Psalms 35:1

THE MESSAGE

A David Psalm Harass these hecklers, God , punch these bullies in the nose. Grab a weapon, anything at hand; stand up for me! Get ready to throw the spear, aim the javelin, at the people who are out to get me. Reassure me; let me hear you say, "I'll save you."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Oppose my opponents, Lord;fight those who fight me.

Hebrew Names Version
<> Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

King James Version
Plead my cause, O Lord , with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

English Standard Version

Of David.

Contend, O Lord , with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

New Century Version

Of David.

Lord , battle with those who battle with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

New English Translation

By David.

O Lord , fight those who fight with me! Attack those who attack me!

Amplified Bible
Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

New American Standard Bible
Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

World English Bible
<> Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
A Psalme of Dauid. Pleade thou my cause, O Lorde, with them that striue with me: fight thou against them, that fight against me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Contend, O Yahweh, with those who contend with me;Fight against those who fight against me.

Berean Standard Bible
Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.

Contemporary English Version

(A psalm by David.)

Fight my enemies, Lord ! Attack my attackers!

Complete Jewish Bible
By David: Adonai , oppose those who oppose me; fight against those who fight against me.

Darby Translation

[A Psalm] of David.

Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:

Easy-to-Read Version

A song of David.

Lord , oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight me.

George Lamsa Translation
PLEAD my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.

Good News Translation
Oppose those who oppose me, Lord , and fight those who fight against me!

Lexham English Bible

Of David.

Contend, O Yahweh, with my contenders; fight those who fight me.

Literal Translation
A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, contend with those who strive against me; fight those who fight against me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Stryue thou with them (o LORDE) that stryue wt me, fight thou agaynst them that fight agaynst me.

American Standard Version

A Psalm of David.

Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me: Fight thou against them that fight against me.

Bible in Basic English
O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
A Psalm of David. Strive, O LORD, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.

King James Version (1611)
[A Psalme of Dauid.] Plead my cause (O Lord) with them that striue with mee: fight against them that fight against me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Pleade thou my cause O God, with them that striue with me: and fight thou agaynst them that fight against me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Judge thou, O Lord, them that injure me, fight against them that fight against me.

English Revised Version
A Psalm of David. Strive thou, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight thou against them that fight against me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The title of the foure and thrittithe salm. `To Dauid. Lord, deme thou hem, that anoien me; ouercome thou hem, that fiyten ayens me.

Update Bible Version
[A Psalm] of David. Strive, O Yahweh, with those that strive with me: Fight against those that fight against me.

Webster's Bible Translation
[A Psalm] of David. Plead [my cause], O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

New King James Version
Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

New Living Translation

A psalm of David.

O Lord , oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me.

New Life Bible
O Lord, stand against those who stand against me. Fight those who fight me.

New Revised Standard

Of David.

Contend, O Lord , with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Contend, O Yahweh, with them who contend with me, Make war upon them who make war upon me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(34-1) <For David himself.> Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me: overthrow them that fight against me.

Revised Standard Version
A Psalm of David. Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

Young's Literal Translation
By David. Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,

New American Standard Bible (1995)

A Psalm of David.

Contend, O Lord , with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

Contextual Overview

¹A David Psalm Harass these hecklers, God , punch these bullies in the nose. Grab a weapon, anything at hand; stand up for me! Get ready to throw the spear, aim the javelin, at the people who are out to get me. Reassure me; let me hear you say, "I'll save you." ⁴When those thugs try to knife me in the back, make them look foolish. Frustrate all those who are plotting my downfall. Make them like cinders in a high wind, with God 's angel working the bellows. Make their road lightless and mud-slick, with God 's angel on their tails. Out of sheer cussedness they set a trap to catch me; for no good reason they dug a ditch to stop me. Surprise them with your ambush— catch them in the very trap they set, the disaster they planned for me. ⁹But let me run loose and free, celebrating God 's great work, Every bone in my body laughing, singing, " God , there's no one like you. You put the down-and-out on their feet and protect the unprotected from bullies!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2942, bc 1062

Plead: Psalms 43:1, Psalms 119:154, 1 Samuel 24:15, Proverbs 22:23, Proverbs 23:11, Jeremiah 51:36, Lamentations 3:58, Micah 7:9

fight: Exodus 14:25, Joshua 10:42, Nehemiah 4:20, Acts 5:39, Acts 23:9

Reciprocal: Joshua 23:10 - Lord 1 Samuel 24:12 - Lord judge Psalms 5:10 - let Psalms 7:1 - save Psalms 7:6 - Arise Psalms 108:6 - save Psalms 138:7 - thou shalt stretch Isaiah 51:22 - pleadeth Jeremiah 50:34 - plead Lamentations 3:59 - judge Habakkuk 3:9 - bow

Cross-References

Genesis 12:8
He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God .

