BOOK 19 OF 66 · WISDOM & POETRY · KING JAMES BIBLE

Psalms 35

Psalms book home•Chapter 35 of 150•28 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

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Psalms 35 Overview

David calls for God to fight those who fight him, describes false witnesses and betrayal of kindness, asks for public vindication, and promises praise.

PsalmsBook

35Chapter

28Verses

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Before you read Psalms 35

Coming from

Psalm 34 centered on testimony that the lord hears and delivers. Psalms is an anthology rather than a continuous chronological story, so the connection here is canonical and thematic.

In this chapter

David calls for God to fight those who fight him, describes false witnesses and betrayal of kindness, asks for public vindication, and promises praise.

Leads into

Psalm 36 turns to human wickedness contrasted with god's immeasurable goodness, continuing the Psalter’s arranged movement without requiring that the two psalms describe consecutive historical events.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Psalm 35 belongs to Book I of the Psalter (Psalms 1–41). The psalm is a judicial appeal for God to judge malicious persecutors; it should not be used to license private revenge.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Central truth

A persecuted servant asks God to contend with malicious enemies.

Lament truth

In Psalm 35, biblical faith brings grief, fear, confusion, and need directly to God rather than hiding them.

Imprecatory truth

In Psalm 35, the psalm places the demand for justice before God rather than making private revenge the worshipper’s task.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Lament connection

Hebrews 4:15-16 invites believers to come boldly for mercy and grace in need. This connection helps frame Psalm 35.

Imprecatory connection

Romans 12:19 reserves vengeance to God rather than private retaliation. This connection helps frame Psalm 35.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep lament in context

Do not mistake every anguished sentence in Psalm 35 for the psalmist’s settled theological conclusion; lament often voices how the crisis feels before faith answers it.

Keep imprecatory in context

The severe petitions in Psalm 35 appeal to God’s justice; they do not authorize personal vengeance, cruelty, or violence by the reader.

Read Psalms 35 watching for…

plead my cause.

net without cause.

false witnesses.

rewarded evil for good.

let LORD be magnified.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-10David asks the LORD to fight those who fight against him 11-16False witnesses and ungrateful enemies repay David evil for good 17-28David asks for rescue and righteous judgment and promises public praise

[A Psalm] of David.Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

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.

Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

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?

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

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Psalms 35:21

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