11 My lovers and my friends over-against my plague stand. And my neighbours afar off have stood.
Among all mine adversaries I have been a reproach, And to my neighbours exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintances, Those seeing me without -- fled from me.
and all his acquaintances stood afar off, and women who did follow him from Galilee, beholding these things.
My brethren from me He hath put far off, And mine acquaintances surely Have been estranged from me. Ceased have my neighbours And my familiar friends have forgotten me, Sojourners of my house and my maids, For a stranger reckon me: An alien I have been in their eyes. To my servant I have called, And he doth not answer, With my mouth I make supplication to him. My spirit is strange to my wife, And my favours to the sons of my `mother's' womb.
`And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side; and in like manner also, a Levite, having been about the place, having come and seen, passed over on the opposite side.
Surely now ye have become the same! Ye see a downfall, and are afraid. Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me? And, Deliver me from the hand of an adversary? And, From the hand of terrible ones ransom me?
Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains -- he hath carried them, And we -- we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
By restraint and by judgment he hath been taken, And of his generation who doth meditate, That he hath been cut off from the land of the living? By the transgression of My people he is plagued,
And having taken him, they led and brought him to the house of the chief priest. And Peter was following afar off,
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.