Psalms 79:4 — Word Study
WLCהָיִ֣ינוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
BSAWe have becomehâyâh■ [a mockery, ridiculed] a reproachcherpâh [shame, disgrace] to our neighborsshâkên [fellow citizens, those living near us] a scornlaʻag [scoffing, contempt] and derisionqeleç [laughed at, made sport of] to those around usçâbîyb [surrounding nations, people-groups, encompassing, surrounding]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הָיִ֣ינוּ | we have become | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common plural |
| חֶ֭רְפָּה | a reproach | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ | to neighbors our | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| לַ֥עַג | mockery | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס | and derision | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ | to [those] around us | Preposition, noun common both plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. |
| KJV | We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. |
| ASV | We are become a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and derision to them that are round about us. |
| YLT | We have been a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a derision to our surrounders. |
| WEB | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those who are around us. |
| BBE | We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us. |
The translations agree on the key terms, particularly חֶ֭רְפָּה and לַ֥עַג.
The structure reveals a main assertion followed by elaboration on who is affected and the nature of the scorn.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
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 79:4
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 — The Lament of Israelgenerated
Psalms 79:4 expresses the deep sorrow of the Israelites as they recognize their fallen state. They feel mocked and scorned by neighboring nations, reflecting on the consequences of their actions and the resulting disgrace. This lament is part of a larger plea for God's intervention and restoration, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 44:13–14 | You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. |
| 2 | Psalm 80:6 | You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us. |
| 3 | Psalm 89:41 | All who pass by plunder him; he has become a reproach to his neighbors. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 28:37 | You will become an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule among all the nations to which the LORD will drive you. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 24:9 | I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הָיִ֣ינוּ, ha.Yi.nugenerated
The verb הָיָה (hayah) means to exist or become. In this context, it indicates a transformation in the identity of the people — from a respected nation to one that is ridiculed.
The perfect tense suggests a completed action, emphasizing that this change has already taken place, and the people are now experiencing the consequences of their status.
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 main verb הָיִ֣ינוּ governs the entire verse — we have become — with a noun phrase acting as its object: חֶ֭רְפָּה (a reproach). The structure highlights the transformation of Israel's identity.
The prepositional phrases that follow elaborate on the context of this reproach, indicating who is affected and the nature of the scorn: to our neighbors and to those around us.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הָיִ֣ינוּ as ἐγενήθημεν (we have become), which carries a similar meaning of transformation but may emphasize the process of becoming more than the Hebrew.
The Greek term ὄνειδος is used for חֶ֭רְפָּה, indicating reproach, but it may carry a slightly broader connotation of disgrace in the Greek context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 79:4 shows that Israel feels humiliated and mocked by their neighbors. They recognize their shame and the scorn they face from those around them, which reflects their fallen state and the need for God's help.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that Israel has lost its honor and is now seen as a source of shame and mockery by neighboring nations.
The psalmist expresses this feeling to highlight the consequences of Israel's actions and to seek God's mercy and restoration.
This verse connects to the surrounding verses by framing Israel's disgrace within a larger context of suffering and a plea for divine intervention.
We can learn about the importance of recognizing our failures and the need for humility and repentance before God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced shame or reproach in my own life?
- How can I seek restoration and healing in areas where I feel mocked or ridiculed?
- What steps can I take to support others who are experiencing similar feelings of disgrace?
- How does recognizing our shortcomings lead us to seek God's help more earnestly?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, noting how it reflects the shame Israel feels among their neighbors.
"We have become," he says, "a reproach to our neighbours" [Psalms 79:4].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 79 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 79:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWe are become a reproach to our neighbours,.... That is, those that remained; so the Jews were to the Edomites, especially at the time of the Babylonish captivity, Psalms 137:7, a scorn and derision
Read John Gill on Psalms 79 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWe are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. We are become a reproach to our neighbours - (Psalms 44:13).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 79 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWe, who were their terror and scourge, are now neither feared nor pitied, but become the matter of their scoffs and reproaches. See 137:7 ,12, &c.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 79 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 79:4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.Ver. 4. We are become a reproach to our neighbours] To the Edomites, Philistines, Syrians, Tyrians, &c., who do now compose comedies out of our tragedies. A scorn and derision to them that are round about us] Quorum opprobriis, ludibriis, et contumeliis sumus expositi. This was more grievous to them than stripes or wounds, saith Chrysostom; because these being inflicted upon the body, are divided after a sort between soul and body; but scorns and reproaches do wound the soul only. Habet quendam aculeum contumelia, they leave a sting behind them, as Cicero observeth, Actio in Ver.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 79 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) This verse occurs Psalms 44:13. Also possibly a Maccabæan psalm. (See Introduction to that psalm.) The scenes still witnessed by travellers at the Jews’ wailing-place offer a striking illustration of the foregoing verses, showing, as they do, how deep-seated is the love of an ancient place in the Oriental mind. (See a striking description in Porter’s Giant Cities of Bashan.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 79 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. We are become a reproach to our neighbours] The Idumeans, Philistines, Phoenicians, Ammonites, and Moabites, all gloried in the subjugation of this people; and their insults to them were mixed with blasphemies against God.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 79 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. A repetition of Psa 44:13, with the change of ‘thou makest us’ to ‘we are become.’ Cp. Psalms 80:6; Ezekiel 22:4; Ezekiel 25:6 ff. Daniel 9:16 combines this verse with Psalms 79:8 a.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 79 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWe are become a reproach to our neighbours - See the language in this verse explained in the notes at Psalms 44:13. The words in the Hebrew are the same, and the one seems to have been copied from the other.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 79 →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
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those who are around us.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us.
