Of the many interpretations that are given of this passage, that appears to me the most probable which derives it from the posture of the worshipper; who standing with his head inclined downward toward his bosom, turned away his attention from all external objects, and uttered his mournful and earnest requests, as if they were directed to his own bosom. Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Leviticus 16:29,31 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: , Matthew 9:14,15 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? Among the Hebrews fasting and prayer were much more closely connected than they are with Christians. We don't think of it today saying, "aha, aha" as being such an evil, contemptuous kind of thing, but in those days, man, it was really evil and contemptuous. Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. A prayer that God may arise on David's behalf and repay those who have wrongfully attacked him ( Psalms 35:1-10 ). Probably it was then well known whom he meant; it may be Saul himself for one, whom he was sent for to attend upon when he was melancholy and ill, and to whom he was serviceable to drive away the evil spirit, not with his harp, but with his prayers; to others of the courtiers, it is likely, he had shown this respect, while he lived at court, who now were, of all others, most abusive to him. To him: "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation; let me have inward comfort under all these outward troubles, to support my soul which they strike at. 1. Who rejoice at my hurt; This showed a noble spirit in David, and greatly aggravated the baseness of those who now so cruelly persecuted him. Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it ( Psalms 35:15-21 ). God alone can defend him against his attackers (9-10).Davids sorrow is the more painful when he remembers that those who now fight against him are those whom he helped, sympathized with and prayed for when they were sick or in trouble (11-14). Now when these people were sick, (1.) But as for me, when I was in adversity they rejoiced.". Thus, when the Son of David was run upon by the rulers, the people cried, Crucify him, crucify him. [2.] He prays that God would stop their way (v. 3), that they might not overtake him when he fled from them. David shows how tenderly he had behaved towards them in afflictions. 3. 2. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Lord, with regular letters, translates the Hebrew word Adonai the ancient Hebrew word for Lord. Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so we would have it! Those that do not are justly stigmatized as without natural affection. Psalms 35:13 - EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries God knew that they were, without cause, his enemies, and that they had, without cause, digged pits for him, v. 7. I. Perjury, v. 11. But in mine adversity they rejoiced ( Psalms 35:11-15 ), Now David is saying, "I was so good to them when they were in trouble. He pleads his own innocency, that he never gave them any provocation (ver 7, 19), but, on the contrary, had studied to oblige them, ver 12-14. Psalm 35:13 in all English translations. 1. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. of Joy in God and in his salvation is the only true, solid, satisfying joy. Who exalt themselves against me. If God, by his Spirit, witness to our spirits that he is our salvation, we need desire no more to make us happy. How tenderly, and with what a cordial affection, he had behaved towards them in their afflictions (v. 13, 14): They were sick. But this was not all. Lord, keep not silence, as if thou didst consent to what is done against me! He prayed for them. (2.) Let God be my salvation, not only my Saviour out of my present troubles, but my everlasting bliss. The apostles were made a spectacle to the world. (last clause). Observe, He mourned as for a brother or mother, which intimates that it is our duty, and well becomes us, to lay to heart the sickness, and sorrow, and death of our near relations. Yet he ended with a strong focus on God and His praise. Our relationship with God is clearly seen in how we treat others. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me. Let me have inward comfort under all outward troubles, to support my soul. Verse 13. Salem Media Group. ], 2. His desire is that evil will be conquered and that righteousness will triumph (26-28). What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. 2. Now when these people were sick, (1.) This was the character of David's enemies (Psalms 35:12; Psalms 35:12): They rewarded me evil for good. This he complains of here as the highest piece of injustice imaginable: False witnesses did rise up, who would swear anything; they laid to my charge things that I knew not, nor ever thought of. The idea of the psalmist is that of a warrior prepared alike for attack or defense. Yet in many of the disputes with his enemies, he had no problem seeing that he was on Gods side and they were not. They really would get upset.Now when Elisha was going up the hill, little kids came up from Bethel saying, "aha, aha, ye old bald man!" When they were sick This might refer to the case of Absalom, who was much beloved of his father, and for whose life and prosperity he no doubt often prayed, wept, and fasted. The word "soul" here is equivalent to "self;" I afflicted myself. Christian sympathy even for the froward. 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. II. Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 35:13 Commentary on Psalm 35:11-16 (Read Psalm 35:11-16) Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David's enemies. And of Your praise all the day long. Such has often been the hard fate of the best of men. and humbled myself with fasting. Psalm 35: God Help Me[or download in RTFformat] Psalm 36: Reach for the Sky[or download in RTFformat] Psalm 37: Waiting for God[or download in RTFformat] Psalm 38: Lord, Remember Me[or download in RTFformat] Psalm 39: No Fixed Address[or download in RTFformat] Psalm 40: Build on a Rock[or download in And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. (2)The far more probable meaning, my prayer came back again and again to my bosom, i.e., was repeated over and over again; just as we say, the thought recurred to my mind. (Comp. I am for peace, Ps 120 7. b. LORD, how long are you just going to stand there looking? To my cause, my God and my Lord. He prayed for them. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Call a man ungrateful and you can call him no worse. I. Perjury, Psalms 35:11; Psalms 35:11. Since Davids enemies have the ferocity of men in battle, David asks God to deal with them accordingly and fight against them as a warrior (1-3). For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. ). David vowed that his hand should not be upon him; he would not be judge in his own cause. Henry Ainsworth. It is supposed that Saul and his party are the persons he means, for with them he had the greatest struggles. Psalms 35:13-14 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. I. David's representation of his case to God, setting forth the restless rage and malice of his persecutors. (Comp. If the kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and his anointed, who can contend with them? III. 2. Against his many enemies (v. 4-6): Let them be confounded, etc. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? Psalm 35 1. It was so to St. Paul. As for Saul himself, David, it is probable, knew that God had rejected him and had forbidden Samuel to mourn for him, 1 Sam 16 1. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 14 I went about mourning . No such patron of oppressed innocency, no such punisher of triumphant tyranny. V. His prospect of his own deliverance, which, having committed his cause to God, he did not doubt of, v. 9, 10. Let 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 ( Psalms 35:1-4 ). Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Now I don't know what the content was of the "aha, aha," but it was something they hated to hear. As God's angels encamp against those that fight against him. The deliverance celebrated in that psalm is now seen to be not invariably swift or painless, but subject, if God wills, to agonizing delays." He prophesies the destruction of his persecutors, ver 4-6, 8. And my prayer returned into mine own bosom - DeWette explains this as meaning, "I prayed with my head sunk on my bosom;" that is, with the head bowed down, so that the prayer which went out of Iris lips seemed to return again to his own bosom - that earnest prayer which one offers when the head is bowed with sorrow. And what remarkable language we now meet with in Psalm 35:16! PLUS Save 20% for life! The circumstances are partly similar to. The great God has pleasure in this prosperity of good people, not only of his family, the church in general, but of every particular servant in his family. My God and my Lord: The cry of Thomas when he saw the wounds of Jesus. (1-3) David pleads to God for defense. Psalm 36. They were very rude; they could not find in their hearts to show him common civility: They speak not peace; if they met him, they had not the good manners to give him the time of day; like Joseph's brethren, that could not speak peaceably to him, Gen 37 4. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Though they should in some degree prevail, yet he foresees that it would be to their own ruin at last: They shall be as chaff before the wind, so unable will wicked men be to stand before the judgments of God and so certainly will they be driven away by them, Ps 1 4. He discovered not only the tender affection of a man, but the pious affection of a saint. It was also with reference to prayer in their behalf; and to fasting, that he put on these marks of grief. Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? The is not the Beth of companionship or fellowship, to express which or (Hosea 7:5) would have been used, but Beth essentiae or the Beth of characterisation: in the character of the most abject examples of this class of men do they gnash upon him with their teeth. It is a vexation of spirit which attends even a right work that for this a man is envied of his neighbour,Ecclesiastes 4:4. Personal benefit of intercessory prayer. How long wilt thou connive at the wickedness of the wicked? Turba Remi sequitur fortunam, ut semper, et odit damnatosThe Roman crowd, varying their opinions with every turn of fortune, are sure to execrate the fallen. They are hoping that David will soon be caught, so that they can pounce on him and destroy him. There is some difference in the numbering of the psalms among versions. ), and all to ruin them and root them out. Many good works have I shown you from my Father; for which of those do you stone me? , Job 30:6, to be driven forth with a whip, after which the lxx renders it , Symm. city of milwaukee zoning map,