Psalms 53 · Verse 5

Psalms 53:5

There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
Psalms 53:5, King James Version

Psalms 53:5 in other translations

BSBThere they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.
WEBThere they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.
ASVThere were they in great fear, where no fear was; For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath rejected them.
YLTThere they feared a fear--there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them.
DARBYThere were they in great fear, where no fear was; for God scattereth the bones of him that encampeth against thee. Thou hast put them to shame, for God hath despised them.
BBEThey were in great fear, where there was no cause for fear: for the bones of those who make war on you have been broken by God; you have put them to shame, because God has no desire for them.
WebsterThere they were in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

What does Psalms 53:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. Instead of assurances of God's presence with the pious, and a complaint of the wicked, Psa 14:5, 6 portrays the ruin of the latter, whose "bones" even "are scattered" (compare Psa 141:7), and who are put to shame as contemptuously rejected of God.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them - The reader will see, on comparing this with the fifth and sixth verses of Psa 14:1-7, that the words above are mostly added here to what is said there; and appear to be levelled against the Babylonians, who sacked and ruined Jerusalem, and who were now sacked and ruined in their turn. The sixth verse of Psa 14:1-7, "Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge," is added here by more than twenty of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Psalms 53:5 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.

שָׁ֤ם\׀shamthereH8033
פָּֽחֲדוּ\־pa.cha.du-they fearedH6342
פַחַד֮fa.Chada fearH6343
לֹא\־lo'-[which] notH3808
הָ֪יָה֫ha.yahit wasH1961
פָ֥חַדFa.chadfearH6343
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
אֱלֹהִ֗ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
פִּ֭זַּרPi.zarhe has scatteredH6340
עַצְמ֣וֹתatz.Mot[the] bones ofH6106
חֹנָ֑ךְcho.Nakh[one who] encamped against youH2583
הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָהhe.vi.Sho.tahyou have put [them] to shameH954
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
אֱלֹהִ֥ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
מְאָסָֽם\׃me.'a.Samhe has rejected themH3988

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

Cross references for Psalms 53:5

  • Proverbs 28:1

    The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

  • Leviticus 26:36

    And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

  • Jeremiah 6:30

    Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.

  • Ezekiel 6:5

    And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

  • Psalms 141:7

    Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

  • Psalms 83:16-17

    Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

  • Leviticus 26:17

    And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

  • 1 Samuel 14:15

    And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

  • Jeremiah 8:1-2

    At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

  • Psalms 73:20

    As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

  • Ezekiel 37:1-11

    The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. …

  • Psalms 35:4

    Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
There.
Le 26:17,36; De 28:65-67; 1Sa 14:15; 2Ki 7:6,7; Job 15:21; Pr 28:1
were they in great fear. Heb. they feared a fear.
14:5
scattered.
141:7; Eze 6:5; 37:1-11
thou hast.
35:4,26; 40:14; 83:16,17
because.
2:4; 73:20; Isa 37:22-38; Jer 6:30; La 2:6

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

Context

  • Psalms 53:4

    Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.

  • Psalms 53:5

    There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

  • Psalms 53:6

    Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Read all of Psalms 53

Psalms 53:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Allí se sobresaltaron de pavor donde no había miedo: porque Dios ha esparcido los huesos del que asentó campo contra ti: los avergonzaste, porque Dios los desechó.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les ouvriers d’iniquité n’ont-ils aucune connaissance? Ils dévorent mon peuple, comme on mange du pain; ils n’invoquent point Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da überfiel sie ein Schrecken, ohne daß ein Schrecken da war; denn Gott hat zerstreut die Gebeine dessen, der dich belagerte. Du hast sie beschämt gemacht, denn Gott hat sie verworfen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quoniam alieni insurrexerunt adversum me, et fortes quæsierunt animam meam, et non proposuerunt Deum ante conspectum suum.