Psalm 55:4
New International Version
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me.

New Living Translation
My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me.

English Standard Version
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Berean Standard Bible
My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me.

King James Bible
My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

New King James Version
My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

New American Standard Bible
My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

NASB 1995
My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

NASB 1977
My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Legacy Standard Bible
My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Amplified Bible
My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Christian Standard Bible
My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me.

American Standard Version
My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Contemporary English Version
My heart is racing fast, and I am afraid of dying.

English Revised Version
My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
My heart is in turmoil. The terrors of death have seized me.

Good News Translation
I am terrified, and the terrors of death crush me.

International Standard Version
My heart is trembling within me, and the terrors of death have assaulted me.

Majority Standard Bible
My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me.

NET Bible
My heart beats violently within me; the horrors of death overcome me.

New Heart English Bible
My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.

Webster's Bible Translation
My heart is severely pained within me: and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

World English Bible
My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
My heart is pained within me, "" And terrors of death have fallen on me.

Young's Literal Translation
My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

Smith's Literal Translation
My heart will be pained within me, and the terrors of death fell upon me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
My heart has become disturbed within me, and the dread of death has fallen over me.

New American Bible
My heart pounds within me; death’s terrors fall upon me.

New Revised Standard Version
My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
My heart is greatly pained within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And awe has fallen upon me,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
My heart doth writhe within me; And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
My heart was troubled within me; and the fear of death fell upon me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cast Your Burden upon the LORD
3at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger. 4My heart murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me. 5Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.…

Cross References
Matthew 26:38
Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”

John 12:27
Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.

Mark 14:34
Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

Luke 22:44
And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

2 Corinthians 1:8
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.

Isaiah 53:3-4
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. / Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

Lamentations 1:20
See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death.

Job 30:27
I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.

Jeremiah 4:19
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

2 Samuel 15:30
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.

Psalm 42:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.

Psalm 69:20
Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.

Psalm 77:3-4
I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah / You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.

Psalm 102:4
My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.


Treasury of Scripture

My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen on me.

My

Psalm 6:3
My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?

Psalm 69:20
Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

Psalm 88:3
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

terrors

Psalm 18:4,5
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid…

Psalm 116:3
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Isaiah 38:10-13
I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years…

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Anguish Assail Death Deeply Fallen Fear Heart Pained Severely Sore Terrors Within Wounded Writhe Writhing
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Anguish Assail Death Deeply Fallen Fear Heart Pained Severely Sore Terrors Within Wounded Writhe Writhing
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














My heart
The Hebrew word for "heart" here is "לֵב" (lev), which often signifies the inner self, the seat of emotions, thoughts, and will. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the heart was considered the center of one's being, encompassing not just emotions but also intellect and moral character. The psalmist's use of "my heart" indicates a deeply personal and internal struggle, reflecting the profound emotional turmoil he is experiencing.

is in anguish
The phrase "is in anguish" translates from the Hebrew "חִיל" (chil), which conveys a sense of writhing or trembling, often associated with childbirth. This vivid imagery suggests an intense, overwhelming pain that is both physical and emotional. The psalmist is expressing a level of distress that is consuming and all-encompassing, akin to the labor pains of giving birth, which were well understood in the ancient world as a metaphor for extreme suffering.

within me
The Hebrew "בְּקִרְבִּי" (beqirbi) means "within" or "in the midst of." This phrase emphasizes the internal nature of the psalmist's suffering. It is not merely an external affliction but something that deeply affects his inner being. The use of "within me" underscores the personal and intimate nature of his anguish, highlighting that this is a struggle that is deeply rooted in his soul.

the terrors of death
The word "terrors" comes from the Hebrew "מוֹת" (maveth), which can mean death or the realm of the dead. The "terrors of death" suggests a fear that is paralyzing and overwhelming. In the ancient world, death was often seen as the ultimate enemy, a force that was both inevitable and terrifying. The psalmist's mention of "terrors" indicates a profound fear of mortality and the unknown, a common human experience that resonates with the reader's own fears and anxieties.

have beset me
The phrase "have beset me" is derived from the Hebrew "נָפַל" (naphal), meaning to fall upon or attack. This conveys the idea of being surrounded or overwhelmed by enemies. The psalmist feels as though he is under siege, with no escape from the relentless assault of his fears and anxieties. This imagery of being beset by terrors paints a picture of a soul in crisis, seeking refuge and deliverance from the overwhelming forces that threaten to consume him.

(4) Is sore pained.--Better, writhes with pain.

Terrors of death--i.e., terrors caused by death, a horror of death.

Verse 4. - My heart is sore pained within me. The attacks of his enemies (ver. 3) deeply grieve and pain the heart of the psalmist. It is not as if they were foreigners, whose hostility was to be expected. They are his own countrymen; one of them is his own familiar friend (ver. 12). Yet they threaten his life. And the terrors of death are fallen upon ms. When a king is the object of a conspiracy, he well knows, especially in the East, that nothing but his death will satisfy the conspirators. So on David, long before he made up his mind to quit Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:14), the "terrors of death" must have fallen.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
My heart
לִ֭בִּי (lib·bî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

murmurs
יָחִ֣יל (yā·ḥîl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2342: To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert

within me,
בְּקִרְבִּ֑י (bə·qir·bî)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

and the terrors
וְאֵימ֥וֹת (wə·’ê·mō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 367: Fright, an idol

of death
מָ֝֗וֶת (mā·weṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

assail
נָפְל֥וּ (nā·p̄ə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

me.
עָלָֽי׃ (‘ā·lāy)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Poetry: Psalm 55:4 My heart is severely pained within me (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 55:3
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