What is the meaning of Psalm 35:21? They gape at me • David pictures his adversaries with mouths wide open, as predators ready to tear. This is not a mere figure of speech; it reflects real, physical hostility. • Psalm 22:13 says, “They open their mouths against me like lions, roaring and mauling”, showing the same vivid threat. • Job 16:10 echoes, “Men open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheeks in contempt”. • The imagery is fulfilled in Christ: “All who see Me mock Me; they open their mouths” (Psalm 22:7), and passers-by “heaped abuse on Him” (Mark 15:29). • For believers, this verse reminds us that verbal assault is part of the believer’s battlefield (2 Timothy 3:12). and say, • The attack moves from gesture to speech; enemies do not stay silent. • David has already noted “Ruthless witnesses come forward” (Psalm 35:11). • Words become weapons: “The tongue is a fire” (James 3:6). • Christ endured the same: “The chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves” (Mark 15:31). • Our response is modeled by Jesus, “When He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Peter 2:23). Aha, aha! • “Aha” expresses gloating triumph, the moment an enemy thinks he has won. • Psalm 40:15 pleads, “May those who say to me, ‘Aha, aha!’ be appalled”. • Ezekiel 25:3 records God’s judgment on nations that cried “Aha!” against Israel. The Lord takes note of every taunt. • At the cross the mockers repeated the same cry: “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple” (Mark 15:29). • The lesson: God hears every sneer and will vindicate His servants (Romans 12:19). Our eyes have seen! • The enemies claim eyewitness proof to justify their contempt—“We’ve caught you!” • They twist what they see, like the rulers at Calvary who “stood watching, and the rulers sneered” (Luke 23:35). • False confidence in sight ignores God’s higher verdict: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). • David appeals two verses later, “You have seen it, O LORD; be not silent” (Psalm 35:22). What matters is that God’s eyes have seen. summary The verse captures a three-step assault: hostile stares, malicious speech, and gloating claims of victory. David records real persecution yet foreshadows Christ’s suffering. Enemies may open their mouths and boast that they have seen enough to condemn, but the Lord also sees, judges righteously, and ultimately vindicates His people. |
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