Psalms 35 Study Notes: A Plea Against Unjust Enemies
David asks the LORD to fight for him against enemies who attack him without cause and repay his kindness with evil. He prays that their schemes will fall back on them, describes their mockery when he stumbled, and asks God to vindicate him, vowing to praise God's righteousness.
General
In 35:1-3, what does David ask the LORD to say to his soul?
Answer: That God Himself is his salvation
David opens by asking the LORD to act like a warrior on his behalf: to take up his case against his opponents, battle those battling him, take up shield and buckler, and draw the spear against his pursuers (35:1-3). But the deepest request is personal: he asks God to assure his soul that He is his salvation. David does not plan to strike back himself; he hands his cause to God. Moses sang of the LORD as a warrior (Exodus 15:3) and told Israel that the LORD would fight for them (Exodus 14:14), and David elsewhere calls the LORD his light and salvation (Psalm 27:1).
- Psalm 35:1-3 (BSB)“Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me. Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.””David asks the LORD to fight for him and to assure him of salvation.
- Exodus 15:3 (BSB)“The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name.”Moses sang of the LORD as a warrior.
- Exodus 14:14 (BSB)“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””Moses told Israel that the LORD would fight for them.
- Psalm 27:1 (BSB)“Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?”David elsewhere confesses the LORD as his light and salvation.
Theological
Amid the warrior imagery of 35:1-3, what assurance does David request from God?
Answer: That God Himself is his salvation
The opening petitions picture the LORD as divine warrior and advocate, contending in court and fighting in battle for His servant (35:1-3). The climax is a request for a word of assurance to David's soul: that God Himself is his salvation. David commits his cause to God rather than to his own arm. Exodus 15:3 and 14:14 present the LORD as the warrior who fights for His people, and Psalm 27:1 confesses Him as David's salvation.
- Psalm 35:1-3 (BSB)“Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me. Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.””David asks the LORD to fight for him and to assure him of salvation.
- Exodus 15:3 (BSB)“The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name.”Moses sang of the LORD as a warrior.
- Exodus 14:14 (BSB)“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””Moses told Israel that the LORD would fight for them.
- Psalm 27:1 (BSB)“Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?”David elsewhere confesses the LORD as his light and salvation.
General
In 35:27, what does David want those who support his vindication to keep saying?
Answer: That the LORD is great and glad when His servant thrives
After asking that those who gloat over him be ashamed (35:25-26), David turns to those who want to see him vindicated. He asks that they be glad and keep declaring that the LORD is exalted and takes pleasure in the welfare of the one who serves Him (35:27). David then vows that his own tongue will speak of God's righteousness and praise Him the whole day (35:28). God's delight in His people appears elsewhere: another psalm says God is pleased with those who belong to Him (Psalm 149:4), and Zephaniah pictures Him rejoicing over them with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).
- Psalm 35:27-28 (BSB)“May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.” Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.”David asks his supporters to rejoice and exalt the LORD, and vows lifelong praise.
- Psalm 149:4 (BSB)“For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.”Another psalm says God is pleased with those who belong to Him.
- Zephaniah 3:17 (BSB)“The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.””Zephaniah pictures God rejoicing over His people with singing.
Theological
What confession does David hope his supporters will voice in 35:27?
Answer: That the LORD is great and glad when His servant thrives
After the final imprecation against those who gloat (35:25-26), the psalm ends in praise: David asks that those who desire his vindication rejoice and continually confess the LORD's greatness and His delight in His servant's welfare (35:27), and he vows lifelong proclamation of God's righteousness (35:28). The God who vindicates is pleased with those who belong to Him, as Psalm 149:4 and Zephaniah 3:17 also declare.
- Psalm 35:27-28 (BSB)“May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.” Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.”David asks his supporters to rejoice and exalt the LORD, and vows lifelong praise.
- Psalm 149:4 (BSB)“For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.”Another psalm says God is pleased with those who belong to Him.
- Zephaniah 3:17 (BSB)“The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.””Zephaniah pictures God rejoicing over His people with singing.
