Psalms 18:45 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵי־ נֵכָ֥ר יִבֹּ֑לוּ וְ֝יַחְרְג֗וּ מִֽמִּסְגְּרֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
BSAForeignersbên [strangers, those from other nations]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵי־ | sons of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| נֵכָ֥ר | foreignness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יִבֹּ֑לוּ | they wither | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| וְ֝יַחְרְג֗וּ | and they may come trembling | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine plural |
| מִֽמִּסְגְּרֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | from strongholds their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds. |
| KJV | The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. |
| ASV | The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. |
| YLT | Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places. |
| WEB | The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds. |
| BBE | They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of יִבֹּ֑לוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with two phrases that elaborate on the actions of the foreigners.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאֹזֶן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
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 18:45
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 Song of Praise for Deliverancegenerated
Psalm 18:45 expresses the psalmist's confidence in God's power, illustrating how even the strongest foes lose their courage in the face of divine strength. This verse follows a declaration of God's might, emphasizing that the enemies, referred to as foreigners, are compelled to retreat from their fortified positions. It reflects a broader theme in the psalm, where the psalmist recounts God's deliverance and protection against adversaries, similar to other passages that highlight God's sovereignty over nations, such as Isaiah 24:4 and Micah 7:17.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 24:4 | The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away. |
| 2 | Micah 7:17 | They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You. |
| 3 | James 1:11 | For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. |
| 4 | Revelation 6:16 | And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִבֹּ֑לוּ, yi.Bo.lugenerated
The verb יִבֹּ֑לוּ (yi.Bo.lu) is a Qal imperfect form, indicating an action that is ongoing or incomplete. Its root conveys the idea of withering or fading away, suggesting a loss of strength or resolve. In this context, it describes the foreigners losing heart and courage, emphasizing their fear in the presence of God's might.
This word is not merely about physical retreat; it also implies a deeper emotional and psychological breakdown, as the enemies become senseless in their fear. The usage here aligns with the broader biblical theme of God instilling fear in those who oppose Him, as seen in other verses where fear leads to the downfall of adversaries.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of יִבֹּ֑לוּ as lose heart or wither, maintaining the sense of fear and retreat.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main action of the verse is governed by two finite verbs: יִבֹּ֑לוּ (they wither) and יַחְרְג֗וּ (and they may come trembling). The structure indicates that the foreigners lose heart and subsequently come trembling from their strongholds, showing a cause-and-effect relationship.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of the foreigners, highlighting their fear and retreat. The use of the conjunction 'and' connects their loss of heart directly to their trembling, reinforcing the intensity of their fear.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word for יִבֹּ֑לוּ is rendered as ὠτίου, which suggests a similar connotation of losing strength or becoming feeble. This choice of word reflects the translators' understanding of the emotional state of the foreigners as they confront the power of God.
The translation emphasizes the psychological impact of fear, aligning with the Hebrew text's intent to convey the overwhelming dread that leads to their retreat.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 18:45 describes how foreigners, or those from other nations, lose their courage and tremble as they come out from their strongholds. This reflects the power of God over His enemies, showing that even the mightiest can be brought low in fear.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that those who oppose God become afraid and lose their courage when faced with His power, leading them to retreat.
They come trembling because their fear overwhelms them, causing them to shake and surrender in the presence of God's might.
Strongholds refer to fortified places or secure locations where enemies might hide, but they are rendered ineffective when God acts against them.
This verse illustrates God's sovereignty and power over nations, demonstrating that even the strongest enemies cannot stand against Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to trust in God's power to overcome my fears?
- How can I remind myself of God's strength when I face challenges?
- What does it mean for me to come out of my own strongholds and face my fears?
- How can I help others who are trembling in fear to find courage in God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse includes Augustine of Hippo, who reflects on the implications of foreigners being called strange children, emphasizing their separation from God's people.
