“Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.”
The psalmist requests that the enemies be driven before God like chaff before the wind, with God's angel pursuing them. The image of chaff suggests the utter insignificance and worthlessness of the enemies when confronted by God's power. The verb 'pursue' suggests that God's angel does not merely deflect but actively drives the enemies away. The metaphor of wind power emphasizes that the enemies' destruction comes not from human force but from divine intervention. This verse suggests that when God acts, the enemies become as insignificant as chaff blown away by wind.
Church Fathers on Psalms 35:5
1. ...The title of it causes us no delay, for it is both brief, and to be understood not difficult, especially to those nursed in the Church of God. For so it is, “To David himself.” The Psalm then is to David himself: now David is interpreted, Strong in hand, or Desirable. The Psalm then is to the Strong in hand, and Desirable, to Him who for us has overcome death, who unto us has promised life: for in this is He Strong in hand, that He has overcome death for us; in this is…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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