Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 35:27
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
27. Cp. Psa 40:16.
that favour my righteous cause ] Lit. that delight in my righteousness; that welcome the vindication of my innocence.
which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant ] More exactly, which delighteth (2Sa 15:26; Psa 18:19; Psa 22:8) in the welfare (lit. peace) of his servant.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Let them shout for joy – That is, Let me be delivered; let my friends see that God is on my side, and that they have occasion to rejoice in his merciful interposition in my behalf.
That favor my righteous cause – Margin, as in Hebrew, my righteousness. The reference is to those who considered his cause a just one, and who were his friends.
Yea, let them say continually – Let this be a constant subject of grateful reflection – a perpetual source of joy to them – that God has interposed in my behalf, and has shown that my cause was a just one.
Let the Lord be magnified – Be regarded as great, exalted, glorious. Let the effect be to elevate their conceptions of the character of God by the fact that he has thus interposed in a righteous cause, and has shown that he is the friend of the wronged and the oppressed.
Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant – Who delights to make his friends prosperous and happy, Let them see that this is the character of God, and let them thus be led to rejoice in him evermore.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 35:27-28
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause.
Sympathy with the godly
1. It is one mark of godliness amongst many others, to befriend the cause of Christ, and to further it in the person of His saints suffering for righteousness, with their best affection, for here they are described by being the favourers of their righteous cause.
2. In the persecution of the godly for the cause of Gods truth and true religion, all the godly are concerned; and as they partake of the sufferings with others under Christ the Head, so shall they partake of the joy of the victory, and outgate which shall be exceeding joyful at last.
3. The troubles of the godly are not so many, but room is left for sometimes prosperity, for God loveth the prosperity of His servants, to wit, as it may conduce to His purpose and their good.
4. When any of the godly are delivered from their persecutors, all the rest of the godly are bound as they understand of it, to set forth the power of God, and His love and bounty manifested and forthcoming to His people.
6. Whatsoever opposition the enemies of Christ and of the godly shall make, Christ shall keep up the open profession of true Doctrine, which manifesteth the righteousness of God; leading men to eternal life, and bringing glory to God; for this is the undertaking of the type and of Christ represented by him, after the hottest contest between him and the wicked enemies. (D. Dickson.)
Let the Lord be magnified.—
Magnifying God
I. here is Gods feeling towards mans welfare. He has pleasure in his prosperity. This proves to us–
1. Gods interest in our existence.
2. Gods goodwill towards our state.
3. Gods evident willingness to help.
II. here is mans true well-being–Prosperity. The true prosperity of a soul is its spiritual vitality, and this manifests itself–
1. By an ever-growing love towards religious exercises.
2. By a deepening apprehension of Divine realities. That which was dark becomes light; that which was obscure stands out in living reality.
3. By an increasing delight in Christian work. A prosperous soul is active in the performance of acts of charity and kindness.
4. By an increasing development of a Christlike character. The prosperous Christian grows, and becomes daily more like Christ in thought, word, and action.
5. By a constant accession of peace, contentment, and joy.
III. here is mans manifest duty–Let the Lord be magnified. It is a blessed privilege to have a God who is well disposed to His people. The imaginary gods of the heathen were always ill-disposed. They were gods of cruelty, malevolence, and evil, who needed to be propitiated by many a cruel rite. What a glorious idea we have of God! One who has pleasure in the prosperity of His people. He delights to see them happy and growing in grace, and all good gifts. He will not that any should be lost. Surely, then, we ought to magnify Him–in our words and songs of praise; in our lives and example; in our characters and sacrifice. We should give our whole time and energy and strength to His work. (Homilist.)
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Psa 36:1-12
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 27. Let them shout for joy and be glad] While my enemies are confounded, let my friends exult in the Lord; and let them all praise him for his marvellous kindness to me.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That favour my righteous cause; that wish well to it, although they want either strength or courage to plead it.
Magnified, i.e. exalted and praised for his righteousness, and truth, and goodness manifested in my deliverance. Mine enemies great design is to magnify themselves, Psa 35:26, but my chief desire is that God may be magnified.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. favour . . . causedelightin it, as vindicated by Thee.
