Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, VERSE Psalms 35:13 "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." King James Version (KJV) < Previous Verse Next Verse > View Chapter Psalms 35:13 Context This is the view of Ewald and Delitzsch, but seems prosaic. Psalm 35:13 Commentaries: But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. This psalm opens in a warlike tone, so as to suggest a soldier for its author, and for its occasion the eye of some battle. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Let the LORD be magnified, Christian sympathy even for the froward. If they urge their suit in the law-court, Lord, meet them there, and beat them at their own weapons. Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. And who can stand before envy? Verse Psalms 35:13. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Let me have inward comfort under all outward troubles, to support my soul. See this explained by Solomon, 1 Kings 7 31, 32. Salem Media Group. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom. Thus, therefore, from , like from , may mean smitten, men, i.e., men who are brought low or reduced (Hengstenberg). This instance of the wrong done to David was typical, and had its accomplishment in the Son of David, against whom false witnesses did arise, Matt 26 60. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. He appeals to God against them, the God to whom vengeance belongs, appeals to his knowledge (v. 22): This thou hast seen. He does not identify them, but it's likely these were people aligned with either Saul (1 Samuel 19:1-2) or Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-14). Who favor my righteous cause; There can be no reason to doubt that this is true "in fact;" and that prayer offered for others "does" bring back blessings to those who offer it. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so we would have it! Call a man ungrateful and you can call him no worse. Therefore means: mockers for a cake, i.e., those who for a delicate morsel, for the sake of dainty fare, make scornful jokes, viz., about me, the persecuted one, vile parasites; German Tellerlecker, Bratenriecher, Greek , , Mediaeval Latin buccellarii. So, "aha, aha" was a bad thing to say, and as I say, I don't know what the whole connotation of the "aha, aha" might be, but the hypocritical mockers speaking against David. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. The addition of certainly makes Olshausen's conjecture that we should read somewhat natural; but the expression then becomes tautological, and there are other instances also in which psalm-poesy goes beyond the ordinary range of words, in order to find language to describe that which is loathsome, in the most glaring way. Humbled my soul with fasting. He prays that God would stop their way (v. 3), that they might not overtake him when he fled from them. Psalm 35:13 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. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! Psalm 36. Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion How sharp is the contrast all through this Psalm between the righteous and his enemies! Turba Remi sequitur fortunam, ut semper, et odit damnatosThe Roman crowd, varying their opinions with every turn of fortune, are sure to execrate the fallen. It might also, after the Arabic nawika, to be injured in mind, anwak, stupid, silly (from the same root , to prick, smite, wound, cf. (2)The far more probable meaning, my prayer came back again and again to my bosom, i.e., was repeated over and over again; just as we say, "the thought recurred to my mind." Verse 13. That they might join with him in his praises: Let them say continually, The Lord be magnified, by us and others, who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. The posture of prayer with the head reclining toward the bosom is common among the Muslims, "Reland" de Religione Mohammetica, p. 87. pass sentence upon this appeal, according to the righteousness of thy nature and government," v. 24. Yet in many of the disputes with his enemies, he had no problem seeing that he was on Gods side and they were not. He will praise him as one of peerless and unparalleled perfection. PLUS Save 20% for life! When they were sick, David prayed for their recovery and mourned over their condition. [Note: Ibid., p. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: and I will praise thee among much people. And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. They will follow him, for they know his voice. Against his one mighty enemy (v. 8): Let destruction come upon him. They gnashed upon him with their teeth; they never spoke of him but with the greatest indignation imaginable, as those that would have eaten him up if they could. 2. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them. He prayed for them. (2.) Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? David had been a man of sympathy; he had mourned when Saul was in ill health, putting on the weeds of sorrow for him as though he were a near and dear friend. Let me have that salvation not only which he is the author of, but which consists in his favour; and let me know my interest in it; let me have the comfortable assurance of it in my own breast." And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. They are the ministers of his justice, as well as of his mercy. