Do not turn me over to the desire of my enemies, For false witnesses have risen against me, And the violent witness.
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.
- KJV Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
- BSB Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
- NKJV Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
- NLT Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence.
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 prays not to be handed over to adversaries who bring false accusations and cruelty. It appeals to God's justice against slander and malice.
Overview
False witnesses 'breathing out cruelty' threaten David's life and reputation, and he entrusts his cause to God rather than retaliating. The scene anticipates the unjust accusations brought against Christ, who likewise committed Himself to the righteous Judge. Believers facing slander can take refuge in God's vindication.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 31:8You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.
- Matt 26:59–60Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
- Ps 41:11By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me.
- Acts 6:11–13Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
- Ps 35:11Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
- 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!”
- Acts 9:1But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
- 2 Sam 16:7–8Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and base fellow!
- Exod 20:16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
- Ps 38:16For I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me, or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”
- 1 Sam 26:19Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that Yahweh has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before Yahweh; for they have driven me out today that I shouldn’t cling to Yahweh’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’
- Ps 140:8Yahweh, don’t grant the desires of the wicked. Don’t let their evil plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah.
- Ps 41:2Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.
- 1 Sam 22:9–10Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
- Acts 26:11Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
- Ps 25:19Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 27:12 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
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.