I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
Parallel translations
- WEB I laid myself down and slept. I awakened; for Yahweh sustains me.
- BSB I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
- NKJV I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
- NASB I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
- NLT I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.
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
David can lie down, sleep, and wake again because the Lord sustains him. Trust in God brings peace even in danger.
Overview
Surrounded by enemies, David sleeps soundly and wakes safely, evidence of God's sustaining care. Restful sleep amid threat is a quiet act of faith, entrusting one's life to God through the night. Some Christians have also seen here a hint of resurrection hope, for the God who sustains through sleep raises His people to new life in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 4:8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
- Prov 3:24When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
- Isa 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
- Lev 26:6And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
- Job 11:18–19And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
- Ps 127:2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
- Prov 18:10The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- Prov 14:26In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
- Ps 66:9Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
- Acts 12:6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 3:5 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.