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I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
Psalms 31:11 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.
  • BSB Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends—they flee when they see me on the street.
  • NKJV I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me.
  • NASB Because of all my adversaries, I have become a disgrace, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me.
  • NLT I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors— even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way.

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 has become an object of scorn to enemies, dread to neighbors, and avoidance to acquaintances. It describes the isolation of his suffering.

Overview

His distress has made him a reproach, abandoned even by those who once knew him. Such social rejection compounds his physical and emotional pain. The picture of the righteous sufferer despised and forsaken anticipates Christ, who was likewise rejected by men.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Ps 38:11My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
  • Ps 88:8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
  • Ps 88:18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
  • Matt 26:56But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
  • Ps 64:8So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
  • Ps 41:8–9An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
  • Isa 53:3–5He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
  • Ps 69:19–20Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.
  • Job 19:13–14He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
  • Isa 49:7Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
  • Ps 89:50–51Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;
  • 2 Tim 4:16At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
  • Job 6:21–23For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
  • Heb 13:13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
  • Heb 11:36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
  • Mark 14:50And they all forsook him, and fled.
  • Matt 10:21–22And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
  • Matt 26:74Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
  • Rom 15:3For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
  • Ps 22:6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
  • Matt 27:39–44And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
  • Jer 12:6For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
  • Mic 7:6For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
  • 1 Pet 4:14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 31:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 31:11 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.