PSALM 64 COMME�TARYEDITED BY GLE�� PEASE

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

I�TRODUCTIO�

SPURGEO�, "TITLE. To the Chief Musician. The leader of the choir, for the time being, is charged with this song. It were well if the chief musicians of all our congregations estimated their duty at its due solemnity, for it is no mean thing to be called to lead the sacred song of God's people, and the responsibility is by no means light. A Psalm of David. His life was one of conflict, and very seldom does he finish a Psalm without mentioning his enemies; in this instance his thoughts are wholly occupied with prayer against them.DIVISIO�. From Psalms 64:1-6 he describes the cruelty and craftiness of his foes, and from Psalms 64:7-10 he prophesies their overthrow.

ELLICOTT, "The situation indicated in this psalm is one that frequently occurs in Israel’s hymn-book. A prey to calumny, the poet for himself, or, more probably, for the community, implores the protection of God, and then suddenly takes up the prophetic strain—persuaded, from the known order of Providence, that retribution must come—and foretells the sudden dissipation of the deeply-laid schemes of those who vex and oppress God’s chosen people.

The last couplet is probably a liturgical addition, and not part of the original poem, which without it divides into three regular stanzas of seven lines.

1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

BAR�ES, "Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer - The use of the word voice here would seem to imply that this was audible prayer, or that, though alone, he gave utterance to his petitions aloud. We have this same use of the word often in the Psalms, making it probable that even private prayers were uttered in an audible manner. In most cases, when there is no danger of being overheard, or of its being construed as ostentation or Pharisaism, this is favorable to the spirit of secret devotion. Compare the notes at Dan_6:10. The word here rendered prayer means properly speech, discourse; then, complaint; then, meditation. It is most commonly rendered complaint. See Job_7:13; Job_9:27; Job_10:1; Job_21:4; Psa_55:2 (notes); Ps. 102 (Title); Psa_142:2. It refers here to a state of mind caused by trouble and danger, when the deep meditation on his troubles and dangers found expression in audible words - whether those words were complaint or petition. As there are no indications in the psalm that David was disposed to complain in the sense of blaming God, the proper interpretation here is that his deep meditations took the form of prayer.

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy - Either Saul or Absalom. He prayed that his life might be made so secure that he would not have occasion to be afraid of his enemy.

CLARKE, "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.

GILL, "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 word (z) 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.

HE�RY, "David, in these verses, puts in before God a representation of his own danger and of his enemies' character, to enforce his petition that God would protect him and punish them.

I. He earnestly begs of God to preserve him (Psa_64:1, Psa_64:2): Hear my voice, O God! in my prayer; that is, grant me the thing I pray for, and this is it, Lord, preserve my life from fear of the enemy, that is, fro the enemy that I am in fear of. He makes request for his life, which is, in a particular manner, dear to him, because he knows it is designed to be very serviceable to God and his generation. When his life is struck at it cannot be thought he should altogether hold his peace, Est_7:2, Est_7:4. And, if he plead his fear of the enemy, it is no disparagement to his courage; his father Jacob, that prince with God, did so before him. Gen_32:11, Deliver me from the hand of Esau, for I fear him. Preserve my life from fear, not only from the thing itself which I fear, but from the disquieting fear of it; this is, in effect, the preservation of the life, for fear has torment, particularly the fear of death, by reason of which some are all their life-time subject to bondage. He prays, “Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the mischief which they secretly consult among themselves to do against me, and from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity, who join forces, as they join counsels, to do me a mischief.” Observe, The secret counsel ends in an insurrection; treasonable practices begin in treasonable confederacies and conspiracies. “Hide me from them, that they may not find me, that they may not reach me. Let me be safe under thy protection.”

JAMISO�, "Psa_64:1-10. A prayer for deliverance from cunning and malicious enemies, with a confident view of their overthrow, which will honor God and give joy to the righteous.

preserve ... fear— as well as the danger producing it.

CALVI�, "1.Hear my voice, O God! He begins by saying that he prayed earnestly, and with vehemence, stating, at the same time, what rendered this necessary. The voice is heard in prayer, proportionally to the earnestness and ardor which we feel. He condescends upon the circumstances of distress in which he was presently placed, and takes notice of the dangers to which his life was exposed from enemies, with other points fitted to excite the favorable consideration of God. His praying that God would protect his life, proves that it must have been in danger at this time. In the second verse, he intimates that his enemies were numerous; and that, without divine assistance, he would be unable to sustain their attacks. Some difficulty attaches to the words, from their being susceptible of two meanings. The Hebrew term סוד , sod, which signifies a secret, is understood by some to refer here to the secret plots of the wicked, and by others, to denote their meeting together for consultation. In translating it, I have employed a word which admits of either interpretation. The term רגשת , rigshath, used in the second part of the verse, may also be rendered in two ways, as meaning either an assembly of men, or noise and uproar. It comes from רגש, ragash, a root signifying to make a tumult. This would suggest that the word סוד , sod, in the former clause, might refer to the clandestine plots of the wicked, and רגשת, rigshath, in the latter, to their open violence; and that David prayed to be protected, on the one hand, from the malicious purposes of his

enemies, and, on the other, from the forcible measures by which they proceeded to put them into execution. But the meaning first given, and which I have adopted, seems the most simple and natural, That he solicits the compassion of God, by complaining of the number that were banded against him. Still his language implies that he looked upon the protection of heaven as amply sufficient against the greatest combination of adversaries. I may add, that there is an implied plea for strengthening his cause in prayer, in what he says of the malice and wickedness of those who were opposed to him; for the more cruel and unjust the conduct of our enemies may be, we have proportionally the better ground to believe that God will interpose in our behalf.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 1. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer. It often helps devotion if we are able to use the voice and speak audibly; but even mental prayer has a voice with God which he will hear. We do not read that Moses had spoken with his lips at the Red Sea, and yet the Lord said to him, "Why criest thou unto me?" Prayers which are unheard on earth may be among the best heard in heaven. It is our duty to note how constantly David turns to prayer; it is his battle axe and weapon of war; he uses it under every pressure, whether of inward sin or outward wrath, foreign invasion or domestic rebellion. We shall act wisely if we make prayer to God our first and best trusted resource in every hour of need.Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. From harm and dread of harm protect me; or it may be read as an expression of his assurance that it would be so; "from fear of the foe thou wilt preserve me." With all our sacrifices of prayer we should offer the salt of faith.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSWhole Psalm. 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 search diligently for occasions against him and his people, which issued in his own destruction. The ancient Midrash 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. John Gill.Whole Psalm. A cry of God's elect, when persecuted for righteousness' sake, to their Deliverer and sure Avenger. The general principle stated is very clear. The Psalm will adjust itself, as an experimental utterance, to the lips of Christian faith wherever brought into contact with the evil forces of the prince of this world, so as to suffer affliction for the gospel's sake; for it expresses the condition and the hope of one actually imperilled for the truth. How aptly a portion of this Psalm applies to the suffering Truth Himself in the days of his affliction, when, pierced in his spirit by lying words, he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, needs not be pointed out. Arthur Pridham, in "�otes and Reflections on the Psalms, "1869.Ver. 1. Preserve my life. Hebrew, lives; so called for the many faculties, operations,

revolutions, and commodities of life. John Trapp.

K&D 1-4, "The Psalm opens with an octostich, and closes in the same way. The

infinitive noun שיח� signifies a complaint, expressed not by the tones of pain, but in

words. The rendering of the lxx (here and in Psa_55:3) is too general, �ν�τ�θέεσθαί�µε. The “terror” of the enemy is that proceeding from him (gen. obj. as in Deu_2:15, and

frequently). The generic singular אויב is at once particularized in a more detailed

description with the use of the plural. סוד is a club or clique; רגשה (Targumic = המון, e.g.,

Eze_30:10) a noisy crowd. The perfects after אשר affirm that which they now do as they have before done; cf. Psa_140:4 and Psa_58:8, where, as in this passage, the treading or

bending of the bow is transferred to the arrow. בר�מר# is the interpretation added to the

figure, as in Psa_144:7. That which is bitter is called מר, root מר, stringere, from the harsh astringent taste; here it is used tropically of speech that wounds and inflicts pain

(after the manner of an arrow or a stiletto), πικρο)�λόγοι. With the Kal (Psa_11:2) לירות

alternates the Hiph. ירהו. With 2תאם the description takes a new start. ולא�ייראו, forming an assonance with the preceding word, means that they do it without any fear whatever, and therefore also without fear of God (Psa_55:20; Psa_25:18).

COKE, "David prayeth for deliverance, complaining of his enemies: he promiseth himself to see such an evident destruction of them, that the righteous shall rejoice at it.

To the chief musician, A Psalm of David.

Title. לדוד�מזמור�למנצח�lamnatseach�mizmor�ledavid.—�This�psalm�was�probably�written�by�David�

when�he�was�fallen�into�disgrace�with�Saul,�and�driven�from�his�court,�perhaps,�through�the�

calumnies�and�falsehoods�which�Saul's�courtiers�vented�against�him,�in�order�to�ingratiate�

themselves�with�the�king.�He�complains�in�it�greatly�of�the�treachery�of�his�enemies,�which�he�

describes�in�strong�metaphors�to�the�6th�verse,�after�which�follows�the�assurance�of�their�

downfall,�and�the�exaltation�of�the�righteous.

Psalms�64:1.�From�fear�of�the�enemy—�The�fear�seems�to�be�something�contrived�to�destroy,�by�

way�of�terrifying.�See�Isaiah�24�where�it�is�mentioned�with�the�pit�and�the�snare,�as�an�engine�of�

destruction.

BENSON, "Psalms 64:1-4. Preserve my life from fear — That is, from danger: the act or passion of fear being often put for its object, danger, as Psalms 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 Psalms 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.

BI 1-10, "Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Man’s enmity towards man

We see this enmity here in three aspects.

I. Piously dreaded. David prays against it. He prays for his own protection. Self-preservation is a natural instinct, and it is right that it should have a religious expression.

II. Characteristically working. How does enmity work generally?

1. Clandestinely (Psa_64:2). Enmity in the heart, like poison in the serpent, has within it the instinct of cunning.

2. Slanderously (Psa_64:3-4). “Slander, whose edge,” says Shakespeare, “is sharper than a sword.” It strikes at the reputation of the foe, and reputation is as dear as life.

3. Plottingly (Psa_64:5). It lays traps and snares for the foe everywhere—snares by which a man may lose his commercial credit, his domestic peace, his social reputation.

4. Diligently (Psa_64:6). Enmity is not dormant or lazy, nor a spasmodic agent, it is systematically and persistently active: it pursues its victim, tracks him until it finds him out, however labyrinthian the course.

III. Divinely thwarted. “God shall shoot at them with an arrow.”

1. Unawares (Psa_64:7). Divine judgment will Strike at the malignant man when he least expects it.

2. By its own agency (Psa_64:8). The malicious man must destroy himself. This is God’s law (Job_5:12-13).

3. in such a way as shall make an impression upon all (Psa_64:9-10). What David here predicates of his enemies applies to all malignant men. Divine retribution will overtake them; they shall be baffled, thwarted, confounded, ruined, (Homilist.)

COFFMAN, "EVIL SLANDERERS JUDGED BY THE LORD

SUPERSCRIPTION: FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN. A PSALM.

A SONG OF DAVID.

Again, there is no legitimate objection to receiving the superscription as correct. It is an older opinion, by many centuries, than those hypothetical ascriptions which represent it as "reflecting the situation between Mordecai and Haman,"[1] or as concerning the conflict "Between Daniel and his enemies in Babylon which found its climax in the lion's den."[2]

Not only are the words of this psalm applicable to both Mordecai and Daniel, but to many other persons and situations also.

David's life was troubled by many situations in which the words of this psalm might have been inspired; but very few scholars have even hazarded a guess as to what, exactly, the real occasion was. We respect the words of Rawlinson who named it.

"The author is probably David, as asserted in the title; and the occasion or time was that period a little preceding the open revolt of Absalom."[3]

The frequent mention of the "secrecy" of the enemies in the first part of the Psalm might indicate that the revolt of Absalom was in its formative stages. It is also true that there could have been many other occasions in the psalmists reign when similar opposition was manifested.

Seemingly, the most natural divisions of the psalm are (1) Psalms 64:1-4; (2) Psalms 64:5-6; and (3) Psalms 64:7-10.

Psalms 64:1-4

"Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint:

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers,

From the tumult of the workers of iniquity;

Who have whet their tongues like a sword,

And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,

That they may shoot in secret places at the perfect:

Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not."

"Preserve my life from fear of the enemy" (Psalms 64:1). The interest in this verse is that the psalmist does not pray for protection against the enemy, but that he may be delivered from the fear that might be caused by the situation. "This makes good sense, because such deliverance would put an end to all impediments to clear thinking and firm resistance."[4]

"Secret counsel ... secret places" (Psalms 64:1,4). A prominent feature of the activity of the evil-doers here is their secrecy. They did not come out openly against David, but contrived many devices by which they hoped to undermine his authority and eventually destroy him.

"They whet their tongues ... aim their arrows ... even bitter words" (Psalms 64:3). A second prominent feature of this conspiracy was simple enough. It was a campaign of secret slander. Spurgeon has a priceless little paragraph about that type of campaign.

"Is it possible for justice to invent a punishment sufficiently severe to meet the case of the dastard who defiles my good name and remains himself in concealment? An open liar is an angel compared with this demon. Vipers and cobras are harmless and lovable creatures compared with such a reptile. The devil himself might blush at being the father of so base an offspring."[5]

"In this situation, the psalmist knows of his enemies but not when they may strike."[6] That is why he prays to be hidden (Psalms 64:2).

Speaking of all that activity of the enemies mentioned in Psalms 64:3, Matthew Henry observed: "If they spent half that much energy in the pursuit of righteousness, it might serve to save them."[7]

EBC, "FAMILIAR notes are struck in this psalm, which has no very distinctive features. Complaint of secret slanderers, the comparison of their words to arrows and swords, their concealed snares, their blasphemous defiance of detection, the sudden flashing out of God’s retribution, the lesson thereby read to and learned by men, the vindication of God’s justice, and praise from all true hearts, are frequent themes. They are woven here into a whole which much resembles many other psalms. But the singer’s heart is none the less in his words because many others before him have had to make like complaints and to stay themselves on like confidence. "We have all of us one human heart," and well-worn words come fresh to each lip when the grip of sorrow is felt.

