It makes much difference, not indeed in the reality or completeness of God's knowledge of us, but in the good we derive therefrom, whether we welcome and submit to it, or try to close our trembling hearts, that do not wish to be cleansed of their perilous stuff, from that loving and purging gaze. God will cleanse the evil which He sees, if we are willing that He should see it. Thoughts of the inner life and "ways" of the outer are equally to be submitted to Him. There are two "ways" in which men can walk. The one is a "way of grief or pain," because that is its terminus. All sin is a blunder. And the inclination to such ways is "in me," as every man who has dealt honestly with himself knows. The other is "a way everlasting," a way which leads to permanent good, which continues uninterrupted through the vicissitudes of life, and even (though that was not in the psalmist's mind) through the darkness of death, and with ever closer approximation to its goal in God, through the cycles of eternity. And that way is not "in me," but I must be led into and in it by the God who knows me altogether and is ever with me, to keep my feet in the way of life, if I will hold the guiding hand which He lays upon me.
1 Deliver me, Jehovah, from the evil man, From the man of violence guard me, 2 Who plot evils in heart, Every day they stir up wars. 3 They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, Adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked man, From the man of violences guard me, Who have plotted to overthrow my steps. 5 The proud have hidden a snare for me and cords, They have spread a net hard by the path, They have set gins for me. Selah.
6 I said to Jehovah, My God art Thou, Give ear, Jehovah, to the voice of my supplications. 7 Jehovah, Lord, my stronghold of salvation! Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle 8 Grant not, Jehovah, the desires of the wicked, Further not his plan. Selah.
9 They who compass me about lift up the head-- The mischief of their own lips cover them! 10 [Jehovah] rain hot coals on them! (?) Let Him cause them to fall into fire, Into floods, that they rise no more! 11 The man with a [slanderous] tongue shall not continue on earth; The man of violence--evil shall hunt him with blow upon blow.
12 I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted, The right of the needy. 13 Surely the righteous shall thank Thy name, The upright shall dwell with Thy face.
In tone and contents this psalm has many parallels in the earlier books, especially among the psalms ascribed to David. Its originality lies principally in its use of peculiar words, and in the extreme obscurity of a part of it. The familiar situation of a man ringed about by slanderous enemies, the familiar metaphors of snares and traps, the familiar venture of faith flinging itself into God's arms for refuge, the familiar prayers for retribution, are all here. One cannot argue about impressions, but the present writer receives the impression strongly from the psalm that it is cast in the Davidic manner by a later singer, and is rather an echo than an original voice, while, no doubt, the feelings expressed, both of distress and of confidence, are none the less felt by the singer, though he falls back on familiar forms for their expression.
The arrangement is in four strophes of approximately equal length, the first and third of which consist of three verses of two clauses each, while the fourth is abnormally elongated by having three clauses in ver. 10, and the second (vv. 4, 5) has two verses of three clauses each. Selah again appears as dividing the strophes, but is omitted at the end of the fourth, to which a closing strophe of two verses is appended.