20 They who also render evil for good are adversaries to me, Because I follow what is good.
They reward me evil for good, To the bereaving of my soul.
unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Don't let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you: for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel: you saw it, and did rejoice; why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause? Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.
David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? Yahweh said, They will deliver you up.
Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him: and he has returned me evil for good.
If I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (Yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),
Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of that which is good?
For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil. Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters. But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 38
Commentary on Psalms 38 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 38
Ps 38:1-22. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men, complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of the charges of his enemies, and prays for divine comfort and help.
1-4. He deprecates deserved punishment, which is described (Ps 6:1), under the figure of bodily disease [Ps 38:3].
2. arrows … and thy hand—the sharp and heavy afflictions he suffered (De 32:23).
4. iniquities—afflictions in punishment of sin (2Sa 16:12; Ps 31:10; 40:12).
gone over mine head—as a flood.
5-8. The loathsomeness, corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth his mental anguish [Ps 38:6]. It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The
loins are the seat of strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [Ps 38:9].
9. That God can hear (Ro 8:26).
10. My heart panteth—as if barely surviving.
light … from me—utter exhaustion (Ps 6:7; 13:3).
11, 12. Friends desert, but foes increase in malignity.
12. seek after my life—(1Sa 20:1; 22:23).
13, 14. He patiently submits, uttering no reproaches or replies (Joh 19:9) to their insulting speeches;
15-17. for he is confident the
Lord—literally, "Sovereign" (to whom he was a servant), would answer his prayer (Ps 3:4; 4:1), and not permit their triumph in his partial halting, of which he was in danger.
18. Consciousness of sin makes suffering pungent, and suffering, rightly received, leads to confession.
19, 20. Still, while humbled before God, he is the victim of deadly enemies, full of malice and treachery.
enemies are lively—literally, "of life," who would take my life, that is, deadly.
21, 22. (Compare Ps 22:19; 35:3). All terms of frequent use. In this Psalm the language is generally susceptible of application to Christ as a sufferer, David, as such, typifying Him. This does not require us to apply the confessions of sin, but only the pains or penalties which He bore for us.