Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 38:11
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
11. from my sore ] R.V. from my plague. The word is specially used of the plague of leprosy (Lev 13:3, &c.). His friends treat him as a leper, standing over against him, within sight but at a distance. Even his near kinsmen falsify their name by standing afar off. (LXX. .)
Comp. Psa 31:11-13; Psa 69:8; Psa 88:18; Job 19:13 ff.; Isa 53:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
My lovers – See the notes at Psa 31:11. The reference here is to those who professed to be his friends.
And my friends – The word used here means properly an acquaintance, a companion, a friend, Job 2:11; Job 19:21; then, a lover, a friend, a neighbor. The phrase here would be synonymous with our word kinsmen.
Stand aloof – They are unwilling to come near me; they leave me to suffer alone.
From my sore – Margin: stroke. The Hebrew word means properly a stroke, a blow, Deu 17:8; Deu 21:5; then a stroke in the sense of calamities or judgments, such as God brings upon men: Gen 12:17; Exo 11:1. The meaning here is, that they stand aloof from him, or refuse to come near him, as if he were afflicted with some contagious disease.
And my kinsmen – Margin: neighbors. The Hebrew word used here – qarob – means properly near, nigh; spoken of a place, Gen 19:20; then of time, Isa 13:6; then of kindred or affinity, Num 27:11; and then of friendship, meaning our intimate acquaintance – as we should say, those who are near to us, Job 19:14. The word would be applicable to neighbors or to warm personal friends.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. My lovers] Those who professed much affection for me; my friends, reai, my companions, who never before left my company, stand aloof.
My kinsmen] kerobai, my neighbours, stand afar off. I am deserted by all, and they stand off because of nigi, my plague. They considered me as suffering under a Divine judgment; and, thinking me an accursed being, they avoided me lest they should be infected by my disease.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Either through neglect, and contempt, or disdain of me; or through delicacy and abhorrency from loathsome and sadding spectacles; or through fear of infection, or some other inconveniences.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11, 12. Friends desert, but foesincrease in malignity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore,…. As if it was a plague sore, lest they should be infected with it; or because they could not bear the stench of his wounds, and the loathsomeness of his disease, or to see him in his agonies, and hear his roaring and his groans, Ps 38:2; or as taking his case to be desperate, as if he was just dying, and no help could be given him, Ps 38:10; If it was the leprosy, as some Jewish writers have affirmed, the word , translated “sore”, being used for the plague of the leprosy, they were obliged by the ceremonial law to keep at a distance from him: but this rather seems to be voluntary, and to proceed from neglect and contempt. These “lovers” and “friends” were such for whom David had had an affection, and had been friendly to, and therefore it was ungrateful in them to act the part they did; and such who had pretended love and friendship to him in his health and prosperity, but now had deserted him, which is a common case; see Job 19:13. Afflictions try men’s friends; and as that is a time when friendly visits are most wanting and most useful, so it is an aggravation of the affliction, and makes it the heavier when such are denied;
and my kinsmen stand afar off; that were near to him by the ties of nature or friendship.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11 My friends and my companions stand away from my sore Here David enumerates other circumstances to show the aggravated character of his misery, that he might excite the compassion of God. One of these is, that he finds no help or solace among men. In saying that his friends stand away from him, he means, that they cease from performing any of the offices of humanity towards him. This might happen either from pride or fear. If they withdrew from this poor afflicted man because they despised him, they were cruel and proud; and if they refused him their assistance for fear of being brought into odium, it was most unpardonable cowardice. But in the meantime, it augmented not a little the calamity of David, that even his friends and kinsfolk dared not to show any token of compassion towards him. It is, indeed, a very sore trial, when a man, who has had a great number of friends, comes to be abandoned by them all.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Sore is rather stroke, as in margin, or plague. His friends, looking on him as one smitten of God, and thinking he must be wicked to deserve such pain, abandon him as too vile for their society.
Kinsmen.Render rather, as in margin, neighbours, or near ones.
