Logos Bible Study

Psalm 64:2–8

The NET BibleOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

64:2Hide me from the plots of evil men,

from the crowd of evildoers.4

64:3They5 sharpen their tongues like a sword;

they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge,6

64:4in order to shoot down the innocent7 in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation.8

64:5They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed.9

They plan how to hide10 snares,

and boast,11 “Who will see them?”12

64:6They devise13 unjust schemes;

they disguise14 a well-conceived plot.15

Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered.16

64:7But God will shoot17 at them;

suddenly they will be18 wounded by an arrow.19

64:8Their slander will bring about their demise.20

All who see them will shudder,21

Read in Logos

Footnotes

  1. 4 Heb “workers of wickedness.”
  2. 5 Heb “who.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  3. 6 Heb “a bitter word.”
  4. 7 The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.
  5. 8 Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  6. 9 Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”
  7. 10 Heb “they report about hiding.”
  8. 11 Heb “they say.”
  9. 12 If this is a direct quotation (cf. , ), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. , which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. ).
  10. 13 Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”
  11. 14 The has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew in reading טָמְנוּ (tomnu, “they hide”), a Qal perfect third common plural form from the verbal root טָמַן (taman).
  12. 15 Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.
  13. 16 Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.
  14. 17 The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive is normally used in narrative contexts to describe completed past actions. It is possible that the conclusion to the psalm (vv. 7–10) was added to the lament after God’s judgment of the wicked in response to the psalmist’s lament (vv. 1–6). The translation assumes that these verses are anticipatory and express the psalmist’s confidence that God would eventually judge the wicked. The psalmist uses a narrative style as a rhetorical device to emphasize his certitude. See §111.w.
  15. 18 The perfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s certitude about the coming demise of the wicked.
  16. 19 The translation follows the traditional accentuation of the . Another option is to translate, “But God will shoot them down with an arrow, suddenly they will be wounded” (cf. , ).
  17. 20 The reads literally, “and they caused him to stumble, upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (’al) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ’aley léshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. It is likely that the is corrupt, but a satisfying emendation has not yet been proposed.
  18. 21 The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by 622 I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

from the throng of evildoers,

who whet their tongues like swords,

who aim bitter words like arrows,

shooting from ambush at the blameless,

shooting at him suddenly and without fear.

They hold fast to their evil purpose;

they talk of laying snares secretly,

thinking, “Who can see them?”

They search out injustice,

saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”

For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

But God shoots his arrow at them;

they are wounded suddenly.

They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;

all who see them will wag their heads.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

from the plots of evildoers.

They sharpen their tongues like swords

and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.

They shoot from ambush at the innocent;

they shoot suddenly, without fear.

They encourage each other in evil plans,

they talk about hiding their snares;

they say, “Who will see it?”

They plot injustice and say,

“We have devised a perfect plan!”

Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;

they will suddenly be struck down.

He will turn their own tongues against them

and bring them to ruin;

all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Hide me from the scheming of wicked people,

from the mob of evildoers,

who sharpen their tongues like swords

and aim bitter words like arrows,

shooting from concealed places at the blameless.

They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid.

They adopt an evil plan;

they talk about hiding traps and say,

“Who will see them?”

They devise crimes and say,

“We have perfected a secret plan.”

The inner man and the heart are mysterious.

But God will shoot them with arrows;

suddenly, they will be wounded.

They will be made to stumble;

their own tongues work against them.

All who see them will shake their heads.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Hide me from the plots of this evil mob,

from this gang of wrongdoers.

They sharpen their tongues like swords

and aim their bitter words like arrows.

They shoot from ambush at the innocent,

attacking suddenly and fearlessly.

They encourage each other to do evil

and plan how to set their traps in secret.

“Who will ever notice?” they ask.

As they plot their crimes, they say,

“We have devised the perfect plan!”

Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.

But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,

suddenly striking them down.

Their own tongues will ruin them,

and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Hide me from the secret plots of evildoers,

from the unrest of those who do iniquity,

who sharpen their tongue like a sword.

They bend their bow to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

to shoot from their hiding places at the blameless.

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

They encourage themselves in the evil matter.

They talk of secretly laying snares.

They say, “Who will see them?”

They carefully plot injustices saying,

“We have perfected the perfect plot!”

Both the inner thought and heart of a man are deep.

But God will shoot them;

with an arrow they will suddenly be wounded.

And they who would cause him to stumble,

their own tongue will be against them.

All who gaze on them will shake.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked;

From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword,

And bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect:

Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter:

They commune of laying snares privily;

They say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities;

They accomplish a diligent search:

Both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;

Suddenly shall they be wounded.

So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves:

All that see them shall flee away.

Public Domain