2 Samuel 22:41 — Word Study
WLCוְאֹ֣יְבַ֔י תַּ֥תָּה לִּ֖י עֹ֑רֶף מְשַׂנְאַ֖י וָאַצְמִיתֵֽם׃
BSAYou have madenâthan■ my enemiesʼôyêb [those who hate me, foes] retreatʻôreph I destroyedtsâmath▸ those who hated mesânêʼ [felt intense dislike, were hostile]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֹ֣יְבַ֔י | and enemies my | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| תַּ֥תָּה | you have given | Verb, Qal, perfect second person masculine singular |
| לִּ֖י | to me | Preposition, suffix |
| עֹ֑רֶף | a neck | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| מְשַׂנְאַ֖י | [those who] hate me | Verb piel participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| וָאַצְמִיתֵֽם׃ | and I destroyed them | Verb hiphil sequential imperfect first person common singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me. |
| KJV | Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. |
| ASV | Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me. |
| YLT | And mine enemies — Thou givest to me the neck, Those hating me — and I cut them off. |
| WEB | You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. |
| BBE | By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of אֹיֵב — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a subordinate action clause, which highlights David's response to God's intervention.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
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 22:41
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 22:41 is part of a larger passage where David praises God for His deliverance from enemies. This song reflects on God's faithfulness and power in battle, celebrating victories over those who opposed him. The surrounding verses highlight God's strength and support in times of conflict, emphasizing the theme of divine protection.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 49:8 | Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. |
| 2 | Exodus 23:27 | I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run. |
| 3 | Joshua 10:24 | When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks. |
| 4 | Psalm 18:40–41 | You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me. |
| 5 | Psalm 21:8–9 | Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֹיֵב, oyebgenerated
The Hebrew word אֹיֵב (oyeb) means 'enemy' or 'foe,' indicating hostility. It refers to those who oppose or hate another, whether personally or nationally. The word is derived from the active participle of אָיַב (ayab), which also conveys the sense of being hostile.
In this verse, אֹיֵב specifically refers to David's adversaries, those who hate him. The use of this word emphasizes the personal nature of the conflict and the divine assistance David received in overcoming these foes.
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
One finite verb governs the verse — תַּ֥תָּה, you have given — with several phrases hanging off it: a noun phrase indicating the object, a second verb phrase describing David's action, and a prepositional phrase indicating the direction of the action.
The structure emphasizes David's declaration of God's action followed by his own decisive response against his enemies.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֹיֵב as μου (G3450), meaning 'my.' This choice reflects a personal connection to the enemies, highlighting David's individual experience of opposition.
The use of ἔδωκάς (G1325) for תַּ֥תָּה shows the act of giving or granting, aligning with the Hebrew meaning of bestowing strength or victory.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:41 shows David proclaiming that God has made his enemies retreat and that he has destroyed those who hated him. This verse is part of David's song of praise for God's help in battle, reflecting on the victories God has given him over his foes.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
David refers to those who oppose him and wish him harm, highlighting the personal nature of his struggles.
David acknowledges that his successes in battle are due to God's intervention and support, reinforcing his dependence on divine strength.
David states that he has put an end to those who hated him, indicating decisive action against his foes.
The verse illustrates how God empowers David to overcome his enemies, emphasizing the belief in God's active role in providing safety and victory.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's help in overcoming challenges or enemies in my life?
- How can I reflect on the victories I have experienced and acknowledge God's role in them?
- What does it mean for me to put an end to things that oppose my well-being or faith?
- How can I cultivate a heart that trusts in God's protection and strength during difficult times?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:41 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. [See comments on Psalms 18:40].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges41. And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me:as for them that hate me, I destroyed them.The first clause means that his enemies were put to flight (Exodus 23:27), not (as the E. V. suggests) that he planted his foot on their necks in token of triumph (Joshua 10:24).
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible41. Causest to give me the back — The word rendered back means properly the back of the neck. The meaning is, that God had made David’s foes turn their backs to him and fly. Compare a parallel expression in Exodus 23:27.
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
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I destroyed those who hated me.
You make my enemies retreat; I destroy those who hate me.
Tyndale line
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.
Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, that I might cut off them that hate me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
Strictly literal
And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, And those that hated me I destroyed.
And mine enemies — Thou givest to me the neck, Those hating me — and I cut them off.
And my enemies—You give to me the neck, || Those hating me—and I cut them off.
And my enemies thou causest to turn their back to me; those that hate me,—that I may destroy them.
You gave me the back of my enemies' necks; I annihilated those who hated me.
From the Latin
My enemies thou hast made to turn their back to me: them that hated me, and I shall destroy them.
Simplified
You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.
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 reads, "וְאֹ֣יְבַ֔י תַּ֥תָּה לִּ֖י עֹ֑רֶף מְשַׂנְאַ֖י וָאַצְמִיתֵֽם׃" which translates to, "You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in its word-by-word correspondence, confirming the same meaning. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q51) also align closely with the Masoretic Text, although it contains some partially restored words and is less complete, but the key phrases match, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.
וְאֹ֣יְבַ֔י תַּ֥תָּה לִּ֖י עֹ֑רֶף מְשַׂנְאַ֖י וָאַצְמִיתֵֽם׃
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.
[ואויב׳י] [נתתה] [ל׳י] [ערף] [משנא׳י] אצמית׳ם
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 5 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 22:41
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.
