Psalms 38:14

Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear, in whose mouth are no reproofs.

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear, in whose mouth are no reproofs.

BSB

I am like a man who cannot hear, whose mouth offers no reply.

KJV

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

ASV

Yea, I am as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no reproofs.

BBE

So I was like a man whose ears are shut, and in whose mouth there are no sharp words.

Original Hebrew

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וָאֱהִי va·'e·hi and I have become H1961 כְּאִישׁ ke·'ish like a man H376 אֲשֶׁר 'a·sher who H834 לֹא־ lo'- not H3808 שֹׁמֵעַ sho·me·a' [is] hearing H8085 וְאֵין ve·'ein and there not H369 בְּפִיו be·fiv in mouth his H6310 תּוֹכָחוֹת to·kha·chot [are] arguments H8433

The early church

"And I became as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs" [Psalm 38:14]. As if He had nothing to say unto them, as if He had nothing wherewith to reproach them. Had He not already reproached them for many things? Had He not said many things, and also said, "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees," [Matthew 23:13] and many things besides? Yet when He suffered, He said none of these things; not that He had not what to say, but He waited for them to fulfil all things, and that all the prophecies might be fulfilled of Him, of whom it had been said, "And as a sheep before her shearer is dumb, so opens He not His mouth." [Isaiah 53:7] It behooved Him to be silent in His Passion, though not hereafter to be silent in Judgment. For He had come to be judged, then, who was hereafter coming to judge; and who was for this reason to come with great power to judge, that He had been judged in great humility.

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 12–22

Wicked men hate goodness, even when they benefit by it. David, in the complaints he makes of his enemies, seems to refer to Christ. But our enemies do us real mischief only when they drive us from God and our duty. The true believer's trouble will be made useful; he will learn to wait for his God, and will not seek relief from the world or himself. The less we notice the unkindness and injuries that are done us, the more we consult the quiet of our own minds. David's troubles were the chastisement and the consequence of his transgressions, whilst Christ suffered for our sins and ours only. What right can a sinner have to yield to impatience or anger, when mercifully corrected for his sins? David was very sensible of the present workings of corruption in him. Good men, by setting their sorrow continually before them, have been ready to fall; but by setting God always before them, they have kept their standing. If we are truly penitent for sin, that will make us patient under affliction. Nothing goes nearer to the heart of a believer when in affliction, than to be under the apprehension of God's deserting him; nor does any thing come more feelingly from his heart than this prayer, "Be not far from me." The Lord will hasten to help those who trust in him as their salvation.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 38 →

Spurgeon · Verse 14

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. He repeats the fact of his silence that we may note it, admire it, and imitate it. We have an advocate, and need not therefore plead our own cause. The Lord will rebuke our foes, for vengeance belongs to him; we may therefore wait patiently and find it our strength to sit still.

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 38 →

Cross-references

Topics

Meekness

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.