What is the meaning of Psalm 70:3? May those who say • David’s prayer is not a bitter personal wish but a righteous appeal for God to deal with outspoken opponents who openly mock His servant (Psalm 35:21: “they open wide their mouths against me and say, ‘Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!’”). • The focus is on people who use their words to wound—evidence that hostility often surfaces first through speech (James 3:5–6). • By asking the Lord to act, David models a believer’s confidence that vengeance belongs to God, not to self (Romans 12:19). “Aha, aha!” • The repeated exclamation pictures gleeful ridicule, a taunt hurled in delight at another’s hardship (Psalm 40:15; Lamentations 2:16). • Scripture consistently shows God taking note of such scorn. When Ammon mocked Israel, God said, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’… I am going to give you over to the people of the East” (Ezekiel 25:3–4). • The phrase underscores that mockery of God’s people is, in God’s sight, mockery of God Himself (Acts 9:4). Retreat • David asks that mockers “retreat,” literally turn back, symbolizing defeat and abandonment of their confident stance (Psalm 35:4; 129:5). • Throughout Scripture, turning back is God’s judgment on enemies who advance against His anointed (Deuteronomy 28:7; Psalm 56:9). • The request is not vindictive; it is a plea that evil be reversed, restoring righteousness and security for the faithful (Psalm 70:2). Because of their shame • Shame is the inevitable consequence when human arrogance meets divine holiness (Isaiah 45:16; Jeremiah 17:13). • God’s justice exposes scoffers, stripping away their confident sneers and showing their hostility to be groundless (Psalm 83:16–18). • The verse assures believers that God’s vindication is public and unmistakable: those who once laughed will be silenced, not privately but “because of their shame.” summary Psalm 70:3 is David’s Spirit-inspired cry for God to silence mocking enemies. He pinpoints their scornful words (“Aha, aha!”), asks that their advance be reversed (“retreat”), and affirms the divine outcome (“because of their shame”). The verse teaches that God hears the taunts hurled at His people, turns mockers back in defeat, and publicly covers them with the shame they intended for others. For believers, the line is a comfort and a warning: a comfort that God defends His own, and a warning never to stand among the scoffers. |
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