Psalms 38:11-22

Context

38:11 Because of my condition,¹ even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance;²

my neighbors stand far away.³

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me;⁴

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak.⁵

38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear

and is incapable of arguing his defense.⁶

38:15 Yet⁷ I wait for you, O Lord!

You will respond, O Lord, my God!

38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me;⁸

when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me.⁹

38:17 For I am about to stumble,

and I am in constant pain.¹⁰

38:18 Yes,¹¹ I confess my wrongdoing,

and I am concerned about my sins.

38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous;¹²

those who hate me without cause outnumber me.¹³

38:20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;

though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.¹⁴

38:21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!

My God, do not remain far away from me!

38:22 Hurry and help me,¹⁵ O Lord, my deliverer!

[38:11] ¹tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”

[38:11] ²tn Heb “stand [aloof].”

[38:11] ³tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”

[38:12] ⁴tn Heb “lay snares.”

[38:13] ⁵sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).

[38:14] ⁶tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”

[38:15] ⁷tn Or perhaps “surely.”

[38:16] ⁸tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).

[38:16] ⁹tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.

[38:17] ¹⁰tn Heb “and my pain [is] before me continually.”

[38:18] ¹¹tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.

[38:19] ¹²tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).

[38:19] ¹³tn Heb “are many.”

[38:20] ¹⁴tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”

[38:22] ¹⁵tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Ps 22:19.