e (ie. ) Mine enemy, as it is expreſſed v. 4, even Saul, or any of his followers» f Out of my Body. Or deſtroy me and my Life 25 Pal: 6: 5. g To Which he compares him both for Power and Cruelty, and withal intimates his own inability ro oppoſe or eſcape his Rage without Gods Almighry help. + Whileſt I have no con- ſiderable Force to defend my ſelf, bur am forced to flee to Moun- tzins and Caves, and Woods for my Safety. ;
3 O LORD my God, it I have done this 2 ; if there be iniquity in my hands & :
i( i. e, ) That which Cush and others falſly lay to my Charge. IF I delign or have endeavoured to take away Sauls Crown and Life by Violence, as Sauls Courtiers maliciouſly reported, xr Sam: 24: 9, 10. and 26; i9. k(ie) Inmy aftions or carriage towards Saul. The hand is oft put for a#.ons, whereof the hand isa great and common Inſtrument, as Pſal: 78. 42. and 109; 27. Jonah 3:8. IfI defign,or have attemptzd to lay violent hands upon Saz/.
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me /: C yea mT havedelivered him » that without cauſe o is mine enemy. )
I (i.e, To Saul, when he was peaceable and friendly towards me: For David was charged with evil Deſigns againſt Saul, before Saul broke our into open Enmity againſt him. »2 This Particle is here 1:ſe4 by way of correCion or oppoſition, as it is alſo Pſalm 2: 6 Prov: 6 16. So far have I been from doing this, that T have done the contrary. # When it was in my power todeſtroy him, as 1 Sam: 4. arid 26. 0 Without any Provocation on my part.
5 Let the enemy perſecute my foul, and take it p; yea let him tread down my life upon the earth,and lay mine honour q in the duſt. Selah.
pI am conteated and wiſh that S2v! may fo perſecute my Life as toovertake it, and take it away. q Either 1. That honourable and royal Eſtate to which I am choſen and deſigned. Or 2. My Re. putationand Memory. Or rather 3. The ſame thing which he cal- led his ſoul and his life in the former branch of the verſe, and here his honour ; it being very frequent to- expreſs one thing in ſevera] words'or phraſes iu one verle. And ſo here may be objerved a gra-
ation. Let hint 1. Perſiſt ro perſecute It ; 2. Take it , 3. Tread it down, or deſtrov ir, and '4+ Lay itinthe duſt, or bury it, to prevent }
s * Ariſe,O LORD. in thine anger »,lift up thy ſelf s, cauſe of the rage of mine enemies;and * awake for me to the judgmene that thou haſt commanded e.
L M S.
me. 5 That thou maiſt give them a deadly blow. A Metaphor from . men who ariſe and lift up themſelves to do ſo. Heb; Be rhou exalted: glorifie thy ſelf, and fhew thy ſelf ro be above them. : To execute that juſt and righteous Sentence cf $Sa»ls Depoſirion, and my Ad- vancement, which thou haſt commanded, i: e. appointed, (as that word is uſed Pſal: 148: 5: 1 Kings 17: 4.and in this very caſe, 1 Sam: 13: 14: ) and declared by thy holy Prophet Samuel,
7 SO ſhal the congregation of the people « compals thee about x:for theis ſakes y therefore return thou on highs.
# Either 1. A great number of all ſorts of people, who ſhall ob- ſerve thy Juſtice, and Holineſs, and Gooeneſs in pleading my righ- teous Cauſe againſt my cruel and implacable Opreſſor. Or rather 2. The whole Body of thy people 7rae/,co whom both theſe He« brew Words are commonly aſcribed in holy Scripture. x They will, and I astheir King and Ruler in thy ſtead will take * care thar they ſhal come from all partsand meet together to worſhip theez which in Saws time they have grofly negleCted, and. been permitred to negle&,and to offer to thee Praiſes and Sacrifices for thy Favour to me,and for the manifold Benefits which they ſhal enjoy by my Means, and under my Government. y Or, for its ſake ( te. ) For the ſake of thy Congregation, which now is wofully diſſipated and oppreſled,and have in a great meaſure loſt all adminiſtration of Ju- ſtice, and exerciſe of Religion. z Or, return to thy high place. ( :: e.) To thy Tribunal tofſit there and judge my cauſe. An Alluſfion to earthly Tribunals, which generally areſet up on high above the people, 1 Kings 10; 19. b
8 The LORD fhal judge the people a: judge me
ding to mine integrity hat 5s in me b, 0 a Ic belongs to thee to judge all perſons and people, andto give Sentence between them, eſpecially when they appeal unto thee, which I now do: bIFI be guilty of thoſe evil Deftgns,towards him, wherewith Cu:h and others charge me,do thou give Sentence againſt me : but ifT be juſt and innocent rowards him,as thou knoweſt I am and have been, do thou plead my right. ;
9 Olet the wickedneſs of the wicked come to an
God trieth the beart and reins f+
c Let the Maliceof mine Enemies ceaſe, put a ſtop to their wick- ed PraCtiſes,either by changing their Hearts or by tying their Hands 1.
of termination, it ſhal ceaſe : and an end of deſtru&ion, it ſhal be rooted out. Or, Let, 1 pray thee, wickeane(s conſume the wicked, (i: e.) Thoſe that are maliciouſly and incorrigibly ſuch. And ſo this Prayer is oppoſed to that following Prayer for the Juſt, And ſuch Prayers againſt ſome wicked Men we find uſed by prophetical per- tons, which are not raſhly ro be drawn into preſident by ordinary perſons. 4 Or, and theu wilt eſtablich, or confirm, or uphold* which 1s oppoſed to that coming to an end, or conſuming laſt mentioned» e All juſt perſons and cauſes, and mine in particular which is ſo. f And therefore he knows that T haye not ſo much as a thought or a deſire
of that miſchief which Cush and others report I am deligningas- gainſt Saul,
10 f My defence is of God gs, which ſaveth the u- Pright in heart 5. g Heb. My ſbield is upen God, Hedoth as it were carry my Shield before me. See 1 Sam: 17: 7, He dothand will prote& me againſt all mine Enemies. h And therefore. me, whom he knoweth to be ſin« cere and honeſt in my Carriage toward him and towards Saul,