Psalm 38:11
New International Version
My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.

New Living Translation
My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.

English Standard Version
My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.

Berean Standard Bible
My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.

King James Bible
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

New King James Version
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off.

New American Standard Bible
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand far away.

NASB 1995
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.

NASB 1977
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.

Legacy Standard Bible
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.

Amplified Bible
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my neighbors stand far away.

Christian Standard Bible
My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction, and my relatives stand at a distance.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction, and my relatives stand at a distance.

American Standard Version
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.

Contemporary English Version
Because of my sickness, no friends or neighbors will come near me.

English Revised Version
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
My loved ones and my friends keep their distance and my relatives stand far away because of my sickness.

Good News Translation
My friends and neighbors will not come near me, because of my sores; even my family keeps away from me.

International Standard Version
As for my friends and my neighbors, they stand aloof from my distress; even my close relatives stand at a distance.

Majority Standard Bible
My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.

NET Bible
Because of my condition, even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance; my neighbors stand far away.

New Heart English Bible
My loved ones and my friends keep their distance because of my affliction. My kinsmen stand far away.

Webster's Bible Translation
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my affliction; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

World English Bible
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague. My kinsmen stand far away.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from before my plague. And my neighbors have stood far off.

Young's Literal Translation
My lovers and my friends over-against my plague stand. And my neighbours afar off have stood.

Smith's Literal Translation
My heart moved about rapidly, my strength forsook me, and the light of mine eyes also they not with me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me. And they that were near me stood afar off :

Catholic Public Domain Version
My friends and my neighbors have drawn near and stood against me. And those who were next to me stood far apart. And those who sought my soul used violence.

New American Bible
Friends and companions shun my disease; my neighbors stand far off.

New Revised Standard Version
My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction, and my neighbors stand far off.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
My neighbors and my friends stood aside from my grief; and my kinsmen stood off.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
My friends and my neighbors have stood before my sorrow and my relatives have been staying at a distance.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
My friends and my companions stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
My friends and my neighbours drew near before me, and stood still; and my nearest of kin stood afar off.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger
10My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded. 11My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance. 12Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.…

Cross References
Job 19:13-19
He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me. / My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me. / My guests and maidservants count me as a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight. ...

Lamentations 1:2
She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.

Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.

Lamentations 1:17
Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

Job 6:15-23
But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, / darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, / but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. ...

Job 19:21-22
Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. / Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?

Jeremiah 30:14
All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer seek you, for I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins.

Micah 7:5-6
Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms. / For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

Proverbs 19:7
All the brothers of a poor man hate him—how much more do his friends avoid him! He may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Matthew 26:56
But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.

Mark 14:50
Then everyone deserted Him and fled.

John 16:32
“Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

Matthew 27:55-56
And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him. / Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Luke 23:49
But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.


Treasury of Scripture

My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

lovers

Psalm 31:11
I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

Job 6:21-23
For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid…

Job 19:13-17
He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me…

stand

Luke 10:31,32
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side…

sore [heb.

Luke 22:54
Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

Luke 23:49
And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Jump to Previous
Afar Affliction Aloof Associates Avoid Companions Disease Far Friends Kinsmen Lovers Neighbors Neighbours Ones Plague Relations Sore Stand Stood Stroke Wounds
Jump to Next
Afar Affliction Aloof Associates Avoid Companions Disease Far Friends Kinsmen Lovers Neighbors Neighbours Ones Plague Relations Sore Stand Stood Stroke Wounds
Psalm 38
1. David moves God to take compassion on his pitiful case














My friends and companions
This phrase highlights the personal relationships that David, the psalmist, is lamenting over. In the Hebrew text, the word for "friends" is "רֵעַ" (rea), which can denote a close associate or companion. The term "companions" is translated from "מַכָּר" (makar), suggesting those who are familiar or known to the psalmist. Historically, friendships in ancient Israel were vital for social and economic support, and the loss or distancing of such relationships would have been deeply felt. This phrase sets the stage for understanding the depth of David's isolation and the emotional pain of being abandoned by those he trusted.

avoid me
The Hebrew root here is "נָגַד" (nagad), which means to stand aloof or to distance oneself. This conveys not just a physical separation but also an emotional and relational withdrawal. In the context of the psalm, this avoidance is not due to any fault of David's friends but rather a reaction to his suffering and perceived sinfulness. This reflects a broader biblical theme where sin and suffering often lead to social isolation, as seen in the lives of Job and other biblical figures.

because of my wounds
The word "wounds" is translated from the Hebrew "נֶגַע" (nega), which can refer to a physical affliction or a mark of divine displeasure. In the ancient Near Eastern context, physical ailments were often seen as a sign of divine judgment or personal sin. David's acknowledgment of his wounds suggests a recognition of his own sinfulness and the resulting consequences. This phrase underscores the theme of repentance and the need for divine mercy, as David's physical and social suffering is intertwined with his spiritual state.

my neighbors
The term "neighbors" comes from the Hebrew "קָרוֹב" (qarob), meaning those who are near or close by. This can refer to both physical proximity and social or familial ties. In ancient Israel, community and kinship were central to one's identity and support system. The mention of neighbors distancing themselves highlights the comprehensive nature of David's isolation, affecting not just his friends but also those who are part of his immediate community. This reflects the broader biblical narrative of the consequences of sin affecting not just the individual but the community as a whole.

stand at a distance
The phrase "stand at a distance" is derived from the Hebrew "רָחַק" (rachak), meaning to be far off or to remove oneself. This conveys a deliberate choice to separate, emphasizing the severity of David's isolation. In the biblical context, distance can symbolize both physical separation and a lack of support or empathy. This imagery is poignant, as it contrasts with the closeness and intimacy that David once experienced with God and his community. It serves as a reminder of the alienation that sin can cause, not only between individuals but also between humanity and God.

(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.

Verse 11. - My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; or, from my stroke (comp. Psalm 39:10, where the same word is used). The psalmist feels himself to be "stricken, smitten of God" (Isaiah 53:4). He looks for comfort and sympathy to his friends, but they, with a selfishness that is only too common, hold aloof, draw away item him, and desert him (comp. Job 19:13, 14). And my kinsmen stand afar off; or, my neighbours. The stricken deer is forsaken by the rest of the herd (comp. Matthew 26:56, 58).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
My beloved
אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀ (’ō·hă·ḇay)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

and friends
וְרֵעַ֗י (wə·rê·‘ay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

shun
יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ (ya·‘ă·mō·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

my disease,
נִגְעִ֣י (niḡ·‘î)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5061: Mark -- a blow, a spot

and my kinsmen
וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י (ū·qə·rō·w·ḇay)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7138: Near

stand
עָמָֽדוּ׃ (‘ā·mā·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

at a distance.
מֵרָחֹ֥ק (mê·rā·ḥōq)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious


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OT Poetry: Psalm 38:11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 38:10
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