10 Declare them guilty, O God, Let them fall from their own counsels, In the abundance of their transgressions Drive them away, Because they have rebelled against Thee.
And Absalom saith -- and all the men of Israel -- `Better `is' the counsel of Hushai the Archite than the counsel of Ahithophel;' and Jehovah willed to make void the good counsel of Ahithophel for the sake of Jehovah's bringing unto Absalom the evil.
And Ahithophel hath seen that his counsel was not done, and he saddleth the ass, and riseth and goeth unto his house, unto his city, and giveth charge unto his household, and strangleth himself, and dieth, and he is buried in the burying-place of his father.
They are ashamed, they are consumed, Who are opposing my soul, They are covered `with' reproach and blushing, Who are seeking my evil,
Their table before them is for a snare, And for a recompence -- for a trap. Darkened are their eyes from seeing, And their loins continually shake Thou. Pour upon them Thine indignation, And the fierceness of Thine anger doth seize them. Their tower is desolated, In their tents there is no dweller.
Do to them as `to' Midian, As `to' Sisera, as `to' Jabin, at the stream Kishon. They were destroyed at Endor, They were dung for the ground! Make their nobles as Oreb and as Zeeb, And as Zebah and Zalmunna all their princes, Who have said, `Let us occupy for ourselves The comely places of God.' O my God, make them as a rolling thing, As stubble before wind. As a fire doth burn a forest, And as a flame setteth hills on fire, So dost Thou pursue them with Thy whirlwind, And with Thy hurricane troublest them. Fill their faces `with' shame, And they seek Thy name, O Jehovah. They are ashamed and troubled for ever, Yea, they are confounded and lost. And they know that Thou -- (Thy name `is' Jehovah -- by Thyself,) `Art' the Most High over all the earth!
Because they changed the saying of God, And the counsel of the Most High despised.
Appoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand. In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin. His days are few, his oversight another taketh, His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow. And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places. An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour. He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans. His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out. The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out. They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial. Because that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart -- to slay, And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him. And he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones. It is to him as apparel -- he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on. This `is' the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.
Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Those saying, `Rase, rase to its foundation!' O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us. O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!
The chief of my surrounders, The perverseness of their lips covereth them. They cause to fall on themselves burning coals, Into fire He doth cast them, Into deep pits -- they arise not.
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For Jehovah hath spoken: Sons I have nourished and brought up, And they -- they transgressed against Me.
And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, `By' the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
Her adversaries have become chief, Her enemies have been at ease, For Jehovah hath afflicted her, For the abundance of her transgressions, Her infants have gone captive before the adversary.
we have sinned, and done perversely, and done wickedly, and rebelled, to turn aside from Thy commands, and from Thy judgments:
Come in have the days of inspection, Come in have the days of recompence, Israel doth know! a fool `is' the prophet, Mad `is' the man of the Spirit, Because of the abundance of thine iniquity, And great `is' the hatred.
And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God; wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.
Thy hand cometh to all Thine enemies, Thy right hand doth find Thy haters. Thou makest them as a furnace of fire, At the time of Thy presence. Jehovah in His anger doth swallow them, And fire doth devour them. Their fruit from earth Thou destroyest, And their seed from the sons of men.
And man riseth to pursue thee and to seek thy soul, and the soul of my lord hath been bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; as to the soul of thine enemies, He doth sling them out in the midst of the hollow of the sling.
and David heareth that Nabal `is' dead, and saith, `Blessed `is' Jehovah who hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and His servant hath kept back from evil, and the wickedness of Nabal hath Jehovah turned back on his own head;' and David sendeth and speaketh with Abigail, to take her to him for a wife.
And it cometh to pass, in his speaking unto him, that he saith to him, `For a counsellor to the king have we appointed thee? cease for thee; why do they smite thee?' And the prophet ceaseth, and saith, `I have known that God hath counselled to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel.'
And they hang Haman upon the tree that he had prepared for Mordecai, and the fury of the king hath lain down.
Let, I pray Thee be ended the evil of the wicked, And establish Thou the righteous, And a trier of hearts and reins is the righteous God. My shield `is' on God, Saviour of the upright in heart! God `is' a righteous judge, And He is not angry at all times. If `one' turn not, His sword he sharpeneth, His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it, Yea, for him He hath prepared Instruments of death, His arrows for burning pursuers He maketh. Lo, he travaileth `with' iniquity, And he hath conceived perverseness, And hath brought forth falsehood. A pit he hath prepared, and he diggeth it, And he falleth into a ditch he maketh.
Sunk have nations in a pit they made, In a net that they hid hath their foot been captured. Jehovah hath been known, Judgment He hath done, By a work of his hands Hath the wicked been snared. Meditation. Selah.
Arise, O Jehovah, go before his face, Cause him to bend. Deliver my soul from the wicked, Thy sword,
`And Sihon king of Heshbon hath not been willing to let us pass over by him, for Jehovah thy God hath hardened his spirit, and strengthened his heart, so as to give him into thy hand as at this day.
Draw me not with the wicked, And with workers of iniquity, Speaking peace with their neighbours, And evil in their heart. Give to them according to their acting, And according to the evil of their doings. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their deed to them.
Let lips of falsehood become dumb, That are speaking against the righteous, Ancient sayings, in pride and contempt.
By David. Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters, Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help, And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, `Thy salvation I `am'.' They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil. They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of Jehovah driving away. Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of Jehovah their pursuer. For without cause they hid for me their netpit, Without cause they digged for my soul. Meet him doth desolation -- he knoweth not, And his net that he hid catcheth him, For desolation he falleth into it.
Desolations `are' upon them, They go down `to' Sheol -- alive, For wickedness `is' in their dwelling, in their midst.
The sin of their mouth `is' a word of their lips, And they are captured in their pride, And from the curse and lying they recount. Consume in fury, consume and they are not, And they know that God is ruling in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah.
They search out perverse things, `We perfected a searching search,' And the inward part of man, and the heart `are' deep. And God doth shoot them `with' an arrow, Sudden have been their wounds, And they cause him to stumble, Against them `is' their own tongue, Every looker on them fleeth away.
Ruling by His might to the age, His eyes among the nations do watch, The refractory exalt not themselves. Selah.
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm, a song of David. Rise doth God -- scattered are His enemies! And those hating Him flee from His face. As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.
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).