Psalms 59

The Matter and design of this Psalm is the same in general, and for Substance with the former, to wit, a Declaration of the Cruelty and Treachery of his Enemies; and a Prayer to God to deliver him out of their hands.

DEliver me from mine enemies He chiefly understands Saul, but speaks in the plural Number, out of Reverence to his King, and that he might, as far as he could in Truth, derive the Envy and Hatred of these odious Practises, upon those that were about him, as he does, 1 Sam. 26. 19. and elsewhere., O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

Deliver me from all the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

For lo, they lye in wait for my soul; the mighty are gathered, against me: not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD Without any Provocation, or Cause given them by me. I am a sinner before thee O Lord, but I have done them no injury..

They run To and fro, first to receive Saul's Commands, and then to Execute them with all speed and Diligence. and prepare themselves Or, dispose themselves, here and there round about my House, that they may Catch me when I go out of it. without my fault: awake to help me Heb. to meet me, as I come abroad, and to Conduct me away with Safety., and behold.

Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel A God in Covenant with all true Israelites, whom thou hast promised to Protect and Bless., awake to visit all the he... then Or, these Heathen, or Gentiles: Who though they are called and accounted Israelites by their Birth; yet in Truth, and in their Dispositions and manners, are mere Heathens and Barbarians: In which respect such Men, are elsewhere called Strangers, Psal. 54. 3. Men of Sodom and Gomorrah, Isa. 1. 10. and, as Ethiopians, Amos 9. 7. As among us ungodly Christians, are oft called Iews, or Turks, or Heathens.: be not merciful For indeed thou canst not with thine Honour, nor according to thy Word, be merciful to any such incorrigible Offenders. to any wicked transgressors Or, perfi... ious Transgressors, such as persecute me, and other good Men, out of Malice, and against their now Consciences, which tell them that I am innocent, and with Pretences of Friendship. He might well pray so Vehemently against such, not only for his own Preservation, but for the just and necessary Vindication of God's Honour, and for the publick good of Mankind; whose common Interest it was, that such vile Miscreants should be taken out of the way. Selah.

They return at evening After they have been busie all day; Either in Plotting against me, or in hunting after me, in the Evening, when they should Compose themselves to rest, they return to their old Trade of Watching for me: Which they did at this time all the Night long, 1 Sam. 19. 11.: they make a noise like a dog Either when he is Hungry and pursuing his prey, and howls for Meat: Or, when he is enraged, and Grins and Snarles where he cannot, or dare not Bite., and go round about the city When they did not find him in his own House, they sought for him in other Houses, and parts of the City, where they supposed him to lurk..

Behold, they belch out Or, they your forth (to wit, Words, for what else should come out of the Mouth? Even sharp and bitter Words, as the next Clause explains it) abundantly and Vehemently as a Fountain does Waters, as this Word signifies, See Prov. 15. 28. Ier. 6. 7. with their mouth: swords (i. e.) Words as keen and mischievous as Swords, as Psal. 55. 21. and 57. 4. are in their lips; for who, say they, does hear David does not hear us, Either to discover, and so to prevent our Plots, or to punish us for them: and God either does not hear, or not Regard what we say, and do against David: And therefore we may speak and Act what we think fit.?

But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them Disappoint their high Confidences, and hopeful Designs' and then deride them, and make them Ridiculous and Contemptible to others., thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

Because of his strength (i. e.) Saul's strength: Because he is too strong for me. Or rather, O my strength, as it is v. 17. And all those Antient and venerable Translators, the LXX, and Chalde, and Vulgar Latin, render it, my Strength. In the Hebrew it is, his Strength, (i. e.) David's. For David speaks of himself in the third Person, as he oft does. And such sudden Changes of Persons are usual, both in these poetical Books (as has been noted before) and elsewhere, as Dan 9. 4. Mich. 1. 2. will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

The God of my mercy (i. e.) The Giver of all that Mercy and Comfort, which I either have or hope for. Heb. of his Mercy. But here also there is (as appears by Comparing this with v. 17.) a Change of the Person, as there was in the foregoing Verse. shall prevent me To wit, with the Blessings of Goodness, as it is more fully expressed, Psal. 21. 3. Thou shalt help me, and that seasonably, before it be too Late, and sooner than I expect.: God shall let me see my desire In their Disappointment and overthrow, as it follows: Which was very desirable to David, no less for the publick good, than for his own Safety and Happiness. upon mine enemies.

