What Does Psalm 35:21 Mean in the King James?

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

Psalm 35:21 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The Hebrew says they did not merely open their mouths against him; they widened them, making accusation itself take up space.

THE MEANING

The verse names the moment others make an accusation feel settled: their mouths widen against the reader, and they claim their eyes have seen enough. Their certainty turns looking into a public verdict, but confidence is not proof. The reader is exposed to that claim without being defined by it.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

Being watched and accused with certainty does not mean the accusation has been proven.

THE ROOT

וַיַּרְחִיבוּ

wayyarchivu

GROWS FROM

רחב

To be broad or wide; in this verb form, to make wide.

“opened wide” in this verse is wayyarchivu. The verb pictures them making their mouths broad against the speaker; accusation takes up space. The same root also names a broad place, so the widening here is not spaciousness itself but expansion turned against someone.

ALSO GROWS

merḥav: Broad place, open space.

מֶרְחָב

This branch shows the root can name room to move; Psalm 18:19 uses it for the broad place the speaker is brought into.

reḥov: Street or open place.

רְחֹב

This branch carries the sense of breadth into a public space, echoing how the accusers make their claim public.

THE PATTERN

Hostile observers turn what they claim to see into a public verdict and make contempt audible.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

Psalm 22:7 · KJVThose who look at the speaker turn their gaze into scorn and make it public through gesture and speech.

They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

Job 16:10 · KJVThe gaping mouths and gathered attackers make contempt a collective assault.

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

Matthew 27:39 · KJVPassersby turn their view of the sufferer into open public ridicule.

THE THREAD

He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:19 · KJV

The root ⁨רחב⁩, “to be broad or make wide,” appears here in “a large place” (⁨מֶרְחָב⁩, merḥav). In Psalm 35, mouths widen against the speaker; here, the same root names the space into which the speaker is brought.

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