Psalms 69:20 (KJV)

What does Psalms 69:20 mean?

Psalms 69:20 describes a person deeply wounded by the contempt of others and left without the kindness he hoped for. The speaker’s pain is not only about what people have said or done to him; it is sharpened by the absence of anyone willing to stand with him.

The picture of a broken heart expresses an inward injury caused by public shame. After addressing God about his suffering in verse 19, the speaker describes his fruitless search for pity and comfort.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 69:20

• “Reproach” — חֶרְפָּה (ḥerpah): This word carries the sense of disgrace or scorn. It points to the shame brought on the speaker by others, not merely to private sadness.
• “heart” — לֵב (lev): In Hebrew, the heart can refer to a person’s inner life, including thoughts and feelings. Its breaking pictures a wound to the speaker’s whole inner self.
• “pity” — נוּד (nud): This word can carry the sense of showing sympathy or sharing someone’s grief. The speaker looks for a person who will respond to his distress with fellow feeling.

Why Psalms 69:20 matters

• The speaker addresses God while describing human abandonment. In verse 19 he says that God knows his reproach and shame, while verse 20 says he found no human comforters.
• The search for comfort makes the cruelty in the next verse more striking. Instead of receiving the help he sought, the speaker says that others gave him gall for food and vinegar for his thirst.