The division into pairs of verses is clear here. The burdened psalmist begins with a cry for help, passes on to dilate on the plots of his foes, turns swiftly from these to confidence in God, which brings future deliverance into present peril and sings of it as

already accomplished, and ends with the assurance that his enemies’ punishment will witness for God and gladden the upright.

In the first pair of verses complaint is sublimed into prayer, and so becomes strengthening instead of weakening. He who can cry "Hear, O God, guard, hide" has already been able to hide in a safe refuge. "The terror caused by the enemy" is already dissipated when the trembling heart grasps at God; and escape from facts which warrant terror will come in good time. This man knows himself to be in danger of his life. There are secret gatherings of his enemies, and he can almost hear their loud voices as they plan his ruin. What can he do, in such circumstances, but fling himself on God? No thought of resistance has he. He can but pray, but he can pray; and no man is helpless who can look up. However high and closely engirdling may be the walls that men or sorrows build around us, there is always an opening in the dungeon roof, through which heaven is visible and prayers can mount.

GUZIK, "Psalm 64 - Secret Plots and Sudden Shots

This Psalm is titled, To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. As with many of David's Psalms, it concerns a crisis that made him cry out to God. It is impossible to connect this Psalm to a specific event in David's life with certainty.

A. The wicked attack.

1. (1-4) Word weapons of the wicked.

Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,

Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,

And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

a. Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation: This is an interesting turn of phrase. Either David meant that his meditation was vocal so that God could hear his voice, or that God would hear the silent expression of his heart as his voice. Either way, as with many times in the Psalms, David cried out to God for help.

i. "He can but pray, but he can pray; and no man is helpless who can look up. However high and closely engirdling may be the walls that men or sorrows build around us, there is always an opening in the dungeon roof, through which heaven is visible and prayers can mount." (Maclaren)

b. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy: The word fear is commonly translated dread and speaks of something greater than the normal fear of battle. David knew how crippling this kind of dread could be and prayed to be kept from it.

i. "In the second line, note the word dread, which is paralyzing, whereas fear can be sobering and healthy." (Kidner)

ii. "Every sentence reveals the relentless fury and remorseless subtlety and cruelty of the foes by whom he was surrounded. Conscious of all this he had one fear, and that was that he should be afraid of them." (Morgan)

iii. "We need to pray as the psalmist does, not so much for the deliverance from enemies as for deliverance from fear of them." (Morgan)

c. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked: David knew there were dangerous enemies plotting his destruction. He felt powerless to make them stop, so he prayed. The NIV gives a good sense of this in translating, Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked.

i. "This is the singer's distress. The warfare is unequal. His foes are not out in the open, but under cover." (Morgan)

ii. "Their methods cannot afford to be those of honest opposition ('the open statement of the truth', 2 Corinthians 4:2; cf. 'I opposed him to his face', Galatians 2:11)." (Kidner)

d. Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows --bitter words: The secret plots against David consisted in words and lies against him, all pushing towards his destruction and death. This was not a case of mere words not hurting; this was an active conspiracy to kill.

i. "In the context of this war of lies and innuendo the ambush will be either the prepared situation which 'frames' an innocent man, or the shelter of anonymity from which a rumour can be launched without fear." (Kidner)

ii. "An open liar is an angel compared with this demon. Vipers and cobras are harmless and amiable creatures compared with such a reptile. The devil himself might blush at being the father of so base an offspring." (Spurgeon)

e. Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear: David knew that his enemies fired their bitter words as arrows against him, and when they did it didn't bother them in the least. They did not fear either David or God.

i. Psalm 64 emphasizes the devious nature of David's enemies. They use secret plots. They shoot in secret. They attack suddenly. Especially because David mentioned an attack by arrows from a hidden or secret position, his enemies acted like the ancient version of snipers.

ii. "The key word in Psalm 64 is suddenly, meaning 'unexpectedly' or 'without warning.'" (Boice) "Suddenly; shortly and unexpectedly." (Poole)

iii. David knew how dangerous it was in battle if there was a hidden archer working as a sniper. If he could see and confront his enemy one-on-one, a warrior such as David liked

his chances. The hidden sniper was of great concern, to be put down by an arrow you never saw coming.

iv. David's enemies didn't use literal arrows, but they attacked him secretly, anonymously, without the courage to say things to his face. They shot at him like a sniper shoots at a man who has no way to defend himself.

NISBET, "GOD THE DEFENCE OF THE PERSECUTED

‘Preserve my life.’

Psalms 64:1

I. This is the cry of distress, and yet not of despair.—The Psalmist is beset by wily enemies who plan and plot against him with malicious and persistent determination. In great detail he describes their method. It is that of secret counsel and studied cruelty. They have one object, that of harming the righteous by shooting at him from secret places. They strengthen themselves by declaring that none can see them. This is his distress. The warfare is unequal. His foes are not in the open, but under cover. At verse seven we have the beginning of his account of the reason why his distress is not despair. Over against their evil determination to shoot at the righteous is the fact that God shall shoot at them. That is the security of the trusting soul.

II. In New Testament times the truth is expressed differently, but the principle abides, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’—The practical application of this to the righteous is that there is no need for them to attempt to take vengeance on their enemies. Their one care is to trust in God. Such trust will issue in gladness, and the inevitable vindication of their faith. In order to this we ever need to pray, as the Psalmist does, not so much for deliverance from enemies as for deliverance from fear of them.

Illustration

‘The Divine deed, patent to all, of judicial retribution, becomes a blessing to humanity. Passed on from mouth to mouth it becomes a warning. For the righteous in particular it becomes a consoling and joyous confirmation of faith. The righteous rejoices in his God, Who by judging and redeeming in this fashion makes history the history of redemption; with so much the more confidence he hides himself in Him; and all the upright glory in God, Who looks into the heart, and in deeds acknowledges those whose hearts are conformed to Him.’

PETT, "Heading.

‘For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.’

Once again the Psalm is dedicated to the Chief Musician, but we are told nothing about it except that it is a Psalm of David.

The Psalm can be divided into four sections as follows:

1) David Prays For Deliverance From Those Who Plot Against Him And Attack Him Verbally Behind His Back (Psalms 64:1-4).

2) The Psalmists Description Of The Whisperers Who Think That Their Schemes Are Undetected (64-5-6).

3) But God Has Taken Note And Will Turn Their Schemes Back On Their Own Heads So That All Will See Their Folly And Recognise In Their Demise The Hand Of God (Psalms 64:7-9).

4) What Happens In Respect Of David Will Encourage The Righteous Who As A Consequence Will Rejoice In YHWH And Take Refuge In Him (Psalms 64:10).

David Prays For Deliverance From Those Who Plot Against Him And Attack Him Verbally Behind His Back (Psalms 64:1-4).

We are given no clue as to what situation in life caused the Psalm to be composed, but the words are from one who is facing verbal assault, albeit indirectly. They snipe at him secretly behind his back. They ‘shoot at him in secret places’. They lay ‘secret snares’ saying “Who will see them?” Whenever we find ourselves the subjects of innuendoes hurled at us behind our backs, we can find comfort in this Psalm. Such a situation has been the lot of God’s people throughout all centuries.

Psalms 64:1-4

‘Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint,

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers,

From the tumult of the workers of iniquity,

Who have whet their tongue like a sword,

And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,

That they may shoot in secret places at the blameless,

Suddenly do they shoot at him, and are not afraid.’

The Psalm opens with a prayer that God will hear the complaint that the Psalmist makes against the whisperers who whisper behind his back, and calls on God to enable him not to be afraid of them, ‘preserve my life from the fear of the enemy’. They are not out to attack him physically, but by whispered innuendo, and secret plots behind his back. David experienced such behaviour when he was a Commander under Saul. He experienced it at the time of Absalom’s rebellion. And anyone who is in a position of authority is liable to be subject to such treatment, especially those who are faithful to God. It is a reminder that we can bring such matters to God and leave then there.

So he calls on God to hide him from the ‘secret counsel of evildoers’, from the consequences of their secret planning; to protect him from the vicious disturbing harsh whispers and innuendoes (‘tumult’) of ‘workers of iniquity’. Note God’s verdict on whisperers. They are ‘evildoers’ and ‘workers of iniquity’, as are all whisperers. Whisperers in churches should take note of this. If they have complaints they should bring them out openly, not seek to undermine the authority of those in positions of responsibility by surreptitious means, otherwise they too are doing evil and working iniquity.

There was nothing haphazard about these whispers. Those who whispered behind closed doors took a great deal of trouble about it. They sharpened their tongues as they would a sword. Their words were carefully aimed and let loose in order to cause the most damage. They shot from secret places where they could not be seen and identified. And it was all aimed at one who was blameless of what they accused him of. They spoke innuendoes and lies.

‘They shoot at him, and are not afraid.’ They are brazen in their efforts, and confident that they will not be identified. Thus they have no fear. But they are clearly afraid to come out into the open.

LANGE, "Its Contents.—Owing to the absence of all historical references, we cannot state any particular time in the life of David for its composition. The Psalm which have corresponding figures and features belong to very different periods. The situation of the Psalmist is one which frequently recurs in the life of David. In lamentation to God he implores protection against a throng of wicked men who threaten his life, ( Psalm 64:1-2), who seek to destroy him, especially by ill report and other secret devices ( Psalm 64:3; Psalm 64:6). On this account the judgment of God will overtake them ( Psalm 64:7-8), the knowledge of which will serve as a warning to all men ( Psalm 64:9), but will strengthen the faith of the righteous, rejoicing them and encouraging them.

[Str. I. Psalm 64:1. In my lamentation.—Delitzsch: “The infin. nom. �יח means lamentation, complaint, not in sounds of pain, but in words of pain.” See Psalm 51:2.

2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers.

BAR�ES, "Hide me - Or, more literally, thou wilt hide me. There is both an implied prayer that this might be done, and a confident belief that it would be done. The idea is, Protect me; guard me; make me safe - as one is who is hidden or concealed so that his enemies cannot find him.

From the secret counsel - The word used here - sôd סוד - means properly couch, cushion; and then, a divan, a circle of friends sitting together on couches for familiar conversation, or for counsel. See Psa_25:14, note; Psa_55:14, note; compare Job_15:8; Job_29:4. Here the reference is to the consultations of his enemies for the purpose of doing him wrong. Of course, as they took this counsel together, he could not know it, and the word secret is not improperly applied to it. The idea here is, that although he did not know what that counsel or purpose was, or what was the result of their consultations, yet God knew, and he could guard him against it.

Of the wicked - Not the wicked in general, but his particular foes who were endeavoring to destroy him. Luther renders this, “from the assembling of the wicked.”

From the insurrection - The word used here - rigshâh רגשה - means properly a “noisy crowd, a multitude.” The allusion is to such a crowd, such a disorderly and violent rabble, as constituted a mob. He was in danger not only from the secret purposes of the more calm and thoughtful of his enemies who were plotting against him, but from the excited passions of the multitude, and thus his life was in double danger. If he escaped the one, he had no security that he would escape the other. So the Redeemer was exposed to a double danger. There was the danger arising from the secret plottings of the Scribes and Pharisees assembled in council, and there was also the danger arising from the infuriated passions of the multitude. The former calmly laid the plan for putting him to death by a judicial trial; the others took up stones to stone him, or cried, “Crucify him, crucify him!” The word insurrection here does not well express the idea. The word tumult would better represent the meaning of the original.

Of the workers of iniquity - That is, of those who were arrayed against him.

CLARKE, "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 labor, their daily employment; it was their occupation and trade. It is supposed that by this title the Babylonians are intended. See Psa_6:3; Psa_14:4; Psa_36:12; Psa_53:4; Psa_59:2.

GILL, "Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked,.... The word used denotes both the place where wicked men meet together for consultation; see Gen_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 Mat_26:3;

from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity; their noise, rage, and tumult; see Psa_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, Mat_7:22; and who are further described in the next verses.

JAMISO�, "insurrection— literally, “uproar,” noisy assaults, as well as their secret counsels.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 2. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked. From their hidden snares hide me. Circumvent their counsel; let their secrets be met by thy secret providence, their counsels of malice by thy counsels of love.From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity. When their secret counsels break forth into clamorous tumults, be thou still my preserver. When they think evil, let thy divine thoughts defeat them; and when they do evil, let thy powerful justice overthrow them: in both cases, let me be out of reach of their cruel hand, and even out of sight of their evil eye. It is a good thing to conquer malicious foes, but a better thing still to be screened from all conflict with them, by being hidden from the strife. The Lord knows how to give his people peace, and when he wills to make quiet, he is more than a match for all disturbers, and can defeat alike their deep laid plots and their overt hostilities.

WHEDO�, "2. Secret counsel—Conspiracy, dark plotting.

Insurrection—The word signifies a tumultuous assembly, a rushing together of the masses, as Psalms 2:1; a noisy crowd, Psalms 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.

LA�GE, "Psalm 64:2. From the secret league of the wicked—from the tumultuous throng of evil doers.—Delitzsch: “סוד is the club or clique, רגשה the noisy crowd.” Perowne translates סוד as conspiracy; this is the sense, but it is better to employ the more general meaning of the word referring to secret converse in the intimacy of friendship on the one hand, and of devising, planning, plotting on the other. See Psalm 25:14.

3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.

BAR�ES, "Who whet their tongue like a sword -Who sharpen their tongue; that is, they utter words that will cut deep, or penetrate the soul. The idea is that of slander or reproach - the same idea which we have in Shakespeare (Cymbeline):

“‘Tis slander;Whose edge is sharper than the sword.”

This comparison is a favorite one with David. Compare Psa_52:2; Psa_57:4; Psa_59:7.

