Psalms 38:12
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
American King James Version (AKJV)
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
American Standard Version (ASV)
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.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Those who have a desire to take my life put nets for me; those who are designing my destruction say evil things against me, all the day their minds are full of deceit.
Webster's Revision
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
World English Bible
They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all day long.
English Revised Version (ERV)
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
Clarke's Psalms 38:12 Bible Commentary
They also that seek after my life - They act towards me as huntsmen after their prey; they lay snares to take away my life. Perhaps this means only that they wished for his death, and would have been glad to have had it in their power to end his days. Others spoke all manner of evil of him, and told falsities against him all the day long.
Barnes's Psalms 38:12 Bible Commentary
They also that seek after my life - This was a new aggravation of his affliction, that those who were his enemies now sought to accomplish their purposes against him with better hopes of success, by taking advantage of his sickness.
Lay snares for me - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Psalm 9:15. The idea here is that they sought this opportunity of ensnaring or entrapping him so as to ruin him. They took advantage of the fact that he was weak and helpless, and of the fact that he was forsaken or abandoned by his friends, to accomplish his ruin. how this was done is not stated. It might have been by their coming on him when he was thus helpless; or it might have been by endeavoring in his weak condition to extort confessions or promises from him that might be turned to his ruin. An enemy may hope to succeed much better when the one opposed is sick than when he is well, and may take advantage of his weak state of body and mind, and of the fact that he seems to be forsaken by all, to accomplish what could not be done if he were in the enjoyment of health, or sustained by powerful friends, or by a public opinion in his favor.
And they that seek my hurt - They who seek to injure me.
Speak mischievous things - Slanderous words. They charge on me things that are false, and that tend to injure me. The very fact that he was thus afflicted, they might urge (in accordance with a prevailing belief, and with the conviction of the psalmist also, Psalm 38:3-5) as a proof of guilt. This was done by the three friends of Job; and the enemies of the psalmist may thus have taken advantage of his sickness to circulate false reports about him which he could not then well meet.
And imagine deceits - Imagine or feign deceitful things; things which they know to be false or unfounded.
All the day long - Constantly. They seem to have no other employment. See Psalm 35:20.
Wesley's Psalms 38:12 Bible Commentary
38:12 Deceit - They design mischief, but cover it with fair pretences.