Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 35
Psalm 35: plead my cause, and fight against those who fight against me
General context
The speaker asks the Lord to plead his cause with those who strive with him and fight those who fight him, to take up shield, buckler and spear against his persecutors, and to say to his soul, I am thy salvation. He asks that those who seek his soul be confounded and turned back like chaff before the wind, chased by the angel of the Lord on a dark, slippery way, because without cause they hid a net in a pit for him; let the hidden net catch its owner. Then his soul will rejoice in the Lord and his bones will say, Lord, who is like thee, who delivers the poor from the one too strong for him. False witnesses rose and charged him with things he did not know, rewarding him evil for good, though when they were sick he wore sackcloth and fasted and bowed as one mourning for his mother. But in his adversity they rejoiced and gathered, the abjects tore him without ceasing, and hypocritical mockers at feasts gnashed on him with their teeth. He asks how long the Lord will look on, pleads for rescue from the lions, and promises thanks in the great congregation. He asks that his enemies not wrongfully rejoice or wink the eye, since they devise deceit against the quiet in the land and say, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it. The Lord has seen this; he asks him not to keep silence but to awake and judge him by God's righteousness, so that they neither rejoice nor say they have swallowed him up; let them be clothed with shame, and let those who favour his righteous cause say continually, Let the Lord be magnified. His tongue will speak of God's righteousness and praise all the day long.
Cited passages: Psalms 35:1, Psalms 35:2, Psalms 35:3, Psalms 35:4, Psalms 35:5, Psalms 35:6, Psalms 35:7, Psalms 35:8, Psalms 35:9, Psalms 35:10, Psalms 35:11, Psalms 35:12, Psalms 35:13, Psalms 35:14, Psalms 35:15, Psalms 35:16, Psalms 35:17, Psalms 35:18, Psalms 35:19, Psalms 35:20, Psalms 35:21, Psalms 35:22, Psalms 35:23, Psalms 35:24, Psalms 35:25, Psalms 35:26, Psalms 35:27, Psalms 35:28
Psalms 35 (KJV)
1Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
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Historical context
The text as printed carries no heading, so no author, occasion or instrument is stated in this source. The speaker is a single "I"; the enemies are those who strive, fight, persecute and seek his soul, false witnesses, "the abjects" and "hypocritical mockers in feasts", and none is named. His account of mourning for them in their sickness is his own testimony, and the text gives no other side. The enemies' words are quoted once, "Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it", and twice more as words he asks that they not be allowed to say. The enemies are mostly "they" but "him" in verse 8. "The angel of the Lord" is asked twice to chase and persecute them. "My darling", the thing he asks rescued from the lions, and "them that are quiet in the land" are not explained. He asks to be judged "according to thy righteousness", where Psalm 7:8 asked "judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness". There is no Selah, and no outcome is reported.
Cited passages: Psalms 35:1, Psalms 35:11, Psalms 35:15, Psalms 35:16, Psalms 35:13, Psalms 35:21, Psalms 35:25, Psalms 35:8, Psalms 35:5, Psalms 35:6, Psalms 35:17, Psalms 35:20, Psalms 35:24, Psalms 7:8
Literary context
The poem is a lawsuit and a battle at once: "Plead my cause" and "fight against them" share the first verse, shield, buckler and spear follow, and later the words are judgment, cause and "Judge me". It runs in three rounds, each closing in a vow of praise: petition (verses 1-8) ends with a joyful soul and bones that speak (9-10); complaint and plea (11-17) end with thanks in the great congregation (18); petition (19-26) ends with supporters shouting "Let the Lord be magnified" and the speaker's tongue speaking all day (27-28). Reversal images: the net hidden in a pit catches its digger, and enemies are chaff before the wind. Kindness answered by cruelty is set out in full, sackcloth and fasting for their sickness against rejoicing and gnashing at his fall. Eyes and seeing pass between the parties, "our eye hath seen it", "This thou hast seen, O Lord", the wink of the eye. Rejoicing changes hands: the enemies rejoice in verses 15, 19 and 24, the speaker's soul in verse 9, and his supporters in verse 27.
Cited passages: Psalms 35:1, Psalms 35:3, Psalms 35:23, Psalms 35:9, Psalms 35:10, Psalms 35:18, Psalms 35:27, Psalms 35:28, Psalms 35:7, Psalms 35:13, Psalms 35:15, Psalms 35:21, Psalms 35:22, Psalms 35:19, Psalms 35:24
Key moments
- Plead my cause (Psalms 35:1). The speaker asks the Lord to plead his cause and fight those who fight him.
- Say to my soul (Psalms 35:3). He asks the Lord to say to his soul, I am thy salvation.
- Caught in his own net (Psalms 35:8). He asks that the enemy's hidden net catch the one who hid it.
- Sackcloth for their sickness (Psalms 35:13). He recalls fasting and mourning when his accusers were sick.
- How long wilt thou look on? (Psalms 35:17). He asks how long the Lord will watch and pleads for rescue from the lions.
- Aha, our eye hath seen it (Psalms 35:21). The enemies open their mouths wide and say they have seen it.
- Let the Lord be magnified (Psalms 35:27). He asks that those who favour his cause shout for joy and magnify the Lord.
For reflection
The speaker asks God to say to his soul, "I am thy salvation", before any enemy is dealt with; what does the psalm suggest hearing those words would change while the fight is still on?
