1. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The correctness of this title is abundantly established by the marked internal similarity between this and other psalms of David. Its very structure is Davidic, exhibiting the two familiar elements of a prayer for deliverance from wicked enemies, ver. 2-6 (1-5), and a confident anticipation of a favourable answer, ver. 7-11 (6-10).
2 (1). Hear, 0 God, my voice in my complaint; from fear of the enemy thou wilt preserve my life. Here, as in Ps. liv. 3 (1), the expression of confidence insinuates itself into the prayer itself. Complaint, literally musing, meditation, but with special reference to suffering and danger. See above, on Ps. lv. 3 (2). Fear of the enemy, that which I have reason to fear fi-om him.
8 (2). Thou wilt hide me from the secret of evil doers, from the tumult of the workers of iniquity. By sec7-et we are here to understand their confidential consultations and the devices there matured. See above, on Ps. xxv. 14. The participle doing evil, used as a noun (evil doers) to describe the whole class of wicked men, is a favom-ite expression of David’s. See above, Ps. xxii. 17 (16), xxvi. 5, xxvii. 2, xxxvii. 1, 9. As secrecy belongs to the formation of the plot, so does noise or tumult to its execution. The same figures are combined, but in a very different application, Ps. lv. 15 (14).
4 (3). Who have sharpened^ like the sword, their tongue, have strung their arrow, hitter speech. The figure in the first clause is a favourite with David. See above, on Ps. hi. 4 (2), lvii. 5 (4), lix. 8 (7). Strung their arrow, literally trod (^. e. hent^ it, which must either be explained as an ellipsis— bent their (bow to shoot their) arrow—or as a poetical transfer to the arrow of what is strictly applicable only to the bow. See above, on Ps. lviii. 8 (7). The figure of an arrow is peculiarly appropriate to the poignant pain produced by insult and calumny, which is also well expressed by the epithet hitter. Compare Deut. xxxii. 24, 1 Sam. xv. 32.
5 (4). To shoot in secret places (at) the perfect; suddenly they will shoot him, and will not fear. With the first clause compare Ps. x. 8, xi. 2. The perfect, the sincere and upright servant of God, who is free from all fatal and essential defect of character. See above, on Ps. xv. 2, xviii. 24 (23), •vii. 9 (8), XXV. 21, xxvi. 1, 11, xxxvii. 37, in the last of which places the Hebrew adjective has the same form as in the case before us. And will not fear, i.e. without being deterred by the fear of God or man. See above, on Ps. lv. 20 (19).
6 (5). They will strengthen for themselves an evil word; they will tell about hiding snares; they have said, who will see to them? To strengthen is to make strong, to construct so as to be strong. An evil word is an idiomatic phrase for a malignant plot, so called because it is the fruit of mutual discourse and consultation. See above, on Ps. xli. 9 (8). Tell about, count and recount their various devices, past and present. See above, on Ps. lix. 13 (12). The interrogation in the last clause is an indirect one; the equivalent direct form would be, who will see to us, i. e. regard us? Compare Ps. X. 11, lix. 8 (7).
7 (6). They search out iniquities; (they say) We are ready—a consummate plan! and the inward thought and heart of (every) man (is) deep. They rack their invention and ransack their memory for modes of doing mischief. We are ready, literally finished, just as we might say in English, we are done. The next phrase consists of a passive participle, derived from the verb at the beginning of the sentence, and a cognate noun. The participle here corresponds to exquisite, recherche, something not to be had without laborious search, and the noun describes the product of the search itself. The last clause is added to enhance the danger, by representing the device as springing, not from shallow, superficial, but profound contrivance. Inward thought, literally inside, an equivalent to heart, often used by David. See above, on Ps. v. 10 (9), xlix. 12 (11), lv. 16 (15), lxii. 5 (4).
8 (7). But God has shot them—with an arrow—suddenly—the wounds ure theirs. By an abrupt but beautiful transition he describes the tables as completely turned upon the enemy. The antithesis is rendered very striking by the repetition of the verb, noun, and adverb used in ver. 4, 5 (3, 4). Just as they are about to shoot an arrow suddenly at the righteous, God shoots an arrow suddenly at them. The wounds which they intended to inflict on others have become (VH) their own. When they thought to strike others, they were struck themselves. The general idea is the same as in Ps. vii. 12-17 (11-16), liii. 6 (5), lvii. 7 (6). The adversative particle at the beginning is substituted for the simple copulative of the Hebrew, to make the transition or antithesis more obvious in English. See above, on Ps. Hi. 10 (8), lv. 14 (13).
9 (8). And he has cast them down; upon them (comes) their owti tongue; all shall flee gazing at them. Cast down, literally made to fall or stumble. See the use of the same verb in historical prose, 2 Chron. xxv. 8, and compare the original of 2 Chron. xxvii. 23. The construction is indefinite, as in Ps. lxiii. 11 (10), they have cast him down, i.e. he is cast down, meaning the enemy as an ideal person, who, according to the usage of these psalms, is immediately afterwards referred to in the plural number. Their tongue, i. e. the consequences of their false, malignant speeches, and their mischievous deliberations. The verb in the last clause is an intensive form of the one used in Ps, xxxi. 12 (11), lv. 8 (7). Gazing at them, not simply seeing them, but seeing with emotion, whether that of wonder, joy, or terror. See above, on Ps. liv. 9 (7), lix. 11 (10). The clause seems to contain an allusion to the flight of the people, when the earth opened to devour Korah and his company, Num. xvi. 34.
10 (9). And all men fear^ and pronounce (if) God’s doing, and his work they understand. The conversive futures shew the dependence of the sentence upon that which goes before it, and describe the action, not as actually past, but as directly consequent upon the great catastrophe described in the preceding context. And declared the work of God, i. e. pronounced it to be such. Compare Exod. viii. 19. His work they understand, i. e. no longer foolishly ascribe it to mere chance or human agency.
11 (10). Glad shall the righteous he in Jehovah, and shall trust in him; and (in him) shall boast (or glory) all the upright in heart. Having described the effect of the divine interposition on the wicked, and on men in general, he now shews how it will affect the righteous. In Jehovah means, as usual, in union with him and possession of him. The word translated trust is that which seems originally to denote the act of seeking shelter under an overshadowing object. See above, on Ps. lxiii. 8 (7). With the last clause compare Ps. lviii. 11 (10), lxiii. 12 (11).
