1David complaining of the perfidiousness of mankind desireth the help of God: 3he comforteth himself in the assurance of God's judgments on the wicked, 6and in the faithfulness of his promises to protect the righteous.
0To the chief 1Musician upon 2Sheminith, A Psalm of David.
1 See the first annotation at Psalm 4 in the title.
2 See the second annotation at Psalm 6 in the title.
1HELP,3 LORD; for thea4godly man ceaseth; for the 5faithful fail from among the 6children of men.
3 Or, Save, namely, us, in this sad condition.
a Isa. 57:1.
4 That is, (as we say) love and faithfulness is gone. Of the Hebrew word see Psalm 4 on verse 3.
5 The Hebrew word signifies true or faithful, believers, 2 Sam. 20:19; Psalm 31:23, and also truths or faithfulnesses, that is, all manner of faith and truth, as Prov. 14:5; 20:6; Isa. 26:2. Either one is applicable to this place.
6 Or, children of Adam.
2They speak 7vanity 8every one with his neighbour: with 9flattering lips and with a 10double heart do they speak.
7 Or, falsehood, uselessness.
8 Hebr. the man with his neighbors or companion.
9 Hebr. a lip of soothing or smoothness, that is, who knows to flatter well; and so in the next verse.
10 Hebr. heart and heart, that is, their heart thinks differently than their mouth speaks. Compare Deut. 25 on verse 13, 14.
3The LORD shall 11cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
11 Or, The LORD cut off.
4Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our 12own: who is lord over us?
12 Hebr. by or with us, that is, in our own power.
5For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that 13puffeth at him.
13 That is, whom (namely, the godly) the wicked thinks to scatter without difficulty, as it were with the least puff, whom I, in spite of the wicked, will set in safety and security. See Psalm 10 on verse 5. Other, from whom he (the wicked) layeth snares.
6Theb14words of the LORD are 15pure words: as 16silver 17tried in a furnace of earth, 18purified 19seven times.
b 2 Sam. 22:31; Psalm 18:30; 119:140; Prov. 30:5.
14 As all in general, so especially His gracious promises, which the prophet insists on in the next verse.
15 Without any fault or blemish, without any deceit or falsehood: like refined silver without dross. Compare Psalm 19 on verse 9.
16 That is, like unto silver that is refined, etc.
17 Refined, assayed by smelting in an earthen melting-cruse, or smelting oven, furnace, on the ground or in the earth, as some conceive. Compare Psalm 18:30; 119:140; Prov. 30:5.
18 Properly, molten, and so purified, and cleared from all dross and impurity.
19 That is, many times over, completely. See Gen. 4 on verse 15; 1 Sam. 2:5; Prov. 24:16; 26:25.
7Thou 20shalt keep them, O LORD, thou 21shalt preserve them from this 22generation for ever.
20 Understand the godly and innocent, against the practices of the wicked which haunt them as roaring lions.
21 Hebr. shalt keep him, that is, every one of them.
22 That is, from these evil men, who live together now in this age, as Deut. 1:35. Compare Mat. 11:16 with Luke 7:31, and Mat. 12:41 with Luke 11:31. The Hebrew word dor has the signification of lasting, to dwell or abide a long and lasting time (see Psalm 84:10) and is taken further for a man’s lifetime here on earth, Eccl. 1:4, and moreover for a multitude of people living together or in one and the same period, whether bad, as here and elsewhere, or good, Psalm 14:5; 73:15, etc.
8The wicked walk 23on every side, 24when the 25vilest men are exalted.
23 The prophet wants to say: when it comes to pass that the wicked ones (who are indeed the vilest of men) are advanced to states and offices, and get up into places of government and authority; then everywhere it becomes full of the ungodly, who are very audacious, bitter and peevish against the godly. Compare Prov. 28:12, 28; 29:16.
24 Or, while.
25 Hebr. the vileness, or unworthiness, that is, the vilest, the most abject, the very scum of men, as are revelers and feasters, Deut. 21:20; Prov. 23:21, placed over against them or that which is precious and beloved, Jer. 15:19. See further Job 35 on verse 13.