The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
Parallel translations
- WEB The proud have hidden a snare for me, they have spread the cords of a net by the path. They have set traps for me. Selah.
- BSB The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me. Selah
- NKJV The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah
- NASB The proud have hidden a trap for me, and snares; They have spread a net at the wayside; They have set snares for me. Selah
- NLT The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have stretched out a net; they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude
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
The proud have hidden snares, nets, and traps along David's path. It portrays the cunning, premeditated nature of the threats against him.
Overview
The imagery of hunters' snares shows that David's enemies act with calculated stealth, not open combat. Pride drives their plotting, a recurring biblical root of opposition to God's servants. David's recourse is to expose these traps before God, trusting the Lord to deliver, as He ultimately delivers His people from every snare in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Ps 35:7For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
- Ps 142:3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
- Jer 18:22Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
- Ps 119:85The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.
- Luke 20:20–23And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
- Ps 123:3–4Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
- Jer 18:20Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
- Ps 57:6They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
- Ps 119:69The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
- Prov 29:5A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
- Ps 141:9–10Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.
- Luke 11:53–54And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
- Ps 10:4–12The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
- Ps 119:110The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
- Ps 36:11Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
- Ps 31:4Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
- Ps 17:8–13Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
- Job 18:9The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.
- Jer 18:18Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
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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 140:5 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.