Psalms 31:13 · Bible study
Psalms 31:13 Commentary: Slander, Conspiracy, and Trust
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of 'terror on every side' in Psalm 31:13 and how it drives the psalmist to declare trust in God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The psalmist’s cumulative suffering from slander and conspiracy drives him to declare trust in God alone.
- Key words: Slander (false accusations), terror on every side (total threat), conspire (coordinated opposition), plot (deliberate plan).
- Main debate: Whether the psalm is directly messianic or a type of Christ’s suffering.
- Theological theme: Trust in God’s deliverance when human resources fail.
- Best use: Comfort and language for those falsely accused or facing organized opposition.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.
KJV King James Version 1769
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For I have heard the defaming of many, Terror on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For I have heard an evil account of many, Fear is round about. In their being united against me, To take my life they have devised,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For I have heard the slander of many — terror on every side — when they take counsel together against me: they plot to take away my life.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Porque he oído afrenta de muchos; miedo por todas partes, cuando consultaban juntos contra mí, é ideaban quitarme la vida.
Porque ouvi a murmuração de muitos, temor há ao redor; juntamente tramam contra mim, planejam como matar minha alma.
Je suis oublié des cœurs comme un mort,
Denn ich höre, wie mich viele schelten, Schrecken ist um und um; sie ratschlagen miteinander über mich und denken, mir das Leben zu nehmen.
Ik ben uit het hart vergeten als een dode; ik ben geworden als een bedorven vat.
Perché odo il diffamare di molti, spavento m’è d’ogn’intorno, mentr’essi si consigliano a mio danno, e macchinano di tormi la vita.
Wypadłem z pamięci jako umarły; stałem się jako naczynie stłuczone.
我聽見了 許多人 的讒謗，四圍 都是驚嚇；他們一同 商議 攻擊我的時候，就圖謀 要害 我的性命。
False statements against me have come to my ears; fear was on every side: they were talking together against me, designing to take away my life.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse describes the third wave of the psalmist’s suffering, after reproach by neighbors and being forgotten like a dead man (Barnes). The “slander of many” means false accusations that paint the speaker as a conspirator against the king (Poole). Barnes calls slander an added source of trouble with “an edge sharper than the sword.” The following phrase “terror on every side” is a signature expression of the prophet Jeremiah (Cambridge), used here to capture a sense of total isolation and threat. Gill notes the enemies became a “Magormissabib,” a terror round about. The conspiracy and plotting to take life echo passages from 1 Samuel where Saul’s allies scheme against David. All sources see this description as the dark backdrop that makes the faith declaration in verse 14 so striking. Calvin observes that David “brings forward nothing but faith alone” as his ground for hope. The verse does not linger in despair; it sets the stage for trust.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The psalmist is describing a situation of intense persecution, slander, and conspiracy that threatens his life, and this description forms the basis for his cry for mercy and his turn to trust in God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical setting | All traditions agree that the persecution described matches David’s flight from Saul. | |
| Phase 'terror on every side' | Commentators recognize this as a repeated phrase in Jeremiah, possibly borrowed by the psalmist. | |
| Messianic interpretation | Christians see the psalm as at least typologically pointing to Christ’s suffering. | |
| Response to suffering | The verse demonstrates that honest lament can coexist with active trust in God. | |
| Reference to Jeremiah | Some argue the phrase suggests Jeremiah wrote or edited the psalm; others see it as common language of lament. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The life of David during his flight from King Saul provides the most direct historical setting. After Samuel anointed David, Saul grew jealous and sought to kill him. David fled to the wilderness, pursued by a king who once loved him. The “slander” David heard likely included charges that he was a traitor bent on overthrowing the throne. In 1 Samuel 24:9 David asks Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?” That matches the slander described here. The “terror on every side” is not merely fear; it is the real danger of being surrounded by informers and enemies. The Ziphites betrayed David’s hiding place to Saul, offering to hand him over (1 Samuel 23:19-20). The conspiracy language fits Saul’s accusation that his own officials had “conspired” with Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 22:8). The plot to take life was no exaggeration, Saul threw a spear at David multiple times (1 Samuel 18:11; 19:10; 20:33). This historical reality roots the psalm in a specific crisis, though later believers in any age of persecution have found it equally relevant.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 31:13. The Hebrew text is stable across the manuscript traditions. The rendering “slander” (WEB, KJV) and “defaming” (ASV) represent the same Hebrew word, and “fear was on every side” (KJV) versus “terror on every side” (WEB) reflect equivalent semantic choices.
