It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
Parallel translations
- WEB It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.”
- BSB Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”
- NKJV It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”
- NASB Perhaps the Lord will look on my misery and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.”
- NLT And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David hopes the Lord will see his affliction and repay him with good for the cursing. He looks to God for future vindication rather than present revenge.
Overview
David expresses faith that God will note his wrongful suffering and bless him in return. Rather than avenging himself, he commits his cause to the Lord's justice. This hope that God repays good for evil endured reflects the gospel pattern, where the path of suffering leads through humiliation to exaltation (Philippians 2:8-9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Heb 12:10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
- Deut 23:5Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
- Matt 5:11–12Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
- Rom 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
- Exod 2:24–25And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
- Ps 25:18Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
- Gen 29:32–33And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
- 2 Th 1:7And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
- 1 Sam 1:11And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
- 2 Cor 4:17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
- Exod 3:7–8And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
- Isa 27:7Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?
- 1 Pet 4:12–19Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 16:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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