Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Parallel translations
- WEB Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall.
- KJV Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
- BSB lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes rejoice when I fall.
- NASB And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
- NLT Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
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
He fears his enemy boasting of victory and his foes rejoicing at his fall. David's concern is for God's honor as well as his own deliverance.
Overview
David's plea is sharpened by the prospect of his enemies gloating over his defeat. His vindication and God's reputation are intertwined, for the enemy's triumph would seem to deny God's faithfulness. This appeal to God's own honor is a frequent and fitting ground for prayer in the Psalms.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 25:2My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me.
- Jer 1:19They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you”, says Yahweh, “to rescue you.”
- Prov 12:3A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
- Ps 62:6He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I will not be shaken.
- Lam 1:16“For these things I weep. My eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me. My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.”
- Josh 7:9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
- Ps 38:16For I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me, or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”
- Ps 55:22Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
- Ps 10:11He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.”
- Ps 35:25Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”
- Ps 9:19Arise, Yahweh! Don’t let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight.
- Ps 121:1–3A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
- Ps 62:2He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress — I will never be greatly shaken.
- Ezek 35:12–15You shall know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they have been given us to devour.
- Ps 112:6For he will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever.
- Ps 35:19Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 13:4 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.