Psalms 35:4 · Bible study
Psalms 35:4 Commentary: Imprecation and Trust in God's Justice
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Psalm 35:4: Hebrew grammar, cultural background, and the ethical tension of praying for enemies' shame. How does this fit with Christian love?
Research Summary
- Meaning: A prayer for God to thwart the plans of the wicked and vindicate the innocent.
- Key words: “Seek after my soul”, nefesh (life); verbs of shame: bush, kalam, chapher, sug (turn back).
- Main debate: Whether imprecatory prayers are compatible with Jesus’ command to love enemies.
- Theological theme: Divine justice as the refuge of the innocent; God as defender of the helpless.
- Best use: A model for entrusting one’s cause to God rather than taking vengeance; not a template for personal cursing.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
KJV King James Version 1769
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor that seek after my soul: Let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek after my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that devise my hurt:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Avergüéncense y confúndanse los que buscan mi alma: vuelvan atrás, y sean avergonzados los que mi mal intentan.
Envergonhem-se, e sejam humilhados os que buscam matar a minha alma; tornem-se para trás, e sejam envergonhados os que planejam o mal contra mim.
Qu’ ils soient honteux et confus, ceux qui en veulent à ma vie!
Es müssen sich schämen und gehöhnt werden, die nach meiner Seele stehen; es müssen zurückkehren und zu Schanden werden, die mir übelwollen.
Laat hen beschaamd en te schande worden, die mijn ziel zoeken; laat hen achterwaarts gedreven en schaamrood worden, die kwaad tegen mij bedenken.
Sian confusi e svergognati quelli che cercano l’anima mia; voltin le spalle e arrossiscano quei che macchinano la mia rovina.
Niech będą pohańbieni i zawstydzeni, którzy szukają duszy mojej; niech tył podadzą, i niech będą zawstydzeni, którzy mi źle myślą.
слова уст его - неправда и лукавство; не хочет он вразумиться, чтобы делать добро;
願那尋索 我命的，蒙羞 受辱！願那謀 害我的，退 後 羞愧！
Let them be overcome and put to shame who make attempts to take my soul; let those who would do me damage be turned back and made foolish.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 35:4
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse expresses a prayer for God to intervene against those who maliciously seek the psalmist's life. Adam Clarke insists the imprecations target the enemies' 'projects or devices,' not their eternal souls, a prayer that their plans fail. Albert Barnes adds that David asks God to so thwart his pursuers that they are 'ashamed' for opposing one under divine protection. John Gill, writing as a Baptist, stresses these petitions are prophecies and expressions of faith, not models for private vengeance. Matthew Henry sees David representing his case to God in a way that trusts God to act. The consensus is clear: this is a cry for God's justice to expose and stop the schemes of the wicked, not a curse aimed at their damnation. The verbs of shame (bush, kalam, chapher) describe social humiliation when evil designs are thwarted. David prays not from personal spite but from a desire that God's righteousness be seen.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Imprecation as prayer for God's justice: David prays as an innocent sufferer; similar psalms (e.g., Ps 109) show this is a legitimate way to appeal to God.
- Typological prayer of Christ: The NT applies similar language to Christ's adversaries (e.g., Ps 69:9 in John 2:17); the psalm is seen as Christ's own prayer against those who rejected him.
- Prayer for spiritual enemies: The language of shame and turning back can be applied to spiritual forces (Eph 6:12) and the defeat of evil in the believer's life.
- Descriptive only, not prescriptive: Jesus' command to love enemies (Matt 5:44) and Paul's teaching to leave vengeance to God (Rom 12:19) suggest these prayers are not examples to follow.
