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

biblegateway 2Sa 22:45

"Foreigners pretend obedience to me; As soon as they hear, they obey me.

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

Foreigners will cringe in front of me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.

biblegateway 2Sa 22:45

and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me.

Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

bibleoremus 2Sa 22:45

Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

Foreigners will come fawning to me; as soon as they hear tell of me, they will submit.

biblegateway 2Sa 22:45

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

Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

biblegateway 2Sa 22:45

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

¹ tn For the meaning “to be weak; to be powerless” for the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. Verse 46, which also mentions foreigners, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15).

² tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of David’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.