תהלים, פרק ל״ה, פסוק כ״ה

A desperate plea is directed to God to prevent those who harbor hostility from experiencing any sense of triumph. The prayer asks to deny the attackers both the secret satisfaction of a perceived moral victory and the public celebration of total ruin.

The initial hope is that the adversaries will be unable to rejoice over their victim's downfall, even within the privacy of their own minds. The primary approach among commentators is that the enemies desire to cheer and feel a deep sense of gladness in their souls. This private joy is often rooted in a false sense of self-righteousness. The attackers convince themselves that their motives are pure and justified, viewing the one they attack as a sinner who deserves to suffer [אלשיך].

Beyond this internal satisfaction, the prayer also addresses the threat of physical ruin. The plea asks that the enemies be prevented from claiming that they have completely ruined, destroyed, and swallowed up their target [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Commentators notice a clear division between these two requests, offering different ways to understand the dual nature of the threat. One perspective contrasts private thought with public speech. The first focus is on the quiet, internal joy held within the heart, while the second deals with loud, public boasting and the verbal declaration of victory [אבן עזרא, אלשיך].

Another perspective views the prayer as addressing two distinct groups of adversaries or two different levels of danger. The initial plea targets those who merely seek to humiliate their victim or feel a sense of moral superiority, without necessarily desiring to cause physical harm. In contrast, the second plea is directed against far more dangerous enemies who actively seek the victim's death and complete destruction [מלבי״ם, אלשיך].