Psalms 83:15 — Word Study
WLCכֵּ֭ן תִּרְדְּפֵ֣ם בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ וּבְסוּפָתְךָ֥ תְבַהֲלֵֽם׃
BSAfireʼêsh to burnbâʻar Jaaryaʻar flamelehâbâh to kindlelâhaṭ mountainhar
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כֵּ֭ן | so | Adverb |
| תִּרְדְּפֵ֣ם | you will pursue them | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ | with storm your | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּבְסוּפָתְךָ֥ | and with storm-wind your | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| תְבַהֲלֵֽם׃ | you will terrify them | Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm. |
| KJV | So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. |
| ASV | So pursue them with thy tempest, And terrify them with thy storm. |
| YLT | So dost Thou pursue them with Thy whirlwind, And with Thy hurricane troublest them. |
| WEB | so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with your storm. |
| BBE | So go after them with your strong wind, and let them be full of fear because of your storm. |
Where they part company is תְבַהֲלֵֽם — see How Translations Differ.
The structure features a main verb followed by prepositional phrases, emphasizing the means of God's action.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & 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 83:15
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 Divine Interventiongenerated
Psalm 83:15 is part of a prayer where the psalmist calls upon God to act against His enemies. The context includes vivid imagery of destruction and fear, as seen in the preceding verses, where fire consumes and flames set ablaze. The psalmist seeks God's intervention to bring shame and terror upon those who oppose Him, reflecting a deep reliance on divine power to combat evil.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 11:6 | On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion. |
| 2 | Psalm 50:3 | Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him. |
| 3 | Psalm 58:9 | Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away. |
| 4 | Job 9:17 | For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause. |
| 5 | Job 27:20–23 | Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תְבַהֲלֵֽם, te.va.ha.Lemgenerated
The verb בָּהַל (*bahal*) is a piel form meaning to terrify or dismay. It conveys a sense of urgency and alarm, often in response to frightening circumstances. The parsing indicates that it is in the second person masculine singular, addressing God as the subject who will instill fear.
This word reflects the emotional turmoil that can arise from confrontation with powerful forces, whether divine or natural. The psalmist uses it to express the desire for God to act decisively against those who threaten His people.
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 תִּרְדְּפֵ֣ם (*tir.d'fe.m*) governs the sentence, with two phrases following it: a prepositional phrase describing how God will pursue, and a second verb phrase indicating the action of terrifying. The structure emphasizes the divine action against the enemies.
The use of prepositional phrases adds clarity to the means by which God will enact His will: through a tempest and a whirlwind, both suggesting overwhelming power.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew תְבַהֲלֵֽם is rendered as ὄρη (*orē*), which means 'mountains.' This choice suggests a metaphorical interpretation, emphasizing the might and stability of God's intervention.
The Greek word choice indicates a shift from the direct action of terrifying to a more symbolic representation of God's power, which may reflect the translators' understanding of the text's intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 83:15 is a plea for God to pursue and terrify His enemies with powerful storms. The psalmist uses strong imagery to ask for divine intervention against those who threaten His people, emphasizing the need for God's might.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means to follow or chase after them with overwhelming force, as if using a powerful storm to drive them away.
The psalmist seeks to instill fear in the enemies to demonstrate God's power and protect His people.
Storms symbolize God's might and the natural forces that can be unleashed against those who oppose Him.
It connects to themes of divine justice and protection, showing how God acts on behalf of His people against their adversaries.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I recognize God's power in my life when facing challenges?
- What does it mean to rely on God for protection against those who oppose me?
- In what ways can I seek God's intervention in difficult situations?
- How can I reflect God's justice in my own actions towards others?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 83:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo persecute them with thy tempest,.... Pursue them with thy fury, follow them with thy vengeance; cause it to fall upon them like a mighty tempest: and make them afraid with thy storm; God has his
Read John Gill on Psalms 83 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryO my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. -Second part of the second main division. Prayer inspired by God for the extinction of the foe by the fiery storm of God. Verse 13.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 83 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 83:15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.Ver. 15. So persecute them with thy tempest] Turbina eos , that they may stand or stay nowhere. And make them afraid, &c.] So fright them with thy heavy judgments that all their wit and courage wherewith they should help themselves may be expectorated.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 83 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14, 15) These verses are rightly taken together. The figure occurs in Isaiah 10:17-18 (comp. Zechariah 12:6), but there as a metaphor; here as a simile. “Before the rains came the whole mountain side was in a blaze. Thorns and briars grow so luxuriantly here that they must be burned off always before the plough can operate. The peasants watch for a high wind, and then the fire catches easily, and spreads with great rapidity” (Thomson, Land and Book, p. 341). The mountains are pre-eminently the pastures. (Comp. Psalms 50:10; Psalms 147:8.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 83 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 15. So persecute them] In this and the two following verses we find several awful execrations; and all this seems to be done in reference to that ancient custom, "pouring execrations on an enemy previously to battle." Of this I have already given specimens in this work; and the reader is particularly requested to refer to the case of Balaam being hired by the king of Moab to curse Israel previously to his intended attack: see the note on Numbers 22:6, where the subject is treated at large. This custom prevailed much among the Romans, and the ancient Druids of Britain. In all cases the priests were employed to utter the execrations, as they were supposed to have the greatest influence…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 83 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13–18. Renewed prayer for the dispersion and destruction of the enemy expressed by figures from nature. The final end and object of all is that they may acknowledge Jehovah to be supreme.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 83 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleSo persecute them - So pursue them; so follow them up. The word “persecute” is now used in a somewhat different sense, as denoting pain or suffering inflicted on account of religious opinion. It means here simply to pursue.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 83 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. So persecute them—So pursue them, chase them away with thy tempest, and terrify them with thy whirlwind. On last word, see Isaiah 5:28; Proverbs 1:27
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 83 →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
so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm.