Genesis 22:14
Abraham named that place God -Yireh ( God -Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of God , he sees to it."

Genesis 31:3
That's when God said to Jacob, "Go back home where you were born. I'll go with you."

Genesis 35:4
They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 35:6
Jacob and his company arrived at Luz, that is, Bethel, in the land of Canaan. He built an altar there and named it El-Bethel (God-of-Bethel) because that's where God revealed himself to him when he was running from his brother.

Exodus 2:15
Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well.

Deuteronomy 32:36
Yes, God will judge his people, but oh how compassionately he'll do it. When he sees their weakened plight and there is no one left, slave or free, He'll say, "So where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge, The gods who feasted on the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink-offerings? Let them show their stuff and help you, let them give you a hand!

Psalms 46:1
A Song of the Sons of Korah God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God -of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Nahum 1:15
Look! Striding across the mountains— a messenger bringing the latest good news: peace! A holiday, Judah! Celebrate! Worship and recommit to God! No more worries about this enemy. This one is history. Close the books.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Plead [my cause], O Lord, with them that strive with me,.... Meaning Saul and his courtiers; concerning whom he elsewhere desires that the Lord would judge between them, plead his cause, and deliver him; as he accordingly did, and maintained it, and the righteousness of it, 1 Samuel 24:12. So Christ pleaded not his own cause as man, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; and his people leave their cause with him, who is their advocate, and is able to plead it thoroughly; and does plead it against wicked and ungodly men, who unrighteously charge them; against. Satan the accuser of the brethren, who stands at their right hand to resist them; and against their own hearts, and the sins of them, which lust and war against them, and condemn them;

fight against them that fight against me: so the Lord is sometimes represented as a man of war, and Christ as a warrior fighting for the saints; and safe are they on whose side he is; but miserable all such who are found fighters against him and his; for none ever opposed him and prospered.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Plead my cause, O Lord - The word “plead” means, properly, to argue in support of a claim, or against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; as, to plead for the life of a criminal, that is, to urge reasons why he should be acquitted or pardoned; and then, to supplicate with earnestness in any way. The original word used here - רוב rûb - means to contend, strive, quarrel; and then, to contend before a judge, to manage or plead a cause. The idea here is, that the psalmist desires that God would undertake his cause against those who had risen up against him, as if it were managed before a tribunal, or before a judge, and God should be the advocate. The same word is used, in another form, in the other member of the sentence - “with them that strive - יריבי yârı̂ybāy - against me.” The idea is, that they were “pleading” against him, or were urging arguments, as it were, before a tribunal or a judge, why he should be condemned. They were his bitter opponents, engaged in bringing all manner of false accusations against him, and seeking his condemnation. The psalmist felt that he could not manage his own cause against them; and he, therefore, pleads with God that He would interpose, and stand up for him.

Fight against them that fight against me - The same idea substantially occurs here as in the former member of the verse. It is a prayer that God would undertake his cause; that He would exert His power against those who were opposed to him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM XXXV

The psalmist, in great straits, prays for his personal safety,

1-3;

and for the confusion of his enemies, 4-8;

expresses has confidence in God, 9, 10;

mentions his kindness to those who had rewarded him evil for

his good, 11-16;

appeals to God against them, 17-26;

prays for those who befriended him; and praises God for his

goodness, 27, 28.

NOTES ON PSALM XXXV

There is nothing in the title worthy of remark. The Psalm is simply attributed to David, and was most probably of his composing; and refers to the time of his persecution by Saul and his courtiers. The Syriac says it was composed when the Idumeans attacked David. The Arabic says it is a prophecy concerning the incarnation, and concerning the things practised against Jeremiah by the people. Some think that our Lord's sufferings are particularly pointed out here; and Bishop Horsley thinks that verses Psalms 35:11-16 apply more literally and exactly to Christ than to any other whomsoever.

Verse Psalms 35:1. Plead my cause, O Lord — Literally, Contend, Lord, with then that contend with me. The word is often used in a forensic or law sense.