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Psalm Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 7
Shiggaion of David
which he sang unto the Lord
concerning the
words of Cush the Benjamite. The name of this psalm
"Shiggaion"
either respects the music or the matter of the psalm.
Some take it to be the name of the musical instrument to which the psalm was
setF14Menachem in Jarchi in loc. So David de Pomis
Lexic. fol. 204.
1. : so Habakkuk's prayer is said to be "upon shigionoth"; which is
the same word with this
only of the plural number
Habakkuk 3:1. Others say it was the first
word of a song
to the tune of which this was sungF15Aben Ezra in
loc. And others understand it of a certain kind of a songF16Kimchi
in loc. : and the Targum renders it
"the interpretation of the ode of
David"; which Ainsworth renders
"David's interpretation of the
law"; leading אוריתא instead of אודיתא
as does also the king of Spain's Bible. And certain
it is that it is the name of a song; since it follows
"which he sang unto
the Lord"; in his presence
before him
and to the glory of his name. But
the question is
of what sort it is? and why it should be so called? since its
root שגה signifies "to err" or
"wander": it is more generally rendered
"an erratic" or
"wandering ode"; a song or psalm
which consisted of various kind of
metre: it was sung with various notes
and all kind of music
which made it
very pleasant. Hence some render it
"David's delight"
as R. Obadiah
Gaon; and the verb from whence it is derived is translated "ravished"
in Proverbs 5:19; and Ben Melech says
the
word signifies שמחה וצרהות
"joy and pleasure"; and Aben Ezra observes that some interpret it תצנוג
"delight". But others are of opinion that
this word regards the subject matter of the psalm
and may be rendered
"David's ignorance" or "error"; his sin of ignorance; and
respects his mistaken conduct with regard to his enemies
particularly Saul
in
making imprecations upon them
Psalm 6:10; in cursing them
and especially
King Saul; when a king is not to be cursed
Ecclesiastes 10:20; and in cutting off the
skirt of his garment
for which his heart smote him
1 Samuel 24:4. Some render it
"the
care of David"
as Cocceius; which he wrote in deep meditation
when he
had forgot himself
and was as it were in an ecstasy; setting forth "the
sum of his cares"
as Ainsworth expresses it
when he was harassed and
greatly afflicted by his enemies. The occasion of it is
"the words of
Cush the Benjamite"; which some understand of Shimei the Benjamite
who
came out and cursed David as he went along
when he fled from Absalom
1 Samuel 16:5. Theodoret thinks Hushai is
meant
who persuaded Absalom not to follow the counsel of Ahithophel; on which
account David penned this psalm. Others interpret it of one of Saul's
courtiers
who was of the tribe of Benjamin
and whose name was CushF17Aben
Ezra & Obadiah Gaon in loc. ; and which is very likely
since it is evident
that some of Saul's courtiers accused David to him
and charged him with
seeking his harm
not only to take away his crown and kingdom
but his life
1 Samuel 24:9. Though the generality of the
Jewish writersF18Targum
Jarchi
Kimchi
Arama
& Ben Melech in
loc. interpret it of Saul himself
who is called Cush
in allusion to his
father's name Kish
who was a man of Benjamin
1 Samuel 9:1; or else because Cush
signifies "an Ethiopian"
to which he may be compared
as the
children of Israel in Amos 9:7. For as the Ethiopian is various
in his skin
so was Saul in his actions
as Jarchi observes; or rather because
as Kimchi and Ben Melech express it
as the Ethiopian does not change his skin
Jeremiah 13:23; so Saul did not change his
hatred to David. Though the same writers observe
that he may be called so by
the rule of contraries
because he was a very goodly and beautiful man; the
words referred to are supposed to be those in 1 Samuel 22:7.
Psalm 7:1 O
Lord my God
in You
I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me
YLT
1`The Erring One
' by David
that he sung to Jehovah concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite. O Jehovah
my
God
in Thee I have trusted
Save me from all my pursuers
and deliver me.
