Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah
Parallel translations
- WEB Many there are who say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah.
- KJV Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
- NKJV Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah
- NASB Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
- NLT So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” 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
Many taunt David, saying God will not save him. The sharpest assault is the temptation to doubt God's help.
Overview
David's enemies attack not only his body but his faith, claiming that even God has abandoned him. This is the deepest trial: to be told one's case is hopeless before God. 'Selah,' a likely musical or reflective pause, invites the worshiper to weigh this lie before the psalm answers it with confident trust in the next verse.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 71:11saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”
- Ps 42:3My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Ps 42:10Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Ps 22:7All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:
- Ps 4:4Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah
- Matt 27:42–43“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
- Ps 4:2How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah
- Ps 3:8Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah
- Hab 3:9You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.
- Hab 3:3God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth.
- 2 Sam 16:7–8And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed!
- Hab 3:13You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe. Selah
- Ps 3:4To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:2 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.