Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Psalm 35:1) (A Psalm of David) Plead, O Lord, with them who strive with me; fight against them who fight against me.
At this time David was hiding out in Judah from Saul and his men who wanted to kill him. He may have composed such a psalm as this at that time. He asked the Lord to undertake his case against those who slandered and persecuted him, to fight against those who fought against him.
(2) Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for my help. (3) Draw out also the spear and stop against them who persecute me; say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
The shield and buckler were defensive weapons; David asked that the Lord be his defense against his enemies. He also asked that the Lord be offensive as well and stop his persecutors. He asked that the Lord give him assurance that He would defend him against his enemies, that He would be his salvation.
(4) Let them be confounded and put to shame who seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion who devise my hurt.
David prayed that his enemies be confounded and confused and even brought to shame that they sought the life of an innocent man; he prayed they be turned back from their evil intentions.
(5) Let them be as chaff before the wind and let the angel of the Lord chase. (6) Let their way be dark and slippery and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
David prayed that his enemies be swept away by the angel of the Lord as if they were chaff in the wind. He wished their way to be difficult. Although David may have wished for the Lord to persecute his enemies, the original word "radaph" was more often translated as "pursued." Let the angel of the Lord pursue them and make their way and their plans for evil difficult.
(7) For without cause they have hid for me their net, a pit; without cause they have digged for my soul.
David reasoned with the Lord that his enemies should be pursued because without cause they had laid traps for him and dug pits into which he might fall.
(8) Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he has hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.
David prayed that destruction come upon his singular enemy, which would have to be Saul, when he least expected it, that the traps he had set for David catch himself. He wished his enemy to fall into the very destruction that he had designed for David.
(9) And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. (10) All my bones shall say, "Who is like You, who delivered the poor from him who is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him who spoils him?"
David would be so very joyful in his deliverance by the Lord that all the bones of his body, as well as his soul, would rejoice, for there was no one like the Lord who delivered the weak from the strong and the needy from the plunderer and robber.
(11) False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. (12) They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
False witnesses had risen up against David accusing him of things of which he had no knowledge. They rewarded him with evil when he had only sought to do good for them. This grieved his soul.
(13) But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned to my own bosom.
Before they became his enemies, when they had been sick, as when Saul was plagued with the evil spirit, he was grieved and mourned for them. I believe the meaning of his prayer returning to his own bosom, was that although it did not help them, his future enemies, God rewarded such actions of love and sacrifice in that the good for which he prayed for them was returned by the Lord to him.
(14) I behaved myself as though my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily as one who mourns his mother.
David had treated Saul and his servants as if they were his brothers and friends. He had cared deeply when Saul was plagued by the evil spirit. These sentiments could very easily be attributed to Jesus. He came to His own people and gave them His all, treating all of them with love as if they were all His friends and brothers, but they had rejected Him. Perhaps as it was Saul whom David mainly spoke about, this compares more directly with Judas whom He had made one of His closest friends. Christ had wept over Jerusalem and had a very tender concern for her people (Luke 19:41) even though they had rejected Him.
The Bible commentators I study constantly compare David's psalms to Jesus. David often wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, perhaps more than I have given credit. Maybe that is why David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22), even though he was a very flawed man who sinned greatly. Acts 13:22 also said that God had chosen him to fulfill all His will. Perhaps a big part of that was to lay out in psalms the coming Messiah.
(15) But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I did not know; they tore at me and did not cease, (16) With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
David's enemies rejoiced in his adversity and gathered themselves together against him in secrecy. They came after him constantly in wrath, which is what the gnashing of teeth usually represented, and scorn and mockery. These could have easily been the words of Jesus at His crucifixion.
(17) Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the lions.
David wondered how long the Lord would allow him to go through his afflictions before He rescued him. David had full confidence that the Lord saw everything he was going through, and he knew that the Lord could rescue him, and he pleaded for Him to rescue his only soul from his enemies' destructions.
(18) I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among much people.
When David was delivered and able to attend the tabernacle and other public assemblies, he would publicly praise God in honor and thanksgiving.
(19) Let not those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
David prayed that his enemies not be allowed to rejoice over him unjustly with lies and sharing inside secrets, those who hated him without cause.
(20) For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet in the land. (21) Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen."
David's enemies did not speak peace but were very quarrelsome and threatening. They devised deceitful schemes misrepresenting those who wished to live peaceably in the land. His enemies specifically spoke out against David, as if they had actually detected some misconduct on his part.
(22) You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. (23) Stir up Yourself and awake to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
David knew the Lord had seen all that his enemies had done and said against him. He prayed that the Lord be close to him and hear him and help him. He asked that the Lord rise up and execute judgment for him, on his behalf for his cause.
(24) Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. (25) Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so would we have it." Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."
David prayed that the Lord judge between him and his enemies according to what David knew was His righteous judgment. He prayed that his enemies not be able to rejoice over him and congratulate themselves because they had destroyed him.
(26) Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together who rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify against me.
He asked that his enemies, those who rejoiced at his hurt, be brought to shame and confusion, unable to execute their plans against him. Let those who exalted themselves over him to make themselves great by destroying him, be covered with shame and dishonor.
(27) Let them shout for joy and be glad who favor my righteous cause. Yea, let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."
David desired that his supporters be able to shout for joy because the Lord had delivered him. He prayed that they continually exalt the Lord's greatness because of what He had done to deliver and prosper His servant, David.
(28) And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness, of Your praise all the day long.
David himself would forever speak of the Lord's righteousness in delivering him and sing His praises all day long. Augustine, the Christian theologian and philosopher of the 300-400's wrote that while it might seem impossible to actually sing praises to the Lord all day long, that we praise the Lord when we do good. If we always strive to be Christ-like, we are honoring and praising Him.
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