New International Version They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them down. New Living Translation They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. English Standard Version They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! Berean Standard Bible They swarmed around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. Berean Literal Bible They have surrounded me like bees, they have been extinguished as fire among thorns; and in the name of YHWH I surely cut them off! King James Bible They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. New King James Version They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. New American Standard Bible They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished like a fire of thorn bushes; In the name of the LORD I will certainly fend them off. NASB 1995 They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. NASB 1977 They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. Legacy Standard Bible They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In the name of Yahweh I will surely cut them off. Amplified Bible They swarmed around me like bees; They flare up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. Berean Annotated Bible They swarmed around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns; in the name of the LORD {YHWH} I cut them off. Christian Standard Bible They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I destroyed them. Holman Christian Standard Bible They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a fire among thorns; in the name of Yahweh I destroyed them. American Standard Version They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off. Contemporary English Version They swarmed around like bees, but by the power of the LORD, I got rid of them and their fiery sting. English Revised Version They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: in the name of the LORD I will cut them off. GOD'S WORD® Translation They swarmed around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thornbushes. [So armed] with the name of the LORD, I defeated them. Good News Translation They swarmed around me like bees, but they burned out as quickly as a brush fire; by the power of the LORD I destroyed them. International Standard Version They surrounded me like bees; but they will be extinguished like burning thorns. In the name of the LORD I will defeat them. NET Bible They surrounded me like bees. But they disappeared as quickly as a fire among thorns. Indeed, in the name of the LORD I pushed them away. New Heart English Bible They surrounded me like bees. They blazed like a fire among thorns. In the name of the LORD I cut them off. Webster's Bible Translation They encompassed me like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThey swarmed around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. World English Bible They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In Yahweh’s name I cut them off. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThey surrounded me as bees, "" They have been extinguished as a fire of thorns, "" In the Name of YHWH I surely cut them off. Berean Literal Bible They have surrounded me like bees, they have been extinguished as fire among thorns; and in the name of YHWH I surely cut them off! Young's Literal Translation They compassed me about as bees, They have been extinguished as a fire of thorns, In the name of Jehovah I surely cut them off. Smith's Literal Translation They surrounded me as bees; they were quenched as the fire of thorns: in the name of Jehovah for I will destroy them. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThey surrounded me like bees, and they burned like fire among thorns: and in the name of the Lord I was revenged on them Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible They surrounded me like bees; they burned up like fire among thorns; in the LORD’s name I cut them off. New Revised Standard Version They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThey surrounded me like hornets; they are quenched like the fire of stubble; for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated They surrounded me like wasps and were extinguished like a grass fire, and in The Name of LORD JEHOVAH I destroyed them! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917They compass me about like bees; They are quenched as the fire of thorns; Verily, in the name of the LORD I will cut them off. Brenton Septuagint Translation They compassed me about as bees do a honeycomb, and they burst into flame as fire among thorns: but in the name of the Lord I repulsed them. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Give Thanks to the LORD, for He is Good…11They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. 12They swarmed around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. 13I was pushed so hard I was falling, but the LORD helped me.… Cross References They swarmed around me like bees, Deuteronomy 1:44 Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah. Isaiah 7:18 On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria. Exodus 23:28 I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. but they were extinguished like burning thorns; Psalm 58:9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns—whether green or dry—He will sweep them away. Isaiah 33:12 The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and set ablaze. 2 Samuel 23:6-7 But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand. / The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.” in the name of the LORD I cut them off. Psalm 44:5-6 Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies. / For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. 1 Samuel 17:45-47 But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. / And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” Psalm 20:7-8 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. / They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Isaiah 50:9 Surely the Lord GOD helps Me. Who is there to condemn Me? See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moths will devour them. Isaiah 41:11-12 Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. / You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Romans 8:31 What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 2 Timothy 4:17-18 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion. / And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Exodus 15:9-10 The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’ / But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven. Treasury of Scripture They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. like bees Deuteronomy 1:44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. quenched Psalm 83:14,15 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; … Ecclesiastes 