Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 35:28
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness [and] of thy praise all the day long.
28. shall speak ] ‘ Shall speak musingly, in the low murmur of one entranced by a sweet thought.’ Cheyne.
of thy righteousness ] For Jehovah’s righteousness ( Psa 35:24) will have been manifested in delivering His servant.
all the day long ] ‘Tota die Deum laudare quis durat? Suggero remedium, unde tota die laudes Deum, si vis. Quidquid egeris bene age, et laudasti Deum. In innocentia operum tuorum praepara te ad laudandum Deum tota die.’ St Augustine.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness – That is, I will praise thee as a righteous God.
And of thy praise – Of that which is a ground or reason for praise. I will speak continually of that in God and in his doings which make it proper that he should be praised.
All the day long – Continually; constantly. Every new proof of the kindness of God to him would lead to new acts of praise; and his life, as ours should be, would be a continual expression of thanksgiving.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 28. And my tongue shall speak] I, who am chiefly concerned, and who have received most, am under the greatest obligation; and it will require the constant gratitude and obedience of my whole life to discharge the mighty debt I owe.
ANALYSIS OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH PSALM
This Psalm may be divided into three parts: – I. A prayer for defence against his enemies. In which he prays, 1. For protection, Ps 35:1-3; Ps 35:17; Ps 35:19; Ps 35:22-25. And, 2. Imprecates evil to fall on their counsels and designs.
II. A bitter complaint against the malice of his enemies, which he pours out into the ears of God as motives to plead his cause, Ps 35:7; Ps 35:11-16; Ps 35:19-21.
III. An expression of his trust and confidence in God for help and deliverance; his joy in it, Ps 35:9; Ps 35:10; his thanks for it, Ps 35:18; Ps 35:28; and a motive to others to do the like, Ps 35:27.
1. In the courts of men and princes, innocent persons are often oppressed by false accusations and calumnies, persecuted and overborne by power.
He then, first, prays to God to be his Advocate, his Patron, and his Protector: 1. “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive against me.” 2. “Fight against them that fight against me,” c. 3. “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” Assure me of thy favour.
He secondly, begins an imprecation against his enemies: 1. “Let them be confounded and put to shame,” Ps 35:4. 2. “Let them be as chaff before the wind,” Ps 35:5. 3. “Let their way be dark and slippery,” Ps 35:6. 4. “Let destruction come upon him unawares,” Ps 35:8.
And here he inserts some reasons for his petition and imprecation: –
1. From the justice of his cause, and their injustice: “Without cause they hid for me their net,” Ps 35:7.
2. From his gratitude that, being delivered, he would be thankful: “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord,” c., Ps 35:9; Ps 35:10.
3. From his enemies’ dealings with him, Ps 35:11-17.
II. He then enters upon his complaint and lays to their charge,
1. Perfidiousness, extreme malice, and perjury: “False witnesses did rise,” c.
2. Ingratitude. They rewarded me evil for good. Good he did to them for, when they were afflicted, he fasted and prayed for them.
3. They were cruel to him: “In my adversity they rejoiced.”
4. They mocked him and made him their cruel sport: “The abjects gathered themselves together against me,” c.
5. And a conspiracy in all, Ps 35:20-21.
Then he returns again to his petition and expostulates with God, wondering that he should be so patient with them: “Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from destruction,” c.
And, to move God the sooner to do it, he repeats his former reason, Ps 35:9, engaging himself to be thankful: “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people.”
He continues his suit to the end of the Psalm; sometimes praying, at others imprecating.
1. He deprecates: “Let not my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the eye,” c. And that God may be the readier to hear him, and stay their joy and triumph, he subjoins these reasons: 1. “For they speak not peace.” 2. “They devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.” 3. They are impudent, lying people: “Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me,” c. This is a truth this is not hidden from thee: “This thou hast seen,” and from them to thee I turn my eyes and thus renew my prayer: –
1. “Keep not silence.” Do not appear to neglect my cause; nor to let them pass on with impunity.
2. “Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment,” c. Defend me, and confound them: –
3. “Judge me according to thy righteousness,” which suffers not the just to be always oppressed.
4. “Let them not rejoice over me,” and, in me, over the truth, and over a just cause.
5. “Let them not say in their hearts, So would we have it,” c.
6. But rather let that befall them which I have prayed for: “Let them be ashamed, – brought to confusion, – and clothed with shame and dishonour, that magnify themselves against me.”
III. In the conclusion he expresses his trust and confidence in God and intimates that if he be heard, then he, and the whole Church, and all good men, will rejoice together.
1. To them he first directs his speech: “Let them shout for joy that favour my righteous cause yea, let them say continually; Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”
2. He then declares what effect this will have upon him in particular: “My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
28. In this praise of God’sequitable government (Ps 5:8)the writer promises ever to engage.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness,…. In vindicating his cause, and bringing his enemies to shame and confusion, as well as of the glory and excellency of that righteousness of his, by which he was justified in his sight, and from whence his inward peace and prosperity flowed:
[and] of thy praise all the day long; for the many mercies, temporal and spiritual, he was every day favoured with.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
REFLECTIONS
READER! methinks I would pass by every other consideration while going over this precious Psalm, and overlook all other persons and characters, to contemplate Him, and Him only, who here, under the prophetical inspiration given by God the Holy Ghost to his servant David, is so strikingly set forth! Let us behold him here as our surety; sustaining every indignity, reproach, and suffering which we merited, and he endured: and as the holy, harmless Jesus, who had done no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, appealing for the justice of his cause to his most righteous Father. And while you and I read the sorrowful account, oh! for grace so to take interest – in what we read of Jesus, as the Christ of God, as to feel our whole souls drawn out in love and affection to him. Yea, blessed Jesus! I would say, did false witnesses arise up against thee; did they nail thee to the cross, and insult over thy sacred person in those unequalled seasons of sorrow! Did they add cruelty to injustice, and bid defiance to thy sovereignty, grace, and love; and wert thou thus oppressed, detested, and despised for me and for my salvation? Didst thou indeed give thy back to the smiters, and thy cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and hid not thy face from shame and spitting? And all this for me! Oh! love inexpressible, in comprehensible, and passing knowledge! Henceforth, dear Lord, let me never, never lose sight of thee, and thy patience under sufferings. Give me, I beseech thee, grace in all the little provocations which I meet with in life in following thee and thy glorious cause; give me grace to consider at all times Him who endured such a contradiction of sinners against himself, that I may never be weary nor faint in mind. Lord! let me esteem it my highest honour, my most distinguishing privilege, to be conformed to thee and to thy likeness in all things; that I may know the power of thy resurrection and the fellowship of thy sufferings. And oh! let my tongue speak of thy righteousness, and of thy praise all the day long.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 35:28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness [and] of thy praise all the day long.
Ver. 28. And my tongue, &c. ] I do solemnly promise that thy praises shall never die on my hand, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
To the chief Musician. See App-64.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 34:1, Psa 50:15, Psa 51:14, Psa 51:15, Psa 71:24, Psa 104:33, Psa 104:34, Psa 145:1, Psa 145:2, Psa 145:5, Psa 145:21
Reciprocal: Psa 7:17 – according Psa 71:8 – General Psa 71:15 – all the day Jam 3:9 – Therewith