Psalms 56:1

KJV1611 – Modern English

Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; he fights against me daily oppressing me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ ׀ עַל־י֬וֹנַת אֵ֣לֶם רְ֭חֹקִים לְדָוִ֣ד מִכְתָּ֑ם בֶּֽאֱחֹ֨ז אֹת֖וֹ פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים בְּגַֽת׃

Transliteration

To-mənaṣṣēaḥ upon-yônat ʾēlem rəḥōqîm to-Dāwid miktām when-ʾeḥōz him Pəlištîm in-Gat

Grammar Details

• *mənaṣṣēaḥ*: Piel participle masculine singular with lamed prefix - to the director/choirmaster
• *yônat ʾēlem rəḥōqîm*: construct chain - dove of silence of distant ones/places
• *Dāwid*: proper name with lamed prefix - to/for/by David
• *miktām*: masculine singular noun - possibly musical term or golden poem
• *ʾeḥōz*: infinitive construct with bet prefix - when seized/grasped
• *Pəlištîm*: proper name, masculine plural - Philistines
• *Gat*: proper name with bet prefix - in Gath

Word Meanings

• *mənaṣṣēaḥ*: director/chief musician/choirmaster/overseer
• *yônat ʾēlem rəḥōqîm*: dove of silent/mute distant places/silent dove of distant places/dove of the distant terebinths
• *miktām*: golden poem/inscription/writing/covering
• *ʾeḥōz*: seize/grasp/take hold of/capture

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  For the director, according to 'The Silent Dove of Distant Places.' A Miktam of David, when the Philistines captured him in Gath.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. [A Psalm] of David. Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God; For man would swallow me up: All the day long he fighting oppresseth me.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  To the chief Musician{H8764)} upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took{H8800)} him in Gath. Be merciful{H8798)} unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up{H8804)}; he fighting{H8802)} daily oppresseth{H8799)} me.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Be mercifull vnto me (o God) for men wil treade me downe: they are daylie fightinge & troublinge me.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid on Michtam, concerning the dumme doue in a farre countrey, when the Philistims tooke him in Gath. Be mercifull vnto me, O God, for man would swallow me vp: he fighteth continually and vexeth me.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  To the chiefe musition as concerning the dumbe doue in a farre countrey, the golden psalme of Dauid, when the Philistines toke him in Geth. Be mercifull vnto me O Lorde: for man goeth about to deuour me, he dayly fyghtyng, oppresseth me.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  > Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  To the Overseer. -- `On the Dumb Dove far off.' -- A secret treasure of David, in the Philistines' taking hold of him in Gath. Favour me, O God, for man swallowed me up, All the day fighting he oppresseth me,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: All the day long he fighting oppresseth me.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  [For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. [A Psalm] of David. Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath]. Be merciful unto me, O God; For man would swallow me up: All the day long he fighting oppresseth me.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  <To the chief music-maker; put to Jonath elem rehokim. Of David. Michtam. When the Philistines took him in Gath.> Have mercy on me, O God, for man is attempting my destruction; every day he makes cruel attacks against me.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  For the music director; according to the yonath-elem-rekhoqim style; a prayer of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath. Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me! All day long hostile enemies are tormenting me.

Referenced Verses

• Ps 16:1 : 1 Preserve me, O God, for in You do I put my trust.
• Ps 57:1-3 : 1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for my soul trusts in you; yes, in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. 2 I will cry to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
• Ps 69:13-16 : 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD, in an acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of your mercy hear me, in the truth of your salvation. 14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. 15 Let not the floodwaters overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Hear me, O LORD, for your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies.
• Ps 27:2 : 2 When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to devour my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
• Ps 31:9 : 9 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: my eye is consumed with grief, yes, my soul and my body.
• Ps 35:25 : 25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, this is what we wanted; let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
• Ps 106:17 : 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
• Ps 124:3 : 3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us:
• Ps 136:10 : 10 To him who struck Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endures forever:
• Ps 136:15 : 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endures forever.
• Ps 136:17-20 : 17 To him who struck great kings: for his mercy endures forever: 18 And killed famous kings: for his mercy endures forever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endures forever: 20 And Og king of Bashan: for his mercy endures forever:
• Ps 143:12 : 12 And in Your mercy, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.
• Prov 1:12 : 12 Let us swallow them alive like the grave, and whole, like those who go down into the pit;
• Lam 2:2 : 2 The Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob, and has not pitied: He has thrown down in His wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He has brought them down to the ground: He has defiled the kingdom and its princes.
• Lam 2:5 : 5 The Lord was like an enemy: He has swallowed up Israel, He has swallowed up all her palaces: He has destroyed His strongholds, and has increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.
• Lam 2:16 : 16 All your enemies have opened their mouth against you: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly, this is the day we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.
• Hos 8:8 : 8 Israel is swallowed up; now they shall be among the Gentiles as a vessel in which is no pleasure.
• 1 Cor 15:54 : 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'
• Ps 58:1 : 1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do you judge uprightly, O you sons of men?
• Ps 59:1 : 1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me.
• Ps 59:10 : 10 The God of my mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire upon my enemies.
• Ps 60:1 : 1 O God, You have cast us off, You have scattered us, You have been displeased; O turn to us again.
• Ps 21:9 : 9 You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall consume them.
• 1 Sam 21:11-15 : 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12 And David took these words to heart and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 And he changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, Look, you see the man is mad: why have you brought him to me? 15 Do I need mad men, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?
• 1 Sam 29:4 : 4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him, and the princes of the Philistines said to him, Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men?