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity. Isaiah 27:4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. in the name Psalm 8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 20:1,5 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; … 1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. destroy them. Jump to Previous Bees Blazed Burning Compass Compassed Cut Destroy Died Encompassed Extinguished Fire Quenched Quickly Round Surely Surrounded Swarmed Thorns VerilyJump to Next Bees Blazed Burning Compass Compassed Cut Destroy Died Encompassed Extinguished Fire Quenched Quickly Round Surely Surrounded Swarmed Thorns VerilyPsalm 118 1. An exhortation to praise God for his mercy5. The psalmist by his experience shows how good it is to trust in God 19. Under the type of the psalmist the coming of Christ in his kingdom is expressed They swarmed around me like bees, The psalmist faced enemies who pressed in from every side with the speed and fury of a defending swarm. Their numbers and aggression made escape seem impossible, reflecting the repeated assaults Israel often endured from hostile nations. Deu 1:44 Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out… but they were extinguished like burning thorns; Though fierce at first, their strength vanished quickly. Thorns flare loudly and burn hot, yet they are soon reduced to ashes; so the enemies’ power proved temporary before the LORD. Psa 58:9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns… in the name of the LORD I cut them off. Victory came through the LORD’s authority and strength, not human ability. The psalmist declares that God decisively broke the power of those who opposed His people. Psa 44:5-6 Through You we repel our foes; through Your name… Persons / Places / Events 1. The PsalmistTraditionally attributed to King David, the psalmist is the speaker who describes being surrounded by enemies and finding deliverance through the LORD. 2. Enemies Represented metaphorically as bees, these are the adversaries that surround the psalmist, symbolizing overwhelming and persistent threats. 3. The LORD The covenant name of God, Yahweh, who provides strength and deliverance to the psalmist. 4. Bees Used metaphorically to describe the numerous and aggressive nature of the psalmist's enemies. 5. Burning Thorns A metaphor for the temporary and ultimately ineffective nature of the enemies' threats. Teaching Points Reliance on God's NameThe psalmist's victory is attributed to the name of the LORD. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's power and presence in times of trouble. Temporary Nature of Adversity Just as burning thorns are quickly extinguished, the challenges and threats we face are temporary when viewed in light of God's eternal power. Metaphors of Faith The use of vivid imagery (bees and thorns) helps us understand the nature of spiritual battles and the assurance of God's deliverance. Spiritual Warfare The psalmist's experience is a reminder of the spiritual battles Christians face and the importance of standing firm in faith. Victory through God The ultimate victory over adversaries comes not through human strength but through divine intervention and reliance on God. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Psalm 118:12?2. How can we apply "extinguished like a fire of thorns" in daily struggles? 3. What does Psalm 118:12 teach about relying on God's strength over ours? 4. How does Psalm 118:12 connect to Ephesians 6:16 about spiritual warfare? 5. In what ways can we "cut them off" through faith and prayer today? 6. How does Psalm 118:12 encourage perseverance when facing overwhelming challenges? 7. How does Psalm 118:12 illustrate God's protection against overwhelming adversaries? 8. What historical context surrounds the imagery in Psalm 118:12? 9. How does Psalm 118:12 reflect the theme of divine intervention? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 118? (12) Like bees.--The image of the "bees" may be derived from Deuteronomy 1:44 (comp. Isaiah 7:18), but the LXX. suggest that the poet employed an original and far more expressive image, for they read, "as bees surround the comb." Possibly the word comb dropped out of the Hebrew text, because the copyist was thinking of Deuteronomy 1:44. The fire of thorns.--See Psalm 58:9, Note. The rapidity with which a fire made of thorns burns gives the point of the comparison. The LXX. and Vulg. gave this more plainly by rendering, "they burnt out like a fire in thorns." Shakespeare may have had this verse in his thought when he wrote: "Shallow jesters and rash bavin (i.e., brushwood) wit, Soon kindled and soon burnt."--King Henry IV. . . . Verse 12. - They compassed me about like bees; i.e. in vast numbers, and with intense energy, and a furious desire to injure (comp. Deuteronomy 1:44; and the powerful description of Virgil, 'Georg.,' 4:236-238). They are quenched as the fire of thorns. Their fury dies away and goes out suddenly, like a fire kindled among thorns, which blazes up with vast heat and noise, but in a short time dies down and disappears. For in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them (see the comment on ver. 11). Psalm 118:12 paints a three-part movement: overwhelming trouble, God’s sudden quenching of that trouble, and the believer’s active, victorious response in the Lord’s name. What begins as a buzzing, all-encompassing threat ends as useless ash, because the living God steps in. The psalm invites every reader to trade panic for trust—seeing enemies for what they are: noisy yet temporary, and seeing God for who He is: eternally able, instantly present, and unfailingly faithful.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew They swarmed around meסַבּ֤וּנִי (sab·bū·nî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround like bees; כִדְבוֹרִ֗ים (ḵiḏ·ḇō·w·rîm) Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1682: The bee they were extinguished דֹּ֭עֲכוּ (dō·‘ă·ḵū) Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 1846: To be extinguished, to expire, be dried up like a fire כְּאֵ֣שׁ (kə·’êš) Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct Strong's 784: A fire of thorns; קוֹצִ֑ים (qō·w·ṣîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 6975: A thorn, thornbush in the name בְּשֵׁ֥ם (bə·šêm) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8034: A name of the LORD יְ֝הוָ֗ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel I will surely כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction cut them off. אֲמִילַֽם׃ (’ă·mî·lam) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 4135: To cut short, curtail, to blunt, to destroy Additonal Resources Psalm 118:12 Blue Letter BiblePsalm 118:12 Bible Gateway Psalm 118:12 Bible.com Psalm 118:12 NIV |
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