Psalm 7:4
New International Version
if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—

New Living Translation
if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,

English Standard Version
if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause,

Berean Standard Bible
if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause,

King James Bible
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)

New King James Version
If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause,

New American Standard Bible
If I have done evil to my friend, Or have plundered my enemy for no reason,

NASB 1995
If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary,

NASB 1977
If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary,

Legacy Standard Bible
If I have rewarded evil to him who is at peace with me, Or have plundered my adversary without cause,

Amplified Bible
If I have done evil to him who was at peace with me, Or without cause robbed him who was my enemy,

Christian Standard Bible
if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause,

American Standard Version
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary);

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And if I paid him who did evil to me and if I have afflicted my enemies for nothing,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
if I have requited with evil those who requited me with good; may I then perish empty by means of my enemies.

Contemporary English Version
I have not betrayed a friend or had pity on an enemy who attacks for no reason.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.

English Revised Version
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary:)

GOD'S WORD® Translation
if I have paid back my friend with evil or rescued someone who has no reason to attack me-

International Standard Version
if I have rewarded those who did me good with evil, if I have plundered my enemy without justification,

JPS Tanakh 1917
If I have requited him that did evil unto me, Or spoiled mine adversary unto emptiness;

Literal Standard Version
If I have done my well-wisher evil, | And draw my adversary without cause,

Majority Standard Bible
if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause,

New American Bible
If I have maltreated someone treating me equitably— or even despoiled my oppressor without cause—

NET Bible
or have wronged my ally, or helped his lawless enemy,

New Revised Standard Version
if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause,

New Heart English Bible
if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me, or oppressed my enemy without cause,

Webster's Bible Translation
If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me; (yes, I have delivered him that without cause is my enemy:)

World English Bible
if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),

Young's Literal Translation
If I have done my well-wisher evil, And draw mine adversary without cause,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Take Refuge in You
3O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, 4if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause, 5then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah…

Cross References
1 Samuel 24:7
With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.

1 Samuel 24:10
Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, 'I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD's anointed.'

1 Samuel 26:9
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?"

Job 31:30
I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse--

Psalm 7:5
then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah

Psalm 55:20
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.

Psalm 59:3
See how they lie in wait for me. Fierce men conspire against me for no transgression or sin of my own, O LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me; (yes, I have delivered him that without cause is my enemy:)

If I

Psalm 55:20
He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

Psalm 109:5
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Genesis 44:4
And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

I have

1 Samuel 24:7,10,11
So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way…

1 Samuel 26:9-17,24
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? …

without

1 Samuel 19:4,5
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to theeward very good: …

1 Samuel 20:1
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

1 Samuel 22:14
Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

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Adversary Cause Delivered Draw Emptiness Enemy Evil Foe Freed Friend Indeed Oppressed Peace Plundered Requited Rewarded Robbed Spoiled
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Adversary Cause Delivered Draw Emptiness Enemy Evil Foe Freed Friend Indeed Oppressed Peace Plundered Requited Rewarded Robbed Spoiled
Psalm 7
1. David prays against the malice of his enemies, professing his innocence
10. By faith he sees his defense, and the destruction of his enemies














(4) Yea, I have--i.e., on the contrary, so far from returning evil for good, I have returned good for evil. With allusion, there can be little doubt, to the incidents referred to in the last Note. From metrical reasons, and also to avoid the abruptness of the change of construction, Ewald conjectures that two clauses have dropped out of the text, and restores as follows--

"If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me

(And cunning unto him that was at peace with me,

Yea, if I have not rewarded his soul with good).

And delivered him that without cause is my enemy."

Milton's translation gives yet another colour to the passage--

"If I have wrought

Ill to him that meant me peace,

Or to him have rendered less,

And not freed my foe for nought."

The conjecture of a corruption of the text is supported by the rendering of the LXX. and Vulg., and a very slight change gives the probable rendering: "If I have returned evil to him that dealt friendly with me, and injured my enemy without cause."

Verse 4. - If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me. This is probably the true meaning. David denies that he has wantonly attacked and injured any one with whom he was on friendly and peaceable terms. No doubt he was accused of having estranged Saul by plotting to take the crown from him. (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy.) This translation, which is retained by our Revisers, has the support also of Ewald, Hupfeld, Mr. Aglen, and the 'Speaker's Commentary.' If accepted, it must be considered as a reference to 1 Samuel 24:7, or else to 1 Samuel 26:9, or both, and as a sort of parenthetic protest, "Nay, not only have I not injured a friend, but I have gone so far as to let my enemy escape me." A different meaning is, however, given to the passage by many critics, as Rosenmuller, Hengstenberg, Bishop Horsley, Cheyne, etc., who regard the sense as running on without any parenthesis, and translate, "If I have oppressed him who without cause is mine enemy." David, according to this view, denies that he has either injured a friend or requited evil to a foe.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I have rewarded
גָּ֭מַלְתִּי (gā·mal·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1580: To deal fully or adequately with, deal out to, wean, ripen

my ally
שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥י (šō·wl·mî)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7999: To be safe, to be, completed, to be friendly, to reciprocate

with evil,
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

if I have plundered
וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה (wā·’ă·ḥal·lə·ṣāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2502: To pull off, to strip, to depart, to deliver, equip, present, strengthen

my foe
צוֹרְרִ֣י (ṣō·wr·rî)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6887: To bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped

without cause,
רֵיקָֽם׃ (rê·qām)
Adverb
Strong's 7387: Emptily, ineffectually, undeservedly


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OT Poetry: Psalm 7:4 If I have rewarded evil to him (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 7:3
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