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Psalm 35:21
Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
19Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
20For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
22You have seen it, LORD. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.
23Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!
Notice
The repeated “Aha! Aha!” exposes the cruelty of accusers who take pleasure in their claims, while the surrounding prayer appeals to what God has seen.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What difference do you hear between the enemies’ claim to have seen and David’s appeal to God?
Write on thisWhen, if ever, have you heard an accusation delivered with the delight of “Aha! Aha!”?
Write on thisConnect
Where else Scripture says this
11 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Lamentations 2:16All your enemies have opened their mouth wide against you. They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, “We have swallowed her up. Certainly this is the day that …Both passages describe enemies opening their mouths wide against someone and claiming, with delight, to have seen what they wanted.
Psalm 22:13They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.Both describe mouths opened wide against the speaker; Psalm 22 compares that threat to lions tearing prey and roaring.
Luke 11:53–54As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him,Both portray verbal hostility toward one person, though Luke describes angry questioning rather than the triumphant taunt heard in the psalm.
Psalm 40:15Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”The same taunt, “Aha! Aha!”, appears in both psalms; Psalm 40 asks that those speaking it face shame and desolation.
Psalm 70:3Let them be turned because of their shame who say, “Aha! Aha!”Both name the taunt “Aha! Aha!”, with Psalm 70 asking that those who say it be turned because of their shame.
Psalm 10:3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns the LORD.The shared thread is arrogant speech: Psalm 35 records gloating accusers, while Psalm 10 describes the wicked boasting and condemning the LORD.
Isaiah 57:4Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood,Both link a wide-open mouth with mockery, and Isaiah also names falsehood among those doing the mocking.
Job 16:10They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.Both speakers describe mouths opened against them; Job’s account adds a blow to the cheek and people gathering against him.
Job 30:11For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.Both describe people acting against an afflicted speaker, though Job’s verse names discarded restraint without repeating the psalm’s taunt.
Isaiah 9:12The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is …Both use an open mouth to portray hostility; Psalm 35 describes accusing speech, while Isaiah describes nations devouring Israel.
Ezekiel 26:2“Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken! She who was the gateway of the peoples has been returned to me. I will be …Both record the cry “Aha!” against another; Ezekiel identifies Tyre’s delight in Jerusalem’s ruin and its hope of gain.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. work conflict. broken friendship.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The taunt remains cruel, and David still waits for defense. Yet his accusers’ claim to have seen everything does not settle the truth. God has seen what happened.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).