Psalm 35:4-8

4 ¹Let them be ²put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be ³turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me!

5 Let them be like ⁴chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away!

6 Let their way be dark and ⁵slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

7 For ⁶without cause ⁷they hid their net for me; without cause they dug ⁸a pit for my life. ^[a]

8 Let ⁹destruction come upon him ¹⁰when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction!

Psalm 35:4-8 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

• 1. 35:4 For ver. 4-8, see Ps. 69:22-28; 109:6-15
• 2. 35:4 ver. 26; Ps. 40:14; 70:2; 71:13; 83:17
• 3. 35:4 Ps. 129:5
• 4. 35:5 See Job 21:18
• 5. 35:6 Ps. 73:18; Jer. 23:12
• 6. 35:7 See Ps. 69:4
• 7. 35:7 See Job 18:8
• 8. 35:7 See Ps. 7:15
• 9. 35:8 [1 Thess. 5:3]
• 10. 35:8 Isa. 47:11

Footnotes

• [a] 35:7 The word 'pit' is transposed from the preceding line; Hebrew 'For without cause they hid the pit of their net for me; without cause they dug for my life'