The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1: Psalms I.-XXXVIII.Maclaren, Alexander
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1: Psalms I.-XXXVIII.
Maclaren, Alexander
Bible. Psalms -- Commentaries
The third division (ver. 18 to end) goes over nearly the same ground
as before, with the difference that the prayer for deliverance is
more extended, and that the resulting praise comes from the great
congregation, joining in as chorus in the singer's solo. The former
references to innocence and causeless hatred, lies and plots,
open-mouthed rage, are repeated. "Our eyes have seen," say the
enemies, counting their plots as good as successful and snorting
contempt of their victim's helplessness; but he bethinks him of
another eye, and grandly opposes God's sight to theirs. Usually that
Jehovah sees is, in the Psalter, the same as His helping; but here, as
in ver. 17, the two things are separated, as they so often are, in
fact, for the trial of faith. God's inaction does not disprove His
knowledge, but the pleading soul presses on Him His knowledge as a
plea that He would not be deaf to its cry nor far from its help. The
greedy eyes of the enemy round the psalmist gloat on their prey; but
he cries aloud to his God, and dares to speak to Him as if He were
deaf and far off, inactive and asleep. The imagery of the lawsuit
reappears in fuller form here. "My cause" in ver. 23 is a noun cognate
with the verb rendered "plead" or "strive" in ver. 1; "Judge me" in
ver. 24 does not mean, Pronounce sentence on my character and conduct,
but, Do me right in this case of mine _versus_ my gratuitous foes.
Again recurs the prayer for their confusion, which clearly has no
wider scope than concerning the matter in hand. It is no breach of
Christian charity to pray that hostile devices may fail. The vivid
imagination of the poet hears the triumphant exclamations of gratified
hatred: "Oho! our desire!" "We have swallowed him," and sums up the
character of his enemies in the two traits of malicious joy in his
hurt and self-exaltation in their hostility to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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