Psalms 38:20 Meaning: Doing Good and Being Hated for It
They who give evil for good are also adversaries to me, because I follow what is good.
They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
They also that render evil for good Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
And those paying evil for good accuse me, Because of my pursuing good.
And they that render evil for good are adversaries unto me; because I pursue what is good.
Meaning in one sentence
How can a sinner be persecuted for doing good? Psalm 38:20 explores the painful reality of being repaid evil for pursuing good.
Context
David is writing from a dark place. He is sick, in pain, and weighed down by a sense of his own sin. In verse 18 he confesses his iniquity, not pretending to be innocent before God. But that confession does not silence the cry of his heart about how people are treating him. He is surrounded by enemies who are vigorous and numerous. They are not attacking him for his failures. They are repaying good with evil. The underlying reason they oppose him is that he pursues what is good. So this verse sits inside a prayer where David holds two things together at once: he is a sinner who deserves God’s discipline, and he is a man who has done good to others and been wronged for it. Both are true, and both need to be spoken.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind follow or pursue is rodeph. It means to chase after something with energy and intention, the same word used for a hunter tracking game or a warrior pressing an enemy. David is not passively hoping things turn out well. He actively runs after goodness. The phrase evil for good captures a brutal exchange: someone receives kindness and hands back cruelty. The word adversaries or accusers suggests more than just distant hostility; they actively speak against him. The Hebrew preposition tachath (translated because or in return for) means the reason is right underneath their action. At the bottom of their hatred lies not a mistake David made, but his persistent pursuit of what is right. This makes the pain specific: they are not against him despite his goodness, but precisely because of it.
How Christians Read This Verse
Many Protestant commentators, like Matthew Henry and Barnes, read this as David’s honest experience of ingratitude. They see it as a pattern that believers may also face: doing good and being repaid with hostility. Calvin, reading the whole Psalm as penitential, emphasizes that David does not claim sinlessness but still rightly names the wrong done to him by others. Early Christian interpreters, as noted by Adam Clarke, saw echoes of Christ in this verse, the beloved one rejected and pierced. Some Greek and Latin copies reportedly add language about being cast out as a dead carcass, which Clarke connects to a messianic reading. Across traditions, the verse stands as a reminder that pursuing good does not guarantee human fairness, yet it can still be brought honestly before God.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think David is contradicting himself, claiming to be good right after confessing sin. In fact, he does not claim to be perfect. He is saying that his enemies are not attacking him because of his confessed sins but because of his pursuit of good. You can be humble before God about your own failures and still be wrongfully treated by others. Both are true.
Living This Out
Think of a specific relationship where you have gone out of your way to help someone, and they have repaid you with coldness, gossip, or outright attacks. This verse names that kind of sting. It does not tell you to pretend it does not hurt. It gives you words to bring it to God. You do not have to add false guilt on top of the injury, wondering if you caused it by some hidden sin. God sees the whole story: your honest confession before Him, and the good you have done that others are returning with evil. You can keep pursuing good, not because they will notice, but because that is what it means to follow the One who is good.
Main takeaway: You can be sincerely pursuing good and still be repaid with evil, but God sees the truth and remains your salvation.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Have you ever been nice to someone and they were mean back? That really hurts. David felt that way too, and he told God all about it.
For ages 9, 12
Sometimes you try to do the right thing, like being kind or helping someone, and they still treat you badly. It is easy to think you must have done something wrong to deserve it. David shows you can be honest about your own mistakes and still know that their meanness is not your fault. God knows what you really did, and He sees your heart.
Questions People Ask
What does 'render evil for good' mean in Psalm 38:20?
It means repaying kindness with harm or hostility. David had done good to these people, perhaps by protecting them or providing for them, but they responded by opposing him. The same phrase appears in Psalm 35:12 and describes the experience of being repaid ungratefully.
How can David confess his sin in verse 18 and then claim to follow good in verse 20?
David is not claiming to be sinless. He admits his guilt before God. But being a sinner does not mean he has wronged everyone. He can be humble before God and still honestly say that his enemies are attacking him because he pursues righteousness, not because he mistreated them. Both confessions are genuine and not contradictory.
Is Psalm 38:20 about Jesus?
Some early Christian interpreters saw a foreshadowing of Christ here, since Jesus went about doing good and was repaid with crucifixion. The main sense of the verse is David's own experience, but Christians have often read it as also pointing to the righteous sufferer who would come, fulfilling the pattern fully.
What does the Hebrew word for 'follow' imply in this verse?
The Hebrew verb 'rodeph' means to pursue actively, even to chase. It suggests David is not passively waiting for good to happen but is wholeheartedly seeking to do what is right. This strong pursuit is ironically the very thing that provokes opposition.
How does this verse relate to the story of David and Nabal in 1 Samuel 25?
In 1 Samuel 25:21, David says Nabal has returned him evil for good. David had protected Nabal's shepherds, but Nabal refused to help David and insulted him. That real-life situation matches the wording of Psalm 38:20, showing that David wrote from concrete experience.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study