Psalms 35: Contend for My Cause
Falsely accused and repaid evil for good, David asks the Lord himself to take up shield and spear and defend the soul of his servant.
Psalms 35 (WEB)
1 Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.
3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh’s angel driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.
7 For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.
9 My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh. It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.
15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you among many people.
19 Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
20 For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
22 You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.
23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!
24 Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.
25 Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”
26 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause. Yes, let them say continually, “Yahweh be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”
28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.
Psalms 35 (KJV)
1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 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.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 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?
11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 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.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 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:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 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.
27 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.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalms 35 (ASV)
1 Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me: Fight thou against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that pursue me: Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor that seek after my soul: Let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, And the angel of Jehovah drivingthemon.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, And the angel of Jehovah pursuing them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their netina pit; Without cause have they digged a pit for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself: With destruction let him fall therein.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah: It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee, Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I know not.
12 They reward me evil for good, Tothe bereaving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; And my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; They did tear me, and ceased not:
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, They gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great assembly: I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace; But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me; They said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 Thou hast seen it, O Jehovah; keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice due unto me, Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it: Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt: Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: Yea, let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness Andof thy praise all the day long.
Summary
This is a psalm of lament and imprecation, the cry of a man surrounded by enemies who hate him without cause. David asks the Lord himself to contend with those who contend with him, to take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for his help, and to assure his soul, "I am your salvation." He prays that their secret nets and pits would catch them instead, and that they would be driven like chaff before the wind. The pain deepens as David recalls how he treated these very people: when they were sick he wore sackcloth and fasted and prayed as for a brother, yet in his own adversity they rejoiced, mocked, and gnashed their teeth. False witnesses rise up and ask him of things he knows nothing about, repaying evil for good. He pleads with the Lord not to keep silent or stay far off, but to wake up, rise, and vindicate him according to God's righteousness. The psalm closes by anticipating the joy of those who favor his righteous cause and his own promise to talk of God's righteousness and praise all day long. Jesus took up the words about being hated without a cause, and the psalm teaches us to hand our defense over to the righteous Judge rather than avenge ourselves.
Voices
- David — The falsely accused servant who refuses to defend himself by his own hand and asks God to be his warrior and judge.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The divine Warrior and Judge asked to take up shield and spear, contend for David, and vindicate his cause.
- The treacherous accusers — Those who repay evil for good, slander David with false witnesses, and gloat over his calamity.
Key Verse
Psalm 35:3 (WEB)
Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”
Lessons Learned
- We can hand our defense and vindication entirely over to God rather than taking revenge.
- Being repaid evil for kindness is a deep wound, and Scripture lets us bring it honestly to God.
- The longing of a faithful heart is not merely rescue but to hear God say, "I am your salvation."
- Vindication, when it comes, should overflow in public praise and thanksgiving.
- Let God be your defender. "Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me" (Psalm 35:1, WEB). David hands the battle to God rather than seizing his own revenge.
- The soul longs for God's assurance. "Tell my soul, 'I am your salvation'" (Psalm 35:3, WEB). Beyond rescue from enemies, the heart craves the word of God's own saving presence.
- Returned kindness is no guarantee of return kindness. "They reward me evil for good" (Psalm 35:12, WEB). David mourned and fasted for his enemies (35:13-14), yet they turned on him—and he brings the wound to God.
- God sees what others miss. "You have seen it, Yahweh. Don't keep silent" (Psalm 35:22, WEB). The God who witnesses every false accusation will not stay silent forever.
- Vindication leads to worship. "My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long" (Psalm 35:28, WEB). Rescue is meant to end in praise, not merely relief.
- Why does David ask God to fight for him instead of taking matters into his own hands?
- What does David's heart most long to hear from God in verse 3?
- How did David treat his enemies before, and how does their betrayal compare (verses 13-15)?
- What does it mean that God has "seen it" (verse 22), and why is that a comfort?
- When you are wronged, how might you bring it to God rather than seeking your own revenge?
- David appeals to the Lord as Warrior and Judge (35:1-3), refusing to be his own avenger. By handing the conflict to God, he keeps his own heart from being poisoned by vengeance and trusts that God's justice is better than his own. This anticipates the New Testament call to leave room for God's wrath.
- More than the defeat of enemies, David wants God to say, "I am your salvation" (35:3). The deepest need in conflict is not victory but the assurance of God's saving nearness. The relationship matters more than the rescue.
- When his enemies were sick, David fasted, mourned, and prayed for them as for family (35:13-14), yet they rejoiced and mocked in his suffering (35:15). The contrast magnifies their treachery and gives David a clean conscience as he appeals to God.
- God has "seen it"—every lie and gloating taunt is witnessed by him (35:22). This comforts the wronged: nothing is hidden, and the Judge who sees will act. We are not dependent on others believing us, because God already knows the truth.
- This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to name a recent wrong and to consider entrusting their vindication to God in prayer rather than retaliating. As leader, acknowledge how hard this is, and point to Christ, who when reviled did not revile in return but entrusted himself to the righteous Judge.