Psalms 37:14

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

חֶ֤רֶב ׀ פָּֽתְח֣וּ רְשָׁעִים֮ וְדָרְכ֢וּ קַ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם לְ֭הַפִּיל עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן לִ֝טְב֗וֹחַ יִשְׁרֵי־דָֽרֶךְ׃

Transliteration

Ḥereb pātəḥû rəšāʿîm and they have bent their qaštām to cause to fall ʿānî wəʾebyôn, to liṭbôaḥ yišrê-dārek.

Grammar Details

• *ḥereb*: feminine singular noun - sword
• *pātəḥû*: Qal perfect, 3rd person common plural - they have drawn
• *rəšāʿîm*: masculine plural adjective/noun - wicked ones
• *wədārəkû*: conjunction + Qal perfect, 3rd person common plural - and they have bent/drawn
• *qaštām*: feminine singular noun + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their bow
• *ləhappîl*: preposition + Hiphil infinitive construct - to cause to fall/to bring down
• *ʿānî*: masculine singular adjective/noun - poor/afflicted
• *wəʾebyôn*: conjunction + masculine singular adjective/noun - and needy
• *liṭbôaḥ*: preposition + Qal infinitive construct - to slaughter/kill
• *yišrê*: masculine plural construct adjective - upright ones of
• *dārek*: masculine singular noun - way/path

Word Meanings

• *pātəḥû ḥereb*: have drawn the sword/have unsheathed the sword
• *dārəkû qaštām*: have bent their bow/have strung their bow
• *ʿānî wəʾebyôn*: poor and needy/afflicted and destitute
• *liṭbôaḥ yišrê-dārek*: to slaughter the upright of way/to kill those who are upright in conduct

Referenced Verses

• Ps 11:2 : 2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart;
• Prov 29:27 : 27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; And he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
• Hab 1:13 : 13 Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;
• Matt 23:30-34 : 30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? 34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
• Acts 7:52 : 52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers;
• Acts 12:2-3 : 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And [those] were the days of unleavened bread.
• Acts 12:11 : 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
• Ps 35:10 : 10 All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee, Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?
• Ps 64:2-6 : 2 Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers, From the tumult of the workers of iniquity; 3 Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words, 4 That they may shoot in secret places at the perfect: Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. 5 They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; They commune of laying snares privily; They say, Who will see them? 6 They search out iniquities; We have accomplished, [say they], a diligent search: And the inward thought and the heart of every one is deep.
• Prov 29:10 : 10 The bloodthirsty hate him that is perfect; And as for the upright, they seek his life.
• 1 Sam 24:11 : 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my life to take it.
• 1 Sam 24:17 : 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.
• 1 John 3:12 : 12 not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore {G5101} slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
• Acts 12:23 : 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because {G3739} he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.