Psalms 35:12They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~1000 BC. David reflects on showing mercy to King Saul (sparing his life in caves) only to have Saul continue hunting him to kill him. Modern location: Israel/Palestine, Judean wilderness.
The emotion here: heartbroken and confused by ingratitude
The original word
shakal (שכל) — bereavement, specifically the grief of losing children or being made childless
Why it matters
David had multiple opportunities to kill Saul but chose mercy, cutting only Saul's robe corner as proof he could have killed him
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 35:12
David uses the word for losing a child to describe how betrayal feels - it's the death of something precious and innocent
Common misconceptionPeople think David regrets being kind, but he's not questioning his goodness - he's grieving that evil exists in response to good, which breaks his heart about humanity.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 35:12
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 35:12 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 35:12 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include betrayal, ingratitude, emotional pain. Notable phrases: evil for good; bereaving of my soul. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Psalms 35:12 mean to you, today?
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