2 Samuel 22:34 — Word Study
WLCמְשַׁוֶּ֥ה רַגְלַ֖י כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת וְעַ֥ל בָּמוֹתַ֖י יַעֲמִדֵֽנִי׃
BSAHe makesshâvâh my feetregel [like hinds’ feet, surefooted] like those of a deerʼayâlâh and stations meʻâmad▸ [sets me firmly, causes me to stand] uponʻal [on, above] the heightsbâmâh [high places, elevations, cultic platforms]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה | [he is] making | Verb, Piel, participle (active) masculine singular |
| רַגְלַ֖י | feet my | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת | like does | Preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| וְעַ֥ל | and on | Conjunction, preposition |
| בָּמוֹתַ֖י | high places my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| יַעֲמִדֵֽנִי׃ | he makes stand firm me | Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights. |
| KJV | He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places. |
| ASV | He maketh his feet like hinds’ feet, And setteth me upon my high places. |
| YLT | Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand, |
| WEB | He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places. |
| BBE | He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places. |
Where they part company is מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb governs the sentence, with a simile and a prepositional phrase providing additional context.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁוָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 2 Samuel 22:34
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — David's Song of Praisegenerated
2 Samuel 22:34 is part of a larger passage where David praises God for His deliverance and strength. In this song, David reflects on how God has equipped him to overcome challenges and enemies, using vivid imagery of agility and stability, much like that of a deer navigating heights. This section highlights God's faithfulness and power in David's life, emphasizing the relationship between divine assistance and human resilience.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Samuel 2:18 | The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle, |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 33:25 | May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.” |
| 3 | Habakkuk 3:19 | GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 32:13 | He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag, |
| 5 | Isaiah 33:16 | he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה, me.sha.Vehgenerated
The word שָׁוָה (shavah) is a Piel participle meaning 'making' or 'equaling'. It conveys the idea of being even or smooth, and extends to meanings like resembling or making something like another. In this verse, it indicates God's action in enabling David's feet to be like those of a deer, emphasizing agility and surefootedness.
This participle form indicates an ongoing action, suggesting that God continually equips David for the challenges he faces. The use of the word in this context highlights the divine support that allows David to navigate difficult and elevated terrain.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in the verse is מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה, he makes, which governs the rest of the sentence. The structure includes a noun phrase רַגְלַ֖י (my feet) as the object, followed by a simile כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת (like those of a deer) and a prepositional phrase וְעַ֥ל בָּמוֹתַ֖י (upon my heights). This arrangement emphasizes the action of God and the resulting state of David's feet.
The use of the preposition עַל (upon) indicates the positioning of David in a place of safety and elevation, reinforcing the theme of divine support in his life.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה as τιθεὶς (placing), which suggests a focus on the act of positioning rather than merely making. This choice emphasizes God's role in establishing David's stability and strength.
This translation aligns with the overall message of divine empowerment, highlighting the importance of God's support in enabling David to stand firm.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:34 describes how God gives David the agility of a deer and secures him in high places. This verse highlights God's support in helping David navigate challenges and stand firm in difficult situations.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God equips David with agility and surefootedness, enabling him to navigate difficult and elevated terrain.
The 'high places' refer to elevated locations that can symbolize safety, strength, and divine favor, often associated with worship sites.
This verse illustrates how God empowers David to stand firm and overcome challenges, highlighting the relationship between divine assistance and human resilience.
The imagery of a deer symbolizes grace, agility, and the ability to navigate difficult terrain, reflecting the qualities God instills in David.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need God's support to stand firm?
- How can I cultivate agility and resilience like the deer in my spiritual walk?
- What high places has God positioned me in, and how can I honor Him there?
- How can I rely on God's strength when facing challenges in my life?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:34 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe maketh my feet like hinds' [feet]: and setteth me upon my high places. [See comments on Psalms 18:33].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet; and setteth me upon my high places.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges34. like hinds’ feet] The hind, like the gazelle, was a type of agility, swiftness, and surefootedness, indispensable qualifications in ancient warfare. Cp. 2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Chronicles 12:8. setteth me upon my high places] The metaphor of the hind, bounding unimpeded over the mountain tops, is continued. David’s high places are the mountain strongholds, the occupation of which secured him in possession of the country. Cp. Deuteronomy 32:13. Habakkuk 3:19 is an obvious imitation of this passage.
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible34. Like the hinds — Nimble and swift. This was a great accomplishment to a warrior. My heights — Mine both by divine gift and by right of conquest, so that on them I now stand in triumph and in safety.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Samuel 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.
Tyndale line
He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
He maketh his feet like hinds’ feet, And setteth me upon my high places.
He maketh his feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet : and setteth me upon my high places.
He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and hath set me vpon mine hie places.
Strictly literal
He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], And setteth me upon my high places.
Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand,
Making my feet like does, || And causes me to stand on my high places,
He maketh my feet like those of the hinds, and upon my high places he causeth me to stand.
He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the high hills.
From the Latin
Making my feet like the feet of harts, and setting me upon my high places.
Simplified
He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with all six words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather and several others restored, but the core message remains consistent with the Masoretic Text.
מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה רַגְלַ֖י כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת וְעַ֥ל בָּמוֹתַ֖י יַעֲמִדֵֽנִי׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[משוה] [רגל׳י] [כאילות] [ועל] במות׳י יעמד׳ני
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 2 Samuel 22:34
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׁוָה (shavah) is a Hebrew verb that conveys the idea of being even or smooth, and extends to meanings like agreeing, resembling, or making something like another. It is built from a primitive root and covers a range of uses, including to level, set, or adjust. The entries indicate various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which express different nuances of the verb.
