Psalm 38:20 laments that the psalmist is repaid evil for good and opposed precisely because he seeks what is good. The verse captures the injustice of receiving hostility in response to righteous conduct.

Acts 10:38 summarizes Jesus' ministry by saying that He "went about doing good" and healing those oppressed by the devil because God was with Him. Acts does not quote Psalm 38:20, so the connection is thematic rather than predictive. Nevertheless, the contrast is striking: the New Testament portrays Jesus as consistently doing good, yet He is opposed, rejected, and ultimately killed. He thus embodies perfectly the righteous-sufferer pattern of one who receives evil in return for good.