Salmi 38:12-22

12 Quelli che cercan la mia vita mi tendono reti, e quelli che procurano il mio male proferiscon cose maligne e tutto il giorno meditano frodi.

13 Ma io, come un sordo, non odo: son come un muto che non apre la bocca.

14 Son come un uomo che non ascolta, e nella cui bocca non è replica di sorta.

15 Poiché, in te io spero, o Eterno; tu risponderai, o Signore, Iddio mio!

16 Io ho detto: Non si rallegrino di me; e quando il mio piè vacilla, non s’innalzino superbi contro a me.

17 Perché io sto per cadere, e il mio dolore è del continuo davanti a me.

18 Io confesso la mia iniquità, e sono angosciato per il mio peccato.

19 Ma quelli che senza motivo mi sono nemici sono forti, quelli che m’odiano a torto son moltiplicati.

20 Anche quelli che mi rendon male per bene sono miei avversari, perché seguo il bene.

21 O Eterno, non abbandonarmi; Dio mio, non allontanarti da me;

22 affrettati in mio aiuto, o Signore, mia salvezza!

Salmi 38:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 38

\\<>\\. This psalm was composed by David under some sore affliction, and when in great distress of mind by reason of sin, perhaps his sin with Bathsheba; and was written as a memorial of his sense of sin, of his great afflictions, and deliverance from them; and therefore is said to be "to bring to remembrance", or to refresh his memory with the said things. Kimchi and Ben Melech think the psalm was made for the sake of such as are in distress, to put them in mind and teach them how to pray. The Targum calls the psalm, ``a good remembrance concerning Israel;'' and Jarchi says it was to remember the distress of Israel before the Lord, and that it is said with respect to all Israel; though others think the word "lehazcir" is the name of a psalm tune; and Aben Ezra was of opinion that it was the first word of some pleasant poem. The Septuagint version adds, ``concerning the sabbath,'' as if it was wrote to put persons in mind of that day; whereas there is nothing in the whole psalm that has any such tendency.