We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors; those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.
Tyndale line
We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
We are become a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and derision to them that are round about us.
We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are around us.
Wee are a reproche to our neighbours, euen a scorne and derision vnto them that are round about vs.
Strictly literal
We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision to them that are round about us.
We have been a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a derision to our surrounders.
We have been a reproach to our neighbors, || A scorn and a derision to our surrounders.
We are become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those that are round about us.
We have become a reproach for our neighbors, mocking and derision to those who are around us.
From the Latin
Convert us, O God: and shew us thy face, and we shall be saved.
Simplified
We have been made a mockery before our neighbors, ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us.
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 of Psalms 79:4 reads, 'We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us,' which is closely matched by the Septuagint, where all six words correspond in meaning. This indicates that both texts agree on the essential message of the verse. However, the Septuagint may present the words in a different order, reflecting its own syntax rather than a direct translation of the Hebrew. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional variants for this verse, so the primary witnesses here are in agreement with the Masoretic Text.
הָיִ֣ינוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
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 79:4
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.
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
V-Qal-Perf-1cp — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common pluralHVqp1cp
be-kum':
(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.
(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.
חֶרְפָּה (cherpah) means reproach or taunt, often associated with shame or disgrace. It can refer to the condition of being reproached or the object of reproach itself. The word is derived from חָרַף (charaf), which relates to scorn or rebuke.
חֶרְפָּה n.f. reproach
taunt of enemy
reproach which rests upon one, condition of shame, disgrace
a reproach, the object of reproach, the person or thing reproached
base
H2781 חֶרְפָּה reproach . taunt of enemy
. reproach which rests upon one, condition of shame, disgrace
. a reproach, the object of reproach, the person or thing reproached
2781 cherpah kher-paw'
from 2778; contumely, disgrace, the pudenda:--rebuke,
reproach(-fully), shame.
see HEBREW for 02778
חֶרְפָּה (cher.pah) — reproach.
1) reproach, scorn
1a) taunt, scorn (upon enemy)
1b) reproach (resting upon condition of shame, disgrace)
1c) a reproach (an object)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
שָׁכֵן (sha.khen) refers to an inhabitant or neighbor, derived from the root word for dwelling. It encompasses meanings related to residency and proximity, indicating a fellow citizen or someone living nearby.
שָׁכֵן adj. inhabitant, neighbor
base
H7934 שָׁכֵן inhabitant, neighbor
7934 shaken shaw-kane'
from 7931; a resident; by extension, a
fellow-citizen:--inhabitant, neighbour, nigh.
see HEBREW for 07931
שָׁכֵן (sha.khen) — neighboring.
1) inhabitant, neighbour
1a) inhabitant
1b) neighbour
Prep | Adj | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncmpc/Sp1bp
לַ֫עַג (la'ag) refers to mocking or derision, and it can also denote stammering. It is derived from the root word associated with scorn and is used in contexts that involve ridicule. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to mockery and scorn.
לַ֫עַג n.[m.] mocking, derision, (barbarous) stammering
base
H3933 לַ֫עַג
3933 la`ag lah'-ag
from 3932; derision, scoffing:--derision, scorn (-ing).
see HEBREW for 03932
לַ֫עַג (la.ag) — derision.
1) mocking, derision, stammering
1a) mocking, derision
1b) stammerings
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
קֶ֫לֶס (qelec) refers to derision or ridicule, indicating something that is an object of mockery. It is derived from the root word represented by Strong's H7046. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to being a laughing-stock.
קֶ֫לֶס n.[m.] derision, i.e., object of it
base
H7047 קֶ֫לֶס
7047 qelec keh'-les
from 7046; a laughing-stock:--derision.
see HEBREW for 07046
קֶ֫לֶס (qe.les) — derision.
derision, ridicule
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
de-rizh'-un: Three verbs are so translated luts, "scorn" (Ps 119:51); la`agh, "mock" (Ps 2:4; 59:8; Eze 23:32); and sachaq, "laugh at" (Job 30:1; Ex 32:25 margin, "a whispering"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 5:3). This word is found almost exclusively in the Psalms and Prophets; Jeremiah is fond of it. It is used both as a substantive and a verb, the latter in the phrase "to have in derision:"
→ The wicked held in, by God Ps 2:4; Pr 1:26
→ INSTANCES OF
Sarah, when the angels gave her the promise of a child Ge 18:12
The evil children of Beth-el deride Elisha 2Ki 2:23
The people of Israel scoff at Hezekiah 2Ch 30:1-10
See IRONY
See SARCASM
See SCOFFING
סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.
סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
base
H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'
or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a
circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with
or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,
circuit, compass, on every side.
see HEBREW for 05437
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.
: around/border
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.
: side
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.
: whole
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.
: neighours
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
Prep | N-cp | Suff — Preposition · noun common both plural construct · suffixHR/Ncbpc/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we