Bible/Psalms/143

Psalms 143:3

143:2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

KJV

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For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

143:4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

What does Psalms 143:3 mean?

Psalms 143:3 is a verse in the book of Psalms, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אֹיֵב (ʼôyêb), רָדַף (râdaph), נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh).

Hebrew interlinear

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For
the
enemyאֹיֵבʼôyêb/o-yabe'/H341hating; an adversary
hath
persecutedרָדַףrâdaph/raw-daf'/H7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)
my
soul;נֶפֶשׁnephesh/neh'-fesh/H5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
he
hath
smittenדָּכָאdâkâʼ/daw-kaw'/H1792to crumble; transitively, to bruise (literally or figuratively)
my
lifeחַיchay/khah'-ee/H2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
downדָּכָאdâkâʼ/daw-kaw'/H1792to crumble; transitively, to bruise (literally or figuratively)
to
the
ground;אֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/H776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
he
hath
made
me
to
dwellיָשַׁבyâshab/yaw-shab'/H3427properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
in
darkness,מַחְשָׁךְmachshâk/makh-shawk'/H4285darkness; concretely, a dark place
as
those
that
have
been
longעוֹלָםʻôwlâm/o-lawm'/H5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always
dead.מוּתmûwth/mooth/H4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill

Topics

Persecution

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Psalms 143:3.

Genesis 1:20

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. moving: or, creeping life: Heb. soul fowl: Heb. let fowl fly open: Heb. face of the firmament of heaven

Genesis 1:24

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Exodus 15:9

The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. destroy: or, repossess

Genesis 1:21

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:25

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. moveth: Heb. creepeth

Genesis 1:30

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. life: Heb. a living soul

Genesis 2:19

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Adam: or, the man

Frequently asked questions

What does Psalms 143:3 say?

Psalms 143:3 (King James Version) reads: "For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead."

Is Psalms 143:3 in the Old or New Testament?

Psalms 143:3 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Psalms.

Reflect

As you read Psalms 143:3, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

Plan a sermon or study on Psalms 143:3
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