John Calvin Commentary Psalms 38:11

"My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off." — Psalms 38:11 (ASV)

My friends and my companions stand away from my sore. Here David lists other circumstances to show the severe nature of his misery, so that he might stir God's compassion.

One of these circumstances is that he finds no help or solace among people. In saying that his friends stand away from him, he means that they stop performing any acts of human kindness towards him.

This abandonment might happen either from pride or fear. If they withdrew from this poor, afflicted man because they despised him, they were cruel and proud; and if they refused him their assistance for fear of incurring hatred, it was most unpardonable cowardice.

But in the meantime, it greatly increased David's calamity that even his friends and relatives dared not show any sign of compassion towards him. It is, indeed, a very severe trial when a person, who has had many friends, comes to be abandoned by them all.