Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Updated Bible Version

Psalms 7:5

Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Evil for Good;   Integrity;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ingratitude;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Shiggaion;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Glory;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Shiggaion;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Dust;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Cush;   English Versions;   Psalms;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Old Testament (I. Christ as Fulfilment of);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Shiggaion;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Dust;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Enemy;   Glory;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Didascalia;   Peace-Offering;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
may an enemy pursue and overtake me;may he trample me to the groundand leave my honor in the dust.Selah
Hebrew Names Version
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yes, let him tread my life down to the eretz, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
King James Version
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
English Standard Version
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
New Century Version
If I have, let my enemy chase me and capture me. Let him trample me into the dust and bury me in the ground. Selah
New English Translation
may an enemy relentlessly chase me and catch me; may he trample me to death and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. (Selah)
Amplified Bible
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; And let him trample my life to the ground And lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
New American Standard Bible
Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
World English Bible
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then let the enemie persecute my soule and take it: yea, let him treade my life downe vpon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
Legacy Standard Bible
Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it;And let him trample my life down to the groundAnd cause my glory to dwell in the dust. Selah.
Berean Standard Bible
then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah
Contemporary English Version
If I have done any of this, then let my enemies chase and capture me. Let them stomp me to death and leave me in the dirt.
Complete Jewish Bible
if I paid back evil to him who was at peace with me, when I even spared those who opposed me without cause;
Darby Translation
Let the enemy pursue after my soul, and take [it], and let him tread down my life to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
Easy-to-Read Version
If that is not the truth, then punish me. Let an enemy chase me, catch me, and kill me. Let him grind me into the dirt and put me in my grave. Selah
George Lamsa Translation
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me, yea, let him tread clown my life upon the earth and lay my honor in the dust.
Good News Translation
then let my enemies pursue me and catch me, let them cut me down and kill me and leave me lifeless on the ground!
Lexham English Bible
let the enemy of my soul pursue, and overtake and trample my life into the ground, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
Literal Translation
let the enemy pursue and overtake my soul; yea, trample down my life to earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then let myne enemie persecute my soule, & take me: yee let hi treade my life downe in the earth, & laye myne honor in the dust.
American Standard Version
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Bible in Basic English
Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah.)
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If I have requited him that did evil unto me, or spoiled mine adversary unto emptiness;
King James Version (1611)
Let the enemie persecute my soule, and take it, yea let him tread downe my life vpon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
[Then] let myne enemie persecute my soule and take me: yea, let hym put me to death, and lay myne honour in the dust. Selah.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Let the enemy persecute my soul, an take it; and let him trample my life on the ground, and lay my glory in the dust. Pause.
English Revised Version
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yea, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
myn enemy pursue my soule, and take, and defoule my lijf in erthe; and brynge my glorie in to dust.
Webster's Bible Translation
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it]; yes, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
New King James Version
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust.Selah
New Living Translation
then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. Interlude
New Life Bible
let him who hates me come for me and catch me. Let him break me under his feet until I die, and lay my honor in the dust.
New Revised Standard
then let the enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust. Selah
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let an enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it, that he may tread down, to the earth, my life, - and, mine honour - in the dust, he may cause to dwell. Selah.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-6) Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life, on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust.
Revised Standard Version
let the enemy pursue me and overtake me, and let him trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust. [Selah]
Young's Literal Translation
An enemy pursueth my soul, and overtaketh, And treadeth down to the earth my life, And my honour placeth in the dust. Selah.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.

Contextual Overview

1 Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Yahweh, concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite. O Yahweh my God, in you I take refuge: Save me from all those that pursue me, and deliver me, 2 Or else they will tear my soul like a lion, Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 O Yahweh my God, if I have done this; If there is iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me; (Yes, I have delivered him that without cause was my adversary;) 5 Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O Yahweh, in your anger; Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries, And awake for me; you have commanded judgment. 7 And let the congregation of the peoples compass you about; And over them you return on high. 8 Yahweh shall judge the peoples: Judge me, O Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me. 9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but you establish the righteous: For the righteous God tries the minds and hearts.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Let: Job 31:5-10, Job 31:38-40

tread: Psalms 44:5, Psalms 60:12, Job 40:12, Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 63:3, Zechariah 10:5, Malachi 4:3

lay: Psalms 49:12, Job 16:15, Job 40:13, Jeremiah 17:13

Selah: Psalms 3:2, Habakkuk 3:13

Reciprocal: Numbers 5:22 - the woman 1 Samuel 20:8 - if there be Job 31:22 - let Psalms 9:6 - O thou Psalms 13:2 - enemy Psalms 17:9 - deadly enemies Psalms 25:3 - without Psalms 143:3 - smitten

