You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David's plea isn't just for God to hear him, but to actively respond. The original Hebrew links "keep not silence" to being deaf, implying God shouldn't ignore his prayers, and "be not far from me" means don't withhold help. It's a powerful cry for God's immediate, visible intervention against those who rejoice in his suffering.
You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is in the midst of intense suffering, describing enemies who hate him without cause and gloat over his distress, even saying "Aha! Aha! We have seen it!" (referring to his downfall). This verse is a direct plea to God, pivoting from the enemies' triumphant "seeing" to God's own divine observation, urging Him to break His apparent silence and draw near to intervene.
The psalmist's enemies are gloating, convinced they've 'seen it all' – David's downfall. But there's a higher witness to this drama.
In this verse, David contrasts the wicked's smug satisfaction with God's divine observation. His enemies rejoice, saying, 'Aha! Our eyes have seen it!' (verse 21), implying they've witnessed his defeat and are reveling in it. David then turns directly to God, stating, 'You have seen, O LORD.'
God's All-Seeing Eye
This isn't just passive observation. God sees the injustice, the malice, and the suffering. While the enemies see a moment of triumph, God sees the whole picture, including the truth of David's innocence and their wrongful actions. This recognition from God is David's ultimate comfort and the foundation of his plea.
When life feels unbearable, it can seem like God is silent and miles away. Why does the psalmist cry out against this perceived distance?
David's plea, 'be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!' expresses the deep agony of feeling abandoned. The enemies' taunts are amplified when God doesn't immediately intervene.
The Pain of Perceived Divine Silence
'Keep not silence' is a cry for God to speak, to act, to answer his prayers. It’s the opposite of being deaf. Similarly, 'be not far from me' isn't about God's omnipresence (He is everywhere), but about His gracious presence and active help. David craves God's direct intervention and support, not a distant, detached awareness.
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This highlights a profound truth: even when we feel God is silent or distant, His faithfulness calls us to continue praying and trusting that He will draw near.
Understand the original words
Yhwh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the one true God of Israel, indicating His covenant-keeping nature and eternal existence. He is the self-existent One who enters into a redemptive relationship with His people.
Adonai · Hebrew Noun
A title denoting sovereignty, authority, and lordship. It expresses God's right to rule over His creation and His people.
charash · Hebrew Verb
To be silent or inactive; in this context, it refers to a plea for God to break His perceived inaction and demonstrate His presence through intervention.
This passage echoes the plea to 'be not deaf' (a similar concept to 'keep not silence') and 'be not far from me', highlighting a persistent theme of believers crying out for God's immediate attention and presence during distress.
Psalms 22:11This verse expresses a similar desperate cry, 'Be not far from me, O Lord!', showing that David's feeling of abandonment and his urgent need for God's proximity in suffering was a recurring theme throughout his life.
Job 35:13This verse speaks to the futility of crying out to God when one's heart is not truly engaged with Him, providing a counterpoint to the Psalmist's sincere plea and emphasizing the importance of genuine seeking.
Isaiah 59:1-2This passage directly addresses God's perceived silence, attributing it to the people's sin, which creates a barrier to His hearing and intervention, thus offering a theological perspective on why God might seem distant.
Acts 17:27This verse reassures us that God is not truly far from any of us, grounding the Psalmist's prayer in the reality of God's omnipresence, even when His active intervention feels absent.
calvinPsalms 35:19-23: "Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause."
- Let not those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink with the eye. 20. For they speak not peace; [719] but devise deceitful words upon the clefts of the earth. 21. They have opened their mouth against me: they have said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen it. [720] 22. O Jehovah! thou hast also…
cambridgePsalms 35:22: "This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me."
22 . He turns their taunt into a plea: Thou hast seen, O Jehovah. Cp. Psalm 35:17 , note. keep not silence ] The same word as in Psalm 28:1 , where R.V. renders, be not thou deaf unto me . With be not far from me , cp. Psalm 22:11 ; &c.
David's plea isn't just for God to hear him, but to actively respond. The original Hebrew links "keep not silence" to being deaf, implying God shouldn't ignore his prayers, and "be not far from me" means don't withhold help. It's a powerful cry for God's immediate, visible intervention against those who rejoice in his suffering.
The psalmist is in the midst of intense suffering, describing enemies who hate him without cause and gloat over his distress, even saying "Aha! Aha! We have seen it!" (referring to his downfall). This verse is a direct plea to God, pivoting from the enemies' triumphant "seeing" to God's own divine observation, urging Him to break His apparent silence and draw near to intervene.
The psalmist is in the midst of intense suffering, describing enemies who hate him without cause and gloat over his distress, even saying "Aha! Aha! We have seen it!" (referring to his downfall). This verse is a direct plea to God, pivoting from the enemies' triumphant "seeing" to God's own divine observation, urging Him to break His apparent silence and draw near to intervene.
"You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!" — David's plea isn't just for God to hear him, but to actively respond. The original Hebrew links "keep not silence" to being deaf, implying God shouldn't ignore his prayers, and "be not far from m…
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Last reviewed October 2026