May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.
- KJV Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
- NKJV Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil.
- NASB May those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; May those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt.
- NLT May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace.
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 asks that those seeking his life be shamed and turned back. He prays for the defeat of those bent on his destruction.
Overview
This imprecation seeks the frustration of enemies who delight in his harm. It commits judgment to God rather than personal revenge. Such prayers entrust vindication to the righteous Judge, anticipating God's final overthrow of evil.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 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.
- Ps 35:4May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
- Isa 45:24Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
- Ps 71:13May the accusers of my soul be ashamed and consumed; may those who seek my harm be covered with scorn and disgrace.
- John 18:6When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
- 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 9:3When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.
- Matt 21:38–41But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
- Isa 41:11Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
- Acts 12:23–24Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
- Acts 9:4–6He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
- Ps 70:2–3May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
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 40:14 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.