Psalms 35:3-13

3 Lift up your spears, both large and small, against those who chase me. Tell me, "I will save you."

4 Make those who want to kill me be ashamed and disgraced. Make those who plan to harm me turn back and run away.

5 Make them like chaff blown by the wind as the angel of the Lord forces them away.

6 Let their road be dark and slippery as the angel of the Lord chases them.

7 For no reason they spread out their net to trap me; for no reason they dug a pit for me.

8 So let ruin strike them suddenly. Let them be caught in their own nets; let them fall into the pit and die.

9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy when he saves me.

10 Even my bones will say, "Lord, who is like you? You save the weak from the strong, the weak and poor from robbers."

11 Men without mercy stand up to testify. They ask me things I do not know.

12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done, and they make me very sad.

13 Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness and showed my sorrow by going without food. But my prayers were not answered.

Psalms 35:3-13 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.