Psalms 35:21-28

35:21 They are ready to devour me; ¹ 

they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” ² 

35:22 But you take notice, ³  Lord!

O Lord, do not remain far away from me!

35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up ⁴  and vindicate me! ⁵ 

My God and Lord, defend my just cause! ⁶ 

35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!

Do not let them gloat ⁷  over me!

35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, ⁸  “Aha! We have what we wanted!” ⁹ 

Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”

35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ¹⁰ 

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! ¹¹ 

35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!

May they continually say, ¹²  “May the Lord be praised, ¹³  for he wants his servant to be secure.” ¹⁴ 

35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice, ¹⁵ 

and praise you all day long. ¹⁶ 

[35:21]  ¹ tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.

[35:21]  ² tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).

[35:22]  ³ tn Heb “you see, O Lord.” There is a deliberate play on words. In v. 21 the enemies say, “our eye sees,” but the psalmist is confident that the Lord “sees” as well, so he appeals to him for help (see also v. 17).

[35:23]  ⁴ sn Though he is confident that the Lord is aware of his situation (see v. 22a), the psalmist compares the Lord’s inactivity to sleep and urges him to wake up.

[35:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “for my justice.”

[35:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “for my cause.”

[35:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “rejoice.”

[35:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “in their heart[s].”

[35:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “Aha! Our desire!” The “desire” of the psalmist’s enemies is to triumph over him.

[35:26]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”

[35:26]  ¹¹ tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.

[35:27]  ¹² tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).

[35:27]  ¹³ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.”

[35:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”

[35:28]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”

[35:28]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).