so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with your storm.
so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm.
chase them with your gale winds, and terrify them with your windstorm.
Tyndale line
So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
So pursue them with thy tempest, And terrify them with thy storm.
So pursue them with thy tempest, and terrify them with thy storm.
So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraide with thy storme.
Strictly literal
So pursue them with thy tempest, and terrify them with thy whirlwind.
So dost Thou pursue them with Thy whirlwind, And with Thy hurricane troublest them.
So You pursue them with Your whirlwind, || And trouble them with Your windstorm.
(83:16) So pursue them with thy storm, and with thy whirlwind do thou terrify them.
Chase them with your strong wind, and terrify them with your windstorm.
Simplified
in the same way chase them down with your storm, terrify them with your whirlwind.
So go after them with your strong wind, and let them be full of fear because of your storm.
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 כֵּ֭ן תִּרְדְּפֵ֣ם בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ וּבְסוּפָתְךָ֥ תְבַהֲלֵֽם׃, while the Septuagint matches 4 of the 5 words. The Dead Sea Scrolls show a partial text that aligns with the Masoretic reading, confirming the consistency of the core message across these witnesses.
כֵּ֭ן תִּרְדְּפֵ֣ם בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ וּבְסוּפָתְךָ֥ תְבַהֲלֵֽם׃
4 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.
כאש תבער יער וכלהבה תלהט הרים
6 words on the leather.
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 83:15
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 כֵּן (*ken*) is built from the root meaning 'set upright.' It functions as an adjective meaning 'right,' 'veritable,' or 'honest,' and as an adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'thus.' It appears in various contexts, often indicating manner or relation, and is used in phrases like 'forasmuch as.'
כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest
right
veritable, true
pl. concr. honest (men)
base
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
כֵּן adv. so
base
H3651a כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest H3651b כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as H3651c כֵּן so
3651 ken kane
from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as
adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction)
rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and
relation; often with other particles):--+ after that
(this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be
(for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like
(manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state,
straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this,
thus, true, well, X you.
see HEBREW for 03559
כֵּן (ken) — right.
adv
adj
1) right, just, honest, true, veritable
1a) right, just, honest
1b) correct
1c) true, veritable
[כִּי עַל] כֵּן ([ki al] ken) — as.
adv
forasmuch as, since
כֵּן (ken) — so.
adv
1) so, therefore, thus
1a) thus, so
1b) just so
1c) therefore
1d) so...as (paired with adv)
1e) then
1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)
1g) (with prep)
1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)
1g2) hitherto
1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)
1g4) afterwards
1g5) in such case
Aramaic equivalent: ken (כֵּן "thus" H3652)
HD — AdverbHD
so (co', although the Hebrew might be pointed cewe'; Assyrian Sib'u; Septuagint Segor, Soa; Manetho, Seuechos; Latin Sevechus; Herodotus (ii. 137 ff), Sabakon): In all probability the "Sabaeo" of Herodotus, the Shabaka, who founded the Ethiopian dynasty, the XXVth of Egyptian kings. His date is given as 715-707 BC (Flinders Petrie, History of Egypt, III, 281 ff), but we may suppose that before his accession to the throne he was entitled to be designated king, as being actually regent. To this So, Hoshea, king of Israel, made an appeal for assistance to enable him to throw off the yoke of the Assyrian Shalmaneser IV (2Ki 17:3). But Hoshea's submission to So brought him no advantage, for Shalmaneser came up throughout all the land and laid siege to Samaria. Not long after the fall of Samaria, So ventured upon an eastern campaign, and…
So
(Nubian, Sabako), an Ethiopian king who brought Egypt under his sway. He was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful in the reign of Jeroboam I.
"So, king of Egypt," is once mentioned in the Bible -- (2 Kings 17:4) So has been identified by different writers with the first and second kings of the Ethiopian twenty-fifth dynasty, called by Manetho, Sabakon (Shebek) and Sebichos (Shebetek).
King of Egypt, made an alliance with Hoshea king of Israel, and promised him assistance; but was unable to prevent Shalmaneser king of Assyria from taking Samaria and subverting the kingdom, B. C. 721, 2Ki 17:4. See PHARAOH.
