Psalms 35 · Verse 1

Psalms 35:1

A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

Psalms 35:1, King James Version

Psalms 35:1 in other translations

BSB	Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
WEB	By David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.
ASV	A Psalm of David. Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me: Fight thou against them that fight against me.
YLT	By David. Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
DARBY	A Psalm of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:
BBE	O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.
Webster	A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

What does Psalms 35:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 35:1-3

Psa 35:1-28. The Psalmist invokes God's aid, contrasting the hypocrisy, cunning, and malice of his enemies with his integrity and generosity. The imprecations of the first part including a brief notice of their conduct, the fuller exposition of their hypocrisy and malice in the second, and the earnest prayer for deliverance from their scornful triumph in the last, are each closed (Psa 35:9, 10, 18, 27, 28) with promises of praise for the desired relief, in which his friends will unite. The historical occasion is probably 1Sa 24:1-22.

1-3. God is invoked in the character of a warrior (Ex 15:3; De 32:41).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The psalmist, in great straits, prays for his personal safety, Psa 35:1-3; and for the confusion of his enemies, Psa 35:4-8; expresses has confidence in God, Psa 35:9, Psa 35:10; mentions his kindness to those who had rewarded him evil for his good, Psa 35:11-16; appeals to God against them, Psa 35:17-26; prays for those who befriended him; and praises God for his goodness, Psa 35:27, Psa 35:28. 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 Saui 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 practiced against Jeremiah by the people. Some think that our Lord's sufferings are particularly pointed out here; and Bishop Horsley thinks that Psa 35:11-16 apply more literally and exactly to Christ than to any other whomsoever. Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 35:1-10

It is no new thing for the most righteous men, and the most righteous cause, to meet with enemies. This is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the Seed of the woman. David in his afflictions, Christ in his sufferings, the church under persecution, and the Christian in the hour temptation, all beseech the Almighty to appear in their behalf, and to vindicate their cause. We are apt to justify uneasiness at the injuries men do us, by our never having given them cause to use us so ill; but this should make us easy, for then we may the more expect that God will plead our cause. David prayed to God to manifest himself in his trial. Let me have inward comfort under all outward troubles, to support my soul. If God, by his Spirit, witness to our spirits that he is our salvation, we need desire no more to make us happy. If God is our Friend, no matter who is our enemy. By the Spirit of prophecy, David foretells the just judgments of God that would come upon his enemies for their great wickedness. These are predictions, they look forward, and show the doom of the enemies of Christ and his kingdom. We must not desire or pray for the ruin of any enemies, except our lusts and the evil spirits that would compass our destruction. A traveller benighted in a bad road, is an expressive emblem of a sinner walking in the slippery and dangerous ways of temptation. But David having committed his cause to God, did not doubt of his own deliverance. The bones are the strongest parts of the body. The psalmist here proposes to serve and glorify God with all his strength. If such language may be applied to outward salvation, how much more will it apply to heavenly things in Christ Jesus!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 35:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

רִיבָ֣הri.Vahcontend !H7378

יְ֭הוָהYah.wehO YahwehH3068

אֶת\־'et-withH854

יְרִיבַ֑יye.ri.Vaiopponents myH3401

לְ֝חַ֗םle.ChamfightH3898

אֶת\־'et-withH854

לֹֽחֲמָֽי\׃Lo.cha.Mai[those who] fight with meH3898

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 35:1

Psalms 43:1
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
Jeremiah 51:36
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.
Psalms 119:154
Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.
Isaiah 49:25
But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Proverbs 23:11
For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
Proverbs 22:23
For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
Lamentations 3:58
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
Acts 5:39
But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
1 Samuel 24:15
The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
Exodus 14:25
And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
Micah 7:9
I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
Acts 23:9
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 David prays for his own safety, and his enemies confusion.
11 He complains of their wrongful dealing.
22 Thereby he incites God against them.

A.M. 2942. B.C. 1062. Plead.
43:1; 119:154; 1Sa 24:15; Pr 22:23; 23:11; Jer 51:36; La 3:58
Mic 7:9
fight.
Ex 14:25; Jos 10:42; Ne 4:20; Ac 5:39; 23:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Psalms 35:1
A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
Psalms 35:2
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

Read all of Psalms 35

Psalms 35:1 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Salmo de David. DISPUTA, oh Jehová, con los que contra mí contienden; pelea con los que me combaten.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	De David. Éternel! conteste contre ceux qui contestent contre moi; fais la guerre à ceux qui me font la guerre.
German Elberfelder 1871	Streite, Jehova, mit denen, die wider mich streiten, kämpfe mit denen, die mich bekämpfen!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	In finem. Servo Domini ipsi David.