As chaff before the wind, i.e. dispersed and chased from place to place, finding rest and safety no where. The angel of the Lord; whom God useth to defend his people, and to destroy their enemies. read more
Their way, by which they flee, being chased, as was now said. Dark and slippery; so as they can neither discern the right path, nor be able to stand in it, and much less to run away, especially from so swift a persecutor as an angel, whereby they must unavoidably fall into their enemies’ hands, and be destroyed. read more
INTRODUCTION“This psalm, If It be as the inscription tells us a psalm of David, must have been composed either during his persecution by Saul or during the revolt of Absalom. It is usual to connect it with his words in 1 Samuel 24:15. Its peculiar feature is, that the enemies on whom the poet imprecates the righteous judgments of God are men who had formerly been his friends, men for whom he had prayed in their sorrow’ with a brother’s heart,’ and who now requited his love with ungrateful... read more
Psalms 35:1-28 Psalms 35:1-28 :Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, stand up for my help. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 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 ( Psalms 35:1-4 ).So this is one of those psalms where David is... read more
Psalms 35:1 . Fight against them. This is another martial ode, or war song, in which David prays for victory over the army of Saul that came to fight against him, and for confusion to those about the king who daily slandered him. Thus we also pray against enemies. REFLECTIONS. The argument to this psalm, as in Psalms 26:0., is an invocation to God against the injustice of Saul and his court, who long pursued David with the sword. Under slander and implicated wrongs he appeals to that bar... read more
Psa 35:4 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. Ver. 4. Let them be confounded and put to shame ] Here David beginneth his imprecations; which yet non maledicens dixit sed vaticinantis more praedixit, saith Theodoret, he doth not utter as cursing, but as prophesying rather. If we shall at any time take upon us thus to imprecate (as we may in some cases), we must see to it, first, that our cause be... read more
Psa 35:5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase [them]. Ver. 5. Let them be as chaff ] Facti sint a corde suo fugitivi, let them fly before their own consciences, restless and uncertain whither to turn themselves. And let the angel of the Lord chase them ] It may be understood both of the evil angels and of the good, ready at God’s command to do execution upon his enemies. Chaff driven before the wind may rest against a wall; but where shall they rest who... read more
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Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Psalms 35:4
Confounded, i.e. frustrated in their wicked designs and hopes against me. Concerning this, and the like, and following imprecations, which may seem strange and severe, it must be considered, 1. That they did not proceed from any passionate or revengeful spirit in David towards his enemies, (from which how free he was, appears not only from his own words here, Psalms 35:12-14, but from the whole course of his life, and the frequent instances mentioned in his history of his meek and merciful... read more