Psalms 35:17

17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen? Save my life from their attacks; save me from these people who are like lions.

Psalms 35:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 35:17

Lord, how long wilt thou look on?
&c.] And behold these injuries and insults, and not arise to help and save? The psalmist firmly believed the omniscience of God, and was well assured he saw all that was done; but he was ready to consider him only as a spectator; or, however, seems impatient until he arose and showed himself strong on his behalf; see ( Psalms 35:22 Psalms 35:23 ) ;

rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions;
his "soul" and his "darling" mean the same; either his life, than which nothing is dearer to a man; or his soul, his more noble part, and which was now "alone", or solitary, as the word F1 used signifies; being forsaken of God and men, and was desolate and afflicted, as it is rendered ( Psalms 25:16 ) ; or his whole person, which was among men comparable to lions, for their strength and savageness, who breathed out nothing but cruelty and destruction; from which he desires he might be rescued, or returned to the quiet possession of his own house, and the house of God: the words are much the same with those of the Messiah, (See Gill on Psalms 22:20) and (See Gill on Psalms 22:21).


FOOTNOTES:

F1 (ytdyxy) "solitariam meam", Piscator, Gejerus, Schmidt, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 35:17 In-Context

15 But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed; they gathered to attack before I knew it. They insulted me without stopping.
16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me and ground their teeth at me in anger.
17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen? Save my life from their attacks; save me from these people who are like lions.
18 I will praise you in the great meeting. I will praise you among crowds of people.
19 Do not let my enemies laugh at me; they hate me for no reason. Do not let them make fun of me; they have no cause to hate me.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.