I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David feels utterly discarded, not just forgotten like someone dead, but intentionally broken and worthless, like a shattered pot tossed aside. This imagery powerfully conveys a sense of utter uselessness and contempt that goes beyond simple neglect.
I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King David is in a state of deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned and worthless. He describes his pain in vivid terms, lamenting that his enemies have turned even his neighbors and acquaintances against him, causing them to flee in fear at the sight of him. This leads him to feel completely forgotten and discarded, like an object no longer useful.
Ever felt completely invisible, like your absence wouldn't even be noticed? David expresses this deep isolation in a way that resonates powerfully.
The Silence of Being Forgotten
David cries out, 'I have been forgotten like one who is dead.' This isn't just about being overlooked; it's a profound sense of ceasing to matter.
Imagine being discarded like a shattered pot. David uses this image to convey the depth of his despair and uselessness.
Discarded and Irreparable
'I have become like a broken vessel.' This metaphor paints a vivid picture of utter worthlessness and finality.
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Understand the original words
keli obed · Hebrew Noun phrase
A metaphor for something ruined, useless, or discarded. In the Bible, it often represents a person who has lost their strength, dignity, or purpose through suffering or judgment.
This psalm reflects a deep sense of abandonment and worthlessness, a feeling that resonates powerfully with anyone who has been betrayed or cast aside. The imagery of being 'forgotten as one dead' and a 'broken vessel' speaks to a profound despair, a state of being rendered useless and invisible to the world.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
Reign of David
The psalm is traditionally attributed to David, a period marked by his struggles with enemies, betrayal by some, and political intrigue.
c. 1000-970 BC
David's Flight from Saul/Absalom
This period saw David hiding from King Saul and later fleeing from his own son Absalom, experiencing deep betrayal and isolation.
Post-Exilic Period (c. 5th-4th century BC)
Compilation of the Psalter
While attributed to David, many Psalms were compiled and edited during the post-exilic period, offering a voice to the community's ongoing struggles and hopes.
This passage mirrors the feeling of being forgotten and abandoned by those close to you, resonating with the Psalmist's deep sense of isolation as if he were dead and out of mind.
Jeremiah 22:28The imagery of a 'broken, rejected vessel' is powerfully echoed here, highlighting the complete worthlessness and contempt that the prophet Jeremiah describes for an unfaithful king, similar to the Psalmist's sense of being discarded.
Lamentations 3:16This verse from Lamentations directly expresses the feeling of being broken and crushed, linking physical and emotional suffering to a state of despair that aligns with the Psalmist's description of himself as a broken vessel under immense pressure.
Luke 1:48While expressing a different sentiment, Mary's song about God looking on the 'low estate' of his servant connects to the Psalmist's feeling of being brought so low that he is like a broken, forgotten thing, emphasizing God's notice of the humble and despised.
calvinPsalms 31:9-13: "Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly."
- Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah! for I am in trouble: mine eye, my soul, and my belly, are consumed by reason of anger. 10. For my life is wasted by reason of grief, and my years with groaning; my strength faileth in my sorrow, and my bones are consumed. 11. I was a reproach by reason of all mine enemies, yea, exceedingly to my neighbors, and a fear to my acquaintances…
cambridgePsalms 31:12: "I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel."
12 . As a dead man passes out of men’s minds, so he is forgotten. Cp. Job 19:14 . He is like a broken (lit. perishing ) vessel, flung aside contemptuously and no more remembered. Cp. (though the phrase there is different) Jeremiah 22:28 (R.V.).
David feels utterly discarded, not just forgotten like someone dead, but intentionally broken and worthless, like a shattered pot tossed aside. This imagery powerfully conveys a sense of utter uselessness and contempt that goes beyond simple neglect.
King David is in a state of deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned and worthless. He describes his pain in vivid terms, lamenting that his enemies have turned even his neighbors and acquaintances against him, causing them to flee in fear at the sight of him. This leads him to feel completely forgotten and discarded, like an object no longer useful.
King David is in a state of deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned and worthless. He describes his pain in vivid terms, lamenting that his enemies have turned even his neighbors and acquaintances against him, causing them to flee in fear at the sight of him. This leads him to feel completely forgotten and discarded, like an object no longer useful.
"I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel." — David feels utterly discarded, not just forgotten like someone dead, but intentionally broken and worthless, like a shattered pot tossed aside. This imagery powerfully conveys a sense of utter useles…
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Last reviewed October 2026