General
True or False: In 35:11-14, David says his accusers had always been his enemies and that he had never shown them kindness.
Answer: False
This is false. Hostile witnesses brought charges David knew nothing about, and they paid him back with evil in return for good (35:11-12). When they had been sick, David had worn sackcloth, fasted, and prayed for them, grieving as if for a friend, a brother, or his own mother (35:13-14). His enemies' hatred was the opposite of his love. Proverbs warns that evil will not leave the house of one who repays good with evil (Proverbs 17:13), and Jesus faced lying witnesses at His own trial (Matthew 26:59-60).
- Psalm 35:11-14 (BSB)“Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered. I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.”False witnesses repay David evil for good, though he had mourned and prayed for them.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Evil will not leave the house of one who returns evil for good.
- Matthew 26:59-60 (BSB)“Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward”Jesus also faced false witnesses at His trial.
Theological
True or False: 35:11-14 portrays David's accusers as people he had never treated kindly.
Answer: False
This is false. The accusers are false witnesses who repay David evil for good (35:11-12). During their illness he had put on sackcloth, fasted, prayed, and mourned for them as for a friend, a brother, or a mother (35:13-14). Their ingratitude heightens the injustice, which Proverbs 17:13 condemns, and Jesus' trial before lying witnesses shows the same pattern (Matthew 26:59-60).
- Psalm 35:11-14 (BSB)“Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered. I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.”False witnesses repay David evil for good, though he had mourned and prayed for them.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Evil will not leave the house of one who returns evil for good.
- Matthew 26:59-60 (BSB)“Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward”Jesus also faced false witnesses at His trial.
General
In 35:15-16, how did David's enemies respond when he stumbled?
Answer: They gathered in delight and mocked him
When David stumbled, his enemies gathered gleefully against him; even attackers who were strangers to him slandered him constantly, and like godless mockers at a banquet they ground their teeth at him (35:15-16). This is the very opposite of how David had treated them when they were sick (35:13-14). Proverbs warns against rejoicing over an enemy's fall (Proverbs 24:17), and Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies and to pray for their persecutors (Matthew 5:44).
- Psalm 35:15-16 (BSB)“But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing. Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.”When David stumbled, his enemies gathered gleefully and mocked him.
- Proverbs 24:17 (BSB)“Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,”Proverbs forbids gloating over an enemy's fall.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus calls His followers to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors.
Theological
What response of the enemies to David's misfortune does 35:15-16 describe?
Answer: They gathered in delight and mocked him
At David's stumbling, his enemies assembled in glee, strangers slandered him without pause, and like profane mockers at a banquet they ground their teeth at him (35:15-16). Their malice mirrors, in reverse, David's compassion in their sickness (35:13-14). Proverbs 24:17 forbids such gloating, and Jesus commands love and prayer for enemies (Matthew 5:44).
- Psalm 35:15-16 (BSB)“But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing. Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.”When David stumbled, his enemies gathered gleefully and mocked him.
- Proverbs 24:17 (BSB)“Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,”Proverbs forbids gloating over an enemy's fall.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus calls His followers to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors.
General
In John 15:25, Jesus applies to Himself language found in 35:19. What does that language describe?
Answer: Being hated by enemies who have no just cause
David asks that enemies who hate him without cause, and who wink at each other in malice, not be allowed to gloat over him (35:19). Jesus told His disciples that the world's hatred of Him fulfilled what is written, that they hated Him for no reason (John 15:25). Similar wording appears in Psalm 69:4. Like David, but perfectly, Jesus was hated though He had done no wrong. He was without sin, and when abused He refused to strike back and committed His cause to God, the just Judge (1 Peter 2:22-23).
- Psalm 35:19 (BSB)“Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.”David asks that those who hate him without cause not gloat over him.
- John 15:25 (BSB)“But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’”Jesus says the world's hatred of Him fulfills what is written.
- Psalm 69:4 (BSB)“Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me—my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.”The same language of causeless hatred appears in Psalm 69.
