But as for me, when they were sick,.... Or under any disorder or distress of body or mind, when any misfortune or infirmity attended them; meaning Saul and his courtiers, before David was persecuted by them; my clothing [was] sackcloth; that is, he was grieved, and mourned for them, it being usual to put on sackcloth in time of mourning; see...
I behaved myself as though [he had been] my friend [or] brother,.... Meaning either Saul or Doeg the Edomite, or some such evil man; somewhat like this he says of Ahithophel, Psalms 41:9; and Arama thinks he is meant here; as Christ of Judas, whom he called friend, when he came to betray him; and who not only ate with him at table of his bread,...
But in mine adversity they rejoiced,.... Or "at my halting" (u), either by means of falling into sin; good men are subject to slips and falls, and that to the dislocating or breaking of their bones, which cause them to go halting all their days; wicked men watch for their halting, as Jeremiah's familiars did for his, Jeremiah 20:10; and rejoice at...
With hypocritical mockers in feasts,.... That is, the abjects gathered, themselves together with such; these may design Saul's courtiers, his parasites and flatterers, and who were hypocrites in religion also, and made it their business at Saul's table, and in their banquetings and revellings, to mock at David; and who were "hypocritical mockers...
Lord, how long wilt thou look on?.... And behold these injuries and insults, and not arise to help and save? The psalmist firmly believed the omniscience of God, and was well assured he saw all that was done; but he was ready to consider him only as a spectator; or, however, seems impatient until he arose and showed himself strong on his behalf;...
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation,.... This is the resolution the psalmist came unto; the promise he made, that should he be delivered from his enemies, he would give God thanks in the most public manner; that is, he would acknowledge God to be the author of the mercy, and himself unworthy of it; and would ascribe glory, honour,...
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me,.... The word "wrongfully" is to be joined not to the word "rejoice", but to the word "enemies"; and the sense is, that they were his enemies wrongfully, for false reasons, unjust causes, or without any cause that was just; as follows; [neither] let them wink with the eye that hate me...
For they speak not peace,.... Meaning to himself, or any good man; as Joseph's brethren could not to him, Genesis 37:4; such were the men David had to do with, Psalms 120:6; and such were the enemies of Christ, who could not give him a good word, nor speak one to him, John 10:20; and such are the enemies of his people, who breathe out nothing but...
Verse 20. ["For they speak not peace."] They love it not; how can they speak it? They are such troublers themselves that they cannot judge others to be peaceable. Out of the mouth comes what is in the heart. Riotous men charge others with sedition. ["They devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."] David would fain have...
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me,.... In laughter, scorn, and derision; see Psalms 22:7; [and] said, Aha, aha: a word expressive of joy; and the doubling it shows the greatness of it; our eye hath seen [it]; what their heart wished for; namely, the distress of him, whose enemies they were.
Verse 21. ["Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me."] As if they would swallow him. Uttering great lies which needed wide mouths. They set no bounds to their infamous charges, but poured out wholesale abuse, trusting that if all did not stick, some of it would. ["And said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it."] Glad to find out a fault or a...
[This] thou hast seen, O Lord,.... The insults and derisions of these men, and the injuries they did to him, whom they hated. God is omniscient, and sees all things, all the evil wicked men do to him; and he will requite them in his own time; see Psalms 10:14; keep not silence; meaning at his prayers; that he would not be as one deaf and dumb,...
Stir up thyself and awake,.... Who seemed to be asleep in the apprehensions of the psalmist, and to take no notice of his distresses, and the insults of his enemies; see Psalms 44:23; he adds, to my judgment, [even] to my cause; that is, to plead it and maintain it, and avenge him of his enemies, as in Psalms 35:1; making use of his covenant...
Verse 23. ["Stir up thyself."] Be upon thy mettle. Prove that thou art no indifferent witness to all this infamy. ["Awake to my judgement."] Take the sceptre and summon the great assize; vindicate justice, avenge oppression. Do not tarry as men do who sleep. ["Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord."] He claims a nearness to his God, he holds him...
Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness,.... Either that righteousness of his, by which he justifies his people, which Christ has wrought out, God has accepted of, and imputes; and which, though revealed in the Gospel, was witnessed to by the law and prophets, and was known to the saints under the Old Testament, and particularly to...
Verse 24. The appeal is here repeated; the plaintiff feels that the joy of his accusers will be shortlived as soon as impartial justice rules. The oppressors' wrong, the proud man's contumely, the fool's grimace — all, all will cease when the righteous Lord sits down upon the judgment seat.
Let them not say in their hearts, ah, so would we have it,.... Or we have what our souls wished for and desired: the sense of the petition is the same with Psalms 27:12; let them not say, we have swallowed him up; as roaring lions swallow down their prey, to which he had compared them, Psalms 35:17; and as wicked men eat up the Lord's people as...
Verse 25. ["Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up."] Disappoint them of their prey when their mouths are ready to swallow it. Saints are too dear a morsel for the powers of evil; God will not give his sheep over to the wolfish jaws of persecutors. Just when they are tuning their pipes...
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together,.... In a body, as one man; as they gathered together against him, Psalms 35:15; so he entreats they might together be brought to shame and confusion, they not being able to execute their designs; their schemes being broken, their counsels defeated, and they exposed to contempt; that rejoice at...
Verse 26. Here is the eternal result of all the laborious and crafty devices of the Lord's enemies. God will make little of them, though they ["magnified themselves;"] he will shame them for shaming his people, bring them to confusion for making confusion, pull off their fine apparel and give them a beggardly suit of dishonour, and turn all their...