And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
Parallel translations
- WEB In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am your servant.
- BSB And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Destroy all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.
- NKJV In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.
- NASB And in Your faithfulness, destroy my enemies, And eliminate all those who attack my soul, For I am Your servant.
- NLT In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
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 asks God in His loving kindness to cut off his enemies, for he is God's servant. It pairs a plea for justice with covenant belonging.
Overview
David appeals to God's covenant love (lovingkindness) even while asking for judgment on those who afflict his soul, identifying himself as God's servant. The request leaves vengeance to God rather than to his own hand. Such imprecations are taken up by the saints who long for God's justice while, in Christ, also being taught to love and pray for enemies (Romans 12:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 54:5He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
- Ps 116:16O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
- Ps 119:94I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.
- Ps 52:5God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
- Ps 55:23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
- 1 Sam 26:10David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
- Ps 136:15–20But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- 1 Sam 24:12–15The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
- 1 Sam 25:29Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
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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 143:12 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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