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Thursday, October 10th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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New Living Translation

Psalms 55:12

It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Ahithophel;   Friends;   Friendship;   Hypocrisy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Betrayal;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophecies Respecting Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Friend, Friendship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Ahithophel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Psalms;   Sin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ahithophel;   God;   Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abiathar;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahithophel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - City;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
For it is not an enemy who reproaches me,Then I could bear it;Nor is it one who hates me who has magnified himself against me,Then I could hide myself from him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Truely he was not mine enemie that hath done me this dishonour, for then I coulde haue borne it: neither was he one that seemed to hate me that dyd magnifie hym selfe against me, for then I woulde haue hyd my selfe from him.
Darby Translation
For it is not an enemy that hath reproached me—then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified [himself] against me—then would I have hidden myself from him;
New King James Version
For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him.
Literal Translation
For it is not an enemy reproaching me, or I could bear it ; it is not one who hates me who is magnifying himself against me; or I would hide myself from him.
Easy-to-Read Version
If it were an enemy insulting me, I could bear it. If it were my enemies attacking me, I could hide.
World English Bible
For it was not an enemy who insulted me, Then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, Then I would have hid myself from him.
King James Version (1611)
For it was not an enemie that reproached me, then I could haue borne it, neither was it hee that hated me, that did magnifie himselfe against me, then I would haue hid my selfe from him.
King James Version
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But it is thou my companyon, my gyde and myne owne familier frede.
THE MESSAGE
This isn't the neighborhood bully mocking me—I could take that. This isn't a foreign devil spitting invective—I could tune that out. It's you! We grew up together! You! My best friend! Those long hours of leisure as we walked arm in arm, God a third party to our conversation.
Amplified Bible
For it is not an enemy who taunts me— Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who has hated me who insolently exalts himself against me— Then I could hide from him.
American Standard Version
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have borne it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him:
Bible in Basic English
For it was not my hater who said evil of me; that would have been no grief to me; it was not one outside the number of my friends who made himself strong against me, or I would have kept myself from him in a secret place;
Update Bible Version
For it is not an enemy that reproached me; or I could have borne it: It is not one who hated me that magnified himself against me; or I would have hid myself from him:
Webster's Bible Translation
For [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me; then I could have borne [it]: neither [was it] he that hated me [that] magnified [himself] against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
New English Translation
Indeed, it is not an enemy who insults me, or else I could bear it; it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, or else I could hide from him.
Contemporary English Version
My enemies are not the ones who sneer and make fun. I could put up with that or even hide from them.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ruin is rife within it, oppression and fraud never leave its streets.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Surely mine enemie did not defame mee: for I could haue borne it: neither did mine aduersarie exalt himselfe against mee: for I would haue hid me from him.
George Lamsa Translation
For it was not mine enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him;
Hebrew Names Version
For it was not an enemy who insulted me, Then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, Then I would have hid myself from him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wickedness is in the midst thereof; oppression and guile depart not from her broad place.
New Life Bible
I would be able to take it if one who hates me were putting me to shame. I could hide from him. It is not one who hates me who has put himself up against me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For if an enemy had reproached me, I would have endured it; and if one who hated me had spoken vauntingly against me, I would have hid myself from him.
English Revised Version
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
Berean Standard Bible
For it is not an enemy who insults me-then I could endure; it is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide-
New Revised Standard
It is not enemies who taunt me— I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me— I could hide from them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For it is, not an enemy, that reproacheth me, Or I could bear it, - Not one that hath hated me, who, against me, hath magnified himself, Or I might hide myself from him;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(54-13) For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden my self from him.
Lexham English Bible
For it is not an enemy that taunts me, or I could bear it. It is not one who hates me that magnifies himself over me, or I could hide myself from him.
English Standard Version
For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him.
New American Standard Bible
For it is not an enemy who taunts me, Then I could endure it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him.
New Century Version
It was not an enemy insulting me. I could stand that. It was not someone who hated me. I could hide from him.
Good News Translation
If it were an enemy making fun of me, I could endure it; if it were an opponent boasting over me, I could hide myself from him.
Christian Standard Bible®
Now it is not an enemy who insults me— otherwise I could bear it; it is not a foe who rises up against me— otherwise I could hide from him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if myn enemye hadde cursid me; sotheli Y hadde suffride. And if he, that hatide me, hadde spoke greet thingis on me; in hap Y hadde hid me fro hym.
Young's Literal Translation
For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.
Revised Standard Version
It is not an enemy who taunts me--then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me--then I could hide from him.

