Psalm 35:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?"

NIV: My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."

NASB: All my bones will say, 'Lord, who is like You, Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?'

CSB: All my bones will say, "Lord, who is like you, rescuing the poor from one too strong for him, the poor or the needy from one who robs him?"

NLT: With every bone in my body I will praise him: 'Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?'

KJV: All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

NKJV: All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

With all his might David promises to praise the Lord as unequaled. In Hebrew thinking, the bones were the essence of a person's body. In a sense, the person was their bones, so when speaking of one's bones the implication is a reference to the person's deepest self (Genesis 2:23; Psalm 6:2).

Using a poetic question which is really a statement, David exclaims, "LORD, who is like you?" When Moses sang in triumph over Israel's rescue from the Egyptian cavalry, he said of the Lord, "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15:11).

This also describes the Lord as being a defender of the destitute, rescuing them from a stronger adversary. Perhaps David perceived himself as poor and needy, incapable of delivering himself from the formidable force of Saul and his men. He realized that only his incomparable Lord could deliver him. His personal strength was not a guarantee of success (Psalm 33:16).

Like David, Paul ascribes deliverance to the Lord. He writes: "persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me" (2 Timothy 3:11). If a believer is self-reliant, he will fall under the weight of persecution (Proverbs 3:5; 1 Corinthians 10:12), but if he relies on the Lord, he will stand (Jude 1:24–25; Ephesians 6:10–18).

Psalm 35:1–10 is the first of three echoes in this psalm, each using the same basic themes. David asks the Lord for defense against enemies. He asks God to stand as his champion, fully armed and in opposition to David's foes. He asks the Lord to vindicate him and destroy the enemy. Each request is accompanied by praise. This segment compares to other "imprecatory psalms" written by David (Psalm 69:22–25; Psalm 109:8–15).

This is one of the "imprecatory psalms," which call on God to immediately judge or destroy His enemies. David echoes the same ideas in three phases. Each segment includes a plea for rescue, a request for God to conquer David's foes, and a promise to praise the Lord. David makes a point of noting that his enemies have no good reason for their hatred, since he was kind to them. With faith, David looks ahead, trusting he will have the opportunity to worship the Lord for His rescue and vindication.

David pleads with the Lord to destroy his enemies and vindicate him. As such, Psalm 35 is labeled an "imprecatory psalm." Other examples include psalms 5, 69, 109, and 140. This song might have been written when King Saul was seeking David's life (1 Samuel 19:1–2), or when Absalom was spreading rebellion in Israel (2 Samuel 15:13–14). David' notes three basic ideas in this psalm: vindication, defeat of enemies, and praise of God. Each is repeated in a series of three variations.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.