And bend their bows ... - That is, they prepare for this - as they make ready to shoot who bend their bows, and fix their arrows on the string. The idea here is, that this was deliberate, or was the result of counsel and purpose. It was not an outbreak of mere passion and excitement; it was by fixed design and careful preparation. See Psa_11:2, note; Psa_58:7, note.

Even bitter words -We apply the same term bitter now to words of malice and reproach.

CLARKE, "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.

GILL, "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 Potidaea (a): and after the same manner, the Jews say (b), 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.

HE�RY, " He complains of the great malice and wickedness of his enemies: “Lord, hide me from them, for they are the worst of men, not fit to be connived at; they are dangerous men, that will stick at nothing; so that I am undone if thou do not take my part.”

1. They are very spiteful in their calumnies and reproaches, Psa_64:3, Psa_64:4. They are described as military men, with their sword and bow, archers that take aim exactly, secretly, and suddenly, and shoot at the harmless bird that apprehends not herself in any danger. But, (1.) Their tongues are their swords, flaming swords, two-edged swords, drawn swords, drawn in anger, with which they cut, and wound, and kill, the good name of their neighbours. The tongue is a little member, but, like the sword, it boasts great things, Jam_3:5. It is a dangerous weapon. (2.) Bitter words are their arrows -scurrilous reflections, opprobrious nicknames, false representations, slanders, and calumnies, the fiery darts of the wicked one, set on fire to hell. For these their malice bends their bows, to send out these arrows with so much the more force. (3.) The upright man is their mark; against him their spleen is, and they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him. The better any man is the more he is envied by those that are themselves bad, and the more ill is said of him. (4.) They manage it with a great deal of art and subtlety. They shoot in secret, that those they shoot at may not discover them and avoid the danger, for in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird. And suddenly do they shoot, without giving a man lawful warning or any opportunity to defend himself. Cursed be he that thus smites his neighbour secretly in his reputation, Deu_27:24. There is no guard against a pass made by a false tongue. (5.) Herein they fear not,that is, they are confident of their success, and doubt not but by these methods they shall gain the point which their malice aims at. Or, rather, they fear not the wrath of God, which they will be the portion of a false tongue. They are impudent and daring in the mischief they do to good people, as if they must never be called to an account for it.

JAMISO�, "Similar figures for slander (Psa_57:4; Psa_59:7).

bend— literally, “tread,” or, “prepared.” The allusion is to the mode of bending a bow by treading on it; here, and in Psa_58:7, transferred to arrows.

CALVI�, "3For they have whetted their tongue like a sword His enemies, in their rage, aimed at nothing less than his life, and yet what he complains of, more than all beside, is the poison with which their words were imbued. It is probable that he refers to the calumnious reports which he knew to be falsely spread to his discredit, and with a view of damaging his reputation with the people. Their tongues he likens to swords; their bitter and venomous words to arrows. (440) And when he adds, that, they shoot against the upright and innocent, he is to be considered as contrasting his integrity with their unprincipled conduct. It inspired him with confidence in his religious addresses, to know that he could exonerate his own conscience from guilt, and that he was the object of undeserved attack by worthless and abandoned men. In mentioning that they shoot secretly and suddenly, he refers to the craft which characterised them. They were not only eagerly bent upon

mischief, and intent in watching their opportunities, but so expert and quick in their movements, as to smite their victim before he could suspect danger. When we hear that David, who was a man in every respect so much more holy and upright in his conduct than ourselves, suffered from groundless aspersions upon his character, we have no reason to be surprised that we should be exposed to a similar trial. This comfort, at least, we always have, that we can betake ourselves to God, and obtain his defense of the upright cause. He takes particular notice of another circumstance, that they shot their empoisoned arrows from their lips without fear, or shame. This self-secure spirit argued a degree of abandoned presumption, in so far as they could persist in obstinately pursuing the conduct in which they had been repeatedly detected, and renew their desperate attempts, to the disregard of all fear of God or worldly shame.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 3. Who whet their tongue like a sword. Slander has ever been the master weapon of the good man's enemies, and great is the care of the malicious to use it effectively. As warriors grind their swords, to give them an edge which will cut deep and wound desperately, so do the unscrupulous invent falsehoods which shall be calculated to inflict pain, to stab the reputation, to kill the honour of the righteous. What is there which an evil tongue will not say? What misery will it not labour to inflict?And bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words. Far off they dart their calumnies, as archers shoot their poisoned arrows. They studiously and with force prepare their speech as bent bows, and then with cool, deliberate aim, they let fly the shaft which they have dipped in bitterness. To sting, to inflict anguish, to destroy, is their one design. Insult, sarcasm, taunting defiance, nicknaming, all these were practised among Orientals as a kind of art; and if in these Western regions, with more refined manners, we are less addicted to the use of rough abuse, it is yet to be feared that the less apparent venom of the tongue inflicts none the less poignant pain. However, in all cases, let us fly to the Lord for help. David had but the one resource of prayer against the twofold weapons of the wicked, for defence against sword or arrow he used the one defence of faith in God.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 3. Who whet their tongue, etc. The verb means, says Parkhurst, "to whet, sharpen, "which is performed by reiterated motion of friction; and by a beautiful metaphor it is applied to a wicked tongue. It has, however, been rendered, vibrate, as it is certain a serpent does his tongue. Richard Mant.Ver. 3. The ingenuity of man has been wonderfully tasked and exercised in two things, inventing destructive weapons of war, and devising various methods of ruining men by wicked words. The list of the former is found in military writings. But the various forms of evil speaking can hardly be catalogued. Evil speakers have arrows, sharp, barbed, dipped in poison. They have "swords, flaming swords, two edged swords, drawn swords, drawn in anger, with which they cut, and wound, and kill the good name of their neighbour." Sins of the tongue are commonly very cruel. When slander is secret, as it commonly is, you cannot defend yourself from its assaults. Its canons are infernal. One of them is, "If a lie will do better than the truth, tell a lie." Another is, "Heap on reproach; some of it will stick." William S. Plumer.

Ver. 3-4. We saw in the Museum at Venice an instrument with which one of the old Italian tyrants was accustomed to shoot poisoned needles at the objects of his wanton malignity. We thought of gossips, backbiters, and secret slanderers, and wished that their mischievous devices might come to a speedy end. Their weapons of innuendo, shrug, and whisper, appear to be as insignificant as needles: but the venom which they instil is deadly to many a reputation. C. H. Spurgeon, in "Feathers for Arrows; or, Illustrations for Preachers and Teachers, "1870.Ver. 3-4. David, upon sad experience, compares a wicked, reviling tongue to three fatal weapons--a razor, a sword, and an arrow. To a razor, such a one as will take off every little hair: so a reviling tongue will not only take advantage of every gross sin committed by others, but those peccadilloes, the least infirmities which others better qualified cannot so much as discern; secondly, to a sword that wounds: so the tongues of reproaching men cut deeply into the credits and reputations of their brethren, but a sword doth mischief only near hand, not afar off; and, therefore, it is in the third place compared to an arrow, that can hit at a distance: and so revilers do not ill offices to those only in the parish or town where they live, but to others far remote. How much, then, doth it concern every man to walk circumspectly; to give no just cause of reproach, not to make himself a scorn to the fools of the world; but, if they will reproach (as certainly they will), let it be for forwardness in God's ways, and not for sin, that so the reproach may fall upon their own heads, and their scandalous language into their own throats. Jeremiah Burroughs.Ver. 3,7-8. The most mischievous weapons of the wicked are words, even bitter words; but the Word is the chief weapon of the Holy Spirit: and as with this sword the great Captain foiled the tempter in the wilderness, so may we vanquish "the workers of iniquity" with the true Jerusalem blade. J. L. K.

WEDO�, "3. Bend their bows—Hebrew, They have bent their arrows. Same as “bend the bow,” Psalms 7:13, or placing or aiming the arrow, Psalms 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.

EBC, "The next two pairs of verses (Psalms 64:3-6) describe the machinations of the enemies in language for the most part familiar, but presenting some difficulties. The metaphors of a slanderous tongue as a sword and mischief-meaning words as arrows have occurred in several other psalms. {e.g., Psalms 55:21;, Psalms 57:4;, Psalms 59:7} The reference may either be to calumnies or to murderous threats and plans. The latter is the more probable. Secret plots are laid, which are suddenly unmasked. From out of some covert of seeming friendship an unlooked-for arrow whizzes. The archers "shoot, and fear not." They are sure of remaining concealed, and fear neither man’s detection of them nor God’s.

PULPIT, "Psalms 64:3

Bitter words.

Of the ten commandments, two are directed against sins of speech—one against

profane words concerning God; the other against slanderous words concerning our neighbours. �o sins are apt to be thought more lightly of than sins of the tongue; yet no sins are more severely and constantly denounced in Scripture. Probably no class of sins does more mischief in the world. Our words are spoken of as the special object of Divine knowledge (Psalms 139:4). The sinfulness of "bitter words" is seen

I. I� THEIR SOURCE. St. James compares the heart to a fountain, and notes the unnatural anomaly that from the same source should flow sweetness and bitterness, blessing and cursing, praise and slander (James 3:8-12). If the heart harboured no envy, malice, anger, pride, uncharitableness, ill-natured censorious judgments, how sweet and refreshing would the flow of speech be (Ephesians 4:29-32; Matthew 15:18)!

II. I� THEIR UTTERA�CE. Our Lord speaks of the good man bringing forth what is good from "the good treasure of his heart," and the evil man, that which is evil "out of the evil treasure" (Matthew 12:35). Solomon marks it as one great difference between a wise man and a fool, that the former knows how to hold his tongue (Proverbs 10:19; Proverbs 29:11). A good man may be aware of envious evil, uncharitable thoughts; but he is very careful how he gives them vent in bitter words. His prayer is, "Keep the door of my lips" (Psalms 141:3). Some people not merely find a pleasure in uttering all the sharp unkind things that occur to them; they persuade themselves it is a duty. �o matter how bitter the word may be, out it comes, on the plea, "I must be honest; I must always speak my mind." Why must you? It is not honesty; it is want of self-control, of sympathy, good feeling, Christian and Christ-like consideration for others.

III. I� THEIR RESULTS. The word once spoken, like the bolt overshot, cannot be recalled. But the deadliest arrow can hit but one mark; the bitter word may fly from lip to lip, growing as it flies, and inflict a thousand wounds before it is forgotten. David suffered much from bitter words. He counts it a great instance of God's goodness when he defends his servants "from the strife of tongues" (Psalms 31:20; cf. Psalms 31:13, Psalms 31:18). Unjust, slanderous, cruel words are compared to arrows, swords, spears, razors, serpents' teeth, burning coals (Psalms 52:2-4; Psalms 55:21; Psalms 57:4; Psalms 58:4; Psalms 120:4; Psalms 111:3).

Bitter words were no small part of the bitter cup which our Saviour drank for us, and of which he warned his disciples they must taste. Spoken by the unbelieving world, "falsely for his sake," they are the Christian's glory (Matthew 5:11; Matthew 10:25); but spoken by Christians of Christians, they are weapons put into the hand of unbelief. The bitterness of controversy has perhaps been a greater hindrance to truth than the assaults of atheism. Wherever this Marah flows—in the Church, the home, the social circle, the nation—it poisons life. Seek to cast into it the healing branch (Colossians 4:6).

LA�GE, "Psalm 64:3-4. The figures of these Verses are favorite ones with David. For the comparison of the tongue to a sharp sword, see Psalm 52:2; Psalm 57:4; Psalm 59:7; for that of bitter words to fixed arrows, Psalm 58:7. As the robber lurks

in his haunts ( Psalm 10:8) or the hunter shoots from the thicket at the bird ( Psalm 11:2) so they lurk and watch for their opportunity to shoot forth their bitter words. Unseen of men they fear not God and His retributive justice ( Psalm 55:19). C. A. B.]

4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear.

BAR�ES, "That they may shoot in secret - From an unobserved quarter; from a place where they are so concealed that it cannot be known where the arrows come from. There was a purpose to ruin him, and at the same time to conceal themselves, or not to let him know from what source the ruin came. It was not an open and manly fight, where he could see his enemy, but it was a warfare with a concealed foe.

At the perfect - At the upright; at one who is perfect so far as his treatment of them is concerned. Compare Psa_18:20, note; Psa_18:23, note.

Suddenly do they shoot at him - At an unexpected time, and from an unlooked-for quarter. They accomplish what they intended; they carry out their design.

And fear not - They feel confident that they are not known, and that they will not be detected. They have no fear of God or man. Compare Psa_55:19.

CLARKE, "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.

GILL, "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.

JAMISO�, "the perfect— one innocent of the charges made (Psa_18:23).

fear not— (Psa_55:19), not regarding God.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 4. That they may shoot in secret at the perfect. They lie in ambush, with bows ready bent to aim a coward's shaft at the upright man. Sincere and upright conduct will not secure us from the assaults of slander. The devil shot at our Lord himself, and we may rest assured he has a fiery dart in reserve for us; He was absolutely perfect, we are only so in a relative sense, hence in us there is fuel for fiery darts to kindle on. Observe the meanness of malicious men; they will not accept fair combat, they shun the open field, and skulk in the bushes, lying in ambush against those who are not so acquainted with deceit as to suspect their treachery, and are to manly to imitate their despicable modes of warfare.Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. To secrecy they add suddenness. They give their unsuspecting victim no chance of defending himself; they pounce on him like a wild beast leaping on its prey. They lay their plans so warily that they fear no detection. We have seen in daily life the arrow of calumny wounding its victim sorely; and yet we have not been able to discover the quarter from which the weapon was shot, nor to detect the hand which forged the arrowhead, or tinged it with the poison. Is it possible for justice to invent a punishment sufficiently severe to meet the case of the dastard who defiles my good name, and remains himself in concealment? An open liar is an angel compared with this demon. Vipers and cobras are harmless and amiable creatures compared with such a reptile. The devil himself might blush at being the father of so base an offspring.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 3-4. See Psalms on "Psalms 64:3" for further information.Ver. 3-4. See Psalms on "Psalms 64:3" for further information.Ver. 4. That they may shoot in secret. The wicked are said to shoot their arrows in secret at the perfect; and then "they say, Who shall see them?" Psalms 64:5. Thus Satan lets fly a temptation so secretly, that he is hardly suspected in the thing. Sometimes he useth a wife's tongue to do his errand; another while he gets behind the back of a husband, friend, servant, etc., and is not seen all the while he is doing his work. Who would have thought to have found a devil in Peter, tempting his Master, or suspected that Abraham should be the instrument to betray his beloved

wife into the hands of a sin? yet it was so. �ay, sometimes he is so secret, that he borrows God's bow to shoot his arrows from, and the poor Christian is abused, thinking it is God chides and is angry, when it is the devil tempts him to think so, and only counterfeits God's voice. William Gurnall.