- 1 Peter 2:22-23 (BSB)““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”Jesus was sinless and, when abused, entrusted Himself to the just Judge.
Theological
What element of 35:19 does Jesus claim as fulfilled in John 15:25?
Answer: Being hated by enemies who have no just cause
Verse 19 laments enemies who hate David without cause. Jesus claims this language as fulfilled in the world's groundless hatred of Him (John 15:25); the phrase also appears in Psalm 69:4. The righteous sufferer's experience in David finds its perfect expression in the sinless Christ, who under abuse entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly (1 Peter 2:22-23).
- Psalm 35:19 (BSB)“Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.”David asks that those who hate him without cause not gloat over him.
- John 15:25 (BSB)“But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’”Jesus says the world's hatred of Him fulfills what is written.
- Psalm 69:4 (BSB)“Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me—my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.”The same language of causeless hatred appears in Psalm 69.
- 1 Peter 2:22-23 (BSB)““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”Jesus was sinless and, when abused, entrusted Himself to the just Judge.
General
In 35:17-18, what does David ask of the Lord, and what does he promise?
Answer: Rescue from the lions, and public thanks to God
David asks how long the Lord will merely watch, and pleads to be rescued from his enemies, whom he pictures as ravaging lions (35:17). He promises that when God rescues him he will give thanks and praise Him publicly, before the whole gathered congregation of God's people (35:18). The cry of how long appears in other laments (Psalm 13:1-2; Habakkuk 1:2), and Psalm 22 likewise vows praise before the great assembly (Psalm 22:25).
- Psalm 35:17-18 (BSB)“How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.”David asks how long God will wait and vows public praise when rescued.
- Psalm 13:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me?”Another lament of David repeatedly asks God how long.
- Habakkuk 1:2 (BSB)“How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?”The prophet asks how long he must cry for help.
- Psalm 22:25 (BSB)“My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.”Psalm 22 also vows praise before the great assembly.
Theological
What petition and vow make up 35:17-18?
Answer: Rescue from the lions, and public thanks to God
Verse 17 is the lament's complaint and petition: how long will the Lord look on, and a plea for rescue from the lion-like enemies. Verse 18 is the vow of praise: thanksgiving before the congregation. The how-long complaint matches Psalm 13:1-2 and Habakkuk 1:2, and the public vow parallels Psalm 22:25.
- Psalm 35:17-18 (BSB)“How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.”David asks how long God will wait and vows public praise when rescued.
- Psalm 13:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me?”Another lament of David repeatedly asks God how long.
- Habakkuk 1:2 (BSB)“How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?”The prophet asks how long he must cry for help.
- Psalm 22:25 (BSB)“My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.”Psalm 22 also vows praise before the great assembly.
General
In 35:4-6, what does David ask God to do to the men trying to kill him?
Answer: Put them to shame and drive them off like chaff
David asks God to bring shame and defeat on those trying to kill him and plotting harm: to turn them back in confusion, scatter them like chaff blown by the wind, and make their path dark and slippery while the angel of the LORD chases them off (35:4-6). This kind of prayer is called an imprecation, a request for God to bring judgment on enemies. These enemies were seeking his life without cause (35:7). David does not take revenge himself; he asks God to act. Scripture teaches that vengeance belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19), and the chaff image recalls how the wicked are blown away in Psalm 1:4.
- Psalm 35:4-6 (BSB)“May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded. May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away. May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.”David asks God to shame and scatter those who seek his life.
- Psalm 1:4 (BSB)“Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.”The wicked are pictured as chaff blown away by the wind.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””God declares that vengeance belongs to Him.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave judgment to God.
Theological
What is the content of David's petition against his pursuers in 35:4-6?
Answer: Put them to shame and drive them off like chaff
Verses 4-6 are imprecation: David asks that those seeking his life be shamed, repulsed, scattered like chaff, and pursued on a dark and slippery path by the angel of the LORD. The petition arises from unprovoked, murderous hostility (35:7) and is an appeal to God's justice, not a plan of personal revenge. It hands vengeance to the One to whom it belongs (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19), and the chaff image echoes the fate of the wicked in Psalm 1:4.
