Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 35
The xxxv. PSALM.
David in the name of Christs and the Churches enemies, prayes for the confusion of his own, because of their unjust and inhumane dealing, promising exceedingly to praise God, when he shall be delivered from their violence and wrong: making God the judge betwixt him and them, and praying him to maintain his innocency against their unrighteousness by making them examples of his justice, and him of his mercy; so shall he purchase to himself much praise from the whole Church, but specially from himself, which he shall be sure of.
Psalm xxxv. A Psalm of David.A Psalm made by David.
1PLead my cause (O Lord) with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.1 O Lord oppose mine opposers; be thou the defendor of mine innocency, and the preserver of my life against my slanderous back-biters, and persecuting enemies, to whom be thou an enemy.
2Take hold of shield and buckler, & stand up for mine help.2 I have no help but thine, therefore quit thee answerably to the affiance I put in thee for my defence, for thou art mine all in all, therefore stand to me and appear for me, fail me not, but by thine Almighty power defend and keep me safe from my violent adversaries.
3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.3 Nor onelyonly defend me, but also offend them that would offend me, secure me from my persecutors, and prevent their cruel designs upon me. Let thine actions outwardly speak thy loving kindness towards me, and inwardly perswade mine heart to firm affiance in thee amidst mine afflictions.
4Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back & brought to confusion that devise my hurt.4 O Lord thou knowest in what place thou hast set me, not as a private man therefore for revenge, but as a Prophet and publick person representing thy Christ and Church do I accurse mine enemies, and pray that they may not prosper in their designs, but that confusion and destruction may be the portion of them that persecute my life, let them be discomfited and brought to ruine, that plot mine.
5 Let thy violent and sudden judgements sweep them away past all help.5Let them be as chaff b…fore the wind: and let the Angel of the Lord chase them. Yea with a divine and unresistable power from heaven do thou utterly defeat all their humane power wherein they put such confidence.
6 And let them totally miscarry in their discomfiture,6Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the Angel of the Lord persebute them. so that they may not know how to escape to save themselves, but void of power and policy let them stumble and fall, and be followed at the heels by thine immediate judgements, until they be overtaken and quite destroyed.
7 Yea,7For without cause have they hid for me their net, in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. Lord, let them be catched in thy trap, as they have endeavoured to catch me in theirs, using all manner of deceit and craft to compass my destruction, and to take away my life unjustly, without any desert or cause given by me.
8 Measure to mine enemy as he would measure to me.8Let destruction come upon him at unawares, and let his net that he hath hid, catch himself, into that very destruction let him fall. Let sudden destruction befall him, when he least fears himself, and makes most sure of me; Yea, let him be caught in his own very craft, and the self-same ruin he intends to me let it fall on him.
9 So wilt thou give me cause of rejoycing in thee,9And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoyce in his salvation. and thy favour towards me; yea, and accordingly I will exceedingly rejoyce in thy saving mercy, and will praise thee for it, ascribing all my safety to it.
10 Yea,10All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him? both soul and body, each part and faculty, with all their might, in a joynt and joyful acclamation, shall feelingly break out into unexpressible praises and thankful acknowledgements, of thy transcendent power and goodness in my behalf. So that I will make faithful publication of thee to be a non-such for poor afflicted persons to trust in, and seek to, when they are distressed and over-powered by unjust violence, yea, for the most impotent and despicable person living to flie to, to be righted and relieved on him that wrongfully violates and oppresseth him, be he never so much too hard for him.
11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.11 Thou, O Lord, knowst how falsly I (as Christ shall be) am accused by mine injurious adversaries, to Saul; who by might suppresses right, and I can get no hearing, but am partially and unduly proceeded against, as guilty of such things, as, never so much as came in my thoughts, nor am not suffered to clear my self.
12They rewarded me evil for good, to the spoiling of my soul.12 Yea, they have dealt most inhumanely with me, requiting all the good service that I have done them, by preserving their lives with the apparent hazard of mine own, against their enemies; with the going about enviously to deprive me of mine, as they shall Christ of his.
13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine own bosome.13 Their carriage towards me, is not as mine to them, for when they ailed any thing, were sick or in trouble, so far was I from wishing them ill as is falsely suggested, that I fasted and prayed for thy mercy to them and deliverance of them, as for my self, though I now perceive God having rejected them for their wickedness, I lost my labour, but not my reward, for I have the comfort of a self-excusing conscience by it.
