The Meaning of Psalms 35:20 Explained

Psalms 35:20

KJV: For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

YLT: For they speak not peace, And against the quiet of the land, Deceitful words they devise,

Darby: For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.

ASV: For they speak not peace; But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For they speak  not peace:  but they devise  deceitful  matters  against [them that are] quiet  in the land. 

What does Psalms 35:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 35:18-28 - An Appeal To The Righteous Judge
Psalms 35:20 : "The Quiet in the Land" was the title adopted by holy men and women in Germany, during long dark days when religion was under an eclipse. It is beautifully appropriate to those whose life is "hid with Christ in God." "We are in Him that is true," Colossians 3:1-4; 1 John 5:20.
Psalms 35:24 : Judge me, O Lord! What a comfort it is to appeal from the judgments of men to the bar of God! We know that the soul's Advocate there will plead its cause with the eloquence of love. His interposition and vindication will clear us. God has seen! God will not keep silence! He is not far away!
Psalms 35:27-28 : We desire that others should join us in praise. "One seraph cried to another" in Isaiah's vision. There should be a holy emulation in thanksgiving. Oh, that the resolution of the psalmist might characterize us all; and that all our days might be full of praise, instead of the constant murmuring and complaining which are so rife even among God's children! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 35

1  David prays for his own safety, and his enemies' confusion
11  He complains of their wrongful dealing
22  Thereby he incites God against them

What do the individual words in Psalms 35:20 mean?

for not peace they do speak but Against the quiet ones in the land Matters deceitful they devise
כִּ֤י לֹ֥א שָׁל֗וֹם יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ וְעַ֥ל רִגְעֵי־ אֶ֑רֶץ דִּבְרֵ֥י מִ֝רְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן

שָׁל֗וֹם  peace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ  they  do  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וְעַ֥ל  but  Against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רִגְעֵי־  the  quiet  ones 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: רָגֵעַ  
Sense: restful, quiet.
אֶ֑רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
דִּבְרֵ֥י  Matters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
מִ֝רְמוֹת  deceitful 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מִרְמָה  
Sense: deceit, treachery.
יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן  they  devise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.