שָׁוָה vb. (be even, smooth, v. Pi., hence) agree with, be like, resemble
Qal it was not equalled to me, i.e. not requited
Pi. he hath levelled
Hiph. make like
Nithp. (appar.) are alike
base
[שָׁוָה] vb. Pi. set, place
base
H7737a שָׁוָה (be even, smooth, v. Pi., hence) agree with, be like, resemble . make like
. (appar.) are alike
H7737b שָׁוָה Pi. set, place
7737 shavah shaw-vaw'
a primitive root; properly, to level, i.e. equalize;
figuratively, to resemble; by implication, to adjust (i.e.
counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield,
etc.):--avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail,
(be, make) equal, lay, be (make, a- )like, make plain, profit,
reckon.
שָׁוָה (sha.vah) — be like.
1) to agree with, be or become like, level, resemble
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be like
1a2) equivalent (participle)
1a3) to set, place
1a4) setting (participle)
1b) (Piel) to level, smooth, still
1c) (Hiphil) to make like
1d) (Nithpael) to be alike
Aramaic equivalent: she.vah (שְׁוָה "be like" H7739A)
שָׁוָה (sha.vah) — to set.
(Piel) to set, place
Aramaic equivalent: she.vah (שְׁוָה "be set" H7739B)
V-Piel — Verb · Piel · participle (active) masculine singularHVprmsa
רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.
רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot
foot
three times (feet, paces)
base
H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot
. three times (feet, paces)
7272 regel reh'-gel
from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a
step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X
according as, X after, X coming, X follow,
((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X
journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.
see HEBREW for 07270
רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.
1) foot
1a) foot, leg
1b) of God (anthropomorphic)
1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table
1d) according to the pace of (with prep)
1e) three times (feet, paces)
Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)
N-fd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word אַיָּלָה (*ayalah*) refers to a female deer or hind. It is a feminine form of the related word אֵיל (*ayil*), which means a ram or male deer. The entries consistently define it as a doe or hind without any notable disagreement.
אַיָּלָה n.f. hind, doe
base
H355 אַיָּלָה hind, doe
355 'ayalah ah-yaw-law'
feminine of 354; a doe or female deer:--hind.
see HEBREW for 0354
אַיָּלָה (ay.ya.lah) — doe.
doe, deer, hind
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHRd/Ncfpa
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Conj | Prep — Conjunction · prepositionHC/R
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity
בָּמָה (bamah) refers to a 'high place' or elevation, often associated with cultic worship sites. It can denote various heights, including mountains and battlefields, and may also imply a funeral mound. The term is derived from an unused root meaning 'to be high,' indicating its connection to elevation.
בָּמָה 104 n.f. high place
high place, mountain
high places, battle-fields
high places, as places of worship
funereal mound (?)
base
H1116 בָּמָה high place
1116 bamah bam-maw'
from an unused root (meaning to be high); an
elevation:--height, high place, wave.
בָּמָה (ba.mah) — high place.
1) high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform)
1a) high place, mountain
1b) high places, battlefields
1c) high places (as places of worship)
1d) funeral mound?
N-fp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word עָמַד (amad) means to stand and encompasses a variety of related actions such as remaining, enduring, and taking a stand. It can refer to both literal and figurative stances, including presenting oneself or being appointed. The word appears in various contexts, including standing still, ceasing movement, and even serving. There are different forms of the verb, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, each with specific nuances.
עָמַד 620 take one's stand, stand
Qal 435
take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude
stand forth
take a stand against, in opposition to
present oneself before
attend upon, be(come) servant of
stand afar
stand (silent)
stand (appealingly)
stand, subj. רֶגֶל
stand, of water
stand still, stop, cease moving
= be inactive
= be attentive
stop, cease doing a thing
tarry, delay
remain
continue, abide
endure
be steadfast
persist
make a stand, hold one's ground
stand upright
arise, appear, come on the scene
stand forth, appear = come into being
rise up as foe
rare usages
Hiph.
83station, set
cause to stand firm
cause to stand up, set up, erect
present one before king
appoint
other meanings
Hoph. be presented
base
H5975 עָמַד take one's stand, stand .. . take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude
. stand forth
. take a stand against, in opposition to
. present oneself before
. attend upon, be(come) servant of
. stand afar
. stand (silent)
. stand (appealingly)
. stand, subj. רֶגֶל
. stand, of water
. . stand still, stop, cease moving
. = be inactive
. = be attentive
. stop, cease doing a thing
. . tarry, delay
. remain
. continue, abide
. endure
. be steadfast
. persist
. make a stand, hold one's ground
. stand upright
. . arise, appear, come on the scene
. stand forth, appear = come into being
. rise up as foe
. rare usages
. . station, set
. cause to stand firm
. cause to stand up, set up, erect
. present one before king
. appoint
. other meanings
. be presented
5975 `amad aw-mad'
a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and
figurative, intransitive and transitive):--abide (behind),
appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed,
endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be)
present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth,
over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-)stand (by,
fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.
עָמַד (a.mad) — to stand: stand.
: stand/stop/establish
1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of
1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease
1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast
1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground
1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright
1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against
1a7) to stand with, take one's stand, be appointed, grow flat, grow insipid
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to station, set
1b2) to cause to stand firm, maintain
1b3) to cause to stand up, cause to set up, erect
1b4) to present (one) before (king)
1b5) to appoint, ordain, establish
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVhi3ms/Sp1bs