Here is the full Psalm 35 from the King James Version (KJV):
Psalm 35 (KJV)
1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me:
fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me:
say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul:
let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind:
and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery:
and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit,
which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares;
and let his net that he hath hid catch himself:
into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord:
it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee,
which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him,
yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11 False witnesses did rise up;
they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good
to the spoiling of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth:
I humbled my soul with fasting;
and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother:
I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced,
and gathered themselves together:
yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not;
they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts,
they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on?
Rescue my soul from their destructions,
my darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation:
I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me:
neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace:
but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me,
and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord:
keep not silence:
O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment,
even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness;
and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it:
let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt:
let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause:
yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified,
which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness
and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalm 35 is not a soft, quiet prayer. It is a cry for help. It is loud, raw, and honest. In this chapter, David asks God to step in and fight for him. He is being attacked by people he once loved. He is being lied about. He is being hurt for doing good. So he does the one thing he knows will work. He brings it to God.
I want you to know something. You are not weak for asking God to fight your battles. You are wise. The Bible says, "The battle is the Lord’s." That means you don’t need to carry everything on your own. You don’t have to keep defending yourself or trying to fix things that only God can fix. Psalm 35 shows you how to pray when you feel helpless but still trust in a powerful God.
This prayer does not hold back. It is bold. It is full of emotion. And it teaches you how to cry out to God when things feel unfair. If people have done you wrong, if your kindness has been returned with evil, Psalm 35 gives you the words to speak.
In this post, I will walk with you through Psalm 35. We will break it down verse by verse. You will learn what it means, how to pray it, and how to trust God through it all. You are not alone. God sees you. And He is ready to stand up for you.
What Does Psalm 35 Say?
Psalm 35 is a prayer for help during times of attack. David speaks from a place of pain. But he also speaks from a place of trust. He starts by asking God to take action. He says, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me. Fight against those who fight against me.”
He asks God to use weapons. Yes, actual weapons. He says, “Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.” This shows that David believes God is a real defender, not just a nice idea. He does not ask God to just comfort him. He asks God to fight for him.
As the psalm continues, David explains his situation. He talks about how the people attacking him used to be close to him. He helped them. He prayed for them when they were sick. But now, they repay his love with hate. This hurts him deeply.
David asks God to let their plans fall back on their own heads. He says that they dig a pit for him, but he wants them to fall into it themselves. This is not about revenge. It is about justice. He wants God to deal with the lies and schemes.
The psalm ends with praise. Even after all the pain, David still chooses to worship. He says, “I will give You thanks in the great congregation. I will praise You among many people.” That shows us something powerful. Even when life feels unfair, you can still choose to trust God.
What Is The Meaning Of Psalm 35?
Psalm 35 is a spiritual weapon. It teaches you what to do when people lie about you, betray you, or try to destroy your name. The meaning of this psalm is clear: bring your battle to God. Do not carry it alone. Do not fight in the flesh. Let God handle it.
David felt wronged. He had helped others, but they turned against him. That is a pain many people understand. You give, you love, you serve, and still get stabbed in the back. Psalm 35 is what you pray when your heart is broken but your faith is strong.
This psalm shows that it is okay to feel angry and hurt. David did not hide his feelings. He brought them to God. That is what real prayer looks like. Honest. Bold. Open. You can bring your full self to God—your pain, your questions, even your anger.
Another important part of the meaning is justice. Psalm 35 reminds us that God is just. He sees what others do in secret. He knows when people mistreat you. And He does not turn away. He acts. Not always on our timeline, but always at the right time.
When you pray Psalm 35, you are not just asking for revenge. You are asking for God to step in. You are giving Him space to work. That is faith. And when you do that, peace follows. Because you know God is in control.
What Is Psalm 35 1 To 4?
Verses 1 to 4 are the opening cry of Psalm 35. They are urgent. They are strong. And they are personal. Let’s look at what these verses say.
Verse 1:
“Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me. Fight against those who fight against me.”
David is asking God to be his lawyer. His defender. The one who speaks for him when others attack. This is a powerful way to pray. You are not asking God to just comfort you. You are asking Him to step in and do something.
Verse 2:
“Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.”
Here, David uses the picture of a warrior. He wants God to suit up like a soldier. To protect him. To fight beside him. You can pray like this when you feel surrounded. God is not passive. He moves.
Verse 3:
“Draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’”
David asks for God to stop the enemy in their tracks. And then he wants God to speak to his soul. That part is important. When trouble comes, we do not just need rescue. We also need peace. We need to hear God say, “I am your salvation.”
