The Meaning of Psalms 9:3 Explained

Psalms 9:3

KJV: When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

YLT: In mine enemies turning backward, they stumble and perish from Thy face.

Darby: When mine enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished at thy presence:

ASV: When mine enemies turn back, They stumble and perish at thy presence.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When mine enemies  are turned  back,  they shall fall  and perish  at thy presence. 

What does Psalms 9:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 9:1-20 - Confidence In The Righteous Judge
The Chaldee version adds to the inscription, "concerning the death of the champion who went out between the camps," referring to the death of Goliath. This is the first of the Acrostic or Alphabetical Psalms, of which there are nine: Psalms 9:1-20; Psalms 10:1-18; Psalms 25:1-22; Psalms 34:1-22; Psalms 37:1-40; Psalms 111:1-10; Psalms 112:1-10; Psalms 119:1-176; Psalms 145:1-21.
There is a predominant note of praise, Psalms 9:1-5; Psalms 9:11-12; Psalms 9:14. Let memory heap fuel on the altar of praise. In the resurrection of our Lord, God indeed rebuked our arch-enemy, and his strongholds are now wastes, Zechariah 3:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10:4; Colossians 2:15. But there is a corresponding note of trust, Psalms 9:7-12. Calamity drives us to God. The more we know the more we trust Him. Doubt is born of ignorance. Leave God to vindicate; He will not forget, Psalms 9:12. There is a petition for further help, Psalms 9:13; Psalms 9:19-20. We have been at the gates of death, Psalms 9:13; here are the gates of the Holy City, Psalms 9:14. Compare Psalms 9:15 and Esther 7:10. God does not forget; forget Him not, Psalms 9:12; Psalms 17:1-15. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 9

1  David praises God for executing judgment
11  He incites others to praise him
13  He prays that he may have cause to praise him

What do the individual words in Psalms 9:3 mean?

When turn my enemies back they shall fall and perish at Your presence
בְּשׁוּב־ אוֹיְבַ֥י אָח֑וֹר יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ

בְּשׁוּב־  When  turn 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אוֹיְבַ֥י  my  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
אָח֑וֹר  back 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ  they  shall  fall 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּשַׁל  
Sense: to stumble, stagger, totter.
וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ  and  perish 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
מִפָּנֶֽיךָ  at  Your  presence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.