For I hope in you, Yahweh. You will answer, Lord my God.
Parallel Translations
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For I hope in you, Yahweh. You will answer, Lord my God.
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For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
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(38-16) For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to Psalms 38:15 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 39:7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
- Psalms 17:6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.
- Psalms 138:3 In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul.
- Psalms 123:1-3 I lift up my eyes to you, you who sit in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to Yahweh, our God, until he has mercy on us. Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 15 For on thee, O Jehovah! do I wait.…
15 For on thee, O Jehovah! do I wait. David here shows the source of his patience. It consisted in this, that, trusting in the grace of God, he overcame all the temptations of the world. And certainly, the mind of man will never be framed to gentleness and meekness, nor will he be able to subdue his passions, until he has learned never to give up hope. The Psalmist, at the same time, adds, that he cherished his hope by constant meditation, lest he should yield to despair. And this is the only means of our perseverance, when, on the ground of his own promises, with which we are furnished, we appeal to him, yea, rather when setting before our view his fidelity and his constancy in fulfilling what he has promised, we are sureties to ourselves for him. Accordingly, Paul, in Romans 5:4, very properly joins patience to hope and consolation. The repetition of terms in this verse shows, that this holy man was subjected to a severe and arduous conflict. Thou, he says, O Lord! my God, wilt answer me. His language implies, that if God should delay to come to his help, there was reason to fear that he would faint from weariness, or fall into despair, unless, setting this double defense before him, he persevered valiantly in the conflict.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 38:15 For in thee, O LORD, do I…
Psa 38:15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
Ver. 15. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope] This was the ground of his patience, and differenced it from that of heathens, which was rather pertinace than patience, and came not from a right principle.
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Thou wilt hear] Or answer; and, therefore, what need is there of my answer?
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain I bore their carriage silently and patiently, because I…
I bore their carriage silently and patiently, because I hoped and knew that thou wouldst answer for me, and plead my cause better than myself; which I would not prevent by my impatience, and avenging myself. Or, but in thee
do I hope, i.e. though friends forsake me, and mine enemies plot and practise against me, yet I do not despair, because I have thee on my side.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain For I said, hear me,.... This he had expressed…
For I said, hear me,.... This he had expressed in prayer to God; he had committed his cause to him, and entreated him that he would hear and answer him; giving this as a reason,
lest otherwise they should rejoice over me; at his misfortunes and calamities, at the continuance of his trouble and distress, both of body and mind;
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when my foot slippeth; as it sometimes did through the corruptions of nature, the temptations of Satan, and the snares of the world; which is more or less the case of all the people of God, who are all subject to slips and falls, though they shall not finally and totally fall away;
they magnify themselves against me; that is, his enemies exulted and triumphed over him: this was what he found by experience; and therefore makes use of it as an argument with God, that he would hear and answer and deliver him out of his trouble, and preserve him from falling.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 15. In thee, O Lord, do I hope]…
Verse 15. In thee, O Lord, do I hope] I have no helper but thee.
Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.] Thou art eternal in thy compassions, and wilt hear the prayer of a penitent soul. In the printed copies of the Hebrew text we have אדני אלהי Adonai Elohai, Lord my God; but, instead of אדני Adonai, one hundred and two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. read יהוה Yehovah. As this word is never pronounced by the Jews, and they consider it dreadfully sacred, in reading, wherever it occurs, they pronounce אדני Adonai; and we may well suppose that Jewish scribes, in writing out copies of the sacred Scriptures, would as naturally write Adonai for Yehovah, as they would in reading supply the former for the latter.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain For in thee, O Lord, do I hope -…
For in thee, O Lord, do I hope - This shows the reason or ground of his patience. He committed his whole cause to God. He believed that God would take care of his reputation, and that he would vindicate him. See Psa 37:5-6. He had no doubt that He would protect his character, and that, notwithstanding the reproaches of his enemies, his true character would at last be made to shine forth, so that all men would see that he had been unjustly aspersed. The exact idea here is expressed, and the sentiment was beautifully and perfectly illustrated, in what is said of the Lord Jesus: “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,” 1Pe 2:23.
Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God - Margin, as in Hebrew: “answer.” The idea is, that God would answer his prayers, and that his character would, in answer to those prayers, be set right before the world.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain for he is confident the
for he is confident the
Lord--literally, "Sovereign" (to whom he was a servant), would answer his prayer (Psa 3:4; Psa 4:1), and not permit their triumph in his partial halting, of which he was in danger.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 15. Thou wilt hear—The psalmist was silent towards men,…
15. Thou wilt hear—The psalmist was silent towards men, because his cause did not lie between him and them, but he appeals to God, who will “hear”—rather, answer, as the word properly means, and in this place imports a judicial answer, a vindication.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 15. The motive of silence and resignation.
15. The motive of silence and resignation.
in thee … do I hope] Or, for thee do I wait. Patience and hope are inseparable. Cp. Psa_39:7; Mic_7:7.
