Psalms 35:5 · Bible study
Psalms 35:5 Commentary: The Angel of the Lord Drives Enemies
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Psalm 35:5's imprecatory prayer: the angel of the Lord drives enemies like chaff. Learn its meaning, context, and Christian application.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David prays that his enemies would be as powerless and transient as chaff, driven away by the angel of the Lord.
- Key words: Chaff (mots), worthless husk; wind (ruach), God's invisible power; angel of Yahweh (mal'akh YHWH), divine agent of judgment.
- Main debate: Whether the angel is a good angel, an evil angel permitted by God, or a general instrument of God's judgment (Clarke, Gill).
- Theological theme: Divine justice and vindication of the righteous; imprecatory prayer as a form of lament.
- Best use: Teaching on the honesty of lament, the sovereignty of God in judgment, and the need to bring even our angriest prayers to God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Let them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh’s angel driving them on.
KJV King James Version 1769
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let them be as chaff before the wind, And the angel of Jehovah drivingthemon.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of Jehovah driving away.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He hath devised iniquity on his bed, he hath set himself on every way that is not good: but evil he hath not hated.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Sean como el tamo delante del viento; y el ángel de Jehová los acose.
Sejam como a palha perante o vento; e que o anjo do SENHOR os remova.
Qu’ ils soient comme la balle emportée par le vent,
Sie müssen werden wie Spreu vor dem Winde, und der Engel des Herrn stoße sie weg.
Laat hen worden als kaf voor den wind, en de Engel des HEEREN drijve hen weg.
Sian come pula al vento e l’angelo dell’Eterno li scacci.
Niech będą jako plewy przed wiatrem, a Anioł Pański niechaj ich rozproszy.
на ложе своем замышляет беззаконие, становится на путь недобрый, не гнушается злом.
願他們 像風 前 的糠，有耶和華 的使者 趕逐他們。
Let them be like dust from the grain before the wind; let the angel of the Lord send them in flight.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 35:5
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 Psalm 35:5 is a prayer for divine judgment, using the agricultural image of chaff driven by wind. The chaff metaphor (cf. Ps 1:4; 83:13) conveys the enemies' emptiness and God's ability to sweep them away (Barnes, Cambridge). The 'angel of Yahweh' is consistently identified as an agent of God's judgment, whether a specific destroying angel (Barnes, citing 2 Ki 19:35), an evil angel under God's restraint (Gill), or any instrument God chooses (Clarke). The jussive verb yiheyu ('may they be') expresses a prayerful wish, not a private curse. The participle docheh ('pushing') portrays the angel actively thrusting the enemies down. Keil and Delitzsch note that the angel appears at critical junctures in redemptive history, as in Exodus 14:19. The context of David's unjust suffering (v.7) grounds this imprecation in a plea for God's vindication, not personal revenge.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Good angel: Barnes, Cambridge, JFB: connects the angel to the destroying angel in 2 Ki 19:35
- Evil angel permitted by God: Gill allows this as a possibility, noting that evil angels are under God's restraint
- Any instrument of God: Clarke: 'any thing used by God himself as the instrument of their confusion'
What is clear: The prayer calls for God's judgment on the wicked, and the chaff imagery universally signifies worthlessness and swift destruction.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Imprecatory nature | The verse is a prayer asking God to judge David's enemies. | Christians differ on whether imprecatory psalms should be prayed today. Some see them as inspired expressions of God's justice still valid in lament; others believe the NT ethic of enemy-love replaces them. |
| Identity of the angel | The angel is an agent of Yahweh who executes judgment. | Clarke suggests any instrument God uses; Gill allows for either good or evil angels; most (Barnes, Cambridge) assume a good angel specifically. |
| Chaff imagery | Chaff symbolizes worthlessness and swift judgment. | Some emphasize the finality of judgment (Barnes); others see it also as a call to repentance (implied in the contrast with the righteous in Ps 1). |
| Applicability for Christians | The psalm teaches that God is a just judge who defends the innocent. | Some Christians apply it directly as a model for prayer against spiritual enemies; others read it as Christ's own imprecation against sin and Satan. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The psalm is attributed to David, likely during his flight from Saul (cf. 1 Sam. 18, 31). Calvin describes how Saul's courtiers 'eagerly conspired to destroy an innocent man' to gain royal favor. This context of false accusations and unprovoked hostility (v.7, 11, 12) underlies the intensity of David's prayer.
Winnowing was a vivid agricultural image. Farmers tossed grain into the air; the wind carried away the lightweight chaff while the heavier grain fell to the threshing floor. Chaff was worthless and flammable. The metaphor appears repeatedly (Job 21:18; Isa 17:13; 29:5) to describe the fate of the wicked: weightless, transient, easily scattered.
The 'angel of Yahweh' (mal'akh YHWH) is a prominent figure in Israel's story. In Exodus 14:19, the angel goes before the camp; in 2 Kings 19:35 (Isa 37:36), the angel destroys the Assyrian army. Keil and Delitzsch connect this verse to that same protecting and judging angel who 'took off Pharaoh's chariot wheels' (Ex 14:25). The angel thus represents God's immediate, personal intervention. The participle docheh ('pushing') indicates continuous action: the angel is driving them on relentlessly.
