Psalms 35:14

14 My prayers were like lead in my gut, like I'd lost my best friend, my brother. I paced, distraught as a motherless child, hunched and heavyhearted.

Psalms 35:14 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 35:14

I behaved myself as though [he had been] my friend [or]
brother
Meaning either Saul or Doeg the Edomite, or some such evil man; somewhat like this he says of Ahithophel, ( Psalms 41:9 ) ( 55:13 ) ; and Arama thinks he is meant here; as Christ of Judas, whom he called friend, when he came to betray him; and who not only ate with him at table of his bread, but was steward of his family, and carried the bag, ( Matthew 26:50 ) ( John 13:29 ) ;

I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth [for his] mother;
or as a mother that mourneth for her son, as Jarchi interprets it, whose affections are very strong; and thus Christ wept over Jerusalem, and had a tender concern for and sympathy with the Jews, his implacable enemies, and wept over them, and prayed for them, ( Luke 19:41 ) ( Matthew 23:37 ) ( Luke 23:34 ) .

Psalms 35:14 In-Context

12 They pay me back misery for mercy, leaving my soul empty.
13 When they were sick, I dressed in black; instead of eating, I prayed.
14 My prayers were like lead in my gut, like I'd lost my best friend, my brother. I paced, distraught as a motherless child, hunched and heavyhearted.
15 But when I was down they threw a party! All the nameless riffraff of the town came chanting insults about me.
16 Like barbarians desecrating a shrine, they destroyed my reputation.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.