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Psalms 143:9 — Word Study

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WLCהַצִּילֵ֖נִי מֵאֹיְבַ֥י׀ יְהוָ֗ה אֵלֶ֥יךָ כִסִּֽתִי׃

BSADeliver menâtsal [rescue, snatch away] from my enemiesʼôyêb [those who hate or oppose me] O LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] I flee to Youʼêl [run to, take refuge, toward Your presence] for refugekâçâh [to hide, be covered]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 143
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (khi.Si.ti) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 143:9quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist seeks deliverance from enemies and finds refuge in the Lord.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, addressing God directly.
Where we areIn a prayer for help amidst danger.
The hard wordהַצִּילֵ֖נִי
Take awayThe plea for rescue is both urgent and personal.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbכָּסָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

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 143:9

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 — A Prayer for Deliverancegenerated

8Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.
9Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge.
10Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.

Psalms 143:9 expresses a deep plea for rescue from enemies, highlighting the psalmist's reliance on God for safety. This verse is part of a larger prayer where the psalmist seeks guidance and support from the Lord, reflecting a relationship built on trust and dependence, as seen in the preceding and following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 34:2–4My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice.
2Psalm 56:9Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.
3Psalm 61:3–4For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy.
4Psalm 142:5I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
5Proverbs 18:10The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word הַצִּילֵ֖נִי, ha.tzi.Le.nigenerated

The word הַצִּילֵ֖נִי (ha.tzi.Le.ni) is a hiphil imperative form of the root נָצַל (natsal), meaning 'to rescue' or 'to snatch away'. It conveys an urgent request for deliverance from danger, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

This form indicates a command directed at God, showing the psalmist's faith that God has the power to deliver. The use of the imperative highlights the intensity of the plea, as the psalmist seeks not just any help, but a specific rescue from adversaries.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is examined in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses deliver for הַצִּילֵ֖נִי.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is הַצִּילֵ֖נִי (deliver me), which governs the entire plea. The structure includes a direct address to God and a prepositional phrase that indicates the source of danger, followed by a declaration of trust.

The order of the Hebrew words places emphasis on the urgency of the plea, with the verb coming first, signaling the primary focus on the need for deliverance.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הַצִּילֵ֖נִי as σὲ (se), indicating a direct appeal to God for help. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the psalmist's urgent need for divine intervention.

The Greek rendering captures the essence of the Hebrew plea, maintaining the focus on deliverance and refuge.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 143:9 is a prayer where the psalmist asks the Lord to rescue him from his enemies and expresses his trust in God as his refuge. It highlights a deep reliance on God's protection in times of trouble.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the psalmist mean by 'enemies'?

The term 'enemies' refers to those who oppose or hate the psalmist, representing both personal and national adversaries.

Why does the psalmist flee to God for refuge?

Fleeing to God signifies seeking safety and protection, as He is seen as the ultimate source of help in times of distress.

What is the significance of the name 'Yahweh'?

Yahweh is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His commitment to His people and His role as protector.

How does this verse reflect the psalmist's faith?

The psalmist's urgent plea for deliverance shows a deep trust in God's ability to save and protect him from harm.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what situations have I sought refuge in God, and how has He provided for me?
  2. How can I better understand the nature of my enemies and the challenges I face?
  3. What does it mean to me to call on God as my refuge in times of trouble?
  4. How can I apply the psalmist's example of seeking God's help in my own life?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Augustine of Hippo references this verse to illustrate the psalmist's shift from fleeing from God to seeking refuge in Him.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 143 354–430
"Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord, for unto You have I fled for refuge" [Psalms 143:9]. I who once fled from You, now flee to You.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 143 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 143:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies,.... Either Saul and his courtiers, or Absalom and the conspirators along with him; who were many, and lively and strong, stronger than he; and therefore God

Read John Gill on Psalms 143 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 143 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Without whose care these caves and rocks can give me no protection.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 143 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 143:9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.Ver. 9. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies] Deliverance from enemies is a fruit of our friendship with God.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 143 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) I flee . . .—Literally, unto thee have I hidden. A phrase which has been variously explained—(1) to Thee I have confided my troubles: (2) and, better, as in the Authorised Version, to Thee I (have fled and) hid (myself). The reflexive use of the Hebrew verb is sufficiently established by Genesis 38:14; Deuteronomy 22:12 (Jonah 3:6 is doubtful).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 143 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 9. I flee unto thee to hide me.] That I may not be found by my enemies, who seek my life to destroy it.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 143 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. Deliver me … from mine enemies] As Psalms 59:1; cp. Psalms 31:15; Psalms 142:6. I flee unto thee to hide me] The general sense is probably right, though it can hardly be got out of the present text. The Heb. verb denotes to cover or conceal, but not to hide (intransitively). Some commentators suppose that unto thee have I covered may mean ‘unto thee have I secretly confided my cause’: others think that it may bear the sense given by the A.V. Neither explanation is satisfactory, and probably we should read, with the change of a single letter (ηρηι for λρηι), unto thee have I fled for refuge. So the LXX πρόςσεκατέφυγον.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 143 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies - See the notes at Psalms 69:14.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 143 →

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Deliver me, Yahweh, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord! I run to you for protection.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies: I flee to thee to hide me.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Deliuer me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for I hid me with thee.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: unto thee do I flee for refuge.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Deliver me from mine enemies, O Jehovah, Near Thee I am covered.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Deliver me from my enemies, O YHWH, || Near You I am covered.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies: by thee do I seek shelter.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Rescue me from my enemies, Yahweh; I flee to you to hide.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

To thee, O God, I will sing a new canticle: on the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises to thee.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Save me from those who hate me, Lord—I run to you for protection.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

O Lord, take me out of the hands of my haters; my soul is waiting for you.