Those who should have been near me stand aloof.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Lovers friends kinsmen The enumeration covers close friends, companions; neighbours or associates; and kinsmen. These did not come near him, but stood “from before him,” “far off and round about.” See Psa 31:11; Job 19:13-14
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Look at the cross, and behold Jesus’s relations and disciples indeed standing afar off. Angels might well have done the same, for none but the arm of God could bear up the burden of sin. Mat 26:56 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 38:11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
Ver. 11. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore ] Heb. my stroke, which, therefore, some Jewish doctors will have to be the leprosy, which was noisome and contagious; and, therefore, by the law of God, none were to come near such, Prae horrore detrectantes accedere (Trem.). So among the Persians none might come near a Pisaga (so they called a leper), and therefore Megabyzus, having offended Artaxerxes, kept himself five years from court, pretending himself a leper, and in that space made his peace with the king (Ctes. Pers.). But in David’s friends, who dealt thus with him, it was not so much fear of danger as pride and perfidy that made them deny him all duty and friendship, Psa 31:11 . Job was so used, Job 6:15 ; and our Saviour, when he hung naked on the cross, Luk 23:49 ; and St Paul, when he made his defence before Nero, 2Ti 4:16 . So was not Orestes by his friend Pylades, nor Damon by his Pythias, nor Achilles by Patroclus, which made Alexander cry out, O felicem iuvenem! O faithful youth, Trouble trieth who are friends, who traitors (Sophoc.; Val. Max.; Plutarch in Alex.).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sore = stroke. Used of a leprous stroke.
kinsmen = neighbours.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 38:11-16
Psa 38:11-16
THE REACTION OF OTHERS
“My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
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.
But I, as a deaf man, hear not;
And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
Yea, I am as a man that heareth not,
And in whose mouth are no reproofs.
For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope:
Thou wilt answer, O Lord, my God.
For I said, Lest they rejoice over me:
When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.”
“My lovers” (Psa 38:11). Barnes tells us that the meaning of the Hebrew here is, “An acquaintance, a companion, or a friend. In this context it refers to David’s supporters.
As Kidner observed, “It is ironical that the more desperately a person needs the support of friends and loved ones the less likely he is to receive it”![15] As Rawlinson put it, “The stricken deer is deserted by the rest of the herd.
“I am as a deaf man … as a dumb man … as a man that heareth not” (Psa 38:13-14). Deafness and muteness are clearly figures of speech in this passage; and it is quite likely that the same metaphorical meaning of maladies mentioned previously in the same passage is intended.
“In whose mouth are no reproofs” (Psa 38:14). The marginal alternative for `reproofs’ here is `arguments.’ indicating that David was in no mood whatever to attempt any self-justification.
“O Jehovah … O Lord … my God” (Psa 38:15). There are three different names for God in this single verse, indicating, as Kidner observed, that, “David knew God by name (Yahweh) and by covenant (my God), and as Master and Savior (Psa 38:22 b).
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 38:11. Sore is a figurative term to designate the hard lot that had come upon David. Stand aloof refers to the shock it was to his friends and relatives.
Psa 38:12. The private foes of David have been his most dreaded problem. It would be so with any of us. There is some chance of wrestling with an antagonist who will come out openly with his challenge, but it is hard to deal with a sneaking coward.
Psa 38:13. See the comments on the previous verse. This offers the same thoughts in different words. If an enemy keeps his operations out of hearing of his victim he might as well be deaf. Or, he might as well be dumb since he could not have known when to speak against his foe.
Psa 38:14. This verse should take the comments of Psa 38:13.
Psa 38:15. David was practically deaf to the activities of his enemies because of his finite knowledge. But God can see and hear everything and thus would know all about the plots of the enemies against David. For that reason he turned to the Lord for help and believed that his services to the God of heaven and earth would avail.
Psa 38:16. David’s greatest dread regarding his personal misfortunes was about the attitude of his enemies toward him in his condition. He knew they would rejoice at any calamity that would come to him, and that was what he desired the Lord to prevent.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
lovers: Psa 31:11, Job 6:21-23, Job 19:13-17, Mat 26:56, Joh 16:32
stand: Luk 10:31, Luk 10:32
sore: Heb. stroke
kinsmen: or, neighbours
afar off: Luk 22:54, Luk 23:49
Reciprocal: Job 6:15 – My brethren Job 19:14 – kinsfolk Psa 88:18 – Lover Psa 102:7 – alone Pro 19:7 – the brethren Mat 26:31 – and the Mar 14:33 – and began Mar 14:50 – General Mar 15:40 – women
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 38:11-13. My lovers and friends stand aloof Either through neglect and contempt, or disdain of me. They that seek my life lay snares for me That if my affliction or trouble do not kill me, they may destroy me some other way; and imagine deceits all the day long They design mischief, but cover it with fair pretences. But I, as a deaf man, heard it not I carried myself toward them as if I had no ears to hear what they said, either to me or of me, nor a tongue to answer or reprove them for their reproaches and calumnies. And he was thus silent, not for want of just answers to them, but to testify his humiliation for his sins, and his acceptation of the punishment which he had brought upon himself.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
38:11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my {i} kinsmen stand afar off.
(i) Partly for fear and partly for pride, they denied all duty and friendship.