Psalms 35:22
in Psalms 35O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou hast seen it, O Jehovah; keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
KJV
This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
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This verse in Psalms 35
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"This thou hast seen, O Lord." Here is comfort. Our heavenly Father knows all our sorrow. Omniscience is the saint's candle which never goes out. A father will not long endure to see his child abused. Shall not God avenge his own elect? "Keep not silence." Rebuke thine enemies and mine, O Lord. A word will do it. Clear my character, comfort my heart. "O Lord, be not far from me." Walk the furnace with me. Stand in the pillory at my side.
This site's exposition
You have seen it
on Psalms 35:22-24
The enemies had just said their own eyes had seen, and verse 22 answers that God has seen it. Awake and rise to my defense asks God to take up the case as a judge takes a cause. Vindication is asked by Your righteousness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
What a wonderful patience there was in him who was the greatest Majesty! Was he unable to descend alive from … the cross to put his enemies to shame, if after dying he rose from the tomb on the third day? But it was not …
"This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence" [Psalm 35:22]. What is, "keep not silence"? Judge Thou. For of judgment is it said in a certain place, "I have kept silence; shall I keep silence for ever?" And of the delaying of judgment it is said to the sinner, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence;" "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." How keepeth He silence, who speaketh by the Prophets, who speaketh with His own mouth in the Gospel, who speaketh by the Evangelists, who speaketh by us, when we speak the truth? What then? He keepeth silence from judgment, not from precept, not from doctrine. But this His judgment the Prophet in a manner invoketh, and predicteth: "Thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence;" that is, Thou wilt not keep silence, needs must that Thou wilt judge. "O Lord, be not far from Me." Until Thy judgment come, be not far from Me, as Thou hast promised, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
The Medieval Church1 voice
"You have seen." Above, the Psalmist set forth the root of insult, which was their malice; here he removes that root, or cause, by imploring God's judgment. Regarding which he sets forth three things. First, that the knowledge necessary for judgment has preceded. Second, he …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This - Thou also hast seen, all their plots and threats, and all my distresses and calamities. Keep not - Be not deaf, to my prayers. The same word signifies, both to be silent, and to be deaf.
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
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), as if I were a stranger that thou wert not concerned for; let not me beheld afar off, as the proud are." 2. He prays that his enemies might not have cause to rejoice (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+odd-straight-quotes
This - Thou also hast seen, all their plots and threats, and all my distresses and calamities. Keep not - Be not deaf, to my prayers. The same word signifies, both to be silent, and to be deaf.
This thou hast seen, O Lord,.... The insults and derisions of these men, and the injuries they did to him, whom they hated.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
"This thou hast seen, O Lord." Here is comfort. Our heavenly Father knows all our sorrow. Omniscience is the saint's candle which never goes out. A father will not long endure to see his child abused. Shall not God avenge his own elect? "Keep not silence." Rebuke thine enemies and mine, O Lord. A word will do it. Clear my character, comfort my heart. "O Lord, be not far from me." Walk the furnace with me. Stand in the pillory at my side.
This thou hast seen - I have no need to adduce evidences of these wrongs; thou, to whom I appeal, hast seen them. Therefore,
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This thou hast seen, O Lord - Thou hast seen what they have done, as they profess to have seen what I have done Psa 35:21. Thine eye has been upon all their movements, as they say that theirs has been upon mine. Compare the notes at Psa 35:17. Keep not silence - That is, Speak; rebuke them; punish them. God seemed to look on with unconcern. As we express it, he “said nothing.” He appeared to pay no attention to what was done, but suffered them to do as they pleased without interposing to rebuke or check them. Compare the notes at Psa 28:1. O Lord, be not far from me - Compare the notes at Psa 10:1.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רָאִ֣יתָה | raitah | you have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁ | techerash | you be silent | H2790 → | 74 times |
| אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י | ʾadonai | O Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| אֲל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּרְחַ֥ק | tirchak | you be distant | H7368 → | 57 times |
| מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | mimeni | from me | H4480 → | 1188 times |
רָאִ֣יתָהyou have seen
raitahH7200 →1300 times
יְ֭הוָהO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁyou be silent
techerashH2790 →74 times
אֲ֝דֹנָ֗יO Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
אֲל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּרְחַ֥קyou be distant
tirchakH7368 →57 times
מִמֶּֽנִּי׃from me
mimeniH4480 →1188 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
Exodus 3:7The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- Psalms 106:44
Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
- Exodus 2:23–25
After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
- Psalms 34:6
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
- Nehemiah 9:9
You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.
- Psalms 145:19
Through
Psalms 10:1Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
it leads to
- Psalms 22:1
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 22:1
Through
Psalms 28:1To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my Rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit.
it leads to
- Psalms 143:7
Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.
- Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Psalms 143:7
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, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 35; Cassiodorus, EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 35:21; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.