What does Psalm 35:28 mean?
ESV: Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
NIV: My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.
NASB: And my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness And Your praise all day long.
CSB: And my tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praise all day long.
NLT: Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.
KJV: And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
NKJV: And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.
Verse Commentary:
Believing the Lord would vindicate him and put his enemies to shame, David resolves to broadcast the Lord's righteousness and to praise Him continually. David does not respond to suffering and persecution with complaint or regret; he anticipates that the Lord will make all things right. Before the matter is settled, David already has it in his mind to tell others how the Lord acted righteously on his behalf, and that he would praise God continually.
The apostle Peter encourages persecuted Hebrew Christians to look beyond their suffering and joyfully anticipate the victorious conclusion. He writes: "in this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire— may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6–7). No wonder Paul exhorts believers to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)!
Verse Context:
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.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
Book Summary:
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.
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