Psalms 11:1

For the music director; by David. In the Lord I have taken shelter. ²  How can you say to me, ³  “Flee to a mountain like a bird! ⁴ 

biblegateway Psa 11:1

For the director of music. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain.

biblegateway Psa 11:1

< A Psalm of David.>> In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain;

biblegateway Psa 11:1

<> I trust in the LORD for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly to the mountains for safety!

biblegateway Psa 11:1

I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of GOD. So why would I run away now when you say, "Run to the mountains;

SABDAweb Psa 11:1

In the Lord put I my faith; how will you say to my soul, Go in flight like a bird to the mountain?

bibleoremus Psa 11:1

In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to the mountains;

biblegateway Psa 11:1

< A Psalm of David.>> In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain"?

biblegateway Psa 11:1

For the music director; by David. In the Lord I have taken shelter. ²  How can you say to me, ³  “Flee to a mountain like a bird! ⁴ 

¹ sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.

² tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

³ tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

⁴ tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.