What is the meaning of Psalm 38:13? but like a deaf man “ But like a deaf man ” • David chooses an intentional deafness. He refuses to let the slander of verse 12 control his spirit (cf. Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 19:27). • This is not denial of reality; it is a conscious turning of his ears toward God’s verdict instead of man’s (cf. Isaiah 50:5, “The Lord GOD has opened My ears”). • By standing “deaf,” David echoes Exodus 14:14—“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” I do not hear “ I do not hear ” • Silence on the inside matches silence on the outside. • Proverbs 26:4 counsels, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly.” David embodies that wisdom. • James 1:19 urges believers to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” David listens to God, not to the noise around him. and like a mute man “ and like a mute man ” • The picture deepens: not only deaf but also mute. David refuses self-justification, entrusting his reputation to the Lord (cf. 1 Peter 2:23, where Christ “made no threats”). • Isaiah 53:7 points to Messiah “like a lamb… silent before its shearers,” foreshadowing Jesus’ silence before Herod (Luke 23:9). David’s posture anticipates that righteous pattern. I do not open my mouth “ I do not open my mouth ” • Deliberate restraint protects from sinning with the tongue (Psalm 39:1; Psalm 141:3). • It also signals confidence that God hears and will answer (Psalm 37:5-7). • David’s earlier encounter with Shimei (2 Samuel 16:10-12) shows the same trust: let the Lord decide, not my angry retort. • Job mirrors this stance: “In all this Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22). summary Psalm 38:13 pictures the hurting believer choosing deafness and muteness, not out of weakness but out of faith. David shuts his ears to malicious voices and his mouth to self-defense, resting in the Lord’s vindication. The verse calls us to the same settled confidence: resist the urge to answer every accusation, remain still before God, and trust Him to speak on our behalf. |
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