King James Version
Psalms 55
23 verses with commentary
Cast Your Burden on the Lord
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The urgent appeal: 'Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.' The fear that God might 'hide himself' reflects the felt experience of divine silence in crisis. David needs not just hearing but attentive engagement--God's active involvement rather than distant awareness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7-8. For the Jews used one of the gestures (Mt 27:39) here mentioned, when taunting Him on the cross, and (Mt 27:43) reproached Him almost in the very, language of this passage.
**shoot out--**or, "open."
**the lip--**(Compare Psa 35:21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The call for attention: 'Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise.' 'Attend' and 'hear' intensify the plea for divine engagement. 'Mourn' and 'make a noise' describe the emotional turmoil--restless grief, vocal distress. David holds nothing back in expressing his agitation.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **I mourn.**—A verb found in this form only in three other passages, always with the idea of *restlessness*—*e.g., *Genesis 27:40, of the roving life of a Bedouin; Jeremiah 2:31, of moral restlessness; Hosea 12:1, of political instability. Here it may either indicate that bodily restlessness which often serves as an outlet of grief:
“Hard mechanic exercise,
Like dull narcotics, numbing pain,”
...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9-10. Though ironically spoken, the exhortation to trust was well founded on his previous experience of divine aid, the special illustration of which is drawn from the period of helpless infancy.
**didst make me hope--**literally, "made me secure."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The source of distress: 'Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.' Enemy voices, wicked oppression, false accusations, and wrathful hatred combine to overwhelm. 'Cast iniquity upon me' suggests false charges or plotting evil against him.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Oppressor.**—This meaning of a rare word is secured from Amos 2:13.
**Cast iniquity.**—Better, *roll mischief. *The figure seems to be drawn from the practice of rolling stones down on an enemy from a height. In Psalm 140:10 the same verb is used of rolling burning coals on a foe.
**Hate me.**—Better, persecute me.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9-10. Though ironically spoken, the exhortation to trust was well founded on his previous experience of divine aid, the special illustration of which is drawn from the period of helpless infancy.
**didst make me hope--**literally, "made me secure."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The internal turmoil: 'My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.' Physical symptoms accompany emotional distress: heart pain, death-like terror. 'Fallen upon me' suggests being pressed down, overwhelmed by fear. The body registers what the soul experiences.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4*)* **Is sore pained.**—Better, *writhes with pain.*
**Terrors of death**—*i.e., terrors caused by death, a horror of death.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11. From this statement of reasons for the appeal, he renews it, pleading his double extremity, the nearness of trouble, and the absence of a helper.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. overwhelmed: Heb. covered
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew 'pachad' (fear/terror) and 'ra'ad' (trembling) reveal David's visceral response to betrayal. This prophetically anticipates Christ's anguish in Gethsemane, where divine sovereignty met human vulnerability. The parallel in Psalm 22 and Christ's Passion demonstrates how God's elect experience genuine emotional suffering while remaining under divine providence.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
12-13. His enemies, with the vigor of bulls and rapacity of lions, surround him, eagerly seeking his ruin. The force of both figures is greater without the use of any particle denoting comparison.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
David's longing for escape reveals the human temptation to flee rather than endure suffering. Yet God's sovereignty ordains that believers remain to fulfill their calling. The 'dove' imagery connects to Israel's identity (Hosea 7:11) and anticipates the Holy Spirit's gentle presence, offering rest within trials rather than escape from them.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Oh that I had.**—Literally, *who will give me?*—The bird that was in the psalmist’s thought was doubtless the Rock Pigeon (*Columba livia*)*, *which selects for its nesting the lofty cliffs and deep ravines far from the neighbourhood of man. (Comp. Song of Solomon 2:14, Note.)
**Be at rest.**—So the LXX. and Vulg., and the reading is consecrated by long use; but the parallelism seems to requ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
12-13. His enemies, with the vigor of bulls and rapacity of lions, surround him, eagerly seeking his ruin. The force of both figures is greater without the use of any particle denoting comparison.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The wilderness represented both refuge and divine testing in Israel's theology. David's desire echoes Elijah's flight (1 Kings 19) yet God's providence often keeps His servants in the furnace of affliction for sanctification. The 'Selah' pause invites meditation on God's purposes in allowing prolonged trials.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Remain.**—Better, *lodge.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
14-15. Utter exhaustion and hopeless weakness, in these circumstances of pressing danger, are set forth by the most expressive figures; the solidity of the body is destroyed, and it becomes like water; the bones are parted; the heart, the very seat of vitality, melts like wax; all the juices of the system are dried up; the tongue can no longer perform its office, but lies parched and stiffened (co...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew 'sa'ar' (tempest/whirlwind) evokes God's theophanic appearances (Job 38:1) and divine judgment. Yet here the tempest represents human opposition. This paradox reveals that believers may experience storms not from God's wrath but as the context for demonstrating His sustaining grace under sovereign permission.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
14-15. Utter exhaustion and hopeless weakness, in these circumstances of pressing danger, are set forth by the most expressive figures; the solidity of the body is destroyed, and it becomes like water; the bones are parted; the heart, the very seat of vitality, melts like wax; all the juices of the system are dried up; the tongue can no longer perform its office, but lies parched and stiffened (co...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 55
Chapter Outline
Prayer to God to manifest his favour.(1-8)
The great wickedness and treachery of his enemies.(9-15)
He is sure that God would in due time appear for him.(16-23)
**Verses 1-8**
In these verses we have, 1. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore, and a relief to the spirit under every burden. 2. David weeping. Griefs are thus, in some measure,...
