Psalms 35:25

Translation
King James Version
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Let them not say H559 in their hearts H3820, Ah H1889, so would we have it H5315: let them not say H559 H8799, We have swallowed him up H1104 H8765.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Don't let them say to themselves, "Aha! We got what we wanted!"or say, "We swallowed them up!"
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Berean Standard Bible
Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
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American Standard Version
Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it: Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
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World English Bible Messianic
Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Let them not say in their hearts, O our soule reioyce: neither let them say, We haue deuoured him.
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Young's Literal Translation
They do not say in their heart, `Aha, our desire.' They do not say, `We swallowed him up.'
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See also
Lamentations 2:16Psalms 124:32 Samuel 20:19Psalms 27:12Mark 2:8Mark 2:6Psalms 56:1
In the KJVVerse 14,436 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 35:25 is a fervent plea from David, crying out to God to prevent his malicious enemies from achieving their desired triumph and gloating over his downfall. It vividly portrays the sinister intent of his adversaries, who long for his complete annihilation and wish to celebrate his utter destruction. David's prayer is a desperate appeal for divine intervention, seeking to thwart their wicked desires and ensure God's justice prevails over their unprovoked hostility and the ultimate shame of his utter consumption.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalm 35 is a powerful lament and imprecatory psalm, one of several in which David cries out to God for deliverance from unjust and relentless enemies. The psalm opens with David's plea for God to act as his champion, urging Him to "contend with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!". The preceding verses describe the treachery and unprovoked hostility David faces, highlighting how his adversaries repay good with evil, setting traps for him without cause, as seen in his lament, "For without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul". Verse 25 specifically captures the culmination of his enemies' malicious desire: not just his defeat, but their triumphant mockery and complete absorption of his identity and existence, serving as a desperate counter-prayer against such a humiliating and devastating outcome. This verse intensifies the emotional core of David's suffering, emphasizing the psychological torment inflicted by his foes' gloating intentions, building on the earlier pleas for God's swift intervention found throughout Psalm 35.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Composed by David, this psalm likely reflects periods of intense persecution, possibly during his flight from King Saul or the rebellion of Absalom. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, public humiliation and the gloating of victorious enemies were deeply significant aspects of warfare and conflict. To be "swallowed up" was not merely to be defeated but to be utterly consumed, leaving no trace, signifying a complete and irreversible victory for the aggressor and profound shame for the vanquished. The prayer against such an outcome underscores the cultural importance of honor and vindication, where the ultimate shame would be for one's enemies to openly rejoice in one's destruction, believing their malicious desires had been fully realized. The public declaration of triumph, often accompanied by derisive shouts like "Aha!", was a common feature of ancient conflict, designed to maximize the humiliation of the vanquished and solidify the victor's dominance. David's plea is thus a cry against both physical annihilation and the profound spiritual and social dishonor that would accompany it.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several major themes found throughout the Psalms and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores the theme of Vindication and Justice, as David's prayer is a desperate cry for God's righteous judgment to be manifest, preventing his adversaries from celebrating his defeat and affirming his own righteousness, as seen in his plea, "Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness". It starkly portrays the Malice of Enemies, revealing the wicked desires of those who oppose the righteous, wishing for complete destruction and rejoicing in the suffering of others. Implicit in David's fervent plea is his unwavering Trust in God's Deliverance, recognizing that God alone can thwart the plans of the wicked and ultimately deliver him from their grasp, a theme echoed in many psalms of lament, such as Psalm 3. Furthermore, the language of being "swallowed up" carries profound implications for Spiritual Warfare, where the enemy seeks to consume and utterly destroy one's faith, hope, and very existence, echoing the warnings found in the New Testament about spiritual adversaries, for example, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Ah (Hebrew, heʼâch', H1889): This is an onomatopoeic interjection (H1889) expressing malicious glee, triumphant satisfaction, or derisive mockery. It is an exclamation of perverse joy at the misfortune or downfall of another, often translated as "Aha!" or "Ha!" In this context, it embodies the enemies' anticipated shout of victory, revealing their cruel and unfeeling disposition towards David's suffering.
  • swallowed him up (Hebrew, bâlaʻ', H1104): This verb (H1104) means to consume, devour, or utterly destroy. The imagery is vivid and violent, suggesting a complete absorption or annihilation, leaving no trace behind. It emphasizes the enemies' desire for a total and irreversible victory over David, where he would be entirely absorbed, erased, and forgotten, much like food is consumed. This goes beyond mere defeat to a wish for existential obliteration.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Let them not say in their hearts": This opening clause highlights the internal, malicious intent of David's enemies. Their desire for his destruction is not merely an outward expression but a deep-seated wish, a thought cherished within their very being. David prays that God would thwart even the silent, internal gloating of his adversaries, recognizing that true evil originates in the heart.
  • "Ah, so would we have it": This is the direct quote of the enemies' anticipated cry of triumph. The "Ah" (Hebrew heʼâch) is an exclamation of malicious glee. The phrase "so would we have it" (Hebrew nephesh) idiomatically means "our soul's desire" or "our wish is fulfilled." It encapsulates their desired outcome: David's utter defeat and their malicious satisfaction in seeing their malevolent wishes fulfilled. It's an exclamation of a soul's perverse joy at the suffering of another.
  • "let them not say, We have swallowed him up": This second prohibition reiterates and intensifies the first. The phrase "We have swallowed him up" represents the ultimate, irreversible victory the enemies seek. It signifies not just defeat, but complete absorption and annihilation, where David would be utterly consumed and his existence effectively erased. David prays that this final, devastating declaration of triumph would never pass their lips, nor be conceived in their hearts, as it would signify the complete victory of evil over righteousness.

