Psalm 9:20
New International Version
Strike them with terror, LORD; let the nations know they are only mortal.

New Living Translation
Make them tremble in fear, O LORD. Let the nations know they are merely human. Interlude

English Standard Version
Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah

Berean Standard Bible
Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

King James Bible
Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

New King James Version
Put them in fear, O LORD, That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

New American Standard Bible
Put them in fear, LORD; Let the nations know that they are merely human. Selah

NASB 1995
Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

NASB 1977
Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Put them in fear, O Yahweh; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

Amplified Bible
Put them in [reverent] fear of You, O LORD, So that the nations may know they are but [frail and mortal] men. Selah.

Christian Standard Bible
Put terror in them, LORD; let the nations know they are only humans. Selah

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Put terror in them, LORD; let the nations know they are only men. Selah

American Standard Version
Put them in fear, O Jehovah: Let the nations know themselves to be but men. [Selah.

Contemporary English Version
Make the nations afraid and let them all discover just how weak they are.

English Revised Version
Put them in fear, O LORD: let the nations know themselves to be but men. Selah

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Strike them with terror, O LORD. Let the nations know that they are [only] mortal. [Selah]

Good News Translation
Make them afraid, O LORD; make them know that they are only mortal beings.

International Standard Version
Make them afraid, LORD, Let the nations know that they are only human. Interlude

Majority Standard Bible
Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

NET Bible
Terrify them, LORD! Let the nations know they are mere mortals! (Selah)

New Heart English Bible
Terrify them, LORD. Let the nations know that they are only human. Selah.

Webster's Bible Translation
Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

World English Bible
Put them in fear, Yahweh. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Appoint them to fear, O YHWH, "" Let nations know they [are] men! Selah.

Young's Literal Translation
Appoint, O Jehovah, a director to them, Let nations know they are men! Selah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Put fear to them, O Jehovah: the nations shall know they are man. Silence.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them: that the Gentiles may know themselves to be but men.

Catholic Public Domain Version
O Lord, establish a lawgiver over them, so that the Gentiles may know that they are only men.

New American Bible
Strike them with terror, LORD; show the nations they are only human. Selah

New Revised Standard Version
Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are only human. Selah
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Appoint for them a lawgiver, that the Gentiles may know themselves to be but men.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Establish a lawgiver for them, who shall instruct the nations that they are children of men.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Set terror over them, O LORD; Let the nations know they are but men. Selah

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them: let the heathen know that they are men. Pause.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Give Thanks to the LORD
19Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence. 20Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

Cross References
Isaiah 2:11-12
The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. / For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—

Isaiah 37:20
And now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”

Jeremiah 10:10
But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

Ezekiel 30:19
So I will execute judgment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”

Isaiah 26:13-14
O LORD our God, other lords besides You have ruled over us, but Your name alone do we confess. / The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.

Isaiah 64:2
as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!

2 Chronicles 20:6
and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.

Job 12:23
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

Psalm 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”

Psalm 83:17-18
May they be ever ashamed and terrified; may they perish in disgrace. / May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 59:13
Consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, so it may be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah

Psalm 33:10
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.

Psalm 46:8-9
Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. / He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.

Psalm 47:2
How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!


Treasury of Scripture

Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

Put

Psalm 76:12
He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

Exodus 15:16
Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

Exodus 23:27
I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

may

Psalm 82:6,7
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High…

Isaiah 31:3
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

Ezekiel 28:2,9
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: …

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Psalm 9
1. David praises God for executing judgment
11. He incites others to praise him
13. He prays that he may have cause to praise him














Lay terror upon them
The phrase "lay terror upon them" is a plea for divine intervention, asking God to instill a sense of fear or awe in the nations. The Hebrew root for "terror" is "מֹורָא" (mora), which conveys a profound fear or reverence. In the biblical context, this is not merely about causing panic but about bringing a realization of God's supreme power and authority. Historically, the Israelites often found themselves surrounded by hostile nations, and this plea reflects a desire for God to demonstrate His might in a way that would cause these nations to recognize His sovereignty.

O LORD
The use of "O LORD" here is significant, as it invokes the covenant name of God, "Yahweh" (יהוה). This name is deeply personal and relational, reminding the reader of God's eternal presence and faithfulness to His people. In the conservative Christian perspective, calling upon the LORD is an act of faith and trust, acknowledging His ultimate control over all earthly affairs. It is a reminder that God is not distant but actively involved in the lives of His people.

let the nations know
This phrase underscores a desire for revelation and understanding among the nations. The Hebrew word for "know" is "יָדַע" (yada), which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge rather than mere intellectual awareness. The psalmist is asking for a transformative realization among the nations, one that would lead them to acknowledge God's dominion. In the historical context, this reflects the hope that even those outside the covenant community would come to recognize the God of Israel as the one true God.

they are but men
The phrase "they are but men" serves as a humbling reminder of human limitations. The Hebrew word for "men" here is "אֱנוֹשׁ" (enosh), which often emphasizes human frailty and mortality. This acknowledgment is crucial in the biblical narrative, as it contrasts the finite nature of humanity with the infinite power of God. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this serves as a call to humility, recognizing that all human power and authority are ultimately subordinate to God's will.

Selah
The term "Selah" is a musical or liturgical marker found throughout the Psalms. While its exact meaning is debated, it is often understood as a pause for reflection or emphasis. In this context, "Selah" invites the reader to pause and consider the gravity of the preceding request and declaration. It is a moment to reflect on God's sovereignty and the human condition, encouraging a deeper meditation on the truths presented in the verse. From a spiritual perspective, "Selah" serves as a reminder to internalize the message and allow it to transform one's understanding and relationship with God.

(20) Put them in fear.--There is a difficulty about the reading. The LXX., Vulg., and Syriac read "place a lawgiver or master over them." So Syriac, "law." Hitzig conjectures, "set a guard upon them." With the present reading apparently the rendering should be, put a terror upon them: i.e., "give such a proof of power as to trouble and subdue them."

Verse 20. - Put them in fear, O Lord; literally, set fear to them; i.e. "make them afraid," either by striking a panic terror into them, as into the Syrians when they had brought Samaria to the last gasp (2 Kings 7:6, 7), or by causing them calmly to review the situation, and to see how dangerous it was to assail God's people (2 Kings 6:23). That the nations may know themselves to be but men. May recognize, i.e., their weakness; may remember that they are enosh - mere weak, frail, sickly, perishing mortals. Selah. Here this word occurs for the second time at the end of a psalm (see above, Psalm 3:8) - a position which militates against the idea of its signifying "a pause," since there must always have been a pause at the end of every psalm.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Lay
שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה (šî·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7896: To put, set

terror
מוֹרָ֗ה (mō·w·rāh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4172: Fear, a fearful thing, deed

upon them, [O LORD];
יְהוָ֨ה ׀ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

let the nations
גוֹיִ֑ם (ḡō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

know
יֵדְע֥וּ (yê·ḏə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

they
לָ֫הֶ֥ם (lā·hem)
Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are but men.
אֱנ֖וֹשׁ (’ĕ·nō·wōš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

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


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OT Poetry: Psalm 9:20 Put them in fear Yahweh (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 9:19
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