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Psalm Sixty-four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 64
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm is
applied by R. Obadiah to Haman and Mordecai. The enemy is Haman, the perfect
man shot at is Mordecai; about whom Haman communed with his friends to lay
snares for him, and searched diligently for occasions against him and his
people, which issued in his own destruction. The ancient MidrashF25Apud
Jarchium & Yalkut Simeoni in loc. of the Jews applies it to Daniel, when
cast into the den of lions; and Jarchi supposes that David, by a spirit of
prophecy, foresaw it, and prayed for him who was of his seed; and that
everything in the psalm beautifully falls in with that account: Daniel is the
perfect man aimed at; the enemy are the princes of Darius's court, who
consulted against him, communed of laying snares for him, and gained their
point, which proved their own ruin. But the psalm literally belongs to David,
by whom it was composed. The Arabic versions call it a psalm of David, when
Saul persecuted him; and the Syriac version refers it to the time when Gad said
to him, abide not in the hold, 1 Samuel 22:5. He
is the perfect man, who was upright and innocent as to what he was charged with
in respect to Saul; who is the enemy, from the fear of whom he desires his life
might be preserved; and who with his courtiers took counsel against him, and
laid deep schemes to destroy him, but at last were destroyed themselves.
Moreover, the psalm may very well be applied to the Messiah, the son of David,
and who was his antitype, and especially in his sufferings: he is the perfect
man in the highest sense; the Jews were the enemies that took counsel, and
searched for occasions against him, and accomplished their designs in a good
measure; for which wrath came upon them to the uttermost. The psalmist also may
be very well thought to represent the church and people of God; who in all ages
have had their enemies and their fears; against whom wicked men have devised
mischief, and levelled their arrows of persecution; though no weapon formed
against them shall prosper.
Psalm 64:1 Hear
my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- A Psalm
of David. Hear, O God, my voice, in my meditation, From the fear of an enemy
Thou keepest my life,
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer,.... The prayer of the
psalmist was vocal and expressed in a mournful manner, with groans and cries,
as the wordF26בשיחי "in querimonia
mea", Tigurine version; "in oratione mea gemebunda", Gejerus; so
Michaelis. used signifies, and with great ardour and fervency; his condition,
by reason of his enemies, being very distressing, and therefore he is very eager
and earnest that he might be heard;
preserve my life from fear of the enemy; David had his
enemies. Saul and his courtiers, and was afraid of them; Christ had his enemies
the wicked Jews, who sought his life before the time, and therefore he walked
no more in Judea till near the time; and whose human nature was sometimes
possessed of the fears of death, though they were sinless ones: the church and
people of God have their enemies; as the men of the world, who revile,
reproach, and persecute them; Satan their adversary, who goes about seeking to
devour them; and their own corruptions and lusts which war against their souls;
and death, the last enemy, which is so to human nature, though by the grace of
Christ friendly to the saints. And the people of God have their fears of these
enemies; they are afraid of men, their revilings and persecutions, though they
have no reason since God is on their side; and of Satan, whose fiery darts and
buffetings are very distressing, though if resisted he will flee; and of their
own corruptions, lest they should one day perish by them; or, at least, lest
they should break out, to the wounding of their souls, and the dishonour of
God: and some of them, through fear of death, are all their lifetime subject to
bondage: which fears, though they are not the saints' excellencies, but their
infirmities, yet are consistent with the grace of God; and under the power and
influence of these fears they apprehend sometimes their life to be in danger;
and therefore pray to the God of their life, who has given them it, and is the
preserver of it, that he would preserve their natural life, as he does; as also
their spiritual life, which is preserved by him; is bound up in the bundle of
life with the Lord their God, and is hid with Christ in God.
Psalm 64:2 2 Hide me from the secret
plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
YLT
2Hidest me from the secret
counsel of evil doers, From the tumult of workers of iniquity.
Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked,.... The word
used denotes both the place where wicked men meet together for consultation;
see Genesis 49:6; and
the counsel itself they there take; from the bad effects of which the psalmist
desired to be hid and preserved. So Saul and his courtiers secretly took
counsel against David, and the Jews against Christ, and that very privily and
secretly; see Matthew 26:3;
from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity; their noise,
rage, and tumult; see Psalm 2:1. The
former phrase denotes their secret machinations and designs, and this their
open violence; and the persons that entered into such measures are no other
than evildoers and workers of iniquity; though they might be under a profession
of religion, as David's enemies, and the Jews, who were Christ's enemies, were,
Matthew 7:22; and
who are further described in the next verses.
Psalm 64:3 3 Who sharpen their tongue
like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
YLT
3Who sharpened as a sword
their tongue, They directed their arrow -- a bitter word.
