in this case, God.
In this verse, it signifies the cessation of the king's splendor, emphasizing the divine agency in the king's downfall. The use of the Hiphil stem suggests that God has actively caused the king's glory to stop, rather than it fading away on its own.
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 finite verbs הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ and מִגַּֽרְתָּה govern the entire verse, indicating actions performed by God. The structure presents a cause-and-effect relationship, where the ending of splendor leads to the casting down of the throne.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions taken by God, with the verbs positioned prominently at the beginning of the clauses, highlighting the divine intervention in the king's fate.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ is rendered as ἀπέστρεψας (apestrepas), meaning 'you have turned back' or 'you have caused to return.' This choice suggests a nuance of reversal, indicating not just an end but a turning away from glory.
This translation choice may imply a broader interpretation of the king's decline, suggesting not only a cessation of splendor but a complete reversal of fortunes.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 89:44 reflects a deep sorrow over the end of a king's glory and the downfall of his throne. The psalmist laments how God has caused the king's splendor to cease and has thrown his throne to the ground, symbolizing a complete loss of royal power and dignity.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that the king's glory and authority have been removed by God's action, highlighting a dramatic shift in power.
Casting the throne to the ground symbolizes a total loss of royal power and dignity, representing humiliation and defeat.
This verse encapsulates the psalm's themes of lament and the tension between God's promises and the current state of the king's decline.
The lament teaches about the consequences of turning away from God and the reality of loss when divine favor is withdrawn.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life have I experienced a loss of glory or dignity, and how can I seek restoration?
- How does understanding God's role in the decline of the king influence my view of authority and power?
- What lessons can I learn from the psalmist's lament about the importance of faithfulness to God?
- How can I apply the themes of this psalm to my own experiences of disappointment or loss?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 89:44 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast made his glory to cease,.... The glory of his deity, though it did not properly cease, yet it seemed to do so, being covered, and out of sight, and seen but by a very few, while he appeared
Read John Gill on Psalms 89 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. -The people of the covenant contrast the sad state of things actually with what the covenant seemed to promise. Similarly in Psalms 44:9. Verse 38.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 89 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 89:44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.Ver. 44. Thou hast made his glory to cease] Heb. his brightness, the splendent glory and dignity of the kingdom. Some understand it of the priesthood, and the following words of the kingdom.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 89 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(44) Thou hast . . .—Literally, Thou hast made to cease from his brightness—i.e., the brightness of the sun, promised in Psalms 89:36. To the ground.—From being as the sun in heaven.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 89 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 44. Thou hast made his glory to cease] The kingly dignity is destroyed, and there is neither king nor throne remaining.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 89 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges44. his glory] R.V. his brightness: the lustre of his kingdom.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 89 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou hast made his glory to cease - Margin,” brightness.” Luther, “Thou destroyest his purity.” The original word means brightness, sp endour.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 89 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible44. Made his glory to cease, etc.—Contrast Psalms 89:24-27
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 89 →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
You have ended his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.
You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground.
You have ended his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.
You have brought to an end his splendor, and have knocked his throne to the ground.
Tyndale line
Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
Thou hast made his brightness to cease, And cast his throne down to the ground.
Thou hast made his brightness to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
Thou hast caused his dignitie to decay, and cast his throne to the ground.
Strictly literal
Thou hast made his brightness to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground;
Hast caused [him] to cease from his brightness, And his throne to the earth hast cast down.
Have caused [him] to cease from his brightness, || And have cast down his throne to the earth.
(89:45) Thou hast made his brilliancy cease; and his throne hast thou thrown down to the ground.
You have brought his splendor to an end; you have brought down his throne to the ground.
Simplified
You took away his glory; you threw his throne to the ground.
You have put an end to his glory: the seat of his kingdom has been levelled to the earth.
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, "הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ מִטְּהָר֑וֹ וְ֝כִסְא֗וֹ לָאָ֥רֶץ מִגַּֽרְתָּה," which translates to, "You have ended his splendor and cast his throne to the ground." The Septuagint has a different structure and wording, but 4 of the 5 words correspond with the Masoretic Text, indicating some agreement in content. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q87) contain only fragments of the verse, with one word preserved and others partly restored or supplied by an editor, making it difficult to determine a direct agreement or disagreement with the Masoretic Text. Overall, while the Septuagint shows some alignment with the Masoretic Text, the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide enough context for a conclusive comparison.
הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ מִטְּהָר֑וֹ וְ֝כִסְא֗וֹ לָאָ֥רֶץ מִגַּֽרְתָּה׃
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.
[אף] [תשיב] [צור] [חרב׳ו] [ולוא] הקימות׳ו למלחמה
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 5 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 Psalms 89:44
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.
שָׁבַת (shabath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cease or rest, often in the context of stopping work. It can also imply causing something to cease or fail, and is associated with observing the Sabbath. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, covering a range of meanings from simple cessation to destruction.
