Psalms 35:6-16

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.

14 I acted as if they were my friends or brothers. I bowed in sadness as if I were crying for my mother.

15 But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed; they gathered to attack before I knew it. They insulted me without stopping.

16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me and ground their teeth at me in anger.

Psalms 35:6-16 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.