Psalm 35:2 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.

Take hold of shield and buckler,.... Defensive weapons; not that the Lord stands in need of any of these to defend himself with: but the sense is, that he would be as these to David; as he was to him, and is to all his people; namely, their shield and buckler: he gives unto them the shield of salvation; he encompasses them about with his favour as with a shield, and keeps them by his power safe from all their enemies; and stand up for mine help; for which the Lord arises, and stands by his people, and against their enemies, delivering them out of their hands.

"Judge Thou, O Lord" (says he), "them that hurt me, and fight Thou against them that fight against me" [Psalm 35:1]. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" [Romans 8:31] And whereby does God this for us? "Take hold" (says he) "of arms and shield, and rise up to my help" [Psalm 35:2]. A great spectacle is it, to see God armed for you. And what is His Shield, what are His Arms? "Lord," in another place says the man who here also speaks, "as with the shield of Your good-will have You compassed us." But His Arms, wherewith He may not only us defend, but also strike His enemies, if we have well profited, shall we ourselves be. For as we from Him have this, that we be armed, so is He armed from us. But He is armed from those whom He has made, we are armed with those things which we have received from Him who made us. These our arms the Apostle in a certain place calls, "The shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." [Ephesians 6:16-17] He has armed us with such arms as you have heard, arms admirable, and unconquered, insuperable and shining; spiritual truly and invisible, because we have to fight also against invisible enemies. If you see your enemy, let your arms be seen. We are armed with faith in those things which we see not, and we overthrow enemies whom we see not....

Armor and shield are the very will of the Lord by which he protects someone in danger and fights back against his enemy.

Consequently, when he says, "Take hold of arms," he explains his petition. For he asked for two things: namely the condemnation of those who harm, and the routing of those who attack. And therefore he explains these two in particular. First, he explains the second. Second, the first, at "let them be confounded." Regarding the first, he sets forth five things that are necessary in a defender. The first is that he arm himself; and this he touches upon saying, "Take hold of arms and shield." The arms of God are his elect: Rom. 6: "Present your members as arms of justice to God." Hence the Angels are called the arms of God, which he uses to fight against the wicked: Wis. 5: "The whole world shall fight with him against the senseless." The shield of God properly is the divine protection and his will by which he protects: Ps. 5: "With the shield of your good will you have crowned us." He says therefore, "Take hold of arms and shield," that is, send your saints, and also protect me with your good will. Or, "arms and shield" are the virtues: Wis. 5: "He will put on justice as a breastplate, and take up an inexpugnable shield of equity." The second is that he proceed to battle; and therefore he says, "Rise up to help me." God is said to sleep when man is in tribulations and does not feel the divine assistance: Mt. 8: "A great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, where the disciples were; but he was sleeping; and they roused him saying: Lord, save us, we are perishing. And rising up, he commanded the winds and the sea, and a great calm came about." Ps. 43: "Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord?"

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).