Bible Commentary

Psalms 35:8

The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 35:8

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

Let destruction come upon him at unawares; i.e. let the evil happen to him that he designed against others. As he sought to catch others in traps of which they knew nothing (), so let an unexpected destruction come upon him.

And let his net that he hath hid catch himself (comp. , ; ; ). It is the perfection of poetic justice when "the engineer" is "hoist by his own petard." Into that very destruction lot him fall; rather, for destruction let him fall therein; i.

e. let him not only fall into his own trap, but let his fall prove his destruction. David's imprecations have always something about them from which the Christian shrinks; and this is particularly the case when he asks for his enemies' destruction.

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