Reception History
The early church, following Augustine, read Psalm 31 as directly messianic because Jesus quoted verse 5 on the cross. By the Reformation, Calvin and the Geneva Bible understood the psalm as David’s prayer amid persecution, while still seeing Christ’s sufferings foreshadowed. Matthew Henry (Reformed) called David “a type of Christ” in his grief. The verse has been sung and prayed by persecuted believers across centuries, a cry of the innocent surrounded by enemies, yet trusting God. In modern times, the psalm remains a resource for those experiencing slander or organized opposition, offering language for both lament and faith.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The accumulation of suffering: Slander, isolation, and death threats pile up until the psalmist feels “terror on every side.” This is not one problem but many, all at once.
- The reality of conspiracy: Enemies coordinate their efforts, plot together, and aim for his life. The danger is deliberate and organized.
- The turn to trust: Instead of collapsing, the psalmist declares “But I trust in you, Yahweh.” The darkest moment precedes the most defiant faith.
Five-point outline
- What the psalmist hears: Slander, false reports spread by many voices.
- What the psalmist feels: Terror that comes from every direction, leaving no safe place.
- What the enemies do: They conspire together, coordinate their plans.
- What they want: To take his life, nothing less satisfies them.
- What he does: He entrusts his life to God, saying “You are my God.”
Illustration hooks
- A workplace where rumors spread behind someone’s back, damaging their reputation before they can defend themselves.
- A family feud where relatives take sides, and the person caught in the middle hears whispered accusations from all directions.
- Social media pile-ons where false narratives get repeated so often they feel true, and the target feels surrounded by enemies they cannot even see.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I trust God when people I know are spreading lies about me?
- Is it normal to feel terror when I am outnumbered and conspired against?
- Does God see this conspiracy, and does he care that my reputation is destroyed?
Leading a Discussion
This verse pulls back the curtain on the psalmist’s inner world during a crisis. He is not pretending everything is fine. He names the slander, the terror, the conspiracy, and the murderous intent. Only then does he turn to God in faith. For small groups, this passage offers a model for honesty in prayer, we can bring our real fears to God, not polished versions of them.
Discussion questions
- What specific forms of suffering does the psalmist list in verse 13? Give each one a name.
- Have you ever experienced “terror on every side”, a situation where threats seemed to come from all directions? What did that feel like?
- Why do you think the psalmist includes the detail that the conspiracy was aimed at taking his life? What does that add to the weight of his prayer?
- How does verse 13 connect to verse 14? What changes between the two verses?
- In what ways have you seen God be trustworthy even when people plotted against you?
- How can we support someone who is being slandered or threatened, without dismissing their pain or rushing them to “just trust God”?
- What does this verse teach us about the kind of prayers God welcomes?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 19:10 | Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence; and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night. |
| I Samuel 19:17 | Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’” |
| I Samuel 20:33 | Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. |
| I Samuel 22:8 | Is that why all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?” |
| I Samuel 22:10 | He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” |
| I Samuel 23:19 | Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? |
| I Samuel 23:20 | Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.” |
| I Samuel 24:9 | David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
I have heard the slander of many - To this and the two foregoing verses the reader may find several parallels; Jer 18:18 to the end of Jer 19:1-15 ., and ten first verses of chapter 20: This has caused several to suppose that Jeremiah was the author of this Psalm.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies three distinct layers of the psalmist's suffering: reproach from friends, being forgotten, and slander. He treats slander as a separate and particularly painful trial, noting that false reports add a sharp edge to the overall affliction.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that David grounds his entire prayer on persistent trust in God, treating faith as a continuous act rather than a single moment. David expects deliverance solely because he is convinced that hope placed in God can never be disappointed.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes a shift in tone where recalling past kindnesses makes the current distress feel even harsher. They compare this to the lament in Psalms 6 and Jeremiah's complaints, highlighting the phrase "Terror on every side" as a distinctive hallmark of Jeremiah's own descriptions of persecution.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that the psalmist faced not just any opposition, but the slander of powerful men. His fear was compounded by a widespread conspiracy among them, who deliberately plotted to take his life.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the psalmist's phrase "fear on every side" echoes Jeremiah's "Magormissabib," meaning terror all around from both enemies and neighbors. They conspired to take his life, but since life rests in God's hands, their plots cannot succeed. This awareness of God's sovereign counsel becomes the ground for renewed trust.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the word "For" introduces further grounds for the psalmist's prayer. It points directly to the specific character of his enemies' attacks: they are unjust, deliberate, and murderous in intent.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that the psalmist's suffering affects his whole being, from eye to inward parts. They address a textual difficulty, suggesting that
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that David turns from pleading his relation to God to pleading his misery, making distress itself the ground for mercy. He stresses that David's grief consumed his soul and life, making him a man of sorrows who prefigured Christ's own intimacy with grief.