TRV
Translation
In the KJVVerse 14,413 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 35 verses 1–10
1 ¶ A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
In these verses we have,
I. David's representation of his case to God, setting forth the restless rage and malice of his persecutors. He was God's servant, expressly appointed by him to be what he was, followed his guidance, and aimed at his glory in the way of duty, had lived (as St. Paul speaks) in all good conscience before God unto this day; and yet there were those that strove with him, that did their utmost to oppose his advancement, and made all the interest they could against him; they fought against him (Psa 35:1), not only undermined him closely and secretly, but openly avowed their opposition to him and set themselves to do him all the mischief they could. They persecuted him with an unwearied enmity, sought after his soul (Psa 35:4), that is, his life, no less would satisfy their bloody minds; they aimed to disquiet his spirit and put that into disorder. 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. They treated him, who was the greatest blessing of his country, as if he had been the curse and plague of it; they hunted him as a dangerous beast of prey; they digged a pit for him and laid a net in it, that they might have him at their mercy, Psa 35:7. They took a great deal of pains in persecuting him, for they digged a pit (Psa 7:15); and very close and crafty they were in carrying on their designs; the old serpent taught them subtlety: they hid their net from David and his friends; but in vain, for they could not hide it from God. And, lastly, he found himself an unequal match for them. His enemy, especially Saul, was too strong for him (Psa 35:10), 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. The king's word is a law, and every thing must be carried with a high hand; he has fields, and vineyards, and preferments, at his disposal, Sa1 22:7. but David is poor and needy, has nothing to make friends with, and therefore has none to take his part but men (as we say) of broken fortunes (Sa1 22:2); and therefore no marvel that Saul spoiled him of what little he had got and the interest he had made. If the kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and his anointed, who can contend with them? Note, It is no new thing for the most righteous men, and the most righteous cause, to meet with many mighty and malicious enemies: Christ himself is striven with and fought against, and war is made upon the holy seed; and we are not to marvel at the matter: it is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman.
II. His appeal to God concerning his integrity and the justice of his cause. If a fellow-subject had wronged him, he might have appealed to his prince, as St. Paul did to Caesar; but, when his prince wronged him, he appealed to his God, who is prince and Judge of the kings of the earth: Plead my cause, O Lord! Psa 35:1. Note, A righteous cause may, with the greatest satisfaction imaginable, he laid before a righteous God, and referred to him to give judgment upon it; for he perfectly knows the merits of it, holds the balance exactly even, and with him there is no respect of persons. God knew that they were, without cause, his enemies, and that they had, without cause, digged pits for him, Psa 35:7. Note, It will be a comfort to us, when men do us wrong, if our consciences can witness for us that we have never done them any. It was so to St. Paul. Act 25:10, To the Jews have I done no wrong. We are apt to justify our uneasiness at the injuries men do us by this, That we never gave them any cause to use us so; whereas this should, more than any thing, make us easy, for then we may the more confidently expect that God will plead our cause.
III. His prayer to God to manifest himself both for him and to him, in this trial. 1. For him. He prays that God would fight against his enemies, so as to disable them to hurt him, and defeat their designs against him (Psa 35:1), that he would take hold of shield and buckler, for the Lord is a man of war (Exo 15:3), and that he would stand up for his help (Psa 35:2), for he had few that would stand up for him, and, if he had ever so many, they would stand him in no stead without God. he prays that God would stop their way (Psa 35:3), that they might not overtake him when he fled from them. This prayer we may put up against our persecutors, that God would restrain them and stop their way. 2. 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. Let God be my salvation, not only my Saviour out of my present troubles, but my everlasting bliss. Let me have that salvation not only which he is the author of, but which consists in his favour; and let me know my interest in it; let me have the comfortable assurance of it in my own breast." If God, by his Spirit, witness to our spirits that he is our salvation, we have enough, we need desire no more to make us happy; and this is a powerful support when men persecute us. If God be our friend, no matter who is our enemy.
