King James Version

Psalms 68:2

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 68:3.

כְּהִנְדֹּ֥ףkehindofas driveנָדַףpreposition, verb, niphal, infinitive construct — “as drive”, the to-form of the verbH5086to shove asunder, i.e. dispersedrive (away, to and fro), thrust down, shaken, tossed to and fro.עָשָׁ֗ןashansmokeעָשָׁןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “smoke”, the ordinary formH6227smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)smoke(-ing).תִּ֫נְדֹּ֥ףtindofdriveנָדַףverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “drive”, an unfinished actionH5086to shove asunder, i.e. dispersedrive (away, to and fro), thrust down, shaken, tossed to and fro.כְּהִמֵּ֣סkehimesas faintמָסַסpreposition, verb, niphal, infinitive construct — “as faint”, the to-form of the verbH4549to liquefy; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief)discourage, faint, be loosed, melt (away), refuse, [idiom] utterly.דּ֭וֹנַגdonagwaxדּוֹנַגnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “wax”, the ordinary formH1749wax;wax.מִפְּנֵיmipnefrom a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “from a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…אֵ֑שׁeshfireאֵשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “fire”, the ordinary formH784fire (literally or figuratively)burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.יֹאבְד֥וּyovdvdestroyאָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “destroy”, an unfinished actionH6properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.רְ֝שָׁעִ֗יםreshaimguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.מִפְּנֵ֥יmipnefrom a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “from a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…אֱלֹהִֽיםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(68-3) As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Young’s Literal Translation

As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.

World English Bible

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Darby Translation

As smoke is driven, thou wilt drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, the wicked shall perish at the presence of God.

Douay-Rheims

SAVE me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(68-3) As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

As smoke vanishes, let them vanish: as wax melts before the fire, so let the sinners perish from before God.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὡς ἐκλείπει καπνὸς, ἐκλιπέτωσαν· ὡς τήκεται κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς, οὕτως ἀπόλοιντο οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ.