Psalms 55:7 — Word Study
WLCהִ֭נֵּה אַרְחִ֣יק נְדֹ֑ד אָלִ֖ין בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר סֶֽלָה׃
BSAto sayʼâmar who?mîy to givenâthan wingʼêber doveyôwnâh to flyʻûwph to dwellshâkan
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִ֭נֵּה | here! | Particle |
| אַרְחִ֣יק | I want to be far away | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect first person common singular |
| נְדֹ֑ד | [surely] to flee | Verb, Qal, infinitive construct common |
| אָלִ֖ין | I want to lodge | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר | in the wilderness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| סֶֽלָה׃ | Selah | Particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah |
| KJV | Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. |
| ASV | Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. [Selah |
| YLT | Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah. |
| WEB | Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah. |
| BBE | I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah.) |
The translations agree on the key terms, including נְדֹ֑ד and בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר.
The sentence structure emphasizes the longing to flee and the choice of wilderness for refuge.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 55:7
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 Escapegenerated
Psalms 55:7 captures a moment of deep distress where the psalmist yearns for escape from turmoil. The preceding verses describe a longing for peace and rest, as seen in Psalm 55:6, and the following verses continue to express a desire for safety away from conflict, as noted in Psalm 55:8.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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.” |
| 2 | 2 Samuel 15:14 | And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.” |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 17:21–22 | After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King David, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.” |
| 4 | Proverbs 6:4–5 | Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 9:2 | If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נְדֹ֑ד, ne.Dodgenerated
The Hebrew verb נָדַד (nadad) conveys the action of fleeing or wandering. It describes a movement away from danger, capturing the essence of retreating or escaping from distressing situations.
In this verse, it indicates a desire to flee from turmoil to a place of solitude, emphasizing the emotional state of the speaker who seeks refuge in the wilderness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses flee and wilderness.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb אַרְחִ֣יק governs the main action of the verse, indicating the speaker's desire to flee. The structure includes a prepositional phrase describing the location of the intended escape and a second verb indicating the action of lodging.
The arrangement of the Hebrew words emphasizes the longing for distance and the choice of wilderness as a place of refuge.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נְדֹ֑ד with the Greek word τίς (tis), which can imply a sense of questioning or seeking. This choice may reflect an interpretation that emphasizes the uncertainty of finding safety.
The use of καὶ for הִנֵּה indicates a connective aspect, suggesting a continuation of thought rather than a mere command.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 55:7 expresses a deep desire to escape to the wilderness, highlighting feelings of distress and a longing for solitude away from conflict. The speaker wishes to flee and remain in a desolate place, indicating a need for peace.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The speaker is expressing a desire to escape from turmoil and find peace in a solitary place.
The wilderness symbolizes a place of solitude and refuge, contrasting with the chaos the speaker wishes to leave behind.
The verse conveys feelings of distress, longing for peace, and a desire to escape from conflict.
This verse reflects the psalmist's struggle with distress and the yearning for safety, which is a central theme throughout the psalm.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I seek solitude when feeling overwhelmed?
- How can I find peace in difficult situations, similar to the speaker's desire to escape?
- What does the wilderness represent for me in my own life?
- How can I better understand and express my feelings of distress?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this verse, such as from Augustine of Hippo, highlight the longing for escape and solitude expressed by the psalmist.
"Behold I have gone afar fleeing, and have abode in the desert" [Psalms 55:7].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 55 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 55:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLo, [then] would I wander far off, [and] remain in the wilderness,.... So David did when he fled from Absalom, 2 Samuel 15:23; so gracious souls desire to be; not in the wilderness of the people; but
Read John Gill on Psalms 55 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryLo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. Lo, (then) would I wander far off - literally, 'be distant in fleeing.' And remain - Hebrew, lodge, or pass the night.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 55 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleLike a dove; which being fearful, and pursued by birds of prey, flies away, and that very swiftly and far, and into solitary places, where it hides and secures itself in the holes of the rocks, or in some other secret and safe place; all which fitly represents David’ s present disposition and desire. And be at rest; or, that I might, or where I might, be at rest, or dwell, in some settled and safe place, and be delivered from those uncertainties and wanderings to which I am now exposed. In the wilderness; where I might be free from the company, and rage, and treachery of my wicked enemies, who are worse than the wild beasts of the wilderness.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 55 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 55:7 Lo, [then] would I wander far off, [and] remain in the wilderness. Selah.Ver. 7. Lo, then would I wander far off] Far from the force and fury of these breathing devils. Jeremiah wisheth the like, as being tired out by the ungodly practices of his countrymen, Psalms 9:2. And many a dear child of God, forced to be in bad company, cries, Oh that I had the wings, &c. Or if that Oh will not set him at liberty, he takes up that Woe, to express his misery, Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, &c. And remain in the wilderness] Among wild beasts; which were better than to abide with these lycanthropi , men more cruel, savage, and bloody than any beasts. A kind of insanity described by…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 55 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. Would I wander far off] He did escape; and yet his enemies were so near, as to throw stones at him: but he escaped beyond Jordan. 2 Samuel 17:22-23. A passage in the Octavia of SENECA has been referred to as being parallel to this of David. It is in the answer of Octavia to the Chorus, Acts v., ver. 914-923. Quis mea digne deflere potest Mala? Quae lacrymis nostris quaestus Reddet Aedon? cujus pennas Utinam miserae mihi fata darent! Fugerem luctus ablata meos Penna volucri, procul et coetus Hominum tristes sedemque feram. Sola in vacuo nemore, et tenui Ramo pendens, querulo possem Gutture moestum fundere murmur. My woes who enough can bewail? O what notes can my sorrows express?…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 55 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. and remain &c.] R.V., I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah seems to be misplaced here, and also in Psalms 55:19.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 55 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleLo, then would I wander far off - literally, “Lo, I would make the distance far by wandering;” I would separate myself far from these troubles.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 55 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible7. Remain—Another word of the same signification as abide, be at rest, Psalms 55:6. Compare Jeremiah 9:2.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 55 →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
How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah
Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah.
How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah
Look, I will escape to a distant place; I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
Tyndale line
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. [Selah
Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah
Lo, then I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
Beholde, I woulde take my flight farre off, and lodge in the wildernes. Selah.
Strictly literal
Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah;
Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.
Behold, I move far off, || I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.
(55:8) Lo, I would flee far away, I would spend my night in the wilderness. Selah.
See, then I would wander far away; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
From the Latin
They will dwell and hide themselves: they will watch my heel. As they have waited for my soul,
Simplified
I would fly far away to escape, and stay in the wilderness. Selah.
I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah.)
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 words matched in the Hebrew and Greek. This alignment indicates consistency in the transmission of this text.
הִ֭נֵּה אַרְחִ֣יק נְדֹ֑ד אָלִ֖ין בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר סֶֽלָה׃
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 55:7
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.
הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.
הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!
base
H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!
2009 hinneh hin-nay'
prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.
see HEBREW for 02005
הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.
behold, lo, see, if
HTj — ParticleHTj
her, in composition:
The Hebrew word רָחַק (rachaq) is a primitive root meaning to be or become far or distant. It encompasses various forms, including intransitive meanings like receding and transitive meanings such as removing or sending away. The entries indicate uses in different stems, including Qal (to be distant), Piel (to send far away), and Hiphil (to cause to be distant).
רָחַק vb. be, or become, far, distant
Qal be far, distant
Pi. send far away
Hiph.
dir. caus. make, or exhibit, distance, be gone for
indir. caus. remove, put far away
base
H7368 רָחַק be, or become, far, distant
7368 rachaq raw-khak'
a primitive root; to widen (in any direction), i.e.
(intransitively) recede or (transitively) remove (literally or
figuratively, of place or relation):--(a-, be, cast, drive,
get, go, keep (self), put, remove, be too, (wander), withdraw)
far (away, off), loose, X refrain, very, (be) a good way
(off).
רָחַק (ra.chaq) — to remove.
v
1) to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away
1a) (Qal) to be far, be distant
1b) (Piel) to send far away, extend
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make or exhibit distance, be gone far
1c2) to remove, put far away
2) (Niphal) loose
v inf (as adv)
3) at a distance
HVhi1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singularHVhi1cs
נָדַד (nadad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses meanings related to movement, such as retreating, fleeing, departing, straying, and wandering. It can also refer to the fluttering of wings. The word has various forms, including Qal, Poal, Hiphil, Hophil, and Hithpolel, indicating different nuances of fleeing or being chased. Its Aramaic equivalent is נְדַד (H5075), meaning 'to flee.'
