Psalms 35:5-6

5, 6. Chaff Emblem of worthlessness. See on Psalms 83:13.

Angel of the Lord The title occurs twice in this verse, and nowhere else in the psalms except Psalms 34:7, where see note. Here it seems to mean any angel specially sent by Jehovah to execute the judgment; or, if Messiah is meant, he, too, executeth judgment. Psalms 2:9-12; John 5:22-27.

Let their way be dark and slippery Literally, darkness and slipperinesses, the abstract for the concrete, and the plural of the last word for intensity.

Persecute Here, as in Psalms 35:3, this word should be translated pursue. The figure is that of pursuing a retreating army in order to make victory complete, and answers to “chase” drive forward in Psalms 35:5. A retreating army, covered with shame, confusion, and disappointment, pursued by the angel of Jehovah through dark and slippery passages, is an object too terrible for calm contemplation. Still it is only what they had meted out to David, and is according to the oldest laws of justice.