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Psalm 35:28 meaning

David concludes Psalm 35 with a promise and invitation to his readers to join him in declaring and praising the LORD for his righteousness all day long. 

Psalm 35 is a prayer of David made to the LORD, imploring Him for rescue from enemies who unjustly seek David's destruction. This verse marks David the psalmist's third praise of Psalm 35. It also concludes the entire psalm.

Psalm 35 is outlined as follows:

  • First Litany (Psalm 35:1-8)
  • First Praise (Psalm 35:9-10)
  • Second Litany (Psalm 35:11-17
  • Second Praise (Psalm 35:18)   
  • Third Litany (Psalm 35:19-27)   
  • Third Praise (Psalm 35:28)   

Psalm 35:28 as David's Prayer

David concludes His psalm with a promise of praise.

And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long (v 28).

He promises to join the chorus of those who continually say: "Let the LORD be Magnified" (Psalm 35:27). 

The expression—my tongue shall declare—means that David will vocalize through speech or song these declarations of Your righteousness. He will not only declare them within his heart, he will express them openly. 

In his personal praise of God, notice how even though David has been vindicated as being found upright according to the LORD's righteousness (Psalm 35:24, 27), he does not declare his own righteousness. Rather his tongue shall declare Your (the LORD's) righteousness. David's goal is to follow in God's ways rather than to insist God follow his ways and rationalize his own behavior. This is a way in which David's heart reflects a heart after God's own heart, which is a primary reason God chose David to be king over His people (1 Samuel 13:14). 

David promises to proclaim Your (the LORD's) praise all day long

In other words, the LORD's righteousness will be the topic and theme of David's conversations all day long. The thing David shall talk most about is the LORD's righteousness.  

Interestingly, the final expression of Psalm 35 is similar to the first expression of Psalm 34

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
(Psalm 34:1)

David's conclusion to Psalm 35 is not so much a Messianic prophecy as it is an invitation to worship the LORD. May our tongues also declare His righteousness and praise Him in our conversations all day long

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