Read full commentary →Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
David's imprecatory prayer for divine confusion of enemies recalls the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:7-9) and anticipates God's judgment on the wicked. Reformed theology affirms that such prayers, when offered in righteousness, align with God's justice. The 'violence and strife' David witnessed in Jerusalem prefigure the city's eventual judgment for rejecting Christ.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Destroy.**—Literally, *swallow up. *So the LXX., forcibly, “drown in the sea.” The object *them *must be supplied.
This sudden change from plaintive sadness to violent invective is one of the marked features of this poem. Some think there has been a transposition of verses, but in lyric poetry these abrupt transitions of tone are not uncommon nor unpleasing.
**Divide their tongues**—*i.e., *...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
16. Evildoers are well described as dogs, which, in the East, herding together, wild and rapacious, are justly objects of great abhorrence. The last clause has been a subject of much discussion (involving questions as to the genuineness of the Hebrew word translated "pierce)" which cannot be made intelligible to the English reader. Though not quoted in the New Testament, the remarkable aptness of ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The personification of violence and strife as sentries on city walls inverts the image of watchmen who protect. When wickedness becomes institutionalized in leadership, society itself becomes the enemy of righteousness. This prophetically warns of apostate Jerusalem and ultimately anticipates Babylon the Great in Revelation 18.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **They go.**—It is quite in keeping with the Hebrew style to suppose *mischief *and *strife *personified here as the ancient versions do, and not only occupying the *city *as inhabitants, but prowling about its walls. So in the next verse *corruption *(see Psalm 5:9, Note), *deceit, *and *guile *are personified. Comp. Virgil’s
“ubique
Luctus, ubique Pavor, et plurima mortis imago.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
17. His emaciated frame, itself an item of his misery, is rendered more so as the object of delighted contemplation to his enemies. The verbs, "look" and "stare," often occur as suggestive of feelings of satisfaction (compare Psa 27:13; 54:7; 118:7).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew 'mirmah' (deceit) in the city's midst reveals that wickedness spreads through deception more than open violence. This anticipates Christ's warnings against the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6) and Paul's concern for false teachers. Economic oppression ('usury') and judicial corruption ('guile') demonstrate covenant unfaithfulness requiring prophetic denunciation.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Deceit.**—Rather, *oppression, *or *violence.*
**Streets.**—Rather, *squares, *the open space at the
gate of an Oriental city where public business was conducted. It is a miserable picture of mis-government; in the very seat of justice is nothing but oppression and guile.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
18. This literally fulfilled prediction closes the sad picture of the exposed and deserted sufferer.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
David's pain at betrayal by an intimate companion prophetically foreshadows Christ's betrayal by Judas (John 13:18). The Hebrew 'alluph' (close friend/guide) intensifies the treachery. Reformed theology sees this as typological—David's suffering prefiguring Christ's, demonstrating that God's Messiah would experience the fullness of human grief including betrayal.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **For.**—The ellipse must be supplied from Psalm 55:9, *I invoke destruction for, *&c
**Then I could . . .**—Better, *then *(or *else*)* I might bear it.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19-20. He now turns with unabated desire and trust to God, who, in His strength and faithfulness, is contrasted with the urgent dangers described.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. mine equal: Heb. according to my rank
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The progression from enemy to 'companion,' 'guide,' and 'acquaintance' emphasizes covenant intimacy violated. The Hebrew 'meyuda'' implies one known deeply. This betrayal pain exceeds that from open enemies because it violates trust and shared sacred fellowship. It points to the deeper agony of Christ's betrayal during Passover fellowship.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **But it was . . .**—Better, *But thou art a man of my own standing. *The word *erek *is used (Exodus 40:23) of the row of loaves constituting the shewbread, and the cognate verb means “to arrange.” Here it may denote *rank, *but more probably the expression is *man of my assessment, *and so of the same importance in society. (Comp. Leviticus 5:15; 2Kings 12:4.) The LXX. and Vulgate have “of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19-20. He now turns with unabated desire and trust to God, who, in His strength and faithfulness, is contrasted with the urgent dangers described.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. We: Heb. Who sweetened counsel
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.</strong> This poignant verse appears within a psalm of deep anguish, where David laments betrayal by a close friend. The verse describes past intimacy and spiritual fellowship, making the subsequent treachery (v.12-13) even more devastating. This isn't betrayal by an enemy but by a trusted companion who shared bot...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **And walked . . .**—*i.e., *joined the great public processions to the temple. (Comp. Psalm 44:4.) The word rendered “company” occurs again (Psalm 64:2. Authorised Version, “insurrection.” Comp. the same root, Psalm 2:1.) The intimacy of these former friends was public as well as private.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
21. Deliverance pleaded in view of former help, when in the most imminent danger, from the most powerful enemy, represented by the unicorn or wild buffalo.
