_David prayeth to be delivered from his enemies: he complaineth of their cruelty: he trusteth in God: he prayeth_ [_or prophesieth_] _against them: he praiseth God._ To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. _TITLE._ תשׁחת אל _AL TA... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIGHTY ARE GATHERED AGAINST ME— _The mighty are turned aside to lay snares against me._ See Psalms 56:6. Chandler.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY RUN AND PREPARE THEMSELVES— i.e. Diligently and eagerly set about my destruction.... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT MERCIFUL TO ANY WICKED TRANSGRESSORS— Literally, _the prevaricators of wickedness; i.e._ such as are guilty of great treachery and perfidiousness.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY RETURN AT EVENING— Saul sent once to destroy him, and the messengers went back to inform him that he was ill; but they returned in the evening, to bring him even in his bed. Mudge renders it, _They come about every evening._ The verb rendered, _make a noise,_ in the next clause, is used to deno... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BELCH OUT— The original verb בעה _bangah,_ properly signifies the bubbling noise of water rising out of a spring. Hence it is used in a good and bad sense of what is uttered by the mouth, according as that is good or evil. In the good sense we have it, Proverbs 1:23. In the place before us, it... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE OF HIS STRENGTH, &C.— Cocceius in his Lexicon gives the expression this turn; _I, whose strength is in Thee, will observe,_ namely, how my God will act; or _I will observe, and expect his aid;_ which agrees well with the following words, _God is my defence._ But I think the more easy and nat... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD SHALL LET ME SEE, &C.— The word rendered _enemies_ in this verse properly signifies _insidious men,_ who craftily observed and lay in wait for him. David says, _God will cause me to see amongst them, i.e._ to discover their plots and contrivances to ruin me; that they may not prove fatal to me;... [ Continue Reading ]
SLAY THEM NOT, &C.— _Wilt thou not cut them off? Lest my people forget thee, cause them to shake by thy power, and bring them down to destruction, O Lord, our shield._ Chandler.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE SIN OF THEIR MOUTH, &C.— _The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips; and they shall be taken in their pride, and for perjury and lying which they speak._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AT EVENING LET THEM RETURN— This is a repetition of the 6th verse, but is to be understood in a different sense: The 6th verse is a real complaint of their fury and diligence in pursuing him; here he speaks of them with a kind of indifference and contempt; and as free from any apprehension of da... [ Continue Reading ]