Psalms 35:7-17

7 For without cause they hid to me the death of their snare; in vain they despised my soul. (For no reason, they hid their deadly snare for me/they hid their snare for me in a pit; for no reason, they despised me.)

8 The snare which he knoweth not come to him, and the taking which he hid take him; and fall he into the snare in that thing. (But let the snare catch him unawares, or by surprise, yea, let the trap which he himself hid, catch him; and let him fall to his own destruction in that thing.)

9 But my soul shall fully have joy in the Lord; and shall delight on his health. (But my soul shall have full out joy, or shall rejoice, in the Lord; and it shall delight in his salvation, or in his deliverance.)

10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like thee? Thou deliverest a poor man from the hand of his stronger; a needy man and poor from them that diversely ravish him. (All my bones said, Lord, who is like thee? Thou rescuest the poor from the hands of those who be stronger; yea, the poor and the needy from those who oppress them.)

11 Wicked witnesses rising (up) asked me things, which I knew not.

12 They yielded to me evils for goods; barrenness to my soul. (They gave me evil for good; making my soul barren.)

13 But when they were dis-easeful to me; I was clothed in an hair-shirt. I meeked my soul in fasting; and my prayer shall be turned (again) into my bosom. (But yet when they were sick; I was clothed in a hair-shirt. I humbled myself with fasting; and I prayed to the Lord for them.)

14 I pleased so as our neighbour, as our brother; I was made meek, so as mourning and sorrowful. (I went around, like he was my neighbour, or my brother; I was humbled, like one mourning and sorrowful for his own mother.)

15 And they were glad, and came together against me; torments were gathered on me, and I knew it not. They were scattered, and not compunct; (But when I was in torment, they were glad, and came together against me; yea, they were gathered together against me, and I knew not why. They tore me apart, and would not stop;)

16 they tempted me, they scorned me with mocking, they gnashed on me with their teeth.

17 Lord, when thou shalt behold, restore thou my soul from the wickedness of them; mine one alone from lions. (Lord, how long shalt thou but look at me? rescue thou me from their wicked assailings, yea, save my life from these lions.)

Psalms 35:7-17 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.