Psalms · Chapter 64

Verse 1. Hear my voice] The psalmist feared for his life, and the lives of his fellow-captives; and he sought help of God. He prayed, and he lifted up his voice; and thus showed his earnestness.

Verses 1-4. Preserve my life from fear — That is, from danger: the act or passion of fear being often put for its object, danger, as Psalm 14:5; 1 Peter 3:14, and frequently elsewhere. Hide me from the secret counsels of the wicked — That is, from the ill effects of their plots against me. Who shoot their arrows — Of which phrase, see notes on Psalm 58:7. Even bitter words — Slanderous and pernicious speeches against me. That they may shoot in secret — Lying in ambush, or hiding themselves in secret places, as fowlers commonly do; at the perfect — Or, upright man; that is, at me, who, in spite of all their calumnies, dare avow that my heart is perfect with God, and that I am blameless as to them, having given them no just provocation; suddenly — At the very first opportunity; do they shoot at him, and fear not — Neither fear men, because they conceal their actions from them, as appears from the foregoing and following words; nor God, whose judgments they despise.

1. My prayer—The word “prayer,” here, takes the sense of complaint, as in Psalm 55:2, and title of Psalm 102, “not in tones of pain, but in words.”—Delitzsch.

Verse 2. Hide me from the secret counsel] They plotted his destruction, and then formed insurrections in order to accomplish it. Workers of iniquity] Those who made sin their labour, their daily employment; it was their occupation and trade. It is supposed that by this title the Babylonians are intended. See Psalm 6:3; 14:4; 36:12; 53:4; 59:2.

Verses 1-4. Preserve my life from fear — That is, from danger: the act or passion of fear being often put for its object, danger, as Psalm 14:5; 1 Peter 3:14, and frequently elsewhere. Hide me from the secret counsels of the wicked — That is, from the ill effects of their plots against me. Who shoot their arrows — Of which phrase, see notes on Psalm 58:7. Even bitter words — Slanderous and pernicious speeches against me. That they may shoot in secret — Lying in ambush, or hiding themselves in secret places, as fowlers commonly do; at the perfect — Or, upright man; that is, at me, who, in spite of all their calumnies, dare avow that my heart is perfect with God, and that I am blameless as to them, having given them no just provocation; suddenly — At the very first opportunity; do they shoot at him, and fear not — Neither fear men, because they conceal their actions from them, as appears from the foregoing and following words; nor God, whose judgments they despise.

2. Secret counsel—Conspiracy, dark plotting. Insurrection—The word signifies a tumultuous assembly, a rushing together of the masses, as Psalm 2:1; a noisy crowd, Psalm 55:14. The secret counsel of Saul and the leaders of the nation gave birth to open demonstrations on the part of the people, both which are here deprecated.

Verse 3. Who whet their tongue like a sword] They devise the evil they shall speak, and meditate on the most provoking, injurious, and defamatory words; as the soldier whets his sword that he may thereby the better cut down his enemies.

Their arrows-bitter words] Their defamatory sayings are here represented as deadly as poisoned arrows; for to such is the allusion here made.

Verses 1-4. Preserve my life from fear — That is, from danger: the act or passion of fear being often put for its object, danger, as Psalm 14:5; 1 Peter 3:14, and frequently elsewhere. Hide me from the secret counsels of the wicked — That is, from the ill effects of their plots against me. Who shoot their arrows — Of which phrase, see notes on Psalm 58:7. Even bitter words — Slanderous and pernicious speeches against me. That they may shoot in secret — Lying in ambush, or hiding themselves in secret places, as fowlers commonly do; at the perfect — Or, upright man; that is, at me, who, in spite of all their calumnies, dare avow that my heart is perfect with God, and that I am blameless as to them, having given them no just provocation; suddenly — At the very first opportunity; do they shoot at him, and fear not — Neither fear men, because they conceal their actions from them, as appears from the foregoing and following words; nor God, whose judgments they despise.

