Psalm 55:9
New International Version
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city.

New Living Translation
Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city.

English Standard Version
Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city.

Berean Standard Bible
O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

King James Bible
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

New King James Version
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

New American Standard Bible
Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

NASB 1995
Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

NASB 1977
Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Legacy Standard Bible
Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Amplified Bible
Confuse [my enemies], O Lord, divide their tongues [destroying their schemes], For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Christian Standard Bible
Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city;

American Standard Version
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
LORD JEHOVAH, drown the conversation of their tongues, for I have seen fighting and judgment in the city.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen iniquity and gain saying in the city.

Contemporary English Version
Confuse my enemies, Lord! Upset their plans. Cruelty and violence are all I see in the city,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.

English Revised Version
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Completely confuse their language, O Lord, because I see violence and conflict in the city.

Good News Translation
Confuse the speech of my enemies, O Lord! I see violence and riots in the city,

International Standard Version
Confound them, Lord, and confuse their speech, because I have seen violence and strife in the city.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Literal Standard Version
Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, | For I saw violence and strife in a city.

Majority Standard Bible
O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

New American Bible
Lord, check and confuse their tongues. For I see violence and strife in the city

NET Bible
Confuse them, O Lord! Frustrate their plans! For I see violence and conflict in the city.

New Revised Standard Version
Confuse, O Lord, confound their speech; for I see violence and strife in the city.

New Heart English Bible
Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

World English Bible
Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Young's Literal Translation
Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cast Your Burden upon the LORD
8I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.” 9O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. 10Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.…

Cross References
Genesis 11:9
That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.

Psalm 11:5
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence.

Psalm 55:10
Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.

Jeremiah 6:7
As a well gushes its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her; sickness and wounds are ever before Me.

Habakkuk 1:3
Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.


Treasury of Scripture

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

divide.

Genesis 11:7-9
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech…

2 Samuel 15:31
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

2 Samuel 17:1-14
Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: …

I have

Jeremiah 6:7
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

Jeremiah 23:14
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Matthew 23:37,38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! …

Jump to Previous
Acts City Confound Confuse Destroy Destruction Divide Division Fighting Language Plans Speech Strife Swallow Tongue Tongues Violence Violent Wicked
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Acts City Confound Confuse Destroy Destruction Divide Division Fighting Language Plans Speech Strife Swallow Tongue Tongues Violence Violent Wicked
Psalm 55
1. David in his prayer complains of his fearful case
9. He prays against his enemies, of whose wickedness and treachery he complains
16. He comforts himself in God's preservation oh him, and confusion of his enemies














(9) Destroy.--Literally, swallow up. So the LXX., forcibly, "drown in the sea." The object them must be supplied.

This sudden change from plaintive sadness to violent invective is one of the marked features of this poem. Some think there has been a transposition of verses, but in lyric poetry these abrupt transitions of tone are not uncommon nor unpleasing.

Divide their tongues--i.e., cause division in their councils. "Divide their voices" would be almost English, being exactly the opposite of Shakespeare's "a joint and corporate voice."

For I have seen.--With the sense, and see still.

Verses 9-15. - With a sudden transition, the writer passes from his own suffering, fears, and longings, to imprecations on his enemies, and a description of their wicked proceedings. In the course of his description he singles out one individual for special remark - one who had been his own guide, companion, and friend - but who had turned against him, and joined the company of his adversaries (vers. 12-14). Verse 9. - Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues. The second clause contains a reference to the confusion of tongues at Babel (Genesis 11:7). "Introduce confusion into their counsels, and disperse them, as thou didst with the wicked ones who were forced to leave off to build the Tower." For I have seen violence and strife in the city. Such quarrels and broils, i.e., as usually precede revolutionary disturbance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
O Lord,
אֲ֭דֹנָי (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

confuse
בַּלַּ֣ע (bal·la‘)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

and confound
פַּלַּ֣ג (pal·laḡ)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6385: To split, divide

their speech,
לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם (lə·šō·w·nām)
Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3956: The tongue

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I see
רָאִ֨יתִי (rā·’î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

violence
חָמָ֖ס (ḥā·mās)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2555: Violence, wrong, by meton, unjust gain

and strife
וְרִ֣יב (wə·rîḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7379: Strife, dispute

in the city.
בָּעִֽיר׃ (bā·‘îr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement


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OT Poetry: Psalm 55:9 Confuse them Lord and confound their language (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 55:8
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