Psalms 38:22 — Word Study
WLCח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃
BSAnotʼal Forsakenʻâzab The LordYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, my salvation] Godʼĕlôhîym notʼal to removerâchaq frommin
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| ח֥וּשָׁה | make haste ! | Verb qal imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
| לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י | to help my | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י | O Lord | Noun proper |
| תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃ | salvation my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior. |
| KJV | Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. |
| ASV | Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. |
| YLT | Haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! |
| WEB | Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation. |
| BBE | Come quickly to give me help, O Lord, my salvation. |
Where they part company is אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with a direct address, creating a clear and urgent plea.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
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 38:22
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 Cry for Helpgenerated
Psalm 38:22 is a heartfelt plea from the psalmist who feels surrounded by enemies and in deep distress. He calls upon the Lord for swift assistance, emphasizing his reliance on God as his Savior. This verse encapsulates the theme of seeking divine help amidst overwhelming challenges, as seen in the surrounding verses that express feelings of abandonment and fear.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 40:13–17 | Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; hurry, O LORD, to help me. |
| 2 | Psalm 70:1–5 | Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Hurry, O LORD, to help me! |
| 3 | Psalm 71:12 | Be not far from me, O God. Hurry, O my God, to help me. |
| 4 | Psalm 141:1 | I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. |
| 5 | Psalm 27:1 | The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — ח֥וּשָׁה, Chu.shahgenerated
The verb ח֥וּשָׁה (chu.shah) is an imperative form, urging God to act quickly. It conveys a sense of urgency and eagerness for immediate action, reflecting the emotional intensity of the psalmist's situation. This word is often used in contexts where someone is in dire need and is calling for prompt assistance.
The parsing as a second person masculine singular imperative indicates that the psalmist is directly addressing God, asking Him to make haste. This form underscores the personal relationship between the psalmist and God, highlighting the trust placed in God as a deliverer.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse is structured around a single imperative verb, ח֥וּשָׁה, make haste, which governs the entire plea. The rest of the verse builds upon this call to action, specifying who is being addressed and the nature of the help sought.
The direct address to God as אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י and the mention of תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי emphasize the psalmist's reliance on divine intervention for salvation, creating a clear and urgent request.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates ח֥וּשָׁה as ἐγκαταλίπῃς, which means 'you will leave behind'. This choice suggests a nuanced interpretation, possibly implying that the psalmist fears abandonment if help does not come quickly.
The use of κύριε for אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י maintains the title of reverence, while the translation of תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי as ἀποστῇς emphasizes the need for deliverance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 38:22 is a plea from the psalmist asking God to come quickly to help him. He refers to God as his Lord and Savior, showing his trust in God's ability to rescue him from distress.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing a sense of urgency, asking God to act swiftly in his time of need.
This title indicates the psalmist's belief in God's power to deliver him from his troubles and save him from his enemies.
By directly addressing God, the psalmist demonstrates his personal relationship with Him and his reliance on divine intervention.
This verse encapsulates the psalmist's feelings of distress and need for help, which are echoed in the previous verses that describe his struggles and enemies.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to ask God for quick help?
- How can I cultivate a deeper trust in God as my Savior?
- What does it mean for me to call God 'Lord' in my daily life?
- How can I be a source of help to others who are in distress?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo references this verse in his exposition, emphasizing the urgency of the psalmist's plea for divine assistance.
"Depart not from me. Make haste to help me, Lord of my salvation" [Psalms 38:22].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 38 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 38:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMake haste and help me,.... Or, "for my help"; his case required haste, and God does help his people when none else can, and that right early; O Lord, my salvation; by which it appears that his
Read John Gill on Psalms 38 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryForsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. The same voice as in Psalms 22:19. Compare also Psalms 35:3.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 38 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 38:22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.Ver. 22. Make haste to help me] Nam mora frangit etiam fortes, God oft delayeth, that he may set an edge on our desires; he holdeth us in request, that he may commend his blessings to us.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 38 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 22. Make haste to help me] I am dying; save, Lord, or I perish. Whoever carefully reads over this Psalm will see what a grievous and bitter thing it is to sin against the Lord, and especially to sin after having known his mercy, and after having escaped from the corruption that is in the world. Reader, be on thy guard; a life of righteousness may be lost by giving way to a moment's temptation, and a fair character sullied for ever! Let him that most assuredly standeth take heed lest he fall. 'Tis but a grain of sweet that one can sow, To reap a harvest of wide-wasting wo. ANALYSIS OF THE THIRTY-EIGHTH PSALM This Psalm may be divided into two parts: - I. A deprecation; begun Psalms…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 38 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges22. Make haste &c.] Cp. Psalms 22:19; Psalms 40:13. O Lord my salvation] Cp. Psalms 62:2; Psalms 51:14.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 38 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMake haste to help me - Margin, as in Hebrew: “for my help.” This is an earnest prayer that God would come immediately to his rescue. O Lord my salvation - See the notes at Psalms 27:1.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 38 →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
Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.
Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation.
Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.
Hurry and help me, O Lord, my deliverer!
Tyndale line
Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
Make haste to help me, O LORD my salvation.
Haste thee to helpe mee, O my Lord, my saluation.