WHEDO�, "4. Shoot in secret—A mark at once of treachery, cowardice, and cruelty. See Psalms 10:8-10 and Psalms 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, Psalms 55:19

5 They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see it[b]?”

BAR�ES, "They encourage themselves - literally, they strengthen themselves, or make themselves strong. That is, they take counsel; they encourage each other; they urge one another forward; they suggest to each other methods by which what they purpose may be done, and by which difficulties may be overcome. This was a part of their “secret counsel” or their consultation, Psa_64:2.

In an evil matter -Margin, as in Hebrew, speech. The reference is to their purpose or plan. They strengthen themselves for doing what they know to be a wrong or wicked thing.

They commune - literally, they tell or speak. That is, they tell each other how it may be done, or suggest different methods by which it may be successfully accomplishled. They compare views, that they may select that which will be most likely to be successful. All this indicates plan, consultation, design.

Of laying snares privily -Margin, as in Hebrew, to hide snares. This is a figure derived from the method of taking wild beasts. See Psa_7:15, note; Psa_38:12, note. The reference here is to some secret plan by which they intended that the author of the psalm should be entrapped and ruined. It was not a plan of open and manly warfare, but a purpose to destroy him when he would have no opportunity of defense.

They say, Who shall see them? - That is, who will see the snares or pit-falls? Who will be aware of their existence? They sought to make the plan so secret that no one could discover it, or even suspect it; to keep it so concealed that he for whom it was intended could not be put on his guard. Compare Psa_10:8-9.

CLARKE, "They commune of laying snares - They lay snares to entrap those whom they cannot slay by open attack or private ambush.

GILL, "They encourage themselves in an evil matter,.... Or "strengthen him" (c); 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, Ecc_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 Psa_10:11.

HE�RY, "They are very close and very resolute in their malicious projects, Psa_64:5. (1.) They strengthen and corroborate themselves and one another in this evil matter, and by joining together in it they make one another the more bitter and the more bold. Fortiter calumniari, aliquid adhaerebit - Lay on an abundance of reproach; part will be sure to stick. It is bad to do a wrong thing, but worse to encourage ourselves and one another in doing it; this is doing the devil's work for him. It is a sign that the heart is hardened to the highest degree when it is thus fully set to do evil and fears no colours. It is the office of conscience to discourage men in an evil matter, but, when that is baffled, the case is desperate. (2.) They consult with themselves and one another how to do the most mischief and most effectually: They commune of laying snares privily. All their communion is in sin and all their communication is how to sin securely. They hold councils of war for finding out the most effectual expedients to do mischief; every snare they lay was talked of before, and was laid with all the contrivance of their wicked wits combined. (3.) They please themselves with an atheistical conceit that God himself takes no notice of their wicked practices: They say, Who shall see them? A practical disbelief of God's omniscience is at the bottom of all the wickedness of the wicked.

JAMISO�, "A sentiment here more fully presented, by depicting their deliberate malice.

CALVI�, "5They assure themselves in an evil work. He proceeds to complain of the perverse determination with which they pursued their wickedness, and of their combinations amongst themselves; remarking, at the same time, upon the confidence with which they stirred one another up to the most daring acts of iniquity. In this there can be little doubt that they were encouraged by the present

state of weakness to which David was reduced in his circumstances, taking occasion, when they found him in poverty and exile, and without means of resistance, to persecute him with the greater freedom. Having adverted to them as being beyond hope of amendment, and incapable of any impressions of humanity, he speaks of their meeting together to plot his destruction; and, in connection with this, of the unbounded confidence which they were led to display, from a belief that their designs were not seen. It is well known that one circumstance which strengthens the false security of the wicked, and encourages them to triumph in their crafty policy towards the simple and upright in heart, is their thinking that they can cover their crimes by such pretexts as they have always at hand. They say, Who shall see them? The word למו , lamo, them, may refer either to the workers of iniquity themselves, or to the snares spoken of in the preceding clause. The first seems the preferable meaning. They run recklessly, and without restraint, in the ways of sin, blinded by their pride, and influenced neither by the fear of God nor a sense of shame.

In the verse which follows, he animadverts severely upon the deceit which they practiced. He speaks of their having exhausted all the arts of mischief, so as to have left nothing in this department to be discovered. The search referred to has relation to the secret methods of doing evil. He adds, that their malice was deep. By the inward part and the heart, which was deep, he means the hidden devices to which the wicked have recourse for concealment. Some, instead of translating the words, the inward part of each, etc., give a more indefinite sense to איש, ish, and read, the inward part, and deep heart, of every one, is found in them; that is, his enemies contrived to comprise in themselves all that men have ever displayed in the shape of craft and subtilty. Either rendering may be adopted; for it is evidently David’s meaning that his enemies practiced secret stratagem as well as open violence, to compass his ruin, and showed themselves to be possessed of the deepest penetration in discovering dark and unimagined methods of doing mischief.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 5. They encourage themselves in an evil matter. Good men are frequently discouraged, and not infrequently discourage one another, but the children of darkness are wise in their generation and keep their spirits up, and each one has a cheering word to say to his fellow villain. Anything by which they can strengthen each other's hands in their one common design they resort to; their hearts are thoroughly in their black work.They commune of laying snares privily. Laying their heads together they count and recount their various devices, so as to come at some new and masterly device. They know the benefit of cooperation, and are not sparing in it; they pour their experience into one common fund, they teach each other fresh methods.They say, Who shall see them? So sedulously do they mask their attacks, that they defy discovery; their pitfalls are too well hidden, and themselves too carefully concealed to be found out. So they think, but they forget the all seeing eye, and the all discovering hand, which are ever hard by them. Great plots are usually laid bare. As in the Gunpowder Plot, there is usually a breakdown somewhere or other; among the conspirators themselves truth finds an ally, or the stones of the field cry out against them. Let no Christian be in bondage through fear of deep laid Jesuitical

schemes, for surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, nor divination against Israel; the toils of the net are broken, the arrows of the bow are snapped, the devices of the wicked are foiled. Therefore, fear not, ye tremblers; for the Lord is at your right hand, and ye shall not be hurt of the enemy.

ELLICOTT, "(5) They encourage themselves.—Literally, they strengthen for themselves an evil thing (or “word,” margin, LXX., and Vulg.,) which evidently means that they take their measures carefully, and are prepared to carry them out resolutely.

They commune . . .—Better, they calculate how they may lay snares privily. The conspirators carefully and in secret go over every detail of their plot.

Who shall see them?—Literally, who shall look to them? which seems at first glance to mean, “who will see the snares?” but this is weak. It may be equivalent to, “who is likely to see us?” the question being put indirectly. But in 1 Samuel 16:7, the expression, “looketh on,” implies “regard for,” which may possibly be the meaning here, “who careth for them?”

WHEDO�, "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 Psalms 10:6.

Who shall see them—Literally, Who will look to it; that is, judicially, in order to punish it. See Psalms 10:11; Psalms 10:13; Psalms 73:11; Psalms 94:7

BE�SO�, "Psalms 64:5-6. They encourage themselves — Hebrew, יחזקו, 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.

COFFMA�, "Verse 5"They encourage themselves in an evil purpose;

They commune of laying snares privily;

They say, Who will see them?

They search out iniquities;

We have accomplished, say they, a diligent search:

And the inward thought and the heart of every one is deep."

The theme of these verses is the traps which the enemies have set to destroy the perfect man and the snares and pitfalls they have secretly deployed in the hope of overcoming him. Their conversation with each other continually turns upon the discussion of such things.

"We have accomplished, say they, a diligent search" (Psalms 64:6). Dummelow rendered this, "We have perfected, say they, a careful device."[8] The plans made by Absalom and his advisers were very brilliant. Rawlinson thought that it might have been due to some carefully laid trap that David was induced to leave the city of Jerusalem during that revolt.

"They say, Who will see them?" (Psalms 64:6). These wicked men did not believe in God and were foolish enough to think that their wickedness and devilish plans were not only hidden from men but from God also.

EBC, "The same ideas are enlarged on in the third verse pair (Psalms 64:5-6) under a new metaphor. Instead of arrows flying in secret, we have now snares laid to catch unsuspecting prey. "They strengthen themselves [in] an evil plan" (lit. word) pictures mutual encouragement and fixed determination. They discuss the best way of entrapping the psalmist, and, as in the preceding verse, flatter themselves that their subtle schemes are too well buried to be observed, whether by their victim or by God. Psalms 64:6 tells without a figure the fact meant in both figures. "They scheme villainies," and plume themselves upon the cleverness of their unsuspected plots. The second clause of the verse is obscure. But the suppositions that in it the plotters speak as in the last clause of the preceding verse, and that "they say" or the like expression is omitted for the sake of dramatic effect, remove much of the difficulty. "We have schemed a well-schemed plan" is their complacent estimate.

GUZIK, ". (5-6) The secret plotting of an evil matter.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter;

They talk of laying snares secretly;

They say, Who will see them?

They devise iniquities:

We have perfected a shrewd scheme.

Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

a. They encourage themselves in an evil matter: It would be bad enough that an individual purposed this against David, but it was worse than that. Many people had conspired against him, planning secret traps and snares, unafraid before God or man (Who will see them?).

i. "They foolishly believe that they are not accountable to anyone, as is expressed by their confident question." (VanGemeren)

ii. They encourage themselves: "Good men are frequently discouraged, and not unfrequently discourage one another, but the children of darkness are wise in their generation and keep their spirits up, and each one has a cheering word to say to his fellow villain." (Spurgeon)

b. We have perfected a shrewd scheme: They were proud in their evil plotting. They boasted of their sins, showing the dark depth of their thought and heart.

i. They devise iniquities: "They search the devil's skull for new inventions; who is ready enough to lend them his seven heads to plot and his ten horns to push at good people." (Trapp)

ii. The inward thought and heart of man are deep: "The Hebrew literally speaks of men's hearts as being 'deep,' the idea being that they are almost bottomless in their supply of evil deeds and cunning." (Boice)

PETT, "The Psalmists Description Of The Whisperers (64-5-6).

Here we have a description of ‘things done by them in secret’ (Ephesians 5:12). They carefully prepare an evil scheme, seeking to ensure that it is strong enough for the purpose. They discuss together, laying secret snares to trap the unwary and undiscerning. They are confident that no one will know what they are doing. �o one will take note. They are constantly on the look for weaknesses in David’s position, and search them out thoroughly. And they are all deep schemers. All is a carefully planned attempt to undermine David’s authority and position. They have left no

stone unturned in their attempt to do so. Those who follow God wholly are often subject to such attacks.

Psalms 64:5-6

‘They make strong for themselves (carefully prepare) an evil scheme,They commune together of laying snares secretly,They say, “Who will take note of them?”They search out iniquities,“We have accomplished,” (they say), “a diligent search,”And the inward thought and the heart of each one is deep.’‘They make strong for themselves (carefully prepare and ensure the strength of) an evil scheme.’ Theirs is no off-the-cuff reaction. It is deep seated and determined. They want to bring David down from his exalted position. And they secretly scheme accordingly.

‘They commune together of laying snares secretly.’ They discuss together ways in which they can win over the mass of the people by their schemes. They lay traps for them so that they will be deceived by them. They possibly also invent schemes by which David can be made to look foolish and incapable and uncaring. In the days of Absalom he had become careless of the sensitivities of the people. In the days of Saul he had not watched his back, trusting his compatriots.

‘They say, “Who will take note of them?” They are confident that they are unobserved as they go about their schemes. They forget that God knows them through and through, and is aware of all that they are doing. In a way they are unconsciously challenging God.

‘They search out iniquities.’ This either means that they had sought to obtain details of all the ways in which David has failed, or that they search out different ways of carrying forward their evil.

Their claim is that “We have accomplished a diligent search.” They are either proud of their ability to sink to the depths of iniquity (they are ‘workers of iniquity’ -Psalms 64:2), or alternatively have researched in depths David’s failures and his coming short in his responsibilities, ignoring, of course, his successes.

PULPIT, "They encourage themselves in an evil matter; or, in an evil scheme—the plan of making David unpopular, and then raising the standard of open revolt against him (2 Samuel 15:1-12). They commune of laying snares privily. The ungodly continually set traps for the righteous, who are so simple that they often fall into them. We do not know the exact proceedings of his enemies against David at the time, the narrative of 2 Samuel 15:1-37 being so brief; but it was probably by some trickery that David was induced to quit the stronghold of Jerusalem, and so yield the seat of government, and many other advantages, to his rival. They say, Who shall see them? (comp. Psalms 10:11; Psalms 59:7; Psalms 94:7). It is an inveterate folly for men to imagine, either that God will not see their actions, or that he will

pay no heed to them. A spurious humility is brought into play in the latter case—How can it be supposed that God will note the doings of such worms as men?

K&D 5-6, "The evil speech is one with the bitter speech in Psa_64:4, the arrow which they are anxious to let fly. This evil speech, here agreement or convention, they make

firm to themselves (sibi), by securing, in every possible way, its effective execution. ס2ר(frequently used of the cutting language of the ungodly, Psa_59:13; Psa_69:27; cf.