שָׁבַת 71 vb. cease, desist, rest
Qal 27
cease
desist from labour, rest
Niph. cease
Hiph.
40 cause to cease, put an end to
= exterminate, destroy
cause to desist from
remove
cause to fail, let be lacking
base
[שָׁבַת] vb. denom. keep, observe (sabbath)
base
H7673a שָׁבַת cease, desist, rest .. cease
. desist from labour, rest
. cease
. . cause to cease, put an end to
. = exterminate, destroy
. cause to desist from
. remove
. cause to fail, let be lacking
H7673b שָׁבַת vb. denom. keep, observe (sabbath)
7673 shabath shaw-bath'
a primitive root; to repose, i.e. desist from exertion; used
in many implied relations (causative, figurative or
specific):--(cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause
(make) to fail, keep (sabbath), suffer to be lacking, leave,
put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away.
שָׁבַת (sha.vat) — to cease.
1) to cease, desist, rest
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cease
1a2) to rest, desist (from labour)
1b) (Niphal) to cease
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to cease, put an end to
1c2) to exterminate, destroy
1c3) to cause to desist from
1c4) to remove
1c5) to cause to fail
שָׁבַת (sha.vat) — to keep.
(Qal) to keep or observe the sabbath
HVhp2ms — Verb · Hiphil · perfect second person masculine singularHVhp2ms
ses: A remarkable array of 20 Hebrew and 6 Greek words is so translated. In the King James Version 15 of the former and 3 of the latter are used only once with this rendering. The originals most frequently in use are chadhal, "to leave off"; shabhath "to rest from" (labor); pauomai, "to make to cease." Few words illustrate better the fertility of the Hebrew in expressing limitless shades of meaning, impoverished by the use of one English word. This extensive variety is, however, well expressed by "cease": i.e. stop, come to an end, e.g. ceasing of tears (Jer 14:17); work (Ezr 4:24); grinders (Ec 12:3); thunder (Ex 9:29); the wicked (
טֹ֫הַר (tohar) refers to concepts of purity and clearness, derived from the root word for brightness. It encompasses meanings like purity, purifying, and clearness or lustre. The term appears in contexts related to ceremonial purification, with a specific reference to Psalm 89:45 noted in the entries.
טֹ֫הַר n.[m.] purity, purifying
base
[טֳהָר], or [טְהָר] n.[m.] clearness, lustre—only ψ 89:45
ref
H2892a טֹ֫הַר purity, purifying H2892b טֲהָר, or טְהָר clearness, lustre
2892 tohar to'-har
from 2891; literally brightness; ceremonially
purification:--clearness, glory, purifying.
see HEBREW for 02891
טֹ֫הַר (to.har) — purity.
1) purity, purification, purifying
1a) purity
1b) purifying
טֳהָר (ta.har) — clearness.
clearness, lustre
HR/Aamsc/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Aamsc/Sp3ms
כִּסֵּא (kis.se) refers to a seat of honour or throne, often associated with royal dignity and authority. It is derived from a root meaning 'covered' and encompasses meanings like stool and seat. The entries consistently highlight its significance in both literal and figurative contexts.
כִּסֵּא, כִּסֵּה 133 n.m. seat of honour, throne
base
H3678 כִּסֵּא, כִּסֵּה seat of honour, throne
3678 kicce' kis-say'
or kicceh {kis-say'}; from 3680; properly, covered, i.e. a
throne (as canopied):--seat, stool, throne.
see HEBREW for 03680
כִּסֵּא (kis.se) — throne.
1) seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool
1a) seat (of honour), throne
1b) royal dignity, authority, power (fig.)
כִּסֵּא (kis.se) — (Hall of) the Throne.
Combined with u.lam (אוּלָם "Hall" H0197I)
This name means throne, seat
כִּסֵּא (kis.se) — throne: seat.
1) seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool
1a) seat (of honour), throne
1b) royal dignity, authority, power (fig.)
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
HRd/Ncfsa — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
מָגַר (magar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cast or throw. It can refer to being thrown (Qal) or to hurling something (Piel). The entries indicate a range of meanings related to yielding up or precipitating, with a connection to terror. An Aramaic equivalent is noted, which means 'to overthrow.'
[מָגַר] vb. cast, throw, toss
Qal they are thrown to the sword
Pi. and his throne to earth thou hast hurled.
base
H4048 מָגַר
4048 magar maw-gar'
a primitive root; to yield up; intensively, to
precipitate:--cast down, terror.
מָגַר (ma.gar) — to cast.
1) to throw, cast, toss
1a) (Qal) to be thrown
1b) (Piel) to hurl
Aramaic equivalent: me.gar (מְגַר "to overthrow" H4049)
HVpp2ms — Verb · Piel · perfect second person masculine singularHVpp2ms