The jussive form yiheyu ('may they be') signals that David is praying, not simply cursing. He brings his situation before God, asking God to act as Judge. This prayer sits within a lament structure (vv.1, 3) and flows into vows of praise (v.9, 18), showing that imprecation is not an end in itself.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 35:5. The Masoretic Text is well-preserved. Keil and Delitzsch suggest a possible transposition of the participles (pushing and pursuing) between verses 5 and 6, but this is an interpretive proposal, not a textual variant.
Reception History
Interpreters from the Reformation period onward have engaged this verse directly. Calvin applied the psalm to David's historical situation, seeing it as a legitimate cry against malicious enemies. Matthew Henry read it as part of David's prayer for divine protection, emphasizing the psalmist's innocence. Geneva Bible notes simply paraphrase the verse. In more recent centuries, commentators like Barnes and Keil and Delitzsch have focused on the angel of the Lord as a recurring figure in redemptive history. Modern readers often wrestle with the tension between Old Testament imprecation and New Testament love commands, finding in this verse a model for bringing raw anger to God within a relationship of trust.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- David appeals to God as his defender. Before the imprecation, David calls on Yahweh to 'contend,' 'fight,' and 'stand up' (vv.1, 3). This anchors the prayer in relationship, not personal grudge.
- The wicked are weightless before God. Chaff is the Bible's recurring image for what has no substance. Like the wind scatters chaff, God can scatter those who oppose His purposes.
- The Angel of Yahweh enforces divine judgment. The same angel who protected Israel and struck the Assyrian army now acts to drive David's enemies. The participle 'pushing' suggests relentless pursuit.
Five-point outline
- Honest lament: David does not suppress his anger; he brings it to God.
- Claim of innocence: Verse 7 states 'without cause', David is not seeking vengeance for personal slight but for injustice.
- Divine warrior: The angel of the Lord is God's champion.
- Swift and total judgment: Chaff vanishes quickly when the wind blows.
- From imprecation to praise: Verse 9 shows the goal is not destruction but God's glory and David's joy in salvation.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer in ancient Palestine winnows grain, the chaff is carried away, leaving only what is useful.
- When you have been falsely accused at work, you long for someone in authority to set the record straight.
- A judge in a courtroom pronounces a just sentence; the guilty cannot escape.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to pray for bad things to happen to people who hurt me?
- Does the angel of the Lord still act today?
- How can this prayer be used in a Christian context when Jesus told us to love our enemies?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 35:5 is one of many imprecatory prayers in the Psalter. They sound jarring to modern ears, but they teach us to bring our deepest hurts and cries for justice to God. As you discuss, consider how David's context (unjust persecution) shapes the prayer, and how the New Testament reorients our response while still allowing honest lament.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 35:1, 6. What picture of God does David paint?
- Why does David use the image of chaff? What does it reveal about his view of his enemies' power?
- Who is the 'angel of the Lord' in the Old Testament? How does this verse fit with other appearances (Ex 14:19; 2 Ki 19:35)?
- How does David's claim of innocence (v.7) affect your understanding of this prayer?
- Some Christians struggle with imprecatory psalms. How can we pray them faithfully without falling into personal vengeance? (See Rom 12:19)
- What role does praise play after the imprecation (v.9)? How does that shape the overall attitude?
- How might you use this prayer in your own life when you face unfair treatment?
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)
| Exodus 14:19 | The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them. |
| Job 21:18 | How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away? |
| Psalms 1:4 | The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. |
| Psalms 83:13 | My God, make them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind. |
| Psalms 83:17 | Let them be disappointed and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be confounded and perish; |
| Isaiah 17:13 | The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm. |
| Isaiah 29:5 | But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly. |
| Isaiah 37:36 | Then Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. |
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 notes that the phrase "angel of the Lord" in this context is flexible; it may refer to a good or a bad spirit, or even to any means that God himself employs to bring about confusion and defeat. He keeps the meaning deliberately broad.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the image of chaff blown away comes directly from the winnowing process, and he stresses that angels are the specific agents God uses to scatter the wicked. For him, this verse pictures divine judgment carried out by angelic forces, not just by impersonal circumstances.
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 writer suggests these vivid images of chaff driven by the wind and fugitives slipping on dark paths may come from a real battle memory, perhaps against the Philistines. While the language could be purely figurative, a literal event behind the prayer is considered more natural and likely.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the enemies are as worthless as chaff, driven away by the wind. It is the Angel of the Lord — not a mere wind or chance — who actively scatters them, showing that their defeat comes directly from God’s own judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the angel of the Lord here could be either a good angel, swift and able to destroy enemies as in Egypt and Assyria, or an evil angel whom God uses to torment the wicked. Both are under the Lord's authority and serve as executioners of His judgment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB pictures divine judgment as violent pursuit — the wicked are driven by wind on a slippery path in darkness, with supernatural force hot on their heels. The terror is not passive ruin but an active, relentless chase.
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 argues the psalm is not a generic lament from a representative righteous person but a deeply personal, agitated prayer from someone whose heart is shaken by bitter experiences. He rejects a narrow Messianic interpretation, seeing Jesus' later citation as founded on the general connection between Christ's sufferings and all undeserved suffering at the hands of the wicked.
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.