21 Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbours, and mischief is in their heart.
My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down [among] them that breathe out flames, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: [with] flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak.
Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: for who [say they] doth hear?
Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword, [and] have aimed their arrow, a bitter word;
There is that babbleth like the piercings of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is health.
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, but he layeth up deceit within him: when his voice is gracious, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart. Though [his] hatred is covered by dissimulation, his wickedness shall be made manifest in the congregation.
A lying tongue hateth those that are injured by it, and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
And Judas, who delivered him up, answering said, Is it *I*, Rabbi? He says to him, *Thou* hast said.
And having watched [him], they sent out suborned persons, pretending to be just men, that they might take hold of him in [his] language, so that they might deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest no [man's] person, but teachest with truth the way of God:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 55
Commentary on Psalms 55 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 55
It is the conjecture of many expositors that David penned this psalm upon occasion of Absalom's rebellion, and that the particular enemy he here speaks of, that dealt treacherously with him, was Ahithophel; and some will therefore make David's troubles here typical of Christ's sufferings, and Ahithophel's treachery a figure of Judas's, because they both hanged themselves. But there is nothing in it particularly applied to Christ in the New Testament. David was in great distress when he penned this psalm.
In singing this psalm we may, if there be occasion, apply it to our own troubles; if not, we may sympathize with those to whose case it comes nearer, foreseeing that there will be, at last, indignation and wrath to the persecutors, salvation and joy to the persecuted.
To the chief musician on Neginoth, Maschil. A psalm of David.
Psa 55:1-8
In these verses we have,
Psa 55:9-15
David here complains of his enemies, whose wicked plots had brought him, though not to his faith's end, yet to his wits' end, and prays against them by the spirit of prophecy. Observe here,
Psa 55:16-23
In these verses,