Psalm 35:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our heart 's desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."

NIV: Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up."

NASB: Do not let them say in their heart, 'Aha, our desire!' Do not let them say, 'We have swallowed him up!'

CSB: Do not let them say in their hearts, "Aha! Just what we wanted." Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"

NLT: Don’t let them say, 'Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive!'

KJV: Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

NKJV: Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

As he continues his prayer, David again asks the Lord to prevent his enemies from obtaining their wicked desire. In this case, that quest is to see David destroyed by lies (Psalm 35:11–24) and even to be killed (Psalm 35:1–10).

The word "Aha!" comes from the Hebrew he'āh' and is used as a cry of emphasis (Psalm 35:21). The celebration David imagines from his enemies is much like saying "Hah! We got what we wanted!" These foes were consumed with a desire to ruin David, but he believed God would thwart that effort.

The phrase "swallowed up" implies something being totally overwhelmed and covered (Numbers 16:32; Isaiah 25:8; 2 Corinthians 5:4). David's enemies may think they can overwhelm him like a predator gulping down a tiny animal. Yet David knows it is God who can "swallow up" these wicked people. David's foes were fighting a losing battle. God had chosen David to be king over all Israel (1 Samuel 16:13).

The wicked men who crucified Jesus must have thought they had seen the last of Him. But three days later, God raised Jesus from the dead (Galatians 1:1; 1 Peter 1:21). Jesus lives forever, and someday He will rule the nations from the throne of His father David. The enemies of God and His people may gloat for a moment, but ultimately every knee will bow and "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:11).

Psalm 35:19–28 is the last of three phases of this psalm, each expressing variations of the same basic themes. David pleads with the Lord for vindication. He prays for deliverance from his enemies, asking God to put them to shame. The psalm concludes with a call for those who support David to rejoice, and to worship God. David promises to constantly praise and honor the Lord.

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.