Psalm 44:25
New International Version
We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

New Living Translation
We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt.

English Standard Version
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground.

Berean Standard Bible
For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth.

King James Bible
For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

New King James Version
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground.

New American Standard Bible
For our souls have sunk down into the dust; Our bodies cling to the earth.

NASB 1995
For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth.

NASB 1977
For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth.

Amplified Bible
For our life has melted away into the dust; Our body clings to the ground.

Christian Standard Bible
For we have sunk down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For we have sunk down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

American Standard Version
For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our body cleaveth unto the earth.

Contemporary English Version
We are flat on the ground, holding on to the dust.

English Revised Version
For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Our souls are bowing in the dust. Our bodies cling to the ground.

Good News Translation
We fall crushed to the ground; we lie defeated in the dust.

International Standard Version
For we have collapsed in the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

Majority Standard Bible
For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth.

NET Bible
For we lie in the dirt, with our bellies pressed to the ground.

New Heart English Bible
For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body cleaves to the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth.

World English Bible
For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For our soul has bowed to the dust, "" Our belly has cleaved to the earth.

Young's Literal Translation
For bowed to the dust hath our soul, Cleaved to the earth hath our belly.

Smith's Literal Translation
For our soul was bowed down to the dust: our belly was glued to the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For our soul is humbled down to the dust : our belly cleaveth to the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For our soul has been humbled into the dust. Our belly has been bound to the earth.

New American Bible
For our soul has been humiliated in the dust; our belly is pressed to the earth.

New Revised Standard Version
For we sink down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For our soul is humbled down to the dust; our body touches the earth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because our soul is humbled upon the dust and our belly has cleaved to the Earth.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For our soul has been brought down to the dust; our belly has cleaved to the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Redeem Us
24Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression? 25For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth. 26Rise up; be our help! Redeem us on account of Your loving devotion.…

Cross References
Lamentations 3:29
Let him bury his face in the dust—perhaps there is still hope.

Job 30:19
He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.

Isaiah 29:4
You will be brought low, you will speak from the ground, and out of the dust your words will be muffled. Your voice will be like a spirit from the ground; your speech will whisper out of the dust.

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Job 17:14
and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’

Psalm 22:15
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.

Isaiah 53:3
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.

Job 10:9
Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?

Psalm 7:5
then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah

Psalm 119:25
My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word.

Isaiah 26:19
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead.

Romans 8:36
As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

2 Corinthians 4:9
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

1 Corinthians 15:47-49
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. / As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. / And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

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.”


Treasury of Scripture

For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly sticks to the earth.

Psalm 66:11,12
Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins…

Psalm 119:25
DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

Isaiah 51:23
But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

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Psalm 44
1. The church, in memory of former favors
7. complains of her present evils
17. professing her integrity,
24. she fervently prays for helpfulness














For our soul has sunk to the dust;
This phrase reflects a deep sense of despair and humiliation. In biblical context, "soul" often represents the entire being of a person, encompassing both physical and spiritual aspects. The imagery of sinking to the dust evokes Genesis 3:19, where humanity is reminded of their mortality and connection to the earth: "for dust you are and to dust you will return." This connection underscores the psalmist's feeling of being brought low, both physically and spiritually. The use of "dust" also signifies mourning and lamentation, as seen in Job 2:12, where friends sprinkle dust on their heads in grief. Theologically, this phrase can be seen as a cry for divine intervention, acknowledging human frailty and the need for God's redemption.

our bodies cling to the earth.
This part of the verse emphasizes the physical aspect of the psalmist's suffering. The imagery of bodies clinging to the earth suggests a state of prostration or defeat, often associated with death or extreme distress. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, lying on the ground was a posture of submission or supplication, indicating a plea for mercy or help. This phrase can also be connected to the humility required before God, as seen in passages like 2 Chronicles 7:14, where humbling oneself is a precursor to divine healing and restoration. Additionally, the physicality of this imagery points to the incarnation of Christ, who took on human form and experienced the depths of human suffering, ultimately conquering death and offering hope of resurrection.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Sons of Korah
The authors of Psalm 44, a group of Levitical singers and musicians who served in the temple. They are known for their deep expressions of faith and lament.

2. Israel
The nation of God's chosen people, often facing trials and tribulations, which are reflected in the communal lament of this psalm.

3. God
The central figure to whom the psalm is addressed, highlighting the relationship between the divine and His people.

4. Enemies of Israel
Implied adversaries who have caused distress and suffering to the people of Israel, leading to the lament expressed in this psalm.

5. The Earth/Dust
Symbolic of mortality and humility, representing the lowly state of the psalmist and the people of Israel.
Teaching Points
Acknowledging Our Lowly State
Recognize our human frailty and dependence on God, especially in times of distress. This humility is essential for spiritual growth.

Communal Lament
Understand the importance of communal prayer and lament, as seen in the collective voice of the psalm. It strengthens community bonds and collective faith.

Crying Out to God
Encourage believers to bring their deepest sorrows and struggles to God, trusting in His faithfulness and deliverance.

Hope in Despair
Even in the lowest moments, maintain hope in God's promises and His ability to lift us from the dust.

Reflection on Mortality
Use this verse as a reminder of our mortality, prompting us to live with an eternal perspective and reliance on God.Verse 25. - For our soul is bowed down to the dust; i.e. brought very low, humbled, as it were, to the earth, so weakened that it has no strength in it. Our belly cleaveth unto the earth. The body participates in the soul's depression, and lies prostrate on the ground.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

our soul
נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ (nap̄·šê·nū)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

has sunk
שָׁ֣חָה (šā·ḥāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7743: To sink down

to the dust;
לֶעָפָ֣ר (le·‘ā·p̄ār)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

our bodies
בִּטְנֵֽנוּ׃ (biṭ·nê·nū)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything

cling
דָּבְקָ֖ה (dā·ḇə·qāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1692: To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit

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


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OT Poetry: Psalm 44:25 For our soul is bowed down (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 44:24
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