Slay them not To wit, suddenly, or at once., lest my people My Countrey men; Or, those over whom thou hast appointed me to be Governour in due time. forget Their former Danger, and thy glorious Mercy in delivering them, and their own Duty to thee for it. Hereby it most plainly appears, that David in those and the like Imprecations against his Enemies, was not moved thereunto by his private Malice, or desire of Revenge, but by the Respect which he had to God's Honour, and the general good of his People.: scatter them Heb. make them to Wander. As they wandred about the City and Country to do me Mischief, v. 6. so let their Punishment be agreeable to their sin, let them wander from place to place, to wit, for Meat, as it is expressed v. 15. that they may carry the Tokens of thy Justice, and their own Shame to all places where they come. by thy power; and bring them down From that Power and Dignity in which thou hast set them, which they do so wickedly abuse; and from the height of their Carnal Hopes and Confidences of Success against me., O LORD our shield.

For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips For their ungodly and injurlous, and pernicious Speeches, of which he speaks v. 7. and in many other places., let them even be taken As in a snare in order to their Ruin. Let thy Judgments overtake them. in their pride For their proud and insolent Speeches against thee, v. 7.: and for cursing and lying For their Execrations and lying Reports, which they have raised or spread abroad concerning me. which they speak Which they are ready to utter upon all Occasions..

Consume them By degrees; and after thou hast made them to wander about, v. 11:, in wrath, consume them, that they may not be To wit, in the Land of the Living any more: As this Phrase is frequently understood; whereof divers instances have been given.: and let them know Experimentally, and to their cost. that God ruleth Over and above them: That though Saul be King, yet God is his Superior in Power and Authority, and all things among us shall be disposed, not as it pleaseth Saul, which his Parasites are always suggesting to him, but as God will; and therefore I shall be preserved, and in fit time Crowned, in spight of all that Saul or his Forces can do against me. in Jacob In the Land, and over the People of Israel, whose King and Governour he is in a peculiar manner., unto Or, and unto: The Conjunction, and, being oft understood, as has been noted before. These words may be referred; Either, 1. To God's Ruling, let them know, that God Ruleth, not only in Iacob: But also to the Ends of the Earth. Or, 2: To mens knowing, let them, or let men know even to the Ends of the Earth, that God raleth in Iacob: Let thy Judgments be so manifest and dreadful in the Destruction of thy wicked Enemies, that not only Israelites, but even the remote Nations of the World, may see it and acknowledge thy Power and Providence in it. the ends of the earth Either of this Land: Or rather, of the World. The Sense is, That by those Eminent and extraordinary Discoveries of thy Power and Wisdom, and Justice, it may be Evident, both to them, and to all that hear of it, that thou art no Puny or Inferior, or Topical God, like the God's of Heathens, whose Government is confined to a narrow Compass, but the high and mighty God, and the great Ruler of the whole World., Selah.

And at evening let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city What was their sin, and their choise to do with evil Design, let it be their Punishment to do it by Constraint, and for Meat, as it follows, v. 15..

Let them wander up and down for meat To get a Lively-hood.; and grudg if they be not satisfied When their Bodies are hungry, let their Minds be discontented. Or, as others render the Words, And lodge, or be forced to Lodge all Night, when they are not satisfied, Let them go to their rest with an empty Stomach..

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Unto thee (i. e.) To thy Honour. Or rather, of or concerning thee; as that Particle is sometimes used., O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.