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. He has pleasure in the prosperity both of their temporal and of their spiritual affairs, and delights not in their griefs; for he does not afflict willingly; and we ought therefore to have pleasure in their prosperity, and not to envy it. David was the fool in the play, and his disappointment all the table-talk of the hypocritical mockers at feasts; it was the song of the drunkards. Much like Psalm 23 ends in abundance, so Jesus concludes this parable in an abundant image of his care, described so beautifully in the First Nations Version of the Gospel of John: "Following the Shepherd, they will go in and out and find good food to eat. When he fell under the frowns of Saul, was banished the court, and persecuted as a criminal, they were pleased, were glad at his calamities, and got together in their drunken clubs to make themselves and one another merry with the disgrace of this great favourite. All rights reserved. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Since Davids enemies have the ferocity of men in battle, David asks God to deal with them accordingly and fight against them as a warrior (1-3). Those that hated David thought scorn, like Haman, to lay hands on him alone, but contrived to involve all the religious people of the land in the same ruin with him. This is a prayer for the defeat and destruction of malignant enemies, whom the Psalmist has formerly befriended, and who now treat him with ungrateful cruelty. Observe, He mourned as for a brother or mother, which intimates that it is our duty, and well becomes us, to lay to heart the sickness, and sorrow, and death of our near relations. 1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 35:13 Commentary on Psalm 35:11-16 (Read Psalm 35:11-16) Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David's enemies. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. But to suppose that this was the "motive" in the case is to suppose that the psalmist was wholly selfish, and would take away the very point of his observation about his prayer - that it was dictated by the sincerest love for them and true sympathy for their sufferings. No such patron of oppressed innocency, no such punisher of triumphant tyranny. He complains of their wrongful dealing 22. It seemed that God was too passive, so David cried out for Him to stir up Yourself and to awake on Davids behalf. II. 1. When they were sick This might refer to the case of Absalom, who was much beloved of his father, and for whose life and prosperity he no doubt often prayed, wept, and fasted. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation!" 4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! The mercy he hoped to win by prayer he promises to wear with praise: "I will give thee thanks, as the author of my deliverance (v. 18), and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, the justice of thy judgments and the equity of all thy dispensations;" and this, 1. David mourned for them and sympathized with them in their grief. The is not the Beth of companionship or fellowship, to express which or (Hosea 7:5) would have been used, but Beth essentiae or the Beth of characterisation: in the character of the most abject examples of this class of men do they gnash upon him with their teeth. The bosom is not only the place where the Asiatics carry their purses, but also where they carry any thing that is given to them. Sometimes adonai has the sense of Sir and sometimes it has the sense of God. "Judge me, O Lord my God! Salem Media Group. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. My clothing was sackcloth - Compare the notes at Psalm 30:11. Lament over prolonged suffering 13:1-2. They set themselves against all the sober good people that adhered to David (v. 20): They devised deceitful matters, to trepan and ruin those that were quiet in the land. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Yet he ended with a strong focus on God and His praise. 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. He subjected himself to the pains of hunger, that he might be better prepared to offer fervent and acceptable prayer. David prays for his own safety, and his enemies' confusion 11. Now when these people were sick, (1.) Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Nay, he had deserved well not only of the public in general, but of those particular persons that were now most bitter against him. Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. When thou art appealed to, hear in heaven, and judge, by condemning the wicked and justifying the righteous. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. They were not related to him; he was under no obligations to them; he would lose nothing by their death, but perhaps be a gainer by it; and yet he behaved himself as though they had been his nearest relations, purely from a principle of compassion and humanity. We cannot express how great and good God is, and therefore must praise him by acknowledging him to be a non-such. Let God be my salvation, not only my Saviour out of my present troubles, but my everlasting bliss. So this is one of those psalms where David is praying God's judgment and all against his enemies. (1.) , and the Targum conterentes me verbis suis; cf. He will do it in the great congregation, and among much people, that God might be honoured and many edified. Acts 25 10, To the Jews have I done no wrong. And who can stand before envy?Proverbs 27:4. Probably it was then well known whom he meant; it may be Saul himself for one, whom he was sent for to attend upon when he was melancholy and ill, and to whom he was serviceable to drive away the evil spirit, not with his harp, but with his prayers; to others of the courtiers, it is likely, he had shown this respect, while he lived at court, who now were, of all others, most abusive to him.