They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
Parallel translations
- WEB They conspire and lurk, watching my steps, they are eager to take my life.
- BSB They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.
- NKJV They gather together, They hide, they mark my steps, When they lie in wait for my life.
- NASB They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.
- NLT They come together to spy on me— watching my every step, eager to kill 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 enemies conspire, lurk, and watch David's steps, eager to kill him. It exposes their patient, murderous intent.
Overview
David describes foes who band together, hide, and track his movements, hungry for his life. The picture of stealthy plotting heightens the danger. Yet by laying it before God, David shows that even the most calculated schemes are seen and overruled by the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Ps 71:10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
- Ps 59:3For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.
- Ps 140:2Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
- Acts 23:12–14And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
- Luke 20:20And 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.
- Acts 4:5–6And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
- Ps 2:1–3Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
- Ps 64:2–6Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
- 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 10:8–10He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
- Ps 89:51Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
- Ps 37:32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
- Matt 26:57And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
- Matt 27:1When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
- Jer 20:10For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
- Matt 26:3–4Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
- Isa 54:15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
- Job 31:4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
- Job 14:16For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
- Dan 6:4Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
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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 56:6 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
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