Psalms 35:6
Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them!
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The "angel of the LORD" here isn't just a figure of judgment, but actively pursues the wicked, causing their path to become disorienting and treacherous. It highlights how God's justice can actively destabilize and confuse those who plot against His people, making their own schemes backfire.
David is praying for God to intervene against his enemies who are actively plotting against him. He's asking God to turn their malicious schemes back on them, making their escape or pursuit disorienting and dangerous. The verses immediately following detail his innocence and the "causeless" nature of their attacks, highlighting the injustice he faces.
Ever wondered who's on God's 'pursuit team'? This verse points to a powerful, often overlooked, angelic role.
A Heavenly Hunter
The "angel of the LORD" here isn't just a messenger; this is a divine agent of justice.
Think of it as God deploying His top enforcer to bring His will to bear on those who are actively harming the innocent.
Imagine trying to run for your life, but every step leads you further into trouble. That's the picture painted here.
Navigating Chaos
The imagery of a "dark and slippery" way is deeply illustrative of the enemy's fate:
Understand the original words
derek · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the place or path of life, including the conduct, moral direction, and behavioral patterns of an individual. It often signifies the trajectory one’s life takes toward either righteousness or wickedness.
mal'ak · Hebrew Noun
A supernatural messenger of God, functioning as an agent of divine action, judgment, or revelation. In this context, it refers to a manifestation of the LORD's power acting on behalf of the psalmist.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God of Israel, YHWH. It signifies His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithful relationship with His people as their Redeemer and King.
This psalm vividly reflects the intense personal danger and betrayal David faced during Saul's relentless persecution. The imagery of a dark, slippery path and a divine pursuer captures the terrifying, disorienting experience of fleeing from a determined enemy who plots in secret.
c. 1020 BC— this verse
Saul Persecutes David
King Saul, consumed by jealousy, relentlessly pursues David, seeking to kill him. David, though innocent, is forced to flee and hide, experiencing intense danger and betrayal.
c. 1015 BC
David and Jonathan's Covenant
Prince Jonathan, Saul's son and David's close friend, makes a covenant with David, pledging loyalty and aid despite his father's wrath. This highlights the deep friendships and political tensions of the era.
c. 1010 BC
David Spares Saul at En Gedi
David has a crucial opportunity to kill Saul but instead mercifully spares him, cutting off a piece of Saul's robe. This event underscores David's commitment to God's timing and Saul's unjust persecution.
c. 1005 BC
David Becomes King of Judah
Following Saul's death, David is anointed king over the tribe of Judah. This marks a significant step in his rise to power, though the united kingdom is still to come.
This passage speaks of God sending His angel before the Israelites to protect them and guide them, directly paralleling the 'angel of the LORD' mentioned in Psalms 35:6 who is actively pursuing and causing harm.
2 Samuel 5:23-24David hears the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees and is instructed to attack the Philistines, showing how God's angelic activity or command can lead to enemy defeat and slippery situations for them.
Isaiah 40:31This verse promises that those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength and soar like eagles, contrasting with the fate of the wicked in Psalms 35:6 who are pursued, demonstrating the diverging paths of the righteous and the ungodly.
Matthew 13:41-42Jesus describes how 'at the end of the age the angels will come out and draw out the wicked from among the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace,' illustrating the active role of angels in separating and dealing with the wicked, similar to the pursuit described in the Psalm.
Luke 22:31-32Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat, but Jesus has prayed for him, showing that even when the 'angel of the LORD' (or Satan in this instance) is allowed to pursue or test, God's sovereign hand is at work, and the ultimate outcome is for the good of the faithful, a different but related concept to God's judgment against the wicked.
calvinPsalms 35:4-7: "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."
- Let those who seek my soul be confounded and put to shame; and let those who devise my hurt be turned back, and brought to confusion. 5. Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah thrust [or impel] them. [705] 6. Let their way be darkness and slipperiness, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them. 7. For they have hid…
clarkePsalms 35:6: "Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them."
Let their way be dark - Let them lose their way, be entangled in morasses and thickets, and be confounded in all their attempts to injure me. All these phrases are military; and relate to ambushes, hidden snares, forced marches in order to surprise, and stratagems of different kinds.
The "angel of the LORD" here isn't just a figure of judgment, but actively pursues the wicked, causing their path to become disorienting and treacherous. It highlights how God's justice can actively destabilize and confuse those who plot against His people, making their own schemes backfire.
David is praying for God to intervene against his enemies who are actively plotting against him. He's asking God to turn their malicious schemes back on them, making their escape or pursuit disorienting and dangerous. The verses immediately following detail his innocence and the "causeless" nature of their attacks, highlighting the injustice he faces.
David is praying for God to intervene against his enemies who are actively plotting against him. He's asking God to turn their malicious schemes back on them, making their escape or pursuit disorienting and dangerous. The verses immediately following detail his innocence and the "causeless" nature of their attacks, highlighting the injustice he faces.
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It's a vivid picture of how God can turn the tables, making the enemy's own actions and attempts at destruction lead to their downfall.
c. 1000 BC
David Establishes Jerusalem
David captures Jerusalem and makes it his capital, consolidating his rule over Israel and solidifying his position as king.
"Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them!" — The "angel of the LORD" here isn't just a figure of judgment, but actively pursues the wicked, causing their path to become disorienting and treacherous. It highlights how God's justice can activel…
