Psalm 35

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:28

And my tongue shall speak - I, who am chiefly concerned, and who have received most, am under the greatest obligation; and it will require the constant gratitude and obedience of my whole life to discharge the mighty debt I owe. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:1

Verse 1 1.Plead my cause, O Jehovah! As the enemies of David not only avowedly sought to take away his life, but also troubled him by calumny and misrepresentation, he pleads for the redress of both these grievances. In the first place, by appealing to God for his aid in defense of his cause, he intimates, that he has to do with wicked and maligning men. In the second place, by urging him to take up arms, he shows that he was grievously oppressed. It was a very dishonorable thing, that this... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:2

Verse 2 2.Take the shield. 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. But although such figures at first sight appear rude, yet the Holy Ghost employs them in accommodation to the weakness of our understanding, for the purpose of impressing more effectually upon our minds the conviction that God is present to aid... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:3

Verse 3 3.Say to my soul. Some expound these words thus: Declare to me by secret inspiration; and others, Make me to feel indeed that my salvation is in thy hand. In my opinion, David desires to have it thoroughly fixed in his mind, and to be fully persuaded that God is the author of his salvation. This he was unable, from the present aspect of things, to ascertain and determine; for such is the insensibility and dulness of our natures, that God often delivers us whilst we sleep and are... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:4

Verse 4 4.Let those who seek my soul be confounded. David now calls upon God to take vengeance upon his enemies; and he asks not only that he would disappoint and destroy their designs, but also that he would recompense them according to their deserts. In the first place, he desires that they may be confounded and put to shame in seeing their expectation and desire fail; and then he proceeds farther, desiring that while they imagine themselves to be firmly established, and deeply rooted, they... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:5

Verse 5 The same thing he expresses more clearly in the following verse, praying that the angel of the Lord would drive them through dark and slippery places, so that reason and understanding might fail them, and that they might not know whither to go, nor what to become, nor have even time given them to draw their breath. We need not be surprised that this work should be assigned to the angels, by whose instrumentality God executes his judgments. At the same time, this passage may be expounded... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:7

Verse 7 7.For they have hid for me without a cause. He here declares that he did not take the name of God in vain, nor call upon him for protection without just cause, for he openly asserts his innocence, and complains that he was thus severely afflicted without having committed any crime, or given any occasion to his enemies. It becomes us carefully to mark this, so that no one may rush unadvisedly into God’s presence, nor call upon him for vengeance, without the assurance and testimony of a... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:8

Verse 8 8.Let confusion of which he is not aware come upon him. David again prays that God would cause to return upon the head of his enemies the mischief which they had directed against a just and an inoffensive man. The change from the plural to the singular number, even when the same subject, is spoken of, is, we know, a thing very common among the Hebrews. Accordingly, what is here said of one man is applicable to all David’s enemies in general, unless, perhaps, we are rather inclined to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:9

Verse 9 9.And my soul is joyful in Jehovah. Others read this in the optative mood, May my soul rejoice in Jehovah, and may it be glad in his salvation But instead of continuing to express his desires, David, in my opinion, rather promises in this verse that he will be grateful to God. This is still more evident from the following verse, in which extolling very highly the goodness of God, he says that he will celebrate the remembrance of it with every member of his body. While, therefore, some... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:10

Verse 10 10.O Jehovah! who is like thee? Here he explains more fully the nature of his joy in the salvation of God of which he had spoken, showing that it consisted in his ascribing entirely to God the deliverance which he had obtained. Men, in general, praise God in such a manner that he scarcely obtains the tenth part of his due. But David, distinguishing him from all others, distinctly declares that the whole glory of his deliverance is due to him alone. And, certainly, we then only yield to... read more

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:28

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:1

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:2

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:3

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:4

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:5

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:7

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:8

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:9

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 35:10

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