Psalm 38:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.

NIV: Many have become my enemies without cause; those who hate me without reason are numerous.

NASB: But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And those who wrongfully hate me are many.

CSB: But my enemies are vigorous and powerful; many hate me for no reason.

NLT: I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason.

KJV: But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

NKJV: But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

David describes his foes as lively, powerful, and numerous. David's condition was altogether different from that of his enemies. Thanks to his sin, and God's convicting discipline, David was extremely weak (Psalm 38:8). He felt shunned by even his friends and relatives (Psalm 38:11). However, he patiently submitted himself to God and anticipated an answer (Psalm 38:15).

While David admits that he has sinned (Psalm 38:18), at least some of the attacks from his enemies are unfair and unreasonable. Those who sought David's ruin, even before his sin (Psalm 35:19), would not be likely to reserve their attacks to something sensible.

A believer may feel greatly outnumbered by worldly attackers. Yet, with God on our side, "we are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37). As Paul points out in Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Jesus offered inspiring words to His disciples in John 16:33. He said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." One of those disciples was John, who writes in 1 John 4:4 that believers are overcomers because "he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

Psalm 38:15–22 concludes David's plea just as it began: with a prayer. Having described his suffering, he prays now for forgiveness and for the Lord to silence his enemies. He asks God not to forsake him but to help him. His final words reveal his dependence on the Lord for deliverance. He addresses the Lord as "my salvation."

David cries out to God in repentance for his sin. He feels the weight of shame and conviction, as if being pierced by arrows, ravaged by disease, crushed, and blinded. His friends have abandoned him; his enemies plot his demise. All of these have been brought about because of his "iniquity." Throughout this misery, David does not abandon hope. Instead, he confidently calls on the Lord to forgive and rescue him.

Psalm 38 and Psalm 32 are similar. They both express David's deep sense of guilt, his contrition, and his confession. Both psalms refer to the ill effect David's sins exerted on his physical condition. Psalm 38's descriptions seem mostly symbolic, but his anguish is very literal. Likely, the sins in question were adultery with Bathsheba and the arranged murder of her husband (2 Samuel 12:7–9). If so, these themes connect directly to Psalm 51. David asks God to forgive him and heal him.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.