So is believed to have been the Servetus or Sabaco II of secular history, the second king of the Ethiopian or twenty-fifth dynasty, and the predecessor of Trihakah. A singular fact has been brought to light by the recent explorations at Nineveh, corroborating the Scripture record the more forcibly, because unexpected and direct. The Bible shows that Egypt and Assyria, though remote, were often in conflict during the height of the Assyrian ruins power, and that So was at war with Shalmaneser. After war comes the treaty of peace; and as the Bible prepares us to suppose such treaties were made, the Assyrian ruins…
רָדַף (radaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pursue, chase, or persecute. It conveys the idea of running after something, often with hostile intent, and can also figuratively refer to following time or securing something. The word has various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each indicating different nuances of pursuit or being pursued.
רָדַף 141 vb. pursue, chase, persecute
Qal 128
pursue
lit. put to flight, chase
lit., the pursuers
chase, hunt
pursue
fig. persecute, harass
pursue, dog
fig. follow after, aim to secure
Niph. upon the neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued
Pi. pursue ardently
Pu. it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains
Hiph. usu. they chased him
base
H7291 רָדַף pursue, chase, persecute
7291 radaph raw-daf'
a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent;
figuratively (of time) gone by):--chase, put to flight,
follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or),
pursue(-r).
רָדַף (ra.daph) — to pursue.
1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pursue, put to flight, chase, dog, attend closely upon
1a2) to persecute, harass (fig)
1a3) to follow after, aim to secure (fig)
1a4) to run after (a bribe) (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be pursued
1b2) one pursued (participle)
1c) (Piel) to pursue ardently, aim eagerly to secure, pursue
1d) (Pual) to be pursued, be chased away
1e) (Hiphil) to pursue, chase
HVqi2ms/Sp3mp — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp3mp
סַ֫עַר (sa'ar) refers to a tempest or storm, while סְעָרָה (se'arah) is a feminine form that also means tempest or storm-wind. The entries indicate that both forms are related and cover similar meanings, including hurricane and whirlwind.
סַ֫עַר n.m. tempest
base
סְעָרָה n.f. tempest, storm-wind
base
H5591a סַ֫עַר tempest H5591b סְעָרָה tempest, storm-wind
5591 ca`ar sah'-ar
or (feminine) ctarah {seh-aw-raw'}; from 5590; a
hurricane:--storm(-y), tempest, whirlwind.
see HEBREW for 05590
סַ֫עַר (sa.ar) — tempest.
tempest
Another spelling of se.a.rah (סְעָרָה "tempest" H5591B)
סְעָרָה (se.a.rah) — tempest.
tempest, storm, whirlwind
Also means: sa.ar (סַ֫עַר "tempest" H5591A)
HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
סוּפָה (cuwphah) refers to a storm or whirlwind, derived from a root meaning to sweep away. It is associated with strong winds and is noted in the context of a location east of the Jordan River. The term appears in ancient texts, including a fragment in Numbers 21:14, indicating its historical significance.
סוּפָה n.f. storm-wind (that makes an end ?)
base
סוּפָה n.pr.loc. E. of Jordan;—only in ancient poet. fragment Nu 21:14; SE. oasis of Dead Sea
ref
H5492a סוּפָה strom-wind H5492b סוּפָה E. of Jordan
5492 cuwphah soo-faw'
from 5486; a hurricane:--Red Sea, storm, tempest, whirlwind,
Red sea.
see HEBREW for 05486
סוּפָה (su.phah) — whirlwind.
storm-wind
סוּפָה (su.phah) — Suphah.
§ Suphah = "honeycomb: overflow"
a place east of the Jordan
HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
בָּהַל (bahal) is a Hebrew verb that conveys a range of meanings related to disturbance and haste. It can mean to be disturbed, terrified, or anxious, as well as to act hastily or make haste. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including Niph, Pi, Pu, and Hiph, which reflect different nuances of dismay and urgency.
[בָּהַל] vb.
Niph.
be disturbed, dismayed, terrified
be in haste, hasty
Pi.
dismay, terrify
hasten, make haste, act hastily
Pu. hastened; hastily gained
Hiph.
dismay, terrify
(late) hasten, hurry
base
H926 בָּהַל . . be disturbed, dismayed, terrified
. be in haste, hasty
. . dismay, terrify
. hasten, make haste, act hastily
. hastened; hastily gained
. . dismay, terrify
. (late) hasten, hurry
926 bahal baw-hal'
a primitive root; to tremble inwardly (or palpitate), i.e.
(figuratively) be (causative, make) (suddenly) alarmed or
agitated; by implication to hasten anxiously:--be (make)
affrighted (afraid, amazed, dismayed, rash), (be, get, make)
haste(-n, -y, -ily), (give) speedy(-ily), thrust out, trouble,
vex.
בָּהַל (ba.hal) — to dismay.
1) to disturb, alarm, terrify, hurry, be disturbed, be anxious, be afraid, be hurried, be nervous
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be disturbed, dismayed, terrified, anxious
1a2) to be in haste, be hasty
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to make haste, act hastily, be hurried, be hastened
1b2) to dismay, terrify
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to hasten
1c2) hastened, hastily gained (part.)
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to hasten, hurry, make haste
1d2) to dismay, terrify
HVpi2ms/Sp3mp — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVpi2ms/Sp3mp