Psalms 35:11 (KJV)

What does Psalms 35:11 mean?

Psalms 35:11 describes a speaker confronted by false witnesses who accuse him about matters he knows nothing about. The verse presents him as the target of an attack carried out through testimony and questioning rather than physical force.

The language brings a hearing or courtroom to mind: witnesses rise and challenge the speaker. The shift is sharp after verse 10, where the speaker praises God for rescue from a stronger attacker.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 35:11

• “False” — חָמָס (ḥamas): This word often means violence or wrongdoing. With “witnesses,” it gives their testimony a sense of harm and injustice as well as falsehood.
• “laid to my charge” — שָׁאַל (sha’al): This word often means to ask or question. The KJV presents the questioning as an accusation, making the witnesses’ challenge sound like a charge against the speaker.
• “knew” — יָדַע (yada‘): This word commonly means to know or be aware of something. The speaker’s words stress his lack of knowledge about the matters raised against him.

Why Psalms 35:11 matters

• The speaker describes more than a private disagreement. “Witnesses” suggests that other people are being asked to accept the claims against him.
• The accusation belongs to a larger pattern of hostility. In verse 12, the speaker says that his opponents reward him “evil for good,” even though he had grieved when they were sick in verses 13–14.