Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth.
Our bones {H6106} are scattered {H6340} at the grave's {H7585} mouth {H6310}, as when one cutteth {H6398} and cleaveth {H1234} wood upon the earth {H776}.
As when one plows and breaks the ground into clods, our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sh'ol.
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
As when one ploweth and cleaveth the earth, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
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Romans 8:36
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. -
Psalms 53:5
There were they in great fear, [where] no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth [against] thee: thou hast put [them] to shame, because God hath despised them. -
Psalms 44:22
Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. -
Revelation 11:8
And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. -
Revelation 11:9
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. -
2 Corinthians 1:9
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: -
1 Samuel 22:18
And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
Psalms 141:7 KJV paints a vivid and harrowing picture of extreme distress, using a powerful simile to convey utter destruction and vulnerability. The psalmist, likely David, expresses a sense of being completely overwhelmed by enemies or circumstances, to the point of imminent death and desecration.
Context of Psalms 141
This verse is part of a psalm of lament and supplication, where David earnestly prays for God's help and protection. Throughout Psalm 141, he seeks deliverance from the snares of the wicked, prays for his words and actions to be pure, and expresses his sole reliance on the Lord. Verses 5 and 6 describe judgment falling on the wicked, yet verse 7 shifts to the psalmist's own dire predicament or that of his people, emphasizing the depth of their suffering and the desperate need for divine intervention. It highlights a moment of profound despair before God's anticipated rescue.
Meaning and Imagery
The phrase "Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth" evokes an image of bodies brutally dismembered or left unburied after a massacre, lying exposed at the very brink of the underworld (Sheol). It signifies a complete lack of dignity in death, a state of utter defeat and annihilation. The comparison, "as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth," amplifies this gruesome scene. Just as wood is violently chopped and split into scattered pieces, so too are the lives and bodies of the afflicted broken and dispersed without mercy. This imagery underscores the brutality and thoroughness of the destruction faced by the psalmist and his people.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insight
The Hebrew word for "scattered" (נָפַץ - naphatz) means to break in pieces or shatter, emphasizing the violent fragmentation. The phrase "grave's mouth" (פִּי שְׁאוֹל - pi she'ol) refers to the entrance of Sheol, the Hebrew concept of the abode of the dead, highlighting the finality and despair of the situation. The verbs "cutteth and cleaveth" (בָּקַע וְנִתַּח - baqa' v'nittach) vividly describe the act of splitting and hacking, akin to butchering, reinforcing the brutality of the described suffering.
Practical Application
While the imagery is stark, Psalms 141:7 offers a profound insight into the human condition when facing overwhelming adversity. It reminds us that even in the most desperate and seemingly hopeless situations, where one feels completely broken and scattered, prayer remains a powerful recourse. The psalmist brings his raw anguish directly to God, trusting that even from the "grave's mouth," the Lord can hear and deliver. This verse encourages believers to voice their deepest fears and suffering to God, clinging to the hope of divine rescue and restoration, much like the broader message of trust found in Psalms 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."