Awake and Vindicate: God's Justice Against Treacherous Conspirators
Lord, do not let my deceitful enemies gloat over me; awake and vindicate me, so that those who favor my cause can shout for joy while my tongue praises Your righteousness forever.
Psalms 35:19–28 (BSB)
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
26 May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
27 May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
What is the big idea of Psalms 35:19–28?
Lord, do not let my deceitful enemies gloat over me; awake and vindicate me, so that those who favor my cause can shout for joy while my tongue praises Your righteousness forever.
How does Psalms 35:19–28 point to Christ?
Jesus is the Righteous One who was 'swallowed up' by death so that we would never be; because God 'awoke' for Him in the Resurrection, we now live in the 'Shalom' that He delights to give us forever.
Authorial Intent
To conclude the psalm with a final appeal for divine justice and vindication, seeking to silence the malicious gloating of enemies and to provoke a communal celebration of God's delight in His servant.
Chapter: Psalm 35
The LORD Contends for His Servant Against Malicious Enemies
When the righteous servant is attacked without cause and repaid evil for good, faith brings the whole case before the LORD, trusting Him to contend, rescue, vindicate, and turn deliverance into public praise.