Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
Parallel translations
- WEB let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
- BSB then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah
- NKJV Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
- NASB Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
- NLT then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. 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
David is willing to suffer defeat and disgrace if he is in fact guilty. He stakes his very life on the truth of his innocence.
Overview
David completes his oath by accepting the worst consequences should he be lying: let the enemy overtake and humiliate him. Such an appeal shows how seriously he takes truth and how fully he trusts God's just verdict. 'Selah' marks a pause to weigh the gravity of placing one's life under God's righteous scrutiny.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Mal 4:3And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Ps 3:2Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
- Jer 17:13O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
- Ps 44:5Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
- Ps 49:12Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
- Isa 10:6I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
- Job 40:12–13Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
- Hab 3:13Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
- Job 31:5–10If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
- Isa 63:3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
- Zech 10:5And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
- Job 31:38–40If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
- Job 16:15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
- Ps 60:12Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
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 7:5 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.