Psalms 44:3
1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.
2 With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out.
For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
4 You are my King, O God, who ordains victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
- KJV
- For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
- WEB
- For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.
- ASV
- For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them.
- DARBY
- For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.
- BLB
- For they did not gain possession of the land by their sword, and their arm did not bring salvation to them; but [it was] Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You delighted in them.
- ÅB
- For ikke ved sitt sverd inntok de landet, og deres arm hjalp dem ikke, men din høyre hånd og din arm og ditt åsyns lys; for du hadde behag i dem.
- OTB
- For med sitt eget sverd vant de ikke landet,
Og sin egen arm frelste dem ikke,
Men Din høyre hånd og Din arm og lyset fra Ditt åsyn,
For Du hadde behag i dem. - B1930
- For ikke ved sitt sverd inntok de landet, og deres arm hjalp dem ikke, men din høire hånd og din arm og ditt åsyns lys; for du hadde behag i dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 7:7–8
The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 8:17–18
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
Read in contextJoshua 24:12
I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.
Read in contextZechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
Read in context2 Corinthians 4:7
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
Read in contextPsalms 77:15
With power You redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
Read in contextDeuteronomy 4:37–38
Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power,
Read in contextPsalms 20:6
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand.
Read in context