They gnashed upon him with their teeth; they never spoke of him but with the greatest indignation imaginable, as those that would have eaten him up if they could. Commentary on Psalms 13 by Matthew Henry - Blue Letter Bible They were very proud and scornful (v. 21): They opened their mouth wide against me; they shouted and huzzaed when they saw his fall; they bawled after him when he was forced to quit the court, "Aha! In sadness (Psalm 35:11-12), David reflects on the compassionate treatment he showed his foes before they turned against him. 2. was not my soul grieved for the poor? Proud member I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother. The comedians, who may fitly be called hypocritical mockers (for which does a hypocrite signify but a stage-player?) The Timeless Psalms: Psalm 13, Joan Stott, prayers and meditations based on lectionary Psalms, 2014. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up. John 10:32. It was an awful thing when you say, "aha, aha." (2)The far more probable meaning, my . David here shows. To him: "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation; let me have inward comfort under all these outward troubles, to support my soul which they strike at. Truly, the saints can afford to wait. (Spurgeon). The circumstances are partly similar to. rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. The apostles were made a spectacle to the world. Heman the Ezrahite wrote one (Psalms 88), and Ethan the Ezrahite composed one (Psalms 89). Psalm 35:13 - NIV - Yet when they were ill, I put - Christianity Psalm 35:15 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. Psalm 35:13 Commentary - The Treasury of David - Bible Study Tools Christian sympathy even for the froward. Verse 13. "A Psalm of a Thirteen-Year-Old," Russell Rathbun, The . Psalm 35:13 in all English translations. Psalms 35:13 - Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse He was concerned for their precious souls, and, since he helped them with his prayers to God for mercy and grace; and the prayers of one who had so great an interest in heaven were of more value than perhaps they knew or considered. Herein he was a type of Christ. He prophesies the destruction of his persecutors, ver 4-6, 8. His enemy, especially Saul, was too strong for him (v. 10), for he had the army at his command, and assumed to himself the sole power of making laws and giving judgment, attainted and condemned whom he pleased, carried not a sceptre, but a javelin, in his hand, to cast at any man that stood in his way; such was the manner of the king, and all about him were compelled to do as he bade them, right or wrong. Note, [1.] They plot evil and make false accusations against him (19-21), but he trusts that God will not allow them to gain the victory (22-25). When he fell under the frowns of Saul, was banished the court, and persecuted as a criminal, they were pleased, were glad at his calamities, and got together in their drunken clubs to make themselves and one another merry with the disgrace of this great favourite. Verse 13. . "Judge me, O Lord my God! 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. It is the character of the godly in the land that they are the quiet in the land, that they live in all dutiful subjection to government and governors, in the Lord, and endeavour, as much as in them lies, to live peaceably with all men, however they may have been misrepresented as enemies to Csar and hurtful to kings and provinces. Proud member But cannot by itself mean smiters with the tongue. It was also with reference to prayer in their behalf; and to fasting, that he put on these marks of grief. (last clause). (Comp. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Their way shall be dark and slippery, darkness and slipperiness (so the margin reads it); the way of sinners is so, for they walk in darkness and in continual danger of falling into sin, into hell; and it will prove so at last, for their foot shall slide in due time, Deut 32 35. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. The formation of our bones so wonderfully, so curiously (Eccl 11 5; Ps 139 16), the serviceableness of our bones, and the preservation of them, and especially the life which, at the resurrection, shall be breathed upon the dry bones and make them flourish as a herb, oblige every bone in our bodies, if it could speak, to say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Psalm 13 Commentary - Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible This instance of the wrong done to David was typical, and had its accomplishment in the Son of David, against whom false witnesses did arise, Matthew 26:60. Though from the wayward and profligate life they led, they did not profit by my prayers, yet God did not permit me to pray in vain. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 35 We shall not lose by the good offices we have done to any, how ungrateful soever they are; for our rejoicing will be this, the testimony of our conscience. Let me have inward comfort under all outward troubles, to support my soul. This instance of the wrong done to David was typical, and had its accomplishment in the Son of David, against whom false witnesses did arise, Matt 26 60. Observe, He mourned as for a brother or mother, which intimates that it is our duty, and well becomes us, to lay to heart the sickness, and sorrow, and death of our near relations. 2. When Saul would have David attainted of treason, in order to his being outlawed, perhaps he did it with the formalities of a legal prosecution, produced witnesses who swore some treasonable words or overt acts against him, and he being not present to clear himself (or, if he was, it was all the same), Saul adjudged him a traitor. Against his many enemies (v. 4-6): Let them be confounded, etc. Let the LORD be magnified: David spoke much of his own need and trouble in this psalm. Psalm 35 Commentary David's Seeing Their Good | 13-14 And that leads David to expound on the good that he's done for these men in times past in verses 13 and 14. Psalm 35 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (concise) - Christianity (2.) They gnash upon him with their teeth after the manner of the profanest among those, by whom their neighbour's honour is sold for a delicate morsel. 3 Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. pass sentence upon this appeal, according to the righteousness of thy nature and government," v. 24. Psalm 35 Of David. And who can stand before envy? Yet he ended with a strong focus on God and His praise. Though the people of God are, and study to be, a quiet people, yet it has been the common practice of their enemies to devise deceitful matters against them. Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. He felt that their restoration to health - that the preservation of their lives - depended on God, and he most earnestly and fervently pleaded in their behalf. He subjected himself to the pains of hunger, that he might be better prepared to offer fervent and acceptable prayer. The mercy he hoped to win by prayer he promises to wear with praise: "I will give thee thanks, as the author of my deliverance (v. 18), and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, the justice of thy judgments and the equity of all thy dispensations;" and this, 1. See how much the honours, estates, liberties, and lives, even of the best men, lie at the mercy of the worst, against whose false oaths innocency itself is no fence; and what reason we have to acknowledge with thankfulness the hold God has of the consciences even of bad men, to which it is owing that there is not more mischief done in that way than is. It is a vexation of spirit which attends even a right work that for this a man is envied of his neighbour,Ecclesiastes 4:4. Clouds do not always descend in showers upon the same spot from which the vapours ascended, but they come down somewhere; and even so do supplications in some place or other yield their showers of mercy. Humbled my soul with fasting. 