In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Parallel translations
- WEB In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
- KJV In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
- NKJV In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
- NASB In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
- NLT I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to 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
Trusting God and praising his word, David refuses to fear mere mortal flesh. It declares confident faith that disarms human threats.
Overview
David grounds his courage in God and in God's promises ('his word'), concluding that frail flesh can do nothing ultimately to harm him. The rhetorical question dismisses the power of human enemies before the almighty God. It anticipates the New Testament assurance that if God is for us, none can prevail against us (Romans 8:31).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Heb 13:6So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
- Ps 118:6The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Rom 8:31–39What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Ps 27:1Of 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?
- Isa 41:10Do 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.
- Luke 12:4–5I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Ps 56:10–11In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise,
- 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.
- Ps 119:89–90Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.
- Isa 31:3But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.
- Ps 19:7–8The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
- Ps 12:6The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.
- Ps 119:160The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
- Ps 138:2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.
- John 10:35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
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 56:4 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.