O Lord my God
in thee do I put my trust
.... The
psalmist expresses his interest in God as his covenant God
and his trust and
confidence in him; and with these he sets out as the stay of his soul
and his
bulwark against the fears of his enemies; and he does not say that he had
trusted in God
or would for the future trust in him; but that he did trust in
him
and continued to do so. And God is to be trusted in at all times; in times
of affliction
temptation
and desertion; and these the psalmist premises to
his petition
which follows
as an encouragement to him to hope for success
since God was his God
and none that ever trusted in him were confounded;
save me from all them that persecute me
and deliver me; persecution
is no new thing to the people of God; David had his persecutors
and many of
them; the Church
in Jeremiah's time
had hers; the saints
in the times of the
apostles
and in all ages since
have had theirs. Every one that will live
godly in Christ Jesus must expect persecution in one shape or another; and
there is none can save and deliver from it but God
and he can and will in his
own time
2 Corinthians 1:10. David was sensible of
this
and therefore applies to him
and him only; and not to an arm of flesh
to his friends
or to neighbouring princes and powers.
Psalm 7:2 2 Lest they tear me like a
lion
Rending me in pieces
while there is none to deliver.
YLT
2Lest he tear as a lion my
soul
Rending
and there is no deliverer.
Lest he tear my soul like a lion
.... That is
one of his
persecutors
the chief of them; it may be Saul
whom the psalmist compares to a
lion for his majesty and greatness
the lion being the king among beasts; and
for his authority
power
and might
and for his wrath and cruelty
which he
feared; and which
should it be exerted on him
would tear his soul
or
himself
in pieces; would rend his soul from his body
and dispatch his life;
see Proverbs 19:12. So the Apostle Paul calls
the Roman governor
before whom he was
and from whose hands he was delivered
a lion
for his power and fierceness
2 Timothy 4:17. And so our adversary the
devil
the chief of all persecutors
and who instigates others against the
saints
is by Peter said to go about like a roaring lion
1 Peter 5:8;
rending it in pieces
as the lion does his
prey when hungry. So HomerF19Odyss. 9. v. 292
293. compares
Polyphemus to a mountain lion
which devours and leaves nothing
neither the
intestines
nor flesh
nor bones; and representsF20Iliad. 11. v.
175
176. & Iliad. 17. v. 63. it first taking hold of the creature with its
strong teeth
and breaking its neck
and drawing out its blood and all its
inwards; see Isaiah 38:13;
while there is none to deliver; no saviour
no deliverer: for if God does not save and deliver his people out of the hands
of their persecutors
none can; especially out of the hands of such an one as
is here described tearing and rending in pieces. As there is no God besides the
Lord
there is no saviour besides him: there is no temporal nor spiritual
saviour but he: salvation is not to be expected from any other; and were it not
for him
saints must fall a prey to their enemies.
Psalm 7:3 3 O Lord my God
if I
have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands
YLT
3O Jehovah
my God
if I
have done this
If there is iniquity in my hands
O Lord my God
if I have done this. The crime which Saul and
his courtiers charged him with
and which was made so public that every body
knew it; and therefore it was needless particularly to mention it; namely
that
he lay in wait for Saul
and sought his life to take it away
1 Samuel 24:9. The Targum interprets it of
this psalm
paraphrasing it
"if I have made this song with an evil
intention"; to give an ill character of any
and lead them with false
charges;
if there be iniquity in my hands; not that he was without
sin
he had it in his heart; nor that he lived without the actual commission of
sin: but his sense is
that there was no iniquity
as not in his heart
purpose
and design
so not in his hand
nor attempted by him
of the kind he
was accused of
1 Samuel 24:11. Otherwise
we often hear
him complaining of the depravity of his nature
and acknowledging his sins and
transgressions
Psalm 32:5.
