The Meaning of Psalms 94:17 Explained

Psalms 94:17

KJV: Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

YLT: Unless Jehovah were a help to me, My soul had almost inhabited silence.

Darby: If Jehovah had not been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

ASV: Unless Jehovah had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Unless  the LORD  [had been] my help,  my soul  had almost  dwelt  in silence. 

What does Psalms 94:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 94:6-23 - The Lord Our Defense Against Evil-Doers
Let us ponder all the great things that God will do for them that trust Him. He planted the ear, and will detect the sigh, sob, or broken utterance of His child, Psalms 94:9. He formed the eye, and He knows our sorrows. He watches the sparrow's fall, and His child is of more value than many sparrows. He corrects us; shall we not be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live, Psalms 94:10? He knows our thoughts; let us ask Him to purify and restrain them, Psalms 94:11. He teaches out of His Law; let us be diligent students of the Scriptures, Psalms 94:12. He will neither cast us off nor forsake us, Psalms 94:14.
The Lord is our help, and the soul that trusts Him shall not be silenced, Psalms 94:17. He holds us up when our foot slips, Psalms 94:18. Whatever thoughts may startle or affright us, God has a comfort suited to counteract each of them. His comforts delight the soul. They bring joy and hope with them, Psalms 94:19. He defends us against the charges laid at our door, and is a rock on which we may stand steadily, amid the seething waters, Psalms 94:22. If God be for us, who can be against us, or who can separate us from His love? Romans 8:31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 94

1  The prophet, calling for justice, complains of tyranny and impiety
8  He teaches God's providence
12  He shows the blessedness of affliction
16  God is the defender of the afflicted

What do the individual words in Psalms 94:17 mean?

Unless Yahweh [had been] help my soon would have settled in silence My soul
לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה עֶזְרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י כִּמְעַ֓ט ׀ שָֽׁכְנָ֖ה דוּמָ֣ה נַפְשִֽׁי

לוּלֵ֣י  Unless 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לוּלֵא  
Sense: unless, if not, except.
יְ֭הוָה  Yahweh  [had  been] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֶזְרָ֣תָה  help 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: עֶזְרָה  
Sense: help, succour, assistance.
לִּ֑י  my 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
כִּמְעַ֓ט ׀  soon 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
שָֽׁכְנָ֖ה  would  have  settled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.
דוּמָ֣ה  in  silence 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמָה  
Sense: silence.
נַפְשִֽׁי  My  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.