Psalm 35:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”

NIV: Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, 'I am your salvation.'

NASB: Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.'

CSB: Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers, and assure me, "I am your deliverance."

NLT: Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, 'I will give you victory!'

KJV: Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

NKJV: Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

David looks to the Lord for deliverance. He seeks deep, spiritual reassurance from God, specifically asking the Lord to reaffirm salvation to his very soul. David certainly had faith in God's supernatural power, but this context speaks of physical rescue in literal battle. In the prior verse, David referred to defensive tools: two distinct kinds of shields (Psalm 35:2). Those are related, but not used at the same time. The point of the request was for God to be David's protection in war. Here, the request changes to offensive weapons, once again using more than one example.

The most common translation choice is "spear and javelin." A spear is a long-handled weapon with a sharp point meant mostly for thrusting attacks, but which can be thrown as well. A javelin is a smaller, spear-like object primarily meant to be thrown. However, the two words used in the verse are not entirely clear. One is hanit, usually referring to a spear. The other is sagar, which is less well defined. Some interpreters believe one means the metal blade of the spear, while the other refers to the handle. Others see this as "spear and battle-axe," or that the second term refers more to blocking, as if interfering with the enemy's movement.

On more than one occasion, when David was serving in Saul's court, Saul launched a spear at him (1 Samuel 18:10–11; 19:10; 20:23). If this psalm is a response to Saul's persecution (1 Samuel 19:1–2), this may be David asking God to act against Saul. Those who interpret the phrasing of this verse to mean the socket-handle of a spear perceive David asking the Lord to block the way between himself and Saul. This may be a reference to the episode at the Red Sea, when the angel of God moved behind the Hebrews. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of the Hebrews to a position behind them, cutting off the attack of pursuing Egyptian forces (Exodus 14:19–20).

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.