Psalms 116:11 — Word Study
WLCאֲ֭נִי אָמַ֣רְתִּי בְחָפְזִ֑י כָּֽל־ הָאָדָ֥ם כֹּזֵֽב׃
BSAIn my alarmchâphaz [fear, distress, being startled] ◂Iʼănîy saidʼâmar■ Allkôl menʼâdâm [humanity, people, every person] [are] liarskâzab [deceivers, dishonest, untruthful]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֲ֭נִי | I | Pronoun |
| אָמַ֣רְתִּי | I said | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| בְחָפְזִ֑י | when was hastening I | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common, suffix |
| כָּֽל־ | every | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| הָאָדָ֥ם | person | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| כֹּזֵֽב׃ | [is] a liar | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | In my alarm I said, “All men are liars!” |
| KJV | I said in my haste, All men are liars. |
| ASV | I said in my haste, All men are liars. |
| YLT | I said in my haste, 'Every man [is] a liar.' |
| WEB | I said in my haste, “All people are liars.” |
| BBE | Though I said in my fear, All men are false. |
Translations agree on the meaning of כָּזַב — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase and a noun phrase, emphasizing the speaker's emotional state.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאֲנִי
verbאָמַר
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 — Psalms 116:11
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 — Reflections on Distress and Trustgenerated
Psalms 116:11 captures a moment of deep personal alarm, where the psalmist, in his fear, declares that all people are liars. This statement reflects a broader theme in the psalm of grappling with trust and the nature of humanity, especially in times of distress. The surrounding verses express the psalmist's affliction and his desire to repay the goodness of the LORD, indicating a movement from despair to hope.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 31:22 | In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help. |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 27:1 | David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” |
| 3 | 2 Kings 4:16 | And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.” |
| 4 | Jeremiah 9:4–5 | “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander. |
| 5 | Romans 3:4 | Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כָּזַב, ko.Zevgenerated
The verb כָּזַב (kazab) means to lie or deceive. It is used to describe dishonesty and falsehood, often in the context of human relationships. The parsing indicates it is a participle in the masculine singular form, suggesting a general state of being a liar.
This word conveys a strong sense of betrayal, as the psalmist expresses that in his moment of alarm, he perceives all humanity as untrustworthy. It captures the emotional weight of the psalmist's experience, reflecting a broader human condition.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse is rendered as 'All men are liars,' which is consistent across several translations including the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is אָמַרְתִּי, I said, which governs the entire statement. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the speaker's state of alarm, followed by the declaration about humanity's nature.
The order of the Hebrew words emphasizes the psalmist's emotional state first, leading into his assertion about people, which underscores the weight of his feelings.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כָּזַב as ψεύστης, meaning 'liar.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning but also reflects a Greek understanding of deceit, emphasizing the moral implications of dishonesty.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 116:11 reveals the psalmist's distress as he declares that all people are liars. This statement reflects his feelings of betrayal and highlights a broader theme of trust and human nature in times of trouble.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing a deep sense of betrayal and distrust in humanity, particularly during his moment of alarm.
The feeling likely stems from personal experiences of affliction and the pressures he faces, leading him to question the reliability of those around him.
This verse illustrates the tension between personal distress and trust in God, as the psalmist moves from despair to a recognition of God's goodness.
Yes, it reflects the psalmist's emotional state rather than a factual assertion about every individual, highlighting the intensity of his feelings.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what situations have I felt a similar sense of betrayal or alarm?
- How does my understanding of trust in others shape my relationship with God?
- What can I learn from the psalmist's expression of distress?
- How do I reconcile feelings of distrust with the call to love and forgive others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this verse, such as from Augustine of Hippo, explore the themes of fear and the nature of truth, reflecting on the psalmist's declaration.
"I said in my trance, All men are liars" [Psalms 116:11]. By trance he means fear, which when persecutors threaten, and when the sufferings of torture or death impend,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 116 →
Such an individual, then, guards against lying just as against sinning. Sometimes, in fact, the word lie is used for the word sin;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 116 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 116:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI said in my haste, all men [are] liars. The sin of lying is common to man; there is a natural proneness and propensity to it: men go astray from the womb, speaking lies; yet such who have received
Read John Gill on Psalms 116 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI said in my haste, All men are liars. I said in my haste - i:e., in my trepidation ... my consternation, caused by my 'great affliction' (Psalms 31:22).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 116 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI said; yet once I confess I spake very unadvisedly. In my haste; through hastiness and precipitation of my mind, for want of due consideration, as the same phrase is used, . Or, in my terror or amazement, when I was discomposed and distracted with the greatness of my troubles. All men are liars: the sense is either, 1. All men, yea, even my former friends and companions, prove deceitful and perfidious, all human help faileth me; so that my case is desperate, if God do not help me. Or, 2. All men, God’ s own prophets not excepted, are liable to mistakes by the condition of their nature, as they are men, and therefore may easily deceive others; and this might be the case of Samuel in his…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 116 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 116:11 I said in my haste, All men [are] liars.Ver. 11. I said in my haste] In my heat, trepidation, concussion, outburst. Saints may have such, as being but men, subject to like passions; and as meeting with many molestations, Satanic and secular; and left sometimes to themselves by God, as was good Hezekiah, for their trial and exercise. The sea is not so calm in summer, but hath its commotions; the mountain so firm, but may be moved with an earthquake. Dogs in a chase bark sometimes at their own masters; so do men in a passion let fly at their best friends. When the taste is vitiated it mistastes. When there is a suffusion in the eye (as in case of the jaundice) it apprehends…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 116 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10, 11) I believed, therefore have I spoken.