Literary Devices

Psalms 35:25 employs several powerful literary devices to convey David's desperate plea and the malice of his enemies. The most prominent is Imprecation, where David directly appeals to God to act against his adversaries, praying for their plans to be thwarted. This is not a personal curse, but a call for divine justice to intervene and prevent the wicked from achieving their malicious desires. Metaphor is vividly used in the phrase "We have swallowed him up," which is not meant literally but serves as a powerful image for total, irreversible destruction and absorption. This metaphor evokes a sense of being utterly consumed and erased, highlighting the extreme nature of the enemies' desire. Furthermore, the verse exhibits Synonymous Parallelism, as the two clauses ("Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up") express similar malicious intentions of the enemies, reinforcing their desire for David's complete downfall through slightly different but complementary expressions. The repeated "let them not say" also functions as a form of Anaphora, emphasizing the urgency and intensity of David's prayer.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

This verse profoundly speaks to the nature of evil and the righteous's reliance on divine intervention. It highlights that true malice extends beyond outward actions to the very desires of the heart, where enemies wish for complete annihilation and gloat over the prospect of another's ruin. David's prayer is a testament to the belief that God is the ultimate arbiter of justice, capable of thwarting even the most deeply ingrained wicked intentions. It underscores the theological truth that God is the defender of the oppressed, and His vindication is the only true safeguard against the triumph of unrighteousness. For the believer, it affirms that our ultimate security rests not in our own strength or cunning, but in the sovereign power of God to deliver us from those who seek our harm, both physically and spiritually. It is a powerful reminder that God sees the hidden intentions of the heart and will ultimately bring all things to light.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Psalms 35:25 offers profound insights for believers navigating opposition, malicious intent, or spiritual warfare in contemporary life. It encourages us to bring our most desperate pleas for protection and vindication directly to God, trusting that He sees the hidden intentions of our adversaries and is able to thwart their plans. In a world where envy, slander, malicious gossip, or even systemic injustice can seek to "swallow up" reputations, careers, or even faith, this verse reminds us that our ultimate defense lies in God's sovereign power. It calls us to pray not only for deliverance from outward attacks but also for the frustration of the internal, gloating desires of those who wish us ill. Furthermore, it serves as a powerful warning against harboring such malicious desires ourselves, reminding us that rejoicing in the downfall of others, even our enemies, is contrary to God's character and His call to love. Instead, we are called to trust God for justice, knowing that He will ultimately vindicate His own and bring to light the hidden things of darkness, ensuring that no enemy will ultimately gloat over the destruction of God's people.

Questions for Reflection

  • How do you respond when you perceive others gloating over your struggles or failures, and how can you apply David's prayer in your own life?
  • In what ways might we, even subtly, be tempted to "swallow up" others through gossip, judgment, unforgiveness, or the spread of misinformation?
  • How does this verse deepen your reliance on God's protection and vindication in the face of spiritual or relational battles, knowing He sees the heart?

FAQ

Is it appropriate for a believer to pray for their enemies' downfall, as David seems to do here?