**the lion's mouth--**(Compare Psa 22:13). The lion often used as a figure representing violent enemies; the connecting of the mouth intimates their rapacity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. hell: or, the grave
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This imprecatory verse must be understood through Christ's teaching to pray for enemies (Matthew 5:44) while recognizing God's just wrath against unrepentant wickedness. David's prayer aligns with divine justice, not personal vengeance. 'Let death seize upon them' reflects Hebrew poetry's vivid language for God's righteous judgment, fulfilled in the fate of Absalom and Ahithophel.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) Let death.—According to the written text we should render *desolations upon them. *Here we have another sudden outburst of overmastering feeling.
**Quick**—*i.e., *alive, perhaps with reminiscence of the fate of Korah. (Comp. Proverbs 1:12.)
**Hell.**—*Sheôl. *(See Note Psalm 6:5.)
**And among them.**—The conjunction is unnecessary. Render, *in their dwellings, in their very midst.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-24. He declares his purpose to celebrate God's gracious dealings and publish His manifested perfections ("name," Psa 5:11), &c., and forthwith he invites the pious (those who have a reverential fear of God) to unite in special praise for a deliverance, illustrating God's kind regard for the lowly, whom men neglect [Psa 22:24]. To hide the face (or eyes) expresses a studied neglect of one's ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-15**
No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them. And an interest div...
Read full commentary →As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The shift from imprecation to trust demonstrates biblical prayer's movement from lament to faith. 'I will call upon God' affirms covenant confidence despite circumstances. The parallelism with 'the LORD shall save me' reveals that calling and deliverance are inseparably linked—not as magic but as covenant promise grounded in God's faithfulness to His elect.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-24. He declares his purpose to celebrate God's gracious dealings and publish His manifested perfections ("name," Psa 5:11), &c., and forthwith he invites the pious (those who have a reverential fear of God) to unite in special praise for a deliverance, illustrating God's kind regard for the lowly, whom men neglect [Psa 22:24]. To hide the face (or eyes) expresses a studied neglect of one's ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The threefold daily prayer pattern ('evening, morning, and at noon') anticipates Daniel's practice (Daniel 6:10) and reflects Jewish devotional tradition. The Hebrew 'siach' (meditate/complain) shows that prayer encompasses both pouring out grief and meditative worship. God's hearing is certain ('he shall hear my voice'), demonstrating that frequency in prayer flows from relationship, not ritual.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-24. He declares his purpose to celebrate God's gracious dealings and publish His manifested perfections ("name," Psa 5:11), &c., and forthwith he invites the pious (those who have a reverential fear of God) to unite in special praise for a deliverance, illustrating God's kind regard for the lowly, whom men neglect [Psa 22:24]. To hide the face (or eyes) expresses a studied neglect of one's ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew 'padah' (redeemed) is covenant language, used of Israel's exodus deliverance and anticipating Christ's redemption. God delivers 'in peace' even amid battle, revealing that true shalom is spiritual—right standing with God—not merely circumstances. 'Many were with me' may reference angelic armies (2 Kings 6:16-17) or God's providential orchestration of human allies.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **He hath delivered.**—The Targum rightly makes this the petition just mentioned, “Deliver,” &c
(18) **From the battle.**—The reading of the LXX. is preferable, “from these drawing near to me.”