What is clear: The verse is a cry to God from a person under deadly threat, asking God to prevent the success of evil plans and to vindicate the innocent.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Imprecation and Christian ethics | All Christians affirm that God is just and will ultimately judge evil. | Some Christians believe that imprecatory psalms can be prayed today as expressions of longing for God’s justice (e.g., praying for tyrants to fall). Others hold that the New Testament reorients all prayer toward blessing for enemies, and that these psalms are descriptive of Old Testament piety rather than prescriptive for Christians. |
| Nature of the shame requested | The shame David asks for is the public exposure and failure of the enemies’ plots, not necessarily their eternal condemnation. | Some interpreters (e.g., Gill) see the shame as prophetic of eschatological judgment at Christ’s return. Others focus on temporal vindication within history. |
| David’s personal innocence | David claims to have done nothing to deserve the persecution (v.7). | Some argue that this innocence is a requirement for praying imprecatory prayers; others see the psalm as typological of Christ, the truly innocent one. |
| Angelic involvement (vv.5-6) | The Angel of Yahweh is a divine agent who brings judgment on the wicked. | Christians vary on whether the Angel is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (common in Reformed tradition) or a created angel acting on God’s behalf (common in other traditions). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop of Psalm 35 is David's years as a fugitive from King Saul. By David's own testimony, he had done no wrong against Saul (1 Samuel 20:1), yet the king and his court pursued him with deadly intent. Calvin notes that the nobles of Saul's court 'eagerly conspired to destroy an innocent man,' driven by ambition to please the king. David's enemies were not mere political opponents; they 'sought after his soul', the Hebrew nefesh meaning his very life (cf. 1 Kings 19:10). The imprecations in verse 4 are part of a larger plea for God to act as divine warrior (vv. 1-3). In Israelite culture, to be 'confounded' or 'put to shame' was a social experience of having one's miscalculation exposed. If evil schemers were thwarted by God, they would be publicly humiliated, their failure demonstrating that the Lord was with David. Keil and Delitzsch connect the 'Angel of Yahweh' in the following verses to the same angel who fought for Israel in Exodus and Judges, underscoring that the fate of the promise (the Davidic kingship) was at stake. Thus, verse 4 is not a private vendetta but a cry that God's covenant purposes prevail over human malice. The psalm structure reinforces this: it opens with imperatives for God to fight (vv.1-3), then the imprecations (vv.4-8), then a transition to praise for deliverance (vv.9-10). David contrasts his own righteous behavior, praying for his enemies when they were sick (vv.13-14), with their malicious plans, showing his prayer arises from a position of innocence and trust.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant variants for Psalm 35:4. The Masoretic Text is consistent across manuscripts, and the early versions (Septuagint, Syriac) render the Hebrew faithfully. The text of this verse is well established.
Reception History
In the early church, Psalm 35 was read as a prayer of Christ (cf. John 15:25, 'They hated me without a cause,' which echoes v.19). Augustine interpreted the imprecations as directed against spiritual enemies, sin and the devil. Medieval commentators often allegorized the enemies as vices. The Reformation saw a return to the literal-historical sense: Calvin used David's situation as a model for persecuted believers. In modern times, the psalm has sparked intense debate about the place of imprecation in Christian prayer, with some traditions excluding these psalms from liturgy and others retaining them as honest expressions of suffering. The verse continues to console those who face unjust opposition, inviting them to trust God’s justice rather than take revenge.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The enemy's aim: They seek the psalmist's soul, his life. The Hebrew nefesh points to a murderous intent. The prayer begins by naming the danger honestly before God.
- The prayer for reversal: David asks for shame and confusion, that their evil plans fail and they are publicly discredited. This is a request for God to vindicate truth and protect the innocent.
- The deeper trust: Throughout the psalm (e.g., vv.9-10, 28), David moves from imprecation to praise. He is confident that God will act, and his response is joyful thanksgiving.
Five-point outline
- Situation: Enemies are seeking David's life without cause (v.7). They are not just opponents but schemers who dig pits.
- Petition: May they be disappointed and ashamed, their designs unsuccessful.
- Petition repeated: May they be turned back and confounded, driven away from their goal.
- Grounds: David's innocence (v.7, “without cause”) gives him boldness to pray for divine intervention.
- Outcome envisioned: The psalm ends with praise for God's righteousness (vv.9-10, 28). The imprecation is not the last word; worship is.
