Psalm 35: The Angel of Yahweh- the Avenger of His People
A Psalm of David.
1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. 3 Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” 4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt. 5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the Angel of Yahweh chase them. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery, abd let the angel of the Lord pursue them. 7 For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, ehich they have dug without cause for my life. 8 Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, and let his net that he has hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in Yahweh. It shall rejoice in His salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”
“‘A psalm of David,’ invoking God's aid against the ungodly, contrasting the hypocrisy, cunning, and malice of the wicked with the integrity and generosity of the righteous, on whose side he himself serves as example. “‘Plead my cause,’ as in court proceedings, ‘O Lord, with them that strive with me,’ impleading him for wickedness; ‘fight against them that fight against me,’ carrying their hatred to the point of making war on him..” (Paul E. Kretzzman) ”The word is often used in a... law sense.” (Clarke)
“‘Take hold of shield and buckler’—That is, arm thyself as if for the contest.” (Barnes) “This is spoken merely after the manner of men.” (Clarke) “‘Shield and buckler,’ the smaller one being used to protect the head (life), the larger to shelter the whole body, ‘and stand up for mine help,’ to defend him against his enemies ‘Draw out also the spear,’ as a weapon both of defense and of offense,” (Paul E. Kretzzman) “‘and stop the way against them that persecute me,’— literally, shut up (the way), to meet or oppose, etc.” (Jamieson, Faussett, Brown) “These words certainly cannot be applied, in the strict and proper sense, to God, who has no need of the spear or buckler: for by the breath of his mouth alone, or merely with his nod, he is able to overthrow all his enemies.” (John Calvin)“’Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation— Inwardly persuade my heart to firm affiance in thee, amidst all mine afflictions.” (John Trapp)
“‘v. 4. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back,’ in abject retreat, ‘and brought to confusion that devise my hurt,’ planning evil against him. The heaping of words signifying the failure of the hopes and undertakings of the wicked shows that David prays for the utter frustration of all their intentions, for their complete overthrow. ‘v. 5. Let them be as chaff before the wind,’ scattered to the four corners of the earth; ‘and let the Angel of the Lord chase them,’ Jehovah Himself, in the person of the Angel, thrusting them down and destroying them, [even Christ]. ‘v. 6. Let their way be dark and slippery,’ literally, ‘darkness and slipperiness,’ where they could not even see nor get a good foothold as they fled from their punishment; ‘and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them,’ pursuing them as He did the Egyptians when He terrified them in the Red Sea. ‘v. 7. For without cause,’ without provocation on the part of David, while he was entirely innocent, ‘have they hid for me their net in a pit, (which) without cause they have digged for my soul. ‘That was David's complaint, that his enemies were hunting and pursuing his soul, his life, using every possible means for his destruction. ‘v. 8. Let destruction come upon him at unawares,’ devastation striking all the enemies of David and Jehovah before they realized their danger; ‘and let his net that he hath hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall,’ destroyed by the very punishment which he had intended for the righteous. This overthrow of the ungodly power would be followed by the joy of triumphant faith.”
(The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann)
David’s “imprecations on impenitent rebels against God need no vindication.” (Jamieson, Faussett, Brown) “He doth not utter as cursing, but as prophesying rather. If we shall at any time take upon us thus to imprecate (as we may in some cases), we must see to it, first, that our cause be good. Secondly, that we do it not out of private revenge; but merely for the glory of God. Thirdly, that we utter not a syllable this way but by the guidance of God’s good Spirit.” (Trapp)
“’And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord,’ who by His revenge vindicated the cause of the righteous; ‘it shall rejoice in His salvation,’ in the deliverance from their wiles which he had experienced. ‘All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto You, which deliverest the poor,’ the humble righteous person, ‘from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?’” (Kretzzman) In the end, at the Resurrection, You shall preserve me as the Antitype of the paschal lamb has been preserved from eternal ruin (Ps 34:20) by obedience.
“‘Fierce witnesses rise up; they ask me things’ sins such as I "was not conscious of, never thought of doing, much less attempted to do.” (Gill) “They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul’— 'destruction of my life'; (11-12) “so נפש nephesh should be translated in a multitude of places, where our translators have used the word soul.” (Clarke)
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer would return to my own heart. 14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. 15 But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it; they tore at me and did not cease; 16 with ungodly mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, my precious life from the lions. 18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 19 Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. 20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land. 21 They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.” 22 This 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 vindication,to 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, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who exalt themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let Yahweh be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” 28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.
“The false witnesses that opened their mouth against David, were the men for whom he had wept, and for whom, when sick or wounded, he had put on sackcloth. Now they requite him by laying treasons to his charge that he knew not of. Oh this heart, this base heart, which dwells in man! Yea, and in illustrious men at the foot of the throne, who while David was in favour were his first religious friends. Psalms 42:4. Where can we find a parallel, but among those priests and princes who crucified the Saviour, and said, that He had made Himself a king! ‘In heavenly minds can such resentments dwell.’ (ÆNEID, 1:11).This wickedness the Lord hath seen, Psalms 35:22; these speeches the Lord hath heard. Then be consoled, those who suffer in a righteous cause: the Lord who heard and delivered David, will hear and deliver you. Be comforted, you shall yet give thanks to Him in the great congregation. Shame (ruin) awaits the wicked, while all that favour the cause of the righteous shall shout for joy.” (Sutcliffe)