A Psalm of David. This psalm seems to have been written by David, when he was persecuted by Saul; and when many false charges were brought against him by his courtiers; and when he was the scorn and derision of the people; the subject of it is pretty much of the same kind with the seventh psalm,…

Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me Meaning Saul and his courtiers; concerning whom he elsewhere desires that the Lord would judge between them, plead his cause, and deliver him; as he accordingly did, and maintained it, and the righteousness of it, .

Take hold of shield and buckler Defensive weapons; not that the Lord stands in need of any of these to defend himself with: but the sense is, that he would be as these to David; as he was to him, and is to all his people; namely, their shield and buckler: he gives unto them the shield of salvation;…

Draw out also the spear An offensive weapon; expressive of the vengeance which God sometimes takes of the enemies of his people, when he bends his bow, shoots his arrows, whets his glittering sword, and his hand takes hold of judgment; and stop the way against them that persecute me; that they…

Let them be confounded, and put to shame, that seek after my soul This petition, and what follows, which seem to be by way of imprecation, are to be considered as prophecies of what would be, and as expressions of faith that so it should be; and are not to be drawn into examples, and to be imitated…

Let them be as chaff before the wind As they are; see ; and let the angel of the Lord chase them; either a good angel, who is the Lord’s, his creature that ministers unto him, and is ready to obey his orders; and who, as he encamps about the saints and protects them, so he is able to destroy their…

Let their way be dark and slippery In which they run before the angel, chasing and pursuing them; so that they know not where they are, at what they stumble, whither to flee, nor how to stand; the ways of wicked men are as darkness, they know not in what condition they are, and whither they are…

For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, &c.] This is said in allusion to the custom of digging pits, and putting nets into them, for the catching of wild beasts; and covering them with straw or dust, or such like things, as Jarchi observes, that they might not be discerned; and…

Let destruction come upon him at unawares Or a “storm” [[16]], such as is caused in the eastern countries by a south wind, very sudden, violent, and destructive [[17]]: the singular number being here used, some Jewish commentators, as Kimchi, have thought Saul is particularly meant; and some…

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord Not in the destruction of his enemies, but in the God of his salvation; the Targum is, “in the Word of the Lord”; the essential Word of God, the promised Messiah, Saviour, and Redeemer.

All my bones shall say So, in a figurative sense, vexation and disquietude are ascribed to the bones, ; and sometimes joy and gladness, . His soul is said to rejoice in ; and here his bones are said to show forth the praises of the Lord; and both together design the whole man, as heart and flesh in…

False witnesses did rise up Against David, saying he sought the hurt of Saul, , as did against David’s antitype, the Lord Jesus Christ, ; and against his apostles, (Acts 24:5, Acts 24:6) ; and very frequently do they rise up and bear false witness against his people, which is a very heinous crime;…

They rewarded me evil for good For the good David did in killing Goliath, and slaying his ten thousands of the Philistines, and thereby saving his king and country, Saul and his courtiers envied him, and sought to slay him: so our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the good he did to the Jews, by healing…

But as for me, when they were sick Or under any disorder or distress of body or mind, when any misfortune or infirmity attended them; meaning Saul and his courtiers, before David was persecuted by them; my clothing was sackcloth; that is, he was grieved, and mourned for them, it being usual to put…

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother Meaning either Saul or Doeg the Edomite, or some such evil man; somewhat like this he says of Ahithophel, ; and Arama thinks he is meant here; as Christ of Judas, whom he called friend, when he came to betray him; and who not only ate with…

But in mine adversity they rejoiced Or “at my halting” [[19]], either by means of falling into sin; good men are subject to slips and falls, and that to the dislocating or breaking of their bones, which cause them to go halting all their days; wicked men watch for their halting, as Jeremiah’s…

With hypocritical mockers in feasts That is, the abjects gathered, themselves together with such; these may design Saul’s courtiers, his parasites and flatterers, and who were hypocrites in religion also, and made it their business at Saul’s table, and in their banquetings and revellings, to mock…

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? &c.] And behold these injuries and insults, and not arise to help and save? The psalmist firmly believed the omniscience of God, and was well assured he saw all that was done; but he was ready to consider him only as a spectator; or, however, seems impatient until…

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation This is the resolution the psalmist came unto; the promise he made, that should he be delivered from his enemies, he would give God thanks in the most public manner; that is, he would acknowledge God to be the author of the mercy, and himself…

Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me The word “wrongfully” is to be joined not to the word “rejoice”, but to the word “enemies”; and the sense is, that they were his enemies wrongfully, for false reasons, unjust causes, or without any cause that was just; as follows;…

For they speak not peace Meaning to himself, or any good man; as Joseph’s brethren could not to him, ; such were the men David had to do with, (Ps. 120:6, Ps.

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me In laughter, scorn, and derision; see (Ps. 22:7, Ps. 22:8) ; and said, Aha, aha: a word expressive of joy; and the doubling it shows the greatness of it; our eye hath seen it; what their heart wished for; namely, the distress of him, whose enemies they…

This thou hast seen, O Lord The insults and derisions of these men, and the injuries they did to him, whom they hated. God is omniscient, and sees all things, all the evil wicked men do to him; and he will requite them in his own time; see ; keep not silence; meaning at his prayers; that he would…

Stir up thyself and awake Who seemed to be asleep in the apprehensions of the psalmist, and to take no notice of his distresses, and the insults of his enemies; see ; he adds, to my judgment, even to my cause; that is, to plead it and maintain it, and avenge him of his enemies, as in ; making use…

Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness Either that righteousness of his, by which he justifies his people, which Christ has wrought out, God has accepted of, and imputes; and which, though revealed in the Gospel, was witnessed to by the law and prophets, and was known to the saints…

Let them not say in their hearts, ah, so would we have it, &c.] Or we have what our souls wished for and desired: the sense of the petition is the same with ; let them not say, we have swallowed him up; as roaring lions swallow down their prey, to which he had compared them, ; and as wicked men eat…

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together In a body, as one man; as they gathered together against him, ; so he entreats they might together be brought to shame and confusion, they not being able to execute their designs; their schemes being broken, their counsels defeated, and they…

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause The cause of David was a righteous cause, he having done no iniquity, or anything criminal against Saul his enemy, who persecuted him; and there were some that favoured his cause, as Jonathan, Saul’s son, and a few others of rank…

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness In vindicating his cause, and bringing his enemies to shame and confusion, as well as of the glory and excellency of that righteousness of his, by which he was justified in his sight, and from whence his inward peace and prosperity flowed: and of thy…