Psalm 3:7
New International Version
Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

New Living Translation
Arise, O LORD! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!

English Standard Version
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

Berean Standard Bible
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

King James Bible
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

New King James Version
Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

New American Standard Bible
Arise, LORD; save me, my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

NASB 1995
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

NASB 1977
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For Thou hast smitten all my enemies on the cheek; Thou hast shattered the teeth of the wicked.

Legacy Standard Bible
Arise, O Yahweh; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

Amplified Bible
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

Christian Standard Bible
Rise up, LORD! Save me, my God! You strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Rise up, LORD! Save me, my God! You strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked.

American Standard Version
Arise, O Jehovah; Save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.

Contemporary English Version
Come and save me, LORD God! Break my enemies' jaws and shatter their teeth,

English Revised Version
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! You have slapped all my enemies in the face. You have smashed the teeth of wicked people.

Good News Translation
Come, LORD! Save me, my God! You punish all my enemies and leave them powerless to harm me.

International Standard Version
Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! For you strike the jaw of all my enemies, and you break the teeth of the wicked.

Majority Standard Bible
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

NET Bible
Rise up, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw; you will break the teeth of the wicked.

New Heart English Bible
Arise, LORD. Save me, my God. For you slap all my enemies in the face. You break the teeth of the wicked.

Webster's Bible Translation
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

World English Bible
Arise, Yahweh! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Rise, O YHWH! Save me, my God! For You have struck all my enemies [on] the cheek. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.

Young's Literal Translation
Rise, O Jehovah! save me, my God. Because Thou hast smitten All mine enemies on the cheek. The teeth of the wicked Thou hast broken.

Smith's Literal Translation
The original Julia E. Smith Bible records the following as a verse reference for Ps 3:8Arise, O Jehovah; save me, my God, for thou didst strike all mine enemies upon the cheek; thou didst break the teeth of the unjust.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you have struck all those who oppose me without cause. You have broken the teeth of sinners.

New American Bible
Arise, LORD! Save me, my God! For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes; you break the teeth of the wicked.

New Revised Standard Version
Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Arise, O LORD my God, and save me; for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon their cheeks; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Arise, LORD JEHOVAH, my God; save me, because you have stricken all my enemies on their cheeks and you have broken the teeth of the wicked.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God; For Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek, Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Arise, Lord; deliver me, my God: for thou hast smitten all who were without cause mine enemies; thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.
Audio Bible



Context
Deliver Me, O LORD!
6I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side. 7Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah…

Cross References
2 Samuel 22:48
the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,

Psalm 7:6
Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment.

Psalm 18:48
who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.

Psalm 44:7
For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.

Psalm 68:1
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song. God arises. His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee His presence.

Psalm 110:5-6
The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His wrath. / He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush the leaders far and wide.

Psalm 140:7
O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You shield my head in the day of battle.

Isaiah 41:11-12
Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. / You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 30:16
Nevertheless, all who devour you will be devoured, and all your adversaries—every one of them—will go off into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered, and all who raided you will be raided.

Micah 5:9
Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.

Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1 Corinthians 15:25
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. / We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Ephesians 6:10-17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. / Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. / For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for you have smitten all my enemies on the cheek bone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Arise

Psalm 10:12
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

Psalm 12:5
For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

Psalm 35:23
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

thou

Psalm 58:6
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

Job 16:10
They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

Job 29:17
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

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Psalm 3
1. The security of God's protection














Arise, O LORD!
The Hebrew word for "Arise" is "קוּם" (qum), which conveys a sense of action and intervention. In the context of ancient Israel, this plea is a call for God to stand up and take action on behalf of His people. It reflects a deep trust in God's power to intervene in human affairs. The phrase "O LORD" uses the sacred name of God, Yahweh, emphasizing a personal relationship and covenantal faithfulness. This invocation is a cry for divine presence and deliverance, echoing the Israelites' historical experiences of God rising to defend them against their foes.