Talmudic ס2ר�לשון�שלישי, to speak as with three tongues, i.e., slanderously) is here

construed with ל� of that at which their haughty and insolent utterances aim. In connection therewith they take no heed of God, the all-seeing One: they say (ask), quis

conspiciat ipsis. There is no need to take למו as being for לו (Hitzig); nor is it the dative of the object instead of the accusative, but it is an ethical dative: who will see or look to them, i.e., exerting any sort of influence upon them? The form of the question is not the

direct (Psa_59:8), but the indirect, in which מי, seq. fut., is used in a simply future (Jer_

44:28) or potential sense (Job_22:17; 1Ki_1:20). Concerning עולת, vid., Psa_58:3. It is

doubtful whether נוab

(Note: נוab in Baer's Psalterium is an error that has been carried over from Heidenheim's.)

is the first person (= ונוab) as in Num_17:13, Jer_44:18, or the third person as in Lam_

3:22 מענזיה� = מעזניה� ab, likeנו b, and then transposedנמו ab, which first of all resolved isו =)

from which Rashi proceeds, and which Luther ,טמנו Isa_23:11). The reading ,מעcיה� =follows in his translation, is opposed by the lxx and Targum; it does not suit the governing subject, and is nothing but an involuntary lightening of the difficulty. If we

take into consideration, that מםb signifies not to make ready, but to be ready, and that

consequently חפש�מח2ש is to be taken by itself, then it must be rendered either: they excogitate knavish tricks or villainies, “we are ready, a clever stroke is concocted, and the inward part of man and the heart is deep!” or, which we prefer, since there is nothing to indicate the introduction of any soliloquy: they excogitate knavish tricks, they are ready -a delicately devised, clever stroke (nominative of the result), and (as the poet ironically adds) the inward part of man and the heart is (verily) deep. There is nothing very

surprising in the form נוab for וab, since the Psalms, whenever they depict the sinful

designs and doings of the ungodly, delight in singularities of language. On ולב (not ולב) =

.cf. Psa_118:14 ,ולgו = ולב (איש)

BI, "They say, Who shall see them?

Omniscience ignored

I. It is a fact that this notion has great influence upon the conduct of man. They like to cherish such notion, finding it convenient. Because they sometimes escape the eye of man, they think it possible to escape the eye of God. The sinner persuades himself that he has gained his end, escaped observation and avoided the punishment.

II. It is a fact that this notion is utterly untruthful and delusive. If God exist, this must be so. The spirituality of His nature makers possible His onmipresence and omniscience.

III. God has often exposed this delusion, and the time is fixed for the complete demonstration.

1. Character is often seen through by man.

2. Retribution often follows men’s deeds here and now.

3. The future state will show that God saw all. (Homiletic Magazine.)

LANGE, "Str. II. Psalm 64:5. They strengthen for themselves an evil thing.—Perowne: “They take every means to secure their object, follow it up resolutely.” It is better to understand this of their plan or purpose than of the bitter words which they have spoken. They calculate how to lay snares privily.—They carefully go over each part of the plan, that they make it successful in all its parts. And all this is in secret. None but the conspirators are aware of these snares.—They say, who shall look at them?—The question is interpreted very differently. Some refer the pronoun “them” to the snares laid with so much care and craft that they can confidently ask who shall discover them; but the analogy of Psalm 64:4 cand Psalm 10:11; Psalm 10:13; Psalm 59:8; Psalm 94:7, favors the idea that they think that God does not observe or care for their actions. Some interpreters then regard the question as indirect (Ewald, Delitzsch, Maurer, Olsh, Perowne, et al.), the pronoun “them” referring to the evil doers themselves. But it is better to refer the pronoun to the “snares” as the object of God’s observation. They think that God does not care for them, does not observe them, will not attend to them, or interfere with them.—C. A. B.]

6 They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

BAR�ES, "They search out iniquities - They search deep; they examine plans;

they rack their invention to accomplish it. The original word - châphaś - is a word חפשwhich is used to denote the act of exploring - as when one searches for treasure, or for

anything that is hidden or lost - implying a deep and close attention of the mind to the subject. So here they examined every plan, or every way which was suggested to them, by which they could hope to accomplish their purpose.

They accomplish - This would be better translated by rendering it, “We have perfected it!” That is, We have found it out; it is complete; meaning that they had found a plan to their liking. It is the language of self-congratulatlon.

A diligent search - Or rather, “The search is a deep search.” In other words, “The plan is a consummate plan; it is just to our mind; it is exactly what we have sought to find.” This, too, is language of self-congratulation and satisfaction at the plan which they had thought of, and which was so exactly to their mind.

Both the inward thought - literally, the inside; that is, the hidden design.

And the heart - The plan formed in the heart; the secret purpose.

Is deep - A deep-laid scheme; a plan that indicates profound thought; a purpose that is the result of consummate sagacity. This is the language of the author of the psalm. He admitted that there had been great talent and skill in the formation of the plan. Hence, it was that he cried so earnestly to God.

CLARKE, "They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search -

The word חפש 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.

GILL, "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, Rom_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 Psa_5:9.

HE�RY, "They are very industrious in putting their projects in execution (Psa_64:6): “They search out iniquity; they take a great deal of pains to find out some iniquity or other to lay to my charge; they dig deep, and look far back, and put things to the utmost stretch, that they may have something to accuse me of;” or, “They are industrious to find out new arts of doing mischief to me; in this they accomplish a diligent search; they go through with it, and spare neither cost nor labour.” Evil men dig up mischief.Half the pains that many take to damn their souls would serve to save them. They are masters of all the arts of mischief and destruction, for the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, are keep, deep as hell, desperately wicked, who can know it? By the unaccountable wickedness of their wit and of their will, they show themselves to be, both in subtlety and malignity, the genuine offspring of the old serpent.

JAMISO�, "This is further evinced by their diligent efforts and deeply laid schemes.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 6. They search out iniquities. Diligently they consider, invent, devise, and seek for wicked plans to wreak their malice. These are no common villains, but explorers in iniquity, inventors and concoctors of evil. Sad indeed it is that to ruin a good man the evil disposed will often show as much avidity as if they were searching after treasure. The Inquisition could display instruments of torture, revealing as much skill as the machinery of our modern exhibitions. The deep places of history, manifesting most the skill of the human mind, are those in which revenge has arranged diplomacy, and used intrigue to compass its diabolical purposes.They accomplish a diligent search. Their design is perfected, consummated, and brought into working order. They cry "Eureka; "they have sought and found the sure method of vengeance. Exquisite are the refinements of malice! hell's craft furnishes inspiration to the artistes who fashion deceit. Earth and the places under it are ransacked for the material of war, and profound skill turns all to account.Both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. �o superficial wit is theirs; but sagacity, sharpened by practice and keen hatred. Wicked men have frequently the craft to hasten slowly, to please in order to ruin, to flatter that ere long they may devour, to bow the knee that they may ultimately crush beneath their foot. He who deals with the serpent's seed has good need of the wisdom which is from above: the generation of vipers twist and turn, wind and wiggle, yet evermore they are set upon their purpose, and go the nearest way to it when they wander round about. Alas! how dangerous is the believer's condition, and how readily may he be overcome if left to himself. This is the complaint of reason and the moan of unbelief. When faith comes in, we see that even in all this the saints are still secure, for they are all in the hands of God.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 6. They search out iniquities, etc. It is a sign that malice boils up to a great height in men's hearts, when they are so active to find matter against their neighbours. Love would rather not see or hear of others' failings; or if it doth and must, busieth itself in healing and reforming them to the utmost of its power. John

Milward(--1684), in "Morning Exercises."

ELLICOTT, "(6) They search out iniquities—i.e., they plan wicked schemes.

They accomplish a diligent search.—See margin, which indicates the difficulty in this clause. The versions and some MSS. also suggest a corruption of the tent. Read “They have completed their subtle measures” (literally, the planned plan).

WHEDO�, "6. They search out iniquities—Mentally, and with great labour, they work out plans for accomplishing wicked ends, as Psalms 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,” Psalms 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; Psalms 19:12; Psalms 139:23-24. The preparations of his enemies are ended. The crisis has come. It is now time for God to work.

LA�GE, "Psalm 64:6. They have completed the contrived plan.—With the lect. rec. which can only be1. plur. perf, we must in direct discourse think either of the תמנוpious: we are finished, it is all over with us, that is to say: we are lost without God’s help (J. H. Mich.), or of the ungodly: we have it ready (Geier, Rosenmüller, De Wette), we are ready (Ewald, Köster, Hitzig), with the contrived plan, or likewise: the plan is contrived! (De Wette), a thought out plan! (Hengst.), thoughts well thought out! (Hitzig). There is nothing, however, to indicate a direct discourse like this, and it would disturb the context. We must therefore either correct by תמו the3. plur. perf. (Aben Ezra, Kimchi), or טמגו (Isaki, Luther) with many MSS. editions, and interpreters. The latter suits the sense very well=they have hidden, but has not sufficient critical evidence.—[Deep.—The heart, the inner man is deep as “the source of this plan,” as the “invisible work-shop of the evil” which is now prepared. It is like an “abyss of dark mystery and brooding wickedness,” (Hupfeld)].

7 But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down.

BAR�ES, "But God shall shoot at them with an arrow - That is, Instead of their being able to carry out their purposes of shooting the arrows which they had prepared against others, God will shoot his arrows against them. The tables will be turned. They themselves will experience what they had intended to inflict on others. God will deal with them as they intended to deal with others. The sentiment here is substantially the same as in Psa_7:15; see the notes at that passage. It is also in accordance with what we often find in the writings of David, when in the close of a psalm he expresses a confident expectation that the prayer which he had offered in the beginning would be heard, or rejoices in the assurance that he had been heard. The idea, also, is involved in this part of the psalm that God will deal with men as they purpose to deal with others; that is, according to their true character. Compare the notes at Psa_18:25-26.

Suddenly shall they be wounded -Margin, their wound shall be. The Hebrew is, “Suddenly shall be their wounds.” The idea is, that the wounds in the case would be theirs; and would be inflicted suddenly. The blows which they thought to give to others would come on themselves, and this would occur at an unexpected moment.

CLARKE, "But God shall shoot at them with an arrow - They endeavor 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. 1Sa_31:3.

GILL, "But God shall shoot at them with an arrow,.... With one or other of his four judgments; famine, pestilence, sword, and wild beasts, Eze_14:21; which he brings upon wicked men; and may be compared to arrows, as they are, Eze_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, 2Ki_13:17; when God draws the bow and shoots, execution is done. This is said in opposition to what wicked men do, Psa_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.

HE�RY, "I. The judgments of God which should certainly come upon these

malicious persecutors of David. Though they encouraged themselves in their wickedness, here is that which, if they would believe and consider it, was enough to discourage them. And it is observable how the punishment answers the sin. 1. They shot at David secretly and suddenly, to wound him; but God shall shoot at them, for the ordains his arrows against the persecutors (Psa_7:13), against the face of them, Psa_21:12. And God's arrows will hit surer, and fly swifter, and pierce deeper, than theirs do or can. They have many arrows, but they are only bitter words, and words are but wind: the curse causeless shall not come. But God has one arrow that will be their death, his curse which is never causeless, and therefore shall come; with it they shall be suddenly wounded, that is, their wound by it will be a surprise upon them, because they were secure and not apprehensive of any danger. 2. Their tongues fell upon him, but God shall make their tongues to fall upon themselves. They do it by the desert of their sin; God does it by the justice of his wrath, Psa_64:8. When God deals with men according to the desert of their tongue-sins, and brings those mischiefs upon them which they have passionately and maliciously imprecated upon others, then he makes their own tongues to fall upon them; and it is weight enough to sink a man to the lowest hell, like a talent of lead. Many have cut their own throats, and many more have damned their own souls, with their tongues, and it will be an aggravation of their condemnation. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself, art snared in the words of thy mouth. If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. Those that love cursing, it shall come unto them. Sometimes men's secret wickedness is brought to light by their own confession, and then their own tongue falls upon them.

JAMISO�, "The contrast is heightened by representing God as using weapons like theirs.

CALVI�, "7And God shall shoot an arrow at them The Psalmist now congratulates himself in the confident persuasion that his prayers have not been without effect, but already answered. Though there was no appearance of God’s approaching judgment, he declares that it would suddenly be executed; and in this he affords a remarkable proof of his faith. He saw the wicked hardening themselves in their prosperity, and presuming upon impunity from the divine connivance and forbearance; but instead of yielding to discouragement, he was borne up by the belief that God, according to his usual mode of procedure with the wicked, would visit them at an unexpected moment, when they were flattering themselves with having escaped, and indulging in extravagant confidence. It is a consideration which should comfort us, when subjected to long-continued trial, that God, in delaying to punish the ungodly, does so with the express design of afterwards inflicting judgments of a more condign description upon them, and when they shall say, “Peace and safety,” overwhelming them with sudden destruction, (Jeremiah 8:11 (443))

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow. They shot, and shall be shot. A greater archer than they are shall take sure aim at their hearts. One of his arrows shall be enough, for he never misses his aim. The Lord turns the tables on his adversaries, and defeats them at their own weapons.Suddenly shall they be wounded. They were looking to surprise the saint, but, lo!

they are taken at unawares themselves; they desired to inflict deadly wounds, and are smitten themselves with wounds which none can heal. While they were bending their bows, the great Lord had prepared his bow already, and he let slip the shaft when least they looked for such an unsparing messenger of justice. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." The righteous need not learn the arts of self defence or of attack, their avenging is in better hands than their own.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 3,7-8. See Psalms on "Psalms 64:3" for further information.Ver. 7. With an arrow suddenly. As was Ahab, and the rich fool (Luke 16:1-31): while he sat pruning himself like a bird on a bough, death fetched him off suddenly by his shaft, shot at him, and down he came tumbling. See 1 Thessalonians 5:3. John Trapp.

ELLICOTT, "(7, 8) The meaning of these verses is clear. In the moment of their imagined success, their deeply-laid schemes just on the point of ripening, a sudden Divine retribution overtakes the wicked, and all their calumnies, invented with such cunning, fall back on their own heads. But the construction is most perplexing. The text presents a tangled maze of abrupt clauses, which, arranged according to the accents, run: And God shoots an arrow, sudden are their wounds, and they make it (or him) fall on themselves their tongue. The last clause seems to pronounce the law which obtains in Divine judgment. While God orders the retribution it is yet the recoil of their own evil on the guilty. In these cases,

“We still have judgment here, that we but teach

Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

To plague the inventor; this evenhanded justice

Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice

To our own lips.”