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.

clauseclauseverbהַצִּילֵ֖deliverobjectנִיmeprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵfromnoun phraseאֹיְבַ֥enemiesיmyclauseיְהוָ֗הO.Yahwehclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵלֶ֥יtoךָyouverbכִסִּֽתִיI.have.covered

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 Psalms 143:9, with all five Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This consistency supports the integrity of the text across traditions.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

הַצִּילֵ֖נִי מֵאֹיְבַ֥י׀ יְהוָ֗ה אֵלֶ֥יךָ כִסִּֽתִי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הַצִּילֵ֖נִיμεמֵאֹיְבַ֥י׀μουיְהוָ֗הκύριεאֵלֶ֥יךָσὲכִסִּֽתִי׃κατέφυγον

5 of the 5 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.

Psalms 143:9נָצַלdeliver medeliver meנָצַלאָיַבfrom enemiefrom enemies myאָיַביהוהO YahwehO Yahwehיהוהאֶלto youto youאֶלכָּסָהI have coveI have coveredכָּסָההָיָהto beto beהָיָהאָיַבbe hostilebe hostileאָיַבכָּשָׂהbe satedbe satedכָּשָׂהצְדָקָהrighteousnrighteousnessצְדָקָהצַרnarrownarrowצַרשָׂנֵאto hateto hateשָׂנֵאנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫השַׂקsackclothsackclothשַׂקעָנָןcloudcloudעָנָן
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Psalms 143:9

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.

deliver me from enemies my O Yahweh to you I have covered
הַצִּילֵ֖נִיha.tzi.Le.ni deliver me H5337 Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular · suffix
213× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To rescue means to snatch away or deliver from danger. It can also mean to strip or plunder, depending on the context, and appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
rescue, snatch away
Tyndale gloss
to rescue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָצַל (natsal) is built from a primitive root meaning to snatch away, with various usages across different stems. It covers a range of meanings including to rescue, deliver, plunder, and strip. The word appears in contexts of delivering oneself or being delivered, as well as rescuing from enemies or sin.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָצַל] 212 vb. not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver

Niph.

reflex. tear oneself away, deliver oneself

passive, be torn out or away

Pi.

strip off, spoil

deliver

Hiph.

take away, snatch away

rescue, recover

deliver from

deliver from sin and guilt

Hoph. as a brand plucked out of the burning

Hithp. and they stripped themselves of their ornaments.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5337 נָצַל not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5337 natsal naw-tsal'

a primitive root; to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad

sense:- X at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, X without

fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save,

spoil, strip, X surely, take (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָצַל (na.tsal) — to rescue.

1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder

1a)(Niphal)

1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself

1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to strip off, spoil

1b2) to deliver

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to take away, snatch away

1c2) to rescue, recover

1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death)

1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt

1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out

1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular · suffix
HVhv2ms/Sp1bs
deliver me from enemies my O Yahweh to you I have covered
מֵאֹיְבַ֥י׀me.'o.ye.Vai from enemies my H341 Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
283× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means enemy or adversary, referring to someone who hates or opposes another person or nation. It is used to describe personal or national enemies in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
those who hate or oppose me
Tyndale gloss
enemy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[אָיַב] 283 vb. be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H341 אָיַב be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

341 'oyeb o-yabe'

or (fully) owyeb {o-yabe'}; active participle of 340;

hating; an adversary:--enemy, foe.

see HEBREW for 0340

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֹיֵב (o.yev) — enemy.

1) (Qal) enemy

1a) personal

1b) national

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal | Suff — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1bs
deliver me from enemies my O Yahweh to you I have covered
יְהוָ֗הYah.weh O Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
deliver me from enemies my O Yahweh to you I have covered
אֵלֶ֥יךָ'e.Lei.kha to you H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Amplified meaning
run to, take refuge, toward Your presence
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
deliver me from enemies my O Yahweh to you I have covered
כִסִּֽתִי׃khi.Si.ti I have covered H3680 Verb · Piel · perfect first person common singular
152× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To cover something means to fill up hollows or hide something from view, as seen in many biblical stories. This verb is used in various forms throughout the Bible, such as to cover oneself with clothing or to conceal something for protection. It can also mean to overwhelm or spread over something.
Amplified meaning
to hide, be covered
Tyndale gloss
to cover
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כָּסָה (*kacah*) primarily means to cover or conceal. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to clothe, hide, or overwhelm. The entries describe various forms of the verb, such as being covered or covering oneself, and its use in contexts like protection or sin. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כָּסָה] vb. cover

Qal

conceal

pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)

Niph. covered

Pi.

cover, clothe

cover, conceal blood

cover (with covering of protection)

cover, spread over

cover, overwhelm

cover over

Pual.

be covered

be clothed

Hithp. cover, clothe oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3680 כָּסָה cover .. conceal

. pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)

. covered

. . cover, clothe

. cover, conceal blood

. cover (with covering of protection)

. cover, spread over

. cover, overwhelm

. cover over

. . be covered

. be clothed

. cover, clothe oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3680 kacah kaw-saw'

a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows;

by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy):--clad

self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide,

overwhelm. Compare 3780.

see HEBREW for 03780

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּסָה (ka.sah) — to cover.

1) to cover, conceal, hide

1a) (Qal) conceal, covered (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be covered

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to cover, clothe

1c2) to cover, conceal

1c3) to cover (for protection)

1c4) to cover over, spread over

1c5) to cover, overwhelm

1d) (Pual)

1d1) to be covered

1d2) to be clothed

1e) (Hithpael) to cover oneself, clothe oneself

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Perf-1cs — Verb · Piel · perfect first person common singular
HVpp1cs
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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