3. Bend their bows—Hebrew, They have bent their arrows. Same as “bend the bow,” Psalm 7:13, or placing or aiming the arrow, Psalm 58:7. Bitter words—Better, a bitter word. An evil tongue is sharper than a sword, and “bitter words” enter deeper into the soul than barbed arrows.

Verse 4. That they may shoot in secret] They lurk, that they may take their aim the more surely, and not miss their mark.

Suddenly] When there is no fear apprehended, because none is seen.

Verses 1-4. Preserve my life from fear — That is, from danger: the act or passion of fear being often put for its object, danger, as Psalm 14:5; 1 Peter 3:14, and frequently elsewhere. Hide me from the secret counsels of the wicked — That is, from the ill effects of their plots against me. Who shoot their arrows — Of which phrase, see notes on Psalm 58:7. Even bitter words — Slanderous and pernicious speeches against me. That they may shoot in secret — Lying in ambush, or hiding themselves in secret places, as fowlers commonly do; at the perfect — Or, upright man; that is, at me, who, in spite of all their calumnies, dare avow that my heart is perfect with God, and that I am blameless as to them, having given them no just provocation; suddenly — At the very first opportunity; do they shoot at him, and fear not — Neither fear men, because they conceal their actions from them, as appears from the foregoing and following words; nor God, whose judgments they despise.

4. Shoot in secret—A mark at once of treachery, cowardice, and cruelty. See Psalm 10:8-10; and 11:2. They… fear not— “They cast their arrows at men because they are not seen by them, and they are not afraid of God, who does see them.”—Phillips, Psalm 55:19.

Verse 5. They commune of laying snares] They lay snares to entrap those whom they cannot slay by open attack or private ambush.

Verses 5, 6. They encourage themselves — Hebrew, wqzjy, jechazeku, they strengthen, or fortify themselves, by firm resolutions, by assured confidence of success, by uniting their counsels and forces together, and by mutual encouragements and exhortations. They say, Who shall see them — Their snares are so secretly laid, that they think David cannot discern, nor therefore avoid them. They search out iniquities — They study diligently and constantly to find out either matter which they may lay to my charge, or new ways and means of doing mischief. They accomplish a diligent search — They have long and accurately searched, till at last they have ripened and perfected their thoughts, and contrived a very cunning and deep plot. Or, they say, We have accomplished our accurate search. By long searching we have at last found what we desired. And the heart is deep — Deep as hell, desperately wicked, who can know it? By their unaccountable wickedness, they show themselves to be, both in subtlety and malignity, the genuine offspring of the old serpent.

5. They encourage themselves—They strengthen themselves in an evil plot or counsel. This “hand to hand” wickedness, (Proverbs 11:21,) this emboldening each other by mutual vows of support in crime, is the last degree of depravity. They commune—They reckon. “Each part of their evil plot being, as it were, carefully gone over and enumerated.”— Perowne. They say—They say “in their heart,” within themselves, as Psalm 10:6. Who shall see them—Literally, Who will look to it; that is, judicially, in order to punish it. See Psalm 10:11, 13; 73:11; 94:7.

V. 6. Iniquities-They study diligently, to find new ways of doing mischief. Deep-Cunning, both to contrive and conceal, and to execute their plots.

Verse 6. They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search] The word vpj chaphash, which is used three times, as a noun and a verb, in this sentence, signifies to strip off the clothes. “They investigate iniquities; they perfectly investigate an investigation.” Most energetically translated by the old Psalter: Thai ransaked wickednesses: thai failled ransakand in ransaking. To ransack signifies to search every corner, to examine things part by part, to turn over every leaf, to leave no hole or cranny unexplored. But the word investigate fully expresses the meaning of the term, as it comes either from in, taken privately, and vestire, to clothe, stripping the man bare, that he may be exposed to all shame, and be the more easily wounded; or from the word investigo, which may be derived from in, intensive, and vestigium, the footstep or track of man or beast. A metaphor from hunting the stag; as the slot, or mark of his foot, is diligently sought out, in order to find whither he is gone, and whether he is old or young, for huntsmen can determine the age by the slot. Tuberville, in his Treatise on Hunting, gives rules to form this judgment, To this the next verse seems to refer.