Psalm 7:4 4 If I have repaid evil to
him who was at peace with me
Or have plundered my enemy without cause
YLT
4If I have done my
well-wisher evil
And draw mine adversary without cause
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me
.... That is
when Saul was at peace with him; when he lived at his court
and ate at his
table his meaning is
that he did not conspire against him
nor form schemes to
deprive him of his crown nor of his life: or
as it may be rendered
"if I
have rewarded to him that rewarded me evil"F21"Si malum
malo rependi"
Castalio. ; that is
as Jarchi explains it
if I rewarded
him as he rewarded me
evil for evil. This David did not; and it is eminently
true of Christ his antitype
1 Peter 2:23; and in it he ought to be
imitated by every believer
Romans 12:17;
yea
I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy; meaning Saul
who persecuted David without any just reason
and whom David delivered without
any obligation to do it; not for any benefit and kindness he had received from
him; for the phrase "without cause" may be read in connection either
with the word "delivered"F23ריקם
"absque emolumento ullo ad me inde redeunte"
Gussetius. ; for the
deliverance was wrought without any cause or merit on Saul's part
or profit to
David; or with the word "enemy"
for Saul was David's enemy without
any just cause on David's part: and the deliverance referred to was when he cut
off Saul's skirt
in the cave at Engedi
and spared his life; and when he took
away his spear from him
as he was sleeping in the trench
and did not destroy
him
nor suffer those that would to do it
1 Samuel 24:4. The words may be rendered
"only I stripped him"F24Verbum חלץ
"proprie extrahere
&c. significat
et de vestibus quae alieui
exuuntur et eripiuntur proprie dicitur"
De Dieu. . The sense is
that he
cut off the skirt of his coat
and took away his spear
and so in part stripped
him both of his clothes and armour
at two different times; not to do him any
hurt
but to let him know
as Jarchi observes
that he was delivered into his
hands
and he could have slain him
but did not. The same Jewish writer
interprets the word used "of stripping of garments"; and Aben Ezra
observes
from R. Moses
that the "vau"
rendered "yea"
signifies "only"
as in Genesis 42:10.
Psalm 7:5 5 Let the enemy pursue me
and overtake me; Yes
let him trample my life to the earth
And lay my
honor in the dust. Selah
YLT
5An enemy pursueth my soul
and overtaketh
And treadeth down to the earth my life
And my honour placeth
in the dust. Selah.
Let the enemy persecute my soul
and take it
.... That is
if the above things he was charged with could be proved against him; then he
was content that Saul his enemy should pursue after him
and apprehend him
and
bring him to justice
by taking away his life from him;
yea
let him tread down my life upon the earth; with the
utmost indignation and contempt
without showing any mercy; as the lion treads
down his prey
and tears it to pieces
Micah 5:8; or as the potter treads his clay
under foot
Isaiah 41:25;
and lay mine honour in the dust; meaning either his life
and soul
as before; denominating himself from his better part
and which he
elsewhere calls his glory
Psalm 16:9; see Genesis 49:6; or else his body
as R. Judah
Ben Balaam
who is blamed for it by Jarchi; or rather his fame
credit
and
reputation
that he had gained
both by his courage and valour in the field
and by his wise and prudent behaviour at court
1 Samuel 18:7. Should he appear to be
guilty of the crimes he was accused of
he is willing to have his glorious name
buried in the dust of oblivion
and his memory perish for ever. The words are
to be considered as a strong assertion of his innocence
in an appeal to God
the searcher of hearts
and the trier of the reins of men; and as imprecating
on himself the worst of evils
should it not appear; see Job 31:21.
Selah; Aben Ezra renders "selah"
"in truth"
"let it be so"; and the Targum renders it
as usual
"for
ever"; See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 7:6 6 Arise
O Lord
in Your
anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me[b] to
the judgment You have commanded!
