תהלים, פרק ל״ה, פסוק י״ט

King David offers a piercing prayer to be spared from the cruel satisfaction of those who wish him harm. His plea is not merely a cry for physical rescue, but a deep spiritual request that his suffering should not become an occasion for his opponents to sin through malicious joy [אלשיך]. He faces a dual front of people plotting against him though he is entirely innocent, and he asks that God deny them the pleasure of celebrating at his expense [מצודת ציון]. This is a twofold request: that God prevent both their outright celebration and their subtle gestures of mockery [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].

A careful distinction is drawn between two types of adversaries: enemies and haters. Enemies harbor open hostility, which typically stems from a real conflict or actual harm done. Because their animosity is public, they naturally tend to celebrate a person's downfall openly. In this case, however, their hostility is entirely false, as David never did anything to wrong them [מלבי״ם]. Haters, on the other hand, conceal their resentment in their hearts. This hidden hatred usually arises when someone perceives a flaw or fault in another. Because they do not act openly, they avoid public displays of joy and instead rely on subtle hints. Yet, David emphasizes that these people hate him absolutely without cause, lacking any justified reason for their feelings [מלבי״ם].

The exact nature of the falsehood displayed by these enemies is understood in a few ways. The primary approach among commentators is that they simply pursue him for no reason, making their enmity completely baseless. Another perspective suggests that their falsehood takes the form of fabricated accusations; they testify falsely against him and accuse him of evil intentions that never even crossed his mind [רש״י, מאירי]. A different view presents these enemies as hypocrites who previously pretended to be his friends. They masked their hatred with lies, making their sudden outburst of hostility entirely unexpected [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

To express their contempt, these baseless haters communicate by winking or subtly narrowing their eyes. Commentators agree that this gesture is meant to convey mockery, scorn, and a cruel satisfaction in his troubles. Since they have no legitimate complaint against him, they do not dare speak badly of him out loud, settling instead for secretive winks shared among themselves [אלשיך]. Beyond mere mockery, this winking also serves as a hidden method of communication, allowing them to secretly scheme and weave constant plots against him [מאירי].