IV. His prospect of the destruction of his enemies, which he prays for, not in malice or revenge. We find how patiently he bore Shimei's curses (so let him curse, for the Lord has bidden him); and we cannot suppose that he who was so meek in his conversation would give vent to any intemperate heat or passion in his devotion; but, by the spirit of prophecy, he foretells the just judgments of God that would come upon them for their great wickedness, their malice, cruelty, and perfidiousness, and especially the enmity to the counsels of God, the interests of religion, and that reformation which they knew David, if ever he had power in his hand, would be an instrument of. They seemed to be hardened in their sins, and to be of the number of those who have sinned unto death and are not to be prayed for, Jer 7:16; Jer 11:14; Jer 14:11; Jo1 5:16. As for Saul himself, David, it is probable, knew that God had rejected him and had forbidden Samuel to mourn for him, Sa1 16:1. And these predictions look further, and read the doom of the enemies of Christ and his kingdom, as appears by comparing Rom 11:9, Rom 11:10. David here prays, 1. Against his many enemies (Psa 35:4-6): Let them be confounded, etc. Or, as Dr. Hammond reads it, They shall be confounded, they shall be turned back. This may be taken as a prayer for their repentance, for all penitents are put to shame for their sins and turned back from them. Or, if they were not brought to repentance, David prays that they might be defeated and disappointed in their designs against him and so put to shame. Though they should in some degree prevail, yet he foresees that it would be to their own ruin at last: They shall be as chaff before the wind, so unable will wicked men be to stand before the judgments of God and so certainly will they be driven away by them, Psa 1:4. 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, Deu 32:35. But this is not the worst of it. Even chaff before the wind may perhaps be stopped, and find a place of rest, and, though the way be dark and slippery, it is possible that a man may keep his footing; but it is here foretold that the angel of the Lord shall chase them (Psa 35:5) so that they shall find no rest, shall persecute them (Psa 35:6) so that they cannot possibly escape the pit of destruction. As God's angels encamp against those that fight against him. They are the ministers of his justice, as well as of his mercy. Those that make God their enemy make all the holy angels their enemies. 2. Against his one mighty enemy (Psa 35:8): Let destruction come upon him. It is probable that he means Saul, who laid snares for him and aimed at his destruction. David vowed that his hand should not be upon him; he would not be judge in his own cause. But, at the same time, he foretold that the Lord would smite him (Sa1 26:10), and here that the net he had hidden should catch himself, and into that very destruction he should fall. This was remarkably fulfilled in the ruin of Saul; for he had laid a plot to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines (Sa1 18:25), that was the net which he hid for him under pretence of doing him honour, and in that very net was he himself taken, for he fell by the hand of the Philistines when his day came to fall.
V. His prospect of his own deliverance, which, having committed his cause to God, he did not doubt of, Psa 35:9, Psa 35:10. 1. He hoped that he should have the comfort of it: "My soul shall be joyful, not in my own ease and safety, but in the Lord and in his favour, in his promise and in his salvation according to the promise." Joy in God and in his salvation is the only true, solid, satisfying joy. Those whose souls are sorrowful in the Lord, who sow in tears and sorrow after a godly sort, need not question but that in due time their souls shall be joyful in the Lord; for gladness is sown for them, and they shall at last enter into the joy of their Lord. 2. He promised that then God should have the glory of it (Psa 35:10): All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? (1.) He will praise God with the whole man, with all that is within him, and with all the strength and vigour of his soul, intimated by his bones, which are within the body and are the strength of it. (2.) He will praise him as one of peerless and unparalleled perfection. We cannot express how great and good God is, and therefore must praise him by acknowledging him to be a non-such. Lord, who is like unto thee? No such patron of oppressed innocency, no such punisher of triumphant tyranny. The formation of our bones so wonderfully, so curiously (Ecc 11:5; Psa 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? and willingly to undergo any services or sufferings for him.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–10. Public domain.
Copy as
Pseudo-Athanasius
EXPOSITION ON PSALM 35
He indicates through the arms and shield and sword the chastising powers sent by God to help those who fear him.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 35
"Judge Thou, O Lord" (says he), "them that hurt me, and fight Thou against them that fight against me" [Psalm 35:1]. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" [Romans 8:31] And whereby does God this for us? "Take hold" (says he) "of arms and shield, and rise up to my help" [Psalm 35:2]. A great spectacle is it, to see God armed for you. And what is His Shield, what are His Arms? "Lord," in another place says the man who here also speaks, "as with the shield of Your good-will have You compassed us." But His Arms, wherewith He may not only us defend, but also strike His enemies, if we have well profited, shall we ourselves be. For as we from Him have this, that we be armed, so is He armed from us. But He is armed from those whom He has made, we are armed with those things which we have received from Him who made us. These our arms the Apostle in a certain place calls, "The shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." [Ephesians 6:16-17] He has armed us with such arms as you have heard, arms admirable, and unconquered, insuperable and shining; spiritual truly and invisible, because we have to fight also against invisible enemies. If you see your enemy, let your arms be seen. We are armed with faith in those things which we see not, and we overthrow enemies whom we see not....
