Psalms 38:19

Psa 38:19 But mine enemies [are] lively, [and] they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

Ver. 19. Mine enemies are lively, &c.] q.d. It is nuts to them, and they soon compose comedies out of my tragedies, growing more insolent by mine afflictions, and upbraiding me with my sins.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 38:19-20. Mine enemies are lively — Hebrew, living; that is, thriving, flourishing, and prosperous. They that render evil for good — That hate and persecute me, not only without any injury or provocation on my part, but, as it were, in requital of the good I have done to them. Because I follow the thing that good is — Because I love and diligently practise justice and piety, which they hate, and which I exercised, as I had opportunity, in the punishment of such as they are.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. (Psa 38:19). And my deadly enemies are strong, and multiplied are those hating me falsely (or without a cause). Instead of deadly some find the opposite idea, lively, here expressed. My enemies (are) living (or alive), they are strong. Or, my living enemies are strong. But the writer here uses the common Hebrew word for life, and as the Hebrew literally means my enemies of falsehood, or more appropriately, it may mean my enemies of life, those who hate my life and would deprive me of it. Compare this with Psa 17:9 above.— Hating me falsely. Compare Psa 35:19; Psa 69:5 (4).

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38:19 That the psalmist’s enemies hate him without reason compounds his pain.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In my greatest misery they most rejoice.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 19. But mine enemies are lively] Instead of חיים chaiyim, lively, I would read חינם chinam, without cause; a change made by the half of one letter, נ nun for a י yod. See the parallel places, Ps 35:19; Ps 79:5. See also the Preliminary Dissertation to Dr. Lowth's Isaiah, p. 40: "But without cause my enemies have strengthened themselves; and they who wrongfully hate me are multiplied." Here the one member of the verse answers to the other.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This living, which he attributes to his enemies, implies as much as to enjoy continued and abundant prosperity in all things; and therefore he adds, that they are become strong and increase in power I interpret the word רבב, rabbab, in this place, increase in power, because he would speak improperly were he to be understood as saying, that they were multiplied. He does not here complain that they increased in number, but rather exalts their greatness, because the more they acquired of riches, they acquired so much the greater audacity in oppressing the good and the simple. He tells us that he is assailed by them wrongfully, and without cause, that he may induce God to be the more favorable and propitious to him. And surely, if we would have the favor of God for our defense, we must always take care not to injure any man, and to do nothing to provoke the hatred of any against us.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(19) But mine enemies are lively.—See margin. But the parallelism and a comparison with Psa_35:19 lead to the suspicion that the true reading is “without cause.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. mine enemies are lively] He contrasts their vigour with his own weakness. But the expression is somewhat strange; and a comparison of Psa_35:19 suggests that we should read without cause, corresponding to wrongfully in the next line, in place of are lively. The Hebrew words are very similar (חיים—חנם).

wrongfully] Lit. falsely. Their hatred is based on misconception and misrepresentation.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries,.... See Gill on Psa 35:12;

because I follow the thing that good is; or "follow good"; a good God, whom his soul followed hard after, Psa 63:8; the good Shepherd of the sheep, who led him into green pastures, whither he followed him, Psa 23:1; the good Spirit of God his guide, whom he walked after, Rom 8:1; good and holy men of God, whom he took for examples and copied after; and every good work, which he pursued with eagerness and pleasure; and all this drew upon him the hatred of his adversaries.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But mine enemies are lively ... - DeWette renders this, “My enemies live and are strong.” The word translated “lively” - חיים chayiym - means properly “living, being alive.” The literal translation would be, “My enemies, being alive, are strong.” The idea is, that while he was weak and apparently near to death, they were in the full vigor of life and health. They were able to engage in active efforts to accomplish their purposes. They could take advantage of his weakness; and he could not contend with them, for he was no match for them. In every respect they had the advantage of him; and he prays, therefore, for the divine interposition in his behalf.

And they that hate me wrongfully - Hebrew, “falsely.” See Psa 35:19.

Are multiplied - They are numerous. They are constantly increasing.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lively, Heb. living, i.e. thriving, or flourishing, or prosperous, as life is used, Psa 22:26; 34:12, and elsewhere.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 19. But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong. However weak and dying the righteous man may be, the evils which oppose him are sure to be lively enough. Neither the world, the flesh, nor the devil, are ever afflicted with debility or inertness; this trinity if evils labour with mighty unremitting energy to overthrow us. If the devil were sick, or our lusts feeble, or Madame Bubble infirm, we might slacken prayer; but with such lively and vigorous enemies we must not cease to cry mightily unto our God. And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. Here is another misery, that as we are no match for our enemies in strength, so also they outnumber us as a hundred to one. Wrong as the cause of evil is, it is a popular one. More and more the kingdom of darkness grows. Oh, misery of miseries, that we see the professed friends of Jesus forsaking him, and the enemies of his cross and his cause mustering in increasing bands!

None.

Ver. 19. The terrible energy and industry of the powers of evil.

Psalms 38:20*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. Mine enemies are lively… strong— “Lively” seems to be used in the sense of full of life, as opposed to David’s condition of exhaustion and infirmity. “Strong” may refer to their public influence, or to their numbers, or both.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong. The psalmist goes back to the thought of his enemies, to whom he has made no answer, and whom he has not ventured to rebuke (vers. 13, 14). He remembers that they are full of life and strength; he calls to mind the fact that they are many in number; he puts on record the cause of their enmity, which is not his sin, but his earnest endeavour to forsake his sin and follow after righteousness (ver. 20); and then, in conclusion, he makes a direct appeal to God for aid against them first negatively (ver. 21), and then positively in the final outburst, "Make haste to help me, O Lord my Salvation" (ver. 22). And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. This suits well the time of Absalom"s conspiracy, when day by day more and more of the people forsook David and joined the party of his son. (2Sa_15:12, 2Sa_15:13)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Strong - Are thriving and flourishing.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

But my enemies are numerous ... are many

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. (See: Parallelism)

They repay me evil for good

The actions of the writer's enemies are spoken of as a financial transaction where they gave him evil things in exchange for good things. The abstract nouns "evil" and "good" can be stated as adjectives. AT: "They do evil thing to me after I was good to them" (See: Metaphor and Abstract Nouns)

hurl accusations at me

The way the writer's enemies accuse him is spoken of as if they were throwing accusations at him like rocks. (See: Metaphor)

pursued what is good

The writers desire for what is good is spoken of as if he were running after good things. (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

wrong

evil

accuse

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

For I relate my iniquity My heart tells me my iniquity. Therefore, I worry, and fear my sin, lest it cause me disaster and pain.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.