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Selected Verse: Psalms 44:19 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 44:19	King James	Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
sore broken--crushed. place of dragons--desolate, barren, rocky wilderness (Psa 63:10; Isa 13:22), shadow of death--(Compare Psa 23:4).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

sore broken--crushed.

place of dragons--desolate, barren, rocky wilderness (Psa 63:10; Isa 13:22),

shadow of death--(Compare Psa 23:4).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons - Or rather, "That thou hast crushed us in the place of dragons." The connection is continued from the previous verse: "Our heart is not so turned back, nor have our steps so declined from thy path, that thou shouldst crush us in the place of dragons." That is, we have been guilty of no such apostasy and infidelity as to account for the fact that thou hast dealt with us in this manner, or make it necessary and proper that we should thus be crushed and overthrown The word rendered "dragons" - תנין tannı̂yn - means either a great fish; a sea monster; a serpent; a dragon; or a crocodile. See the notes at Isa 13:22. It may also mean a jackal, a fox, or a wolf. DeWette renders it here, jackals. The idea in the passage is essentially the same, whichever interpretation of the word is adopted. The "place of dragons" would denote the place where such monsters are found, or where they had their abode; that is to say, in desolate places; wastes; deserts; old ruins; depopulated towns. See the notes, as above, at Isa 13:19-22; compare Jer 9:11. The meaning here would be, therefore, that they had been vanquished; that their cities and towns had been reduced to ruins; that their land had been laid waste; that the place where they had been "sore broken" was in fact a fit abode for wild beasts and monsters. And covered us with the shadow of death - Our land has been covered with a dark and dismal shade, as if Death had cast his image or shadow over it. See Job 3:5, note; and Psa 23:4, note. There could be no more striking illustration of calamity and ruin.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons - Or rather, "That thou hast crushed us in the place of dragons." The connection is continued from the previous verse: "Our heart is not so turned back, nor have our steps so declined from thy path, that thou shouldst crush us in the place of dragons." That is, we have been guilty of no such apostasy and infidelity as to account for the fact that thou hast dealt with us in this manner, or make it necessary and proper that we should thus be crushed and overthrown The word rendered "dragons" - תנין tannı̂yn - means either a great fish; a sea monster; a serpent; a dragon; or a crocodile. See the notes at Isa 13:22. It may also mean a jackal, a fox, or a wolf. DeWette renders it here, jackals. The idea in the passage is essentially the same, whichever interpretation of the word is adopted. The "place of dragons" would denote the place where such monsters are found, or where they had their abode; that is to say, in desolate places; wastes; deserts; old ruins; depopulated towns. See the notes, as above, at Isa 13:19-22; compare Jer 9:11. The meaning here would be, therefore, that they had been vanquished; that their cities and towns had been reduced to ruins; that their land had been laid waste; that the place where they had been "sore broken" was in fact a fit abode for wild beasts and monsters.

And covered us with the shadow of death - Our land has been covered with a dark and dismal shade, as if Death had cast his image or shadow over it. See Job 3:5, note; and Psa 23:4, note. There could be no more striking illustration of calamity and ruin.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Broken us - By inflicting upon us one breach after another, thou hast at last brought us to this pass. The place - A place extremely desolate, such as dragons love, Isa 13:21-22, and therefore full of horror, and danger. Covered us - With deadly horrors and miseries.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

Broken us - By inflicting upon us one breach after another, thou hast at last brought us to this pass. The place - A place extremely desolate, such as dragons love, Isa 13:21-22, and therefore full of horror, and danger. Covered us - With deadly horrors and miseries.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons - Thou hast delivered us into the hands of a fierce, cruel, and murderous people. We, as a people, are in a similar state to one who has strayed into a wilderness, where there are no human inhabitants; who hears nothing round about him but the hissing of serpents, the howling of beasts of prey, and the terrible roaring of the lion; and who expects every moment to be devoured.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons - Thou hast delivered us into the hands of a fierce, cruel, and murderous people. We, as a people, are in a similar state to one who has strayed into a wilderness, where there are no human inhabitants; who hears nothing round about him but the hissing of serpents, the howling of beasts of prey, and the terrible roaring of the lion; and who expects every moment to be devoured.

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