Psalms 35
35
Rescue Me
A poetic song by King David # 35 This is the first of seven Psalms in which David cried out for vengeance upon his enemies (see Pss. 52; 58; 59; 69; 109; 137).
Part One – David, a Warrior
1O Lord, fight for me! Harass the hecklers; accuse my accusers.
Fight those who fight against me.
2-3Put on your armor, Lord; take up your shield and protect me.
Rise up, mighty God! Grab your weapons of war
and block the way of the wicked who come to fight me.
Stand for me when they stand against me!
Speak over my soul: “I am your strong Savior!” # 35:2–3 The Aramaic word used here is found thirty-three times in the Psalms and clearly means “Savior.” Although a New Testament concept, David had a deep understanding almost one thousand years before the Savior was born that God would become his Savior. The Hebrew word for “Savior,” Yasha, is very similar to the name Jesus, Yeshua.
4Humiliate those who seek my harm. Defeat them all!
Frustrate their plans to defeat me and drive them back.
Disgrace them all as they have devised their plans to disgrace me.
5Blow them away like dust in the wind,
with the angel of Almighty God driving them back!
6Make the road in front of them nothing but slippery darkness,
with the angel of Yahweh behind them, chasing them away!
7For though I did nothing wrong to them, they set a trap for me,
wanting me to fail and fall.
8Surprise them with your ambush, Lord,
and catch them in the very trap they set for me.
Let them be the ones to fail and fall into destruction!
9Then my fears will dissolve into limitless joy;
my whole being will overflow with gladness
because of your mighty deliverance.
10Everything inside of me will shout it out:
“There’s no one like you, Lord!”
For look at how you protect the weak and helpless
from the strong and heartless who oppress them.
Part Two – David, a Witness
11They are malicious men, hostile witnesses of wrong.
They rise up against me, accusers appearing out of nowhere.
12When I show them mercy, they bring me misery.
I’m forsaken and forlorn, like a motherless child.
13I even prayed over them when they were sick.
I was burdened and bowed low with fasting
and interceded for their healing,
and I didn’t stop praying.
14I grieved for them, heavyhearted,
as though they were my dearest family members
or my good friends who were sick,
nearing death, needing prayer.
15But when I was the one who tripped up and stumbled,
they came together to slander me,
rejoicing in my time of trouble, tearing me to shreds
with their lies and betrayal.
16These nameless ruffians,
mocking me like godless fools at a feast—
how they delight in throwing mud on my name.
17God, how long can you just stand there doing nothing?
Now is the time to act.
Rescue me from these brutal men,
for I am being torn to shreds by these beasts
who are out to get me.
Save me from their rage, their cruel grasp.
18Then I will praise you wherever I go.
And when everyone gathers for worship,
I will lift up your praise with a shout
in front of the largest crowd I can find!
Part Three – David, a Worshiper
19Don’t let those who fight me for no reason be victorious.
Don’t let them succeed, these heartless haters
who come against me with their gloating sneers.
20They are the ones who would never seek peace as friends,
for they are ever devising deceit against the innocent ones
who mind their own business.
21They open their mouths with ugly grins,
gloating with glee over my every fault.
“Look,” they say, “we caught him red-handed!
We saw him fall with our own eyes!”
22Yahweh, my caring God, you have been there all along.
You have seen their hypocrisy.
Yahweh, don’t let them get away with this.
Don’t walk away without doing something.
23Now is the time to awake! Rise up, Lord!
Vindicate me, my Lord and my God!
24You have every right to judge me, Lord,
according to your righteousness,
but don’t let them rejoice over me when I stumble.
25-26Let them all be ashamed of themselves,
humiliated when they rejoice over my every blunder.
Shame them, Lord, when they say, “We saw what he did.
Now we have him right where we want him.
Let’s get him while he’s down!”
Make them look ridiculous when they exalt themselves over me.
May they all be disgraced and dishonored!
