1David prayeth, and professeth to be constant in prayer. 4God favoureth not the wicked. 7David professing his faith prayeth unto God to guide him because of the malice of his enemies; 10to destroy them; 11and to preserve the godly.
0To the chief 1Musician upon 2Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.
1 See the first annotation at Psalm 4 in the title.
2 Hereby some understand such instruments of music, as are made to sound by wind or by blowing, such as flutes, cornets, trumpets, and also small and large organs, etc. Others hold it to be a certain tone of music.
1GIVE ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3My voice shalt thou hear 3in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I 4direct my prayer unto thee, and will 5look up.
3 Compare Psalm 88:13; 92:2. Thus God is said to show His mercy also in the morning (that is, early, timely, seasonably). Psalm 90:14; 143:8; Lam. 3:23.
4 Or, set my words, my prayer in order before thee. See Job 32:14; 33:5.
5 To look abroad or about as a watchman, whether Thy help come or not; or wait and attend, what Thou shalt answer me. Compare Psalm 130:6; Micah 7:7; Hab. 2:1.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall 6evil 7dwell with thee.
6 Or, evil man, or thing.
7 That is, have no communion with Thee, nor endure, subsist or abide before Thee. Compare Psalm 34:16; 94:20.
5The 8foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
8 Or, vaunting, bragging, boasting, which the Hebrew word seems to imply properly, although it be likewise taken in general for foolish, mad, raging, such as have not the true wisdom, but as raging, senseless men do wallow, delight, and boast themselves in all manner of sin and vanity. See Psalm 73:3; 75:4; 102:8; Eccl. 2:2, 12; 7:9; 10:13; Isa. 44:25; Jer. 50:38, etc.
6Thou shalt destroy them that speak 9leasing:a the LORD will abhor the 10bloody and deceitful man.
9 Compare Psalm 4 on verse 2.
a lying, falsehood
10 Hebr. man of bloods. See Gen. 4 on verse 10. That is, the bloodthirsty, murderous and deceitful. Compare 2 Sam. 16:7; 22:49; Psalm 18:48; 26:9; 43:1; 55:23; 59:2; 140:1, 4; Prov. 3:31.
7But as for me, I will come into thy 11house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy 12fear will I 13worship toward thy holy 14temple.
11 Understand the tabernacle, for the temple was not built yet in David’s time.
12 That is, with due reverence and awe in regard of Thy majesty and incomprehensible grace.
13 In the court at the entry of the tabernacle, directing my face toward the most holy part, where stands the ark of the covenant. See Lev. 1:3; Psalm 116:19. The priests went into the Holy place, into the most Holy none but the high priest, Heb. 9:6, 7.
14 The Hebrew word is used for royal courts and palaces, Psalm 45:8, 15; Prov. 30:28, and it is also used for the place where God is said to dwell; as of the tabernacle 1 Sam. 1:9; 3:3, and here; of the temple, 1 Kings 6:17, etc., even of heaven, Psalm 11:4; Micah 1:2.
8Lead me, O LORD, in thy 15righteousness because of mine 16enemies; make thy 17way straight before my face.
15 That is, the obedience of Thy commandments, which presently is termed likewise the way. Other, through thy righteousness, whereby Thou doest maintain the innocent.
16 Who watch me and have an eye upon me to entrap me or to make me fall; also Psalm 27:11.
17 See Gen. 18 on verse 19. The meaning is: Show and prepare for me, by Thy Spirit as my Guide, the path wherein Thou wilt have me to walk.
9For there is no faithfulness in their 18mouth; their 19inward part is 20very wickedness; theirb21throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
18 That is, they speak nothing but falsehood and deceit. (Hebr. in his mouth, that is, the mouth of any of them.) See Job 15 on verse 5.
19 They carry nothing in the heart but bitter intents to inflict the godly with sorrow, shame and misery.
20 Hebr. in the plural, destructions, villainies, wiles, faults, tending to the neighbor’s sorrow, disgrace and destruction.
bPsalm 34:16; 94:20; Rom. 3:13.
21 That is, they gape and yawn, or greedily long and look for the ruin and destruction of the godly. This the apostle applies to all men (Rom. 3:13) in regard of their natural corruption and perverseness. Compare Psalm 14 on verse 2, etc.
1022Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall 23by their own counsels; 24cast them out in the multitude of their 25transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
22 That is, judge and punish them, those who have deserved it. Other, Declare them guilty, the Hebrew signifies both.
23 So that none take effect, but all miscarry. Other, let them fall because of their counsels.
24 As chaff, Psalm 1:4, or, dispel them, disperse them.
25 Or, backslidings, unfaithful dealings.
11But 26let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou 27defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
26 Other, then shall all they rejoice, etc., and so in the sequel.
27 That is, protectest them and coverest over; like when a man is free and safe under a roof, from heat and cold and thunder-storms: or by a shield, from the darts of the enemies.
12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with 28favour wilt thou 29compass him as with a shield.
28 Or, with thy good pleasure. Compare Psalm 30:5.
29 Or, surround, encircle.