May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”
- KJV Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
- NKJV Let them be confounded because of their shame, Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
- NASB May those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
- NLT Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
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
He prays that mockers who jeer 'Aha!' be appalled at their own shame. Those who scorn the righteous will themselves be confounded.
Overview
David desires that his enemies' derision recoil upon them in disgrace. The taunt 'Aha! Aha!' captures their cruel mockery. Leaving such mockers to God's judgment, the psalmist trusts the Lord to reverse their scorn.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ps 35:21They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
- Ps 35:25Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
- Ps 69:24–25Pour out Your wrath upon them, and let Your burning anger overtake them.
- Luke 19:43–44For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.
- Ps 73:19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!
- Ps 70:3–4May those who say, “Aha, aha!” retreat because of their shame.
- Luke 21:23–24How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.
- Ps 109:6–20Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 40:15 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.