Verses 5, 6. They encourage themselves — Hebrew, wqzjy, jechazeku, they strengthen, or fortify themselves, by firm resolutions, by assured confidence of success, by uniting their counsels and forces together, and by mutual encouragements and exhortations. They say, Who shall see them — Their snares are so secretly laid, that they think David cannot discern, nor therefore avoid them. They search out iniquities — They study diligently and constantly to find out either matter which they may lay to my charge, or new ways and means of doing mischief. They accomplish a diligent search — They have long and accurately searched, till at last they have ripened and perfected their thoughts, and contrived a very cunning and deep plot. Or, they say, We have accomplished our accurate search. By long searching we have at last found what we desired. And the heart is deep — Deep as hell, desperately wicked, who can know it? By their unaccountable wickedness, they show themselves to be, both in subtlety and malignity, the genuine offspring of the old serpent.

6. They search out iniquities—Mentally, and with great labour, they work out plans for accomplishing wicked ends, as Psalm 58:2. They accomplish a diligent search—Literally, they have accomplished a search searched out; that is, an exhaustive investigation. But the verb accomplished (ended, finished) may be taken in the first person plural, as a soliloquy of the conspirators, thus: We have finished a plot thoroughly wrought out! which gives dramatic effect. Both the inward thought—The word “inward,” here, is the same as “inward part,” Psalm 5:9, and is here synonymous with heart, the seat of thought and affection. The inward part of a man, even the heart, is deep. This is the reflection of David after reviewing the conduct of his enemies. See Jeremiah 17:9, 10; Psalm 19:12; 139:23, 24. The preparations of his enemies are ended. The crisis has come. It is now time for God to work.

Verse 7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow] They endeavour to trace me out, that they may shoot me; but God will shoot at them. This, if the Psalm refer to the times of David, seems to be prophetic of Saul’s death. The archers pressed upon him, and sorely wounded him with their arrows. 1 Samuel 31:3.

Verse 7. But God shall shoot at them — Though I can neither search out nor prevent their subtle devices, yet God can, and will certainly do it, for he ordains his arrows against persecutors, Psalm 7:13, and his arrows will hit more surely, and fly more swiftly, and pierce more deeply than theirs do or can. They have many arrows, but they are only words, though bitter, and the curse causeless shall not come: but God has one arrow that will be their destruction; his curse, which is never causeless, and therefore shall come. Suddenly shall they be wounded — That is, their wound by it will be a surprise upon them, because they were secure, and not apprehensive of any danger.

7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow—Both the verbs in the two lines of this verse are in the past tense, and though the Hebrew gives an ambiguous idea as to interpunction, yet we should read:— But God hath shot at them an arrow,

Suddenly have come their wounds.

Thus, when they had completed their deep schemes—when they had bent their bow to shoot in secret at the upright,—(verses 3, 4,) in a moment, by the unseen arrow of God, they received their own death wound. See Psalm 7:12; 38:2.

V. 8. Flee-Through fear of being involved in their destruction.

Verse 8. Their own tongue to fall upon them-selves] All the plottings, counsels, and curses, they have formed against me, shall come upon themselves.

Verses 8, 9. They shall make their own tongue, &c. — The mischief of their hard speeches, and threats, and crafty counsels against me, shall be turned against themselves. All that see them shall flee away — Partly through abhorrence of them, and partly through fear of being involved in their destruction. Some think this was fulfilled in the death of Saul, when not only his army was dispersed, but the inhabitants of the neighbouring country were so terrified with his fall, and with that of his three sons, that they quitted their cities and fled, 1 Samuel 31:7. And all men shall fear — A great number of those who shall see this event shall be affected with a holy awe of God upon the consideration of it, and shall fear and tremble because of his judgments; shall fear being found persecutors of God’s people. And shall declare the work of God — His admirable work of divine wisdom, power, and faithfulness; they shall speak one to another, and to all about them, of the justice of God in punishing persecutors. For they shall wisely consider of his doing — Learning wisdom by the folly and misery of these persecutors, and avoiding those evil courses which brought ruin upon them. There is need of consideration and serious thought, rightly to take up such a matter of fact, and need of wisdom to put a true interpretation upon it. What God does is well worth our considering, Ecclesiastes 7:13. But it must be considered wisely, that we do not mistake the design of it, and the instruction it is intended to convey.

