Salmi 35

1 Di Davide. O Eterno, contendi con quelli che contendono meco, combatti con quelli che combattono meco.

2 Prendi lo scudo e la targa e lèvati in mio aiuto.

3 Tira fuori la lancia e chiudi il passo ai miei persecutori; di’ all’anima mia: Io son la tua salvezza.

4 Sian confusi e svergognati quelli che cercano l’anima mia; voltin le spalle e arrossiscano quei che macchinano la mia rovina.

5 Sian come pula al vento e l’angelo dell’Eterno li scacci.

6 Sia la via loro tenebrosa e sdrucciolevole, e l’insegua l’angelo dell’Eterno.

7 Poiché, senza cagione, m’hanno teso di nascosto la loro rete, senza cagione hanno scavato una fossa per togliermi la vita.

8 Li colga una ruina improvvisa e sian presi nella rete ch’essi stessi hanno nascosta; scendano nella rovina apparecchiata per me.

9 Allora l’anima mia festeggerà nell’Eterno, e si rallegrerà nella sua salvezza.

10 Tutte le mie ossa diranno: O Eterno, chi è pari a te che liberi il misero da chi è più forte di lui, il misero e il bisognoso da chi lo spoglia?

11 Iniqui testimoni si levano; mi domandano cose delle quali non so nulla.

12 Mi rendono male per bene; derelitta è l’anima mia.

13 Eppure io, quand’eran malati, vestivo il cilicio, affliggevo l’anima mia col digiuno, e pregavo col capo curvo sul seno…

14 Camminavo triste come per la perdita d’un amico, d’un fratello, andavo chino, abbrunato, come uno che pianga sua madre.

15 Ma, quand’io vacillo, essi si rallegrano, s’adunano assieme; s’aduna contro di me gente abietta che io non conosco; mi lacerano senza posa.

16 Come profani buffoni da mensa, digrignano i denti contro di me.

17 O Signore, fino a quando vedrai tu questo? Ritrai l’anima mia dalle loro ruine, l’unica mia, di fra i leoncelli.

18 Io ti celebrerò nella grande assemblea, ti loderò in mezzo a gran popolo.

19 Non si rallegrino di me quelli che a torto mi sono nemici, né ammicchino con l’occhio quelli che m’odian senza cagione.

20 Poiché non parlan di pace, anzi macchinan frodi contro la gente pacifica del paese.

21 Apron larga la bocca contro me e dicono: Ah, ah! l’occhio nostro l’ha visto.

22 Anche tu hai visto, o Eterno; non tacere! O Signore, non allontanarti da me.

23 Risvegliati, destati, per farmi ragione, o mio Dio, mio Signore, per difender la mia causa.

24 Giudicami secondo la tua giustizia o Eterno, Iddio mio, e fa’ ch’essi non si rallegrino su me;

25 che non dicano in cuor loro: Ah, ecco il nostro desiderio! che non dicano: L’abbiamo inghiottito.

26 Siano tutti insieme svergognati e confusi quelli che si rallegrano del mio male; sian rivestiti d’onta e di vituperio quelli che si levano superbi contro di me.

27 Cantino e si rallegrino quelli che si compiacciono della mia giustizia, e dican del continuo: Magnificato sia l’Eterno che vuole la pace del suo servitore!

28 E la mia lingua parlerà della tua giustizia, e dirà del continuo la tua lode.

Salmi 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.