VII. In this psalm we seem to be once more on sure historical ground. It not only breathes the feeling when David and his outlawed band were daily evading the snares laid for them by the emissaries of Saul, but seems to refer pointedly to the two most romantic incidents in all that romantic period... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THEE DO I PUT MY TRUST. — Or, _in_ _thee have I taken refuge. _... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST HE TEAR. — The poet turns from the thought of his enemies generally to the one who has just made himself conspicuous. Such a change from plural to singular often occurs in the Psalms. (Comp. Psalms 41:5.) RENDING IT IN PIECES. — The LXX., followed by the Vulg. (so too the Syriac), take the ver... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS — _i.e., this with which I am charged_ — the Benjamite’s slander. IF THERE BE INIQUITY. — A comparison with 1 Samuel 24:12, and still more 1 Samuel 26:18, shows how closely this psalm is connected with the two notorious instances of David’s magnanimous and generous conduct towards Saul.... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, I HAVE — _i.e., on the contrary, so far from returning evil for good, I have returned good for evil._ With allusion, there can be little doubt, to the incidents referred to in the last Note. From metrical reasons, and also to avoid the abruptness of the change of construction, Ewald conjectures... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE ENEMY. — Better, _let an enemy._ PERSECUTE. — Literally, _burn._ (See Note on Psalms 10:2.) TREAD. — Used of a potter treading the clay (Isaiah 41:25); of the trampling of horses (Ezekiel 26:11); of a herd trampling down their pasture (Ezekiel 34:28). DUST. — Either as Psalms 22:15, “the... [ Continue Reading ]
In the rapid succession of abrupt utterance of feeling in ejaculations, we see the excitement of the poet’s mind. OF THE RAGE. — Better, _against the rage,_ unless we may correct to “in _thy_ rage.” The LXX. and Vulg. read, “in the ends of,” which Jerome explains as meaning, “exalt thyself by makin... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SHALL. — This clause is also in the optative: “let the communities of peoples be gathered round thee.” FOR THEIR SAKES. — Rather, _over or above it,_ as in LXX. The poet has a vision of judgment. Jehovah summons the nations, arranges them at His tribunal, and then returns to His high throne to p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SHALL. — Better, _Jehovah judgeth the nations._ Everything is complete, and the work of judgment begins. The poet prays that his sentence may be according to his own consciousness of righteousness and integrity. Of this plea of innocence Jerome says, “David could not say this; this properly... [ Continue Reading ]
ESTABLISH. — Literally, _let him stand erect._ FOR THE RIGHTEOUS GOD TRIETH. — Better, _thou trier of hearts and reins, thou just God._ The Hebrew word translated _try_ is used, like it, for testing metals (Psalms 12:6; Proverbs 17:3).... [ Continue Reading ]
MY DEFENCE. — Literally, as in margin, _my shield is upon God._ (Comp. Psalms 62:7, “In God is my salvation,” where the Hebrew is as here, “God is my shield-bearer.”) Another explanation appears in Milton’s translation — “On God is cast My defence, and in Him lies, In Him who both just and wise, S... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD JUDGETH. — The two clauses answer to each other; so the margin, “God is a righteous judge, and God avengeth every day.” LXX., “God is a just judge, and strong and longsuffering, not letting loose his anger every day.” Vulg., “Still is he not angry with the wicked?” Syriac, “God is the judge of r... [ Continue Reading ]
IF HE TURN NOT. — The Hebrew is doubly idiomatic. Translate _surely_ (see Hebrews 3:11, with Note in _New Testament Commentary_)_, He will again whet His sword._ It is true that the verb _to turn_ in the sense of _repetition_ usually precedes the other verb immediately, without, as here, any other w... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTRUMENTS OF DEATH. — That is, _deadly weapons._ AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS. — Literally, _for those burning;_ so LXX. and Vulg. The meaning appears to be, “His arrows he makes into fiery arrows” — _i.e.,_ tips them with fire, by wrapping them in burning tow. Latin, _malleoli._ (Comp. Ephesians 6:16... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HE TRAVAILETH. — The poet’s thought recurs to the calumniator, whose sin has deserved all this Divine wrath, and he sees the truth that God’s judgments are not arbitrary, but follow naturally on sin as its consequence. The verb “travaileth” gives the general figure, which is elaborated in th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH MADE. — Better, _he digged a pit, and hollowed it out._ Milton: “He digged a pit, and delved it deep.” (15) PATE. — A word retained from Coverdale’s translation, and common in the Elizabethan age. In Shakespeare it is frequent — “My invention Comes from my pate, As bird-lime does from fri... [ Continue Reading ]