Psalm 35

David lamented the unjustified opposition of his enemies in this psalm and called on God to deliver him. It is really a combination of three laments.

"Whether or not this psalm was written as a companion to Psalm 34, it is well placed next to it, not only because of some verbal affinities and contrasts (notably the angel of the Lord', 34:7; 35:5, 6, found nowhere else in the Psalter), but because it speaks out of the kind of darkness which has just been dispelled in the former psalm. The deliverance celebrated in that psalm is now seen to be not invariably swift or painless, but subject, if God wills, to agonizing delays."⁸⁸

 1. A prayer for deliverance 35:1-10

In this section David asked God to deliver him from enemies who were trying to kill him without cause.

35:1-3 David appealed to the Lord for defense as to a champion who goes out in battle for another (cf. Josh. 5:13-15).

35:4-6 He asked God to rout his enemies and to humiliate them. He wished God would blow them away as chaff and take away their stability so they would fall. The Angel of the Lord is the leader of God's heavenly army, the preincarnate Christ (cf. 34:7). David wanted Him to do to his enemies what they intended to do to him. This is in keeping with how God usually deals with the wicked.

35:7-8 The reason for David's request was his enemys' unwarranted attempts to kill him. He prayed they might experience the fate they hoped would be his.

35:9-10 If God granted deliverance, David promised to rejoice in the Lord and to praise Him.

"My soul(9) and my bones(10) are two emphatic ways of saying I' or myself,' as in 6:2, 3; cf. our own expression I know it in my bones'."⁸⁹

 2. A lament over unjust opposition 35:11-18

In the first section of the psalm the emphasis is on petition, but in this one it is on lament.

35:11-12 The psalmist's malicious enemies were repaying him evil for the good he had done them. They were evidently also charging him falsely.

35:13-14 When they were sick David prayed for their recovery and mourned over their condition. He even fasted, which shows the extent to which he sacrificed so they would recover.

35:15-16 Conversely when David experienced trouble rather than showing concern for him they mocked and really made his condition worse.

35:17-18 David called on God to stop waiting and to act for him. When He would, David would give Him public praise.

 3. A petition for justice 35:19-28

In this section the emphasis lies on the need for God to act for David.

35:19-21 Winking at one another David's enemies communicated their sneaky intention to trap the psalmist in their plot. They were lying to turn others against him. They were also giving false testimony concerning his actions.

35:22-26 Their claims of having seen David do something bad were groundless, but God had seen their evil actions. David called God to end His silence and act for him. By vindicating David, God would frustrate the attempts of the wicked to triumph over the upright.

35:27-28 In closing David asked God to cause his supporters to give glory to the Lord for vindicating His righteous servant. When deliverance came David too would praise God for His righteous dealings.

The people of God can appeal for vindication when others falsely accuse us of doing evil, and we can count on God's deliverance in the future because He is just.