SHAKSPEARE: Macbeth.

Flee away.—The verb (nâdad) properly means to flutter the wings like a bird (Isaiah 10:14).

WHEDO�, "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,—(Psalms 64:3-4,) in a moment, by the unseen

arrow of God, they received their own death wound. See Psalms 7:12; Psalms 38:2

BE�SO�, "Psalms 64:7. 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, Psalms 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.

COFFMA�, "Verse 7"But God will shoot at them;

With an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded.

So they shall be made to stumble, their own tongue being against them;

All that see them shall wag the head.

And all men shall fear;

And they shall declare the work of God,

And shall wisely consider of his doing.

The righteous shall be glad in Jehovah, and shall take refuge in him;

And all the upright in heart shall glory."

"But God shall shoot at them" (Psalms 64:7). In a verse and one half here (Psalms 64:7-8a), the tables are completely reversed. It is God who does the wounding. All of the cunningly-laid plots and baited traps and snares of the enemies utterly fail to harm the perfect man in God's protection.

It is of particular interest that Leupold translated Psalms 64:7-8 thus:

"But God shot an arrow at them;Suddenly blows came upon them.

Each one was ruined; their tongues overcame them;

All that saw them shuddered."[9]SIZE>

Whether or not this is accurate, such an idea is most certainly in the passage. It was not David who was destroyed by the partisans of Absalom but themselves.

"But God" (Psalms 64:7). How often in the history of God's work among men have we encountered a thought like this. Acts 12 has a terrible record of the murder of the apostle James, the imprisonment of Peter, and the scattering of God's people from Jerusalem, "But the word of God grew and multiplied" (Acts 12:24).

Yates entitled these last four verses, "The Certainty of Judgment,"[10] leaving the way open for much wider interpretation than a restricted application of it to the enemies of a perfect man in a given situation. There is a sense in which "the certainty of judgment," like the sword of Damocles hangs over the head of all mankind. The judgment is an appointment that no man may cancel, ignore, or escape.

"All that see them shall wag the head" (Psalms 64:8). "These words refer either to `derision,' or to `shocked concern.'"[11]

It seems to us that the latter would be most appropriate here.

"All the upright in heart shall glory" (Psalms 64:10). However this might be applied to the enemies of the psalmist, these words have an eternal significance. It is true of all men that the wicked shall be punished with "everlasting destruction," but that the righteous shall be welcomed into the home of the soul, "into the eternal habitations," where they shall share the glory of the redeemed throughout eternity.

EBC, "God’s retribution scatters their dreams of impunity, as the next pair of verses (Psalms 64:7-8) tells. The verbs are in the past tense, though the events described are still in the future; for the psalmist’s faith reckons them to be as good as done. They were shooting at him. God will shoot at them. The archer becomes a target. "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Punishment is moulded after the guise of sin. The allusion to Psalms 64:4 is made more obvious by adopting a different division of Psalms 64:7 from that directed by the accents, and beginning the second half with "Suddenly," as in Psalms 64:4. Psalms 64:8 b is with difficulty made intelligible with the existing reading. Probably the best that can be done with it is to render it as above, though it must be acknowledged that "their tongue comes upon them" needs a good deal of explanation to be made to mean that the consequences of their sins of speech fall on them. The drift of the clause must be that retribution falls on the offending tongue; but there is probably some textual corruption now unremovable. Cheyne wisely falls back on asterisks. Whatever is the precise nature of the instance of lex talionis in the clause, it is hailed with gestures of scornful approval by all beholders. Many men approve the Divine punishments, who have no deep horror of the sins that are punished. There is something of a noble, if rough, sense of justice in most men, and something of an ignoble satisfaction in seeing the downfall of the powerful, and both sentiments set heads nodding approval of God’s judgments.

The psalm closes with the familiar thought that these judgments will move to wholesome awe and be told from lip to lip while they become to the righteous

occasion of joy, incitements to find refuge in God, and material for triumph. These are large consequences to flow from one man’s deliverance. The anticipation would be easily explained if we took the speaker to be the personified nation. But it would be equally intelligible if he were in any way a conspicuous or representative person. The humblest may feel that his experience of Divine deliverance witnesses, to as many as know it, of a delivering God. That is a high type of godliness which, like this psalmist, counts the future as so certain that it can be spoken of as present even in peril. It augurs a still higher to welcome deliverance, not only for the ease it brings to the suppliant, but for the glory it brings to God.

GUZIK, "God responds.

1. (7-9) God answers back with His own arrow.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;

Suddenly they shall be wounded.

So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;

All who see them shall flee away.

All men shall fear,

And shall declare the work of God;

For they shall wisely consider His doing.

a. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow: The evil men opposing David acted as if they had all the arrows, but David knew that God was his defense, and was well armed. God had an arrow of His own, and suddenly they shall be wounded.

i. David's enemies shot at him like snipers, from hidden and high positions. David's friend was God, in a higher and more hidden position. They shot their poisonous words at David unexpectedly, without warning [suddenly, Psalm 64:4]. God would shoot back at them unexpectedly, without warning - suddenly. God had them in His sights.

ii. Suddenly they shall be wounded reminds us that often the judgment of God comes upon the wicked unexpectedly, without any warning. They think everything is fine until they are wounded.

iii. "The brevity of God's countermeasures, after the elaborate scheming of the wicked, tells its own decisive tale." (Kidner)

b. He will make them stumble over their own tongue: They used their lies and slanders to attack David, but God would find a way to make their own words their ruin. They would trip in the very way they hoped to trap David.

c. All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God: David was confident that God would use His dealings against these wicked men as a lesson to others. When they saw the evil plotters wounded by God, they would learn.

i. Previously the wicked asked, "Who will see them?" (Psalm 64:5). The answer is, everyone will see them, because God will use them to teach a lesson to all men.

ii. When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9)

iii. "Those who might have been bold in sin shall be made to tremble and to stand in awe of the righteous Judge." (Spurgeon)

PETT, "Verses 7-9But God Has Taken �ote And Will Turn Their Schemes Back On Their Own Heads So That All Will See Their Folly And Recognise In Their Demise The Hand Of God (Psalms 64:7-9).

His adversaries thought that no one noted what they were doing (Psalms 64:5), but they will soon find out that they were wrong. For God in turn will shoot His arrows at them, and ‘suddenly’ they will be wounded. He will return what they have been whispering on their own heads through the triumph of David. Thus their own tongue will be against them, for it will have brought them into disrepute. In view of David’s continual triumphs over apparent disaster his adversaries continually found their harsh words returning on their heads, and regretted that they had spoken them.

And all who see the retribution that David’s adversaries have brought on themselves, will shake their head at their folly. And they themselves will fear, and declare the work of God, taking notice of what He does. So the folly of David’s adversaries will be a lesson to the world.

Psalms 64:7-9

‘But God will shoot at them,With an arrow will they suddenly be wounded,

So they will they make them stumble,Their own tongue being against them,All who see them will wag the head,And all men will fear,And they will declare the work of God,And will wisely consider of his doing.’‘God will shoot at them, with an arrow will they suddenly be wounded’ or possibly, ‘God will shoot at them with an arrow, suddenly will they be wounded’. Either way the stress is on the fact that they who have aimed their arrows (‘even bitter words’) at David ‘suddenly and without fear’ behind his back (Psalms 64:5), will themselves find that David’s God will shoot His arrows at them equally suddenly. His powerful word will go forward to do His will (compare Isaiah 55:10-13). God’s mysterious instruments of justice, ‘they’ (compare Psalms 63:10), will make them stumble. With unexpected suddenness they will find themselves wounded. Their own tongues, with which they had been surreptitiously attacking David, will react against them. They had acted without fear. But if they had known David’s God, and the forces at His disposal, they would have been afraid indeed.

Indeed all who see what happens to them will ‘wag their heads’ with amazement at their folly, and they will be afraid, for they will have seen what God can do. And they will declare what God has done, and wisely think about and consider it. Thus will David’s tribulations bring glory to God.

K&D 7-10, "Deep is man's heart and inward part, but not too deep for God, who knoweth the heart (Jer_17:9.). And He will just as suddenly surprise the enemies of His anointed with their death-blow, as they had plotted it for him. The futt. consec. that follow represent that which is future, with all the certainty of an historical fact as a retribution springing from the malicious craftiness of the enemies. According to the accentuation, Psa_64:8 is to be rendered: “then will Elohim shoot them, a sudden arrow become their wounds.” Thus at length Hupfeld renders it; but how extremely puzzling is the meaning hidden behind this sentence! The Targum and the Jewish expositors have construed it differently: “Then will Elohim shoot them with arrows suddenly;” in this

case, however, because Psa_64:8 then becomes too blunt and bald, 2תאם has to be repeated in thought with this member of the verse, and this is in itself an objection to it. We interpunctuate with Ewald and Hitzig thus: then does Elohim shoot them with an arrow, suddenly arise (become a reality) their wounds (cf. Mic_7:4), namely, of those who had on their part aimed the murderous weapon against the upright for a sudden and sure shot. Psa_64:9 is still more difficult. Kimchi's interpretation, which accords with the accents: et corruere facient eam super se, linguam suam, is intolerable; the

proleptic suffix, having reference to לשונם (Exo_3:6; Job_33:20), ought to have been feminine (vid., on Psa_22:16), and “to make their own tongue fall upon themselves” is an odd fancy. The objective suffix will therefore refer per enallagen to the enemy. But not thus (as Hitzig, who now seeks to get out of the difficulty by an alteration of the text, formerly rendered it): “and they cause those to fall whom they have slandered [lit. upon whom their tongue came].” This form of retribution does not accord with the context;

and moreover the gravely earnest עלימו, like the הו-, refers more probably to the enemies than to the objects of their hostility. The interpretation of Ewald and Hengstenberg is

better: “and one overthrows him, inasmuch as their tongue, i.e., the sin of their tongue with which they sought to destroy others, comes upon themselves.” The subject to

as in Psa_63:11; Job_4:19; Job_7:3; Luk_12:20, is the powers which are at the ,וkכשילהו

service of God, and which are not mentioned at all; and the thought עלימו�לשונם (a circumstantial clause) is like Psa_140:10, where in a similar connection the very same singularly rugged lapidary, or terse, style is found. In Psa_64:9 we must proceed on the

assumption that ה�ב�lר in such a connection signifies the gratification of looking upon those who are justly punished and rendered harmless. But he who tarries to look upon

such a scene is certainly not the person to flee from it; התנודד does not here mean “to betake one's self to flight” (Ewald, Hitzig), but to shake one's self, as in Jer_48:27, viz., to shake the head (Psa_44:15; Jer_18:16) - the recognised (vid., Psa_22:8) gesture of malignant, mocking astonishment. The approbation is awarded, according to Psa_64:10, to God, the just One. And with the joy at His righteous interposition, - viz. of Him who has been called upon to interpose, - is combined a fear of the like punishment. The divine act of judicial retribution now set forth becomes a blessing to mankind. From mouth to mouth it is passed on, and becomes an admonitory nota bene. To the righteous in particular it becomes a consolatory and joyous strengthening of his faith. The judgment of Jahve is the redemption of the righteous. Thus, then, does he rejoice in his God, who by thus judging and redeeming makes history into the history of redemption, and hide himself the more confidingly in Him; and all the upright boast themselves, viz., in God, who looks into the heart and practically acknowledges them whose heart is directed unswervingly towards Him, and conformed entirely to Him. In place of the futt. consec., which have a prophetic reference, simple futt. come in here, and between these a perf. consec. as expressive of that which will then happen when that which is prophetically certain has taken place.

8 He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

BAR�ES, "So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves - In Psa_64:3, their tongue is represented as a sword; and here, keeping up the figure, the tongue, as a sword, is represented as falling on them, or as inflicting the wound on themselves which they had intended to inflict on others. This might be rendered, “And they have cast him down; upon them is their own tongue;” or, “Upon them their own

tongue has come.” That is, someone would cast them down, and they would fall as if smitten by their own tongue like a sword. It is not said who would do this, but the most natural interpretation is that it would be done by God. The idea is, that the instrument which they had employed to injure others would be the means of their own ruin.

All that see them shall flee away - Compare Psa_31:11. That is, they shall flee in consternation from those who are so fearfully overthrown. They shall see that God is just, and that He will punish the wicked; and they will desire to escape from a ruin so dreadful as that which comes upon the ungodly. The idea is, that when God punishes sinners, the effect on others is, and should be, to lead them to wish not to be associated with such people, but to escape from a doom so fearful.

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

GILL, "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 Num_16:34. Or, "they shall move themselves" (d); shake their heads in a way of derision, as Jarchi interprets it; or skip for joy, as the word is rendered in Jer_48:27; and then it must be understood of the righteous; who, seeing the vengeance on the wicked, rejoice, as in Psa_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 Jer_31:18; and so may be applied to the friends of the wicked lamenting and bemoaning their ruin, and their being bereaved of them, Rev_18:9.

JAMISO�, "their ... tongue to fall, etc.— that is, the consequences of their slanders, etc. (compare Psa_10:2; Psa_31:16).

all that see ... away— Their partners in evil shall be terrified.

