Psalm 54:3 For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life--men with no regard for God. Selah

◄ Psalm 54:3 ►

New International Version
Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me— people without regard for God.

New Living Translation
For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude

English Standard Version
For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah

Berean Standard Bible
For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah

King James Bible
For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

New King James Version
For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Selah

New American Standard Bible
For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah

NASB 1995
For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

NASB 1977
For strangers have risen against me, And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

Legacy Standard Bible
For strangers have risen against me And ruthless men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

Amplified Bible
For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

Christian Standard Bible
For strangers rise up against me, and violent men intend to kill me. They do not let God guide them. Selah

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For strangers rise up against me, and violent men seek my life. They have no regard for God. Selah

American Standard Version
For strangers are risen up against me, And violent men have sought after my soul: They have not set God before them. [Selah

Contemporary English Version
Cruel strangers have attacked and want me dead. Not one of them cares about you.

English Revised Version
For strangers are risen up against me, and violent men have sought after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Strangers have attacked me. Ruthless people seek my life. They do not think about God. [Selah]

Good News Translation
Proud people are coming to attack me; cruel people are trying to kill me--those who do not care about God.

International Standard Version
For the arrogant have arisen against me; oppressors have sought to take my life. They do not keep God in mind! Interlude

Majority Standard Bible
For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah

NET Bible
For foreigners attack me; ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. (Selah)

New Heart English Bible
For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven't set God before them. Selah.

Webster's Bible Translation
For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

World English Bible
For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
For strangers have risen up against me "" And terrible ones have sought my soul, "" They have not set God before them. Selah.

Young's Literal Translation
For strangers have risen up against me And terrible ones have sought my soul, They have not set God before them. Selah.

Smith's Literal Translation
For strangers rose up against me, and the powerful sought out my soul: they set not God before them. Silence.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
For strangers have risen up against me; and the mighty have sought after my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For strangers have risen up against me, and the strong have sought my soul. And they have not set God before their eyes.

New American Bible
Strangers have risen against me; the ruthless seek my life; they do not keep God before them. Selah

New Revised Standard Version
For the insolent have risen against me, the ruthless seek my life; they do not set God before them. Selah

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For strangers are risen up against me, and the mighty seek after my life; they have disregarded thee, O God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because foreigners stood up against me and the mighty have sought my soul and have not considered you, oh, God!

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For strangers are risen up against me, And violent men have sought after my soul; They have not set God before them. Selah

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For strangers have risen up against me, and mighty men have sought my life: they have not set God before them. Pause.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Vindicate Me by Your Might
…2Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 3For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life— men with no regard for God. Selah 4Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

1 Samuel 23:19
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?

1 Samuel 26:1
Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

Psalm 86:14
The arrogant rise against me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life; they have no regard for You.

Psalm 140:1-2
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men. Protect me from men of violence, / who devise evil in their hearts and stir up war all day long.

Psalm 59:3
See how they lie in wait for me. Fierce men conspire against me for no transgression or sin of my own, O LORD.

Psalm 10:2-3
In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise. / For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

Psalm 17:9
from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

Psalm 35:7
For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.

Psalm 41:5
My enemies say with malice: “When will he die and be forgotten?”

Psalm 56:5-6
All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are on my demise. / They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.

Psalm 64:1-2
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Hear, O God, my voice of complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. / Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of workers of iniquity,

Psalm 71:10-11
For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait for my life conspire, / saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”

Psalm 109:3
They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.

Isaiah 29:20
For the ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who look for evil will be cut down—

Jeremiah 18:18
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

Treasury of Scripture

For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

strangers

Psalm 69:8
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

Psalm 86:14
O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.

Job 19:13-15
He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me…

oppressors

Psalm 22:16
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Psalm 59:3-5
For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD…

Matthew 27:20-23
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus…

they have

Psalm 16:8
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Psalm 36:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

Psalm 53:4
Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.