Verse 4:
“Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life.”
This is a prayer for justice. It is not selfish. It is right. David wants those who try to ruin him to be exposed. You can pray this too when you face injustice.
What Psalms 35 Vs 18?
Verse 18 of Psalm 35 is a turning point. After all the pain and crying out, David makes a choice. He chooses to give thanks.
“I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.”
This verse teaches a deep truth. Even in trouble, we can worship. David does not wait until God answers. He thanks Him in advance. That is faith. Real faith praises before the breakthrough.
You can do the same. Don’t wait until things are perfect. Thank God now. Praise Him for what He is doing, even if you cannot see it yet. Worship shifts the atmosphere. It lifts your spirit. It opens your heart.
This verse also shows that your worship is not just personal. It is public. David says he will praise God among many people. When you thank God in public, you show others what faith looks like. You become a light.
So when you feel attacked, lift your voice. Say, “God, I thank You. I know You are working. I know You are fighting for me.”
What Psalms 35 Vs 15?
Psalm 35 verse 15 shows how deep betrayal can cut. It says:
“But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not even know it.”
This is pain. Deep pain. David says people were happy when he was hurting. They teamed up behind his back. He was left confused and broken.
Have you ever had that happen? You helped someone. You were loyal. But when trouble came, they turned on you. That is what this verse is about. It is about feeling alone in the middle of a storm you did not create.
David is not just hurt. He is shocked. These people were supposed to be friends. Instead, they joined the crowd that attacked him. That kind of betrayal can shake your trust in people.
But the good news is, God does not turn on you. When others laugh at your pain, God comforts. When others leave, God stays. You can bring this pain to Him. He understands.
Psalm 35 verse 15 is a reminder that God sees it all. Every lie. Every betrayal. Every fake smile. And He will make things right.
What Psalms 34 Vs 17 And 18?
These two verses are not from Psalm 35, but they match its message. They say:
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those with a crushed spirit.”
These verses are comfort. Pure comfort.
They remind you that when you cry out, God hears. Not sometimes. Every time. He listens. He cares. And He acts.
If your heart is broken, God is close. If your spirit feels crushed, He is your rescue. You do not need to pretend to be strong. You can be honest with God. He already knows.
And He is not afraid of your pain.
Psalm 34:17 and 18 are verses to hold close when life gets hard. Write them down. Speak them out loud. Let them remind you that God is not far.
How To Pray Psalm 35?
To pray Psalm 35, start by reading it slowly. Let the words sink in. Make it personal. Put your name in the verses. Say, “Lord, fight for me. Lord, protect me.”
Next, speak from your heart. Tell God what is going on. Tell Him who hurt you. What happened. How you feel. Don’t hide anything.
Then, ask God to act. Say, “Lord, I trust You to bring justice. I trust You to protect me. I leave this in Your hands.”
Finally, praise. End your prayer like David did. Thank God. Tell Him you believe He will make a way. Even before you see the answer, say thank You.
Repeat this prayer every day if you need to. God never gets tired of hearing from you.
What Is The Meaning Of Psalm 34 18?
Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.”
This means God does not ignore your pain. When your heart breaks, His heart draws near. He does not wait for you to be okay. He meets you in the middle of the mess.
This verse is proof that God is kind. He does not rush your healing. He does not shame your tears. He comes close. He listens. He helps.
Hold on to that truth. When your heart is heavy, you are never alone.
What Is Psalm 35 Vs 1 3?
These are the first three verses of Psalm 35. They are a direct prayer asking God to fight. They say:
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God, plead my cause
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Take up your weapons
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Speak peace to my soul
These verses show that you can ask God to defend you and give you peace. Pray them when you feel attacked or afraid.
Which Psalm Is For Protection?
The most well known psalm for protection is Psalm 91. It speaks of God’s promise to guard you, cover you, and rescue you.
But Psalm 35 is also powerful for protection. It asks God to fight for you, protect your name, and stop your enemies.
If you need God’s covering, pray both. They work together. One is a shield. The other is a sword.
Conclusion
Psalm 35 is not a quiet prayer. It is a fire in your soul when life gets hard. It is the cry of a heart that has been hurt, betrayed, and left alone. But it is also a prayer of deep trust. It says, “God, I believe You are my defender.”
You can pray this psalm with boldness. Speak it over your life. Speak it over your family. God sees. God hears. And God will act.
You are not alone. You are not forgotten. You are deeply loved.
And your defender never sleeps.
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