May those who try to kill me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
- KJV Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
- BSB May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
- NKJV Let them be ashamed and confounded Who seek my life; Let them be turned back and confused Who desire my hurt.
- NASB May those who seek my life Be put to shame and humiliated; May those who delight in my harm Be turned back and dishonored.
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 be shamed and turned back. It asks God to thwart and disgrace his enemies' evil intent.
Overview
David asks that those who seek his ruin be confounded and driven back in disgrace. He entrusts his vindication to God rather than retaliating himself. This appeal for God to defeat the schemes of the wicked reflects trust that the Lord will defend his servant, ultimately vindicated in Christ's triumph over all his enemies.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ps 35:4Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
- Ps 35:26Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.
- Isa 41:11Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.
- Ps 71:13Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
- Ps 109:29Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
- John 18:6When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went backward, and fell to the ground.
- Ps 6:10May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed. They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.
- Isa 28:13Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.
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 70:2 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.