Psalms 59:11

Verse

Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.

American Standard Version (1901)

Slay them not, lest my people forget: Scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour.

Free Bible Version

Don't kill them right away, otherwise my people will quickly forget what you have done. By your power make them stagger around and then fall down, Lord our protection.

Geneva Bible 1599

Slay them not, least my people forget it: but scatter them abroad by thy power, and put them downe, O Lord our shield,

King James (Authorized) Version

Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

One Unity Resource Bible

Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.

Translation for Translators

But do not kill them immediately in order that my people will not forget how you punished them! Instead, Lord, you who are like a shield that protects us [MET], scatter them by your power, and then defeat them.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by your power and make them fall, Lord our shield.

Noah Webster Bible

Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O LORD our shield.

World English Bible

Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.

Young's Literal Translation

Slay them not, lest my people forget, Shake them by Thy strength, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.

Context

Deliver Me from My Enemies

¹⁰My God of loving devotion will come to meet me; God will let me stare down my foes. ¹¹Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. ¹²By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.

Summary

In this verse, the psalmist expresses his trust in God's strength and protection amidst enemies who seek to harm him. He acknowledges that God is his fortress and refuge, confident that God's love and faithfulness will sustain him. The psalmist's reliance on God's sovereignty and deliverance serves as a reminder for believers to turn to God in times of trouble and to find security in His unwavering presence. This verse reflects a deep sense of dependence on God's power to overcome adversity and find peace in His shelter.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Slay them not--at once (Jdg 2:21-23); but perpetuate their punishment (Gen 4:12; Num 32:13), by scattering or making them wander, and humble them.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Slay thou not,.... Though they deserved to be slain, and the Lord seemed as if he was about to slay them, who was able to do it; he seemed to be whetting his glittering sword, and his hand to take hold of vengeance ready to execute it; wherefore intercession is made to spare them, which agrees with Christ's petition on the cross, Luk 23:34. The Targum adds, "immediately": slay them not directly, and at once; give them space for repentance; and so the Jews had: for it was forty years after the death of Christ before their destruction was: or the meaning may be, slay them not utterly; destroy them not totally: and so it was; for though multitudes were slain during the siege of Jerusalem, and at the taking of it, yet they were not all slain: there were many carried captive, and sent into different parts of the world, whose posterity continue to this day. The reason of this petition is, lest my people forget: the Syriac version renders it, "lest they should forget my people"; or my people should be forgotten. David's people, the Jews by birth and religion, though not as yet his subjects, unless in designation and appointment, and Christ's people according to the flesh: now if these had all been slain at once, they had been forgotten, like dead men out of mind: or Christ's special and peculiar people; his chosen, redeemed, and called ones, who truly believe in him, and are real Christians; and then the sense is, if full vengeance had been taken of the Jews at once, and they had been cut off root and branch, so that none of them remained, Christ's people would have forgot them, and the vengeance inflicted on them for their rejection of the Messiah; but now they are a continued and lasting instance of God's wrath and displeasure on that account, and they and their case cannot be forgotten. The Arabic version renders it, "lest my people forget the law"; its precepts and sanction, its rewards and punishments; scatter them by thy power; or let them wander up and down like fugitives and vagabonds in the earth, as Cain did, and as the Jews now do, being dispersed in the several parts of the world; and which was done by the power of God, or through the kingdom of God coming with power upon that people, Mar 9:1; or "by thine army" (x); the Roman army, which was the Lord's, being permitted by him to come against them, and being made use of as an instrument to destroy and scatter them, Mat 22:7; and bring them down; from their excellency, greatness, riches, and honour, into a low, base, mean, and poor estate and condition, in which the Jews now are; O Lord, our shield; the protector and defender of his people, while he is the destroyer and scatterer of their enemies. (x) "exercitu tuo", Michaelis, Vatablus.

Psalms 59:11

Deliver Me from My Enemies

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.

American Standard Version (1901)

Slay them not, lest my people forget: Scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

Bible in Basic English

Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour.

Free Bible Version

Don't kill them right away, otherwise my people will quickly forget what you have done. By your power make them stagger around and then fall down, Lord our protection.

Geneva Bible 1599

Slay them not, least my people forget it: but scatter them abroad by thy power, and put them downe, O Lord our shield,

King James (Authorized) Version

Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

One Unity Resource Bible

Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by your power and make them fall, Lord our shield.

Noah Webster Bible

Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O LORD our shield.

World English Bible

Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.

Young's Literal Translation

Slay them not, lest my people forget, Shake them by Thy strength, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Slay them not--at once (Jdg 2:21-23); but perpetuate their punishment (Gen 4:12; Num 32:13), by scattering or making them wander, and humble them.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Psalms 59:11

Verse

Context

Deliver Me from My Enemies

Summary

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Psalms 59:11

Deliver Me from My Enemies

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes