Salmos 35

1 Disputa, oh SEÑOR, con los que contra mí contienden; pelea con los que me combaten

2 Echa mano al escudo y al pavés, y levántate en mi ayuda

3 Saca la lanza, cierra contra mis perseguidores; di a mi alma: Yo soy tu salud

4 Sean avergonzados y confundidos los que buscan mi alma; vuelvan atrás, y sean avergonzados los que mi mal piensan

5 Sean como el tamo delante del viento; y el ángel del SEÑOR los acose

6 Sea su camino oscuridad y resbaladeros; y el ángel del SEÑOR el que los persiga

7 Porque sin causa escondieron para mí el hoyo de su red; sin causa hicieron hoyo para mi alma

8 Véngale el quebrantamiento sin que lo sepa, y su red que escondió lo prenda; con quebrantamiento caiga en ella

9 Y gócese mi alma en el SEÑOR; y alégrese en su salud

10 Todos mis huesos dirán: SEÑOR, ¿quién como tú, que libras al pobre del más fuerte que él, y al pobre y menesteroso del que le despoja

11 Se levantaron testigos falsos; me demandaron lo que no sabía

12 me devolvieron mal por bien, hasta volver solo a mi alma

13 Mas yo, cuando ellos enfermaron, me vestí de cilicio; afligí con ayuno mi alma, y mi oración se revolvía en mi seno

14 Como por mi compañero, como por mi hermano andaba; como el que trae luto por madre, enlutado me humillaba

15 Pero ellos se alegraron en mi cojera, y se juntaron; se juntaron contra mí los verdugos, y yo no lo entendía; me despedazaban, y no cesaban

16 con los lisonjeros escarnecedores truhanes, crujiendo sobre mí sus dientes

17 Señor, ¿hasta cuándo verás esto? Restaura mi alma de sus quebranta-mientos, mi vida de los leones

18 Te confesaré en grande congregación; te alabaré entre numeroso pueblo

19 No se alegren de mí mis enemigos sin por qué; ni los que me aborrecen sin causa guiñen el ojo

20 Porque no hablan paz; y contra los mansos de la tierra piensan palabras engañosas

21 Y ensancharon sobre mí su boca; dijeron: ¡Ea, ea, nuestros ojos lo han visto

22 Tú lo has visto, oh SEÑOR; no calles: Señor, de mí no te alejes

23 Recuerda y despierta para mi juicio, para mi causa, Dios mío y Señor mío

24 Júzgame conforme a tu justicia, SEÑOR Dios mío; y no se alegren de mí

25 No digan en su corazón: ¡Ea, nuestro deseo es cumplido! No digan: ¡Lo hemos devorado

26 Sean avergonzados y confundidos a una los que de mi mal se alegran; vístanse de vergüenza y de confusión los que se engrandecen contra mí

27 Canten y alégrense los que están a favor de mi justa causa, y digan siempre: Sea ensalzado el SEÑOR, que ama la paz de su siervo

28 Y mi lengua hablará de tu justicia; todo el día de tu loor

Salmos 35 Commentary

Chapter 35

David prays for safety. (1-10) He complains of his enemies. (11-16) And calls upon God to support him. (17-28)

Verses 1-10 It is no new thing for the most righteous men, and the most righteous cause, to meet with enemies. This is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the Seed of the woman. David in his afflictions, Christ in his sufferings, the church under persecution, and the Christian in the hour temptation, all beseech the Almighty to appear in their behalf, and to vindicate their cause. We are apt to justify uneasiness at the injuries men do us, by our never having given them cause to use us so ill; but this should make us easy, for then we may the more expect that God will plead our cause. David prayed to God to manifest himself in his trial. Let me have inward comfort under all outward troubles, to support my soul. If God, by his Spirit, witness to our spirits that he is our salvation, we need desire no more to make us happy. If God is our Friend, no matter who is our enemy. By the Spirit of prophecy, David foretells the just judgments of God that would come upon his enemies for their great wickedness. These are predictions, they look forward, and show the doom of the enemies of Christ and his kingdom. We must not desire or pray for the ruin of any enemies, except our lusts and the evil spirits that would compass our destruction. A traveller benighted in a bad road, is an expressive emblem of a sinner walking in the slippery and dangerous ways of temptation. But David having committed his cause to God, did not doubt of his own deliverance. The bones are the strongest parts of the body. The psalmist here proposes to serve and glorify God with all his strength. If such language may be applied to outward salvation, how much more will it apply to heavenly things in Christ Jesus!

Verses 11-16 Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David's enemies. Herein he was a type of Christ. David shows how tenderly he had behaved towards them in afflictions. We ought to mourn for the sins of those who do not mourn for themselves. We shall not lose by the good offices we do to any, how ungrateful soever they may be. Let us learn to possess our souls in patience and meekness like David, or rather after Christ's example.

Verses 17-28 Though the people of God are, and study to be, quiet, yet it has been common for their enemies to devise deceitful matters against them. David prays, My soul is in danger, Lord, rescue it; it belongs to thee the Father of spirits, therefore claim thine own; it is thine, save it! Lord, be not far from me, as if I were a stranger. He who exalted the once suffering Redeemer, will appear for all his people: the roaring lion shall not destroy their souls, any more than he could that of Christ, their Surety. They trust their souls in his hands, they are one with him by faith, are precious in his sight, and shall be rescued from destruction, that they may give thanks in heaven.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 35

\\<<[A Psalm] of David>>\\. This psalm seems to have been written by David, when he was persecuted by Saul; and when many false charges were brought against him by his courtiers; and when he was the scorn and derision of the people; the subject of it is pretty much of the same kind with the seventh psalm, and might be written about the same time that was, and on the same occasion; and it may be applied to the church and people of God in like cases. There is a passage in it, Ps 35:19, which our Lord seems to refer to and apply to himself, Joh 15:25; and some interpret the whole of it concerning him. The Arabic version calls it a prophecy of the incarnation; though there does not appear any thing in it applicable to that.