Answer: Psalms 35:25, like other imprecatory psalms, expresses a desire for God's justice to be manifest against those who maliciously seek to destroy the righteous. It's crucial to understand these prayers not as personal vengeance but as appeals to God, the righteous Judge, to uphold His covenant, vindicate the innocent, and bring an end to unrighteousness. David is not taking justice into his own hands but entrusting it to God. While the New Testament calls believers to "bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not" and to "pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you", these commands do not negate God's ultimate role as judge. Instead, they call us to entrust justice to Him while we extend grace. David's prayer here is a cry for divine intervention to prevent the triumph of evil, a longing for God's righteousness to prevail and His glory to be seen.

What does the phrase "We have swallowed him up" mean in a spiritual or metaphorical sense for believers today?

Answer: Metaphorically, "swallowing up" signifies complete destruction, absorption, and annihilation, leaving no trace. For believers today, this can refer to spiritual adversaries who seek to utterly consume our faith, hope, and joy. The Apostle Peter warns us, "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". This "devouring" or "swallowing up" can manifest as overwhelming discouragement, persistent doubt, temptation to sin that leads to spiritual death, or the erosion of our testimony and witness. David's prayer in Psalms 35:25, therefore, becomes a timeless plea for God's deliverance from these spiritual forces that seek to utterly consume us, reminding us that our ultimate protection comes from the Lord, who is greater than any adversary.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

David's desperate prayer in Psalms 35:25, that his enemies would not gloat and say, "We have swallowed him up," finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the perfectly righteous one, was indeed "swallowed up" by His enemies, who rejoiced in His crucifixion, believing they had achieved their malicious desire. The religious leaders and Roman authorities thought they had utterly consumed Him, sealing Him in a tomb, and the powers of darkness celebrated their apparent victory. Yet, the very act of His being "swallowed up" by death was precisely what God used to "swallow up" death itself. The resurrection of Jesus was God's resounding "No!" to the enemies' gloating, demonstrating that death could not hold Him, as Peter proclaimed in Acts 2:24 and the Apostle Paul echoed in 1 Corinthians 15:55. Through Christ's triumph, the ultimate spiritual enemy, Satan, who seeks to devour and destroy, was decisively defeated. The "swallowing up" of sin and death by Christ's sacrifice and resurrection means that for all who believe, the ultimate enemy can no longer say, "We have swallowed him up," for "death is swallowed up in victory" through our Lord Jesus Christ. His victory is our vindication, His resurrection our guarantee that no enemy, physical or spiritual, can ultimately consume those who are in Him, for we are eternally secure in the one who conquered all.

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Commentary on Psalms 35 verses 17–28

In these verses, as before,

I. David describes the great injustice, malice, and insolence, of his persecutors, pleading this with God as a reason why he should protect him from them and appear against them. 1. They were very unrighteous; they were his enemies wrongfully, for he never gave them any provocation: They hated him without a cause; nay, for that for which they ought rather to have loved and honoured him. This is quoted, with application to Christ, and is said to be fulfilled in him. Joh 15:25, They hated me without cause. 2. They were very rude; they could not find in their hearts to show him common civility: They speak not peace; if they met him, they had not the good manners to give him the time of day; like Joseph's brethren, that could not speak peaceably to him, Gen 37:4. 3. They were very proud and scornful (Psa 35:21): 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! aha! this is the day we longed to see." 4. They were very barbarous and base, for they trampled upon him when he was down, rejoiced at his hurt, and magnified themselves against him, Psa 35:26. Turba Remi sequitur fortunam, ut semper, et odit damnatos - The Roman crowd, varying their opinions with every turn of fortune, are sure to execrate the fallen. Thus, when the Son of David was run upon by the rulers, the people cried, Crucify him, crucify him. 5. They set themselves against all the sober good people that adhered to David (Psa 35:20): They devised deceitful matters, to trepan and ruin those that were quiet in the land. Note, (1.) 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 Caesar and hurtful to kings and provinces. I am for peace, Psa 120:7. (2.) 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. All the hellish arts of malice and falsehood are made use of to render them odious or despicable; their words and actions are misconstrued, even that which they abhor is fathered upon them, laws are made to ensnare them (Dan 6:4, etc.), and all to ruin them and root them out. Those that hated David thought scorn, like Haman, to lay hands on him alone, but contrived to involve all the religious people of the land in the same ruin with him.

II. He appeals to God against them, the God to whom vengeance belongs, appeals to his knowledge (Psa 35:22): This thou hast seen. 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. They had carried on their plots against him with a great degree of secresy (Psa 35:15): "I knew it not, till long after, when they themselves gloried in it; but thy eye was upon them in their close cabals and thou art a witness of all they have said and done against me and thy people." He appeals to God's justice: Awake to my judgment, even to my cause, and let it have a hearing at thy bar, Psa 35:23. "Judge me, O Lord my God! pass sentence upon this appeal, according to the righteousness of thy nature and government," Psa 35:24. See this explained by Solomon, Kg1 7:31, Kg1 7:32. When thou art appealed to, hear in heaven, and judge, by condemning the wicked and justifying the righteous.

