Psalms 35:26 · Bible study
Psalms 35:26 Commentary: Shame and Justice in David's Prayer
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
David prays for his gloating enemies to be clothed with shame. Is this revenge or a plea for God's justice? A textual and theological study.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David calls for his gloating enemies to be disgraced and covered with shame, trusting God to vindicate him.
- Key words: bush (be ashamed), chapher (be confounded), lavash (clothe), boshet (shame), kelimmah (disgrace).
- Main debate: Is this a prophetic prediction of judgment (Clarke) or a prayer for divine justice (Barnes, Gill)?
- Theological theme: God’s justice humbles the proud and vindicates the innocent.
- Best use: A model for bringing our cries for justice to God, not taking revenge ourselves.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.
KJV King James Version 1769
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt: Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine adversity; let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Avergüéncense, y sean confundidos á una los que de mi mal se alegran: vístanse de vergüenza y de confusión los que se engrandecen contra mí.
Que eles se envergonhem, e sejam juntamente humilhados os que se alegram pelo meu mal; vistam-se de vergonha e confusão os que se engrandecem contra mim.
Que tous ensemble ils soient honteux et confus,
Sie müssen sich schämen und zu Schanden werden alle, die sich meines Übels freuen; sie müssen mit Schande und Scham gekleidet werden, die sich gegen mich rühmen.
Laat hen beschaamd en te zamen schaamrood worden, die zich in mijn kwaad verblijden; laat hen met schaamte en schande bekleed worden, die zich tegen mij groot maken.
Siano tutti insieme svergognati e confusi quelli che si rallegrano del mio male; sian rivestiti d’onta e di vituperio quelli che si levano superbi contro di me.
Niechajże będą pohańbieni, i zawstydzeni wszyscy weselący się ze złego mego; niech będą obleczeni w hańbę, i w sromotę, którzy się chlubią przeciwko mnie.
願那喜歡 我遭難 的一同 抱愧 蒙羞！願那向我 妄自尊大的 披 慚愧，蒙羞辱！
Let all those who take pleasure in my troubles be shamed and come to nothing: let those who are lifted up against me be covered with shame and have no honour.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 35:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that David calls for his enemies to be publicly shamed and confounded, a reversal of their gloating over his calamity. The two verbs bush and chapher (both meaning “be ashamed” or “be confounded”) form a strong double cry for disgrace. The clothing metaphor (from lavash, “to put on”) pictures shame covering them entirely, as a garment does. Adam Clarke sees this as a prophetic declaration fulfilled in Saul’s catastrophic defeat; Barnes and Gill treat it as a prayer for the frustration of evil plans. All hold that David appeals to God to vindicate his righteous cause, not to take personal vengeance. The shared conviction is that God’s justice will expose and humble those who exalt themselves at the expense of the innocent.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic prediction: Clarke argues Saul's end fulfilled this; the verbs future tense may be declarative.
- Prayer for justice: Barnes, Gill: David asks God to act; imprecatory language is typical of covenant psalms.
What is clear: David calls on God to reverse the situation: those who rejoice in his hurt should be ashamed, and those who exalt themselves should be covered with disgrace.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the imprecation | David calls on God to act against his enemies; the language is a plea for divine justice, not personal revenge. | Some (Clarke) view it as a prophetic prediction of Saul's downfall; others (Barnes, Gill) emphasize it as a prayer for the frustration of evil plans. |
| Identity of the enemies | They are David's personal adversaries who gloat over his suffering and seek to exalt themselves at his expense. | Calvin distinguishes between those who follow Saul out of ignorance and those who act from deliberate malice. Not all enemies are viewed the same way. |
| Christian use of imprecatory psalms | These psalms are Scripture and teach us to bring honest emotions to God. | Some traditions interpret them as fulfilled in Christ or as purely Old Testament; others apply them directly as prayers against spiritual evil. |
Historical & Cultural Context
David wrote Psalm 35 during a period of unjust persecution, likely while fleeing from Saul. As Calvin notes, the courtiers and nobles of Israel had “eagerly conspired to destroy an innocent man” to win royal favor. David distinguishes between ordinary opponents and those who “magnify themselves against me”, enemies acting from deliberate malice rather than ignorance. In ancient Near Eastern culture, honor and shame were public realities. To be “clothed with shame” meant complete social disgrace, a fate worse than death. The legal language woven through the psalm ( “plead my cause,” “contend for me”) frames the prayer as a courtroom appeal to the divine Judge. Verse 26 echoes verse 4 almost verbatim, reinforcing the structure of lament, petition, and vow of praise that runs through the psalm. This verse stands in the third cycle of the psalm, where David intensifies his cry for vindication. Lange’s commentary describes the psalm as “a rhythmical and agitated prayer” rather than a mere repetition, reflecting the heart of a man shaken by betrayal yet clinging to God.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Masoretic Text is stable. The verse closely parallels Psalm 35:4 and also Psalm 40:14, indicating a fixed liturgical tradition.