Illustration hooks
- The falsely accused employee: A worker is slandered by a rival who wants their job. They cannot fight back without damaging their own integrity, so they take it to God, asking that the lies be exposed and the truth come to light.
- The bullied child: A parent watches their child be targeted by cruel peers. The natural cry is for the bullies to be 'stopped and humiliated', not out of revenge, but so the child can be safe.
- The political refugee: A believer fleeing persecution echoes this psalm: “Let those who seek my life be disappointed.” It is a plea for God to intervene where human systems fail.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is it wrong to pray for bad things to happen to my enemies, even if they are hurting me?”
- “How do I reconcile this Psalm with Jesus' command to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me?”
- “Can I use this Psalm in my own prayer life, or is it only for the Old Testament?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of a tension many Christians feel: the desire for justice when we are wronged, and Jesus' call to love our enemies. David does not take revenge himself; he brings his case to God. The questions below help a group explore what this means for discipleship today.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 35:4 aloud. What does David ask for? Who are his enemies, and what are they doing?
- The Hebrew verbs translated 'confounded' and 'put to shame' (bush, kalam, chapher) describe public disgrace when a plan fails. Why do you think social shame matters in this context?
- How does David describe his own innocence in verses 7, 11-16? How does his character affect the way you read his imprecation?
- In verse 13 David says he prayed and fasted for those who are now his enemies. How does this change your understanding of his prayer in verse 4?
- Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Does the command to 'pray for them' allow for prayers like Psalm 35:4? Why or why not?
- How might this psalm be prayed by someone suffering injustice today, for example, a victim of violence or a refugee?
- What is the place of this psalm in Christian worship? Should it be used in public prayer? How would you explain it to a new believer?
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)
| I Samuel 23:23 | See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself; and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” |
| I Kings 19:10 | He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” |
| Psalms 31:17 | Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol. |
| Psalms 31:18 | Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt. |
| Psalms 35:26 | 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. |
| Psalms 38:12 | They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all day long. |
| 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!” |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that David's imprecations are not curses on his enemies' eternal souls but prayers to thwart their murderous plans. He compares this to breaking a would-be killer's arm: a legitimate act to prevent both the victim's death and the attacker's guilt. Such prayers aim at stopping evil, not damnation.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the psalmist asks God to act so visibly on his behalf that his enemies become ashamed of having opposed someone under divine protection. The plea is for their complete overthrow, not just defeat, but a humiliating reversal that makes them regret their attack.
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
The commentator notes that David's prayer for his enemies to be repulsed and put to shame could be entirely figurative, but he argues it is more naturally understood if literal enemies and a real physical outcome were at least possible. This reading takes the language at face value rather than as pure metaphor.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe, and brought to confusion, that imagine mine hurt.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill treats these harsh petitions as prophecies, not personal curses. He argues David foretold God’s justice on his enemies, and the same will happen to all who oppose Christ and his people. The imprecations are predictions of what God will do, not instructions for private vengeance.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that the phrase "devise my hurt" means more than idle wishing—it describes actively planning and intending evil toward someone. The comparison with Psalm 9:17 reinforces that this is a deliberate, purposeful hostility rather than a passing thought.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch object to deriving the psalmist's words for shame from colors like pale or red. They trace one root to the idea of being disturbed and the other to being covered or hidden. They also identify the Angel of the Lord who drives back the wicked as the same Angel who hindered Pharaoh's chariots at the Red Sea.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this psalm not as a repetitive lament but as an agitated prayer whose three themes circle back in different forms, mirroring a heart shaken by bitter disappointment. The movement itself shows the speaker gradually mastering his emotions by urgently clinging to God. Lange rejects a purely representative or messianic reading, insisting David speaks from his own personal suffering.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to David's situation as God's appointed servant, living with a clear conscience and following God's guidance, yet facing relentless enemies. Henry's point is that David's innocence makes the persecution completely unjust and that David's cause is ultimately God's own cause.