"the king by his son, of a negligent administration "of justice, and to the reproach of cruelty cast 66 upon him by Shimei," 2 Sam. XV, 2. 4. & XVI, 7. 8. The equal, the guide, and the familiar friend, we find in Achitophel, the confidential counsellor, first of David, afterwards of Absalom. The "but tery mouth and oily words" describe the insidious character of Absalom, as it is delineated by the historian, 2 Sam. XV, 5. 9. Still, the believer, accustomed to the double edge of the prophetic style, in reading this Psalm, notwithstanding its agreement with the occurrences of David's life, will be led to think of David's great descendant, who endured a bitterer agony, and was the victim of a baser treachin the same spot where David is supposed to have uttered these complaints. ery, PART I. SUPPLICATION. 1 Give ear, O God, unto my prayer, 2 Hearken unto me, and answer me; I am brought low with my anxiety, [A] and am distracted. 3 With the cry of the enemy, with the oppression of the impious; Who cast iniquity upon me,* and [as] in wrath wreck their spite upon me. 4 My heart is sore within me, The terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5 Fear and dismay are come upon me, Convulsive tremblings come over me... 6 And I say, Oh, that I had the pinion of the dove, That I might flee away, and be at rest. 7 Lo, I would get far away, JJ. I would lodge a wanderer in the wilderness. *«Cast iniquity upon me," literally, "slide iniquity upon me," i.e. by oblique and artful insinuations they asperse my character. The sentiment of the whole line I take to be this, that the enemies of the Psalmist, by sly insinuations, brought him under the suspicion of the worst enemies, and then wrecked their malice upon him, under the colour of a just resentment. 8 Soon would I provide me a shelter,*. From the driving storm and whirlwind. PART II.-ACCUSATION. 9 Confound, O Lord, divide their tongues ; [B] Truly, I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night, upon her walls, it surrounds her; Misery and distress is in the midst of her 11 Profligacy is in the midst of her; Deceit and guile depart not from her streets. 12 Truly no enemy reviled me, or I would have borne it; Not one that bore me open hatred magnified him self against me; For from such a one I would have hidden myself. * The sentiment is, that he should with more ease provide a shelter against the storms in the wilderness, than against the malice of man in the city. 13 But thou, a Man, put upon-a-level with myself, My confident, and my familiar friend. 14 We took delight to converse of our secrets together, In the house of God we walked together in the crowd. PART III. 15 Let death exalt his claim [C] upon them, Let them go down alive into hell; For wickedness is in their dwellings, in the very midst of them.* 16 As for me, I call upon God, And Jehovah shall save me. 17 Evening, and morning, and noon-day, I pine inwardly, † and am distracted: But he will hear my voice; * i. e. "In the inmost recesses of their dwelling-houses, + See verse 2. 18 Securing my person* from the battle that is against me, For they who stood on my side told for many. [D] 19 The Omnipresent One will hear, And he that abideth of old [E] will give them their due; Inasmuch as they are incapable of change, 20 He hath put forth his hand against those with whom he was at peace, He hath violated his own covenant. 21 Smooth is his buttered speech, [F] His words are softer than oil, ORACULAR VOICE. 22 Cast thy care upon Jehovah, for he will sustain thee; * Literally," redeeming my person in peace." |