Psalm 35:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it — to his destruction!

NIV: may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

NASB: Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware, And let the net which he hid catch him; Let him fall into that very destruction.

CSB: Let ruin come on him unexpectedly, and let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his ruin.

NLT: So let sudden ruin come upon them! Let them be caught in the trap they set for me! Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.

KJV: Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

NKJV: Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

David prays that his enemy—perhaps Saul and his men (1 Samuel 19:1–2; 23:15)—will meet surprising destruction by suffering the fate they attempted to bring to David. This would be not only surprising but a complete reversal of the destruction Saul hoped to inflict. A common tactic used by hunters and soldiers is a "pitfall:" a narrow, deep hole covered by a thin disguised layer of leaves and branches. When the target steps on this, they fall into the hole and are trapped. In some variations, a net is used over top the hole so the victim is also tangled and unable to escape. Symbolically, David asks that his enemies fall into their own trap.

Sometimes the evil which a person plans inflicts itself on them, instead. In modern English, this is described using terms such as "backfire" or "boomerang." In the book of Esther, the jealous government official Haman schemed to destroy the Jewish people. In the end, he was executed on the gallows he had built to kill his enemies (Esther 7—9). Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. He was, therefore, a willing participant in Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion. However, remorse overtook Judas. He tried to return the money, then committed suicide (Matthew 27:3–5). Jesus, on the other hand, arose from the dead and lives forevermore (Matthew 28:5–10).

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.