Psalms 35:15

35:11-16 Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David's enemies. Herein he was a type of Christ. David shows how tenderly he had behaved towards them in afflictions. We ought to mourn for the sins of those who do not mourn for themselves. We shall not lose by the good offices we do to any, how ungrateful soever they may be. Let us learn to possess our souls in patience and meekness like David, or rather after Christ's example.

Psalm 35:15-16 . But in mine adversity — Hebrew, בצלעי , betzalgni, in my halting, that is, when I was in great danger of falling into mischief. When I had any sickness or ill success in my affairs, and was almost lost, for such are often said to halt, in the Scripture; they rejoiced and gathered themselves together — These very men (such was their inhumanity!) could not dissemble the joy they conceived when the news was brought of any evil that befell me, but ran to tell one another, and assembled themselves together that they might publicly testify how glad they were to hear it. Yea, the very abjects — Hebrew, נכים , neechim, loripedes, the bow-legged, or, lame. It means, properly, percussi aut læsi pedibus, persons wounded or hurt in their feet. The sense is, vile persons, the very scum of the people, persons so mean that I did not so much as know there were such men in the world, met together to revile me; nay, the cripples, who could not walk without trouble and pain, were as forward as any others to go to these meetings on this occasion.

They did tear me — That is, my good name, with scoffs, and calumnies, and reproaches, and curses; and ceased not — Hebrew, ולא דמו , velo damu, were not silent, that is, they acted thus unweariedly and continually; with hypocritical, or profane, mockers — Whose common practice it was to scoff at, and deride, others; in feasts — Hebrew, לעגי מעוג , sanniones placentæ, vel cibi, buffoons, or jesters, for a cake, or morsel of bread; namely, parasites, qui gulæ causa aliis adulantur, says Buxtorf, who flatter others for the sake of their belly. They made themselves buffoons and jesters, and accustomed themselves to mock and deride David, that they might gain admittance to the tables of great men, where they might fill their bellies, which was all that they sought, or got by such conduct. They gnashed upon me with their teeth — They used all expressions of rage and hatred against me, which they did to curry favour with my great and powerful adversaries. The indignities and outrage which the Lord Jesus endured from the Jews seem to be plainly foretold in these two verses. See Mark 14:65 .

(15) In mine adversity. —Better, at my fall. The abjects . . .—The Hebrew word occurs only here. It is derived from a root meaning to smite, but its form is perplexing. The ancient versions all give it an active sense. LXX. and Vulg. “whips”; Symmachus, “smiters”; Chaldee, “the wicked who smite me with their words,” probably a correct paraphrase. The passive, “these smitten,” or “objects,” is due to R. Kimchi. And I knew it not—i.e., either (1) “unawares,” as in Psalm 35:8; (2) “for what reason I knew not”; (3) “whom I knew not”; (4) “and I was innocent.” Of these possible explanations (2) is to be preferred.

Verse 15. - But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; rather, in my fall , or in my halting ; "when I halted" (Revised Version). "The word implies a sudden slip and overthrow," such as is represented in 1 Samuel 18:8-29 . Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me. Compare the case of Job ( Job 30:1-14 ). It is a matter of common experience that when men fall from a high position into misfortune, the base vulgar crowd always turns against them with scoffs and jeers and every sort of contumely. And I knew it not; rather, and I knew them not ; men, i.e. , of so low a condition, that I had no acquaintance with them (see the margin of the Revised Version). They did tear me, and ceased not (comp. Job 16:9 ). Psalm 35:15

But in mine {m} adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear {n} me, and ceased not: (m) When they thought me ready to slip and as one that limped for infirmity. (n) With their railing words.

In mine adversity, Heb. in my halting , i.e. when I was in great danger of falling into mischief; when I had any sickness, or ill success in my affairs, and was almost lost; for such are said to halt, Micah 4:6,7 Zep 3:19 . See also Psalm 38:17 Jeremiah 20:10 . Gathered themselves together, to wit, against me , as it is expressed in the next clause; either because they were so full of joy at the tidings, that they could not contain it in their own breasts, but sought to communicate it to others; or that they might insult over me, and please and recreate themselves and one another with discourses about it; or that they might consult how to improve the advantage which they now had against me, to my utter destruction. The objects ; or, vile persons ; either for the meanness of their condition, of for their wickedness, for which they were worthy to be beaten, as the phrase is, Deu 25:2 ; where the Hebrew word is of the same root with this. Or, the lame , as this very word is rendered, 2 Samuel 4:4 9:3 , to wit, of their feet , as it is there expressed. The cripples that could not walk without trouble and pain, were as forward as any to go to these meetings upon this occasion.

