Psalm 35:21

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

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

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me - See the notes at Psalm 22:13.

And said, Aha, aha! - See Psalm 40:15; Psalm 70:3. The language is that which we use when we "detect" another in doing wrong - in doing what he meant to conceal.

Our eye hath seen it - We are not dependent on the reports of others. We have seen it with our own eyes. We have found you out. We cannot be mistaken in regard to it. The reference is to some supposed "detection" of misconduct on the part of David, and the joy and triumph of such a supposed detection.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. On the gesture compare Ps 22:7; and on the expressions of malicious triumph, compare Ps 10:13; 28:3.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

They opened their mouth wide against me; either,

1. To devour me. It is a metaphor taken from wild beasts, when they come within reach of their prey. Or;

2. To pour forth whole floods of scoffs, and slanders, and contumelies. Aha, aha; an expression of joy and triumph. See Poole "Job 39:25 Psalm 40:15". Hath seen it, Heb. hath seen, to wit, what we have long desired and hoped for. See the same or like ellipsis Psalm 54:7 59:10 112:8.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me,.... In laughter, scorn, and derision; see Psalm 22:7;

and said, Aha, aha: a word expressive of joy; and the doubling it shows the greatness of it;

our eye hath seen it; what their heart wished for; namely, the distress of him, whose enemies they were.

Geneva Study Bible

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, {q} our eye hath seen it.

(q) They rejoiced as though they had now seen David overthrown.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. And they open … a gesture of contempt (Isaiah 57:4), rather than of murderous intent (Psalm 35:25): they say, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen: seen its desire, seen the fall of the man whose rise excited our envy.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha! our eye hath seen it. They "opened their mouth wide" in scornful derision; and shouted triumphantly, "Ha, ha! our eye hath seen his downfall!" Psalm 35:21

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

I the third part, Psalm 35:19 the description of the godlessness of his enemies is renewed; but the soul of the praying psalmist has become more tranquil, and accordingly the language also is more clear and moves on with its accustomed calmness. שׁקר and חנּם are genitives, having an attributive sense (vid., on 2 Samuel 22:23). The verb קרץ signifies both to pinch equals nip, Job 33:6 (cf. the Arabic karada, to cut off), and to pinch together, compress equals to wink, generally used of the eyes, but also of the lips, Proverbs 16:30, and always as an insidiously malicious gesture. אל rules over both members of the verse as in Psalm 75:6, and frequently. שׁלום in Psalm 35:20 is the word for whatever proceeds from good intentions and aims at the promotion or restoration of a harmonious relationship. רגעי־ארץ (from רגע, cf. ענוי־ארץ, Psalm 76:10, Zephaniah 2:3, צפוּניך, Psalm 83:4) are those who quietly and unostentatiously walk in the ways of God. Against such they devise mischievous, lying slanders and accusations. And with wide-opened mouth, i.e., haughty scorn, they cry, as they carouse in sight of the misfortune of those they have persecuted: now we have that which we have longed to see. האח (composed of ההּ and אח) is a cry of joy, and more especially of malignant joy at another's hurt (cf. Ezekiel 25:3).