Contextual Overview

9 Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. 10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city. 11 Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets. 12 It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them. 13 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. 14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. 15 Let death stalk my enemies; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For: Psalms 41:9

magnify: Psalms 35:26, Psalms 38:16, Isaiah 10:15

then I: Matthew 26:21-23, John 13:18, John 18:2, John 18:3

Reciprocal: Judges 14:20 - his friend 1 Samuel 20:5 - that I may 2 Samuel 15:12 - David's 2 Samuel 15:31 - Ahithophel Job 6:15 - My brethren Job 19:5 - magnify Job 19:14 - familiar Job 19:19 - my inward friends Psalms 50:19 - tongue Psalms 109:5 - hatred Proverbs 11:9 - An hypocrite Proverbs 17:13 - General Jeremiah 9:4 - ye heed Obadiah 1:7 - the men of Micah 7:6 - a man's Zechariah 12:7 - do Mark 14:10 - one Luke 22:3 - being Luke 22:22 - but Acts 1:16 - spake

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me,.... An open and avowed one; a Moabite or a Philistine; such an one as Goliath, who cursed him by his gods; but one of his own country, city, court, and family, who pretended to be a friend; his son Absalom, according to Arama: so it was not one of the Scribes and Pharisees, the sworn enemies of Christ, who rejected him as the Messiah, and would not have him to reign over them, that reproached him, but one of his own apostles;

then I could have borne [it]; reproach from an enemy is to be expected, and may be patiently endured; and, when it is for righteousness' sake, should be accounted an happiness, and rejoiced at; but the reproaches of one that has been thought to be a friend are very cutting, wounding, heartbreaking, and intolerable, Psalms 69:7; the calumnies and reproaches of the Scribes and Pharisees were borne by Christ with great patience, and were answered with great calmness and mildness,

Matthew 11:19. Or, "I would have lifted up" t; that is, my hand, and defended myself; I should have been upon my guard, ready to receive the blow, or to have put it off, or repelled it;

neither [was it] he that hated me: openly, but secretly in his heart;

[that] did magnify [himself] against me; made himself a great man, and set himself at the head of the conspiracy and opposition against him, and spoke great swelling words, in way of raillery and reproach;

then I would have hid myself from him; as David did from Saul, when he became his enemy, 1 Samuel 20:24; and as Christ from the Jews, John 8:59; but as for Judas, he knew the place he resorted to; and therefore easily found him, John 18:2; the sense may be, that he would have shunned his company, refused conversation with him; much less would he have admitted him to his privy councils, by which means he knew all his affairs, and there was no hiding and concealing things from him.

t ואשא.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For it was not an enemy that reproached me - The word “reproached” here refers to slander; calumny; abuse. It is not necessarily implied that it was in his presence, but he was apprized of it. When he says that it is not an enemy that did this, the meaning is that it was not one who had been an avowed and open foe. The severest part of the trial did not arise from the fact that it was done by such an one, for that he could have borne. That which overwhelmed him was the fact that the reproach came from one who had been his friend; or, the reproach which he felt most keenly came from one whom he had regarded as a personal confidant. It is not to be supposed that the psalmist means to say that he was not reproached by his enemies, for the whole structure of the psalm implies that this was so; but his anguish was made complete and unbearable by the discovery that one especially who had been his friend was found among those who reproached and calumniated him. The connection leads us to suppose, if the right view (Introduction) has been taken of the occasion on which the psalm was composed, that the allusion here is to Ahithophel 2 Samuel 15:31; and the particular distress here referred to was that which David experienced on learning that he was among the conspirators. A case of trouble remarkably resembling this is referred to in Psalms 41:9. See the notes at that place.

Then I could have borne it - The affliction would have been such as I could bear. Reproaches from an enemy, being known to be an enemy, we expect; and and we feel them comparatively little. We attribute them to the very fact that such an one is an enemy, and that he feels it necessary to sustain himself by reproaching and calumniating us. We trust also that the world will understand them in that way; and will set them down to the mere fact that he is our enemy. In such a case there is only the testimony against us of one who is avowedly our foe, and who has every inducement to utter malicious words against us in order to sustain his own cause. But the case is different when the accuser and slanderer is one who has been our intimate friend. He is supposed to know all about us. He has been admitted to our counsels. He has known our purposes and plans. He can speak not “slanderously” but “knowingly.” It is supposed that he could have no motive to speak ill of us except his own conviction of truth, and that it could be only the strongest conviction of truth - the existence of facts to which not even a friend could close his eyes - that could induce him to abandon us, and hold us up to repreach and scorn. So Ahithophel - the confidential counselor and friend of David - would be supposed to be acquainted with his secret plans and his true character; and hence, reproaches from such a one became unendurable. “Neither was it he that hated me.” That avowedly and openly hated me. If that had been the case, I should have expected such usage, and it would not injure me.

That did magnify himself a against me - That is, by asserting that I was a bad man, thus exalting himself in character above me, or claiming that he was more pure than I am. Or, it may mean, that exalted himself above me, or sought to reach the eminence of power in my downfall and ruin.

Then I would have hid myself from him - I should have been like one pursued by an enemy who could hide himself in a cave, or in a fastness, or in the mountains, so as to be safe from his attacks. The arrows of malice would fly harmlessly by me, and I should be safe. Not so, when one reproached me who had been an intimate friend; who had known all about me; and whose statements would be believed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 55:12. It was not an enemy — It is likely that in all these three verses Ahithophel is meant, who, it appears, had been at the bottom of the conspiracy from the beginning; and probably was the first mover of the vain mind of Absalom to do what he did.


 
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