Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
Parallel translations
- WEB Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
- KJV Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
- NKJV Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
- NASB ¶Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,
- NLT Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround 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
The believer need not fear in evil times, even when surrounded by the wickedness of deceitful foes. Faith in God removes dread.
Overview
The psalmist asks rhetorically why he should fear when treacherous, wealthy enemies hem him in. His confidence rests not in his own resources but in God, who will redeem him (v. 15). This is the heart of the psalm: those who trust God need not fear the rich and ruthless, whose power ends at the grave.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Acts 27:24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’
- Prov 24:10If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
- Phil 1:28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear sign of their destruction but of your salvation, and it is from God.
- Rom 8:33–34Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
- Gen 49:17He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.
- Amos 5:13Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.
- Ps 27:1–2Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?
- Ps 38:4For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear.
- Ps 23:4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
- Ps 22:16For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.
- Hos 7:2But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.
- Isa 41:10–11Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
- Prov 5:22The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
- Ps 56:6–7They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.
- Ps 46:1–2For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
- 1 Sam 26:20So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
- Eph 5:16redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
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 49:5 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.