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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
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 plague. My kinsmen stand far away.
- Ps 88:8You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can’t escape.
- Ps 88:18You have put lover and friend far from me, and my friends into darkness.
- Matt 26:56But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
- Ps 64:8Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.
- Ps 41:8–9“An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”
- Isa 53:3–5He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
- Ps 69:19–20You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.
- Job 19:13–14“He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.
- Isa 49:7Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
- Ps 89:50–51Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,
- 2 Tim 4:16At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them.
- Job 6:21–23For now you are nothing. You see a terror, and are afraid.
- Heb 13:13Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.
- Heb 11:36Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.
- Mark 14:50They all left him, and fled.
- Matt 10:21–22“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
- Matt 26:74Then he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately the rooster crowed.
- Rom 15:3For even Christ didn’t please himself. But, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
- Ps 22:6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
- Matt 27:39–44Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads,
- Jer 12:6For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; even they have cried aloud after you! Don’t believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.
- Mic 7:6For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises 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 you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.
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 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
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