10 Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own counsels; Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against you.
Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.
When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, and arose, and got him home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.
Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can't see. Let their backs be continually bent. Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them. Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.
Do to them as you did to Midian, As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon; Who perished at Endor, Who became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb; Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna; Who said, "Let us take possession Of God's pasturelands." My God, make them like tumbleweed; Like chaff before the wind. As the fire that burns the forest, As the flame that sets the mountains on fire, So pursue them with your tempest, And terrify them with your storm. Fill their faces with confusion, That they may seek your name, Yahweh. Let them be disappointed and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be confounded and perish; That they may know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh, Are the Most High over all the earth.
Because they rebelled against the words of God, And condemned the counsel of the Most High.
Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him come forth guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin. Let his days be few. Let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins. Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. Let there be none to extend kindness to him, Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don't let the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before Yahweh continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth; Because he didn't remember to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, The broken in heart, to kill them. Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn't delight in blessing, and it was far from him. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, Like oil into his bones. Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, For the belt that is always around him. This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, Of those who speak evil against my soul.
Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom, The day of Jerusalem; Who said, "Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!" Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, He will be happy who rewards you, As you have served us. Happy shall he be, Who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.
As for the head of those who surround me, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, Into miry pits, from where they never rise.
Hear, heavens, And listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against me.
But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it."
Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.
we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances;
The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, And the man who is inspired to be insane, Because of the abundance of your sins, And because your hostility is great.
Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, Their posterity from among the children of men.
Though men be risen up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil: and the evil-doing of Nabal has Yahweh returned on his own head. David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him as wife.
It happened, as he talked with him, that [the king] said to him, Have we made you of the king's counsel? Stop! Why should you be struck down? Then the prophet stopped, and said, I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel.
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can't perform their enterprise. He takes the wise in their own craftiness; The counsel of the cunning is carried headlong. They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night.
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the righteous; Their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God. My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, Yes, a God who has indignation every day. If a man doesn't relent, he will sharpen his sword; He has bent and strung his bow. He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows. Behold, he travails with iniquity; Yes, he has conceived mischief, And brought forth falsehood. He has dug a hole, And has fallen into the pit which he made.
The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken. Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.
Arise, Yahweh, Confront him, cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for Yahweh your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as at this day.
Don't draw me away with the wicked, With the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, But mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve.
Let the lying lips be mute, Which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.
> Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, "I am your salvation." Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded. Let them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh's angel driving them on. Let their way be dark and slippery, Yahweh's angel pursuing them. For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul. Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.
Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.
For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, Let them be caught in their pride, For the curses and lies which they utter. Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah.
They plot injustice, saying, "We have made a perfect plan!" Surely man's mind and heart are cunning. But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow. Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.
He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don't let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 5
Commentary on Psalms 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 5
Ps 5:1-12. Upon Nehiloth—flutes or wind instruments. The writer begs to be heard, on the ground of God's regard for His covenant-people and true worshippers as contrasted with His holy hatred to the wicked. He prays for divine guidance, on account of his watchful, malignant, and deceitful enemies; and for their destruction as being also God's enemies. At the same time he expresses his confidence that God will extend aid to His people.
1. meditation—moanings of that half-uttered form to which deep feeling gives rise—groanings, as in Ro 8:26, 27.
2. Hearken—incline the ear (Ps 10:17; compare Ps 61:2)—give close attention.
my cry—that is, for help (Ps 61:2; Jer 8:19).
my King—thus by covenant relation interested in my cause.
3. direct—literally, "set in order," as the showbread was placed or set in order (Ex 40:23).
4. For, &c.—God only regards sincere worshippers.
evil—or, "the evil man."
dwell—lodge, remain under protection.
5. foolish—vainglorious and insolent.
iniquity—especially such as denotes a negation, or defect, that is, of moral principle.
6. leasing—a lie.
the bloody … man—literally, "man of blood"—murderer.
7. But—as in Ps 2:6, literally, "and."
house—(1Ch 9:23), the tabernacle.
temple—literally, "palace," applied to God's residence, the Holy of Holies (1Sa 3:3; 2Sa 22:7); the inner part of the tabernacle.
toward—not in; the high priest alone was allowed to enter.
8. enemies—literally, "watchers" (Ps 27:11), hence special need of guidance.
in thy righteousness—an attribute implying faithfulness in promises as well as threatenings.
make thy way straight—that is, make the way of providence plain.
9. The wicked are not reliable because by nature they are full of wickedness, or literally, "wickednesses," of every kind (Ro 8:7).
sepulchre—a dwelling-place of corruption, emitting moral putridness.
flatter—or, "make smooth."
their tongue—speaks deceitfully.
10. Destroy—or, "condemn" them to destruction as guilty.
11. defendest—(compare Margin).
love thy name—Thy manifested perfections (Ps 9:10).
12. with favour—or, "acceptance," alluding to the favor shown to an acceptable offering and worshipper (Le 7:18; 19:7).
shield—(compare Ps 3:3).