Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 35 (MT) / Psalm 34 (LXX) is a Davidic imprecatory-prayer — a long and intense petition against false witnesses and treacherous enemies. Verse 19 — 'those who hate me without cause' — is cited at John 15:25 as fulfilled in the world's hatred of Jesus. The psalm moves through three petition-cycles (vv. 1–10, 11–18, 19–28), each closing with a vow of praise.
Notable Variants
35:19 'those who hate me without cause' → John 15:25 citation (with Ps 69:4); 35:11 'false witnesses' anticipating Mark 14:56–57 trial-of-Jesus pattern; 35:13 'sackcloth and fasting' as intercession-posture.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 35 = LXX Ps 34. 28 verses.
Of David. Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.
'Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me' tracks MT. The divine-contender petition — inviting YHWH into legal-combat with the petitioner's enemies.
Take up the small shield and the large shield, and rise to my aid.
'Take hold of shield and buckler' tracks MT. Divine-warrior imagery — Ephesians 6:10–17 retrieves and spiritualizes.
Draw out the spear and close the way against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.'
'Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers' tracks MT. 'Say to my soul: I am your salvation!' — the divine-assurance-to-the-soul is the psalm's theological pivot.
Let those who seek my life be shamed and disgraced. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and humiliated.
Shame-and-dishonor-on-enemies petition tracks MT.
Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away.
'Let them be like chaff before the wind' tracks MT. Chaff-image for wicked-judgment echoes Psalm 1:4 and the JB's eschatological use at Matthew 3:12.
Let their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
'Let their way be dark and slippery' tracks MT.
For without cause they hid a net for me in a pit. Without cause they dug a trap for my life.
'Without cause they hid their net for me' tracks MT. The 'without cause' (chinnam / dōrean) preview the v. 19 formula.
Let ruin come upon him by surprise. Let the net he hid catch him. Let him fall into his own destruction.
'Let destruction come upon him unawares' tracks MT. The unawares-coming-judgment anticipates Jesus' 'like a thief in the night' (Matt 24:43).
Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD. It will delight in His salvation.
'My soul shall rejoice in the LORD' tracks MT. Mary's Magnificat ('my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,' Luke 1:47) echoes this.
All my bones will say, 'LORD, who is like you — rescuing the poor from one too strong for him, the poor and needy from the one who robs him?'
'All my bones shall say: LORD, who is like you?' tracks MT. The 'who is like you' (mi kamocha / tis homoios sou) is the Exodus 15:11 'Song of the Sea' signature — applied here to divine-deliverance-of-the-poor.
Violent witnesses rise up. They ask me about things I know nothing of.
'Malicious witnesses rise up' tracks MT. The false-witness theology — martyres adikoi — anticipates the false-witnesses at Jesus' trial (Matt 26:59–60, Mark 14:56–57, 'many bore FALSE witness against him,' pseudomartyroun) and at Stephen's trial (Acts 6:13, 'set up false witnesses').
They repay me evil for good — bereavement for my soul.
'They repay me evil for good' tracks MT. Good-for-evil reversal theology — an anti-chesed critique of the ungrateful.
But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer returned to my own chest.
'But I, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth' tracks MT. Intercession-for-enemies as a covenantal-pious practice — the proto-'love-your-enemies' prayer-posture (cf. Matt 5:44).
I went about as though grieving for a friend, for a brother. I bowed low in mourning, as one who weeps for his mother.
'As though for a friend, as for a brother' tracks MT.
But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee. Strikers assembled against me — people I did not know. They tore at me without ceasing.
'But at my stumbling they rejoiced' tracks MT.
Like godless mockers at a feast, they gnash their teeth at me.
'Like profane mockers at a feast' tracks MT. The mockery-at-the-sufferer anticipates Psalm 22's cross-scene application.
O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.
'How long, O Lord, will you look on?' tracks MT. The 'how long' (ad matai) lament-formula repeats across the Psalter (Ps 6:3, 13:1–2, 74:10, 79:5, 80:4, 89:46, 90:13, 94:3). Revelation 6:10 ('how long, O Sovereign Lord') echoes.
I will thank you in the great assembly. Among a mighty throng I will praise you.
'I will thank you in the great congregation' tracks MT. Hebrews 2:12 ('in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise,' citing Ps 22:22) uses similar assembly-praise vocabulary.
Do not let my enemies gloat over me — those who are false. Do not let those who hate me without cause wink at each other in malice.
Masoretic (WLC)
אַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר שֹׂנְאַי חִנָּם יִקְרְצוּ־עָיִן
Let not those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me, nor let those who hate me without cause wink the eye
Septuagint (LXX)
μὴ ἐπιχαρείησάν μοι οἱ ἐχθραίνοντές μοι ἀδίκως οἱ μισοῦντές με δωρεὰν καὶ διανεύοντες ὀφθαλμοῖς
Let not those who wrongfully hate me rejoice over me, who hate me without cause and wink with their eyes
JOHN 15:25 CITATION. John 15:25 — 'they hated me without a cause' (emisēsan me dōrean) — is cited by Jesus himself as 'the word written in their Law': 'this is that it might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause.' The citation draws on this verse and Ps 69:4, both of which use the same phrase dōrean emisēsan / misountes me dōrean.
The hatred-without-cause (chinnam / dōrean) diagnosis is John's Christological explanation for the world's opposition to Jesus: there is no rational-ethical ground for the enmity; it is spiritually-rooted in the world's hostility to the light (John 3:19). The psalm supplies the typological pattern: the righteous-sufferer is hated without cause.
In John's Paraclete-discourse context (John 15:18–25), the psalm's hated-without-cause experience is typologically transferred to Jesus' disciples who will inherit the same world-hatred.
For they do not speak peace. Against the quiet ones of the land they devise words of deceit.
'They do not speak peace' tracks MT. Peace-disrupters — a theme Romans 3:17 (citing Isaiah 59:7–8, 'they do not know the way of peace') develops.
They open their mouths wide against me and say, 'Ha! Ha! Our eyes have seen it!'
'They open wide their mouths against me: Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen!' tracks MT. The 'aha' (euge, euge) mockery-formula reappears at Ps 40:15, 70:3 — anticipating the mocking-bystanders at the crucifixion (Matt 27:39–44).
You have seen this, O LORD — do not be silent. O Lord, do not be far from me.
'You have seen, O LORD; be not silent!' tracks MT.
Rouse yourself! Wake up for my vindication, my God and my Lord, for my cause!
'Rouse yourself and awake for my vindication' tracks MT.
Vindicate me according to your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
'Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to your righteousness' tracks MT.
Do not let them say in their hearts, 'Ha! Just what we wanted!' Do not let them say, 'We have swallowed him up!'
'Let them not say in their hearts: Aha, our heart's desire!' tracks MT.
Let them be ashamed and humiliated together — those who rejoice at my distress. Let them be clothed in shame and disgrace — those who exalt themselves against me.
Shame-on-mockers petition tracks MT.
Let those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and be glad. Let them say continually, 'Great is the LORD, who delights in the well-being of His servant!'
'Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy' tracks MT. The righteousness-delight theology — God-is-honored-by-vindication-of-the-righteous — is a theological principle the Songs of the Servant develop (Isa 42:4, 53:11).
Then my tongue will speak of your righteousness and your praise all day long.
Closing vow of thanksgiving tracks MT — the psalmic pattern of praise-all-day-long reaches its climax.