Hebrew Translation Reveals Hidden Meaning in Psalm 54:4 - Why Prepositions Matter in Bible Study

Hebrew Translation Reveals Hidden Meaning in Psalm 54:4

by | Jun 27, 2025 | The Walk | 0 comments

Thought for the Day: prepositions are important.

I’m reading through the Psalms again, even though I finished my annual reading on Pentecost.

Craig Reynolds with @Sbchouston once said, “Psalms is a ferocious book” and that is the mindset in which I need to immerse myself right now.

Every reading is a little different depending on what I’ve been through and what I AM going through. The Holy Spirit will highlight different scriptures,

and what I have been doing is using the awesome interlinear app from Hagios Tech to do a word study of different words, practicing breaking down the parts of the word and writing Hebrew … and this is what I noticed

The ESV translation pictured above in the Gideons Bible that someone left for me the day I was sent out for a Goodwill Industries “job fair” at Dallas Alliance Church that did nothing other than collect social security numbers 🧐 while Victoria impersonated me at the Keizertimes

yeah, ☝️ that day.

But did you notice how the ESV translates the verse?

“Behold, the LORD is the upholder of my life.”

The ESV translates it as the LORD is the direct acting agent. Reading it that way, you might expect something like the parting of the red sea.

But that isn’t actually what the Hebrew says.

The Hebrew reads, “The LORD is WITH THOSE who uphold my life.”

David is not only proclaiming his confidence that the Lord will deliver him from the might of an entire nation that is seeking to destroy him, but also proclaiming a blessing over those who support him.

Not only that God is with HIM, but also with those who SUPPORT him.

Psalm 54 in its entirety and context (NKJV):

1 Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength.

2 Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them.

Selah

4 Behold, God IS my helper; the Lord IS with those who uphold my life.

5 He WILL repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth.

6 I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.

7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

This is my daily prayer for all of you working behind the scenes to uphold my life, that the Lord be with you.

Thanks for joining me in this reflection on Psalm 54. Read more at https://raisedtowalk.org or on raisedtowalk.substack.com

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Carla M. Sallee Alvarez

Carla M. Sallee Alvarez

Carla Alvarez is the founder of Raised to Walk and a founding board member of An Unexpected Journal, a Communications Director at Legacy Marketing Services where she uses her BS in Marketing to create communication strategies for business, and an unlikely case manager and Bible Study teacher for the Afghan Christians of Kabul Hope Latest Series: Hacked: the Saga How an oily politician and a band of intellectual property and identity thieves conspired to erase a third-grade Sunday school teacher, Read more of her work on Google Scholar and Substack or contact her to write for you.
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