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Psalms 9:20

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Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

Deep dive References (12)

Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 20

In this psalm, I. David praises God for pleading his cause, and giving him victory over his enemies and the enemies of his country (Psa 9:1-6), and calls upon others to join with him in his songs of praise (Psa 9:11, Psa 9:12). II. He prays to God that he might have still further occasion to praise him, for his own deliverances and the confusion of his enemies (Psa 9:13, Psa 9:14, Psa 9:19, Psa 9:20). III. He triumphs in the assurance he had of God's judging the world (Psa 9:7, Psa 9:8), protecting his oppressed people (Psa 9:9, Psa 9:10, Psa 9:18), and bringing his and their implacable enemies to ruin (Psa 9:15-17). This is very applicable to the kingdom of the Messiah, the enemies of which have been in part destroyed already, and shall be yet more and more till they all be made his footstool, which we are to assure ourselves of, that God may have the glory and we may take the comfort. To the chief musician upon Muth-labben. A psalm of David.

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 20

שִׁית (shîyth, H7896) — to place (in a very wide application) מוֹרָא (môwrâʼ, H4172) — fear; by implication, a fearful thing or deed יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068) — Jehovah, Jewish national name of God גּוֹי (gôwy, H1471) — a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight… יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses,… אֱנוֹשׁ (ʼĕnôwsh, H582) — a man in general (singly or collectively) סֶלָה (çelâh, H5542) — suspension (of music), i.e. pause

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Isaiah 31:3rank 5

But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.

Psalms 62:9rank 4

Lowborn men are but a vapor, the exalted but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor.

Jeremiah 32:40rank 4

I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me.

Psalms 76:12rank 3

He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.

Deuteronomy 2:25rank 3

This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you.”

Ezekiel 28:9rank 2

Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’ in the presence of those who slay you? You will be only a man, not a god, in the hands of those who wound you.

Ezekiel 30:13rank 2

This is what the Lord GOD says: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. There will no longer be a prince in Egypt, and I will instill fear in that land.

Exodus 23:27rank 2

I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.

Exodus 15:16rank 1

and terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of Your arm they will be as still as a stone until Your people pass by, O LORD, until the people You have bought pass by.

Ezekiel 28:2rank 1

“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.

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