Psalms 18:44

44 foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

Psalms 18:44 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.
New Living Translation (NLT)
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me.
The Message Bible (MSG)
44 the moment they got wind of me they listened.
American Standard Version (ASV)
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
44 As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. Foreigners will cringe in front of me.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
44 Foreigners submit to me grudgingly; as soon as they hear, they obey me.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
44 As soon as they hear me, they obey me. People from other lands bow down to me in fear.

Psalms 18:44 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:44

As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me
That is, as soon as they should hear of Christ, through the preaching of the word, by which faith would come, they should readily and at once receive, embrace, and profess the Gospel, and yield a cheerful submission to the ordinances of it; and which has had its accomplishment among the Gentiles, ( Acts 28:28 ) ( Acts 13:42 Acts 13:44 Acts 13:48 ) ;

the strangers shall submit themselves unto me;
meaning either the same persons as before; the Gentiles, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, who should submit to Christ, to his Gospel, to his righteousness, and to the sceptre of his kingdom; though some interpret it of the degenerate Jews, "the sons of the stranger", as the words may be rendered; who, though called the children of God, and the children of the kingdom, yet were, as our Lord says, of their father the devil; and these, some of them, in a flattering and dissembling way, feigned themselves to be the followers and disciples of Christ: and, indeed, it looks as if hypocrites were intended, whether among Jews or Gentiles, or both, since the word here used, and rendered "submit", signifies to "lie"; and so it is in the metaphrase of Apollinarius; or, as in the margin of some Bibles, to "yield a feigned obedience"; see ( Psalms 66:3 ) . There seems to be an allusion to the conquest of nations, some of the inhabitants of which readily and heartily submit, but others only feignedly, and through fear, and the force of superior power they cannot withstand.

Psalms 18:44 In-Context

42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

Cross References 1

  • 1. Psalms 54:3; Psalms 144:7,11; Isaiah 25:5; Psalms 66:3
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