Psa 35 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Ps 35:1-28: Ps 35 In this lament, the Lord’s troubled servant calls for God to see his circumstances and vindicate him.

Summary for Ps 35:1-28: Ps 35 ^a In this lament, the Lord’s troubled servant calls for God to see his circumstances and vindicate him.
Summary for Ps 35:4-10: 35:4-10 ^b The psalmist longs for the Lord’s salvation. The language seems vindictive, but it arises from a desire for justice and for the Lord to care for the needy and oppressed.
35:6 ^c A path that is dark and slippery suggests instability and untimely doom under the Lord’s judgment (see 69:23 ^d; 73:18 ^e; 82:5 ^f; 107:10 ^g; 143:3 ^h).

• The angel of the Lord is an agent of judgment as well as salvation.
35:10 ⁱ Nothing in the universe can compare with the Lord (see 86:8 ^j; 89:6 ^k, 8 ^l; Isa 40:18 ^m, 25 ⁿ).
Summary for Ps 35:11-18: 35:11-18 ^o The psalmist presents the Lord with the reasons for his suffering. Evil has many faces. He is tired and worn out, and he knows that only the Lord can help him. 35:11 ^p Malicious witnesses want nothing but violence (see 11:4-6 ^q; 54:3 ^r).
35:16 ^s The psalmist’s attackers snarl to express their bitter envy.
Summary for Ps 35:19-25: 35:19-25 ^t In this prayer for vindication, the psalmist’s crisis looms so large that a resolution must be found in the Lord. The psalmist has taken the high road, believing that vengeance belongs to the Lord. God’s patience hardens the hearts of the wicked and gives them reasons to justify their evil lifestyle. 35:19 ^u John applied this claim of innocence (see also 69:4 ^v) to Jesus (John 15:25 ^w).
35:21 ^x, 25 ^y Aha! ... Look: Both words translate the same expression of glee (Hebrew he’akh).
Summary for Ps 35:26-28: 35:26-28 ^z The psalmist calls on the Lord to judge the wicked and to rescue the godly and bring them joy.