Psalms 17 · Verse 11

Psalms 17:11

They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psalms 17:11, King James Version

Psalms 17:11 in other translations

BSBThey have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground,
WEBThey have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
ASVThey have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
YLT‘Our steps now have compassed him;' Their eyes they set to turn aside in the land.
DARBYThey have now encompassed us in our steps; their eyes have they set, bowing down to the earth.
BBEThey have made a circle round our steps: their eyes are fixed on us, forcing us down to the earth;
WebsterThey have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

What does Psalms 17:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. They pursue us as beasts tracking their prey.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 They have now compassed us in our steps - Instead of אשרנו ashshurenu, "our steps," Dr. Kennicott and others recommend אשרינו ashreynu, "O lucky we, at last we have compassed him." He cannot now escape; he is sure to fall into our hands. They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth - All the commentators and critics have missed the very expressive and elegant metaphor contained in this clause. Kennicott says, They drove the hart into toils, and then shot him. Bishop Horsley says, on the clause, They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth: "This is the attitude of huntsmen, taking aim at an animal upon the ground." No, it is the attitude of the huntsmen looking for the slot, or track of the hart's, hind's, or antelope's foot on the ground. See at the conclusion of the Psalm.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 17:8-15

Being compassed with enemies, David prays to God to keep him in safety. This prayer is a prediction that Christ would be preserved, through all the hardships and difficulties of his humiliation, to the glories and joys of his exalted state, and is a pattern to Christians to commit the keeping of their souls to God, trusting him to preserve them to his heavenly kingdom. Those are our worst enemies, that are enemies…

Read the full comment on Psalms 17:8-15 →

Psalms 17:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ'A.shu.rei.nusteps ourH838
עַתָּ֣ה'a.TahnowH6258
סְבָב֑וּנוּse.va.vu.nithey have surrounded usH5437
עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם'ei.nei.Hemeyes theirH5869
יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּya.Shi.tuthey setH7896
לִנְט֥וֹתlin.Totto bend downH5186
בָּאָֽרֶץ\׃ba.'A.retzon the groundH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 17:11

  • Proverbs 6:13-14

    He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

  • Psalms 37:14

    The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

  • Psalms 10:8-10

    He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

  • 1 Samuel 26:2-3

    Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

  • 1 Samuel 23:26

    And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

  • Psalms 88:17

    They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

  • 1 Samuel 24:2-3

    Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
compassed.
1Sa 23:26; 24:2,3; 26:2,3
set.
10:8-10; Pr 6:13,14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 17:10

    They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

  • Psalms 17:11

    They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

  • Psalms 17:12

    Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

Read all of Psalms 17

Psalms 17:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Nuestros pasos nos han cercado ahora: puestos tienen sus ojos para echar nos por tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		À chacun de nos pas, maintenant ils nous environnent; ils fixent leurs yeux, se baissant jusqu’à terre:
German
Elberfelder 1871		In allen unseren Schritten haben sie uns jetzt umringt; sie richten ihre Augen, uns zu Boden zu strecken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ascendit super cherubim, et volavit; volavit super pennas ventorum.