Psalm 35 (34):21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Initially, with their deceptive glances, these lions sought to violate and consume; they spoke of peace in a friendly manner before their anger began to brew covertly. What sort of peace were they proclaiming? Teacher, we know that You do not regard man and teach the way of God with honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? They were uttering what they claimed was peace. What then? Were You not aware of them, and did they not mislead You with their winks? Truly, He recognized them; thus, He replied, Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? (Matt. 22:16-18) Then they raised their voices against Him, shouting, Crucify Him, crucify Him! (Luke 23:21) They jeered, Aha, aha, we have witnessed it. They mocked Him further, saying, Aha, Aha, prophesy to us, You are the Christ. (Matt.

I serve the Lord. He perceives the insults spoken at the cross. They exclaim, "Wonderful, wonderful, we have witnessed it," as if it were their desire for the task to be completed with Christ affixed to the tree. Yet, those who take pleasure in the anguish of the just do so willingly.

Upon realizing the presence of evil intentions, they eventually revealed a concealed animosity and openly celebrated my suffering.

He indicates that not only did Saul's supporters conspire against me in secret, but they also later condemned me openly with brazen words, lacking any modesty. For someone who seeks not to be understood by another speaks discreetly with pursed lips and a closed mouth. This expression has been a well-known exclamation used joyfully by those who have attained something pleasant and sought after. It is reiterated here to emphasize the overwhelming satisfaction and happiness felt by Saul's admirers. They, he notes, witnessing my struggles and hardships in the mountains and caves, exclaimed with this expression of joy: ευγε, ευγε, which translates to, It is good, it is good!

What incredible endurance, accompanied by ultimate glory! Could He not have descended from the cross alive, causing His foes to be confounded, He who rose from the grave on the third day? Yet it was not appropriate for divine goodness to react to the taunts of the scornful, for they would experience even greater shame when all the prophetic announcements came to pass.

In this passage, the Prophet emphasizes the truth of his earlier remarks regarding his adversaries, who feigned goodwill toward him. He reveals that these foes, who had once shown him affection and mourned alongside him during the misfortunes they had deceitfully orchestrated, began to boast with open lips, celebrating and declaring that they had finally achieved their long-sought goal. Truly, our eyes have witnessed goodness. This scenario was not only applicable to David but also to Christ, as depicted in the Gospels. His enemies, the Jews, outwardly expressed peace when they remarked, ‘We see that you are true, and you truly teach the way of God’ (Matthew 22:16). Yet, beneath their words lay a scheme of deceit. However, when they witnessed Him crucified, they reviled Him even more, shouting, ‘O you who destroy the temple and build it in three days’ (Matthew 27:40 and Mark 15:29)!

The wicked Jews opened their mouths in derision, exclaiming, "Indeed, you who are demolishing the sanctuary and reconstructing it in three days, save others; save not yourself. Come down from the cross so that we may believe" (Mk. 15:29-30).