“Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on. Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them” (Psa 35:4-6).
Psalm 35 is strategically located within the Psalter and highlights the paradox of walking with the LORD, where times of thankfulness can suddenly give way to periods of despair.
Psalm 35 is the first of the final group of seven psalms before the concluding “amen” of Book I (Psalms 35-41; see Psa 41:13). In this group, betrayal of the Davidic Messiah is a framing theme (Psa 35:12; 38:20; 41:9). Not surprisingly, betrayal by someone close to David also appears in the opening psalm of Book I (Psa 3:0). From the story of David’s life and its prophetic poetic retelling in the Psalms, Judas Iscariot emerges as an essential character in the story of Yeshua the Messiah (compare 2 Sam 15:12; 16:20-23; 17:23 with Matt 26:14-16, 47-50; 27:3-5).
Psalm 35 is strategically located within the Psalter and highlights the paradox of walking with the LORD, where times of thankfulness can suddenly give way to periods of despair.
While Psalm 35 introduces unique themes, it also shares key themes with Psalm 34. Only in Psalms 34 and 35 does the theme of protection by the angel of the LORD appear (Psa 34:8; 35:5-6). The verb for “shame” (“haphar”) first appears in Psalm 34 (v. 6) and recurs in Psalm 35 (vv. 4, 26; see also Psa 40:14). Both psalms also emphasize “magnifying the LORD” (Psa 34:4; 35:27).
Yet the tone shifts. The thankfulness for answered prayer that marks Psalm 34 is absent in Psalm 35. In Psalm 34, the Davidic king blesses the LORD at all times (Psa 34:1) because his cries are answered (Psa 34:6-7, 15, 17, 19-20). In Psalm 35, however, he cries, “how long?” (Psa 35:17), mourning betrayal (Psa 35:7, 12), false accusation (Psa 35:11), and mistreatment (Psa 35:15), while his enemies rejoice (Psa 35:19-20).
These back to back psalms remind us that although the LORD hears all the cries of his children, He does not always answer when we expect. Rest assured, he will answer according to his preordained plan and perfect timing.