אֹיֵב (oyeb) means 'enemy' or 'foe,' indicating hostility. It can refer to personal or national adversaries. The word is derived from the active participle of another root, אָיַב (ayab), which also conveys the sense of being hostile.
[אָיַב] 283 vb. be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
base
H341 אָיַב be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
341 'oyeb o-yabe'
or (fully) owyeb {o-yabe'}; active participle of 340;
hating; an adversary:--enemy, foe.
see HEBREW for 0340
אֹיֵב (o.yev) — enemy.
1) (Qal) enemy
1a) personal
1b) national
Conj | V-Qal | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHC/Vqrmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
V-Qal-Perf-2ms — Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singularHVqp2ms
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bs
עֹ֫רֶף (oreph) refers to the back of the neck, and can also denote the back generally, both literally and figuratively. It is associated with concepts like obstinacy and apostasy. The word is derived from a related term, עָרַף (araf), and is mentioned in contexts describing a stiff neck or a fleeing foe.
עֹ֫רֶף n.m. back of neck, neck
base
H6203 עֹ֫רֶף back of neck, neck
6203 `oreph o-ref'
from 6202; the nape or back of the neck (as declining);
hence, the back generally (whether literal or figurative):--
back ((stiff-)neck((-ed).
see HEBREW for 06202
עֹ֫רֶף (o.reph) — neck.
1) neck, back of the neck, back
1a) back of the neck
1a1) of fleeing foe
1a2) of apostasy (fig.)
1b) stiff of neck, obstinate (fig.)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
nek (tsawwar, tsawwa'r, tsawwaron, tsawwa'rah, Aramaic tsawwar (Da 5:7,16,29), `oreph, miphreqeth (1Sa 4:18); nostos, "back" (Baruch 2:33); occasionally the words garon (Isa 3:16; Eze 16:11), and gargeroth, plural of gargarah, literally, "throat" (Pr 1:9; 3:3,12; 6:21), are translated "neck"): The neck is compared with a tower for beauty (So 4:4; 7:4) and is decorated with necklaces and chains (Pr 1:9; 3:3,12; 6:21, Hebrew gargeroth; Eze 16:11, Hebrew garon…
Neck
Used sometimes figuratively. To “lay down the neck” (Rom. 16:4) is to hazard one’s life. Threatenings of coming judgments are represented by the prophets by their laying bands upon the people’s necks (Deut. 28:48; Isa. 10:27; Jer. 27:2). Conquerors put their feet on the necks of their enemies as a sign of their subjection (Josh. 10:24; 2 Sam. 22:41).
The phrases to "harden the neck," Pr 29:1, and to be "stiff- necked," like a headstrong brute, illustrate the willful obstinacy of sinners against the instructions and commands of God. The tyrants of ancient days sometimes put their feet on the prostrate necks of princes, in token of their subjugation, trampling them in the dust. Their mischief sometimes returned upon their own heads, Jos 10:24; Ps 18:40.
שָׂנֵא (sane') is a primitive root meaning 'to hate.' It covers various forms of hatred, including personal animosity and enmity, and can refer to both humans and God. The word appears in different grammatical forms, with uses in Qal, Niphal, and Piel, indicating actions of hating or being hated. Its Aramaic equivalent is שְׂנָא.
שָׂנֵא 145 vb. hate
Qal 128 hate
Niph. is hated
Pi. enemy
base
H8130 שָׂנֵא hate
8130 sane' saw-nay'
a primitive root; to hate (personally):--enemy, foe, (be)
hate(-ful, -r), odious, X utterly.
שָׂנֵא (sa.ne) — to hate.
1) to hate, be hateful
1a) (Qal) to hate
1a1) of man
1a2) of God
1a3) hater, one hating, enemy (participle) (subst)
1b) (Niphal) to be hated
1c) (Piel) hater (participle)
1c1) of persons, nations, God, wisdom
Aramaic equivalent: se.ne (שְׂנָא "to hate" H8131)
V-Piel | Suff — Verb piel participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHVprmpc/Sp1bs
צָמַת (tsamath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to put an end to or exterminate. It encompasses various forms, including to destroy, cut off, or vanish, with nuances in different stems indicating actions like being annihilated or causing annihilation. The entries highlight its use in contexts of termination and destruction, but do not present any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[צָמַת] vb. put an end to, exterminate
Qal they have put an end to my life
Niph. be ended, annihilated
Pi. hath put an end to me
Pi‛lēl thine alarms have annihilated me
Hiph. exterminate, annihilate
base
H6789 צָמַת put an end to, exterminate .they have put an end to my life
. be ended, annihilated
. hath put an end to me
.thine alarms have annihilated me
. exterminate, annihilate
6789 tsamath tsaw-math'
a primitive root; to extirpate (literally or
figuratively):--consume, cut off, destroy, vanish.
צָמַת (tsa.mat) — to destroy.
1) to put an end to, cut off, destroy, exterminate, extirpate
1a) (Qal) to put an end to, terminate
1b) (Niphal) to be ended, be annihilated, be exterminated
1c) (Piel) to put an end to
1d) (Pilel) to be exterminated, be annihilated
1e) (Hiphil) to exterminate, annihilate
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff — Verb hiphil sequential imperfect first person common singular · suffixHc/Vhw1cs/Sp3mp