PsalmsChapter 35

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Of David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.

Take up shield and buckler; rise up and come to my help.

Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

Let those who seek my life be shamed and disgraced; let those who plot my ruin be driven back in humiliation.

Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away.

Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.

Let ruin overtake them unawares; let the net they hid catch them, and into that ruin let them fall.

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.

All my bones will say, "LORD, who is like you? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from the one who robs them."

Malicious witnesses come forward; they question me about things I know nothing of.

They repay me evil for good, leaving my soul bereaved.

Yet when they were ill, I wore sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer kept returning to my own heart.

I went about grieving as though for a friend or a brother; I bowed down in sorrow, as one mourning a mother.

But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers I did not even know gathered against me, tearing at me without ceasing.

Like godless mockers at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.

Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among a mighty throng I will praise you.

Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies gloat over me; do not let those who hate me without cause wink the eye.

They do not speak peace, but against those who live quietly in the land they devise words of deceit.

They open their mouths wide against me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."

You have seen it, LORD; do not be silent. Lord, do not be far from me.

Wake up! Rouse yourself to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Judge me according to your righteousness, LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.

Do not let them say in their hearts, "Aha, just what we wanted!" Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up."

Let those who delight in my downfall be shamed and confounded together; let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

But let those who long for my vindication shout for joy and be glad; let them always say, "Great is the LORD, who delights in the well-being of his servant."

My tongue will speak of your righteousness, of your praise all day long.

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Summary2

Chapter 35

Main Theme: David calls on God for righteous judgment and deliverance from enemies who repay his kindness with evil.

Content: David asks God to intervene as a warrior and judge against enemies who pursue him without cause. He contrasts his own care for them—fasting and mourning when they were sick—with their betrayal and false accusations. The psalm alternates between prayers for the defeat of the enemy and promises of public praise when God acts.

Key Words/Images:

Chaff before the wind (v.5): A picture of the enemies' fate—they will be scattered and vanish by the Lord's angelic intervention.
Net and trap (vv.7–8): The enemies dig pits for David, but they themselves will fall into their own snares.
Lions (כְּפִירִים, v.17): The enemies are compared to young lions threatening David's life.
Witnesses of violence (v.11): False witnesses arise and accuse David of things he knows nothing about.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Psalms 35

Events and Customs

The psalm describes several important cultural practices related to mourning and intercession. In verses 13–14, the psalmist tells how he clothed himself in sackcloth (שָׂק, saq), fasted, and walked bent with grief as if over a friend or brother, like one who mourns for his mother. This was standard mourning practice in ancient Israel—sackcloth was a coarse fabric made from goat hair worn directly against the skin as a sign of deep sorrow or repentance. The fact that the psalmist performed these mourning rituals for his enemies while they were sick shows an unusual degree of compassion and makes their later betrayal all the more painful.

Verse 11 mentions "false witnesses" (עֵדֵי חָמָס, 'edey chamas), literally "witnesses of violence." This reflects the Israelite legal system in which two or three witnesses were required to convict someone (Deut 19:15). False testimony was a serious offense that could lead to the death penalty (Deut 19:16–21). The psalmist's complaint about being accused of things he knows nothing about suggests a trial based on fabricated charges.

Key Terms

The psalm opens with the Hebrew word רִיבָה (rivah), meaning "plead my cause" or "contend for me"—a legal term from the courtroom. The psalmist asks God to be his defender in a cosmic lawsuit against his enemies. This legal language continues throughout the psalm with words such as מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, "judgment/justice") in verse 23.

The expression "wink the eye" (יִקְרְצוּ־עָיִן, yiqretsu-'ayin) in verse 19 was a sign of malicious secret communication and conspiracy in the ancient Near East. It described people who plotted evil against an innocent party while pretending nothing was wrong outwardly.

Verses 1–3 use detailed military vocabulary: מָגֵן (magen, small shield), צִנָּה (tsinnah, large body shield), and חֲנִית (chanit, spear). This reflects the weapon equipment of an Israelite warrior. The small shield was used in close combat, while the large shield protected the whole body. Asking God to "draw out the spear" and "block the way" for his pursuers portrays him as a divine warrior fighting on behalf of the innocent.

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Key words7

Enemies — Persons or forces who stand against or are opponents of a person, often referred to in Psalms 35 as those who oppose the psalmist and God.
Lord — A title used to refer to God, the almighty Creator, who helps and protects believers.
Righteousness — The concept used to describe acting rightly and morally, in accordance with God's will and commandments.
Salvation — God's act of saving people from their sins and punishment, and giving them eternal life.
Witnesses — Persons who give testimony or confirmation of events or actions, often used in Psalms 35 to describe false witnesses who spread lies about the psalmist.
Shield — A symbol of protection and defense, often used to describe God's role as protector of believers.
Praise — An expression of gratitude and honor to God through song, music, or prayer.