Psalm 9:3

Translations

Modern

When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.

Traditional

When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

Literal

In turning back my enemies they shall stumble and shall perish from Your face.

Latin

In convertendo inimicum meum retrorsum; infirmabuntur, et peribunt a facie tua.

Original

Hebrew

English

When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.

Notes

Psalms 9:3

retreat … stumble: The Lord overpowers even powerful enemies (see Psalm 27:2). Israel also experienced judgment when it resisted the Lord (107:12).

Psalms 9:3–6

The psalmist praises God's judgment of the wicked. This shows the Lord's promise to establish his kingdom on earth is trustworthy (Psalms 1:6; 2).

Psalms 9:1–10:18

This hymn celebrates the Lord's rule and triumph over evil. It may also respond to the laments in Psalms 3–7.

Some believe that Psalms 9 and 10 should be read together as one psalm in two parts. This is because Psalm 9 has a title, while Psalm 10 does not.

Despite some missing or inverted letters, the two psalms form an acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet. This means that each line or section begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Other alphabetic acrostics include Psalms 25, 34, 37, 111–112, 119, and 145.

The ancient Greek and Latin translations treat Psalms 9 and 10 as one psalm.

Theme notes and profiles

David Praise Psalms

Related verses

2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,
Psalm 76:7
You alone are to be feared. When You are angry, who can stand before You?
Revelation 20:11
Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
Revelation 6:12–17
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
Psalm 80:16
Your vine has been cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
Psalm 68:1–2
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song. God arises. His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee His presence.
Isaiah 64:3
When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.

Glossary

Acrostic David Music Poetry, Biblical Psalms, Book of

Topics

Faith: Exemplified

Psalm 9:3

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