4 As for me, I said, Jehovah, be merciful to me, Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. 5 My enemies speak evil against me: "When will he die, and his name perish?" 6 And if one [of them] comes to see [me], he speaks falsehood (insincere sympathy); His heart collects malice for itself; He goes forth, he speaks it. 7 Together against me do all my haters whisper; Against me they plan my hurt: 8 "A fatal thing is fixed upon him, And he who has [now] lain down will rise no more." 9 Even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, Has lifted his heel against me. 10 But Thou, Jehovah, be merciful to me and raise me up, That I may requite them. 11 By this I know that Thou delightest in me, Since my enemy triumphs not over me. 12 And as for me, in my integrity Thou upholdest me, And settest me before Thy face for ever. 13 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting and to everlasting Amen and Amen. The central mass of this psalm describes the singer as suffering from two evils: sickness and treacherous friends. This situation naturally leads up to the prayer and confidence of the closing strophe (vv. 10-12). But its connection with the introductory verses (1-3) is less plain. A statement of the blessings ensured to the compassionate seems a singular introduction to the psalmist's pathetic exhibition of his sorrows. Cheyne thinks that the opening verses were added by the framer of the collection to adapt the poem to the use of the Church of his own time, and that "the original opening must have been different" ("Orig. of Psalt.," 246, _n._). It is to be observed, however, that the two points of the psalmist's affliction are the two from which escape is assured to the compassionate, who shall not be "delivered to the desire of his enemies," and shall be supported and healed in sickness. Probably, therefore, the general promises of vv. 1-3 are silently applied by the psalmist to himself; and he is comforting his own sorrow with the assurance which in his humility he casts into impersonal form. He has been merciful, and believes, though things look dark, that he will obtain mercy. There is probably also an intentional contrast with the cruel exacerbation of his sufferings by uncompassionate companions, which has rubbed salt into his wounds. He has a double consciousness in these opening verses, inasmuch as he partly thinks of himself as the compassionate man and partly as the "weak" one who is compassionated.