Psalms

Psalm 18:37–43

³⁷I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

I did not turn back until they were consumed.

³⁸I crushed them so they could not rise;

they have fallen under my feet.

³⁹You have armed me with strength for battle;

You have subdued my foes beneath me.

⁴⁰You have made my enemies retreat before me;

I destroyed those who hated me.

⁴¹They cried for help, but there was no one to save them —

to the LORD, but He did not answer.

⁴²I ground them as dust in the face of the wind;

I trampled them^d like mud in the streets.

⁴³You have delivered me from the strife of the people;

You have made me the head of nations;

a people I had not known shall serve me.

Footnotes

d 18:42 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac (see also 2 Samuel 22:43|2SA 22:43); MT I poured them out

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I pursued	אֶרְדּ֣וֹף	’er·dō·wp̄	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7291 pursue, chase, persecute
my enemies	א֭וֹיְבַי	’ō·wy·ḇay	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H341 be hostile to
and overtook them	וְאַשִּׂיגֵ֑ם	wə·’aś·śî·ḡêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H5381 reach, overtake
I did not	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
turn back	אָ֝שׁוּב	ʾå̄·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
until	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
they were consumed	כַּלּוֹתָֽם׃	kal·lō·w·ṯām	Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I crushed them	אֶ֭מְחָצֵם	’em·ḥā·ṣêm	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H4272 smite through, wound severely, shatter
so they could not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
rise	ק֑וּם	qūm	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
they have fallen	יִ֝פְּל֗וּ	yip·pə·lū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5307 fall, lie
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
my feet	רַגְלָֽי׃	raḡ·lāy	Noun - feminine dual construct; first person common singular	H7272 foot

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You have armed me	וַתְּאַזְּרֵ֣נִי	wat·tə·’az·zə·rê·nî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H247 gird, encompass, equip
with strength	חַ֭יִל	ḥa·yil	Noun - masculine singular	H2428 strength, efficiency, wealth, army
for battle	לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה	lam·mil·ḥā·māh	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4421 battle, war
You have subdued	תַּכְרִ֖יעַ	taḵ·rî·a‘	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3766 bow down
my foes	קָמַ֣י	qā·may	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
beneath me	תַּחְתָּֽי׃	taḥ·tāy	Preposition; first person common singular	H8478 the under part

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You have made	נָתַ֣תָּה	nā·ṯat·tāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
my enemies	וְֽאֹיְבַ֗י	wə·’ō·yə·ḇay	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H341 be hostile to
retreat	עֹ֑רֶף	‘ō·rep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H6203 back of neck, neck
before me	לִּ֣י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
I destroyed	אַצְמִיתֵֽם׃	’aṣ·mî·ṯêm	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H6789 put an end to, exterminate
those who hated me	וּ֝מְשַׂנְאַ֗י	ū·mə·śan·’ay	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H8130 hate

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They cried for help	יְשַׁוְּע֥וּ	yə·šaw·wə·‘ū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7768 cry out for help
but	וְאֵין־	wə·’ên-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
to save them	מוֹשִׁ֑יעַ	mō·wō·šî·a‘	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H3467 deliver
to	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the LORD	יְ֝הוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
but He did not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
answer	עָנָֽם׃	‘ā·nām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H6030 answer, respond

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I ground them	וְֽאֶשְׁחָקֵ֗ם	wə·’eš·ḥā·qêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H7833 rub away, beat fine, pulverize
as dust	כְּעָפָ֥ר	kə·‘ā·p̄ār	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H6083 dry earth, dust
in	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the face of	פְּנֵי־	pə·nê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H6440 face, before
the wind	ר֑וּחַ	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
I trampled them	אֲרִיקֵֽם׃	’ă·rî·qêm	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H7324 make empty, empty out
like mud	כְּטִ֖יט	kə·ṭîṭ	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2916 mud, mire, clay
in the streets	חוּצ֣וֹת	ḥū·ṣō·wṯ	Noun - masculine plural	H2351 the outside

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You have delivered me	תְּפַלְּטֵנִי֮	tə·p̄al·lə·ṭê·nî	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H6403 escape
from the strife	מֵרִ֪יבֵ֫י	mê·rî·ḇê	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct	H7379 strife, dispute
of the people	עָ֥ם	‘ām	Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
You have made me	תְּ֭שִׂימֵנִי	tə·śî·mê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7760 put, place, set
the head	לְרֹ֣אשׁ	lə·rōš	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7218 head
of nations	גּוֹיִ֑ם	gō·w·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
a people	עַ֖ם	‘am	Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
I had not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
known	יָדַ֣עְתִּי	yā·ḏa‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
shall serve me	יַֽעַבְדֽוּנִי׃	ya·‘aḇ·ḏū·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; first person common singular	H5647 work, serve