What is the meaning of Psalm 38:14?

I am like a man who cannot hear

• David pictures himself choosing not to take in the taunts of his enemies (see the immediate context in Psalm 38:12–13).

• This is not physical deafness but deliberate restraint: he turns a “deaf ear” so slander cannot lodge in his heart (compare Proverbs 26:4).

• Scripture often commends this guarded listening; James 1:19 urges believers to be “quick to listen, slow to speak,” which requires filtering ungodly noise.

• By refusing to absorb accusations, David trusts the Lord to judge (Psalm 62:1,5).

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whose mouth offers no reply

• Silence becomes an act of faith; David will not defend himself in the flesh. The pattern foreshadows Christ, who “did not open His mouth” under false charges (Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23).

• Remaining quiet guards against sinning with the tongue (Psalm 39:1) and keeps the sufferer from escalating conflict (Proverbs 15:1).

• Such silence signals submission to God’s timing—He alone vindicates the righteous (Psalm 37:5–6).

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summary

Psalm 38:14 portrays the believer’s deliberate deafness to malicious voices and disciplined silence before attackers. By refusing both to hear slander and to retaliate, David demonstrates confident reliance on God’s justice, modeling the same trust perfected in Jesus.