Psalms 35:21
in Psalms 35They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me; They said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
KJV
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
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This verse in Psalms 35
Commentary
13 notes on this verseJerome has, "in the plunder of the earth, mocking words." He who mocks someone does two things: because such words distress the one mocked and gladden the mocker; and therefore he says, "they opened wide their mouth against me," as if boldly and gladly speaking …
This site's exposition
those who hate me without reason
on Psalms 35:19-21
At John 15:25 Jesus takes the words They hated Me without reason as written in their Law. The phrase stands here and at Psalm 69:4. Verse 20 says they do not speak peace and aim their schemes at people living quietly in the land.
This site's exposition
They gape at me
Adam Clarke heard the Hebrew cry as a drawn-out guttural sound of insult and triumph together. Albert Barnes took our eyes have seen as the claim of men who have caught someone in the act and need no other witness. John Gill linked the gaping mouths to Psalm 22:7.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Yea they opened their mouth wide against Me" [Psalm 35:21]. First winking with their eyes, those lions sought to ravish and devour; first fawning they spoke peace, and then with wrath devised craftily. Afterward, "they opened their mouth wide against Me," crying, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him! [Luke 23:21] and said, Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it." This, when they insulted Him, "Aha, Aha, Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ." [Matthew 26:68] As their peace was pretended when they tempted Him concerning the money, so now insulting was their praise. "They said, Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it" [Psalm 35:21]: that is, Your deeds, Your miracles. This Man is the Christ. "If He be the Christ, let Him come down from the Cross, and we will believe Him. He saved others, Himself He cannot save." "Our eyes have seen it." This is all whereof He boasted Himself, when "He called Himself the Son of God." [John 19:7] But the Lord was hanging patient upon the Cross: His power had He not lost, but He showed His patience. For what great thing was it for Him to come down from the Cross, who could afterward rise again from the sepulchre? But He seems to have yielded to His insulters; and this, beloved, that having risen again He should show Himself to His own, and not to them, and this is a great mystery; for His resurrection signified the New Life, but the New Life is known to His friends, not to His enemies.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me,.... In laughter, scorn, and derision; see Psa 22:7; and said, Aha, aha: a word expressive of joy; and the doubling it shows the greatness of it; our eye hath seen it; what their heart wished for; namely, the distress of him, whose enemies they were.
): They opened their mouth wide against me; they shouted and huzzaed when they saw his fall; they bawled after him when he was forced to quit the court, "Aha! aha! this is the day we longed to see." 4. They were very barbarous and base, for they trampled upon him when he was down, rejoiced at his hurt, and magnified themselves against him,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the L ORD : it shall rejoice in his salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, L ORD , 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?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:92%@v9-10
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
"Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me." As if they would swallow him. Uttering great lies which needed wide mouths. They set no bounds to their infamous charges, but poured out wholesale abuse, trusting that if all did not stick, some of it would. "And said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it." Glad to find out a fault or a misfortune, or to swear they had seen evil where there was none. Malice has but one eye; it is blind to all virtue in its enemy. Eyes can generally see what hearts wish.
5 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
On the gesture compare Ps 22:7; and on the expressions of malicious triumph, compare Ps 10:13; God's righteous government is the hope of the pious and terror of the wicked.
"Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me." As if they would swallow him. Uttering great lies which needed wide mouths. They set no bounds to their infamous charges, but poured out wholesale abuse, trusting that if all did not stick, some of it would. "And said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it." Glad to find out a fault or a misfortune, or to swear they had seen evil where there was none. Malice has but one eye; it is blind to all virtue in its enemy. Eyes can generally see what hearts wish. A man with a mote in his eye sees a spot in the sun. How like a man is to an ass when he brays over another's misfortunes! how like to a devil when he laughs a hyaena-laugh over a good man's slips! Malice is folly, and when it holds a festival its tones and gestures far exceed all the freaks and mummeries of the Lord of misrule.
"Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me." As if they would swallow him. Uttering great lies which needed wide mouths. They set no bounds to their infamous charges, but poured out wholesale abuse, trusting that if all did not stick, some of it would. "And said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it." Glad to find out a fault or a misfortune, or to swear they had seen evil where there was none. Malice has but one eye; it is blind to all virtue in its enemy. Eyes can generally see what hearts wish.
They opened their mouth wide - Gaped upon me to express their contempt. And said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it - They said, האח האח heach, heach, the last syllable in each word being a protracted strongly guttural sound, marking insult and triumph at the same time. It is the word which we translate Ah, Psa 35:25.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me - See the notes at Psa 22:13. And said, Aha, aha! - See Psa 40:15; Psa 70:3. The language is that which we use when we “detect” another in doing wrong - in doing what he meant to conceal. Our eye hath seen it - We are not dependent on the reports of others. We have seen it with our own eyes. We have found you out. We cannot be mistaken in regard to it.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּ | vaiyarchivu | and they have opened wide | H7337 → | 25 times |
| עָלַ֗י | ʾalai | on me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פִּ֫יהֶ֥ם | pihem | mouth their | H6310 → | 498 times |
| אָ֭מְרוּ | ʾameru | they have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֶאָ֣ח׀ | heach | aha! | H1889 → | 12 times |
| הֶאָ֑ח | heach | aha! | H1889 → | 12 times |
| רָאֲתָ֥ה | raatah | it has seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| עֵינֵֽינוּ׃ | ʾeineinu | eyes our | H5869 → | 887 times |
וַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּand they have opened wide
vaiyarchivuH7337 →25 times
עָלַ֗יon me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
פִּ֫יהֶ֥םmouth their
pihemH6310 →498 times
אָ֭מְרוּthey have said
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
הֶאָ֣ח׀aha!
heachH1889 →12 times
הֶאָ֑חaha!
heachH1889 →12 times
רָאֲתָ֥הit has seen
raatahH7200 →1300 times
עֵינֵֽינוּ׃eyes our
ʾeineinuH5869 →887 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 54:7For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eyes have stared down my foes.
it leads to
- Psalms 59:10
My God of loving devotion will come to meet me; God will let me stare down my foes.
- Psalms 92:11
My eyes see the downfall of my enemies; my ears hear the wailing of my wicked foes.
- Psalms 112:8
His heart is assured; he does not fear, until he looks in triumph on his foes.
- Psalms 118:7
The LORD is on my side; He is my helper. Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
- 2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
- Psalms 59:10
Through
Psalms 40:15May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
it leads to
- Psalms 35:25
Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 35:25
Through
Psalms 22:13They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- 1 Peter 5:8
Through
Psalms 70:3May those who say, “Aha, aha!” retreat because of their shame.
it leads to
- Psalms 40:15
May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
- Psalms 40:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 35; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.