III. 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. 1. He prays that God would act for him, and not stand by as a spectator (Psa 35:17): "Lord, how long wilt thou look on? How long wilt thou connive at the wickedness of the wicked? Rescue my soul from the destructions they are plotting against it; rescue my darling, my only one, from the lions. My soul is my only one, and therefore the greater is the shame if I neglect it and the greater the loss if I lose it: it is my only one, and therefore ought to be my darling, ought to be carefully protected and provided for. It is my soul that is in danger; Lord, rescue it. It does, in a peculiar manner, belong to the Father of spirits, therefore claim thy own; it is thine, save it. Lord, keep not silence, as if thou didst consent to what is done against me! Lord, be not far from me (Psa 35:22), as if I were a stranger that thou wert not concerned for; let not me beheld afar off, as the proud are." 2. He prays that his enemies might not have cause to rejoice (Psa 35:19): Let them not rejoice over me (and again, Psa 35:24); not so much because it would be a mortification to him to be trampled upon the abjects, as because it would turn to the dishonour of God and the reproach of his confidence in God. It would harden the hearts of his enemies in their wickedness and confirm them in their enmity to him, and would be a great discouragement to all the pious Jews that were friends to his righteous cause. He prays that he might never be in such imminent danger as that they should say in their hearts, Ah! so would we have it (Psa 35:25), 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. But, on the contrary, that they might be ashamed and brought to confusion together (Psa 35:26, as before, Psa 35:4); he desires that his innocency might be so cleared that they might be ashamed of the calumnies with which they had loaded him, that his interest might be so confirmed that they might be ashamed of their designs against him and their expectations of his ruin, that they might either be brought to that shame which would be a step towards their reformation or that that might be their portion which would be their everlasting misery. 3. He prays that his friends might have cause to rejoice and give glory to God, Psa 35:27. Notwithstanding the arts that were used to blacken David, and make him odious, and to frighten people from owning him, there were some that favoured his righteous cause, that knew he was wronged and bore a good affection to him; and he prays for them, (1.) That they might rejoice with him in his joys. It is a great pleasure to all that are good to see an honest man, and an honest cause, prevail and prosper; and those that heartily espouse the interests of God's people, and are willing to take their lot with them even when they are run down and trampled upon, shall in due time shout for joy and be glad, for the righteous cause will at length be a victorious cause. (2.) That they might join with him in his praises: Let them say continually, The Lord be magnified, by us and others, who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Note, [1.] 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. He has pleasure in the prosperity both of their temporal and of their spiritual affairs, and delights not in their griefs; for he does not afflict willingly; and we ought therefore to have pleasure in their prosperity, and not to envy it. [2.] 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.

IV. 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 (Psa 35:18), and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, the justice of thy judgments and the equity of all thy dispensations;" and this, 1. Publicly, as one that took a pleasure in owning his obligations to his God, so far was he from being ashamed of them. he will do it in the great congregation, and among much people, that God might be honoured and many edified. 2. Constantly. he will speak God's praise every day (so it may be read) and all the day long; for it is a subject that will never be exhausted, no, not by the endless praises of saints and angels.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–28. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 35
"Let them not say in their heart, Aha, aha, so would we have it" [Psalm 35:25]; that is, We have done what we could, we have slain him, we have taken him away. "Let them not say:" show them that they have done nothing. "Let them not say, We have swallowed him up." Whence say those Martyrs, "If the Lord had not been on our side, then they had swallowed us up quick." What is, "had swallowed us up"? Had passed into their own body. For that you swallow up, which you pass into your own body. The world would swallow you up; swallow thou the world, pass it into your own body: kill and eat. As it was said to Peter, "Kill and eat;" [Acts 10:13] do thou kill in them what they are, make them what you are. But if they on the other hand persuade you to ungodliness, you are swallowed up by them. Not when they persecute you are you swallowed up by them, but when they persuade you to be what they are. "Let them not say, We have swallowed him up." Do thou swallow up the body of Pagans. Why the body of Pagans? It would swallow you up. Do thou to it, what it would to you. Therefore perhaps that calf, being ground to powder, was cast into the water and given to the children of Israel to drink, [Exodus 32:20] that so the body of ungodliness might be swallowed up by Israel.
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.
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