Reception History
Psalm 35:26 has been read across traditions as a cry for God to right wrongs. Early and medieval interpreters often allegorized the enemies as spiritual forces or the wicked in general. Matthew Henry and other Reformed commentators saw it as consistent with David’s righteous cause, while Adam Clarke offered a specific historical fulfillment in Saul’s death. In modern contexts, the verse challenges readers to reconcile the Old Testament call for justice with Jesus’ command to love enemies. The clothing metaphor (shame as a garment) has been echoed in hymns and liturgical laments, reminding believers that God sees every boast and will one day humble the proud.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- What David prays for. Shame and confusion for those who gloat over his calamity. The verbs are covenantal: to be ashamed means to have one’s evil hopes crushed.
- Why David prays this. Not personal revenge, but a plea for God to uphold justice. The enemies “magnify themselves” by trampling the innocent; David wants God’s name to be magnified instead (v. 27).
- How this points forward. The New Testament transforms imprecation into intercession, but the longing for God to set things right remains. Jesus, hated without cause (John 15:25), also trusted the Father’s ultimate justice.
Five-point outline
- Context: David surrounded by malicious enemies who gloat over his suffering.
- Petition: “Let them be ashamed and confounded together”, a corporate judgment.
- Metaphor: Clothed with shame as a garment, covering them entirely.
- Ground: They magnify themselves against the servant of God, whose cause is righteous.
- Outcome: When God vindicates David, the faithful rejoice (v. 27) and David praises God (v. 28).
Illustration hooks
- Being laughed at when you fail, a student mocked for a bad grade, or an employee humiliated by a coworker’s gloating. The prayer gives voice to the desire for that to be turned around.
- Sports rivalry: a team that taunts after a win. The psalm acknowledges the pain of being on the losing side and calls for justice, not revenge.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to pray for my enemies to be shamed? Doesn’t Jesus say love your enemies?
- How do imprecatory psalms fit with Christian ethics of forgiveness?
- Is David just angry, or is he trusting God with his anger?
Leading a Discussion
David’s prayer can feel uncomfortable. We are used to “bless those who curse you.” But this psalm invites us to bring raw emotions to God, including the desire for justice when we are wronged. As you discuss, notice that David never takes revenge himself; he hands the situation to God.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 35:26 slowly. What emotions do you hear in David’s voice?
- David uses the word “calamity” or “hurt.” What kind of suffering do you think he was experiencing?
- Look at the verbs: “ashamed,” “confounded,” “clothed with shame.” Why does David use such strong language?
- The enemies “magnify themselves” against David. What does that phrase reveal about their motive?
- Compare this verse with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:44. How do you hold these two together?
- When have you wanted someone who wronged you to “be ashamed”? How did you handle it?
- What does this psalm teach us about bringing our anger and hurt before God in prayer?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 8:22 | Those who hate you will be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked will be no more.” |
| Job 19:5 | If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach, |
| Psalms 35:4 | Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded. |
| Psalms 38:16 | For I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me, or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.” |
| Psalms 40:14 | Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. |
| Psalms 40:15 | Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!” |
| Psalms 55:12 | For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him. |
| Psalms 71:13 | Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reads this plea as a prophetic declaration against Saul and his courtiers. He sees its literal fulfillment in Saul's final battle, where he lost both his crown and his life and met a thoroughly dishonorable end.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads "magnify themselves against me" as a picture of enemies trying to make themselves great by destroying the speaker. Their hope is to rise on his ruin, building their own exaltation on his humiliation. The insult is the aim to prosper at another's expense.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that David did not view everyone who opposed him as an enemy. He recognized that most people were simply misled by ignorance and the influence of those in power. Only those who knowingly and maliciously sided with Saul to gain his favor did David consider true enemies, and against them alone he called for God's judgment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
A repetition of Psa_35:4 , with some variations, occurring again in Psa_40:14 .
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight the double disgrace the psalmist desires for his enemies: those who take pleasure in his suffering will be confounded and put to shame, while those who exalt themselves against him will be clothed with confusion and dishonor. This is a prayer for reciprocal justice.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the psalmist prays for his enemies to be shamed together as a group, just as they had gathered together against him. He notes the request that they be covered with dishonor like a garment, because they boasted and spoke arrogant words against him, magnifying themselves.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that the word for soul is used metonymically to express intense desire, reaching its peak in the wish to swallow David up, meaning to overpower and completely erase him. They also explain that putting on shame and dishonour signifies these
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that David’s description of his enemies as those who hated him without a cause points directly to Christ. This same phrase is quoted in the New Testament and fulfilled in Jesus, who was also opposed and persecuted despite giving no provocation.