Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
English Standard Version (ESV)
Notice how David doesn't just pray for his enemies to be stopped, but for them to be turned back. This isn't just about defeating them; it's a plea for their advance to be reversed, so their pursuit of harm is completely undone. The repetition of "ashamed," "confounded," and "dishonor" emphasizes the profound reversal David envisions – their wicked intentions leading only to their own disgrace.
Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a desperate plea for God's immediate intervention, a cry for help from someone in deep distress and facing enemies who actively wish them harm. It's a repetition and variation of verses found in Psalm 40, suggesting a renewed urgency or a specific context where these words felt particularly relevant to David or whoever penned them. The surrounding verses make it clear this is a prayer born out of immediate danger, not a general reflection.
When danger is imminent and enemies are closing in, how do we pray? David doesn't hold back his anguish, but instead calls for a powerful divine intervention.
This verse isn't just a casual wish; it's a desperate cry from someone whose life is under direct threat. The repeated phrases, 'ashamed and confounded' and 'turned back and brought to dishonor,' show a deep-seated desire for justice and the thwarting of evil plans.
God's Response to Malice
David isn't just asking for his relief, but for God to actively act against those who wish him harm. This is a prayer for God to reveal the wickedness of his enemies by turning their own destructive intentions back on them. It’s about God’s glory being upheld when those who oppose Him are shown to be foolish and powerless.
What does it mean when people 'delight in my hurt'? This isn't just indifference; it's a active pleasure taken in another's suffering.
The phrasing here is stark: 'those who delight in my hurt.' This describes an enemy who doesn't just want to defeat you, but actively enjoys your pain and downfall.
The Root of Malice
This delight in another's suffering points to a deep-seated malice. It reveals a heart that is far from God's love and compassion. Such an attitude is a dangerous spiritual condition, as it twists joy into something perverse.
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David prays for these individuals to be 'turned back and brought to dishonor.' This isn't merely a curse, but a plea for their harmful desires to be exposed and for their twisted joy to be replaced with shame.
Understand the original words
bushah · Hebrew Noun
This concept implies a state of public humiliation or frustration resulting from defeat or the exposure of one's wicked intentions. It stands in contrast to the honor and security that God provides to those who trust in Him.
This psalm echoes the desperate cries of David, facing intense personal opposition. Its repetition in later contexts, including the suffering of the exiles, shows how these ancient pleas for justice and deliverance continue to resonate through times of intense persecution and distress.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
Reign of David
The psalms are traditionally attributed to David, a period of both great triumph and intense personal conflict for him, including betrayal and pursuit by enemies.
c. 970-931 BC
Solomon's Reign and Temple Construction
The construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem marked a new era of worship and national identity, with the Psalms often used in temple liturgy.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel led to widespread disruption and exile, a context of national crisis that deepened the psalmist's pleas for deliverance.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by the Babylonians plunged the people of Judah into exile, a time of profound sorrow and yearning for God's intervention.
c. 539 BC
Return from Exile
The decree of Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, a period of hope and restoration, though challenges remained.
This passage shares the same plea for shame and confusion upon those who oppose the psalmist, highlighting a consistent theme of God's justice against enemies.
Psalms 40:14This verse is nearly identical, showing that David (or the psalmist) felt this specific plea for divine intervention and enemy downfall was important enough to repeat.
Job 8:22This verse speaks to the ultimate fate of the wicked, that they will be clothed with shame and confusion, mirroring the psalmist's desire for his enemies' disgrace.
Proverbs 10:7This proverb offers a glimpse into the lasting legacy, stating that the memory of the righteous is a blessing, while the wicked 'rots,' connecting to the shame and confusion the psalmist prays for.
clarkePsalms 70:2: "Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
Let them be turned backward - They are coming in a body against me. Lord, stop their progress!
poolePsalms 70:2: "Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
No text from Poole on this verse.
Notice how David doesn't just pray for his enemies to be stopped, but for them to be turned back. This isn't just about defeating them; it's a plea for their advance to be reversed, so their pursuit of harm is completely undone. The repetition of "ashamed," "confounded," and "dishonor" emphasizes the profound reversal David envisions – their wicked intentions leading only to their own disgrace.
This psalm is a desperate plea for God's immediate intervention, a cry for help from someone in deep distress and facing enemies who actively wish them harm. It's a repetition and variation of verses found in Psalm 40, suggesting a renewed urgency or a specific context where these words felt particularly relevant to David or whoever penned them. The surrounding verses make it clear this is a prayer born out of immediate danger, not a general reflection.
This psalm is a desperate plea for God's immediate intervention, a cry for help from someone in deep distress and facing enemies who actively wish them harm. It's a repetition and variation of verses found in Psalm 40, suggesting a renewed urgency or a specific context where these words felt particularly relevant to David or whoever penned them. The surrounding verses make it clear this is a prayer born out of immediate danger, not a general reflection.
"Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!" — Notice how David doesn't just pray for his enemies to be stopped, but for them to be turned back. This isn't just about defeating them; it's a plea for their advance to be reversed, so their pursui…
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Last reviewed October 2026