CALVI�, "8And they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves Pursuing the same subject, he remarks, that the poison concocted in their secret counsels, and which they revealed with their tongues, would prove to have a deadly effect upon themselves. The sentiment is the same with that expressed elsewhere by another figure, when they are said to be caught in their own snares, and to fall into the pit which they have digged themselves, (Psalms 57:6.) It is just that Heaven should make the mischiefs which they had devised against innocent and upright men to recoil upon their own heads. The judgment is one which we see repeatedly and daily

exemplified before our eyes, and yet we find much difficulty in believing that it can take place. We should feel ourselves bound the more to impress the truth upon our hearts, that God is ever watching, as it were, his opportunity of converting the stratagems of the wicked into means just as completely effective of their destruction, as if they had intentionally employed them for that end. In the close of the verse, to point out the striking severity of their punishment, it is said that all who saw them should flee away The judgments of God are lifted above out of the sight of an ignorant world, and ere it can be roused to fear and dismay, these must be such as to bear signal marks indeed of a divine hand.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 8. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves. Their slander shall recoil. Their curses shall come home to roost. Their tongue shall cut their throats. It was both sword, and bow and arrow; it shall be turned against them, and bring home to them full punishment.All that see them shall flee away. Afraid, both of them and their overthrow, their former friends shall give them wide space, lest they perish with them. Who cares to go near to Herod when the worms are eating him? or to be in the same chariot with Pharaoh when the waves roar round him? Those who crowded around a powerful persecutor, and cringed at his feet, are among the first to desert him in the day of wrath. Woe unto you, ye liars! "Who will desire fellowship with you in your seething lake of fire?"EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 3,7-8. See Psalms on "Psalms 64:3" for further information.Ver. 8. (first clause).In these cases,We still have judgment here, that we but teachBloody instructions, which, being taught, returnTo plague the inventor: This even handed justiceCommends the ingredients of our poisoned chaliceTo our own lips. William Shakespeare.Ver. 8. Their own tongue to fall upon themselves. That is, their own words shall be brought as a testimony against them, and condemn them. "The tongue is a little member" (James 3:5), and therefore a light member; yet it falls heavy, as heavy as lead. A man were better have his house fall upon him, than that, in this sense, his tongue should fall upon him. Some have been pressed to death because they would not speak, but stood mute before the judge; but more have been pressed to death by their sinful freedom, or rather licentiousness in speaking; this hath brought them to judgment, and cast them in judgment... A strange thing, that the fall of a man's tongue should oppress his body and whole estate; yet so it is, the weight of a man's tongue falling upon him crushes him to powder. Joseph Caryl.Ver. 8. Their own tongue to fall upon themselves. The arrows of idle words, though shot out of sight, and possibly quite forgotten, will hereafter drop down upon the heads of such as drew the bow. Words are but wind, is the common saying, but they are such wind as will either blow the soul to its haven of rest, if holy, wholesome, savoury, spiritual, and tending to edification, or else sink it into the Dead Sea and bottomless gulf of eternal misery, if idle, profane, frothy, and unprofitable. Edward

Reyner (1600-1670) in "Rules for the Government of the Tongue."

WHEDO�, "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. Psalms 7:16; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 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. �umbers 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; Jeremiah 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 Psalms 59:10; Psalms 92:11

BE�SO�, "Psalms 64:8-9. 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.

CO�STABLE, "Verses 8-10David identified the reactions of two groups of people to God"s activity of judging his evil assailants. Those who observed the judgment would do two things. They would fear doing the same thing themselves and would declare to others what He did, having considered it themselves. Second, the righteous would also have a double response. They would rejoice in God"s will being done and would renew their trust in the Lord.

The godly should commit their case to God in prayer when they become targets of malicious gossip. They can also rest in the assurance that God will eventually turn the antagonism of the wicked back on them (cf1Samuel25). He will do so for His own glory and for the welfare of those who trust in Him. [�ote: See Chun Leung Hosea , "God Will Repay: An Exegetical Exposition of Psalm Sixty-four," Exegesis and Exposition3:1 (Fall1988):34-44.]

LA�GE, "Str. III. Psalm 64:7-8. Yet God will shoot them;an arrow—suddenly—these are their wounds. They are overthrown, over themselves—their tongue.—In Psalm 64:8 a the present text suffers from insuperable difficulties, which with forced interpretations hardly afford a tolerable sense, leaving now this and now that form unnoticed. It is the easiest to regard the whole manner of expression as broken in both verses, and to render the plural of the verb for the sake of clearness not by “they,” but by an indefinite subject (man stürtzt sie) and for the same reason to change the sing. suffix “him,” which designates the enemy collectively, into “they,” in accordance with the sense. Thus the thought is expressed that their fall is occasioned by powers, left undetermined yet subject to God, whilst at the same time their tongue, the instrument for injuring other men, brings on the judgment to their own ruin. Somewhat thus Ewald, Hengst, Delitzsch.—[All that look upon them shake the head.—Perowne: “For this meaning of the verb comp. Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 48:27; for the gesture, as one of malicious triumph in looking upon suffering, etc. See Psalm 22:7.” So Hupfeld and Delitzsch. But Ewald and Hitzig translate flee away, as A. V.—C. A. B.]

9 All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.

BAR�ES, "And all men shall fear - That is, a deep impression would be made, not only on the associates and companions of the wicked, but on all that should hear of what was done. People, in view of the just punishment of the wicked, would learn to reverence God, and to stand in awe of One so powerful and so just. Judgments, punishment, wrath, are adapted and designed to make a deep impression on mankind. On this principle, the final punishment of the wicked will make a deep and salutary impression on the universe forever.

And shall declare the work of God - Shall make it known to others. It will become a subject of conversation, or they will talk about it, as illustrating the divine perfections and character. Such should always be the effect of the judgments of God, for they illustrate his true character; they make known his attributes; they convey to the world

lessons of the utmost importance. Nothing is more proper than to talk about the judgments of God, and to endeavor to derive from them the instructions which they are adapted to convey about the divine nature, and the principles of the administration under which the universe is placed. Wars, pestilences, famines, earthquakes, conflagrations, inundations, diseases, all teach important lessons about God; and each one bears its own special message to mankind.

For they shall wisely consider of his doing - They shall attentively and carefully consider it; they shall endeavor to derive such lessons from his dealings as they are suited to convey. In other words, an attentive consideration of his doings will contribute to maintain a just knowledge of world in subjection to him. God is thus always speaking to human beings; and nothing is more proper for human beings than to give their minds to a careful consideration of what is really intended to be taught us by the events which are occurring in his providential dealings.

CLARKE, "And all men shall fear - They endeavored 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,

GILL, "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 Rev_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, Isa_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 Prov

HE�RY, " The influence which these judgments should have upon others; for it is done in the open sight of all, Job_34:26.

1. Their neighbours shall shun them and shift for their own safety. They shall flee away, as the men of Israel did from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Num_16:27. 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 the fall, not only of their king but of his three sons, that they quitted their cities and fled, 1Sa_31:7.

2. Spectators shall reverence the providence of God therein, Psa_64:9. (1.) They shall understand and observe God's hand in all (and, unless we do so, we are not likely to profit by the dispensations of Providence, Hos_14:9): They shall wisely consider his doing. There is need of consideration and serious thought rightly to apprehend the matter of fact, and need of wisdom to put a true interpretation upon it. God's doing is well worth our considering (Ecc_7:13), but it must be considered wisely, that we put not

a corrupt gloss upon a pure text. (2.) They shall be affected with a holy awe of God upon the consideration of it. All men (all that have any thing of the reason of a man in them) shall fear and tremble because of God's judgments, Psa_119:120. They shall fear to do the like, fear being found persecutors of God's people. Smite the scorner and the simple shall beware. (3.) They shall declare the work of God. They shall speak to one another and to all about them of the justice of God in punishing persecutors. What we wisely consider ourselves we should wisely declare to others, for their edification and the glory of God. This is the finger of God.

JAMISO�, "Men, generally, will acknowledge God’s work, and the righteous, rejoicing in it, shall be encouraged to trust Him (Psa_58:10).

CALVI�, "9And all men shall see, and shall declare the work of God. He insists more fully upon the good effects which would result from the judgment executed in leading such as had formerly overlooked a Divine Providence altogether, to catch a spirit of inquiry from the singularity of the spectacle; and acquaint themselves with, and speak one to another of a subject hitherto entirely new to them. He intimates, that the knowledge of what God had so signally wrought would extend far and wide — for he says, all men, etc. The Hebrew verb שכל , shachal, employed, admits either of the neuter signification, they shall understand, or of the active, they shall cause others to understand. But as it is usual with David to repeat the same thing twice, perhaps the latter or transitive sense is preferable. Another desirable consequence which would flow from the deliverance granted is mentioned in the last verse, that it would afford matter of joy, hope, and holy triumph to the saints, who would be confirmed in expecting the same help from God which he had extended to his servant David. Those formerly called the righteous are now styled the upright in heart, to teach us, that the only righteousness which proves acceptable is that which proceeds from inward sincerity. This truth I have insisted upon at large elsewhere.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 9. And all men shall fear. They shall be filled with awe by the just judgments of God, as the Canaanites were by the overthrow of Pharaoh at the Red Sea. Those who might have been bold in sin shall be made to tremble and to stand in awe of the righteous Judge.And shall declare the work of God. It shall become the subject of general conversation. So strange, so pointed, so terrible shall be the Lord's overthrow of the malicious, that it shall be spoken of in all companies. They sinned secretly, but their punishment shall be wrought before the face of the sun.For they shall wisely consider of his doing. The judgments of God are frequently so clear and manifest that men cannot misread them, and if they have any thought at all, they must extract the true teaching from them. Some of the divine judgments are a great deep, but in the case of malicious persecutors the matter is plain enough, and the most illiterate can understand.

COKE, "Psalms 64:9. For they shall wisely consider of— For they shall understand, &c.

REFLECTIO�S.—1st, We have here, 1. David, in fear, crying to God for protection and safety. 2. He opens before God the wickedness of his enemies. �ote; (1.) The people of God have been in every age the butt of the malignant tongue; and bitter words of reproach and infamy have been liberally shot forth against them. (2.) Daring sinners harden each other; and, having cast off God's government, would fain flatter themselves they can elude his omniscience, and promise themselves impunity in their iniquities. (3.) They who are maliciously bent on mischief, stop at no pains to accomplish their designs: how few christians serve their Lord so assiduously, heart and hand, as the devil's servants do their master!

2nd, Though the wicked say, God shall not see, he will awfully convince them of their folly.

1. By his judgments. God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded: one of his arrows shall do more terrible execution than all theirs; it shall pierce their hearts, and lay them dead at his feet, in the midst of their false and fatal security. �ote; (1.) When God strikes, he strikes home, and there is no escape. (2.) The horrid imprecations of the passionate and profane, bring upon their own souls that damnation which they so impiously and rashly denounce on others.

2. The effects of these judgments would be great; fear of their plagues shall make beholders flee to save themselves from perishing among them. All that see it, struck with conviction, shall consider, and own God's righteous vengeance, and declare it as an admonition to the rising generation. The righteous shall be glad at beholding God glorified, and shall rejoice in his salvation, thus manifested for them; and, by present experience of his gracious interposition, be encouraged to trust him in all future dangers. �ote; (1.) It is wisdom to profit by the sufferings or punishments of others. (2.) Many a warning is lost by inconsiderateness. (3.) The persecutors of God's people should read and learn, and tremble, while the door of hope is yet open. (4.) Though the misery of an enemy, simply considered, cannot be a good man's delight; yet to be rescued from the oppressor, and to see God's righteous judgments executed, is just matter of joy. (5.) They who make God their trust, shall find him their glory.

PULPIT, "And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God. The fate of David's enemies shall cause widespread fear and alarm. Men shall perceive God's hand in it, and shall be led, in consequence, to declare "God's work." The tragic ends of Ahithophel and Absalom were certainly well calculated to impress the minds of men generally, and to strike awe into the hearts of those who had looked with indifference, or even, perhaps, with satisfaction, on the political troubles. For they shall wisely consider of his doing; rather, for they shall understand his operation. They shall understand, i.e; that God is on the side of the righteous, and, when danger presses, will interpose on their behalf, to the terrible discomfiture of the wicked.

BI, 9-10, "And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall

wisely consider of His doing.

Preservation from enemies

I. An act of God. His enemies were strong and powerful, but God was omnipotent, and in Him was his help and trust; they designed his utter ruin, but God turned their mischief upon their own heads.

1. The suddenness of their destruction.

2. The manner of the discovery, and prevention of his danger.

II. Its effect upon men in general.

1. Fear, which naturally arises in men’s minds upon the apprehensions of God’s irresistible power and greatness; for whom has an arm like God? or who can thunder with a voice like Him? yea, who can hear His voice and not tremble? or see His hand stretched out and not be afraid? “All men shall fear,” but fear alone will not profit us; for the devils tremble before the power they hate, and wicked men may dread God’s vengeance, where they are unwilling to see His hand; and therefore here follows another effect, which such signal actions have upon men.

2. “They shall declare the work of God.” And this is an effect as general and large as the other, though upon different accounts; for even they who are unwilling to own it shall be forced to acknowledge it, and they for whose sake it is done shall rejoice to publish it.

3. “They shall wisely consider of His doing.” That is, they shall better understand the method of God’s proceedings, and the reasons of His dealings in the world; for these things make it plain that God takes care of the affairs of His people, and that the enemies of His Church shall not be able to prevail against her.

III. A duty resulting from all these considerations, and chiefly incumbent on good men.

1. “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord.” A duty no less easy than pleasant, and that which we all seem to covet most; that which we eagerly pursue as the best of this world’s satisfaction, joy and rejoicing.

2. “The righteous shall trust in Him.” And good reason indeed to trust in Him, of whose favour and lovingkindness we have had so large experience; well may we rely on that power which is so able to protect us; well may we depend on that providence which so remarkably takes care of us.

3. “All the upright in heart shall glory.” They shall glory in His strength, and triumph in His favour. But that is not all; they shall glory in the confusion of the wicked, and rejoice in the continual disappointment of such treacherous designs. (H. Dove, D. D.)

Providential deliverance

I. The necessity there is of attention and consideration, to discover the hand of God, and the manner of its working, in those events of which we are informed either by history, or our own experience.

“They shall consider of His doing.”

II. The wisdom of thus considering—“They shall wisely consider of His doing.”

III. Certain marks whereby we may at any time discern an especial providence, Diligently to mark, and carefully to treasure up in our minds, the special providences of the Almighty, is the way to preserve and nourish our faith and hope in Him; it furnishes the grounds of our thankfulness and praise; it stirs up our finest feelings and very best affections toward Him; holy joy, humble reverence, and hearty love; it supports us under all our sufferings; and affords us comfort in all our sorrows. (Bishop Horne.)

