Psalm 143:3
New International Version
The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.

New Living Translation
My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.

English Standard Version
For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

Berean Standard Bible
For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.

King James Bible
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

New King James Version
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead.

New American Standard Bible
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

NASB 1995
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

NASB 1977
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the enemy has pursued my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me inhabit dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Amplified Bible
For the enemy has persecuted me, He has crushed my life down to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead.

Christian Standard Bible
For the enemy has pursued me, crushing me to the ground, making me live in darkness like those long dead.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the enemy has pursued me, crushing me to the ground, making me live in darkness like those long dead.

American Standard Version
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because the enemy pursues my soul and he has humbled my life in the Earth and made me to dwell in darkness like the dead for eternity.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has brought my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in a dark place, as those that have been long dead.

Contemporary English Version
My enemies are chasing me, crushing me in the ground. I am in total darkness, like someone long dead.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath brought down my life to the earth. He hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old:

English Revised Version
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground: he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The enemy has pursued me. He has ground my life into the dirt. He has made me live in dark places like those who have died long ago.

Good News Translation
My enemies have hunted me down and completely defeated me. They have put me in a dark prison, and I am like those who died long ago.

International Standard Version
For those who oppose me are pursuing my life, crushing me to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those who died long ago.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath crushed my life down to the ground; He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Literal Standard Version
For an enemy has pursued my soul, | He has bruised my life to the earth, | He has caused me to dwell in dark places, | As the dead of old.

Majority Standard Bible
For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.

New American Bible
The enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

NET Bible
Certainly my enemies chase me. They smash me into the ground. They force me to live in dark regions, like those who have been dead for ages.

New Revised Standard Version
For the enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those long dead.

New Heart English Bible
For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

World English Bible
For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

Young's Literal Translation
For an enemy hath pursued my soul, He hath bruised to the earth my life, He hath caused me to dwell in dark places, As the dead of old.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Stretch Out My Hands to You
2Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You. 3For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead. 4My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.…

Cross References
Psalm 44:25
For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth.

Psalm 55:3
at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.

Psalm 74:20
Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

Psalm 88:6
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.

Psalm 107:10
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,

Lamentations 3:6
He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.


Treasury of Scripture

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

the enemy

Psalm 7:1,2
Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: …

Psalm 17:9-13
From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about…

Psalm 35:4
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

smitten

Psalm 7:5
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.

2 Samuel 2:22
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

2 Samuel 18:11
And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

made me

Psalm 31:12,13
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel…

Psalm 88:4-6
I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: …

Ezekiel 37:11
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

Jump to Previous
Bruised Caused Crushed Crushes Dark Darkness Dead Dwell Earth Enemy Evil Ground Life Makes Persecuted Places Pursued Pursues Sit Smitten Soul Struck
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Bruised Caused Crushed Crushes Dark Darkness Dead Dwell Earth Enemy Evil Ground Life Makes Persecuted Places Pursued Pursues Sit Smitten Soul Struck
Psalm 143
1. David prays for favor in judgment
3. He complains of his grief
5. He strengthens his faith by meditation and prayer
7. He prays for grace
9. For deliverance
10. For sanctification
12. For destruction of his enemies














(3) This verse explains the last. The affliction under which the psalmist suffers is evidence that God is visiting for sin.

He hath made . . .--See Lamentations 3:6; and comp. Psalm 88:5-6.

Long dead.--Literally, either dead of old, or dead for ever, according as we take 'olam of past or future time. LXX., ??????? ??????; Vulg., mortuos saeculi.

Verse 3. - For the enemy hath persecuted my soul. "The enemy" may be Saul, but is more probably an abstract expression - for "my enemies" generally. He hath smitten my life down to the ground; or, "crushed my life to the ground" - brought me, i.e., very low (comp. Psalm 42:6). He hath made me to dwell in darkness (comp. Psalm 88:6). As those that have been long dead. I have dwelt in a darkness like that of Shell; i.e. in gloom and unhappiness (comp. Lamentations 3:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

the enemy
אוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ (’ō·w·yêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

has pursued
רָ֘דַ֤ף (rā·ḏap̄)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

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

crushing
דִּכָּ֣א (dik·kā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1792: To crumble, to bruise

my life
חַיָּתִ֑י (ḥay·yā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

to the ground,
לָ֭אָרֶץ (lā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

making me dwell
הוֹשִׁיבַ֥נִי (hō·wō·šî·ḇa·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in darkness
בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים (ḇə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4285: Darkness, a dark place

like those long since
עוֹלָֽם׃ (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

dead.
כְּמֵתֵ֥י (kə·mê·ṯê)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT Poetry: Psalm 143:3 For the enemy pursues my soul (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 143:2
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