Strictly literal
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Hurry to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
(38:23) Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Come quickly to help me, Lord, my salvation.
Simplified
Hurry, come and help me, Lord my salvation.
Come quickly to give me help, O Lord, my salvation.
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, "ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי," which translates to "Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in the overall sentiment, but its exact wording and structure differ as it reflects a different translation style. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q83) present a fragmentary text that does not match the Masoretic Text directly; it includes phrases that suggest a plea for divine assistance but is not a complete correspondence, with some words missing and others restored by an editor. Therefore, while the Septuagint maintains the core message, the Dead Sea Scrolls diverge significantly in content and completeness.
ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃
4 of the 4 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.
אל תעזוב׳ני אלה׳י [אל] [תרחק] ממ׳ני
2 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 2 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 Psalms 38:22
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.
חוּשׁ (chush) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to hurry or make haste. It can also imply eagerness or enjoyment. The entries indicate two main uses: one related to hastening actions and the other to feelings of enjoyment. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
חוּשׁ vb. haste, make haste
Qal make haste
Hiph.
shew haste, act quickly
transit. I will hasten it
base
[חוּשׁ] vb. feel, enjoy
base
H2363a חוּשׁ haste, make haste .make haste
. . shew haste, act quickly
. transit. I will hasten it
H2363b חוּשׁ feel, enjoy
2363 chuwsh koosh
a primitive root; to hurry; figuratively, to be eager with
excitement or enjoyment:--(make) haste(-n), ready.
חוּשׁ (chush) — to hasten.
1) to haste, make haste, hurry
1a) (Qal) to make haste
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to show haste, act quickly, hasten, come quickly
חוּשׁ (chush) — to enjoy.
to feel, enjoy
HVqv2ms/Sh — Verb qal imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVqv2ms/Sh
hast (chaphaz, chush, mahar; speudo): "Haste" (from a root meaning "to pursue") implies "celerity of motion."
(1) The noun occurs as translation of mahar, "to hasten," etc. (Ex 10:16; 12:33, "in haste"); of chapaz, "to make haste" (2Ki 7:15; Ps 31:22; 116:11, "I said in my haste (the Revised Version margin "alarm"), All men are liars"); of chippazon, a "hasty flight" (Ex 12:11; De 16:3; Isa 52:12); of nachats, "to be urgent" (1Sa 21:8, "The king's business required haste").
→ In judgment, by Moses and the Israelites Nu 32:1-19; Jos 22:10-34
→ See RASHNESS
עֶזְרָה (ezrah) refers to help, succour, or assistance. It is a feminine noun derived from the root meaning aid. The word appears in contexts related to providing support, including in Psalm 60:11 and Psalm 108:12, where it emphasizes the act of helping or the one who helps.
עֶזְרָה, עֶזְרָת, עֶזְרָ֫תָה n.f. help, succour, assistance
base
H5833 עֶזְרָה, עֶזְרָת, עֶזְרָ֫תָה help, succour, assistance
5833 `ezrah ez-raw'
or mezrath (Psa. 60:11 (13); 108:12 (13)) {ez-rawth'};
feminine of 5828; aid:--help(-ed, -er).
see HEBREW for 013
see HEBREW for 013
see HEBREW for 05828
עֶזְרָה (ez.rah) — help.
1) help, succour, assistance
1a) help, succour
1b) one who helps
HR/Ncfsc/Sp1bs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
אֲדֹנָי (Adonay) means 'Lord' and is an emphatic form of another Hebrew word for lord. It is used specifically as a title for God, often in place of Yahweh to show reverence. Variations include אֲדֹנִי and אֲדֹנַי, which help distinguish divine from human references.
אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
base
H136 אָדוֹן lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
136 'Adonay ad-o-noy'
am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of
God only):--(my) Lord.
see HEBREW for 0113
אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) — Lord.
Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
HNpt — Noun properHNpt
Lord
There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.
(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.
(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).
The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…
[GOD]
This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.
תְּשׁוּעָה (tshuw`ah) refers to concepts of rescue, deliverance, and salvation, both in a personal and national context. It emphasizes help and safety, often associated with divine intervention. The term is linked to victory as well, indicating a broader range of meanings related to overcoming challenges or enemies.
תְּשׁוּעָה († תְּשֻׁעָה 2 S 19:3) n.f. deliverance, salvation
base
H8668 תְּשׁוּעָה, תְּשֻׁעָה
8668 tshuw`ah tesh-oo-aw'
or tshuah {tesh-oo-aw'}; from 7768 in the sense of 3467;
rescue (literal or figurative, pers., national or spir.):--
deliverance, help, safety, salvation, victory.
see HEBREW for 07768
see HEBREW for 03467
תְּשׁוּעָה (te.shu.ah) — deliverance: salvation.
: salvation
1) salvation, deliverance
1a) deliverance (usually by God through human agency)
1b) salvation (spiritual in sense)
Also means: te.shu.ah (תְּשׁוּעָה ": victory" H8668H)
תְּשׁוּעָה (te.shu.ah) — deliverance: victory.
: victory
1) salvation, deliverance
1a) deliverance (usually by God through human agency)
1b) salvation (spiritual in sense)
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs