Psalm 35:17

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Darling . . . see margin and Note to Psalm 22:20.

The lions is another suitable epithet for the hostile foreign party, so bitter against the genuine Israelite.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 35:17-18. Lord, how long wilt thou look on — Like an idle spectator, without affording me any pity or help? Rescue my soul from their destructions — Be pleased, at length, to vindicate my innocence from those who have already despoiled me of my peace and good name; my darling from the lions — Namely, my soul or life, as it is in the former clause. Hebrew, my only one, for I am left alone, and forsaken by my friends, and have none to trust in but thee: (see on Psalm 22:21;) and now they seek, like so many rapacious lions, to devour me. I will give thee thanks in the congregation — When I shall be restored to the liberty of the public assemblies and solemn feasts.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

35:17-28 Though the people of God are, and study to be, quiet, yet it has been common for their enemies to devise deceitful matters against them. David prays, My soul is in danger, Lord, rescue it; it belongs to thee the Father of spirits, therefore claim thine own; it is thine, save it! Lord, be not far from me, as if I were a stranger. He who exalted the once suffering Redeemer, will appear for all his people: the roaring lion shall not destroy their souls, any more than he could that of Christ, their Surety. They trust their souls in his hands, they are one with him by faith, are precious in his sight, and shall be rescued from destruction, that they may give thanks in heaven.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? - How long wilt thou witness this without interposing to deliver me, and to punish those who treat me thus? God saw it all. He was able to save him that was thus persecuted and opposed. And yet he did not interpose. He seemed to pay no attention to it. He appeared to be indifferent to it. The psalmist, therefore, asks "how long" this was to continue. did not doubt that God would, at some thee, interpose and save him; but what was so mysterious to him was the fact that he looked so calmly on - that he saw it all, and that he did not interpose when he could so easily do it. The same question we may now ask, and may constantly ask, in regard to the wickedness in the world - "and no one can answer it." No one can tell why God, when he sees the state of things on earth, is so calm (compare the notes at Isaiah 18:4), and apparently so indifferent; why he does not hasten to deliver his people, and to punish the wicked. "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight," is all the answer that can be given to this inquiry. Yet it should have occurred to the psalmist, and it should be observed now, that the fact that God seems to be indifferent to the state of things, does riot proves that he is indifferent. There is an eternity to come, in which there will be ample thee to adjust human affairs, and to develop fully the divine character and counsels.

Rescue my soul from their destructions - My life from the destruction which they are aiming to accomplish.

My darling - Margin, "my only one." See the notes at Psalm 22:20. The reference here is to "his own soul" or life. It is the language of tenderness addressed to himself. He had but one soul or life, and that was dear to him, as an only child is dear to its parent.

From the lions - Enemies, described as lions; having the fierceness and savage fury of lions. In Psalm 22:20 it is, "from the power of the dog." The idea is the same in both places. Compare the notes at Psalm 22:20.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17. darling—(Compare Ps 22:20, 21).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Look on, like an idle spectator, without affording me any pity or help. My darling, to wit,

my soul, as it is in the former clause. Heb. my only one; which is now left alone and forsaken by my friends, and hath none to trust to but God. See Poole "Psalm 22:20".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Lord, how long wilt thou look on?.... And behold these injuries and insults, and not arise to help and save? The psalmist firmly believed the omniscience of God, and was well assured he saw all that was done; but he was ready to consider him only as a spectator; or, however, seems impatient until he arose and showed himself strong on his behalf; see Psalm 35:22;

rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions; his "soul" and his "darling" mean the same; either his life, than which nothing is dearer to a man; or his soul, his more noble part, and which was now "alone", or solitary, as the word (a) used signifies; being forsaken of God and men, and was desolate and afflicted, as it is rendered Psalm 25:16; or his whole person, which was among men comparable to lions, for their strength and savageness, who breathed out nothing but cruelty and destruction; from which he desires he might be rescued, or returned to the quiet possession of his own house, and the house of God: the words are much the same with those of the Messiah; see Gill on Psalm 22:20 and See Gill on Psalm 22:21.

(a) "solitariam meam", Piscator, Gejerus, Schmidt, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Geneva Study Bible

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. wilt thou look on] Lit. wilt thou see, as in Psalm 35:22, and not interfere. A.V. gives the sense rightly.

rescue my soul] Restore, lit., bring back, my life, for it is all but lost.

my darling] Lit. my only one, i.e. my precious life. See on Psalm 22:20. The lions are his savage persecutors (Psalm 57:4).

17, 18. A cry for help, and a vow of thanksgiving.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - Lord, how long wilt thou look on? "How long?" is the common cry of sufferers (Job 19:2; Psalm 6:3; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 79:5; Psalm 89:46; Habakkuk 1:2; Revelation 6:10), who do not recognize the wholesome discipline of suffering, or realize the fact implied in the phrase, "No cross, no crown." Man desires immediate deliverance; God mostly delays his deliverance until Patience has "had her perfect work" (James 1:4). Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling, from the lions (comp. Psalm 22:20). Psalm 35:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Just as the first part of the Psalm closed with wishes, and thanksgiving for their fulfilment, so the second part also closes with a prayer and thanksgiving. כּמּה (compounded of כּ, instar, and the interrogative מה which is drawn into the genitive by it; Aramaic כּמא, Arabic kam, Hebrew, like בּמּה, with Dag. forte conjunct., properly: the total of what?), which elsewhere means quot, here has the signification of quousque, as in Job 7:19. משּׁאיהם from שׁאה, the plural of which may be both שׁאים and שׁאות (this latter, however, does not occur), like the plural of אימה, terror, אימים and אימות. The suffix, which refers to the enemies as the authors of the destructions (Proverbs 3:25), shows that it is not to be rendered "from their destroyers" (Hitzig). If God continues thus to look on instead of acting, then the destructions, which are passing over David's soul, will utterly destroy it. Hence the prayer: lead it back, bring that back, which is already well night borne away to destruction. On יהידה vid., Psalm 22:21. The כּפירים, which is intended literally in Psalm 34:11, is here emblematical. אודך is the cohortative. עצוּם as a parallel word to רב always refers, according to the context, to strength of numbers or to strength of power.