All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the nations surrounded me, but in Yahweh’s name, I cut them off.
- KJV All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
- NKJV All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
- NASB ¶All nations surrounded me; In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
- NLT Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Though all nations surrounded him, in the Lord's name he cut them off. It matters because victory comes through God's power, not human strength.
Overview
The psalmist, perhaps a king speaking for Israel, recounts overwhelming opposition overcome only by calling on Yahweh's name. Triumph is credited to God, not to military might. This points to Christ, who through apparent defeat won the decisive victory over all hostile powers for his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 88:17All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
- Rev 20:8–9and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.
- Zech 14:1–3Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.
- 2 Sam 10:1–19Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son Hanun.
- 2 Sam 8:1–18Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
- Ps 18:40You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
- Zech 12:3On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured.
- 2 Sam 5:1–25Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- Rev 19:19–21Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 118:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.