Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Psalms 35
Psalms 35:1Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
This opening verse sets the tone for the entire psalm, as David calls on God to take up his legal case and his physical battle, acting as his champion.Psalms 35:12-14They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. But I, when they were sick - I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.
Here, David highlights the deep personal betrayal he feels. He shows how he mourned for his enemies in their time of need, which makes their current rejoicing at his suffering all the more painful.Psalms 35:22-23You have seen, O Lord; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
This is a powerful declaration of faith where David affirms that God has seen the injustice. He calls on God to wake up and act, demonstrating a bold confidence that God is both aware and able to intervene.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Call to Arms for the Divine Champion
Psalm 35 unfolds like a courtroom drama and a battlefield report combined. David, feeling overwhelmed by malicious enemies, brings his case before the ultimate Judge. He uses vivid military language, asking God to put on armor, grab a spear, and physically fight against his pursuers. This is a desperate cry for a divine champion to step into the fray and turn the tide of the battle. It is not a quiet, meditative prayer.
The Deep Sting of Personal Betrayal
The conflict becomes deeply personal as David describes the character of his accusers. These are people he treated with kindness and compassion, grieving for them as if they were family. They are not strangers. Now, in his moment of weakness, they mock him, spread lies, and celebrate his pain. This deep sense of betrayal fuels his plea for God to see the injustice and act.
Anatomy of a Plea for Justice
In this psalm, David moves through several distinct emotional stages, from a desperate plea for help to a confident expectation of praise. The prayer begins with a dramatic call for God to engage in spiritual warfare on his behalf. It then transitions to detail the painful specifics of the betrayal he has endured, before culminating in a renewed call for vindication and a promise of public worship.
A Prayer for Divine Warfare (Psalms 35:1-10)
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, "I am your salvation!"
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it - to his destruction!
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?"
Commentary:
David asks God to arm Himself like a warrior and defeat his enemies.
The Pain of Repaid Evil (Psalms 35:11-16)
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick - I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
16 Like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth.
Commentary:
David laments how people he cared for are now viciously attacking him.
How Long, O Lord? (Psalms 35:17-21)
17 How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!
18 I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit.
21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!”
Commentary:
Feeling abandoned, David urgently asks God why He is waiting to intervene.
A Confident Appeal for Vindication (Psalms 35:22-28)
22 You have seen, O Lord; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!
23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our heart's desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."
26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me!
27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, "Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!"
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
Commentary:
David confidently calls on God to act, anticipating a future of public praise.
Core Truths in a Cry for Help
God as the Righteous Judge and Warrior
Psalm 35 portrays God as the ultimate authority who judges rightly and possesses the power to enforce that judgment. David doesn't take matters into his own hands. He appeals to God to act as his lawyer and his general, trusting that God's intervention will be both just and decisive.
The Reality of Unjust Suffering
This psalm validates the experience of being wronged for no good reason. David emphasizes that his enemies hate him 'without cause' and have repaid his good with evil. It reminds us that suffering isn't always a result of our own sin, and it gives us language to cry out to God from that place of confusion and pain.
Vindication Belongs to the Lord
The central plea is for vindication - for God to clear David's name and prove his righteousness. This isn't about personal revenge but about restoring honor and demonstrating God's justice. The psalm teaches us to entrust our reputation and our cause to God, who alone can bring true and lasting justice.
From Lament to Praise
Even in his darkest moment, David anticipates a future of praise. The psalm ends with a promise to 'tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.' This shows that honest lament can be a pathway to deeper worship, as we look beyond our present troubles to God's faithfulness.
Bringing the Battle to God
Psalm 35 gives you permission to be completely honest with God about your anger and hurt. Instead of plotting revenge or sinking into despair, you can follow David's example by bringing your case to God (v. 1). Ask Him to be your defender and trust that He sees the injustice and will act in His perfect timing.
This psalm shows a raw honesty that is welcome in prayer. While the New Testament calls us to love and pray for our enemies, it doesn't mean we ignore injustice. Praying like David means entrusting the execution of justice to God, asking Him to stop the wicked and vindicate the righteous, which is ultimately a prayer for His will to be done.
David felt this too, crying out, 'How long, O Lord, will you look on?' (v. 17). His solution was to remind himself of God's character and to declare his faith that God had indeed seen everything (v. 22). When God feels distant, you can stand on the truth of His awareness and righteousness, and, like David, look forward to the day when your mouth will be filled with His praise (v. 28).
Entrusting Your Cause to God
Psalm 35 is a powerful reminder that God is not afraid of our rawest emotions, including our anger and cries for justice. It teaches that when we face betrayal and unjust opposition, our first move should be to turn to God as our divine defender. The ultimate message is one of trust: we can surrender the fight for our own honor and vindication into the hands of the one who judges righteously, freeing us to hope for a future filled with His praise.
What This Means for Us Today
This psalm gives us permission to bring our deepest hurts and frustrations to God without sanitizing them. It invites us to lay down the heavy burden of fighting our own battles and instead hand our cause over to the God who sees, who cares, and who will act justly on our behalf.
- What injustice or betrayal are you carrying that you need to entrust to God, your vindicator?
- How can you move from lamenting your situation to confidently praising God for His righteousness, even before you see the outcome?
- Who in your life needs to see you model trust in God's justice rather than personal retaliation?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This psalm of praise for deliverance offers a hopeful contrast, showing the joy that comes after God answers the kind of desperate plea found in Psalm 35.
Following David's plea, this chapter reflects on the stark contrast between human wickedness and God's steadfast love, reinforcing why God is worthy of our trust.
Connections Across Scripture
The prophet Jeremiah echoes David's lament, complaining to God about those who dug a pit for him and repaid his good with evil.
This passage provides a New Testament framework for handling enemies, urging believers not to seek revenge but to 'leave it to the wrath of God,' which fulfills the principle of justice David sought.
This verse describes how Jesus, when he was reviled, 'did not revile in return' but 'continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly,' perfectly modeling the ultimate trust David was striving for.
Discussion Questions
- David asks for his enemies' way to be 'dark and slippery' (v. 6). How do we balance these kinds of raw prayers for justice with the command to love our enemies?
- David clearly contrasts his own compassionate actions (v. 13-14) with his enemies' cruelty. Why is it important for us to examine our own hearts and actions when we feel we are being wronged?
- The psalm ends with a confident expectation of praise (v. 28). How can we cultivate a heart of praise and trust in God's goodness even when we are still in the middle of a difficult situation?
Glossary
theological concepts
Vindication
The act of being cleared of blame or wrongdoing; in the Bible, it refers to God publicly defending the honor and righteousness of His servant.
Righteousness
The quality of being morally right or justifiable; in this psalm, it refers to both David's innocence and God's perfect, just character.