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They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
Psalms 69:12 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.
  • BSB Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.
  • NKJV Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards.
  • NASB Those who sit in the gate talk about me, And songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.
  • NLT I am the favorite topic of town gossip, and all the drunks sing about 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 is the talk of the town's leaders and the subject of drunkards' songs. It depicts being publicly mocked at every level of society.

Overview

From the city elders sitting in the gate to drunkards in their revelry, David has become an object of gossip and ridicule across society. Both respectable and disreputable people scorn him. This widespread mockery anticipates the universal rejection Christ faced, scorned by rulers and common people alike at his trial and crucifixion.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 13

  • Acts 4:26–27The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
  • Ps 35:15–16But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
  • Matt 27:41–42Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
  • Mark 15:17–19And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
  • Matt 27:20But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
  • Deut 16:18Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
  • Dan 5:23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
  • Gen 19:1And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
  • Luke 23:2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
  • Job 30:8–9They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
  • Matt 27:62–63Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
  • Matt 27:12–13And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
  • Dan 5:2–4Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 69:12YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 69:12 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

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.