Let the Lord, &c.LetHim be greatly praised for His care of the just.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause,…. The cause of David was a righteous cause, he having done no iniquity, or anything criminal against Saul his enemy, who persecuted him; and there were some that favoured his cause, as Jonathan, Saul’s son, and a few others of rank and figure; but the greatest part were mean and despicable, 1Sa 22:2; and so the cause of Christ and of his people, which is one, is a righteous cause, which no one need to be ashamed of, and is worth suffering for; though those that favour it are for the most part the poor and base and weak things of the world: but when this cause prospers they rejoice and are glad, as they do at the happiness of every particular saint; for if one member is honoured, all the rest rejoice with it;
yea, let them say continually, the Lord be magnified; let them continually ascribe greatness, give honour and glory, to him,
which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant; meaning either himself, who was a servant of the Lord, not only by creation, but by grace; and who had his times both of temporal and spiritual prosperity; which were owing to the good will and pleasure of God, and to the delight and complacency he had in him, being a man after his own heart, raised up to fulfil his will; and since this prosperity did not arise from any desert of his, he would have all the glory of it given to God: or else he intends the Messiah, his antitype, who, as Mediator, is the servant of the Lord; of his choosing, calling, and sending; whose commands he diligently and faithfully obeyed; from whom he had his work, and also his reward: his prosperity lies in the work of redemption succeeding in his hands; in his exaltation at the right hand of God; and in the spread of his Gospel in the world, and the efficacy of it to the conviction of sinners; and in the establishment and increase of his kingdom and interest; on which account the Lord’s name is to be magnified and glorified, who delights in him as his servant, and in his prosperity; and the rather this is to be done, since the saints have an interest in him as a Prince and a Saviour: or anyone of the servants of the Lord may be understood; or however it is applicable to anyone of them, who, through the power of divine grace upon them, are made willing to serve the Lord with reverence and godly fear; who are his Hephzibah, in whom is all his delight and pleasure, Isa 62:4; who rejoices over them to do them good: and hence flows all the spiritual prosperity they enjoy, on account of which glory is to be given to God by them and all the saints that know it, Ps 34:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Those who wish that David’s righteousness may be made manifest and be avenged are said to take delight in it. When this takes place, Jahve’s righteousness is proved. , let Him be acknowledged and praised as great, i.e., let Him be magnified! David desires that all who remain true to him may thus speak; and he, on his part, is determined to stir up the revelation of God’s righteousness in his heart, and to speak of that of which his heart is full (Psa 71:24).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
27. Let those who favor my righteous cause rejoice and be glad. These two expressions, which are rendered in the optative mood, might have been translated with equal propriety in the future tense; but as this is a matter of little consequence, I leave it undecided. David here extols the deliverance which he asks of God, and exults in the results which should flow from it; namely, that it would be an occasion of general rejoicing and good hope to all the godly, while at the same time it would stir them up to celebrate the praises of God. He attributes to all the faithful the credit of desiring, that as an innocent man his righteous cause should be maintained. David, it is true, was the object of almost universal hatred among the simple and unsuspecting, who were imposed upon by false and unjust reports made concerning him; but it is certain that there were among the people some who formed a just and impartial estimate of things, and who were sorely grieved that a holy man, and one too whose benevolence was well known, should have been so unjustly and so wrongfully oppressed. And surely the common feelings of humanity require, that when we see men unjustly oppressed and afflicted, if we are not able to help them, we should at least pity them. When David uses the language, Jehovah be magnified, his design seems to be tacitly to set this in opposition to the pride of the wicked, of which he made mention above. As they presume in the pride, of their hearts, and by their insolent and overbearing conduct, to obscure, as far as in them lies, the divine glory, so may the faithful, on the other hand, with good reason present the prayer that God would shine forth in the majesty of his character, and demonstrate in very deed that he exercises a special care over all his servants, and takes a peculiar pleasure in their peace. Finally, the Psalmist again declares, in the conclusion of the psalm, his resolution to celebrate in appropriate praises the righteousness of God, by which he had been preserved and delivered.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
27. That favour Take pleasure in, delight in, not by favouritism, but for righteousness.
My righteous cause Hebrew, my righteousness.
Prosperity of his servant Righteousness could not be otherwise than by defending and delivering the righteous, and this always implies the defeat and punishment of the wicked. The prosperity of David was the essential condition of just administration in the case. If justice is not always promptly executed for the righteous, it has the pledge of eternal Truth that it shall be in the final result, and hence the doctrine which faith accepts, of a future judgment.
The closing verse is an expression of faith in the final result, which should be the theme of continued praise.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
Ver. 27. Let them shout for joy, &c. ] He concludeth with hearty prayer for the Church, as he doth in various other psalms.
That favour thy righteous cause
Let them say continually, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 35:27-28
27Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, The Lord be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.
28And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.
Psa 35:27-28 Again there is a series of four Qal imperfects used in a jussive sense.
1. let them who favor my vindication (cf. Psa 35:24 a) shout for joy BDB 943, KB 1247, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, Psa 35:27
2. let them rejoice (parallel to #1) BDB 970, KB 1333, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, Psa 35:27
3. let them say continuously BDB 55, KB 65, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, Psa 35:27
4. let the Lord be magnified BDB 152, KB 178, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, Psa 35:27
Psa 35:28 The tongue of the faithless spreads lies, rumors, and bitterness but the tongue of the faithful follower tells of
1. the righteousness of YHWH, cf. Psa 51:14; Psa 71:15; Psa 71:24
2. His praise
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. How does this Psalm use the imagery of YHWH as warrior?
2. List the things that the psalmist asks YHWH to do to his enemies in Psa 35:4-8 and again in Psa 35:24-26.
3. What doctrine does the phrase who is like You (Psa 35:10) imply?
4. Why does the psalmist feel betrayed by his acquaintances? (cf. Psa 35:13-14)
5. What do the words, Aha, aha (cf. Psa 35:21; Psa 35:25) imply?
6. List the good things the psalmist asks for his supporters in Psa 35:27.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
my righteous cause = my justification.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
shout: Psa 40:16, Psa 68:3, Psa 132:9, Psa 132:16, Psa 142:7, Isa 66:10, Isa 66:11, Joh 16:22, Rom 12:15, 1Co 12:26
righteous cause: Heb. righteousness, Pro 8:18
say: Psa 70:4
which: Psa 149:4, Jer 32:40, Jer 32:41, Zep 3:14, Zep 3:17
Reciprocal: 1Sa 30:26 – to his friends Neh 2:20 – The God Est 6:6 – whom the king Psa 5:11 – But Psa 34:3 – magnify Psa 40:3 – many Psa 147:11 – taketh Jer 17:18 – confounded Mal 1:5 – The Lord Joh 14:21 – that loveth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, {x} that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the {y} prosperity of his servant.
(x) That at least favour my right, though they are not able to help me.
(y) He exhorts the Church to praise God for the deliverance of his servants, and for the destruction of his adversaries.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
In closing, David asked God to cause his supporters to give glory to the Lord for vindicating His righteous servant. When deliverance came, David too would praise God for His righteous dealings.
The people of God can appeal for vindication when others falsely accuse them of doing evil, and can count on God’s deliverance in the future because He is just.