· Translation: KJV

Psalms 57:4My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

The setting

Same cave, Israel, ~1020 BC. David hears his enemies' voices getting closer, their words sharper than their weapons...

The emotion here: terrified and feeling completely surrounded

The original word

lahab (לָהַב) — blazing fire that consumes everything, describing their destructive intent

Why it matters

Saul's men were literally tracking David by following campfire smoke

Read with care

What most readers miss in Psalms 57:4

David says their 'tongue' is a sword — words were hunting him as much as spears

Common misconceptionThis isn't about spiritual warfare with demons — it's about real people whose words are destroying David's reputation and safety.

Bible Genome reading

Psalms 57:4 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerDavid
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typepsalm
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power60%
Quotability70%
Memorability80%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone70%
Themes:persecutionenemiesdanger

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Psalms 57

Psalms 57:4 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include persecution, enemies, danger. Notable phrases: soul among lions; teeth are spears and arrows; tongue a sharp sword. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

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