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Psalm 54

1. David, complaining of the Ziphims, prays for salvation
4. Upon his confidence in God's help he promises sacrifice

Berean Study Bible

For strangers
The phrase "For strangers" refers to those who are not part of the covenant community of Israel. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "זָרִים" (zarim), which can mean foreigners or outsiders. Historically, this could refer to literal foreign nations or individuals who do not worship Yahweh and thus are seen as adversaries to God's people. In a spiritual sense, it can also represent any force or influence that is alien to the believer's faith and values. Theologically, this highlights the ever-present reality of opposition that believers face from those who do not share their faith.

have risen up
indicates an active and aggressive stance. The Hebrew verb "קָמוּ" (qamu) suggests a sudden or hostile action, implying that these strangers are not merely passive threats but are actively seeking to harm or undermine. This can be seen as a reflection of the spiritual battles that believers face, where opposition is not just a passive presence but an active force that must be confronted with faith and reliance on God.

against me
personalizes the threat, showing that the psalmist, traditionally understood to be David, is experiencing this opposition directly. This personal aspect underscores the intimate nature of the struggles faced by believers. It is not just a general or abstract threat but one that impacts the individual personally. This can be a source of comfort, as it reminds believers that God is aware of and concerned with their personal struggles and challenges.

ruthless men seek my life—
The term "ruthless men" is translated from the Hebrew "עָרִיצִים" (aritsim), which conveys a sense of violence and cruelty. These are not just ordinary adversaries but are characterized by their lack of compassion and their willingness to use any means to achieve their ends. This highlights the severity of the threat and the need for divine intervention. In a broader sense, it can represent any force that seeks to destroy the spiritual life of the believer, whether through temptation, persecution, or other means.

seek my life—
emphasizes the intent and determination of these adversaries. The Hebrew word "בִּקְשׁוּ" (biqshu) means to seek or pursue diligently. This pursuit is not casual but is a focused and determined effort to cause harm. For believers, this can be a reminder of the vigilance required in their spiritual walk, as there are always forces that seek to lead them away from their faith and relationship with God.

they have no regard for God
The phrase "they have no regard for God" is a critical insight into the nature of these adversaries. The Hebrew "לֹא שָׂמוּ אֱלֹהִים" (lo samu Elohim) suggests a deliberate choice to ignore or reject God. This lack of regard for God is the root of their opposition and hostility. It serves as a reminder that the ultimate battle is spiritual, and the true enemy is not flesh and blood but spiritual forces that oppose God's will and purposes. For believers, this underscores the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with God and relying on His strength and guidance in the face of opposition.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) For strangers.--This verse, with some variations, occurs again (Psalm 86:14); some MSS. even reading here "proud," instead of "strangers." With the received reading we must understand by the word "foreign oppressors"--though, doubtless, the inscription of the Psalm may be defended by taking the word in a derived sense of those Israelites who have degenerated, and so deserve the name "aliens."

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - For strangers are risen up against me. David's designation of his foes as "strangers" has been made an argument against the trustworthiness of the "title," since the Ziphites were Israelites of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:55). But he might well call those "strangers" who were treating him as an alien. Comp. Psalm 120:5, where "the psalmist, heavily oppressed by his countrymen, complains that he dwelt in Mesheeh and Kedar" (Hengstenberg). And oppressors seek after my soul; or, my life. The phrase is exactly that used in 1 Samuel 23:15, when David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a wood, and "saw that Saul was come out to seek his life." They have not set God before them (comp. Psalm 86:14). David, on the contrary, "set the Lord always before him" (Psalm 16:8).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

strangers
זָרִ֨ים ׀ (zā·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery

rise up
קָ֤מוּ (qā·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

against me,
עָלַ֗י (‘ā·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

and ruthless
וְֽ֭עָרִיצִים (wə·‘ā·rî·ṣîm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6184: Awe-inspiring, terror-striking

men seek
בִּקְשׁ֣וּ (biq·šū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

my life—
נַפְשִׁ֑י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

men with no
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

regard
שָׂ֨מוּ (śā·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

for God.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

Selah
סֶֽלָה׃ (se·lāh)
Interjection
Strong's 5542: Suspension, pause

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OT Poetry: Psalm 54:3 For strangers have risen up against me (Psalm Ps Psa.)