All the upright in heart shall glory.—

“All the upright in heart shall glory”

1. The dispositions of the persons. “All the upright in heart,” and then, the retribution upon these persons, “They shall glory,” or, they shall be celebrated, they shall be praised. In the first, the qualification of the persons, we shall pass by these steps; first, that God in His punishments and rewardings proposes to Himself persons. God does not begin at a retribution, nor begin at a condemnation, before He have persons, persons fit to be rewarded, persons fit to be condemned. God did not first make a heaven and a hell, and after think of making man, that He might have some persons to put in them; but, first for His glory He made man, and for those, who, by a good use of His grace preserved their state, heaven; and for those who, by their own fault fell, He made hell. And, in the qualifications of these persons, He proposes first a rectitude, a directness, an uprightness; declinations downward, deviations upon the wrong hand, squint-eyed men, left-handed men (in a spiritual sense), He meddles not withal. They must be direct, and upright; and then, “upright in heart”; for, to be good to ill ends (as, in many eases, a man may be), God accepts not, regards not. But, let him be a person thus qualified, “upright,” upright because he loves uprightness, “upright in heart”; and then, he is infallibly embraced in that general rule, and proposition, that admits no exception. All the upright in heart shall be partakers of this retribution; and in these branches we shall determine our first part, first, that God proposes to Himself persons; persons thus and thus qualified; He begins at them. Secondly, that God had rather dwell Himself, and propose to us the considerations of good persons, than bad, of His mercies, than His judgments, for He mentions no other here, but persons capable of His retributions; and then, the goodness that God considers, is rectitude, and rectitude in the root, in the heart; and from that root grows that spreading universality, that infallibility. All such are sure of the reward. And then, in our second part, in the reward itself, though it be delivered here in the whole bar, in the ingot, in the wedge, in bullion, in one single word, Gloriabuntur, Laudabuntur, they shall glory, yet it admits this mintage, and coining, and issuing in lesser pieces, that first we consider the thing itself, the metal in which God rewards us, glory, praise; and then, since God’s promise is fastened upon that (we shall be praised), as we may lawfully seek the praise of good men, so must we also willingly afford praise to good men, and to good actions. And then, since we find this retribution fixed in the future (we shall be praised, we shall be in glory), there arises this consolation, that though we have it not yet, yet we shall have it; though we be in dishonour, and contempt, and under a cloud, of which we see no end ourselves, yet there is a determined future in God, which shall be made present, we shall overcome this contempt, we shall glory, we shall be celebrated; in which future the consolation is thus much farther exalted, that it is an everlasting future; the glory, and praise, the approbation which we shall receive from good men here, shall flow out and continue to the hosannas in heaven, in the month of saints, and angels, and to the “Well done, good and faithful servant,” in the mouth of God

Himself. (John Donne, D. D.)

Gladness in God

It is only where there is much faith and consequent love that there is much joy. If there is but little heat about the bulb of the thermometer, no wonder that the mercury marks but a low degree. If there is but small faith, there will not be much gladness. The road into Giant Despair’s castle is through doubt, which doubt comes from an absence—a sinful absence—in our own experience, of the felt presence of God, and the felt force of the verities of the Gospel. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)

LANGE, "Psalm 64:9. And all men shall fear.—Many codd. and editions read instead of is incorrectly ו And understand His work.—The]—.(and shall see it) ויראו (shall fear) וייראוrendered “for” in the A. V. The clauses are all parallel, following one upon the other. “They no longer foolishly ascribe it to mere chance or human agency,” (Alexander).

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!

BAR�ES, "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him -That is, As the result of his gracious intervention, or as the effect of his judgments on the wicked, the righteous will rejoice on account of their own security, and put their trust in One who has thus shown himself to be the friend of holiness, and the enemy of sin. Whatever tends to reveal the divine character, or to make a proper exhibition of that character, will also lead good people to confide in God, and to feel that they are safe.

And all the upright in heart shall glory - Shall rejoice; shall feel that they have cause for trust and triumph. The good - the pure - the righteous - the godly - will always rejoice in everything which tends to show that God is just, and true, and holy; - for all their own hope of security and salvation rests upon the fact that the God in whom they trust is a righteous God.

CLARKE, "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 herttage 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.

GILL, "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 Psa_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, Psa_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 Psa_32:11.

HE�RY, " Good people shall in a special manner take notice of it, and it shall affect them with a holy pleasure, Psa_64:10. (1.) It shall increase their joy: 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 innocency pleaded effectually. (2.) It shall encourage their faith. They shall commit themselves to him in the way of duty and be willing to venture for him with an entire confidence in him. (3.) Their joy and faith shall both express themselves in a holy boasting: All the upright in heart,that keep a good conscience and approve themselves to God, shall glory, not in themselves, but in the favour of God, in his righteousness and goodness, their relation to him and interest in him. Let him that glories glory in the Lord.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord. Admiring his justice and fully acquiescing in its displays, they shall also rejoice at the rescue of injured innocence yet, their joy shall not be selfish or sensual, but altogether in reference to the Lord.And shall trust in him. Their observation of providence shall increase their faith; since he who fulfils his threatenings will not forget his promises.

And all the upright in heart shall glory. The victory of the oppressed shall be the victory of all upright men; the whole host of the elect shall rejoice in the triumph of virtue. While strangers fear, the children are glad in view of their Father's power and justice. That which alarms the evil, cheers the good. Lord God of mercy, grant to us to be preserved from all our enemies, and saved in thy Son with an everlasting salvation.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him. That is, if they have failed in their trust heretofore, and not given God honour by confiding in him, yet these wonderful works of God (of which he speaks in the Psalm) work this hope. Joseph Caryl.Ver. 10. All the upright in heart. The word of this text, jashar, signifies rectitudinem, and planitiem, it signifies a direct way; for the devil's way was circular, compassing the earth; but the angel's way to heaven upon Jacob's ladder was a straight, a direct way. And then it signifies, as a direct and straight, so a plain, a smooth, an even way, a way that hath been beaten into a path before, a way that the fathers and the church have walked in before, and not a discovery made by our curiosity, or our confidence, in venturing from ourselves, or embracing from others, new doctrines and opinions. The persons, then, whom God proposes to be partakers of his retributions, are first, recti (that is, both direct men, and plain men), and then recti corde, this qualification, this straightness and smoothness must be in the heart; all the upright in heart shall have it. Upon this earth, a man cannot possibly make one step in a straight and a direct line. The earth itself being round, every step we make upon it must necessarily be a segment, an arc of a circle. But yet, though no piece of a circle be a straight line, yet if we take any piece, nay, if we take the whole circle, there is no corner, no angle in any place, in any entire circle. A perfect rectitude we cannot have in any way in this world; in every calling there are some inevitable temptations. But, though we cannot make up one circle of a straight line (that is impossible to human frailty), yet we may pass on without angles and corners, that is, without disguises in our religion, and without the love of craft, and falsehood, and circumvention, in our civil actions. A compass is a necessary thing in a ship, and the help of that compass brings the ship home safe, and yet that compass hath some variations, it doth not look directly north; neither is that star which we call the north pole, or by which we know the north pole, the very pole itself; but we call it so, and we make our uses of it, and our conclusions by it, as if it were so, because it is the nearest star to that pole. He that comes as near uprightness as infirmities admit, is an upright man, though he love some obliquities. John Donne.Ver. 10. All the upright in heart shall glory. The Psalm began in the first person singular, Hear my voice, O God, but it ends by comprehending all the righteous. He who is most anxious about his own salvation will be found to be the man of the truest and widest love to others; while he who talks most of unselfishness in religion is generally the most selfish. We cannot take a more efficient method for benefiting others than by being earnestly prayerful for ourselves that we may be preserved from sin. Our example will in itself be useful, and our godliness, by putting power into our testimony, will increase the value of every rebuke, exhortation, or encouragement we may utter. Our sin is or will be the church's sorrow, and the way to make all the upright rejoice is to be upright ourselves. C. H. S.

Ver. 10. Shall glory. This retribution is expressed in the original in the word halal; and halal, to those translators that made our Book of Common Prayer, presented the signification of gladness, for so it is there: They shall be glad. So it did to the translators that came after, for there it is, They shall rejoice; and to our last translators it seemed to signify glory, They shall glory, say they. But the first translation of all into our language (which was long before any of these three), calls it praise, and puts it into the passive: All men of rightful heart shall be praised. And so truly jithhalelu, in the original, bears it, nay, requires it; which is not of praise which they shall give to God, but of a praise that they shall receive for having served God with an upright heart; not that they shall praise God in doing so, but that godly men shall praise them for having done so. All this shall grow naturally out of the root; for the root of this word is lucere, splendere, to shine out in the eyes of men, and to create in them a holy and a reverential admiration; as it was John Baptist's praise, that he was "A burning and a shining lamp." Properly it is, by a good and a holy exemplary life, to occasion others to set a right value upon holiness, and to give a due respect for holy men... Shall glory. It is so far from diminishing this glory, as that it exalts our consolation that God places this retribution in the future; if they do not yet, certainly they shall glory, and if they do now, that glory shall not go out, still they shall, they shall for ever glory. John Donne.

WHEDO�, "10. The righteous shall be glad… trust… glory—On “glory,” see Psalms 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.

BE�SO�K, "Psalms 64:10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord — �ot 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 — �ot 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.

GUZIK, "(10) Resolution for the righteous.

The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.

And all the upright in heart shall glory.

a. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord: God's dealing with the wicked would be a lesson to all men, but it would be special joy to the righteous. They had special reason to be glad that God was vindicated and His servant was protected.

i. "As sorrow, sooner or later, will be the portion of Messiah's enemies, so joy is the high privilege of his friends and disciples." (Horne)

b. And trust in Him: It would not only bring joy, but also increase faith. God's faithful answer to prayer would demonstrate that He is worthy of trust, and build the faith of the righteous.

i. "Their observation of providence shall increase their faith; since he who fulfils his threatenings will not forget his promises." (Spurgeon)

ii. "So the answer of verse 1, to be preserved from panic, is more than answered. The judgment is still future, but joy can break out already. It is a sober joy, with the facts faced at their worst, but also at their overwhelming best." (Kidner)

PETT, "Verse 10What Happens In Respect Of David Will Encourage The Righteous Who As A Consequence Will Rejoice In YHWH And Take Refuge In Him (Psalms 64:10).

And the righteous (those who are faithful to God’s covenant) especially will see what God has done, and will gain confidence from it. They will be glad in YHWH (note the covenant name), will gain new confidence in the refuge that He provides. Indeed, all the upright in heart will glory (compare Psalms 63:11).

Psalms 64:10

‘The righteous will be glad in YHWH,And will take refuge in him,And all the upright in heart will glory.’There is nothing like seeing God’s activity on behalf of His own for making the righteous glad. They see, and wonder, and rejoice, and have their confidence renewed in His protecting hand. Filled with glory at what He does for His own, they take refuge in Him, with a new confidence in how secure it is. Thus will what has happened to David not only make the world wonder and fear, but will also encourage His true people.

PULPIT, "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him. The righteous, delivered from their imminent peril, naturally "rejoice in the Lord," i.e. rejoice in God's goodness to them, and feel their confidence in him increased. And all the upright in heart shall glory (comp. Psalms 32:11; Psalms 58:11). A thrill of joy passes through the whole of God's people, whether they were involved in the danger escaped or not.

LA�GE, "DOCTRI�AL A�D ETHICAL

1. The wicked are not helped by their craft, power, and wickedness. They may for a

time do the pious much harm, cause them great pain, extort lamentation and sighing. But when they have entirely completed their plans among themselves, and flatter themselves that they are near their end, the judgment of God overtakes them and destroys them by means of their own plans. For the Searcher of hearts, since He looks into the depths of the heart, knows what is contrived within the man ( Jeremiah 17:9 sq.), and the Holy one of Israel brings the plans of the wicked to naught.

2. God causes His righteous government among men to become known, and thus makes His judgments to become blessings, in that He makes them to be perceived to the terror of the wicked, to the warning of all men, to the joy of all the upright, who are comforted in their afflictions, especially by the experience that God’s judgment over the wicked is the deliverance of the pious. This preserves them from despair in their lamentation, and strengthens them amidst dangers in their faith in God’s assistance, and encourages them to implore it, so that they may glory in their gracious condition in God.

HOMILETICAL A�D PRACTICAL

The nearer the wicked seem to be to their ends, the nearer are they to their ruin.—The pious have often occasions to Lamentations, yet never reason for despair, but always cause for prayer, praise, and reflection.—Many a depth of the heart is an abyss of wickedness.—God delivers the pious whilst He judges the wicked.—What God does should be observed and declared.—To bring the slandered to honor, to defeat the plans of the wicked, to destroy the ungodly by their own weapons—this is a matter of Divine righteousness.—The ungodly trust in the secrecy of their plans, the pious in the omniscient and just God.—Judgments are long in coming, but they break forth suddenly and decisively.

Starke: To pray for a gracious hearing is always the beginning of an acceptable prayer.—Let us take more heed to our tongues, our own weal or woe depend upon whether we use it aright or misuse it.—Childlike trust in God, and spiritual joy in God are connected closely together; for both are the results of a justifying faith.

Franke: The fig leaves must be removed that we may know our shame and nakedness before God’s face.—Frisch: God’s arrows have a different effect from those which men shoot.—Tholuck: If we rejoice when God’s hand beats the unrighteous to the ground, we have to take good care lest we mingle unholy fire with the holy.— Taube: The ruin of the innocent would be altogether unavoidable if the only searcher of hearts did not look upon them and interfere.—God’s hand judges the ungodly sometimes by their own hand.—Diedrich: All the battles of spirits are with words; even the wicked fight mostly with their words.

[Matt. Henry: It is bad to do an ill thing, but worse to encourage ourselves and one another in it; that is doing the devil’s work for him.—Half the pains that many take to damn their souls would serve to save them.—Barnes: Judgment, punishment, wrath, are adapted and designed to make a deep impression on mankind. On this

principle the final punishment of the wicked will make a deep and salutary impression on the universe forever.—Spurgeon: It is a good thing to conquer malicious foes, but a better thing still to be screened from all conflict with them, by being hidden from the strife.—The righteous need not learn the arts of self-defence or of attack, their avengement is in better hands than their own.—C. A. B.]