Psalm 55:7
New International Version
I would flee far away and stay in the desert;

New Living Translation
I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude

English Standard Version
yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah

Berean Standard Bible
How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah

King James Bible
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

New King James Version
Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah

New American Standard Bible
“Behold, I would flee far away, I would spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah

NASB 1995
“Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.

NASB 1977
“Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.

Amplified Bible
“I would wander far away, I would lodge in the [peace of the] wilderness. Selah.

Christian Standard Bible
How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah

Holman Christian Standard Bible
How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah

American Standard Version
Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. [Selah

Contemporary English Version
I would go and live in some distant desert.

English Revised Version
Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Indeed, I would run far away. I would stay in the desert. [Selah]

Good News Translation
I would fly far away and make my home in the desert.

International Standard Version
Look, I want to flee far away; I want to settle down in the wilderness. Interlude

Majority Standard Bible
How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah

NET Bible
Look, I will escape to a distant place; I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)

New Heart English Bible
Look, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness." Selah.

Webster's Bible Translation
Lo, then I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

World English Bible
Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Behold, I move far off, "" I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Behold, I will move far off; fleeing away I will lodge in the desert. Silence.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Behold, I have fled far away, and I linger in solitude.

New American Bible
Far away I would flee; I would stay in the desert. Selah

New Revised Standard Version
truly, I would flee far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Lo, then I would fly far off and dwell in the wilderness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I had gone far away; I had flown and dwelt in the wilderness.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Lo! I have fled afar off, and lodged in the wilderness. Pause.
Audio Bible



Context
Cast Your Burden upon the LORD
6I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. 7How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah 8I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”…

Cross References
Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Jeremiah 9:2
If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.

1 Kings 19:3-4
And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, / while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Jonah 1:3
Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

Mark 6:31
And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Luke 9:10
Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida.

Genesis 19:17
As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

Isaiah 21:15
For they flee from the sword—the sword that is drawn—from the bow that is bent, and from the stress of battle.

Matthew 14:13
When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Jeremiah 48:6
‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’

2 Samuel 15:14
And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”

Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Exodus 2:15
When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.

Acts 27:30
Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.

1 Samuel 23:13
Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.


Treasury of Scripture

See, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

1 Samuel 27:1
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

2 Samuel 15:14
And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

2 Samuel 17:21,22
And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you…

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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














I said, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove!'
The psalmist begins with a heartfelt expression of longing for escape. The imagery of "wings like a dove" evokes a sense of peace and freedom. In Hebrew, the word for "dove" is "יונה" (yonah), which is often associated with innocence and purity. Doves are also symbolic of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology, representing divine presence and comfort. The psalmist's desire for wings suggests a yearning to rise above earthly troubles and find solace in God's presence.

I would fly away and find rest
The phrase "fly away" captures the deep desire to flee from distress and turmoil. In the Hebrew context, the verb "fly" (עוף, 'uph) conveys a swift and effortless movement, indicating a longing for immediate relief. The concept of "rest" (נוּחַ, nuach) is significant in biblical literature, often associated with the Sabbath and God's promise of peace. This rest is not merely physical but spiritual, reflecting a state of tranquility and trust in God's providence. The psalmist's wish to find rest underscores a profound reliance on God as the ultimate source of peace amidst life's chaos.

(7) Remain.--Better, lodge.

Verse 7. - Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness; rather, and lodge in the wilderness. Doves, ring-doves, and others, are abundant in Palestine, and frequent wild and rocky places, far from the haunts of man. Speaking of a rocky gorge near the Lake of Gennesaret, Canon Tristram says, "But no description can give an adequate idea of the myriads of rock-pigeons. In absolute crowds they dashed to and fro in the ravine, whirling round with a rush and a whirr that could be felt like a gust of wind" ('Land of Israel,' p. 446).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
הִ֭נֵּה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

far away
אַרְחִ֣יק (’ar·ḥîq)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 7368: To be or become far or distant

I would flee;
נְדֹ֑ד (nə·ḏōḏ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5074: To wave to and fro, to rove, flee, to drive away

in the wilderness
בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

I would remain.
אָלִ֖ין (’ā·lîn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 3885: To stop, to stay permanently, to be obstinate

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


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OT Poetry: Psalm 55:7 Behold then I would wander far off (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 55:6
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