Psalms 35:8

8 Surprise them with your ambush - catch them in the very trap they set, the disaster they planned for me.

Psalms 35:8 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 35:8

Let destruction come upon him at unawares
Or a "storm" {r}, such as is caused in the eastern countries by a south wind, very sudden, violent, and destructive F19: the singular number being here used, some Jewish commentators, as Kimchi, have thought Saul is particularly meant; and some Christian interpreters have been of opinion that Judas is intended: the imprecations here may be compared with those which respect him, ( Psalms 109:6-8 ) . Though this may regard every one of the enemies of David, or of Christ and his people, whose ruin and destruction will come upon them unawares; see ( 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ) ( Revelation 18:7 Revelation 18:8 ) ;

and let his net that he hath laid catch himself;
a figurative expression, agreeable to the allusion before made, and which is explained in the next clause;

into that very destruction let him fall,
which he had designed and contrived for others; so Haman was hanged on the same gallows he had prepared for Mordecai; and so it often is in the course of Providence, that the wicked fall into the same calamity they have intended and endeavoured to bring others into; see ( Psalms 7:15 Psalms 7:16 ) ( Psalms 9:15 Psalms 9:16 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (hawv) "tumultuosa calamitas", Cocceius; so Ainsworth; "tumultus", Vatablus.
F19 See Thevenot, Tavernier

Psalms 35:8 In-Context

6 Make their road lightless and mud-slick, with God's angel on their tails.
7 Out of sheer cussedness they set a trap to catch me; for no good reason they dug a ditch to stop me.
8 Surprise them with your ambush - catch them in the very trap they set, the disaster they planned for me.
9 But let me run loose and free, celebrating God's great work,
10 Every bone in my body laughing, singing, "God, there's no one like you. You put the down-and-out on their feet and protect the unprotected from bullies!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.