Cross-References

Genesis 6:22
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Exodus 39:32
Thus was finished all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting: and the sons of Israel did according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses; so they did.
Exodus 40:16
Thus did Moses: according to all that Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
Psalms 119:6
Then I shall not be put to shame, When I have respect to all your commandments.
Matthew 3:15
But Jesus answering said to him, Allow [it] now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allows him.
Luke 8:21
But he answered and said to them, My mother and my brothers are these that hear the word of God, and do it.
John 2:5
His mother says to the servants, Whatever he says to you, do it.
John 13:17
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Philippians 2:8
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] to death, yes, the death of the cross.
Hebrews 5:8
though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it],.... That is, if the above things he was charged with could be proved against him; then he was content that Saul his enemy should pursue after him, and apprehend him, and bring him to justice, by taking away his life from him;

yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth; with the utmost indignation and contempt, without showing any mercy; as the lion treads down his prey, and tears it to pieces, Micah 5:8; or as the potter treads his clay under foot, Isaiah 41:25;

and lay mine honour in the dust; meaning either his life and soul, as before; denominating himself from his better part, and which he elsewhere calls his glory, Psalms 16:9; see Genesis 49:6; or else his body, as R. Judah Ben Balaam, who is blamed for it by Jarchi; or rather his fame, credit, and reputation, that he had gained, both by his courage and valour in the field, and by his wise and prudent behaviour at court, 1 Samuel 18:7. Should he appear to be guilty of the crimes he was accused of, he is willing to have his glorious name buried in the dust of oblivion, and his memory perish for ever. The words are to be considered as a strong assertion of his innocence, in an appeal to God, the searcher of hearts, and the trier of the reins of men; and as imprecating on himself the worst of evils, should it not appear; see Job 31:21.

Selah; Aben Ezra renders "selah", "in truth", "let it be so"; and the Targum renders it, as usual, "for ever"; Job 31:21- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let the enemy persecute my soul - Persecute my “life,” for so the word rendered “soul,” נפשׁ nephesh, is evidently used here. He was willing, if he had been guilty of the thing charged upon him, that the enemy here referred to should “pursue” or persecute him until he should destroy his life. Compare with this the expression of Paul in Acts 25:11. The meaning here is simply that if he were a guilty man, in the manner charged on him, he would be willing to be treated accordingly. He did not wish to screen himself from any just treatment; and if he had been guilty he would not complain even if he were cut off from the land of the living.

And take it - Take my life; put me to death.

Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth - The allusion here is to the manner in which the vanquished were often treated in battle, when they were rode over by horses, or trampled by men into the dust. The idea of David is, that if he was guilty he would be willing that his enemy should triumph over him, should subdue him, should treat him with the utmost indignity and scorn.

And lay mine honor in the dust - All the tokens or marks of my honor or distinction in life. That is, I am willing to be utterly degraded and humbled, if I have been guilty of this conduct toward him who is my enemy. The idea in all this is, that David did not wish to screen himself from the treatment which he deserved if he had done wrong. His own principles were such that he would have felt that the treatment here referred to would have been right and proper as a recompense for such base conduct; and he would not have had a word to say against it. His desire for the interposition of God, therefore, arose solely from the fact of his feeling that, in these respects, he was entirely innocent, and that the conduct of his enemy was unjust and cruel.

Selah - A musical pause, not affecting the sense, but introduced here, perhaps, because the sense of the psalm now demanded a change in the style of the music. See the notes at Psalms 3:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 7:5. Let the enemy persecute my soul — If I have been guilty of the things laid to my charge, let the worst evils fall upon me.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile