Bibelkommentare

« To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. » Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

A Psalm of David — Written by him, usque adeo terribili et horrifica oratione, saith Beza, in such terrible terms, as the like is not to be found in Holy Scripture; wherefore it is to be read and used with very great judgment, and not as those miscreants of whom Faber writeth, Quod more magico clam murmurabant hune Psalmum per modum execrationis in eorum hostes, that after a conjuring fashion they muttered out this psalm, by the way of curse upon their enemies.

Hold not thy peace — But plead my cause, clear mine innocence.

O God of my praise — The object of my praises, or thou that keepest up my credit, as a witness, judge, and avenger of mine integrity.

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For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

For the mouth of the wicked — There is nothing more easy than to wag a wicked tongue.

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue — But with so much impudence as if it were a very truth. Socrates in his Apology, My lords, said he to the judges, I know not how you have been affected with mine accusers’ eloquence, while you heard them speak. For mine own part, I assure you that I, whom it toucheth not, was almost drawn to believe that all they said, though against myself, was true, when they scarce uttered one word of truth.

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They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

They compassed me about also, … — So that I could not find out any way to clear myself, though never so innocent.

And fought against me — So they smote Jeremiah with the tongue, and our Saviour suffered the opposition of sinners, Hebrews 12:3

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For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.

For my love they are mine adversaries — Heb. they satanically hate me. To render evil for evil is brutish, but to render evil for good is devilish.

But I give myself to prayer — Heb. But I am prayer, or, a man of prayer, as Psalms 120:7 , But I am peace. So, being defamed, we pray, 1 Corinthians 4:12 . When our Saviour was wearied out with the people’s obstinace, he turned himself to God in prayer, Matthew 11:26 , and prayed for his crucifiers, Luke 23:34 Send me to my toads again (in the dungeon), where I may pray for your lordship’s conversion, said Saunders, the martyr, to Winchester.

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And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

And they have rewarded me — See Psalms 109:4 .

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Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

Set thou a wicked man over him — Whose tender mercies may be cruelties; let the devil be his taskmaster. Thus he prayed against Doeg, or Ahithophel, but certainly Judas, Acts 1:20 . And so the primitive Christians prayed against Julian the apostate, and afterwards against Arius the heretic, whose death was precationis opus non morbi, the effect of prayer, rather than of his disease, saith Socrates, lib. i. cap. 15. We are bound to pray daily, "Thy kingdom come," but must be advised how we pray, as David here doth, against particular persons; his curses here and elsewhere are indefinite, or conditional; either he nameth not the man, or intendeth it if God intend it so; or they are non tam vota quam vaticinia, not so much prayers as prophecies.

And let Satan (or an adversary) stand at his right hand — To withstand him and get the better of him, as Zechariah 3:1 . Or, to aggravate his fault before an unjust judge.

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When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

When he shall be judged — Let him be cast in all his suits, causa excidat.

And let his prayer become sin — Quot apud iudicem preces adhibebit tot sibi mulctas aecersat, If he beg favour of the judge, let it be the worse for him, as it befell Haman, Esther 7:7-8 .

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Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office.

Let his days be few — Let his execution be hastened, as Haman’s was. Ahithophel and Judas were their own deathsmen. Doeg, doubtless, came to an ill end; and so did other persecutors. See the Book of Martyrs.

And let another take his office — Praefecturam. Officers are ofttimes the Church’s chief enemies; Popish bishops especially, as here in Queen Mary’s days. Judas was guide to those that took Jesus, Acts 1:16 ; Acts 1:20 .

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