Psalms 35:9-19

9 And my soul shall 1rejoice in the LORD; It shall 2exult in His salvation.
10 All my 3bones will say, "LORD, 4who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him 5who is too strong for him, And 6the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?"
11 7Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They 8repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, 9when they were sick, my 10clothing was sackcloth; I 11humbled my soul with fasting, And my 12prayer kept returning to my bosom.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I 13bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
15 But 14at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The 15smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They 16slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, They 17gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, 18how long will You look on? Rescue my soul 19from their ravages, My 20only life from the lions.
18 I will 21give You thanks in the great congregation; I will 22praise You among a mighty throng.
19 23Do not let those who are wrongfully 24my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those 25who hate me without cause 26wink maliciously *.

Psalms 35:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 26

  • 1. Isaiah 61:10
  • 2. Psalms 9:14; Psalms 13:5; Luke 1:47
  • 3. Psalms 51:8
  • 4. Exodus 15:11; Psalms 86:8; Micah 7:18
  • 5. Psalms 18:17
  • 6. Psalms 37:14; Psalms 109:16
  • 7. Psalms 27:12
  • 8. Psalms 38:20; Psalms 109:5; Jeremiah 18:20; John 10:32
  • 9. Job 30:25
  • 10. Psalms 69:11
  • 11. Psalms 69:10
  • 12. Matthew 10:13; Luke 10:6
  • 13. Psalms 38:6
  • 14. Obadiah 12
  • 15. Job 30:1, 8, 12
  • 16. Psalms 7:2
  • 17. Job 16:9; Psalms 37:12; Lamentations 2:16
  • 18. Psalms 13:1; Habakkuk 1:13
  • 19. Psalms 35:7
  • 20. Psalms 22:20, 21
  • 21. Psalms 22:22
  • 22. Psalms 22:25
  • 23. Psalms 13:4; Psalms 30:1; Psalms 38:16
  • 24. Psalms 38:19; Psalms 69:4
  • 25. John 15:25
  • 26. Proverbs 6:13; Proverbs 10:10

Footnotes 5

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