- Psalm 35:4-6 (BSB)“May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded. May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away. May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.”David asks God to shame and scatter those who seek his life.
- Psalm 1:4 (BSB)“Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.”The wicked are pictured as chaff blown away by the wind.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””God declares that vengeance belongs to Him.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave judgment to God.
General
In 35:7-8, what does David ask to happen to the net his enemies hid for him?
Answer: That it would catch the very people who set it
David's enemies had secretly spread a net and dug a pit to trap him, and they did it for no reason at all (35:7). He asks that sudden ruin come on them, that their own hidden net would catch them, and that they would tumble into the trap they made (35:8). This is a common biblical theme: the evil a person plans for others comes back on him. Another psalm pictures the wicked man falling into the hole he dug (Psalm 7:15-16), Proverbs says the pit-digger ends up in his own pit (Proverbs 26:27), and Psalm 9:15 shows nations caught in their own net.
- Psalm 35:7-8 (BSB)“For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.”The enemies set traps without cause, and David asks that their traps catch them.
- Psalm 7:15-16 (BSB)“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.”Another psalm pictures the wicked falling into the hole he dug.
- Proverbs 26:27 (BSB)“He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.”Proverbs says the pit-digger ends up in his own pit.
- Psalm 9:15 (BSB)“The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.”The nations are caught in the net they themselves hid.
Theological
What fitting retribution does David request in 35:7-8 concerning the net his foes concealed?
Answer: That it would catch the very people who set it
Because the enemies set their net and dug their pit without cause (35:7), David asks that their own devices ensnare them (35:8). This is the principle of fitting retribution: God turns the schemer's evil back upon himself. Psalm 7:15-16, Proverbs 26:27, and Psalm 9:15 state the same pattern of the trap recoiling on the one who set it.
- Psalm 35:7-8 (BSB)“For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.”The enemies set traps without cause, and David asks that their traps catch them.
- Psalm 7:15-16 (BSB)“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.”Another psalm pictures the wicked falling into the hole he dug.
- Proverbs 26:27 (BSB)“He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.”Proverbs says the pit-digger ends up in his own pit.
- Psalm 9:15 (BSB)“The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.”The nations are caught in the net they themselves hid.
General
True or False: In Psalm 35, David asks God to judge his enemies rather than taking revenge on them with his own hand.
Answer: True
This is true. Throughout the psalm David asks the LORD to take up his case (35:1), to rise to his defense, and to vindicate him by His righteousness (35:23-24). His harsh requests are appeals to God's justice against people who attacked him without cause, not plans for personal revenge. David showed the same spirit when he spared Saul and said that the LORD would judge between them but that he himself would not lift a hand against Saul (1 Samuel 24:12). Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to make room for God to repay (Romans 12:19), and Jesus calls His followers to love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44). Christians have understood how these prayers relate to Jesus' command in different ways, but both call for trusting God to deal justly with evil.
- Psalm 35:23-24 (BSB)“Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.”David asks God to rise to his defense and vindicate him by His righteousness.
- 1 Samuel 24:12 (BSB)“May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.”David, sparing Saul, leaves judgment and vengeance to the LORD.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave room for God to repay.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus calls His followers to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors.
Theological
True or False: The imprecations of Psalm 35 commit David's cause to God's judgment rather than to personal retaliation.
Answer: True
This is true. The imprecations are framed as petitions to the divine Judge: that He take up David's case (35:1), rouse Himself to his defense, and vindicate him by His righteousness (35:23-24). They appeal to God's justice against persistent, unprovoked wickedness and relinquish vengeance to Him, the same disposition David showed in sparing Saul (1 Samuel 24:12) and that Paul commands (Romans 12:19). Jesus' command to love and pray for enemies (Matthew 5:44) stands alongside these prayers; Christians have related the two in different ways, but both entrust judgment to God.