[נָדַד] vb. retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter
Qal
retreat, flee
flee, depart
wander, stray
trans. flutter wings
Po‛ēl the sun hath arisen and it (the locust swarm) fleeth away
Hiph. chase away
Hoph. be chased away
Hithpo‛l. flee away
base
H5074 [נָדַד] retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter
5074 nadad naw-dad'
a primitive root; properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to
flap up and down); figuratively, to rove, flee, or
(causatively) to drive away:--chase (away), X could not,
depart, flee (X apace, away), (re-)move, thrust away, wander
(abroad, -er, -ing).
נָדַד (na.dad) — to wander.
1) to retreat, flee, depart, move, wander abroad, stray, flutter
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to retreat, flee
1a2) to flee, depart
1a3) to wander, stray
1a4) to flutter (of birds)
1b) (Poal) to flee away, be chased
1c) (Hiphil) to chase away
1d) (Hophal) to be chased away
1e) (Hithpolel) to flee away
Aramaic equivalent: ne.dad (נְדַד "to flee" H5075)
HVqcc — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct commonHVqcc
fle.
See FLY.
לוּן (luwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lodge or pass the night, and it can also imply abiding or remaining. It has a negative connotation when referring to murmuring or complaining. The word can be used in various forms, including Qal, Hiphil, and Hithpalpel, indicating different nuances of lodging and grumbling.
לוּן, לִין vb. lodge, pass the night, fig. abide
Qal
lodge, pass the night
fig. abide, remain
Hiph. cause to rest, lodge
Hithpalp. dwell, abide, of eagle
base
[לוּן] vb. murmur
Niph. murmur against
Hiph. murmur; cause to murmur
base
H3885a לוּן, לִין lodge, pass the night, fig. abide H3885b לוּן murmur
3885 luwn loon
or liyn {leen}; a primitive root; to stop (usually over
night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad
sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to
complain):--abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure,
grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night,
in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all
night, that night).
לוּן (lun) — to lodge.
1) to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lodge, pass the night
1a2) to abide, remain (fig.)
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to rest, lodge
1c) (Hithpalpel) to dwell, abide
לוּן (lun) — to grumble.
1) to grumble, complain, murmur
1a) (Niphal) to grumble, murmur
1b) (Hiphil) to complain, cause to grumble
HVqi1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
loj (lin; kataskenoo, etc.): To stay or dwell, temporarily, as for the night (Ge 32:13,21; Nu 22:8; Jos 2:1 the King James Version; Jos 4:3; Lu 13:19; Mt 21:17, aulizomai), or permanently (Ru 1:16). In Isa 1:8, "a lodge (melunah) in a garden of cucumbers," the meaning is "hut," "cottage." "Evil thoughts" are said to "lodge" in the wicked (Jer 4:14).
Lodge
A shed for a watchman in a garden (Isa. 1:8). The Hebrew name melunah is rendered “cottage” (q.v.) in Isa. 24:20. It also denotes a hammock or hanging-bed.
See GARDEN.
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
HRd/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Wilderness
(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (
See DESERT.
סֶ֫לָה (selah) means to lift up or exalt. It is primarily recognized as a musical term indicating a pause or interruption, often found in the Psalms. The word is derived from a root meaning 'suspension' and appears frequently in the context of music, suggesting accentuation.
סֶ֫לָה vb. lift up, or exalt;—this interpr. agrees with usage: 71 t. in 39 ψψ, 3 t. Hb 3
base
H5542 סֶ֫לָה lift up, or exalt
5542 celah seh'-law
from 5541; suspension (of music), i.e. pause:--Selah.
see HEBREW for 05541
סֶ֫לָה (se.lah) — Selah.
§ 1) to lift up, exalt
1a) Selah
1a1) a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption
HTj — ParticleHTj
se'-la.
See MUSIC, II, 1.
Selah
A word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab. 3:9, 13, about seventy-four times in all in Scripture. Its meaning is doubtful. Some interpret it as meaning “silence” or “pause;” others, “end,” “a louder strain,” “piano,” etc. The LXX. render the word by daplasma i.e., “a division.”
This word, which is found only in the poetical books of the Old Testament, occurs seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. It is probably a term which had a meaning in the musical nomenclature of the Hebrews, though what that meaning may have been is now a matter of pure conjecture. (Gesenius and Ewald and others think it has much the same meaning as our interlude,--a pause in the voices singing, while the instruments perform alone.)
A musical term which occurs seventy-three times in the Psalms, and is found also in Hab 3:3,9,13. It usually occurs at the end of a period or apostrophe, but sometimes at the end only of a clause. This difficult word, it is now generally believed, was a direction for a meditative pause in the singing of a psalm, during which perhaps there was an instrumental interlude.