Psalms 89:40 — Word Study
WLCפָּרַ֥צְתָּ כָל־ גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יו שַׂ֖מְתָּ מִבְצָרָ֣יו מְחִתָּה׃
BSAto disownnâʼar covenantbᵉrîyth servant/slaveʻebed to borechâlal landʼerets consecrationnezer
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| פָּרַ֥צְתָּ | you have broken through | Verb, Qal, perfect second person masculine singular |
| כָל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יו | walls his | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| שַׂ֖מְתָּ | you have made | Verb, Qal, perfect second person masculine singular |
| מִבְצָרָ֣יו | strongholds his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| מְחִתָּה׃ | a ruin | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have broken down all his walls; You have reduced his strongholds to rubble. |
| KJV | Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin. |
| ASV | Thou hast broken down all his hedges; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin. |
| YLT | Thou hast broken down all his hedges, Thou hast made his fenced places a ruin. |
| WEB | You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin. |
| BBE | All his walls are broken down; you have given his strong towers to destruction. |
Where they part company is מְחִתָּה — see How Translations Differ.
Two main verbs govern the structure, indicating a direct action taken by God against the psalmist's defenses.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָאַר
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 89:40
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 Lament Over Devastationgenerated
Psalm 89:40 reflects the psalmist's sorrow over the destruction of his defenses and strongholds. This lament highlights a perceived abandonment by God, as the psalmist feels that the covenant with Him has been broken, leading to vulnerability and disgrace among enemies. The surrounding verses illustrate a broader context of loss and suffering, emphasizing the emotional weight of the psalmist's plea.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 80:12 | Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pick its fruit? |
| 2 | Job 1:10 | Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. |
| 3 | Isaiah 5:5–6 | Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. |
| 4 | 2 Chronicles 12:2–5 | In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem |
| 5 | 2 Chronicles 15:5 | In those days there was no safety for travelers, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — פָּרַ֥צְתָּ, pa.Ratz.tagenerated
The verb פָּרַץ (parats) means to break through or burst out. It conveys a sense of forceful action, whether in a literal sense of breaking down walls or in a figurative sense of overcoming barriers. The parsing indicates a perfect tense, showing a completed action by the subject, which in this case is God.
This word is often used in contexts of violence or significant change, suggesting a powerful intervention. Here, it emphasizes the totality of destruction inflicted upon the psalmist's defenses, which symbolizes not just physical walls but also spiritual and communal security.
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 finite verbs פָּרַ֥צְתָּ and שַׂ֖מְתָּ govern the main clauses of the verse, with the objects גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יו and מִבְצָרָ֣יו following them. The structure emphasizes the actions taken by God against the psalmist's defenses.
The order of the clauses presents a cause-and-effect relationship, with the breaking down of walls leading to the ruination of strongholds, illustrating the comprehensive nature of the destruction.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates פָּרַץ as κατέστρεψας, meaning 'you have destroyed.' This choice indicates a strong emphasis on total obliteration rather than merely breaking through, suggesting a more complete devastation.
The translation reflects a narrowing of meaning, focusing on the end result of destruction rather than the process of breaking through.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 89:40 expresses the psalmist's grief over the destruction of his defenses and strongholds. He feels abandoned by God, as his protective walls have been broken down, leaving him vulnerable to his enemies.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a loss of protection and security, reflecting the psalmist's feeling of abandonment.
Strongholds symbolize safety and refuge; their destruction indicates a complete vulnerability.
It emphasizes the total devastation and fear associated with the loss of strongholds.
The lament suggests that the breaking down of walls and strongholds is a consequence of the perceived breaking of God's covenant with His servant.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I feel vulnerable or abandoned, similar to the psalmist's feelings?
- How can I find strength and refuge in God during times of distress?
- What does it mean for me to trust in God's protection, even when circumstances seem dire?
- How can I respond to feelings of defeat or ruin in my life with faith?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 89:40 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast broken down all his hedges,.... Round about his vine, the church; see Psalms 80:12.
Read John Gill on Psalms 89 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. -The people of the covenant contrast the sad state of things actually with what the covenant seemed to promise. Similarly in Psalms 44:9. Verse 38.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 89 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAll his hedges; all the means of his protection and safety.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 89 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 89:40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.Ver. 40. Thou hast broken down all his hedges] Or, walls. The walls of Sparta were their militia, of England are their ships, of all lands their laws, Ecclesiastes 10:8. Thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin] Or, to consternation and deadly fright. Siqua manet gelida formidine concutis arcem (Buchanan).
Read John Trapp on Psalms 89 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 40. Thou hast broken down all his hedges] Thou hart permitted the land to be stripped of all defence; there is not even one strong place in the hands of thy people.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 89 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges40. Insensibly the king is identified with the nation whose head and representative he was. The first line is taken from the description of Israel as a vine in Psalms 80:12. hedges] Or, as R.V. in Psalms 80:12, fences.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 89 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou hast broken down all his hedges - His walls or defenses; all that he relied on for safety. Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin - His towers, fortifications; defenses. The enemy has been suffered to destroy them.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 89 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible40. His hedges—His defences, called his strongholds in the next member.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 89 →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
You have broken down all his walls; You have reduced his strongholds to rubble.
You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
You have broken down all his walls; You have reduced his strongholds to rubble.
You have broken down all his walls; you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.
Tyndale line
Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
Thou hast broken down all his hedges; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.
Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to rain.
Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
Thou hast broken downe all his walles: thou hast layd his fortresses in ruine.
Strictly literal
Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.
Thou hast broken down all his hedges, Thou hast made his fenced places a ruin.
You have broken down all his hedges, || You have made his fortifications a ruin.
(89:41) Thou hast broken down all his fences: thou hast brought his strong-holds to terror.
You have broken down all his walls. You have ruined his strongholds.
Simplified
You have torn down his defensive walls; you have ruined his fortresses.
All his walls are broken down; you have given his strong towers to destruction.
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 largely agree in their wording, with five of the six words matching. The Septuagint's phrasing, however, reflects its own structure and interpretation, which may differ in emphasis from the Hebrew.
פָּרַ֥צְתָּ כָל־ גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יו שַׂ֖מְתָּ מִבְצָרָ֣יו מְחִתָּה׃
5 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 89:40
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.
פָּרַץ (parats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to break through or burst out, with applications that range from literal actions like breaking open to figurative uses such as increasing or spreading. It can describe violent actions, breaches, or the act of breaking away. The entries suggest a variety of contexts, including mining and the dispersion of visions.
פָּרַץ vb. break through
Qal
break or burst out
break through, down (from without)
break into
break open, a mining shaft
break up, break in pieces
break out (violently) upon
use violence
break over [limits], increase
burst open, intrans., of wine vats
spread, i.e. become known
Niph. no vision spread abroad
Hithp. slaves who break away
base
H6555 פָּרַץ break through .. break or burst out
. break through, down (from without)
. break into
. break open, a mining shaft
. break up, break in pieces
. break out (violently) upon
. use violence
. break over [limits], increase
. burst open, intrans., of wine vats
. spread, i.e. become known
. no vision spread abroad
. slaves who break away
6555 parats paw-rats'
a primitive root; to break out (in many applications, direct
and indirect, literal and figurative):--X abroad, (make a)
breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out,
come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open,
press, scatter, urge.
פָּרַץ (pa.rats) — to break through.
1) to break through or down or over, burst, breach
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to break or burst out (from womb or enclosure)
1a2) to break through or down, make a breach in
1a3) to break into
1a4) to break open
1a5) to break up, break in pieces
1a6) to break out (violently) upon
1a7) to break over (limits), increase
1a8) to use violence
1a9) to burst open 1a10) to spread, distribute
1b) (Niphal) to be broken through
1c) (Pual) to be broken down
1d) (Hithpael) to break away
HVqp2ms — Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singularHVqp2ms
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
גְּדֵרָה (gderah) means 'wall' or 'hedge,' and can also refer specifically to a sheepfold. It is a feminine form of the related word for enclosure, גְּדֶרֶת (ghederet). The entries indicate its use in contexts related to barriers or enclosures, particularly for flocks.
גְּדֵרָה, גְּדֶ֫רֶת n.f. wall
base
H1448 גְּדֵרָה, גְּדֶ֫רֶת wall
1448 gderah ghed-ay-raw'
feminine of 1447; enclosure (especially for
flocks):--(sheep-) cote (fold) hedge, wall.
see HEBREW for 01447
גְּדֵרָה (ge.de.rah) — wall.
1) wall, hedge
2) sheepfold (construct with 'sheep')
HNcfpc/Sp3ms — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
HVqp2ms — Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singularHVqp2ms
The Hebrew word מִבְצָר (mibtsar) means 'fortification' and can refer to a castle or fortified city. It is derived from a root meaning to 'fence' or 'fortify.' The entries indicate its use in contexts related to strongholds and defense, including a reference in Daniel 11:15.
מִבְצָר n.m. fortification
base
H4013 מִבְצָר fortification
4013 mibtsar mib-tsawr'
also (in plural) feminine (Dan. 11:l5) mibtsarah
{mib-tsaw-raw'}; from 1219; a fortification, castle, or
fortified city; figuratively, a defender:--(de-, most)
fenced, fortress, (most) strong (hold).
see HEBREW for 0l5
see HEBREW for 01219
מִבְצָר (miv.tsar) — fortification.
fortification, fortress, fortified city, stronghold
HNcmpc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
מְחִתָּה (mchittah) refers to concepts of terror, destruction, and ruin. It is derived from a root meaning dissolution, indicating both physical ruin and emotional dismay. The entries consistently highlight its association with fear and devastation.
מְחִתָּה n.f. terror, destruction, ruin
base
H4288 מְחִתָּה terror, destruction, ruin
4288 mchittah mekh-it-taw'
from 2846; properly, a dissolution; concretely, a ruin, or
(abstractly) consternation:--destruction, dismaying, ruin,
terror.
see HEBREW for 02846
מְחִתָּה (me.chit.tah) — terror.
1) destruction, ruin, terror, a breaking
1a) terror, dismay, object of terror
1b) ruin
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
roo'-in (haricah, etc.; rhegma): "Ruin," the translation of haricah (Am 9:11; compare Ac 15:16, where the Revised Version (British and American) Greek text, ta katestrammena), and of a number of other Hebrew words: in Lu 6:49 rhegma, "breakage," is used both in a literal sense (Isa 23:13; 25:2, of fallen buildings; Eze 27:27; 31:13, of a state or people; Lu 6:49, of a house, etc.) and with a moral significance (Pr 26:28). the Revised Version margin correctly renders mikhshol in