Psalm 35:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.

NIV: Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,

NASB: For they hid their net for me without cause; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

CSB: They hid their net for me without cause; they dug a pit for me without cause.

NLT: I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me. I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.

KJV: For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

NKJV: For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, Which they have dug without cause for my life.

The "imprecatory psalms" are songs including prayers for God to actively, immediately attack one's enemies. David is credited with several of these (Psalm 69:1; 109:1). Their general theme is a plea for the Lord to take vengeance against evil people who attack His servants. Here, David claims to be innocent. This is not a claim of sinlessness or moral perfection. Rather, it means David's enemies have no justification for their actions. These foes have no reason to seek his life.

"Pitfalls" are common forms of traps: narrow holes disguised with flimsy covers. Depending on their intent, the person digging the pit might add spikes or other dangerous objects so that anything falling in will be wounded or killed. Nets, as well, are useful for entangling enemies. In one variation of the pitfall, the hunter digs a deep hole and covers it loosely with a net. This is then hidden by leaves and branches. When an unwary target steps on the net, they fall into the pit and are entangled.

Some of David's imprecatory psalms were likely inspired by the persecution of Saul (1 Samuel 19:1–2). Saul had no legitimate reason to want to kill David. He was simply jealous of David's popularity. When David was returning home from a decisive battle over the Philistines, women from all over Israel celebrated David's victory by singing and dancing. They sang, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands" (1 Samuel 18:7). This infuriated Saul, and he feared David would overtake him to become king (1 Samuel 18:8). This made him suspicious and antagonistic towards David from then on (1 Samuel 18:9).

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.