- Psalm 35:23-24 (BSB)“Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.”David asks God to rise to his defense and vindicate him by His righteousness.
- 1 Samuel 24:12 (BSB)“May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.”David, sparing Saul, leaves judgment and vengeance to the LORD.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave room for God to repay.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus calls His followers to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors.
General
According to 35:9-10, what will David's whole being declare when God rescues him?
Answer: That none is like the LORD, who rescues the weak
David looks ahead to a soul made glad by the LORD and His salvation (35:9). With his whole self, even his bones, he will cry out that no one is like the LORD, who rescues the weak and afflicted from those who attack them and the needy from those who rob them (35:10). This echoes Israel's song after the crossing of the sea, which asked what god could compare with the LORD (Exodus 15:11), and Micah's praise of the incomparable God who pardons sin and whose delight is loving devotion (Micah 7:18).
- Psalm 35:9-10 (BSB)“Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation. All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?””David anticipates rejoicing and confessing God's incomparable rescue of the afflicted.
- Exodus 15:11 (BSB)“Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”Israel's song after the sea asks who is like the LORD among the gods.
- Micah 7:18 (BSB)“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?”Micah praises the incomparable God who pardons iniquity and delights in loving devotion.
Theological
What confession does David anticipate making in 35:9-10 once delivered?
Answer: That none is like the LORD, who rescues the weak
The vow of praise in 35:9-10 centers on God's incomparability: David's whole being will confess that no one is like the LORD, the one who rescues the afflicted from those who assault them and the needy from the despoiler. The formula recalls the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:11) and Micah 7:18, where God's uniqueness is displayed in saving and pardoning.
- Psalm 35:9-10 (BSB)“Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation. All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?””David anticipates rejoicing and confessing God's incomparable rescue of the afflicted.
- Exodus 15:11 (BSB)“Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”Israel's song after the sea asks who is like the LORD among the gods.
- Micah 7:18 (BSB)“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?”Micah praises the incomparable God who pardons iniquity and delights in loving devotion.
General
In 35:21-22 the enemies gloat over what they think they have witnessed. How does David respond?
Answer: He says God has seen it too and asks Him to act
The enemies have no words of peace; they plot lies against quiet, peaceful people, and they open their mouths wide in mockery, claiming to have seen what they wanted (35:20-21). David answers by turning to God: the LORD has seen it too, so David asks Him not to stay silent or far away, but to wake up and defend his cause and vindicate him according to God's own righteousness (35:22-24). To vindicate means to show publicly that someone is in the right. Hagar named the LORD as a God who sees (Genesis 16:13), and another psalm says God notices trouble and grief, and the helpless commit themselves to Him (Psalm 10:14).
- Psalm 35:20-24 (BSB)“For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!” O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me. Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.”The enemies scheme and mock, and David appeals to the God who has seen it to vindicate him.
- Genesis 16:13 (BSB)“So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!””Hagar named the LORD as a God who sees.
- Psalm 10:14 (BSB)“But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”God sees trouble and grief, and the helpless entrust themselves to Him.
Theological
How does David's plea in 35:22-24 answer the enemies' boast of 35:21?
Answer: He says God has seen it too and asks Him to act
The enemies, who speak no peace and plot against the quiet in the land, gloat that they have seen David's downfall (35:20-21). David answers with a deliberate echo: the LORD has seen it. On that basis he asks God not to be silent or distant but to rouse Himself to his cause and vindicate him by His own righteousness (35:22-24). The divine witness outweighs the enemies' testimony, as Genesis 16:13 and Psalm 10:14 affirm of the all-seeing God.
- Psalm 35:20-24 (BSB)“For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!” O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me. Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.”The enemies scheme and mock, and David appeals to the God who has seen it to vindicate him.
- Genesis 16:13 (BSB)“So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!””Hagar named the LORD as a God who sees.
- Psalm 10:14 (BSB)“But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”God sees trouble and grief, and the helpless entrust themselves to Him.