Psalm 35:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!

NIV: LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord.

NASB: You have seen it, Lord, do not keep silent; Lord, do not be far from me.

CSB: You saw it, Lord; do not be silent. Lord, do not be far from me.

NLT: O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord.

KJV: This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

NKJV: This You have seen, O Lord; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me.

When the unbelieving world invents lies and slander, it's comforting to know that God is not fooled (Hebrews 4:13). David rested assured that the Lord has seen the evil actions and words which unrighteous people wielded against him (Psalm 35:19–21). Every believer can rest in that same comfort: God sees what is happening. No one lifts a finger against a believer without the Lord's awareness of it (Matthew 10:29–31). God's "closeness" in these moments implies His presence and assurance.

Early in Israel's history, God saw their suffering in Egypt. He said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings" (Exodus 3:7). He also planned to act. "I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians," He said (Exodus 3:8).

As in earlier verses, David asks the Lord to work against his enemies and not be silent. When Stephen was being martyred, he looked up and saw "the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). Obviously, the Lord was watching what was unfolding. He was ready to receive Stephen into His presence. The Lord's all-seeing eyes should be dreaded by the wicked but treasured by the righteous.

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.