27But let all my true friends shout for joy,
all those who know and love what I do for you.
Let them all say, “The Lord is great,
and he delights in the prosperity of his servant.”
28Then I won’t be able to hold it in—
everyone will hear my joyous praises all day long!
Your righteousness will be the theme of my glory-song of praise!
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Psalms 35: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationPsalm 35
35
Great Is the Lord
Of David.
1Contend, O Lord, with those who #Isa. 49:25 contend with me;
# [Ex. 14:25; Isa. 42:13] fight against those who fight against me!
2Take hold of #Ps. 91:4; [Ps. 5:12]shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
3Draw the spear and javelin#35:3 Or and close the way
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”
4 # For ver. 4-8, see Ps. 69:22-28; 109:6-15 Let them be #ver. 26; Ps. 40:14; 70:2; 71:13; 83:17 put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be #Ps. 129:5turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
5Let them be like #See Job 21:18chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6Let their way be dark and #Ps. 73:18; Jer. 23:12slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7For #See Ps. 69:4 without cause #See Job 18:8 they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug #See Ps. 7:15a pit for my life.#35:7 The word pit is transposed from the preceding line; Hebrew For without cause they hid the pit of their net for me; without cause they dug for my life
8Let #[1 Thess. 5:3] destruction come upon him #Isa. 47:11when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!
9Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
#
Luke 1:47; See Ps. 9:14 exulting in his salvation.
10All my #Ps. 51:8 bones shall say,
“O Lord, #Ps. 71:19; 86:8; 89:6, 8; 113:5; Ex. 15:11who is like you,
delivering the poor
from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
11 # See Ps. 27:12 Malicious#35:11 Or Violent witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 #
Ps. 38:20; 109:4; Jer. 18:20; [John 10:32] They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.#35:12 Hebrew it is bereavement to my soul
13But I, #[Job 30:25] when they were sick—
I #Ps. 69:11; [1 Kgs. 20:31] wore sackcloth;
I #Ps. 69:10; Num. 29:7 afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed #[Matt. 10:13]; Luke 10:6with head bowed#35:13 Or my prayer shall turn back on my chest.
14I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I #See Ps. 38:6bowed down in mourning.
15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
#
Job 30:1, 8, 12 wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
16like profane mockers at a feast,#35:16 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
they #Ps. 37:12; Job 16:9; Lam. 2:16gnash at me with their teeth.
17How long, O Lord, will you #Hab. 1:13 look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
#
Ps. 22:20
my precious life from the lions!
18I will thank you in #Ps. 22:25the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 # ver. 24; See Ps. 13:4 Let not those rejoice over me
who are #Ps. 38:19; 69:4; 119:78, 86 wrongfully my foes,
and let not those #Prov. 6:13; 10:10 wink the eye
who #Ps. 69:4; Cited John 15:25 hate me #ver. 7without cause.
20For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
21They #See Ps. 22:13 open wide their mouths against me;
they say, #ver. 25; Ps. 40:15; 70:3“Aha, Aha!
Our eyes have seen it!”
22 # [Ex. 3:7] You have seen, O Lord; #Ps. 28:1 be not silent!
O Lord, #See Ps. 10:1be not far from me!
23Awake and #Ps. 44:23; 59:4; 80:2 rouse yourself for #Ps. 7:6my vindication,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 #
Ps. 7:8 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and #ver. 19let them not rejoice over me!
25Let them not say in their hearts,
# ver. 21 “Aha, our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say, #2 Sam. 17:16; Lam. 2:16“We have swallowed him up.”
26Let them be #See ver. 4 put to shame and disappointed altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be #See Job 8:22 clothed with shame and dishonor
who #See Job 19:5magnify themselves against me!
27Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
#
Ps. 40:16; 70:4 and say evermore,
#
Ps. 34:3 “Great is the Lord,
who #Ps. 149:4delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28Then my #Ps. 51:14; 71:8, 15, 24tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.
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