What is the meaning of Psalm 35:17? How long, O Lord, will You look on? - David voices the ache of waiting. He knows the Lord sees everything (Psalm 33:13-15), yet it feels as if God is silently “looking on” while enemies circle. - This cry mirrors other “how long” laments—Psalm 13:1-2 and Habakkuk 1:2 both show believers wrestling with delay. Revelation 6:10 pictures martyrs in heaven asking the same question, proving that God’s people in every age experience seasons where His timing stretches their faith. - The verse assumes that God is actually watching; He has not abandoned David (Psalm 34:15). The complaint is not unbelief but a plea for God to translate His watchful gaze into decisive action. - For us, the line reminds that waiting is part of God’s training: • It exposes our dependence on Him instead of quick fixes. • It keeps us praying rather than plotting revenge (Romans 12:19). • It amplifies His glory when deliverance finally comes. Rescue my soul from their ravages - David moves from question to petition: “Rescue.” He believes God intervenes in real time, rescuing souls from real danger (Psalm 34:22; 2 Timothy 4:17-18). - “Their ravages” paints enemies as tearing predators. This echoes Psalm 22:20—“Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.” - Notice the personal tone: “my soul.” Relationship fuels the request; David knows he belongs to the covenant-keeping God (Psalm 23:1). - Application points: • We can pray specifics: “Rescue my marriage,” “Rescue my child,” “Rescue my church.” God is not allergic to detailed pleas. • God’s rescue often arrives through providential means—an unexpected ally, a legal reversal, inner peace that disarms fear (Isaiah 59:19). • Ultimate rescue is secured at the cross; any temporal deliverance previews our final salvation (1 Thessalonians 1:10). my precious life from these lions - “Precious life” (literally “my only one,” a way of saying “my very life”) underscores value. To God, every life fashioned in His image is priceless (Psalm 116:15). - “Lions” captures the ferocity of David’s foes. Psalm 57:4 compares human adversaries to lions whose “teeth are spears and arrows.” Peter picks up the image spiritually: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). - Cross-reference Daniel 6:22—God shut real lions’ mouths for Daniel; He can still muzzle whatever endangers His people. - Takeaways: • Naming enemies as “lions” reframes battles: the conflict is deadly serious, yet God reigns as the greater Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5). • Because life is “precious,” self-preservation is not selfish. It is right to ask God to spare us so we may continue to praise Him (Psalm 118:17). • When we entrust our “precious life” to Him, courage grows. We are safe until His purpose is complete (Philippians 1:20-26). summary Psalm 35:17 captures the tension between God’s watchful sovereignty and the believer’s urgent need. David feels the delay, pleads for rescue, and cherishes the life God gave him while facing predatory foes. The verse invites us to pour out honest questions, seek concrete deliverance, and rest in the truth that our lives are precious to the Lord who sees, cares, and in His perfect time, acts. |
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