—This is the rendering of LXX. and Vulg., and it has become almost proverbial from St. Paul’s adaptation of it (2 Corinthians 4:13; see New Testament Commentary). And no doubt this is the sense of the words, though the particle khî has been taken in a wrong connection. Mr. Burgess has certainly given the true explanation of the use of this particle. It sometimes follows instead of preceding the verb affected by it. We must render, It is because I believed that I spoke (of God’s graciousness, &c.). What follows then comes in as an antithesis. I was in great trouble; I said in my pain, “All men are untrustworthy or deceitful” Or (LXX.), In an…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 116 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 11. I said in my haste] This is variously translated: I said in my flight, CHALDEE. In my excess, or ecstasy, VULGATE. In my ecstasy, εκστασει, SEPTUAGINT. [Arabic] tahayury, in my giddiness, ARABIC. In my fear or tremor, SYRIAC. [Anglo-Saxon], I quoth in outgoing mine, when I was beside myself, ANGLO-SAXON. In myn oute passyng, old Psalter. When passion got the better of my reason, when I looked not at God, but at my afflictions, and the impossibility of human relief. All men are liars.] כל האדם כזב col haadam cozeb, "the whole of man is a lie." Falsity is diffused through his nature; deception proceeds from his tongue; his actions are often counterfeit. He is imposed on by others…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 116 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10–14. Faith’s triumph must be followed by grateful thanksgiving.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 116 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI said in my haste - The Hebrew word used here means to flee in haste; to be in alarm and trepidation; and the idea seems to be, that the assertion referred to was made under the influence of
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 116 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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
In my alarm I said, “All men are liars!”
I said in my haste, “All people are liars.”
In my alarm I said, “All men are liars!”
I rashly declared, “All men are liars.”
Tyndale line
I said in my haste, All men are liars.
I said in my haste, All men are liars.
I said in my haste, All men are a lie.
I said in my haste, All men are liars.
I said in my feare, All men are lyers.
Strictly literal
I said in my haste, All men are liars.
I said in my haste, 'Every man [is] a liar.'
I said in my haste, “Every man [is] a liar.”
I indeed said in my despondency, Every man is a liar.
In my confusion I said, “All men are liars.”
Simplified
I was so upset that I said, “Everyone's a liar!”
Though I said in my fear, All men are false.
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 on the wording of this verse, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek translations. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the psalmist's declaration across these texts.
אֲ֭נִי אָמַ֣רְתִּי בְחָפְזִ֑י כָּֽל־ הָאָדָ֥ם כֹּזֵֽב׃
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.
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 Psalms 116:11
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.
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Pron — PronounHPp1bs
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
חָפַז (chaphaz) is a Hebrew verb that conveys the idea of hurrying or being in a state of alarm. It can denote a sudden startle or fear, leading to hasty actions, such as fleeing. The verb appears in different forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating various nuances of urgency and trepidation.
[חָפַז] vb. be in trepidation, hurry, or alarm
Qal be in a hurry or alarm, of hurried flight
Niph. hurry away in alarm
base
H2648 [חָפַז] be in trepidation, hurry, or alarm
2648 chaphaz khaw-faz'
a primitive root; properly, to start up suddenly, i.e. (by
implication) to hasten away, to fear:--(make) haste (away),
tremble.
חָפַז (cha.phaz) — to hurry.
1) to hurry, flee, hasten, fear, be terrified
1a) (Qal) to be in a hurry, be alarmed
1b) (Niphal) to be in a hurry
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffixHR/Vqcc/Sp1bs
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.
אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind
a man = human being
coll. man, mankind
n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)
n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)
base
H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being
. coll. man, mankind
120 'adam aw-dawm'
from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the
species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common
sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
see HEBREW for 0119
אָדָם (a.dam) — man.
1) man, mankind
1a) man, human being
1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
1c) Adam, first man
1d) city in Jordan valley
אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).
The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;
married to Eve (H2332);
father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;
Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)
man, human being
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
כָּזַב (kazab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lie or deceive. It encompasses various forms, including being a liar, telling a lie, and failing or disappointing. The entries indicate its use in different stems, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, which express nuances of lying and deception. One example noted is the phrase, "who will make me a liar?"
[כָּזַב] vb. lie, be a liar
Qal Pt.
Niph. his hope has been made deceptive
Pi.
lie, tell a lie
disappoint, fail
Hiph. who will make me a liar? i.e. prove me to be so
base
H3576 כָּזַב lie, be a liar .Pt.
. his hope has been made deceptive
. . lie, tell a lie
. disappoint, fail
. who will make me a liar? i.e. prove me to be so
3576 kazab kaw-zab'
a primitive root; to lie (i.e. deceive), literally or
figuratively:--fail, (be found a, make a) liar, lie, lying, be
in vain.
כָּזַב (ka.zav) — to lie.
1) to lie, tell a lie, be a liar, be found a liar, be in vain, fail
1a) (Qal) liar (participle)
1b) (Niphal) to be proven to be lying
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to lie, tell a lie, tell a lie with, deceive
1c2) to disappoint, fail
1d) (Hiphil) to make a liar, prove to be a liar
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa