Psalms 40:14

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹¹O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me. ¹²For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me. ¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; hurry, O LORD, to help me. ¹⁴May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.¹⁵May those who say to me, "Aha, aha!" be appalled at their own shame. ¹⁶May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The LORD be magnified!" ¹⁷But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my helper and deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Let them be ashamed: The verbs in the preceding verse, in which the psalmist simply prays for deliverance, are in the imperative; but here, and in the following verses, they are in the future tense, and naturally express the language of lively faith and hope, rather than that of wishing the destruction foreseen and predicted. Psalms 31:17, Psalms 31:18, Psalms 35:4, Psalms 35:26, Psalms 70:2, Psalms 70:3, Psalms 71:13, Isaiah 41:11, Isaiah 45:24

that: Matthew 21:38-41

driven: Psalms 9:3, John 18:6, Acts 9:4-6, Acts 12:23, Acts 12:24

Reciprocal: Psalms 6:10 - Let all Psalms 25:3 - let Psalms 44:7 - put them Psalms 53:5 - thou hast Psalms 63:9 - seek Psalms 83:17 - General Psalms 109:20 - Let this Jeremiah 14:3 - they were Jeremiah 17:18 - confounded Jeremiah 20:11 - everlasting Ezekiel 39:2 - I will Luke 13:17 - all his John 8:9 - went out 1 Peter 2:6 - shall

Cross-References

Genesis 40:14
But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison.

Genesis 40:15
For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon."

Joshua 2:12
Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign

1 Samuel 25:31
then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your maidservant."

2 Samuel 9:1
Then David asked, "Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?"

1 Kings 2:7
But show loving devotion to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

Luke 23:42
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!"

1 Corinthians 7:21
Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you, but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let them be ashamed and confounded together,.... As they will be at the last day, when they shall see him whom they have pierced come in the clouds of heaven, in his own and his Father's glory, and in the glory of the holy angels;

that seek after my soul to destroy it; that is, his life, as did Herod in his infancy, and the Scribes and Pharisees, chief priests and elders of the people of the Jews, frequently, and at last accomplished what they sought after;

let them be driven backward; as those were who came with Judas into the garden to apprehend him, John 18:6;

and put to shame that wish me evil: as did the Jews, who sought all opportunities to ensnare him, and that they might have to accuse him to the Roman governor; and who earnestly desired his crucifixion, and vehemently wished his death; see Psalms 41:5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let them be ashamed and confounded together - See at Psalms 35:4, note; Psalms 35:26, note. This may be understood here rather as a confident expectation than a wish or desire. It implies the certainty that they would thus be ashamed and confounded; that is, that they would not be successful, or would be foiled in their purposes. But understood as a wish or prayer, it could not be improper. There is no sin in the wish that the wicked may not be successful in their plans, and may not be suffered to injure us. As the language of the Messiah it was in every way an appropriate prayer that the purposes of those who would defeat his design in coming into the world might be foiled - for on the execution of that design depended the salvation of a lost race.

That seek after my soul to destroy it - That seek after my life; that would destroy me. That is, they seek to kill me; they would take my life before the full time is come. As understood of the Messiah, this would refer to the times when his life was in danger, as it often was, before the full period had arrived for him to die: John 7:6; Matthew 26:18. The purpose of his enemies was to take his life; to prevent the spread of his doctrines; to cheek him in his work. The taking of his life at any time before the full period had arrived, or in any other way than that in which he had purposed to lay it down, would have been a defeat of his work, since in the plan of salvation it was contemplated that he should die at a certain time, and in a certain manner - that he should die at the time which had been predicted by the prophets, and in such a mode as to make an atonement for sin. All this would have been defeated if, before that time came, he had been put to death by stoning, or in any of the numerous ways in which his life was threatened.

Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil - Turned backward, as they are who are unsuccessful, or are defeated. Compare John 18:6.