Psalm 35 19

Psalm 35:19 kjv

Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

Psalm 35:19 nkjv

Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.

Psalm 35:19 niv

Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

Psalm 35:19 esv

Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.

Psalm 35:19 nlt

Don't let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.

Psalm 35 verses

Psalm 35 19 Meaning

Psalm 35:19 is a fervent plea from the psalmist to God, entreating Him to prevent his enemies from unjustly gloating over his distress and downfall. The core of the plea is against their wrongful celebration, which is rooted in falsehood and malicious joy, as they hate him without any legitimate cause. It expresses a deep longing for divine intervention to vindicate the innocent sufferer and silence the mockery of the wicked.

Psalm 35 19 Context

Psalm 35 is a Davidic psalm of lament and imprecation. David is facing severe persecution, likely from those who were once his associates or acquaintances but have turned into malicious adversaries. This could refer to periods under King Saul's pursuit, or possibly the treachery during Absalom's rebellion. The psalm vividly describes the treachery, false accusations, and unprovoked hatred David endured. His enemies repay good with evil, mock him, scheme against him, and seek his destruction, while David maintains his innocence and devotion to God. Verse 19 specifically targets the malicious delight and mockery of these enemies, who not only plot against him but would rejoice in his downfall based on false premises.

Psalm 35 19 Word analysis

• Let not them that are my enemies:

  • This is a strong injunctive prayer, a direct appeal to God.
  • "Enemies" (Hebrew: צֹרְרַי, tsoreray): This plural noun signifies severe adversaries, those who vex, harass, and bind, expressing intense hostility. It indicates individuals who are actively seeking to cause distress and inflict harm, not merely opponents. This points to ongoing and deeply rooted animosity.

• wrongfully rejoice over me:

  • "rejoice" (Hebrew: יִשְׂמְחוּ, yiśmᵉḥû): This verb means to be glad, to exult, to triumph. It implies open display of delight.
  • "wrongfully" (Hebrew: שֶׁקֶר, sheḳer): This noun means falsehood, deception, lie, vanity, emptiness. The core implication is that their joy is built on a lie, a false premise about the psalmist's guilt or misfortune. It emphasizes the absolute injustice of their animosity and subsequent anticipated celebration. This term frequently appears in contexts of legal or moral untruthfulness, suggesting their malicious intent is rooted in deceit and misrepresentation.
  • The phrase as a whole reveals the psalmist's deepest desire for God to prevent his adversaries from achieving their malicious goal of seeing him suffer and then celebrating his ruin on false pretenses.

• neither let them wink with the eye:

  • "wink with the eye" (Hebrew: יִקְרְצוּ עַיִן, yiqreṭu ʿayin): The verb קָרַץ (qaraṭz) means to pinch, to cut off, but in this context, when combined with ayin (eye), it refers to a specific non-verbal communication—a knowing, malicious gesture. It's not a friendly wink.
  • In biblical usage, winking the eye is consistently associated with scorn, malicious intent, mockery, conspiracy, or contempt for someone's distress. It is a sign of conspiratorial glee, silently gloating over a victim's misfortune or a planned deceit. (Proverbs 6:13; 10:10). It underscores their cunning, underhanded way of expressing their disdain and shared triumph without speaking openly.

• that hate me without a cause:

  • "hate" (Hebrew: שֹׂנְאִי, śone'ay): Refers to intense animosity, active dislike.
  • "without a cause" (Hebrew: חִנָּם, ḥinnam): This crucial adverb means for nothing, undeservedly, gratis, in vain. It is a powerful declaration of innocence and highlights the irrational, pure malice driving the enemies' actions. There is no legitimate grievance or wrongdoing on the psalmist's part to justify such hatred.
  • This phrase profoundly underscores the unjust nature of the psalmist's suffering and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who was hated and persecuted without any sin or cause (John 15:25). It reveals the boundless malevolence of the unrighteous towards the righteous.

Psalm 35 19 Bonus section

The Hebrew word ḥinnam (חִנָּם) "without cause" is pivotal, acting as a legal declaration of innocence. In ancient Near Eastern legal contexts, asserting "no cause" was a plea of complete innocence, demanding exoneration. By using this term, David isn't just complaining; he is making a formal appeal to God as the ultimate Judge, asking for a just verdict against baseless accusations. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) renders ḥinnam as dorean (δωρεάν), meaning "freely," "gratuitously," or "without cause/reason," a term that echoes powerfully in the New Testament (e.g., John 15:25) to describe the unjust suffering of Christ. This underscores the messianic and prophetic layers embedded in this very human cry of distress. The intense emotion within this imprecatory psalm, therefore, is not a desire for personal vengeance but a yearning for God's justice to be publicly displayed and for the reputation of the innocent to be restored. The emphasis on outward gestures ("wink with the eye," "rejoice") highlights the very public nature of the shame and scorn the psalmist feared, thus making the public vindication by God even more crucial.

Psalm 35 19 Commentary

Psalm 35:19 distills the essence of the psalmist's suffering: an unjust persecution met with the scorn and malice of his enemies. The verse is a powerful prayer for divine restraint against wicked gloating. The "wrongful rejoicing" (sheḳer) highlights that any celebration by his foes would be built upon a foundation of lies and falsehoods concerning the psalmist's guilt, revealing their treachery. The "wink with the eye" (qaraṭz ʿayin) symbolizes the silent, conspiratorial, and contemptuous delight of his adversaries—a chilling non-verbal expression of their shared malevolence and victory in their deceitful plots. Most profoundly, the phrase "hate me without a cause" (ḥinnam) testifies to the psalmist's utter innocence and the irrational, baseless nature of his enemies' animosity. This establishes a universal principle of righteous suffering, where goodness often incites irrational hatred from those devoted to wickedness. Ultimately, this specific declaration finds its deepest prophetic fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodied righteousness and suffered the ultimate persecution by those who hated Him without cause, even celebrating His crucifixion with mockery. The psalmist's plea therefore becomes a cry for God's justice, to prevent the wicked from having the final, malicious triumph over the righteous.

Practical examples:

• When a believer faces false accusations at work or school simply for living by biblical principles, this verse articulates the feeling of being "hated without cause" and the desire that malicious individuals not "rejoice wrongfully."
• In times of physical or spiritual attack from unseen forces, believers can echo this prayer, asking God to prevent evil from openly gloating over their perceived vulnerability.
• When ministry leaders face slander or betrayal for faithfully serving Christ, this verse can express their heart's plea for God's vindication against those who "wink with the eye" in their malicious plots.