I knew it not: this may be added to express either their hypocrisy and pretences of respect and affection to him, by reason whereof he had no suspicion of them, nor of any such practices of theirs; or his own danger, that he did not know, and therefore could not prevent, their plots and conspiracies against him. Heb. and I knew not ; which is by others, and well may be, rendered thus, even they whom I knew not , they whom I was so far from provoking by any injury, that I never saw their faces, nor heard of their names. Tear me, i.e. my good name, with scoffs, and calumnies, and reproaches, and curses. Ceased not, Heb. were not silent , i.e. did thus unweariedly and continually.

15, 16. On the contrary, they rejoiced in his affliction. Halting, or, "lameness," as in Ps 38:17 for any distress. abjects—either as cripples (compare 2Sa 4:4), contemptible; or, degraded persons, such as had been beaten (compare Job 30:1-8). I knew it not—either the persons, or, reasons of such conduct. tear me, and ceased not—literally, "were not silent"—showing that the tearing meant slandering.

15 . But at my halting they rejoice, and gather themselves together. Limping, like stumbling, is a figure for misfortune. Cp. Psalm 38:17 ; Jeremiah 20:10 . Yea, the abjects ] The word rendered abjects is of doubtful meaning and possibly corrupt. (1) According to the rendering of A.V., retained by R.V., the sense is, that with his other enemies were associated the lowest outcasts, a rabble of men whom he knew not ( Job 30:8 ff.); for the last words of the line must be rendered with R.V. marg., and those whom I knew not . (2) But the form of the sentence rather points to a description of the conduct of the men who have been mentioned already: so (retaining or slightly altering the present text), they gather themselves together smiting me unawares , or, for things that I know not . The wounds of slander are meant ( Jeremiah 18:18 ). So the Targum: wicked men who smite me with their words . (3) Various emendations have been proposed. One that has found some favour, strangers , is foreign to the rest of the Psalm. they did tear me &c.] They rend me, and cease not. Like beasts of prey ( Hosea 13:8 ); or as we talk of tearing a man’s reputation to shreds. ‘Making mouths ’ in P.B.V. is a modernisation of ‘making mowes ’, i.e. grimaces, which is found in the Great Bible and the early editions of the Prayer Book.

But in mine adversity they rejoiced - Margin, as in Hebrew, "halting." That is, when reverses and troubles came upon me; when, in my journey of life, I seemed to stumble. And gathered themselves together - Not to help me, but to oppose me, and to deride me. Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me - The word rendered "abjects" - נכים nēkiym - has been very variously rendered. The Septuagint renders it: μάστιγις mastiges, "scourges;" so the Vulgate, "flagella." Our translators evidently regarded it as meaning the low, the vile, the outcasts of society; but this idea is not necessarily implied in the Hebrew word. The word used here is derived from a verb - נכה nâkâh - which means to smite, to strike, to beat; and it would be correctly rendered in this place, "those smiting," or "beating:" - "the smiters." But probably the allusion is to the "tongue" - to those who, as it were, smite or beat with the tongue; that is, who rail or revile: those who are slanderous. Compare Jeremiah 18:18; Gesenius (Lexicon). Others have supposed that it means "lame;" that is, those who limp or halt - meaning that all classes of persons gathered themselves together. But probably the true idea is that which is expressed above, that he was surrounded by slanderers and revilers. And I knew it not - Hebrew, "I knew not;" that is, I knew nothing of what they accused me of; I was wholly ignorant of the charges brought against me. See the notes at Psalm 35:11.

They did tear me - See the notes at Job 16:9. The idea here is that they "tore" or "rent" with words; or, as we say in English, they "tore him in pieces;" that is, they railed at, or reviled him, tearing his character in pieces. And ceased not - It was not one act only; it was continuous and unceasing. They did it when alone; and they gathered themselves together to do it; they countenanced and encouraged one another.