EXPOSITION OF PSALM 35 (4)
Verses 19-28

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Having previously expounded the first two divisions of this psalm - prayer when enemies persecute (vv.1-10) and prayer when enemies reward good with evil (vv.11-18) - we now move to the last division:

III. Prayer when enemies rejoice (vv.19-28). The keynote to this division is found in the phrase "Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me" (v.24). 1. The psalmist cites six reasons why his enemies should not be permitted to rejoice against him: i. they hate me without cause (v.19); ii. they oppose peace with me (v.20a); iii. they devise deceit against me (v.20b); iv. they add insult to injury (v.21); v. they think they have already succeeded (v.25); vi. they are unashamed for having done so (v.26). 2. The psalmist then cites three reasons why God must vindicate the righteous: i. God is aware of what they have done (v.22); ii. God of necessity must vindicate the righteous (v.23); iii. God must do so because of His own righteousness (v.24a). 3. The psalmist concludes with the promise of praise to God: i. that God be magnified among His people (v.27); ii. that His righteousness be declared to all forever (v.28).

35:19 "Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; ..." The apostle Peter teaches us in his first epistle (2:19-23) that the Christian should not be surprised when he justly suffers ill treatment for his faults, and that it is commendable when he wrongfully suffers ill treatment for his godliness, and that Christ is our Exemplar in the latter regard. Nevertheless, the wrongfully afflicted does not wish to see his unjust enemies rejoice at his plight.

"... Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause." The manner in which the persons here under consideration "rejoice over me" is their "wink with the eye" to each other in self-congratulations. But they are "wrongfully my enemies" because they "hate me without cause", for no justifiable reason, and when justice would require otherwise. 1. The psalmist was hated for no justifiable reason (see vv.13f): When his enemies were in need, he humbled himself in their behalf, afflicted his soul for them with fasting, prayed for their recovery, and treated them and mourned over them as for his closest kin. 2. Christ was hated for no justifiable reason. Indeed, He apparently applies this very text to Himself in explaining why He was hated and persecuted by the world (John 15:22-25): "they have no excuse for their sin. ... If I had not done among them the works which no one else did [such as those just described here by the psalmist], they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'" (Interestingly, the Greek word attributed to Christ in saying "They hated Me without a cause" is the same used by Paul the apostle Romans 3:24 in saying God's elect are "justified freely by His grace". God's love to His people is as gratuitous as is the hatred of their enemies to them, and to their God and Christ.) 3. Saints today are hated for no justifiable reason. Indeed, Christ in the context of the text just quoted (John 15:24f) assures His people that they will be hated and persecuted by the world for the same unjust reason for which they hated and persecuted Him (vv.18-20): "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." Be gravely concerned if haters of God do not hate you as they hate His Christ!

35:20 "For they do not speak peace, ..." Christians follow the "God of peace" (Hebrews 13:20) and the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). They therefore "Seek peace and pursue it" (34:14) – "with all people" (Hebrews 12:14), even their enemies. But the wicked rebel against God, and therefore "the way of peace [i.e., Christ] they have not known" (Isaiah 59:8 / Romans 3:17). And a man cannot speak what he does not know! The wicked can therefore only "speak evil of the things they do not understand" (2 Peter 2:12 / Jude v.10) and of those who do indeed understand.

"... But they devise deceitful matters / Against the quiet ones in the land." These "quiet ones in the land" are imitators of Christ in His meekness and gentleness (Isaiah 42:2f): "He will not cry out, nor raise His voice [in the manner of, for example, those who loudly proclaim their self-righteousness and sanctimony], nor cause His voice to be heard in the street [in the manner of, for example, noisy and clamorous religious demonstrators and activists marching down streets and in public places]. A bruised reed He will not break [in the manner of, for example, religious zealots who resort to violence to promote their cause], and smoking flax He will not quench." Man-made religion despises such quiet ones, and devises mischief to break and quench them.

35:21 "They also opened their mouth wide against me, / And said, 'Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.'" The righteous rejoice when they see the wicked converted (as in Luke 15:7, 10, 32). But the wicked rejoice when they see the righteous afflicted.

35:22 "This You have seen, O LORD; ..." "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Proverb 15:3).

"... Do not keep silence. ..." The "quiet ones in the land" may "keep silence" when the wicked persecute them. But Jehovah will thunder in His justice to His people and against the wicked.

"... O Lord, do not be far from me." "He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5f).

35:23 "Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, / To my cause, my God and my Lord." "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily" (Luke 18:7f).

35:24 "Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; ..." Christ is our Exemplar in this regard (1 Peter 2:21-23): "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ... who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously." Therefore: "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 3:17-19). (Note the various names by which the psalmist addresses his judge in verses 22-24: Jehovah who sees the afflictions suffered by His people [v.22a; cp. Exodus 3:7f, 13-17]; Adonai or "Master" who is near [v.22b]; Elohim or "Strong One" who vindicates [v.23]; "my Strong One and my Master" (v.23) and "O Jehovah my Strong One" [v.24], meaning He is all the believer needs.)

"... And let them not rejoice over me." Rather, let Jehovah who delivers me be the one who rejoices over me (as in Zephaniah 3:17).

35:25 "Let them not say in their hearts, 'Ah, so we would have it!' / Let them not say, 'We have swallowed him up.'" This was fulfilled in Christ: His enemies thought their schemes to destroy Him had succeeded, but God overruled and exalted Him (Acts 2:23f, 36). May the same be fulfilled also in Christ's people.

35:26 "Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion / Who rejoice at my hurt; / Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor / Who exalt themselves against me." The saint would have his enemies exalted and clothed in Christ (as in Romans 10:1). But if they will reject this and exalt themselves, let them have what they deserve - shame, confusion, and dishonor.

35:27 "Let them shout for joy and be glad, / Who favor my righteous cause; ..." This is fulfilled ultimately in Christ, the antitype of the psalmist. All that is written in this psalm applies to Him (e.g., cp. v.16 w/ John 15:25). Will you "shout for joy and be glad" because you think your unrighteous cause against Him has prevailed over Him (as in vv.19, 21)? or because you "favor His righteous cause"?

"... And let them say continually, / 'Let the LORD be magnified, / Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.'" Will you magnify unceasingly Jehovah who is pleased to prosper Christ His Servant? Or will you instead magnify yourself against Jehovah and His Christ, and also against His servants?

35:28 "And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness / And of Your praise all the day long." Jehovah's righteousness is Christ (Jeremiah 23:6), and He is worthy to be praised forever!

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