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thou wilt hear] Thou, thou wilt answer. The pronoun is emphatically expressed. It is possible to complete the sense by supplying me, with reference to the prayer of which Psa_38:16 speaks: or for me (P.B.V.) with reference to Psa_38:14. But the one involves the other. An answer to his prayer must be a refutation of the taunts of his enemies.
15–22. Fresh pleadings with God.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (15) Thou wilt hear.—Thou is emphatic.
(15) Thou wilt hear.—Thou is emphatic.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For in thee, O Lord, do I hope. Thus…
For in thee, O Lord, do I hope. Thus I acted, because my hope was in thee. I looked for thy interposition. I knew that thou wouldst "maintain my right, and my cause" (Psa_9:4) in thine own good time and in thine own good way. I said to myself in my heart, Thou wilt hear or rather, thou wilt answer (Revised Version)O Lord my God; and I was content to leave my defence to thee.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 15. David committed himself to him that judgeth…
Ver. 15. David committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, and so in patience was able to possess his soul. Hope in God's intervention, and belief in the power of prayer, are two most blessed stays to the soul in time of adversity. Turning right away from the creature to the sovereign Lord of all, and to him as our own covenant God, we shall find the richest solace in waiting upon him. Reputation like a fair pearl may be cast into the mire, but in due time when the Lord makes up his jewels, the godly character shall shine with unclouded splendour. Rest then, O slandered one, and let not thy soul be tossed to and fro with anxiety.
Ver. 15. A man that is to go down into a deep pit, he does not throw himself headlong into it, or leap down at all adventures, but fastens a rope at top upon a cross beam or some sure place, and so lets himself down by degrees: so let thyself down into the consideration of thy sin, hanging upon Christ; and when thou art gone so low that thou canst endure no longer, but art ready to be overcome with the horror and darkness of thy miserable estate, dwell not too long at the gates of hell, lest the devil pull thee in, but wind thyself up again by renewed acts of faith, and "fly for refuge unto the hope that is set before thee." Heb 6:18. Thomas Cole (1627-1697), in "Morning Exercises."
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Ver. 15. Prayer, the offspring of hope.
Hope strengthened by confidence in God's answering prayer.
Psalms 38:16*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain For in Thee, O Lord, do I hope.
Psa_38:15
For in Thee, O Lord, do I hope.
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Hopes lever
You have heard, no doubt, of the great Grecian mechanician who once said, If I had a lever long and strong enough, and a fulcrum on which to rest it, I could move the earth. Such was the philosophers confidence in the power of the mechanical lever. There is in the world of mind and spirit a corresponding power which we call Hope. What can be stronger than this sacred, invisible influence? See that man yonder, going along with his head bent; when he speaks, there is no music in his voice, and no light in his eye. What is the cause? You reply, Ah, that man has lost all his hope. Remove this divine influence from us, and existence, to the poor, and sick, and disappointed, would be like an eternal night without a star. Hope is a Divinely-given grace to bear us heavenward, like the wings of a bird. And as a bird puts forth efforts to fly, so we should continually aspire to be better men and women than we are.
I. Hope inspires us to act as if we in reality could see and hear god speaking to us. When we read in the Gospel that God forgives sin, hope inspires us to believe that our Father has really forgiven us. The men on yonder ship which has sprung a leak, hoist a flag of distress, and while that steamer passes by they hope her captain will see their message and deliver them from peril and distress. So, with the same feeling, a man when in sorrow, or when he feels that without some great change taking place he will sink utterly in sin--that man goes into his room, shuts the door, kneels down, and lifts his flag of distress to God in the cry, Lord, save me; I perish! And as no humane sailor would pass by a ship which carries a flag of distress, neither will God pass by the cry of any man, or woman, or child, who calls upon Him in trouble.
II. God has given us the faculty of hope in order that it may prompt us to great actions. The prodigal of whom we read in the fifteenth chapter of Luke, was a very feeble creature. The parable is not told us to exalt the prodigal, but to show Gods love and forgiveness. But hope in his fathers love prompted him to arise and go to his father: it lifted him from hell to heaven. So, do not be afraid of the self-denial of becoming a Christian. You will suffer; it is not for me to deceive you. The man who will live a true Christian life does suffer. Ah, but there is a divine sweetness in it, such as never comes from sin. Let hope come into your breast. You can be sober; you can be self-denying; you can be truthful; you can be honest and manly in the highest sense of these words. Let hope in Gods Word encourage you to believe that you can do great and good actions.
III. There is hope in death. Have you this hope? If so, and your life is right with God and with man, you will be ready for death. (W. Birch.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 you will answer
you will answer
Possible meanings are 1) "you will answer me" or 2) "you will answer my enemies."
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will not gloat over me
"will not delight over my trouble"
If my foot slips
Here "my foot" represents the writer. The slipping of his foot is a metaphor that refers to the writer's troubles and misfortunes. AT: "If I make mistakes that cause me trouble" (See: Synecdoche and Metaphor)
translationWords
God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 38:15 The Lord alone will resolve the conflict (9:18;…
38:15 The Lord alone will resolve the conflict (9:18; 27:14; 37:9, 34).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.