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.”
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.”
- KJV It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
- BSB Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”
- 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 indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
- Deut 23:5Nevertheless Yahweh your God wouldn’t listen to Balaam; but Yahweh your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because Yahweh your God loved you.
- Matt 5:11–12“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
- Rom 8:28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
- Exod 2:24–25God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
- Ps 25:18Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins.
- Gen 29:32–33Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.”
- 2 Th 1:7and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
- 1 Sam 1:11She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”
- 2 Cor 4:17For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
- Exod 3:7–8Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
- Isa 27:7Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or are they killed like those who killed them were killed?
- 1 Pet 4:12–19Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to 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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