"The strange children have lied unto Me." Children, not to be called Mine, but rather strange children, to whom it is rightly said,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 18 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 18:45 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe strangers shall fade away,.... Like the leaves of trees in autumn, when they fall and perish; to which hypocrites and nominal professors are compared, Jude 1:12; and be afraid out of their close
Read John Gill on Psalms 18 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryFor thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. Here follows the fourth section of the psalm.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 18 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleShall fade away, i.e. shall wither and decay in their hopes and strength. Be afraid, i.e. shall come trembling; one verb being put for two, as , thou hast heard me, i.e. having delivered me; and , panteth, i.e. panting hasteneth; and in many other places. Out of their close places; out of their strong holds, where they shall lurk and keep themselves for fear of me, and whence they dare not stir without trembling. Or, for (as the particle mere is oft used) their close places, i.e. lest I should assault and take them.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 18 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 18:45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.Ver. 45. The strangers shall fade away] As do the dry leaves of trees; their vigour and confidence shall perish in a moment. And be afraid out of their close places] Whence they shall come creeping to me, their conqueror, to seek favour. And this may very fitly also be applied to Christ and his subjects, who must be driven unto him out of their close places, or starting holes of self confidences, self conceitedness, &c., by the spirit of bondage, before they will unfeignedly submit to Christ’ s government.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 18 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(45) Fade away—i.e., wither like vegetation before a scorching blast. Be afraid out of their close places.—Better, come trembling out of their castles. LXX. and Vulgate have “grow old and came limping from their paths.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 18 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 45. The strangers shall fade away] בני נכר beney nechar, the same persons mentioned above. They shall not be able to effect any thing against me; יבלו yibbolu, "they shall fall as the leaves fall off the trees in winter." And be afraid out of their close places.] Those who have formed themselves into banditti, and have taken possession of rocks and fortified places, shall be so afraid when they hear of my successes, that they shall surrender at discretion, without standing a siege. Perhaps all these verbs should be understood in the perfect tense, for David is here evidently speaking of a kingdom at rest, all enemies having been subdued; or, as the title is, when the Lord HAD…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 18 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges45. The strangers faded away, And came trembling out of their fastnesses. Their strength and courage failed like a withering leaf or a fading flower (Isaiah 28:1; Isaiah 28:4), and they surrendered at discretion to the triumphant invader. Cp. Micah 7:17; 1 Samuel 14:11. The obscure reading in 2 Sam. may mean “came limping out of their fastnesses”; a picture of the exhausted defenders of the fortress dragging themselves along with difficulty and reluctant to lay down their arms before the conqueror. The LXX gives this rendering (ἐχώλαναν) in the Psalm.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 18 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe strangers shall fade away - Hebrew, “The sons of the stranger.” That is, foreigners.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 18 →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
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
foreigners lose their courage; they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.
Tyndale line
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.
The strangers shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid from their close places.
Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
Strictly literal
Strangers have faded away, and they come trembling forth from their close places.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
Sons of a stranger fade away, || And are slain out of their close places.
(18:46) The children of the stranger shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their close places.
The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
Simplified
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
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 in their wording, with all five words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse across different textual traditions.
בְּנֵי־ נֵכָ֥ר יִבֹּ֑לוּ וְ֝יַחְרְג֗וּ מִֽמִּסְגְּרֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 18:45
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.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
See SON, SONS.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
נֵכָר (nekar) refers to something foreign or alien, encompassing the concepts of foreignness and foreigners. It can also denote foreign gods or vanities. The word is derived from a root meaning to recognize or acknowledge, suggesting a distinction from the familiar.
נֵכָר n.[m.] that which is foreign, foreignness
base
H5236 נֵכָר that which is foreign, foreignness
5236 nekar nay-kawr'
' from 5234; foreign, or (concretely) a foreigner, or
(abstractly) heathendom:--alien, strange (+ -er).
see HEBREW for 05234
נֵכָר (ne.khar) — foreign.
1) foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign
1a) foreignness, foreign gods
1b) alien, foreigner
1c) foreign (vanities)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
נָבַל (nabal) has two main meanings: to be senseless or foolish, and to wither or fade. It can describe both a moral failing and a physical decline, such as a plant wilting. The word's usage in the Old Testament reflects these themes, though the lexicons do not present significant disagreement on its meanings.
נָבַל vb. be senseless, foolish
Qal if thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself
Pi. regard or treat as a נָבָל (q.v.), i.e. with contumely
base
נָבֵל vb. sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade
Qal
sink or drop down
usu. fall like a leaf, or flower wither and fall, fade
base
H5034a נָבֵל be senseless, foolish H5034b נָבֵל sink or dropdown, languish, wither and fall, fade
5034 nabel naw-bale'
a primitive root; to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail,
faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked;
causatively, to despise, disgrace:--disgrace, dishounour,
lightly esteem, fade (away, - ing), fall (down, -ling, off),
do foolishly, come to nought, X surely, make vile, wither.
נָבַל (na.val) — be senseless.
1) to be senseless, be foolish
1a) (Qal) to be foolish
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to regard or treat as foolish
1b2) to treat with contempt
נָבֵל (na.vel) — to wither.
1) to sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sink or drop down
1a2) to fall, wither and fall, fade
1a3) to droop
HVqi3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
חָרַג (charag) is a primitive root meaning to leap suddenly or to be dismayed, often implying fear. It conveys the idea of shaking or trembling from fear, as noted in various lexicons. The entries consistently emphasize its association with quaking due to fear.
[חָרַג] vb. quake
base
H2727 חָרַג
2727 charag khaw-rag'
a primitive root; properly, to leap suddenly, i.e. (by
implication) to be dismayed:--be afraid.
חָרַג (cha.rag) — to quake.
(Qal) to shake from fear, tremble, quake
HC/Vqu3mp — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine pluralHC/Vqu3mp
מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת (misgereth) refers to a border or rim, as well as a fastness or stronghold. It is derived from the root meaning to enclose, indicating something that serves as a margin or boundary. The term appears in contexts related to borders and strongholds, highlighting its use in describing enclosed spaces.
מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת n.f. 1. border, rim. 2. fastness
base
H4526 מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת 1. border, rim. 2. fastness
4526 micgereth mis-gheh'-reth
from 5462; something enclosing, i.e. a margin (of a region,
of a panel); concretely, a stronghold:--border, close place,
hole.
see HEBREW for 05462
מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת (mis.ge.ret) — perimeter.
1) border, fastness, rim
1a) border, rim
1b) fastness
HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp