Psalm 108:12
New International Version
Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.

New Living Translation
Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.

English Standard Version
Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!

Berean Standard Bible
Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

King James Bible
Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

New King James Version
Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.

New American Standard Bible
Give us help against the enemy, For deliverance by man is worthless.

NASB 1995
Oh give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain.

NASB 1977
Oh give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain.

Legacy Standard Bible
Oh give us help against the adversary, For salvation by man is worthless.

Amplified Bible
Give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain [a worthless hope].

Christian Standard Bible
Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless.

American Standard Version
Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man.

Contemporary English Version
Help us defeat our enemies! No one else can rescue us.

English Revised Version
Give us help against the adversary: for vain is the help of man.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Give us help against the enemy because human assistance is worthless.

Good News Translation
Help us against the enemy; human help is worthless.

International Standard Version
Give us help against the enemy, because human help is useless.

Majority Standard Bible
Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

NET Bible
Give us help against the enemy, for any help men might offer is futile.

New Heart English Bible
Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.

Webster's Bible Translation
Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

World English Bible
Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Give to us help from adversity, "" And the salvation of man is vain.

Young's Literal Translation
Give to us help from adversity, And vain is the salvation of man.

Smith's Literal Translation
Give to us help from straits: and vain the salvation of man.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
O grant us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Grant us help from tribulation, for vain is the help of man.

New American Bible
Give us aid against the foe; worthless is human help.

New Revised Standard Version
O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Give us strength against our enemies; for vain is the help of man.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Give us help against our enemies, because the salvation of man is worthless.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Give us help from tribulation: for vain is the help of man.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel's Kingdom Blessing
11Have You not rejected us, O God? Will You no longer march out, O God, with our armies? 12Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. 13With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies.…

Cross References
Psalm 60:11
Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Isaiah 2:22
Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Psalm 146:3
Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.

Isaiah 30:1-3
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. / They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade. / But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.

Jeremiah 2:36-37
How impulsive you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria. / Moreover, you will leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not prosper by their help.”

2 Kings 18:21
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Isaiah 20:5-6
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. / And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Matthew 15:9
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

John 15:5
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Corinthians 1:9
Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.


Treasury of Scripture

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

give

Psalm 20:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

for vain

Psalm 146:3-5
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help…

Job 9:13
If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

Job 16:2
I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

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Adversary Adversity Aid Deliverance Enemy Foe Grant Help Salvation Trouble Vain Worthless
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Adversary Adversity Aid Deliverance Enemy Foe Grant Help Salvation Trouble Vain Worthless
Psalm 108
1. David encourages himself to praise God
5. He prays for God's assistance according to his promise
11. His confidence in God's help














Give us aid
The phrase "Give us aid" is a plea for divine assistance, reflecting a deep reliance on God rather than human strength. The Hebrew root for "aid" is "עֶזְרָה" (ezrah), which signifies help or support. This word is often used in the context of God providing assistance to His people, emphasizing that true help comes from the Lord. In the historical context of Israel, this plea would resonate with the many times God delivered them from their adversaries, reinforcing the belief that divine intervention is superior to any human effort.

against the enemy
The term "enemy" in Hebrew is "צָר" (tsar), which can mean adversary or foe. This word is used throughout the Old Testament to describe both physical and spiritual adversaries. In the context of ancient Israel, enemies often referred to surrounding nations that threatened their existence. Spiritually, it can also represent the forces of evil that oppose God's people. The phrase underscores the reality of opposition in the life of believers and the need for God's protection and victory over such forces.

for the help of man
This phrase highlights the contrast between divine and human assistance. The Hebrew word for "help" here is "תְּשׁוּעָה" (teshuah), which can also mean deliverance or salvation. The psalmist acknowledges that while human help can be beneficial, it is ultimately limited and unreliable. This reflects a biblical worldview that prioritizes trust in God over reliance on human capabilities, a theme prevalent throughout Scripture.

is worthless
The word "worthless" in Hebrew is "שָׁוְא" (shav), meaning vain, empty, or futile. This term is used to describe things that lack substance or effectiveness. The psalmist's declaration that human help is "worthless" serves as a reminder of the futility of relying solely on human strength and wisdom. It calls believers to place their trust in God, whose power and faithfulness far exceed any human effort. This perspective encourages a life of faith, where dependence on God is paramount, and human efforts are seen as secondary to His divine will and purpose.

Verse 12. - Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Completely identical with Psalm 60:11.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Give
הָֽבָה־ (hā·ḇāh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3051: To give, to put, imperatively, come

us
לָּ֣נוּ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

aid
עֶזְרָ֣ת (‘ez·rāṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5833: Help, helper, assistance

against the foe,
מִצָּ֑ר (miṣ·ṣār)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6862: Narrow, a tight place, a pebble, an opponent

for the help
תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת (tə·šū·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8668: Deliverance, salvation

of man
אָדָֽם׃ (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

is worthless.
וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא (wə·šāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7723: Evil, idolatry, uselessness


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OT Poetry: Psalm 108:12 Give us help against the enemy (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 108:11
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