They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
Parallel translations
- WEB They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
- KJV They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
- NKJV They reward me evil for good, To the sorrow of my soul.
- NASB They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul.
- NLT They repay me evil for good. I am sick with despair.
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's enemies repay him evil for good, leaving his soul bereaved.
Overview
David grieves that his kindness has been answered with hostility, deepening his sorrow. The betrayal of returning evil for good is especially painful. This pattern of good repaid with evil reaches its climax in Christ, who did only good yet was met with hatred.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- John 10:32But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
- Jer 18:20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.
- Ps 38:20Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good.
- Luke 23:21–23but they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
- Prov 17:13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
- Ps 109:3–5They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.
- 1 Sam 20:31–33For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
- 1 Sam 19:4–5Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
- 1 Sam 19:15But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”
- 1 Sam 22:13–14And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”
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 35:12 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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