But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
Parallel translations
- WEB But my enemies are vigorous and many. Those who hate me without reason are numerous.
- KJV But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
- BSB Many are my enemies without cause, and many hate me without reason.
- NASB But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And those who wrongfully hate me are many.
- NLT I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason.
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 contrasts his weakness with his enemies, who are strong, numerous, and hate him without cause. His afflictions multiply while theirs do not.
Overview
He laments the imbalance: he is failing while his foes flourish in their hostility. The phrase 'hate me without reason' echoes the experience of the righteous sufferer. Jesus applied this very kind of groundless hatred to Himself (John 15:25).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 35:19Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
- John 15:18–25If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.
- Matt 10:22You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.
- Ps 69:4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
- Ps 56:1–2For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.
- Ps 59:1–3For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me.
- Ps 25:19Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred.
- Ps 3:1A Psalm by David, when he fled from Absalom his son. Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me.
- Acts 4:25–28who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
- Ps 18:17He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
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 38:19 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.