Who whet their tongue like a sword,.... Use cutting,
wounding, killing, and devouring words; on which they set an edge, and make
them keener and keener to hurt and ruin the characters and reputations of good
men, and grieve and distress their minds;
and bend their bows to
shoot their arrows, even bitter words; such are the these
doctrines of heretical men, which are roots of bitterness, that defile some and
trouble others; such are the oaths and curses of profane sinners, whose mouths
are full of cursing and bitterness; and such are the blasphemies of antichrist
against God, against his tabernacle, and against them that dwell therein; and
such are the hard speeches spoken by ungodly sinners against Christ and his
people; these are like arrows shot from a bow, and full of deadly poison. The
Targum is
"they
stretch out their bows, they anoint their arrows with deadly and bitter poison.'
There
seems to be an allusion to fixing letters in arrows, and so shooting or
directing them where it was desired they should fall and be taken up; so
Timoxenus and Artobazus sent letters to one another in this way, at the siege
of PotidaeaF1Herodot. Urania, sive l. 8. c. 128. : and after the
same manner, the Jews sayF2Derash R. Aba in Kimchi in Psal. xi. 2. ,
Shebna and Joab sent letters to Sennacherib, acquainting him that all Israel
were willing to make peace with him; but Hezekiah and Isaiah would not allow
them to.
Psalm 64:4 4 That they may shoot in
secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
YLT
4To shoot in secret places
the perfect, Suddenly they shoot him, and fear not.
That they may shoot in secret at the perfect,.... Meaning
himself, who though not without sin, and far from perfection in himself, in the
sight of God and with respect to his righteous law, which was exceeding broad;
and therefore he saw an end of all perfection, and desired that God would not
enter into judgment with him; but yet, in the case of Saul, he was quite clear
and innocent, and without fault. Likewise the Messiah, of whom David was a
type, may be meant; who has all the perfections of the divine and human nature
in him, and is without sin, holy, harmless, pure, and undefiled: and it may be
applied to the church and people of God, who, though they are not perfect in
themselves, far from it, sin being in them, and their graces weak; unless it be
in a comparative sense; yet they are perfect in Christ Jesus, their souls being
clothed with his righteousness, and so are the spirits of just men made
perfect. And this character may also respect the truth and sincerity of grace
in them, and the uprightness of their hearts and conversation; and such as
these wicked men level their arrows at, and direct their spite and venom
against, and that in the most private and secret manner;
suddenly do they shoot at him; as unseen by him, so
unawares to him;
and fear not; neither God nor judgment to come. Though
some understand this of the perfect who, though shot at in this manner are
intrepid and courageous, and have no fear of their enemies; but the former
sense seems best, which describes persons that neither fear God, nor regard
man.
Psalm 64:5 5 They encourage themselves in
an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see
them?”
YLT
5They strengthen for
themselves an evil thing, They recount of the hiding of snares, They have said,
`Who doth look at it?'
They encourage themselves in an evil matter,.... Or
"strengthen him"F3יהזקו למו "firmant illi", Muis. ; that is, Saul, by
making use of arguments and reasonings to induce him to go on in his wicked
persecution of David; or they strengthened and hardened themselves in their
wickedness, as Saul's courtiers and the enemies of Christ did, and as all
wicked men do, when they observe the sentence against them is not speedily
executed, Ecclesiastes 8:11;
they commune of laying snares privily; that is, they
conversed together, and consulted how to lay snares for the perfect man in the
most private manner, that they might entrap him and destroy him;
they say, who shall see them? either the snares laid,
or the persons that laid them? None; no, not even God himself; see Psalm 10:11.
Psalm 64:6 6 They devise iniquities: “We
have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man
are deep.
YLT
6They search out perverse
things, `We perfected a searching search,' And the inward part of man, and the
heart [are] deep.
They search out iniquities,.... The Targum adds,
"to
destroy the just.'
Either
occasions against them, by charging them with sin and hiring false witnesses
against them, as did the enemies both of David and Christ; they sought for
proper time and opportunity of committing the iniquities they were bent upon,
and even searched for new sins, being inventors of evil things, Romans 1:30;
they accomplish a diligent search; diligently searched out
the perfect man, and found him; and also false witnesses against him, and
carried their point; which was especially true with respect to Christ;
both the inward thought of everyone of them, and the
heart, is deep; being full of cunning, craftiness and wickedness, so as not to
be searched out and fully known; see Psalm 5:9.
Psalm 64:7 7 But God shall shoot at
them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded.
