King James Version

Psalms 143:3

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

כִּ֥יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…רָ֘דַ֤ףradafchaseרָדַףverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “chase”, a completed actionH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).אוֹיֵ֨בoyevenemyאֹיֵבverb, qal, participle, absolute — “enemy”, a verb used as a describing wordH341hating; an adversaryenemy, foe.נַפְשִׁ֗יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…דִּכָּ֣אdikabruiseדָּכָאverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bruise”, a completed actionH1792to crumble; transitively, to bruise (literally or figuratively)beat to pieces, break (in pieces), bruise, contrite, crush, destroy, humble, oppress, smite.לָ֭אָרֶץlaaretsto earthאֶרֶץpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “to earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.חַיָּתִ֑יchayatilifeחַיnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “life”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.הוֹשִׁיבַ֥נִיhoshivanidwellיָשַׁבverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “dwell”, a completed actionH3427properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, r…בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗יםvemachashakimin darkמַחְשָׁךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “in dark”, the ordinary formH4285darkness; concretely, a dark placedark(-ness, place).כְּמֵתֵ֥יkemeteas dieמוּתpreposition, verb, qal, participle, construct — “as die”, a verb used as a describing wordH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…עוֹלָֽםolamalwayעוֹלָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath crushed my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

Young’s Literal Translation

For an enemy hath pursued my soul, He hath bruised to the earth my life, He hath caused me to dwell in dark places, As the dead of old.

World English Bible

For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

Darby Translation

For the enemy persecuteth my soul: he hath crushed my life down to the earth; he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

Douay-Rheims

Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath crushed my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has brought my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in a dark place , as those that have been long dead.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι κατεδίωξεν ὁ ἐχθρὸς τὴν ψυχήν μου· ἐταπείνωσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ζωήν μου, ἐκάθισέ με ἐν σκοτεινοῖς ὡς νεκροὺς αἰῶνος,