For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Psalmist isn't just saying his enemies will celebrate his misfortune; he's revealing a deeper anxiety: they'll celebrate not just any slip, but a slip that proves his failure and invalidates his faith in God's help. It's the fear that his enemies' boasting will, in his own mind, become a twisted confirmation of God's abandonment.
For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is in deep distress, feeling the weight of God's displeasure and the attacks of his enemies. He cries out to God for deliverance, knowing that if he stumbles, his enemies will seize the opportunity to mock and gloat over his downfall. This verse reveals his urgent plea that God would intervene before his adversaries can triumph in his perceived weakness.
Ever feel like your stumbles are public performances for your critics? This verse dives into that painful reality.
Psalm 38:16 captures a raw moment of vulnerability. The psalmist cries out to God, pleading, "Hear me, lest they rejoice over me." The core of this plea is the fear of his enemies. These aren't just distant observers; they are actively watching, waiting for any sign of weakness. The phrase "when my foot slips" paints a vivid picture of misfortune, a stumble that can happen to anyone. But for the psalmist, this slip isn't just personal failure; it becomes a spectacle.
The Enemy's Gaze
His adversaries "magnify themselves against me." This isn't just petty gossip. It's a hostile elevation of themselves at his expense. They see his misfortune as proof of their own superiority or righteousness, a chance to boast and diminish him. It’s a dynamic many of us recognize: the feeling of being under a harsh spotlight when things go wrong, where our mistakes are amplified and used as ammunition by those who oppose us.
Why does David's desperate plea to God hinge on the actions of his enemies? It's a strategic prayer.
The psalmist's prayer isn't just a lament; it's a strategic appeal rooted in the reality of spiritual warfare. He asks God to hear him, not just for his own comfort, but specifically "lest they rejoice over me." This reveals a profound understanding of how our struggles can impact the spiritual landscape.
Warfare Through Weakness
The enemies aren't just human adversaries; their boasting and magnification are attempts to undermine faith itself. When a believer stumbles, the enemy seeks to use that moment to prove that God's promises are false or that His people are weak and ultimately doomed. David understands that his fall isn't just a personal setback; it's a potential victory for the forces opposing God.
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Therefore, his prayer is a plea for God's intervention to thwart this spiritual objective. It's a prayer for deliverance not only from his immediate predicament but from the spiritual triumph of his foes.
Understand the original words
samach · Hebrew Verb
To exult or triumph with joy, often used in the Psalms to describe the gloating of enemies over the suffering or downfall of the righteous.
gadal · Hebrew Verb
To speak with excessive pride or vanity; in a biblical context, often directed against God or His people, implying arrogance and self-sufficiency.
mut · Hebrew Verb
Metaphorical imagery for a lapse in moral integrity, a failure to walk in God's ways, or a stumble into calamity and misfortune.
This psalm reflects a time of intense personal suffering and public persecution, likely during the tumultuous period of the Israelite monarchy, when enemies were quick to exploit any perceived weakness as evidence of divine disfavor.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign as King of Israel
The Psalms were largely written during the time of David's kingship and the subsequent periods of the united and divided monarchies. Many psalms reflect the political and personal struggles of this era.
c. 970 BC
Death of King David
Following David's death, his son Solomon reigned, and the kingdom experienced a period of relative peace and prosperity, though internal and external pressures continued.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After Solomon's reign, the united kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah, leading to increased conflict and vulnerability.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many inhabitants. This event cast a shadow over the southern Kingdom of Judah, increasing fears of similar destruction.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled a significant portion of the population. This was a period of immense national trauma and reflection, heavily influencing later biblical writings.
This passage warns against rejoicing when an enemy falls, highlighting the same malicious joy that the Psalmist fears in Psalm 38:16.
Job 31:29Similar to the Psalmist's plea, Job expresses that he has not rejoiced at the misfortune of his enemies, showing a shared concern about celebrating another's downfall.
Galatians 6:10This verse speaks to continuing to do good, even when facing opposition, echoing the Psalmist's struggle and implicitly his desire not to give enemies grounds for boasting.
Luke 6:28Jesus' teaching to bless those who curse you offers a counterpoint to the Psalmist's fear of enemies rejoicing, pointing towards a higher way of responding to hostility.
Romans 12:14This passage directly addresses the need to bless those who persecute you, which is the ideal response to the very situation the Psalmist is lamenting in Psalm 38:16.
clarkePsalms 38:16: "For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me."
When my foot slippeth - They watched for my halting; and when my foot slipped, they rejoiced that I had fallen into sin!
ellicottPsalms 38:16: "For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me."
(16) Lest. —It is better to carry on the force of the particle of condition: For I said, Lest they should rejoice over me: Lest, when my foot slipped, they should vaunt themselves against me.
The Psalmist isn't just saying his enemies will celebrate his misfortune; he's revealing a deeper anxiety: they'll celebrate not just any slip, but a slip that proves his failure and invalidates his faith in God's help. It's the fear that his enemies' boasting will, in his own mind, become a twisted confirmation of God's abandonment.
The psalmist is in deep distress, feeling the weight of God's displeasure and the attacks of his enemies. He cries out to God for deliverance, knowing that if he stumbles, his enemies will seize the opportunity to mock and gloat over his downfall. This verse reveals his urgent plea that God would intervene before his adversaries can triumph in his perceived weakness.
The psalmist is in deep distress, feeling the weight of God's displeasure and the attacks of his enemies. He cries out to God for deliverance, knowing that if he stumbles, his enemies will seize the opportunity to mock and gloat over his downfall. This verse reveals his urgent plea that God would intervene before his adversaries can triumph in his perceived weakness.
"For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”" — The Psalmist isn't just saying his enemies will celebrate his misfortune; he's revealing a deeper anxiety: they'll celebrate not just any slip, but a slip that proves his failure and invalidates hi…
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Last reviewed October 2026