Psalms 35:12

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

Psalms 35:12 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 35:12

They rewarded me evil for good
For the good David did in killing Goliath, and slaying his ten thousands of the Philistines, and thereby saving his king and country, Saul and his courtiers envied him, and sought to slay him: so our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the good he did to the Jews, by healing their bodies of diseases, and preaching the Gospel to them for the benefit of their souls, was rewarded with reproaches and persecutions, and at last with the shameful death of the cross; and in like manner are his people used; but this is an evil that shall not go unpunished; see ( Proverbs 17:13 ) . It is added,

[to] the spoiling of my soul;
or "to the bereaving of it" ^F20; causing it to be fatherless; that is, to the bereaving it of its joy, peace, and comfort; so fatherless is put for comfortless, ( John 14:18 ) ; or to the taking away of his soul, which being separated from the body, its companion is left alone, as one that is fatherless.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (lwkv) "orbitatem", Montanus, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 35:12 In-Context

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.)