The Meaning of Psalms 38:12 Explained

Psalms 38:12

KJV: They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

YLT: And those seeking my soul lay a snare, And those seeking my evil Have spoken mischievous things, And they do deceits meditate all the day.

Darby: And they that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all the day long.

ASV: They also that seek after my life lay snares for me ; And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all the day long.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They also that seek  after my life  lay snares  [for me]: and they that seek  my hurt  speak  mischievous things,  and imagine  deceits  all the day  long. 

What does Psalms 38:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 38:1-22 - The Cry Of The Needy Penitent
A long drawn-out sigh of pain. Some think it should be classed with Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 51:1-19, as belonging to the time of David's fall and repentance. It is filled with a sense of God's judgments and the profound consciousness of sin. Perhaps David was suffering physically, or he may be describing his spiritual maladies in terms borrowed from that source. His friends stood apart and his enemies were near. But it was wise to refrain from man and to wait only on God. When we are buffeted and derided, the true attitude is our Lord's. As the dumb sheep before her shearers, He opened not His mouth!
In Psalms 38:15 the tone becomes calmer. The soul begins to recover its center of gravity in God. Notice the fourfold repetition of For, Psalms 38:15-18. Faith marshals her arguments. Out of "stony griefs" she builds "Bethels." Like Samson, she finds honey in the lion's carcass. But God will not forsake. He never for a moment withdraws His close attention. The Refiner sits by the crucible, and will cool down the heat the moment it has done its work. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 38

1  David moves God to take compassion on his pitiful case

What do the individual words in Psalms 38:12 mean?

And Those who lay snares [for me] seek my life and Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction and deception all the day long plan
וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל־ הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ

וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀  And  Those  who  lay  snares  [for  me] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָקַשׁ  
Sense: to knock, strike, bring down.
מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י  seek 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
נַפְשִׁ֗י  my  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י  and  Those  who  seek 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
רָ֭עָתִי  my  hurt 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
דִּבְּר֣וּ  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הַוּ֑וֹת  of  destruction 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: הַוָּה 
Sense: desire.
וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת  and  deception 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מִרְמָה  
Sense: deceit, treachery.
הַיּ֥וֹם  the  day  long 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יֶהְגּֽוּ  plan 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָגָה  
Sense: to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak.