Psalms 18:44

When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ¹  Foreigners are powerless ²  before me;

As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.

As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners submit to me.

As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreigners cringe before me.

the moment they got wind of me they listened. The foreign devils gave up;

From the time when my name comes to their ears they will be ruled by me: men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority.

As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.

As soon as they hear of me they obey me; The foreigners submit to me.

When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ¹  Foreigners are powerless ²  before me;

¹ tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.

² tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).