They reward me evil for good, To the sorrow 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.
- BSB They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement 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 10:32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?”
- Jer 18:20Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
- Ps 38:20They who also render evil for good are adversaries to me, because I follow what is good.
- Luke 23:21–23but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
- Prov 17:13Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
- Ps 109:3–5They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
- 1 Sam 20:31–33For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”
- 1 Sam 19:4–5Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you;
- 1 Sam 19:15Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”
- 1 Sam 22:13–14Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is 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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