14I behaved my self as though he had been my friend, or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.14 Thou, Lord, knowest what manner of duty and love I bare to Saul, how that had he been my brother a thousand times, I could not have borne and shewed more tender affections to him than I did. Yea, my sorrow was as natural and passionate for him, as a childs for his mother.
15 But alas,15But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I know it not, they did tear me and ceased not. how differently have they walked towards me, driving me into adversity, and rejoycing at it, all that envied and maligned me combining together against me, to bring me to ruin and hatred: yea, base unworthy wretches, men of flattering and lying tongues laid their heads together to accuse and calumniate me, which (being innocent) I suspected not; incessantly back-biting me, and slandering mine innocency.
16 They have scornfully derided me at their feasts and in their cups,16With hypocritical mockers in feasts: they gnashed upon me with their teeth. even such as I thought had been my friends, but they prove false ones; and have uttered their spitefull aspersions of me, and threats against me.
17 O Lord,17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. be moved to compassionate me, and be not always a spectator of my miseries, and a tolerator of mine enemies cruelties, but take me and my cause into thy merciful consideration, and let not my life be a prey to their hatred, but preserve and deliver my pretious soul, that principal part, from the malicious rage of them that would unjustly deprive me of it by cruel death.
18 Which when thou shalt have done,18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. and made me partaker of thy publick ordinances, from which mine enemies have driven me; I will promise to magnifie and praise thee with sacrifices of thanksgiving in the face of all Israel, gathered together at thy Sanctuary.
19 Seeing I stand for the right,19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me: neither let them wink with the eye, that hate me without a cause. let not mine enemies that maintain a wrong cause against me ever have their wills upon me, and rejoyce at mine unjust overthrow, never let …hem have cause mockingly to insult, and contemptuously to jear in their sleeves at my destruction, that they causelesly hunt after and hope for.
20For they speak not peace, but they devise deceit…ul matters against them that are quiet in the land.20 For mine enemies are so implacably and violently bent against me, that no parley or hope of peace can be had at their hands, but they practise all manner of wayes by false accusations and treacherous machinations to molest and harm me, yea, utterly to ruin me that would fain live peaceably by them in the land of Israel, without doing or thinking any harm unto them, and not be driven thence.
21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.21 They have made me their table-talk, belching out their hatred against me in impudent false assertions; and joyful expressions at my misery.
22This thou hast seen (O Lord) keep not silence: O Lord be not far from me.22 This their carriage towards me, O Lord, thou art privy to, and hast seen their malice, forbear no longer to rebuke them for it. O Lord, whom I serve and trust, be not deaf to my cries; nor a stranger to my wrongs, but take my part, and send me speedy help.
23Stir up thy self, & awake to my judgement, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.23 Be provoked by mine enemies outrage, and my wronged innocency to execute judgement on mine and my causes behalf upon the wrong-doers, O my most gracious and Almighty Lord God.
24Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoyce over me.24 Such is my reighteousness and innocency in this matter, as I put it into thine hands to be judge of, and pray thee, O thou my righteous and good God, in thy justice and faithfulness to defend the cause of thy servant; where the fault is there let the punishment light, and let not them that are wicked have cause to rejoyce at my destruction, that am innocent.
25Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, we have swallowed him up.25 Let them never have cause to rejoyce in my ruin, and say when they see it: It is as we would have it; let them not prey upon me, and boast themselves against me, and say, we have our desire.
26 Let them,26Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together, that rejoyce at mine hurt; let them be clothed with shame, & dishonour that magnifie themselves against me. O Lord, as enemies to Christ and his Church be shamefully defeated of their hopes, and brought to utter destruction, even the whole rout of them, that unjustly wish me ill, and rejoyce to see it befall me. Let disgrace and obloquy be their portion that seek to make it mine, and that proudly insult over me in my misery.
27 And on the contrary,27Let 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. let them as friends of Christ and his Church have their hearts desire, and their bellies full of joy and comfort, that out of love and pitty to mine innocency, and the cause of Christ as it is engaged in me, wish well to me and take part with me; Let such have cause for ever to remember with praise and thankfulness thy loving-kindness and mercy to me: thine annointed and chosen one, shewn in my preservation and prosperous success against mine enemies, and in thy vindication of mine innocency against my false malignant accusers.
28 And I for mine own part promise,28And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, and of thy praise all the day long. that thy praises shall never die on my hand, but when as thou shalt have fulfilled thy goodness and truth to me, I will all my life long preach and declare thy faithfulness and grace for the defence of thy people, and thy righteous judgements against their wicked enemies, to invite others to trust in thee, and wait upon thee, of both which I shall be then a singular example, which I will perpetually publish, to thy no less singular glory.