Bible Strands

Psalms 35:15

But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The psalmist speaks to God, describing the moment his enemies rejoiced at his stumble and gathered to attack him. This occurs immediately after his mourning for a friend or brother and before the mockery of godless jesters at a feast.

The words — The Hebrew word צַלְעִי (tzal'I) translates literally to "my stumbling," marking the catalyst for the enemy's reaction. The verb שָׂמְחוּ (sa.me.Chu) means "they rejoiced," directly contrasting the psalmist's grief with the crowd's malicious celebration.

The thread — This pattern of hostile gathering at a person's downfall echoes Jeremiah 20:10, where trusted friends whisper terror and report him, and Mark 14:65, where opponents blindfold, strike, and mock Jesus. The motif of unprovoked slander and violent assembly also appears in Psalm 7:2, where foes tear like a lion.

Why it lands — It demands recognition that suffering often triggers not compassion but coordinated hostility from those who claim familiarity. It requires the reader to separate the reality of their pain from the malicious narratives others construct around it.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּבְצַלְעִי֮u./ve./tzal.'/Iand/ at/ stumbling/ myשָׂמְח֪וּsa.me.Chuthey rejoicedוְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּve./ne.'E.Sa.fuand/ they gatheredנֶאֶסְפ֬וּne.'es.Futhey gatheredעָלַ֣י'a.La/ion/ meנֵ֭כִיםNe.khimsmitten [people]וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ notיָדַ֑עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI knewקָֽרְע֥וּka.re.'Uthey toreוְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ notדָֽמּוּ׃Da.muthey were still

King James Version

But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

Cross-references