YLT
7And God doth shoot them
[with] an arrow, Sudden have been their wounds,
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow,.... With one
or other of his four judgments; famine, pestilence, sword, and wild beasts, Ezekiel 14:21;
which he brings upon wicked men; and may be compared to arrows, as they are, Ezekiel 5:16;
because they move swiftly. The judgment of wicked men lingereth not, though it
may seem to do so; and because they often come suddenly and at an unawares,
when men are crying Peace, peace; and because they are sharp and piercing,
penetrate deep and stick fast, and wound and kill; they are not arrows of
deliverance, unless to the Lord's people, who, by his judgments on the wicked,
are delivered from them; but destroying ones, 2 Kings 13:17; when
God draws the bow and shoots, execution is done. This is said in opposition to
what wicked men do, Psalm 64:3; and in
just retaliation; they shoot at the perfect, and God shoots at them;
suddenly shall they be wounded; with the wound of an
enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, with a deadly wound that shall
never be healed; not with the arrow of God's word, but with the stroke of his
hand; which comes suddenly, falls heavy, and makes the wound incurable.
Psalm 64:8 8 So He will make them
stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away.
YLT
8And they cause him to
stumble, Against them [is] their own tongue, Every looker on them fleeth away.
So shall they make their own tongue to fall upon themselves,.... The evil
things they have wished for, threatened unto, and imprecated on others, shall
come upon themselves; the curses they have cursed others with shall come upon
themselves; the pit they have dug for others, they fall into. So Haman, to whom
some apply the psalm, was hanged on the gallows he made for Mordecai; and the
accusers of Daniel, to whom others apply it, were cast into the same den of
lions they procured for him; and Babylon, who has been drunk with the blood of
the saints, shall have blood given her to drink.
all that see them shall flee away; not being able to help
them, nor to bear the horrible sight, and fearing the same judgments should
fall on themselves; see Numbers 16:34. Or,
"they shall move themselves"F4יתנודרו
"amovebunt se", Montanus; "commovebuntur", Vatablus. ;
shake their heads in a way of derision, as Jarchi interprets it; or skip for
joy, as the word is rendered in Jeremiah 48:27; and
then it must be understood of the righteous; who, seeing the vengeance on the
wicked, rejoice, as in Psalm 52:6; though,
as they are afterwards particularly mentioned, others seem to be designed. The
word is used for lamenting and bemoaning one's self, in Jeremiah 31:18; and
so may be applied to the friends of the wicked lamenting and bemoaning their
ruin, and their being bereaved of them, Revelation 18:9.
Psalm 64:9 9 All men shall fear, And
shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.
YLT
9And all men fear, and
declare the work of God, And His deed they have considered wisely.
And all men shall fear,.... Either God himself,
or his judgments: they shall be frightened at them, learn righteousness by
them, worship God, and give glory to him; they shall fear him as King of
saints, his judgments being made manifest; not with a slavish fear, but with
reverence and godly fear; see Revelation 11:13;
and shall declare the work of God; the punishments
inflicted on wicked men; his work of justice and judgment, which is his work,
his strange work; for there is no evil of punishment but the Lord has done it, Isaiah 28:21;
for they shall wisely consider of his doings; consider that
it is done by him, and done well and wisely, after the counsel of his own will;
and so consider it as to be admonished, and take warning and caution by it.
This is the use men in general should make of such dispensations of Providence;
the use the righteous in particular make of them follows:
Psalm 64:10 10 The righteous shall be
glad in the Lord,
and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.
YLT
10The righteous doth rejoice
in Jehovah, And hath trusted in Him, And boast themselves do all the upright of
heart!
The righteous shall be glad in the Lord,.... They
rejoice at the vengeance executed on the wicked; but then their joy centres in
the Lord: it is not at the ruin of the wicked, simply considered, but because of
the glory of God's justice displayed therein, and of his grace and mercy to
them. They rejoice in the Lord, because of what he is unto them, and because of
what he has done for them; because of his righteousness they are clothed with,
from whence they are denominated righteous ones; and because of the salvation
he has wrought out for them; and they are the more affected with it when they
see the calamities, woes, and destruction of wicked men; See Gill on Psalm 32:11;
and shall trust in him; who is known by his
judgments he executes on the wicked; and the more he is known, be it in what
way it will, the more is he trusted in, Psalm 9:10. The
Targum paraphrases it,
"and
shall trust in his Word;'
either
in his word of promise, or rather in his essential Word, Christ;
and all the upright in heart shall glory; not in men,
nor in themselves, nor in any creature, or creature enjoyments; nor in their
wisdom, strength, riches, nor righteousness; but in Christ, in his wisdom,
righteousness, and strength; in whom all the seed of Israel are justified and
glory; and in what he is to them, and has done for them; of the upright in
heart; see Gill on Psalm 32:11.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》