8. Make their own tongue to fall upon themselves—The evil which they had proposed to bring upon the righteous by false testimony and vile slander, shall be visited back upon themselves to their ruin. Psalm 7:16; Proverbs 12:13; 18:7. “They were thinking of wounding the upright, but behold they are wounded themselves.”—Hengstenberg. All that see them shall flee—As the people fled at the cry of Korah and his company when they saw them swallowed up alive. Numbers 16:34. But the word translated flee, signifies, radically, to move to and fro, to shake; and hence, also, to wag or shake the head in derisive triumph, as in Jeremiah 18:16 and 48:27, in which latter it is translated in our English Bible, “skippedst for joy.” See also Psalm 14:14. So Furst translates the text, “All that look upon them shake [the head].” In this sense the looking upon them signifies, “the gratification of looking upon those who are justly punished, and rendered harmless.”—Delitzsch. See Psalm 59:10; 92:11.

Verse 9. And all men shall fear] They endeavoured to hide their mischief; but God shall so punish them that all shall see it, and shall acknowledge in their chastisement the just judgment of God. The wicked, in consequence, shall fear, and,

Verses 8, 9. They shall make their own tongue, &c. — The mischief of their hard speeches, and threats, and crafty counsels against me, shall be turned against themselves. All that see them shall flee away — Partly through abhorrence of them, and partly through fear of being involved in their destruction. Some think this was fulfilled in the death of Saul, when not only his army was dispersed, but the inhabitants of the neighbouring country were so terrified with his fall, and with that of his three sons, that they quitted their cities and fled, 1 Samuel 31:7. And all men shall fear — A great number of those who shall see this event shall be affected with a holy awe of God upon the consideration of it, and shall fear and tremble because of his judgments; shall fear being found persecutors of God’s people. And shall declare the work of God — His admirable work of divine wisdom, power, and faithfulness; they shall speak one to another, and to all about them, of the justice of God in punishing persecutors. For they shall wisely consider of his doing — Learning wisdom by the folly and misery of these persecutors, and avoiding those evil courses which brought ruin upon them. There is need of consideration and serious thought, rightly to take up such a matter of fact, and need of wisdom to put a true interpretation upon it. What God does is well worth our considering, Ecclesiastes 7:13. But it must be considered wisely, that we do not mistake the design of it, and the instruction it is intended to convey.

9. All men shall fear—The wicked no less than the righteous shall recognise this judgment as of God. Psalm 53:5. And shall declare— See on Psalm 58:11.

V. 10. Glad-For the honour of God, which by this means is vindicated.

Verse 10. The righteous shall be glad] They shall see that God does not abandon his followers to the malice of bad men. The rod of the wicked may come into the heritage of the just; but there it shall not rest. Calmet thinks that this is a prediction of the destruction of the Chaldeans, in consequence of which the Jewish people became highly respected by all the surrounding nations. But it may be applied more generally to the enmity of the wicked against the righteous, and how God counterworks their devices, and vindicates and supports his own followers.

Verse 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord — Not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually. And shall trust in him — Their faith shall be hereby encouraged, and they shall commit themselves to him, in the way of duty, and be willing to expose themselves to danger, and to encounter difficulties for him, with an entire confidence in him. And all the upright in heart — That keep a good conscience and approve themselves to God; shall glory — Not in themselves, but in God, in his favour, his righteousness, and goodness, and in their relation to him, and interest in him. Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord.

10. The righteous shall be glad… trust… glory—On “glory,” see Psalm 63:11. The effect of the divine judgment in the overthrow of his enemies would cause the wicked to fear and confess God, and the righteous to rejoice, trust, and give praise.