May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
- KJV Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
- NKJV Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt.
- NASB Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
- NLT Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me; turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm 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 prays that those seeking his life and plotting his ruin would be turned back in shame.
Overview
David asks that his enemies' schemes be frustrated and their malice rebounded on themselves in disgrace. This is a plea for justice, leaving retribution to God. Such prayers express longing for evil's defeat, ultimately accomplished through Christ's victory over all his enemies.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 70:2–3May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
- Ps 35:26May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
- Jer 46:5Why am I seeing this? They are terrified, they are retreating; their warriors are defeated, they flee in haste without looking back; terror is on every side!” declares the LORD.
- Ps 38:12Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.
- Ps 31:17–18O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called on You. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them lie silent in Sheol.
- Ps 129:5May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.
- Ps 40:14–15May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
- Ps 71:24My tongue will indeed proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are disgraced and confounded.
- 1 Sam 23:23Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”
- John 18:6When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
- Ezek 13:19You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.
- Isa 37:29Because your rage and arrogance against Me have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth; I will send you back the way you came.’
- 1 Kgs 19:10“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
- Matt 27:1When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 35:4 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.