Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalms 35, often categorized as an "imprecatory psalm," is a heartfelt cry for justice and deliverance. David implores the Lord to intervene against his enemies, seeking both vindication for himself and the downfall of those who persecute him. While some find the strong language of these psalms unsettling, understanding the historical and theological context helps us appreciate their significance. David, as the anointed leader of Israel, had a unique role in God's plan, and his prayers reflect a desire for God's justice to prevail. While believers today are called to pray for the salvation of their enemies (Matthew 5:44-48), we can still learn from David's passionate appeal to God for righteousness. Ultimately, we trust that God will execute vengeance in His perfect time and way (Romans 12:17-21).
Context and Structure
This psalm can be traced to times of great personal distress for David, potentially during King Saul's relentless pursuit to kill him (1 Samuel 19:1-2), or even during the rebellion led by his own son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-14). In both cases, David faced not only physical danger but also betrayal and slander.
The psalm itself unfolds in three distinct sections, each echoing the core themes of injustice, divine intervention, and the promise of praise:
- Verses 1-10: David calls upon God to actively oppose his adversaries, employing vivid military imagery to illustrate his plea for divine protection.
- Verses 11-18: David laments the malicious actions of his enemies, particularly their betrayal of his past kindness and their delight in his misfortunes.
- Verses 19-28: David intensifies his appeal, urging God to prevent his enemies from triumphing and reaffirming his commitment to praise God for His deliverance.
God as Warrior and Defender (Psalms 35:1-10)
David initiates his prayer by imploring God to take up arms against his enemies. He uses strong military language, asking God to "Oppose my opponents… fight those who fight me" (Psalms 35:1). He envisions God as a warrior, wielding shields and spears to protect him (Psalms 35:2-3). The specific weaponry mentioned, such as a "standing shield" and a "buckler," might not be used simultaneously, but the overall effect is to emphasize David's complete reliance on God's power in battle. He desires that his enemies be like "chaff in the wind driven away by the angel of the LORD" (Psalms 35:5). He hopes they’ll be caught in the very net that they hid for him (Psalms 35:8-9). If the Lord would save him, David vows to rejoice in the deliverance of the God who rescues the poor and needy (Psalms 35:9-10). This is not a literal request for God to use physical weapons, but a powerful expression of David's need for divine assistance and protection. He seeks God's intervention to thwart the plans of his enemies and turn their attacks back upon themselves.
Lament Over Betrayal and Injustice (Psalms 35:11-18)
This section reveals the depth of David's pain and the perfidy of his enemies. He laments over those who repay his kindness toward them with evil (Psalms 35:12). He highlights the injustice of their false accusations and their delight in his suffering. David points out that when they were sick, he had mourned, fasted, and prayed for them (Psalms 35:13-14). But, when David stumbled, they gloated and mocked (Psalms 35:15-16). He thus asks God, how long will you look on? (Psalms 35:17). When would God take action? Yet, he again promises to give public praise when his deliverance comes (Psalms 35:18). What's especially grievous is that David treated those same persons as his friends, caring for them and praying for their welfare. Now, they invent lies as part of their attacks on him. This betrayal cuts deep, and David cries out to God for justice and vindication.
A Plea for Divine Intervention and Vindication (Psalms 35:19-28)
David intensifies his plea, urging God to prevent the triumph of his foes because they hated him without cause (Psalms 35:19). They were the kind of people who wink and make false accusations against those living peacefully with others (Psalms 35:19-20). He reminds God of the wickedness of his enemies, their secret plots, and their anticipation of his downfall. He declares, "You have seen, O LORD; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!" (Psalms 35:22). Regardless of the lies people spread, God knows the truth. Thus, David calls on him to be his defender and vindicator (Psalms 35:23-24). He pictures his enemies as beasts that wanted to growl, We have swallowed him up! (Psalms 35:25). And, because their actions were so shameful, David longs for God to clothe them with shame (Psalms 35:26). He expresses his confidence that God will ultimately vindicate him and silence his accusers. In anticipation of God's righteous response, David calls for those who support him to praise God.
David desires that the vindication he expected from God would lead to continuous praise from both God’s people and himself. He concludes with a declaration of praise, promising to proclaim God's righteousness and justice continually (Psalms 35:27-28). He recognizes that God delights in the well-being of His servants and that true justice ultimately comes from Him.
Application
When you experience injustice, let the words of David’s inspired psalm help you to pray. Don’t fail to give God the praise he is due when he comes through for you. Psalms 35 teaches us the importance of bringing our struggles and injustices before God. While we may not be in the same position as David, we can still learn from his unwavering faith and his passionate plea for justice. We can trust that God sees our suffering and will ultimately bring about righteousness. Like David, we should also commit to praising God for His deliverance and for His unwavering faithfulness.
Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalms 35, often categorized as an "imprecatory psalm," is a heartfelt cry for justice and deliverance. David implores the Lord to intervene against his enemies, seeking both vindication for himself and the downfall of those who persecute him. While some find the strong language of these psalms unsettling, understanding the historical and theological context helps us appreciate their significance. David, as the anointed leader of Israel, had a unique role in God's plan, and his prayers reflect a desire for God's justice to prevail. While believers today are called to pray for the salvation of their enemies (Matthew 5:44-48), we can still learn from David's passionate appeal to God for righteousness. Ultimately, we trust that God will execute vengeance in His perfect time and way (Romans 12:17-21).
Context and Structure
This psalm can be traced to times of great personal distress for David, potentially during King Saul's relentless pursuit to kill him (1 Samuel 19:1-2), or even during the rebellion led by his own son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-14). In both cases, David faced not only physical danger but also betrayal and slander.
The psalm itself unfolds in three distinct sections, each echoing the core themes of injustice, divine intervention, and the promise of praise:
- Verses 1-10: David calls upon God to actively oppose his adversaries, employing vivid military imagery to illustrate his plea for divine protection.
- Verses 11-18: David laments the malicious actions of his enemies, particularly their betrayal of his past kindness and their delight in his misfortunes.
- Verses 19-28: David intensifies his appeal, urging God to prevent his enemies from triumphing and reaffirming his commitment to praise God for His deliverance.
God as Warrior and Defender (Psalms 35:1-10)
David initiates his prayer by imploring God to take up arms against his enemies. He uses strong military language, asking God to "Oppose my opponents… fight those who fight me" (Psalms 35:1). He envisions God as a warrior, wielding shields and spears to protect him (Psalms 35:2-3). The specific weaponry mentioned, such as a "standing shield" and a "buckler," might not be used simultaneously, but the overall effect is to emphasize David's complete reliance on God's power in battle. He desires that his enemies be like "chaff in the wind driven away by the angel of the LORD" (Psalms 35:5). He hopes they’ll be caught in the very net that they hid for him (Psalms 35:8-9). If the Lord would save him, David vows to rejoice in the deliverance of the God who rescues the poor and needy (Psalms 35:9-10). This is not a literal request for God to use physical weapons, but a powerful expression of David's need for divine assistance and protection. He seeks God's intervention to thwart the plans of his enemies and turn their attacks back upon themselves.
Lament Over Betrayal and Injustice (Psalms 35:11-18)
This section reveals the depth of David's pain and the perfidy of his enemies. He laments over those who repay his kindness toward them with evil (Psalms 35:12). He highlights the injustice of their false accusations and their delight in his suffering. David points out that when they were sick, he had mourned, fasted, and prayed for them (Psalms 35:13-14). But, when David stumbled, they gloated and mocked (Psalms 35:15-16). He thus asks God, how long will you look on? (Psalms 35:17). When would God take action? Yet, he again promises to give public praise when his deliverance comes (Psalms 35:18). What's especially grievous is that David treated those same persons as his friends, caring for them and praying for their welfare. Now, they invent lies as part of their attacks on him. This betrayal cuts deep, and David cries out to God for justice and vindication.
A Plea for Divine Intervention and Vindication (Psalms 35:19-28)
David intensifies his plea, urging God to prevent the triumph of his foes because they hated him without cause (Psalms 35:19). They were the kind of people who wink and make false accusations against those living peacefully with others (Psalms 35:19-20). He reminds God of the wickedness of his enemies, their secret plots, and their anticipation of his downfall. He declares, "You have seen, O LORD; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!" (Psalms 35:22). Regardless of the lies people spread, God knows the truth. Thus, David calls on him to be his defender and vindicator (Psalms 35:23-24). He pictures his enemies as beasts that wanted to growl, We have swallowed him up! (Psalms 35:25). And, because their actions were so shameful, David longs for God to clothe them with shame (Psalms 35:26). He expresses his confidence that God will ultimately vindicate him and silence his accusers. In anticipation of God's righteous response, David calls for those who support him to praise God.
David desires that the vindication he expected from God would lead to continuous praise from both God’s people and himself. He concludes with a declaration of praise, promising to proclaim God's righteousness and justice continually (Psalms 35:27-28). He recognizes that God delights in the well-being of His servants and that true justice ultimately comes from Him.
Application
When you experience injustice, let the words of David’s inspired psalm help you to pray. Don’t fail to give God the praise he is due when he comes through for you. Psalms 35 teaches us the importance of bringing our struggles and injustices before God. While we may not be in the same position as David, we can still learn from his unwavering faith and his passionate plea for justice. We can trust that God sees our suffering and will ultimately bring about righteousness. Like David, we should also commit to praising God for His deliverance and for His unwavering faithfulness.