YLT
6Rise
O Jehovah
in Thine
anger
Be lifted up at the wrath of mine adversaries
And awake Thou for me:
Judgment Thou hast commanded:
Arise
O Lord
in thine anger
.... This and the
following phrase do not suppose local motion in God
to whom it cannot belong
being infinite and immense
but are spoken of him after the manner of men
who
seems sometimes as though he had laid himself down
and was unconcerned about
and took no notice of human affairs
of the insults of the wicked and the
oppressions of the righteous; wherefore the psalmist beseeches him to
"arise"
which he may be said to do when he comes forth in his power
in the defence of his people
and against their enemies; see Psalm 12:5; and he also prays him to arise
in anger
to show himself displeased
and give some tokens of his resentment
by letting his enemies feel the lighting down of his arm with the indignation
of his anger;
lift up thyself
because of the rage of mine enemies; ascend the
throne of judgment
and there sit judging right; show thyself to be the Judge
of the earth
high and lifted up; let it appear that thou art above all mine
enemies
higher and more powerful than they; stop their rage
break the force
of their fury
lift up a standard against them
who
likes mighty flood
threaten to bear all before them: or "lift up thyself in rage"
or
"fierce wrath
because of"
or "against mine enemies"F25בעברות צודרי "in furore
contra hostes meos"
Mariana; "gravissimo furore percitus in eos qui
me opprimunt"
Junius & Tremellius. : and so the sense is the same as
before; and this way go many of the Jewish interpretersF26Targum
Jarchi
& Kimchi
in loc. ;
and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast
commanded; not that sleep falls upon God
for the keeper of Israel neither
slumbers nor sleeps; nor does it fall on any but corporeal beings
not upon
angels
nor the souls of men
much less on God; but he sometimes in his
providence seems to lie dormant and inactive
as if he disregarded what is done
in this world; and therefore his people address him as if he was asleep
and
call upon him to arise to their help and assistance; see Psalm 44:23; and so David here
"awake
for me"
that is
hasten to come to me and help me; suggesting that he was
in great distress and danger
by reason of his enemies
should he delay coming
to him. By "judgment" is either meant the vengeance which God had
ordered him to execute upon his enemies
as Jarchi interprets it
and therefore
he entreats him to arise and put him in a capacity of doing it; or else his
innocence
and the vindication of it
which God had promised him
and then the
petition is much the same with Psalm 7:8. But the generality of JewishF1R.
Moses in Aben Ezra in loc. R. Obadiah Gaon
Kimchi
& Ben Melech in loc.
writers understand it of the kingdom which God had appointed for him
and for
which he was anointed by Samuel; and who had told Saul that God had found a man
after his own heart
whom he had "commanded" to be captain over his
people
1 Samuel 13:14; wherefore the psalmist
prays that God would hasten the fulfilment of his purpose and promise
and set
him on the throne
that so he might administer justice and judgment to the
people.
Psalm 7:7 7 So the congregation of the
peoples shall surround You; For their sakes
therefore
return on high.
YLT
7And a company of peoples
compass Thee
And over it on high turn Thou back
So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about
.... By
"the congregation of the people" are meant the nation of the Jews
the twelve tribes of Israel
called an assembly of people
and a company of
nations
Genesis 28:3; and this is to be understood
not of their gathering together in an hostile manner about David to take him
which might be interpreted compassing God himself about
David being as dear to
him as the apple of his eye
which is the sense of several Jewish commentatorsF2Kimchi
& Aben Ezra in loc. ; but rather of their encompassing and surrounding the
altar of God with songs of deliverance
upon David's being rid of his enemies
and advanced to the throne of the kingdom; see Psalm 26:6; unless it should have regard to
the pure worship of God by David
which was greatly neglected in Saul's time;
and then the sense is
that the psalmist prays that he might be established in
his kingdom
as God had appointed and commanded
when he would fetch up the ark
of God
and encourage the worship of God
and rectify all disorders in it; that
so the several tribes might come up to Jerusalem and encompass the ark
the
symbol of the divine Presence
and worship in his holy mountain;
for their sakes therefore return thou on high; take
the
throne of justice
high and lifted up
vindicate the cause of the oppressed
deliver me from all my troubles
put me into the peaceable possession of my
kingdom; if not for my
sake
yet for the sake of thy church and people
and
for the sake of thy worship and thy glory; the Targum paraphrases it
"return
thou to the house of thy Shechinah".
Psalm 7:8 8 The Lord shall judge
the peoples; Judge me
O Lord
according to my righteousness
And according to my integrity within me.
YLT
8Jehovah doth judge the
peoples; Judge me
O Jehovah
According to my righteousness
And according to
mine integrity on me
The Lord shall judge the people
.... The inhabitants of
the world in general; for God is the Judge of all the earth
and he judges the
world in righteousness daily
and ministers judgment in uprightness
though it
is not always manifest; or his own people in particular
whose cause he pleads
whose injuries and wrongs he avenges
whose persons he protects and defends;
this the psalmist expresses with confidence
and therefore
suitable to his
character as a Judge
he entreats him as follows:
judge me
O Lord
according to my righteousness; he speaks not
of his justification before God
in whose sight he well knew no flesh living
could be justified by their own righteousness
Psalm 143:2; nor of the righteousness of
his person
either imputed or inherent; but of the righteousness of his cause
Psalm 35:27; not of his righteousness
God-ward
for he knew that he was a sinner with respect to him; but of his
righteousness towards Saul
against whom he had not sinned
but had acted
towards him in the most righteous and faithful manner
1 Samuel 24:11; and therefore desired to be
judged
and was content to stand or fall according to his conduct and behaviour
towards him;
and according to mine integrity that is in me; who had
always acted the sincere and upright part towards Saul
though he had pursued
him with so much fury and violence; the psalmist's prayer was heard and
answered
Psalm 18:20.
Psalm 7:9 9 Oh
let the wickedness of
the wicked come to an end
But establish the just; For the righteous God tests
the hearts and minds.
YLT
9Let
I pray Thee be ended
the evil of the wicked
And establish Thou the righteous
And a trier of hearts
and reins is the righteous God.
Oh
let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end
.... Which
will not be till the measure of it is fully up
and that will not be till the
wicked are no more; for
as long as they are in the world they will be
committing wickedness
and like the troubled sea continually cast up the mire
and dirt of sin; and they will remain to the end of the world
till the new
Jerusalem church state shall take place
when all the Lord's people will be
righteous
and there will not be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts
nor a pricking brier or grieving thorn in all the land; for
in the new earth
will no sinner be
but righteous persons only; and for this state the psalmist
may be thought to pray; however by this petition and the following he expresses
his hatred of sin and love of righteousness: some choose to render the wordsF3יגמור נא רע
רשעים "consumat nunc vel quaeso malum
impios"
Muscuius
Vatablus
so Jarchi
Kimchi
& Ben Melech.
"let wickedness now consume the wicked"; as in the issue it will
unless the grace of God takes place; some sins consume the bodies
others the
estates of wicked men
and some both; and all are the means of destroying both
body and soul in hell
if grace prevent not; this may be considered as a
declaration of what will be
being a prophetic petitionF4"Consumat
nunc malum impios"
Pagninus
Montanus
Hammond; so Obadiah Gaon. ;
but establish the just; or righteous one;
meaning himself
and every other who is made righteous
not by his own
righteousness
but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him; and who needs
not to have his righteousness established
which is in itself stable
firm
and
sure
and cannot be more so; it is an everlasting one
and cannot be abolished
but abides for ever
and will answer for him in a time to come; but his faith
to be established more and more in its exercise on this righteousness: nor do
the persons of the just need establishing
or can they be more stable than they
are
as considered in Christ
as they are the objects of God's everlasting
love
secured in the covenant of grace
and built on Christ the foundation; but
the graces of faith
hope
and love
need daily establishing on their proper
object
they being weak
fickle
and inconstant in their acts; and the saints
need more and more establishing in the doctrines of the Gospel
and in their
adherence to the cause of God and Christ and true religion; and it is God's
work to establish them
to whom the psalmist applies; see 1 Peter 5:10;
for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins; he is
righteous himself in his nature
and in all his works
and he knows who are
righteous and who are wicked; he knows the hearts
thoughts
affections
and
inward principles of all men
and the springs of all their actions; he looks
not at outward appearances
but at the heart; and as he can distinguish between
the one and the other
he is capable of punishing the wicked and of confirming
the righteous
consistent with the truth of his perfections.
Psalm 7:10 10 My defense is of
God
Who saves the upright in heart.
YLT
10My shield [is] on God
Saviour of the upright in heart!