**For there were** **many with me.**—This is only intelligible if we insert the word *fighting. “*For there were many fighting with me,” *i.e.*, “against me.” But the text seems corrupt.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-26. My praise shall be of thee--**or, perhaps better, "from thee," that is, God gives grace to praise Him. With offering praise, he further evinces his gratitude by promising the payment of his vows, in celebrating the usual festival, as provided in the law (De 12:18; 16:11), of which the pious or humble, and they that seek the Lord (His true worshippers) shall partake abundantly, and join hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. Because: or, With whom also there be no changes, yet they
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God's eternality ('from old') grounds His present action against the wicked. The Hebrew 'anah' (afflict/humble) reveals God's active judgment on those who refuse repentance. 'No changes' indicates hardness of heart—the wicked's immutability in rebellion contrasts with God's unchanging righteousness, demonstrating that apostasy results from persistent resistance to grace.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **God shall hear.**—Render this verse,
God shall hear and afflict them,
He abideth of old;
One in whom are no changes,
And yet they fear not God.
(Comp. James 1:17, “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”) As the text stands, for *afflict *we should have *answer*; but the LXX. and Vulg. have the true reading. The Selah must be removed as plainly out of place. The plural pro...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-26. My praise shall be of thee--**or, perhaps better, "from thee," that is, God gives grace to praise Him. With offering praise, he further evinces his gratitude by promising the payment of his vows, in celebrating the usual festival, as provided in the law (De 12:18; 16:11), of which the pious or humble, and they that seek the Lord (His true worshippers) shall partake abundantly, and join hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. broken: Heb. profaned
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The betrayer's covenant violation intensifies his guilt—'he hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him.' The Hebrew 'shalom' indicates covenantal wholeness. Profaning the covenant after enjoying its benefits demonstrates judicial hardening. This typologically anticipates Judas, who shared covenant meals with Christ yet violated sacred fellowship.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **He hath.**—As in Psalm 55:12, the individual specially prominent in the traitorous crew is here singled out, and his treachery exposed.
**He hath broken . . .**—Literally, *he perforated. *In a note in his work on the Creed, referring to Colossians 2:14, Bishop Pearson says one mode of cancelling a bond was to drive a nail through it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
27-31. His case illustrates God's righteous government. Beyond the existing time and people, others shall be brought to acknowledge and worship God; the fat ones, or the rich as well as the poor, the helpless who cannot keep themselves alive, shall together unite in celebrating God's delivering power, and transmit to unborn people the records of His grace.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The imagery of words 'smoother than butter' yet harboring 'war' and softer than oil yet being 'drawn swords' captures deception's nature. The Hebrew 'chalaq' (smooth/flattering) appears in warnings against the adulteress (Proverbs 7:21), linking betrayal to spiritual adultery. This anticipates warnings against false teachers whose smooth words deceive the simple (Romans 16:18).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The words of his mouth.**—The ancient versions and the grammatical anomalies point to a corruption of the text. Read, *Smoother than butter is his face. *The reading *face *for *mouth *is suggested by the LXX., though their version has wandered far from the text even thus amended.
**Drawn swords.**—The comparison of the tongue to a sword is frequent; that of the words themselves not so usua...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
27-31. His case illustrates God's righteous government. Beyond the existing time and people, others shall be brought to acknowledge and worship God; the fat ones, or the rich as well as the poor, the helpless who cannot keep themselves alive, shall together unite in celebrating God's delivering power, and transmit to unborn people the records of His grace.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. burden: or, gift
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.</strong> This verse offers divine counsel for carrying life's heavy loads. The Hebrew verb <em>hashlekh</em> (הַשְׁלֵךְ, "cast") is an imperative meaning to throw or hurl with force—not tentatively place but actively, decisively transfer. The word <em>yehav</em> (יְהָבְךָ, "thy burden...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Burden.**—A word peculiar to this passage, probably meaning “gift,” hence “lot” or “condition.” The Talmud, however, uses the word as meaning “burden” and the LXX. by rendering “care” have prepared the way for the Christian consolation in 1Peter 5:7.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bible Hub
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
27-31. His case illustrates God's righteous government. Beyond the existing time and people, others shall be brought to acknowledge and worship God; the fat ones, or the rich as well as the poor, the helpless who cannot keep themselves alive, shall together unite in celebrating God's delivering power, and transmit to unborn people the records of His grace.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. bloody: Heb. men of bloods and deceit shall: Heb. shall not half their days
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The contrast between the wicked's shortened days and the righteous's preservation reveals God's sovereign control over lifespans. 'Pit of destruction' translates Hebrew 'be'er shachat' (pit of corruption), evoking both Sheol and physical death. David's confidence ('I will trust in thee') demonstrates covenant faith—the righteous endure not by merit but by God's electing grace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
27-31. His case illustrates God's righteous government. Beyond the existing time and people, others shall be brought to acknowledge and worship God; the fat ones, or the rich as well as the poor, the helpless who cannot keep themselves alive, shall together unite in celebrating God's delivering power, and transmit to unborn people the records of His grace.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more...
Read full commentary →