Psalm 35:18 Komentář

David, in this psalm, appeals to the righteous Judge of heaven and earth against his enemies that hated and persecuted him. It is supposed that Saul and his party are the persons he means, for with them he had the greatest struggles. I. He complains to God of the injuries they did him; they strove with him, fought against him (Psa 35:1), persecuted him (Psa 35:3), sought his ruin (Psa 35:4, Psa 35:7), accused him falsely (Psa 35:11), abused him basely (Psa 35:15, Psa 35:16), and all his friends (Psa 35:20), and triumphed over him, (Psa 35:21, Psa 35:25, Psa 35:26). II. He pleads his own innocency, that he never gave them any provocation (Psa 35:7, Psa 35:19), but, on the contrary, had studied to oblige them (Psa 35:12-14). III. He prays to God to protect and deliver him, and appear for him (Psa 35:1, Psa 35:2), to comfort him (Psa 35:3), to be nigh to him and rescue him (Psa 35:17, Psa 35:22), to plead his cause (Psa 35:23, Psa 35:24), to defeat all the designs of his enemies against him (Psa 35:3, Psa 35:4), to disappoint their expectations of his fall (Psa 35:19, Psa 35:25, Psa 35:26), and, lastly, to countenance all his friends, and encourage them (Psa 35:27), IV. He prophesies the destruction of his persecutors (Psa 35:4-6, Psa 35:8). V. He promises himself that he shall yet see better days (Psa 35:9, Psa 35:10), and promises God that he will then attend him with his praises (Psa 35:18, Psa 35:28). In singing this psalm, and praying over it, we must take heed of applying it to any little peevish quarrels and enmities of our own, and of expressing by it any uncharitable revengeful resentments of injuries done to us; for Christ has taught us to forgive our enemies and not to pray against them, but to pray for them, as he did; but, 1. We may comfort ourselves with the testimony of our consciences concerning our innocency, with reference to those that are any way injurious to us, and with hopes that God will, in his own way and time, right us, and, in the mean time, support us. 2. We ought to apply it to the public enemies of Christ and his kingdom, typified by David and his kingdom, to resent the indignities done to Christ's honour, to pray to God to plead the just and injured cause of Christianity and serious godliness, and to believe that God will, in due time, glorify his own name in the ruin of all the irreconcilable enemies of his church, that will not repent to give him glory. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 35 A Psalm of David. This psalm seems to have been written by David, when he was persecuted by Saul; and when many false charges were brought against him by his courtiers; and when he was the scorn and derision of the people; the subject of it is pretty much of the same kind with the seventh psalm, and might be written about the same time that was, and on the same occasion; and it may be applied to the church and people of God in like cases. There is a passage in it, Psa 35:19, which our Lord seems to refer to and apply to himself, Joh 15:25; and some interpret the whole of it concerning him. The Arabic version calls it a prophecy of the incarnation; though there does not appear any thing in it applicable to that.

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation,.... This is the resolution the psalmist came unto; the promise he made, that should he be delivered from his enemies, he would give God thanks in the most public manner; that is, he would acknowledge God to be the author of the mercy, and himself unworthy of it; and would ascribe glory, honour, blessing, and thanksgiving to him, in the midst of the church and people of God; they joining with him in it, when he should be restored to an attendance with them he before prays for; I will praise thee among much people; meaning the same as before, the people of God meeting together for solemn worship; the great congregation of all, and the much people, will be the saints in heaven, when they shall be gathered together, and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The words will bear to be applied to the Messiah, see Psa 22:22.

Lastly, would you know what is that Darling? Read the words following: "I will confess unto You, O Lord, in the great Congregation; in a weighty people will I praise You" [Psalm 35:18]. Truly says He, "I will confess unto You:" for confession is made in all the multitude, but not in all is God praised: the whole multitude hears our confession, but not in all the multitude is the praise of God. For in all the whole multitude, that is, in the Church which is spread abroad in the whole world, is chaff, and wheat: the chaff flies, the wheat remains; therefore, "in a weighty people will I praise You." In a weighty people, which the wind of temptation carries not away, in such is God praised. For in the chaff He is ever blasphemed....

"I will confess." Here he sets forth the fruit of assistance. And first, on his part. Second, on the part of the enemies, at "let them not rejoice." Third, on the part of the just, at "let them exult." The fruit on the part of the one freed is the praise of God; hence he says, "I will confess to you and praise you, because you have freed me." Ps. 65: "I will render my vows to you," etc. And if this is referred to Christ, the fruit of the resurrection of Christ is the instruction of the Church and the faith by which the Church confesses God. Rom. 10: "With the heart one believes unto justice, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Or the Church is described by the multitude of believers. Second, by their virtue. As to the first, he says, "in the great Church," great indeed in number and in the extent of the lands. Mal. 1: "Great is my name among the nations." Also great in constancy and virtue, because "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Mt. 16. Ps. 39: "I have announced your justice in the great Church." As to the second, he says, "among a weighty people I will praise you." Weightiness is sometimes taken in a good sense, sometimes in a bad sense; because by analogy there is a twofold property in bodily weight. One is heaviness, which tends downward; and this is bad, because a person is called heavy insofar as he tends toward the heaviness and likeness of earth. Ps. 4: "Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart?" Is. 1: "A people heavy with iniquity, a wicked seed, depraved children." Another property is stability, which is opposed to lightness and is not moved. A light person is said to be one who is moved by every wind, Eph. 4. One who is stable in good is called weighty. 1 Cor. 10: "The letters are weighty and strong." Jerome has, "among a strong people I will praise you."

The Psalmist invokes God's aid, contrasting the hypocrisy, cunning, and malice of his enemies with his integrity and generosity. The imprecations of the first part including a brief notice of their conduct, the fuller exposition of their hypocrisy and malice in the second, and the earnest prayer for deliverance from their scornful triumph in the last, are each closed (Psa 35:9-10, Psa 35:18, Psa 35:27-28) with promises of praise for the desired relief, in which his friends will unite. The historical occasion is probably 1Sa. 24:1-22. (Psa. 35:1-28) God is invoked in the character of a warrior (Exo 15:3; Deu 32:41).

(Compare Psa 22:22).