My defence is of God
.... Or "my shield is
in" or "of God"F5על אלהים "in Deo"
Musculus
Tigurine version
Junius & Tremellius
Muis
Ainsworth; "apud Deum"
Lutherus
Piscator
Gejerus
Cocceius
Michaelis. ; God was his shield
his protector and
defender; see Psalm 3:3; or "my shield is
with God"; that is
Christ
who was the shield his faith made use of
against every spiritual enemy
was with God; he was with him as the Word and
Son of God from all eternity
and as the living Redeemer of his people before
his incarnation; and he is now with him as their intercessor and advocate
who
pleads in defence of them
and opposes himself
his blood and righteousness
to
all the charges and accusations of Satan;
which saveth the upright in heart: who have the truth of
grace in them
wisdom in the hidden part; who are sincere in their affections
purposes
and designs
in their faith
hope
and love; and act from real
principles of truth and love
in the integrity of their souls; for these light
and gladness are sown
to them grace and glory are given
and no good thing is
withheld from them; they are saved by God from sin
Satan
the world
death
and hell
and every enemy
with a spiritual and everlasting salvation.
Psalm 7:11 11 God is a just
judge
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
YLT
11God [is] a righteous judge
And He is not angry at all times.
God judgeth the righteous
.... Not all that are
thought to be righteous
or think themselves to be so
are such; nor is any man
naturally righteous
or of himself
nor by virtue of his obedience to the law
of works; but such only are righteous who are made so by the obedience of
Christ; these God governs and protects
avenges their injuries and defends
their persons; some render the words
"God is a righteous Judge"F6Vid.
Aben Ezra & Abendana not. in Miclol. Yophi in loc. אלהים
שופט צדיק "Deus judex
justus"
V. L. Munster
Musculus
Montanus
Piscator
Gejerus
Michaelis;
so Ainsworth. ; he is so now in the administrations of his government of the
universe
and he will be so hereafter in the general judgment of the world;
and God is angry with the wicked every day; wicked men
are daily sinning
and God is always the same in his nature
and has the same
aversion to sin continually; and though he is not always making men examples of
his wrath
yet his wrath is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of
men; and there are frequent stances of it; and when he is silent he is still
angry
and in his own time will stir up all his wrath
and rebuke in his hot
displeasure.
Psalm 7:12 12 If he does not turn back
He
will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.
YLT
12If [one] turn not
His
sword he sharpeneth
His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it
If he turn not
.... Not God
but the enemy
or the wicked
man
spoken of Psalm 7:5; if he turn not from his wicked
course of life
to the Lord to live to him
and according to his will; unless
he is converted and repents of his sin
and there is a change wrought in him
in his heart and life; the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
Arabic
and Ethiopic
versions read
"if ye turn not"
or "are not converted"
an
apostrophe to the wicked;
he will whet his sword: God is a man of war
and
he is sometimes represented as accoutred with military weapons; see Isaiah 59:17; and among the rest with the
sword of judgment
which he may be said to whet
when he prepares sharp and
sore judgments for his enemies
Isaiah 27:1;
he hath bent his bow
and made it ready; drawn his bow
of vengeance
and put it on the full stretch
and made it ready with the arrows
of his wrath
levelled against the wicked
with whom he is angry; which is
expressive of their speedy and inevitable ruin
in case of impenitence; see Lamentations 2:4; or "trod his
bow"
as is the usual phrase elsewhere; see Psalm 11:2; which was done by the feet
and
was necessary when the bow was a strong one
as Jarchi on Psalm 11:2; observes; and so the Arabs
as
SuidasF7In voce αραβες.
relates
using arrows the length of a man
put their feet on the string of the
bow instead of their hands.
Psalm 7:13 13 He also prepares for
Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
YLT
13Yea
for him He hath prepared
Instruments of death
His arrows for burning pursuers He maketh.
