King James Version

Psalms 57:4

My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 57:5.

נַפְשִׁ֤יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, 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,…בְּת֥וֹךְbetokhein amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).לְבָאִם֮levaimlionלָבִיאnoun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “lion”, the ordinary formH3833to roar; a lion (properly, a lioness as the fiercer (although not a roarer;))(great, old, stout) lion, lioness, young (lion).אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪הeshkevahlieשָׁכַבverb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular — “lie”, a determination or requestH7901to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)[idiom] at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.לֹ֫הֲטִ֥יםlohatimburnלָהַטverb, qal, participle, absolute — “burn”, a verb used as a describing wordH3857properly, to lick, i.e. (by implication) to blazeburn (up), set on fire, flaming, kindle.בְּֽנֵיbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […אָדָ֗םadampersonאָדָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.שִׁ֭נֵּיהֶםshineyhemivoryשֵׁןnoun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “ivory”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8127a tooth (as sharp); specifically ivory; figuratively, a cliffcrag, [idiom] forefront, ivory, [idiom] sharp, tooth.חֲנִ֣יתchanitjavelinחֲנִיתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “javelin”, the ordinary formH2595a lance (for thrusting, like pitching a tent)javelin, spear.וְחִצִּ֑יםvechitsimand arrowחֵץconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and arrow”, the ordinary formH2671properly, a piercer, i.e. an arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunderbolt; the shaft of aspear[phrase] archer, arrow, dart, shaft, staff, wound.וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗םuleshonamand tongueלָשׁוֹןconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and tongue”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3956the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.חֶ֣רֶבcherevknifeחֶרֶבnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “knife”, the ordinary formH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.חַדָּֽהchadahsharpחַדadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “sharp”, the ordinary formH2299sharpsharp.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(57-5) My soul is among lions, I do lie down among them that are aflame; even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.

Young’s Literal Translation

My soul [is] in the midst of lions, I lie down [among] flames — sons of men, Their teeth [are] a spear and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.

World English Bible

My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Darby Translation

My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down [among] them that breathe out flames, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Douay-Rheims

The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(57-5) My soul is among lions, I do lie down among them that are aflame; even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and he has delivered my soul from the midst of lions' whelps: I lay down to sleep, though troubled. As for the sons of men, their teeth are arms and missile weapons, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ μέσου σκύμνων· ἐκοιμήθην τεταραγμένος· υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, οἱ ὀδόντες αὐτῶν, ὅπλον καὶ βέλη, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν, μάχαιρα ὀξεῖα.