Psalms 27:12
in Psalms 27Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries: For false witnesses are risen up against me, And such as breathe out cruelty.
KJV
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
⋯
This verse in Psalms 27
Commentary
11 notes on this verseDeliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; or I should be like a victim cast to the lions, to be rent in pieces and utterly devoured. God be thanked that our foes cannot have their way with us, or Smithfield would soon be on a blaze again. For false witnesses are risen up against me. Slander is an old fashioned weapon out of the armoury of hell, and is still in plentiful use; and no matter how holy a man may be, there will be some who will defame him.
This site's exposition
Teach me Your way
on Psalms 27:11-12
David asks for teaching and for a level path, and the verse gives the reason, his oppressors. A level path is a road cleared of the traps an enemy sets on it. Verse 12 names them, false witnesses breathing out violence.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me" [Psalm 27:12]. Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. "For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me." For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from You, as if I seek glory of men. "And iniquity has lied unto itself." Therefore iniquity has been pleased with its own lie. For me it has not moved, to whom because of this there has been promised a greater reward in heaven.
You do two things at the same time, making me better and not giving the foe an occasion for taunting or for thinking that they will be able to harm me against your will.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Do not hand me over." Here he explains what has been said; and he says two things. First, he asks to be freed from the danger of enemies. Second, he shows that he has enemies, at "For they have risen up." He says therefore, "Do …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies,....
And let our hearts be thus affected in singing this psalm. Encouragement in Prayers. 1 The L ORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the L ORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; or I should be like a victim cast to the lions, to be rent in pieces and utterly devoured. God be thanked that our foes cannot have their way with us, or Smithfield would soon be on a blaze again. For false witnesses are risen up against me. Slander is an old fashioned weapon out of the armoury of hell, and is still in plentiful use; and no matter how holy a man may be, there will be some who will defame him. "Give a dog an ill name, and hang him; "but glory be to God, the Lord's people are not dogs, and their ill names do not injure them. And such as breathe out cruelty. It is their vital breath to hate the good; they cannot speak without cursing them; such was Paul before conversion. They who breathe out cruelty may well expect to be sent to breathe their native air in hell; let persecutors beware!
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; or I should be like a victim cast to the lions, to be rent in pieces and utterly devoured. God be thanked that our foes cannot have their way with us, or Smithfield would soon be on a blaze again. For false witnesses are risen up against me. Slander is an old fashioned weapon out of the armoury of hell, and is still in plentiful use; and no matter how holy a man may be, there will be some who will defame him.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies - To their soul בנפש benephesh; their whole soul thirsts for my destruction. Let them not be gratified. They have suborned witnesses against me, but they are false witnesses: unmask their wickedness, and confound their counsels.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies - Let them not accomplish their desires in regard to me; let them not be able to carry out their purposes. The word here rendered “will” means properly “soul,” but it is used here evidently to denote “wish” or “desire.” Compare Psa 35:25. For false witnesses are risen up against me - People who would lay false charges against him, or who would wrongfully accuse him. They charged him with crimes which he never committed, and they persecuted him as if he were guilty of what they alleged against him. And such as breathe out cruelty - That is, they meditate violence or cruel treatment. They are intent on this; they pant for it. Saul of Tarsus thus “breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” See the notes at Act 9:1.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
to the desires of my adversaries To the desire of my enemies, to have their desire fulfilled through me.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Had I not believed in seeing, etc. If I had not believed in the Holy One, blessed be He, those false witnesses would have already risen against me and destroyed me. [The word] לולא is punctuated for the homily which our Sages expounded (Ber.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי | titeneni | you give me | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ | benefesh | in [the] desire of | H5315 → | 754 times |
| צָרָ֑י | tzarai | opponents my | H6862 → | 109 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קָֽמוּ־ | kamu- | they have arisen | H6965 → | 628 times |
| בִ֥י | vi | on <the> me | ||
| עֵֽדֵי־ | ʾedei- | witnesses of | H5707 → | 70 times |
| שֶׁ֝֗קֶר | sheker | falsehood | H8267 → | 113 times |
| וִיפֵ֥חַ | vifeach | and a witness of | H3307 → | |
| חָמָֽס׃ | chamas | violence | H2555 → | 60 times |
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּ֭תְּנֵנִיyou give me
titeneniH5414 →2011 times
בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁin [the] desire of
benefeshH5315 →754 times
צָרָ֑יopponents my
tzaraiH6862 →109 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
קָֽמוּ־they have arisen
kamu-H6965 →628 times
בִ֥יon <the> me
vi
עֵֽדֵי־witnesses of
ʾedei-H5707 →70 times
שֶׁ֝֗קֶרfalsehood
shekerH8267 →113 times
וִיפֵ֥חַand a witness of
vifeachH3307 →
חָמָֽס׃violence
chamasH2555 →60 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 41:11By this I know that You delight in me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.
it leads to
- Colossians 2:15
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
- Psalms 124:6
Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
- Psalms 25:2
in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
- Psalms 147:11
The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.
- Colossians 2:15
Through
Psalms 31:8You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open.
it leads to
- Job 36:16
Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness.
- Psalms 18:19
He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
- Psalms 4:1
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved my distress; show me grace and hear my prayer.
- Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
- Job 36:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 27; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Diodorus of Tarsus, COMMENTARY ON PSALM 27; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.