All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the nations surrounded me, but in Yahweh’s name, I cut them off.
- BSB All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
- 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 88:17They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
- Rev 20:8–9And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
- Zech 14:1–3Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
- 2 Sam 10:1–19And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
- 2 Sam 8:1–18And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
- Ps 18:40Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
- Zech 12:3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
- 2 Sam 5:1–25Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
- Rev 19:19–21And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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.