KJV King James Version
Be ye not as the horse, [or] as the mule, [which] have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Psalm 32:9
Be ye not as the horse, [or] as the mule, [which] have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle to make them come to you.
WEB World English Bible
Don’t be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding, who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.
ASV American Standard Version
Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding; Whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in, Else they will not come near unto thee.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Be ye not as a horse—as a mule, Without understanding, With bridle and bit, its ornaments, to curb, Not to come near unto thee.
Surrounding context — Psalm 32
6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou [art] my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, [or] as the mule, [which] have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
10 Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all [ye that are] upright in heart.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
אַל־H408 · alnotתִּֽהְי֤וּ׀H1961 · ha.yahto beכְּס֥וּסH5483 · susswallowכְּפֶרֶד֮H6505 · pe.redmuleאֵ֤יןH369 · a.yinnothingהָ֫בִ֥יןH995 · binto understandבְּמֶֽתֶג־H4964 · me.tegbridleוָרֶ֣סֶןH7448 · re.senbridleעֶדְי֣וֹH5716 · a.diornamentלִבְל֑וֹםH1102 · ba.lamto hold inבַּ֝֗לH1077 · balnotקְרֹ֣בH7126 · qa.ravto present: comeאֵלֶֽיךָ׃H413 · elto(wards)
Cross-references
Proverbs 26:3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.Jeremiah 4:22For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.James 4:7-10Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.James 3:3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.Jeremiah 8:6-7I hearkened and heard, [but] they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.Job 35:11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus]; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed [to the yoke]: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou [art] the LORD my God.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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