Psalm 35:25

Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 35:25-27. Let them not say, Ah! so would we have it — Hebrew, Aha, our soul; an expression of mirth, as before, Psalm 35:21, or, Aha, we have our wish, or desire. We have swallowed him up — David is now as low as we could wish him. Let them be brought to confusion together — As they gathered themselves together to deride and reproach me, so do thou gather them together to confound them; or, as יחדו, jachdav, may be rendered, in like manner, that is, one as well as another. Let the proud and great ones of them be disappointed and ashamed, as well as the meanest among them. That magnify themselves against me — That extol themselves, and their power, and look upon me with scorn and contempt. Let them be glad that favour my righteous cause — That wish well to it, although they want either strength or courage to plead it. Let them say, Let the Lord be magnified — That is, exalted and praised for his righteousness, truth, and goodness, manifested in my deliverance. The great design of my enemies is to magnify themselves, Psalm 35:26, but my chief desire is that God should be magnified.

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

Let them not say in their hearts - Let them not congratulate themselves on the result; let them not feel that they have triumphed; let them not, under thy government, come off victorious in doing wrong.

Ah, so would we have it - Margin, as in Hebrew, "Ah, our soul." That is, It is just as we thought it was; just as we desired it should be; that is exactly our mind in the case. God has permitted us to triumph, and he has showed that we are right in the matter. He has decided the thing in our favor, and it is just as it should be.

Let them not say, We have swallowed him up - See the notes at Psalm 21:9. The meaning is, We have entirely destroyed him - as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were destroyed by being swallowed up in the earth, Numbers 16:31-35. Compare Lamentations 2:16.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25. swallowed him up—utterly destroyed him (Ps 21:9; La 2:16).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ah, so would we have it; Heb. Aha, our soul, i.e. Oh our soul crieth, Aha; an expression of mirth, as before, Psalm 35:21. Or, Aha, we have our wish or desire, as the soul is taken, Psalm 41:2. David is now as low as we could wish him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Let them not say in their hearts, ah, so would we have it,.... Or we have what our souls wished for and desired: the sense of the petition is the same with Psalm 27:12;

let them not say, we have swallowed him up; as roaring lions swallow down their prey, to which he had compared them, Psalm 35:17; and as wicked men eat up the Lord's people as they eat bread, Psalm 14:4.

Geneva Study Bible

Let them not say in their hearts, {s} Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

(s) Because we have that which we sought for, seeing he is destroyed.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. Ah, so would we have it] Lit. Aha, our desire!

We have swallowed him up] Destroying every trace of his existence. Cp. Psalm 124:3; Proverbs 1:12; Lamentations 2:16.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - Let them not say in their hearts, Ah! so would we have it (camp. ver. 21); literally, ah! our soul, i.e. "our heart's desire is accomplished; we have got our wish." Let them not say, We have swallowed him up; i.e. destroyed him, ruined him, brought him to an evil end (camp. 2 Samuel 17:16). Psalm 35:25

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

On the metonymical use of נפשׁ, like τὸ ὀρεκτικόν for ὄρεξις, vid., Psychol. S. 203 tr. p. 239. The climax of desire is to swallow David up, i.e., to overpower him and clear him out of the way so that there is not a trace of him left. בּלּענוּהוּ with ע before נ, as in Psalm 132:6, and frequently; on the law of the vowels which applies to this, vid., Ewald, ֗60, a. שׂמחי רעתי is a short form of expression for רעתי שׂמחים (בּ) על. To put on shame and dishonour (Psalm 109:29, cf. Psalm 18), so that these entirely cover them, and their public external appearance corresponds with their innermost nature.