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. so would we have it (v. 25), much more that he might not be reduced to such extremity that they should say, We have swallowed him up; for then they will reflect upon God himself. I really wouldn't want to be one of David's enemies. Nor was it a sudden passion against him that they harboured, but inveterate malice: They devised his hurt, laid their heads together, and set their wits on work, not only to do him a mischief, but to find out ways and means to ruin him. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation!" 4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! David was looked upon with ill-will for no other reason than because he was caressed by the people. For him. He does not identify them, but it's likely these were people aligned with either Saul (1 Samuel 19:1-2) or Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-14). David, in this psalm, appeals to the righteous Judge of heaven and earth against his enemies that hated and persecuted him. This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O LORD, be not far from me. And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Salem Media Group. --This has been most variously explained. Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 35:13 Commentary on Psalm 35:11-16 (Read Psalm 35:11-16) Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David's enemies. This is to the spoiling of his soul; this base unkind usage robs him of his comfort, and cuts him to the heart, more than anything else. If God is our Friend, no matter who is our enemy. Who exalt themselves against me. But this was not all. Psalms 35:13 - EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries He thought of the people of God enlarging the LORD in their hearts and minds, and of his continual praise to God (my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long). Let God be my salvation, not only my Saviour out of my present troubles, but my everlasting bliss. Prayer for Deliverance; Sorrowful Complaints. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them. Psalms 35:13 Meaning and Commentary Psalms 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick Or under any disorder or distress of body or mind, when any misfortune or infirmity attended them; meaning Saul and his courtiers, before David was persecuted by them; my clothing [was] sackcloth; There can be no reason to doubt that this is true "in fact;" and that prayer offered for others "does" bring back blessings to those who offer it. 142. (2.) For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. (l) I prayed for them with inward affection, as I would have done for myself: or, I declared my affection with bowing down my head. Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, A prayer that God may arise on David's behalf and repay those who have wrongfully attacked him ( Psalms 35:1-10 ). 4. VERSE Psalms 35:13 "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom." King James Version (KJV) < Previous Verse Next Verse > View Chapter Psalms 35:13 Context My prayer returned into, or was directed to, my bosom. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. my prayer came back again and again to my bosom, i.e., but, my prayer returned into mine own bosom , And my prayer returned into mine own bosom, and my prayer returned into mine own bosom, for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. When God in his providence shows his good-will to the prosperity of his servants, and the pleasure he takes in it, we ought to acknowledge it with thankfulness, to his praise, and to say, The Lord be magnified. (Comp. This is the plural for the generic word for God. 1. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 2 Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. I humbled my soul with fasting - Margin, afflicted; so the Hebrew properly means. And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. Salem Media Group. This is quoted, with application to Christ, and is said to be fulfilled in him. Therefore means: mockers for a cake, i.e., those who for a delicate morsel, for the sake of dainty fare, make scornful jokes, viz., about me, the persecuted one, vile parasites; German Tellerlecker, Bratenriecher, Greek , , Mediaeval Latin buccellarii. My clothing was sackcloth - Compare the notes at Psalms 30:11. God alone can defend him against his attackers (9-10).Davids sorrow is the more painful when he remembers that those who now fight against him are those whom he helped, sympathized with and prayed for when they were sick or in trouble (11-14). II. of Psalm 35:13 Commentaries: But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. They tore him, rent his good name without mercy, said all the ill they could of him and fastened upon him all the reproach their cursed wit and malice could reach to. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Well, might he call them abjects, for nothing could be more vile and sordid than to triumph in the fall of a man of such unstained honour and consummate virtue. What Does Colossians 2:6-7 Teach Us about Our Faith Walk? Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Psalm 35 David, in this psalm, appeals to the righteous Judge of heaven and earth against his enemies that hated and persecuted him. This , which even Rashi interprets in substantially the same manner, stands either in a logical co-ordinate relation (vid., on Isaiah 19:11) or in a logical as well as grammatical subordinate relation to its regens . [Note: On the practice of fasting, see Kent D. Berghuis, "A Biblical Perspective on Fasting," Bibliotheca Sacra 158:629 (January-March 2001):86-103.]. Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing. Constantly. Psalm 35:13 in all English translations. This he complains of here as the highest piece of injustice imaginable: False witnesses did rise up, who would swear anything; they laid to my charge things that I knew not, nor ever thought of. 3. The word "soul" here is equivalent to "self;" I afflicted myself. dl, to incline towards the side)? I am for peace, Ps 120 7. Prov 27 4. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? He prays earnestly to God to appear graciously for him and his friends, against his and their enemies, that by his providence the struggle might issue to the honour and comfort of David and to the conviction and confusion of his persecutors. They had falsely accused him, but God, who knows all things, knew that he did not falsely accuse them, nor make them worse than really they were. Verse 13. Psalm 35 Bible Commentary - Charles H. Spurgeon's Treasury of David The great God has pleasure in this prosperity of good people, not only of his family, the church in general, but of every particular servant in his family.