Psalms 81 · Verse 14

Psalms 81:14

I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
Psalms 81:14, King James Version

Psalms 81:14 in other translations

BSBhow soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!
WEBI would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries.
ASVI would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries.
YLTAs a little thing their enemies I cause to bow, And against their adversaries I turn back My hand,
DARBYI would soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
BBEI would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.
WebsterI should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

What does Psalms 81:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 81:13-16

13-16. Obedience would have secured all promised blessings and the subjection of foes. In this passage, "should have," "would have," &c., are better, "should" and "would" expressing God's intention at the time, that is, when they left Egypt.

Read the full comment on Psalms 81:13-16 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 I should soon have subdued - If God's promise appeared to fail in behalf of his people, it was because they rejected his counsel, and walked in their own. While they were faithful, they prospered; and not one jot or tittle of God's word failed to them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 81:8-16

We cannot look for too little from the creature, nor too much from the Creator. We may have enough from God, if we pray for it in faith. All the wickedness of the world is owing to man's wilfulness. People are not religious, because they will not be so. God is not the Author of their sin, he leaves them to the lusts of their own hearts, and the counsels of their own heads; if they do not well, the blame must be upon…

Read the full comment on Psalms 81:8-16 →

Psalms 81:14 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.

כִּ֭מְעַטKim.'atlike a littleH4592
אוֹיְבֵיהֶ֣ם'oy.vei.Hemenemies theirH341
אַכְנִ֑יעַ'akh.Ni.a'I will subdueH3665
וְעַ֥לve.'Aland onH5921
צָ֝רֵיהֶ֗םtza.rei.Hemopponents theirH6862
אָשִׁ֥יב'a.ShivI will turnH7725
יָדִֽי\׃ya.Dihand myH3027

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

Cross references for Psalms 81:14

  • Judges 2:20-23

    And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

  • Amos 1:8

    And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God.

  • Joshua 23:13

    Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

  • Numbers 14:9

    Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

  • Psalms 47:3

    He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

  • Numbers 14:45

    Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

  • Zechariah 13:7

    Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I should.
Nu 14:9,45; Jos 23:13; Jud 2:20-23
turned.
Am 1:8; Zec 13:7

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

Context

  • Psalms 81:13

    Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

  • Psalms 81:14

    I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

  • Psalms 81:15

    The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

Read all of Psalms 81

Psalms 81:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		En una nada habría yo derribado sus enemigos, y vuelto mi mano sobre sus adversarios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Oh! si mon peuple m’avait écouté! si Israël avait marché dans mes voies!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Bald würde ich ihre Feinde gebeugt und meine Hand gewendet haben gegen ihre Bedränger.