He hath also prepared for
him the instruments of death
.... The weapons of his indignation
Isaiah 13:5; which
will issue both in the
first and second death
corporeal and eternal; the instruments of the former
are diseases of various kinds
and judgments
as famine
pestilence
&c.
and of the latter not only the law is an instrument of it
that being the
letter which kills
and is the ministration of condemnation and death
but even
the Gospel itself to wicked men is the savour of death unto death; and devils
will be the executioners of it;
he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors: the word for
persecutors signifies "hot" or "burning"F8לדולקים "ardentibus"
V. L. "in
ardentes"
Montanus; "hot persecutors"
Ainsworth.
and designs
such persons who burn in malice and wrath
In rage and fury
against the
saints
and hotly pursue after them
as Laban did after Jacob
Genesis 31:36; for these more especially
God has determined in his eternal purposes and decrees
and for these he has
provided in his quiver
arrows of wrath and vengeance
fiery ones; and against
these will he bring them forth
direct them
and shoot them at them
Psalm 64:7. SomeF9So Brentius
& Glassius in Gejerus. understand all this not of God
but of the wicked
man
and read "if he turn not"
but
on the contrary
instead of
that
"will whet his sword
bend his bow"
&c. against the
righteous; yet he shall be disappointed
he shall not accomplish his designs
as appears by the following verses; these phrases are used of wicked men
Psalm 11:2
but the former sense seems
best.
Psalm 7:14 14 Behold
the wicked
brings forth iniquity; Yes
he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
YLT
14Lo
he travaileth [with]
iniquity
And he hath conceived perverseness
And hath brought forth falsehood.
Behold
he travaileth with
iniquity
.... Is full of it
and big with it
as a woman with child
and
eagerly desires to bring it forth
and is in pain till he commits it;
and hath conceived mischief; that which is injurious
to God and the perfections of his nature
a transgression of his law
and an
affront to his justice and holiness
is doing wrong to fellow creatures
and
harm to themselves
either to their name and credit
or to their substance and
estates
or to their bodies and souls
and it may be to them all; and yet this
they conceive
they devise it in their hearts
and form schemes how to bring it
to pass
and which they do with great freedom
deliberation
and pleasure;
and brought forth falsehood; or "vanity"F11שקר "rem inanem"
so some in Vatablus;
"vanitatem"
Gejerum.
or a vain thing
as the same word is rendered
in Job 15:35; no fruit at all
but wind
or
stubble
Isaiah 26:17; that which deceives does not
answer the expectation
but the contrary to it; the sense is
that wicked men
having devised mischievous things against the saints
they are big with
expectations of success
and strive to bring their purposes to bear
but are
miserably disappointed
for it all ends in vanity and vexation of spirit to
themselves.
Psalm 7:15 15 He made a pit and dug it
out
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
YLT
15A pit he hath prepared
and
he diggeth it
And he falleth into a ditch he maketh.
He made a pit and digged
it
.... That is
he digged a pit
and made it very large and
capacious
to answer his purposes;
and is fallen into the ditch which he made; so it is said
of the Heathen
Psalm 9:15; and is exemplified in the case
of Haman
who was hanged upon the gallows he had built for Mordecai. Kimchi
explains this of Saul's falling upon his own sword
and dying by it
which he
drew against David; phrase is proverbial
Proverbs 26:27; the sense of this and the
above figurative expressions is literally and properly given in Psalm 7:16.
Psalm 7:16 16 His trouble shall return
upon his own head
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
YLT
16Return doth his
perverseness on his head
And on his crown his violence cometh down.
His mischief shall return
upon his own head
.... That which he conceived and devised in his mind
and attempted
to bring upon others
shall fall upon himself
as a just judgment from heaven
upon him;
and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate; referring to
the violence with which Saul pursued David
which would be requited to him
and
of which he prophesied
1 Samuel 26:10.
Psalm 7:17 17 I will praise the Lord according to
His righteousness
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
YLT
17I thank Jehovah
According
to His righteousness
And praise the name of Jehovah Most High!
I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness
.... Or on
account of it
as it was displayed in vindicating the innocent
and punishing
the wicked; so Pharaoh having ordered male infants of the Hebrews to be
drowned
and he himself and his host in righteous judgment being drowned in the
Red sea; Moses and the children of Israel sung a song
as the psalmist here;
and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high; whose name is
Jehovah
and is the most High over all the earth; and who had now
according to
the psalmist's request
Psalm 7:6; arose and lifted up himself
and
returned on high
and had shown himself to be above all David's enemies
and
had sat on the throne judging right.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)