Save me, O my God!
The Hebrew root for "Save" is "יָשַׁע" (yasha), which means to deliver or rescue. This plea is not just for physical salvation but encompasses spiritual and eternal deliverance. The personal pronoun "my" signifies an intimate relationship with God, highlighting the psalmist's reliance on God's personal intervention. The phrase "O my God" underscores a personal claim to God, reflecting the covenant relationship between God and His people. It is a declaration of faith, acknowledging God as the ultimate source of salvation.

Strike all my enemies on the jaw
The imagery of striking on the jaw is vivid and forceful, symbolizing a decisive defeat and humiliation of the enemies. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a blow to the jaw was a metaphor for breaking the power and arrogance of one's adversaries. This phrase reflects the psalmist's confidence in God's ability to subdue those who oppose His righteous cause. It is a call for divine justice, where the enemies of God's people are rendered powerless.

break the teeth of the wicked
The metaphor of breaking teeth signifies the removal of the wicked's ability to harm or devour. In biblical symbolism, teeth represent power and aggression. By asking God to "break the teeth," the psalmist is seeking the dismantling of the wicked's strength and influence. This request is rooted in the belief that God is a righteous judge who will ultimately triumph over evil. The term "wicked" refers to those who oppose God's will and oppress His people, and the psalmist's prayer is for their defeat and the establishment of divine justice.

(7) Thou hast smitten . . . broken.--Better, thou smitest . . . breakest. The enemies are conceived of as wild beasts, like the lion and bear of the adventures of David's own youth, whom God would render harmless to him.

Verse 7. - Arise, O Lord (comp. Numbers 10:35; Psalm 7:6; Psalm 9:19; Psalm 10:12; Psalm 17:13; Psalm 68:1). This call is generally made when God's forbearance towards his enemies is thought to have been excessive, and his tolerance of sinners too great. Save me, O my God. David was in imminent danger. "All Israel" had come against him (2 Samuel 16:15). He was short of supplies (2 Samuel 17:29). He was doubtful how God was disposed towards him (2 Samuel 15:25, 26). It was a time when, unless God would save, there could be no hope. Hence the intense earnestness of his prayer. For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone. Heretofore, i.e., thou hast always taken my part - thou hast smitten mine enemies, and given me victory over them, and by breaking their jaw-bones thou hast taken away from them all power to hurt (see Psalm 58:6). The reference is, of course, to David's long series of victories, as those over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17-25; 2 Samuel 8:1), over Moab (2 Samuel 8:2), over Hadadezer, King of Zobah (2 Samuel 8:3, 4), over the Syrians of Damascus (2 Samuel 8:6), over the Edomites (2 Samuel 8:13, 14), over the Ammonites (2 Samuel 10:7-14), and over the "Syrians beyond the river" (2 Samuel 10:16-19). Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly (comp. Job 4:10; Psalm 58:6). The ungodly, enemies alike of David and of God, are represented as wild beasts whose weapons are their jaws and teeth. Let God break these, and they are harmless.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Arise,
ק֘וּמָ֤ה (qū·māh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

O LORD!
יְהוָ֨ה ׀ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

Deliver me,
הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי (hō·wō·šî·‘ê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

O my God!
אֱלֹהַ֗י (’ĕ·lō·hay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

Strike
הִכִּ֣יתָ (hik·kî·ṯā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

my enemies
אֹיְבַ֣י (’ō·yə·ḇay)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

on the jaw;
לֶ֑חִי (le·ḥî)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3895: The cheek, the jaw-bone

break
שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃ (šib·bar·tā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7665: To break, break in pieces

the teeth
שִׁנֵּ֖י (šin·nê)
Noun - cdc
Strong's 8127: A tooth, ivory, a cliff

of the wicked.
רְשָׁעִ֣ים (rə·šā·‘îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person


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OT Poetry: Psalm 3:7 Arise Yahweh! (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 3:6
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