Psalms 38:13

But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

Psalms 38:13 (KJV)

Context

Psalm 38 is a penitential psalm written by David. It is a prayer of confession and repentance in which David expresses his distress and suffering due to his sins and the consequences he faced. He acknowledges his guilt and seeks God’s forgiveness and deliverance. In the preceding verse, David describes his enemies who seek his harm and speak mischievous things against him all day long.

Meaning

In verse 13, David uses vivid imagery to describe his response to those enemies. He says he is like a deaf man who does not hear and like a mute man who does not open his mouth. This is not a physical condition but a chosen posture. David deliberately refuses to listen to their malicious words and chooses not to reply. His silence is not weakness; it is patient endurance and self-restraint. He will not repay evil for evil or defend himself with his own words. This deliberate silence also shows his helplessness and isolation, yet it is a refusal to retaliate. He made as if he did not hear the mischievous things they spoke, and he made no reply, not rendering railing for railing.

Biblical connections

This attitude of silent trust appears elsewhere in Scripture. When Saul was despised by worthless men, he held his peace (1 Samuel 10:27). More perfectly, the Lord Jesus Christ, when falsely accused, answered nothing (Matthew 27:12-14). His silence under accusation is the perfect example of patient, sinless endurance. David’s posture points forward to Christ, who entrusted himself fully to the Father’s justice. In Christ, this silence is the perfect fulfillment of patient endurance under false accusation.

Application

David’s example teaches us to entrust our cause to God rather than defending ourselves. When people speak against us falsely, we may feel the urge to answer every charge. Yet this verse encourages us to be slow to speak and to leave judgment in God’s hands. This does not mean we must never speak, but it means we refuse to repay evil for evil. We can choose not to hear insults and not to open our mouths in anger. This is not absolute silence in all circumstances, but a refusal to repay evil for evil. The verse encourages patience under provocation and confidence that God hears what we choose not to hear.

Reflection

Sin can make us feel spiritually deaf and mute, unable to hear God’s voice or pray clearly. David’s silence, however, is not despair. It is an act of trust. He knows that God hears what he chooses not to hear. In our own distress, we can follow David’s example: humble ourselves, confess our sins, and wait on the Lord. He is our strength and deliverance, and He will answer in His time.