I. (35:1–3) Cry for Help against Pursuers. The psalm opens by asking God to take up the cause of the singer: “contend . . . with those who contend with me.” The group that threatens is also “those who fight against me” (v. 1) and “my pursuers” (v. 3). The rest of the psalm will show that these are envisioned as ruthless and powerful people who intend harm to the singer, who is envisioned as a person of faith (v. 27) and genuine kindness (vv. 12–14).304

The imagery for God’s help comes from combat: “shield and buckler” are conventional renderings for various kinds of protective devices of ancient soldiers.305 In the same way, the “spear and javelin” denote the various offensive weapons a warrior would use.306

The psalm asks the Lord to reassure the sufferer by saying “I am your salvation” (v. 3). This is a poetical way of expressing how closely bound up God is with each of his people as the reliable source of their “salvation,” their rescue from threats to their well-being and participation with the rest of God’s people. Later in the psalm the singer anticipates “exulting in [your] salvation” (v. 9), which in context would mean sharing in a corporate song of exultation (cf. vv. 18, 27–28).

II. (35:4–8) Let Them Be Ashamed. The faithful pray for the schemes of the pursuers to fail and for the pursuers themselves to suffer disappointment and humiliation and, finally, destruction.

The terms “be put to shame and dishonor” and “turned back and disappointed” (v. 4) refer to public exposure (cf. comments on 25:1–3; 31:1–2) for their evil intentions and a thwarting of those intentions (cf. comment on 34:4–7).

Such a prayer is proper for God’s people to pray, first, because it is realistic—God’s protection of the faithful means that he must thwart the schemes of those who would harm them—and, second, because it is just—the pursuers “seek after” the singer’s “life” (i.e., they aim to kill him; Ex. 4:19; 1 Sam. 20:1; etc.), “devise evil against” the singer (Ps. 35:4), and have laid traps for the singer “without cause” (v. 7 [2x]; cf. v. 19). The punishment asked for, to be as “chaff before the wind” (v. 5), echoes what is already said to be the lot of the wicked (1:4). Indeed, for the “angel of the Lord” to be “pursuing them” (35:6) turns the tables on their unjust pursuit of the faithful person singing this (v. 3); similarly, the prayer that they be captured in their own “net” (a metaphor for their deceptive schemes; vv. 7–8) is also requesting that their own mischief come back upon them (which would constitute their “destruction”; cf. the same word in v. 17). From all of this it is plain that the prayer is not a vindictive response to personal injury but an appeal based on faith; the request is for a public vindication in the face of an attempted public destruction (cf. v. 24).

III. (35:9–10) Then I Shall Rejoice. This section of the song looks forward to joy and gratitude when its request is answered. The singer has already asked God to reassure him by saying “I am your salvation” (v. 3), and the singer anticipates “exulting in” God’s “salvation,” in his publicly visible deliverance from the schemes of the wicked (v. 9).

Verse 10 echoes 34:19–20, with its thought of the “bones” being kept as God “delivers” the faithful. The second part of the verse, by noting that the Lord takes care of “the poor and needy” person, under threat from “him who is too strong for him,” invites the congregation to identify with and care for such persons, sharing the Lord’s priorities.

IV. (35:11–16) They Repay Me Evil for Good. The song returns to say more about the schemes of the pursuers: they rise as “malicious witnesses” (v. 11) and “repay . . . evil for good,” especially in gloating over the misfortunes of those who have shown them kindness in their own misfortunes (vv. 12–16).

The “malicious [or “violent”] witnesses” would “rise up” to accuse the faithful in public of all kinds of wrongdoing (cf. 27:12).307 The rest of 35:12–14 shows that this accusation is not only a falsehood but a profound betrayal. The psalm never suggests that such kindness on behalf of these treacherous people was wrong; in fact, it leads us to admire the kindness, and in doing so it reinforces the singing congregation in valuing all such actions (cf. 34:11–14) and abhorring all such treatment of those who do kindness.

V. (35:17–18) How Long Will It Take? The request is urgent, and waiting is hard; this section allows the singers to say so plainly. The section contrasts what one sees—those who would bring “destruction,” who are like ravenous young “lions” that would consume his “precious life”308—with what he looks for—the giving of public thanks amid the “great congregation” in worship.

VI. (35:19–21) They Are Gloating Deceivers. The song now tells us more about the pursuers: they scheme and connive (“wink the eye”; cf. Prov. 6:13; 10:10; 16:30), particularly against the hardworking and innocent pious (“those who are quiet in the land”). Their hostility is “without cause” (repeated from Ps. 35:7) and is “wrongful.” Rather than to “speak peace” (an admirable action, cf. 120:7), when they “open wide their mouths” (to speak derision, cf. Isa. 57:4; 1 Sam. 2:1 [“deride”]) all they say are words of disdain. “Our eyes have seen it!” may be the claim of the malicious witnesses (Ps. 35:21).

In John 15:25 Jesus uses a phrase from Psalm 35:19 (“They hated me without a cause”; cf. 69:4) to portray himself as the ideal innocent sufferer and to imply that his followers may expect the same treatment.

VII. (35:22–26) Vindicate Me! Now the song returns to pray for vindication and deliverance. Verses 22–23 use vivid imagery, asking God to “be not silent” (as if he were complacent toward evil), to “be not far” (as if God were physically distant), and to “awake and rouse yourself” (as if he were asleep); this shows how urgent the singer feels the situation to be.

On “vindication” (v. 23) and “vindicate” (v. 24), cf. comment on 26:1–3; the idea is that God will bring the singer’s just “cause” to light—this is especially relevant in light of the false and dangerous accusations (35:11, 21). This explains the combat in which the song asks God to engage (vv. 1–3).

Verse 24 asks for vindication “according to” God’s “righteousness.” His righteousness here (and in v. 28), as often in the OT, describes his faithfulness to keep his promises (a meaning that may be relevant to many NT passages as well).

The rest of this section presents the outcome as having two alternatives: the enemies will either gloat over the singer’s distress or be publicly exposed to disgrace. With this logic, only the second of these can be desired. Verses 24b–26 repeat many themes from earlier in the psalm (compare “let [the enemies] not rejoice over me” with v. 19; v. 26 with v. 4).

VIII. (35:27–28) Then I and Those Who Love Me Shall Rejoice. The singer again looks forward to rejoicing, but this time not by himself but with all the faithful (“those who delight in my righteousness”). The word “delight” is strongly affective, and just as the other faithful delight in each other’s faithfulness, so also God “delights in the welfare of his servant.” This reinforces among the faithful the aesthetic pleasure they should take in each other’s faithfulness, imitating God’s own pleasure.

The psalm ends with the prospect of telling all one’s fellow faithful about how God has displayed his righteousness and faithfulness (v. 28; also v. 18; cf. 22:22, 25). As C. S. Lewis observed,

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.309