CassiodorusAD 585
EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 35:2
Armor and shield are the very will of the Lord by which he protects someone in danger and fights back against his enemy.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Psalms 35:2 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Psalm 35:2 presents a fervent and urgent petition from David to God, imploring the Almighty to manifest as a divine warrior and protector on his behalf. With vivid military imagery, the psalmist expresses a desperate cry for immediate and decisive intervention against his adversaries, signifying a profound reliance on God's comprehensive protection and active engagement in the battle for justice and deliverance. This verse powerfully establishes the psalm's central appeal for divine vindication against those who wrongfully oppose him.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent and profound message. Anthropomorphism is central, depicting God with human attributes—taking hold of weapons and standing up—to make His protective and warrior-like nature more relatable, immediate, and tangible to the psalmist. This vivid imagery transforms abstract theological concepts into concrete, dynamic actions. The pairing of "shield" and "buckler" functions as a merism, a rhetorical device where two contrasting or complementary parts are used to represent a complete whole, signifying God's utterly comprehensive and all-encompassing defensive capabilities. This dual imagery profoundly emphasizes that no aspect of the psalmist's vulnerability is overlooked by God, who is prepared for every kind of threat. Furthermore, the use of imperative verbs ("Take hold," "stand up") creates a powerful sense of apostrophe, a direct and impassioned address to God, underscoring the psalmist's desperate, personal, and urgent plea for immediate divine intervention. The overall effect is a powerful, urgent, and visually rich appeal for God to act as a divine champion.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 35:2 profoundly articulates the biblical truth of God as the ultimate Defender and Warrior for His people. It reveals a God who is not distant or indifferent to the suffering of His faithful but is intimately involved, ready to engage in battle on their behalf. This portrayal of God as a divine champion, fully armed and prepared to intervene, powerfully underscores His sovereignty, omnipotence, and unwavering commitment to justice and deliverance for those who trust in Him. It speaks to the believer's absolute reliance on God when facing overwhelming opposition, whether those challenges are physical, spiritual, or relational. The psalmist's plea is a testament to the deep theological conviction that God is the only true source of help and vindication, a foundational theme echoed throughout the Scriptures, establishing a firm basis for trust in His active and protective presence.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 35:2 offers a profound and vital template for our own prayers and posture in times of distress and overwhelming opposition. When we feel besieged by adversaries, whether they are tangible enemies, spiritual attacks, or the crushing weight of injustice and false accusation, this verse invites us to cry out to God with unreserved boldness, specificity, and unwavering faith. It serves as a powerful reminder that our God is not a passive observer but an active, formidable Warrior who is fully equipped and eternally willing to fight on our behalf. We are profoundly encouraged to release our burdens, fears, and anxieties into His capable and sovereign hands, trusting implicitly that He will "take hold of shield and buckler" for our defense. This is not a call to inaction or fatalism, but rather to a radical and profound reliance on divine intervention when our own strength, wisdom, and resources prove utterly insufficient. It fosters a deep and abiding confidence that God is our ultimate Helper, ready to "stand up" and manifest His saving power in our lives, transforming our fear into unwavering faith as we witness His mighty and comprehensive deliverance.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does David ask God to "take hold of shield and buckler" as if God needs to arm Himself?
Answer: This is a powerful example of anthropomorphism, a literary device where human characteristics, actions, or emotions are attributed to God. It is not meant to imply that God literally needs physical weapons or that He is ever unprepared or lacking in power. Instead, it is a vivid, poetic, and deeply relatable way for the psalmist to express his desperate plea for God's immediate, comprehensive, and decisive intervention. The imagery communicates God's readiness, omnipotence, and active engagement in the psalmist's defense, making God's protective role tangible and profoundly comforting. It assures David, and us, that God is fully capable and willing to act as a divine warrior on behalf of His people, just as He did for Israel at the Red Sea, where "the Lord will fight for you" (Exodus 14:14).
Does this verse encourage a passive approach to problems, simply waiting for God to "fight"?
Answer: No, this verse encourages a deep and unwavering reliance on God's ultimate power and protection, but it does not advocate for passivity or inaction. David's life was characterized by active faith, strategic action, and courageous leadership, even as he continually sought God's help and acknowledged His sovereignty. The plea for God to "stand up for mine help" is a profound recognition that some battles are beyond human capability and absolutely require divine intervention. It teaches us to pray boldly and trust God for what we cannot accomplish in our own strength, while still exercising wisdom, diligence, and responsibility in our own sphere of influence. It's about aligning our efforts with God's will and acknowledging Him as the supreme Helper in all circumstances, as seen in the New Testament call to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might" (Ephesians 6:10).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 35:2 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect embodiment of God's divine shield and ultimate help. While David cried out for God to arm Himself and intervene against earthly adversaries, the New Testament unequivocally reveals that God has indeed "stood up for our help" in the person and finished work of His Son. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is simultaneously the divine Warrior who disarmed the powers of darkness and triumphed decisively over sin, death, and the grave, not with physical weapons, but through His sacrificial love on the cross and His glorious resurrection power. He is our true and eternal "shield" from the condemnation of sin and the relentless attacks of the enemy, for as Paul declares, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). Through Christ, we receive not merely temporary deliverance from earthly foes, but eternal salvation, complete reconciliation with God, and the unfailing promise of His constant presence and defense. He is the one who "always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25), actively standing up for our help in the heavenly courts, ensuring our ultimate victory and eternal vindication. In Him, the desperate and urgent cry of Psalm 35:2 is answered with a definitive, comprehensive, and everlasting "Yes."