Psalm 35:13-15
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When his enemies were sick or distressed, David didn't just offer empty words; he embodied his sorrow and concern through fasting, wearing sackcloth, and praying with his head bowed. The phrase "my prayer returned into mine own bosom" emphasizes the deep, personal, and even secret nature of his intercession, showing a profound, heartfelt empathy for those who would later seek his destruction.
But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Psalmist is contrasting his own compassionate actions with the cruel ingratitude of his enemies. He recounts how, when his adversaries were suffering from sickness or any form of distress, he responded with deep sorrow, donning sackcloth, fasting, and praying earnestly for them. This stands in stark opposition to their later rejoicing in his misfortunes and actively seeking his downfall.
David describes extreme actions taken when his enemies suffered. What does this tell us about his heart, and why go to such lengths?
David didn't just feel bad for his enemies when they were sick; he acted like he was in mourning for them.
Outward Signs of Inner Sorrow
David’s actions show a radical empathy – he felt the pain of those who were actively harming him, expressing it through intense spiritual and physical disciplines.
David prayed for his enemies, even when they repaid his kindness with hatred. What does this teach us about the nature of true prayer?
This is where David's response becomes truly extraordinary. He wasn't just showing sympathy; he was actively praying the well-being of those who were plotting his destruction.
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The Prayer That 'Returned to His Bosom'
Commentators grapple with the phrase 'my prayer returned into mine own bosom.' While some suggest it means his prayers were unanswered or only benefited him, the stronger sense, especially in light of David's character and the context, is that:
This wasn't a prayer seeking to hurt his enemies, but a profound act of love and intercession, reflecting a heart aligned with God’s desire for reconciliation.
Understand the original words
śaq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse fabric, typically made of goat's hair, worn as a sign of extreme mourning, repentance, or distress before God.
ṣûm · Hebrew Verb
To abstain from food for a period, often as a spiritual discipline of humility, intercession, or seeking God's favor in times of crisis.
pālal · Hebrew Verb
The act of communicating with God, involving adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication; it is an expression of dependence upon the Lord.
sāp̄aḏ · Hebrew Verb
The expression of grief, sorrow, or profound lamentation, often associated with death or tragic loss.
qāḏar · Hebrew Verb
To grieve with intense sorrow or to express outward signs of mourning, such as wearing sackcloth or weeping.
ṣēlāʿ · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for falling into sin, moral failure, or experiencing a calamitous setback in life.
This Psalm likely reflects David's experiences during Saul's intense persecution. His profound empathy and self-affliction for those who wished him harm highlight the deep betrayal he felt, and his unwavering trust in God's justice.
c. 1025 BC
Saul's Reign and David's Service
David served faithfully as a musician and warrior under King Saul. Despite David's loyalty, Saul became increasingly paranoid and hostile towards him, seeing him as a threat.
c. 1020 BC— this verse
Saul's Persecution of David
Saul actively sought to kill David, forcing David to flee and live as a fugitive. This period was marked by betrayal, false accusations, and David's deep distress.
c. 1015 BC
David's Exile and Wanderings
David and his followers lived in the wilderness, constantly on the run from Saul's forces. This was a time of immense hardship, testing, and reliance on God.
c. 1012 BC
Saul's Death
King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa.
c. 1010 BC
David Becomes King of Judah
After Saul's death, David was first anointed king over the tribe of Judah, marking the beginning of his ascent to the throne of all Israel.
This passage shows David fasting and praying for his infant son's life, demonstrating how grief and supplication were expressed through similar afflictions.
Esther 4:3Esther's response to the decree against her people, involving sackcloth and fasting, mirrors the actions described in Psalms 35 as profound expressions of sorrow and earnest prayer.
Matthew 10:13While Jesus instructs his disciples that their prayer for peace should return to them if a household is unworthy, this echoes the concept of prayer's potential redirection or personal return, though in Psalms 35 it's about the intensity of the prayer.
Lamentations 3:28The call to sit alone and be silent when it is good for a person to bear the yoke speaks to the internal, somber disposition that fasting and prayer can foster, akin to David's self-affliction.
Isaiah 58:3This prophecy contrasts a superficial fast with a true fast that involves humbling the soul, aligning with David's description of affliction through fasting as a genuine act of prayer and intercession.
calvinPsalms 35:11-15: "False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not."
- Violent witnesses rise up, they charge me with things which I know not. 12. They render me evil for good, to the bereaving [708] of my soul. 13. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; and have poured my prayer into my own bosom. 14. I behaved myself towards him as if he had been my friend and brother: I humbled myself as one that mourneth h…
poolePsalms 35:13: "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."
Sick; or in any other great misery. Sackcloth; which was the habit of mourners, Genesis 37:34 Matthew 11:21 Revelation 11:3 . I humbled my soul, Heb. I afflicted my soul , (of which phrase see Leviticus 16:29,31 23:27,32 , &c.,) partly with fasting, and partly with compassion and fervent prayers for them. And my prayer returned into mine own…
When his enemies were sick or distressed, David didn't just offer empty words; he embodied his sorrow and concern through fasting, wearing sackcloth, and praying with his head bowed. The phrase "my prayer returned into mine own bosom" emphasizes the deep, personal, and even secret nature of his intercession, showing a profound, heartfelt empathy for those who would later seek his destruction.
The Psalmist is contrasting his own compassionate actions with the cruel ingratitude of his enemies. He recounts how, when his adversaries were suffering from sickness or any form of distress, he responded with deep sorrow, donning sackcloth, fasting, and praying earnestly for them. This stands in stark opposition to their later rejoicing in his misfortunes and actively seeking his downfall.
The Psalmist is contrasting his own compassionate actions with the cruel ingratitude of his enemies. He recounts how, when his adversaries were suffering from sickness or any form of distress, he responded with deep sorrow, donning sackcloth, fasting, and praying earnestly for them. This stands in stark opposition to their later rejoicing in his misfortunes and actively seeking his downfall.
"But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother,…" — When his enemies were sick or distressed, David didn't just offer empty words; he embodied his sorrow and concern through fasting, wearing sackcloth, and praying with his head bowed. The phrase "my…
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Last reviewed October 2026
