Psalms 3 · Verse 7

Psalms 3:7

Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Psalms 3:7, King James Version

Psalms 3:7 in other translations

BSB	Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
WEB	Arise, LORD! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
ASV	Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
YLT	Rise, O Jehovah! save me, my God. Because Thou hast smitten All mine enemies on the cheek. The teeth of the wicked Thou hast broken.
DARBY	Arise, Jehovah; save me, my God! For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone, thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
BBE	Come to me, Lord; keep me safe, O my God; for you have given all my haters blows on their face-bones; the teeth of the evil-doers have been broken by you.
Webster	Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

What does Psalms 3:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

7. Arise, O Lord--God is figuratively represented as asleep to denote His apparent indifference (Psa 7:6). The use of "cheekbone" and "teeth" represents his enemies as fierce, like wild beasts ready to devour (Psa 27:2), and smiting their cheekbone (1Ki 22:24) denotes violence and insult. thou hast broken--God took his part, utterly depriving the enemy of power to injure.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 7 Arise, O Lord - Though he knew that God had undertaken his defense, yet he knew that his continued protection depended on his continual prayer and faith. God never ceases to help as long as we pray. When our hands hang down, and we restrain prayer before him, we may then justly fear that our enemies will prevail. Those blast smitten - That is, Thou wilt smite. He speaks in full confidence of God's interference; and knows as surely that he shall have the victory, as if he had it already. Breaking the jaws and the teeth are expressions which imply, confounding and destroying an adversary; treating him with extreme contempt; using him like a dog, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 3:4-8

Care and grief do us good, when they engage us to pray to God, as in earnest. David had always found God ready to answer his prayers. Nothing can fix a gulf between the communications of God's grace towards us, and the working of his grace in us; between his favour and our faith. He had always been very safe under the Divine protection. This is applicable to the common mercies of every night, for which we ought to…

Read the full comment on Psalms 3:4-8 →

Psalms 3:7 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.

ק֘וּמָ֤הku.Maharise !H6965

יְהוָ֨ה\׀Yah.wehO YahwehH3068

הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִיho.Shi.'E.nisave meH3467

אֱלֹהַ֗י'e.lo.HaiO God myH430

כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588

הִכִּ֣יתָhi.Ki.tayou have struckH5221

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

אֹיְבַ֣י'o.ye.Vaienemies myH341

לֶ֑חִיLe.chijawH3895

שִׁנֵּ֖יshi.Nei[the] teeth ofH8127

רְשָׁעִ֣יםre.sha.'Imwicked [people]H7563

שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ\׃shi.Bar.tayou have brokenH7665

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

Cross references for Psalms 3:7

Psalms 58:6
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.
Job 29:17
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Job 16:10
They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
Psalms 59:5
Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
Psalms 10:12
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Psalms 6:4
Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.
Psalms 35:23
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
Lamentations 3:30
He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
Psalms 76:9
When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Psalms 7:6
Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
Psalms 74:11
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
Psalms 44:23
Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Arise.
10:12; 12:5; 35:23; 44:23; 59:5; 74:11; 76:9; Isa 51:9; Hab 2:19
thou.
58:6; Job 16:10; 29:17; La 3:30

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

Context

Psalms 3:6
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Psalms 3:7
Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Psalms 3:8
Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Read all of Psalms 3

Psalms 3:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Levántate, Jehová; sálvame, Dios mío: porque tú heriste á todos mis enemigos en la quijada; los dientes de los malos quebrantaste.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Je n’aurai pas de crainte des myriades du peuple qui se sont mises contre moi tout autour.
German Elberfelder 1871	Stehe auf, Jehova! rette mich, mein Gott! denn du hast alle meine Feinde auf den Backen geschlagen; die Zähne der Gesetzlosen hast du zerschmettert.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Non timebo millia populi circumdantis me. Exsurge, Domine; salvum me fac, Deus meus.