Psaume 35

1 Psaume de David. Éternel, défends-moi contre mes adversaires; combats ceux qui me combattent!
2 Prends l'écu et le bouclier, et lève-toi pour me secourir!
3 Saisis la lance, barre le passage à ceux qui me poursuivent; dis à mon âme: Je suis ton salut.
4 Qu'ils soient honteux et confus, ceux qui en veulent à ma vie; qu'ils reculent et qu'ils rougissent, ceux qui méditent mon malheur!
5 Qu'ils soient comme la paille livrée au vent, et que l'ange de l'Éternel les chasse!
6 Que leur chemin soit ténébreux et glissant, et que l'ange de l'Éternel les poursuive!
7 Car sans cause ils m'ont tendu leur filet sur une fosse; sans cause ils l'ont creusée pour m'ôter la vie.
8 Qu'une ruine imprévue l'atteigne! Qu'il soit pris au filet qu'il a caché! Qu'il y tombe et qu'il périsse!
9 Et mon âme s'égaiera en l'Éternel, et se réjouira de sa délivrance.
10 Tous mes os diront: Éternel, qui est semblable à toi, qui délivres l'affligé de celui qui est plus fort que lui, l'affligé et le pauvre de celui qui le dépouille?
11 De faux témoins se lèvent; ils me demandent des choses dont je ne sais rien.
12 Ils me rendent le mal pour le bien; mon âme est dans l'abandon.
13 Mais moi, quand ils étaient malades, je me couvrais d'un sac, j'affligeais mon âme par le jeûne, et ma prière revenait sur mon sein.
14 Je marchais lentement comme pour le deuil d'un ami, d'un frère; j'allais courbé tristement comme au deuil d'une mère.
15 Mais quand j'ai chancelé, ils se sont rassemblés joyeux; ils se sont rassemblés, me frappant à mon insu, me déchirant sans cesse.
16 Avec des impies, des bouffons de table, ils grincent les dents contre moi.
17 Seigneur, jusques à quand le verras-tu? Délivre mon âme de leurs violences; arrache au lion mon unique bien!
18 Je te célébrerai dans la grande assemblée; je te louerai au milieu d'un peuple nombreux.
19 Que mes injustes ennemis ne se réjouissent point à mon sujet; que ceux qui me haïssent sans cause ne clignent pas l'œil!
20 Car ils ne parlent point de paix, mais ils méditent des tromperies contre les gens paisibles du pays.
21 Ils ont ouvert contre moi leur bouche, disant: Ah! ah! notre œil a vu!
22 Tu l'as vu, Éternel; ne te tais point!
23 Seigneur, ne sois pas loin de moi! Réveille-toi, lève-toi pour me faire droit, mon Dieu, mon Seigneur, pour défendre ma cause!
24 Juge-moi selon ta justice, Éternel mon Dieu, et qu'ils ne se réjouissent point de moi!
25 Qu'ils ne disent pas en leur cœur: Ah! notre âme est contente! Qu'ils ne disent pas: Nous l'avons englouti!
26 Qu'ils soient honteux et confus, tous ceux qui se réjouissent de mon mal! Qu'ils soient revêtus de honte et de confusion, ceux qui s'élèvent fièrement contre moi!
27 Que ceux qui prennent plaisir à ma justice chantent et se réjouissent! Et que sans cesse ils disent: Magnifié soit l'Éternel, qui se plaît à la prospérité de son serviteur!
28 Alors ma langue racontera ta justice, et tous les jours elle dira tes louanges.

Psaume 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.

Psaume 35 Commentaries

The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.