Psalms 9 · Verse 20

Psalms 9:20

Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Psalms 9:20, King James Version

Psalms 9:20 in other translations

BSBLay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah
WEBPut them in fear, LORD. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.
ASVPut them in fear, O Jehovah: Let the nations know themselves to be but men. [Selah
YLTAppoint, O Jehovah, a director to them, Let nations know they are men! Selah.
DARBYPut them in fear, Jehovah: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
BBEPut them in fear, O Lord, so that the nations may see that they are only men. (Selah.)
WebsterPut them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

What does Psalms 9:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. By their effectual subjection, make them to realize their frail nature (Psa 8:4), and deter them from all conceit and future rebellion.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Put them in fear - שיתה יהוה מורה להם shithah Yehovah morah lahem, "O Lord, place a teacher among them," that they may know they also are accountable creatures, grow wise unto salvation, and be prepared for a state of blessedness. Several MSS. read מורא morre, fear; but teacher or legislator is the reading of all the versions except the Chaldee. Coverdale has hit the sense, translating thus: O Lorde, set a Scholemaster over them; and the old Psalter, Sett Lorb a brynger of Law abouen tham. That the nations may know themselves to be but men - אנוש enosh; Let the Gentiles be taught by the preaching of thy Gospel that they are weak and helpless, and stand in need of the salvation which Christ has provided for them. This may be the spirit of the petition. And this is marked by the extraordinary note Selah; Mark well, take notice. So the term may be understood. "This whole Psalm," says Dr. Horsley, "seems naturally to divide into three parts. The first ten verses make the First part; the six following, the Second; and the remaining four the Third. "The First part is prophetic of the utter extermination of the irreligious persecuting faction. The prophecy is delivered in the form of an Επινικιον, or song of victory, occasioned by the promise given in the fifteenth verse of the tenth Psalm; and through the whole of this song the psalmist, in the height of a prophetic enthusiasm, speaks of the threatened vengeance as accomplished. "The Second part opens with an exhortation to the people of God to praise him as the Avenger of their wrongs, and the watchful Guardian of the helpless, and, as if the flame of the prophetic joy which the oracular voice had lighted in the psalmist's mind was beginning to die away, the strain is gradually lowered, and the notes of triumph are mixed with supplication and complaint, as if the mind of the psalmist were fluttering between things present and to come, and made itself alternately present to his actual condition and his future hope. "In the Third part the psalmist seems quite returned from the prophetic enthusiasm to his natural state, and closes the whole song with explicit but cool assertions of the future destruction of the wicked, and the deliverance of the persecuted saints, praying for the event."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 9:11-20

Those who believe that God is greatly to be praised, not only desire to praise him better themselves, but desire that others may join with them. There is a day coming, when it will appear that he has not forgotten the cry of the humble; neither the cry of their blood, or the cry of their prayers. We are never brought so low, so near to death, but God can raise us up. If he has saved us from spiritual and eternal…

Read the full comment on Psalms 9:11-20 →

Psalms 9:20 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.

שִׁ֘יתָ֤הshi.Tahappoint !H7896
יְהוָ֨ה\׀Yah.wehO YahwehH3068
מוֹרָ֗הmo.RahterrorH4172
לָ֫הֶ֥םla.Hemfor them
יֵדְע֥וּye.de.'Umay they knowH3045
גוֹיִ֑םgo.Yim[the] nationsH1471
אֱנ֖וֹשׁ'e.No.osh[are] human being[s]H582
הֵ֣מָּהHe.mahtheyH1992
סֶּֽלָה\׃Se.lahSelahH5542

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

Cross references for Psalms 9:20

  • Isaiah 31:3

    Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

  • Jeremiah 32:40

    And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

  • Psalms 62:9

    Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

  • Psalms 82:6-7

    I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

  • Psalms 76:12

    He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

  • Acts 12:22-23

    And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

  • Deuteronomy 2:25

    This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

  • Exodus 23:27

    I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

  • Ezekiel 28:9

    Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.

  • Ezekiel 30:13

    Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

  • Ezekiel 28:2

    Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

  • Exodus 15:16

    Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Put.
76:12; Ex 15:16; 23:27; De 2:25; Jer 32:40; Eze 30:13
may.
82:6,7; Isa 31:3; Eze 28:2,9; Ac 12:22,23

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

Context

  • Psalms 9:19

    Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

  • Psalms 9:20

    Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

Read all of Psalms 9

Psalms 9:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pon, oh Jehová, temor en ellos: conozcan las gentes que son no más que hombres. (Selah.)
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Lève-toi, Éternel! que l’homme ne prévale pas. Que les nations soient jugées devant ta face.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Lege Furcht auf sie, Jehova; mögen die Nationen wissen, daß sie Menschen sind!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Exsurge, Domine; non confortetur homo: judicentur gentes in conspectu tuo.