15 Let death H4194 seize H5377 H3451 upon them, and let them go down H3381 quick H2416 into hell: H7585 for wickedness H7451 is in their dwellings, H4033 and among H7130 them.
But if the LORD H3068 make H1254 a new thing, H1278 and the earth H127 open H6475 her mouth, H6310 and swallow them up, H1104 with all that appertain unto them, and they go down H3381 quick H2416 into the pit; H7585 then ye shall understand H3045 that these men H582 have provoked H5006 the LORD. H3068 And it came to pass, as he had made an end H3615 of speaking H1696 all these words, H1697 that the ground H127 clave asunder H1234 that was under them: And the earth H776 opened H6605 her mouth, H6310 and swallowed them up, H1104 and their houses, H1004 and all the men H120 that appertained unto Korah, H7141 and all their goods. H7399 They, and all that appertained to them, went down H3381 alive H2416 into the pit, H7585 and the earth H776 closed H3680 upon them: and they perished H6 from among H8432 the congregation. H6951 And all Israel H3478 that were round about H5439 them fled H5127 at the cry H6963 of them: for they said, H559 Lest the earth H776 swallow us up H1104 also.
Let their table H7979 become a snare H6341 before H6440 them: and that which should have been for their welfare, H7965 let it become a trap. H4170 Let their eyes H5869 be darkened, H2821 that they see H7200 not; and make their loins H4975 continually H8548 to shake. H4571 Pour out H8210 thine indignation H2195 upon them, and let thy wrathful H2740 anger H639 take hold H5381 of them. Let their habitation H2918 be desolate; H8074 and let none dwell H3427 in their tents. H168 For they persecute H7291 him whom thou hast smitten; H5221 and they talk H5608 to the grief H4341 of those whom thou hast wounded. H2491 Add H5414 iniquity H5771 unto their iniquity: H5771 and let them not come H935 into thy righteousness. H6666 Let them be blotted H4229 out of the book H5612 of the living, H2416 and not be written H3789 with the righteous. H6662
Set H6485 thou a wicked man H7563 over him: and let Satan H7854 stand H5975 at his right hand. H3225 When he shall be judged, H8199 let him be H3318 condemned: H7563 and let his prayer H8605 become sin. H2401 Let his days H3117 be few; H4592 and let another H312 take H3947 his office. H6486 Let his children H1121 be fatherless, H3490 and his wife H802 a widow. H490 Let his children H1121 be continually H5128 vagabonds, H5128 and beg: H7592 let them seek H1875 their bread also out of their desolate places. H2723 Let the extortioner H5383 catch H5367 all that he hath; and let the strangers H2114 spoil H962 his labour. H3018 Let there be none to extend H4900 mercy H2617 unto him: neither let there be any to favour H2603 his fatherless children. H3490 Let his posterity H319 be cut off; H3772 and in the generation H1755 following H312 let their name H8034 be blotted out. H4229 Let the iniquity H5771 of his fathers H1 be remembered H2142 with the LORD; H3068 and let not the sin H2403 of his mother H517 be blotted out. H4229 Let them be before the LORD H3068 continually, H8548 that he may cut off H3772 the memory H2143 of them from the earth. H776 Because that he remembered H2142 not to shew H6213 mercy, H2617 but persecuted H7291 the poor H6041 and needy H34 man, H376 that he might even slay H4191 the broken H3512 in heart. H3824 As he loved H157 cursing, H7045 so let it come H935 unto him: as he delighted H2654 not in blessing, H1293 so let it be far H7368 from him. As he clothed H3847 himself with cursing H7045 like as with his garment, H4055 so let it come H935 into his bowels H7130 like water, H4325 and like oil H8081 into his bones. H6106 Let it be unto him as the garment H899 which covereth H5844 him, and for a girdle H4206 wherewith he is girded H2296 continually. H8548 Let this be the reward H6468 of mine adversaries H7853 from the LORD, H3068 and of them that speak H1696 evil H7451 against my soul. H5315
Now G3303 G3767 this man G3778 purchased G2932 a field G5564 with G1537 the reward G3408 of iniquity; G93 and G2532 falling G1096 headlong, G4248 he burst asunder G2997 in the midst, G3319 and G2532 all G3956 his G846 bowels G4698 gushed out. G1632 And G2532 it was G1096 known G1110 unto all G3956 the dwellers G2730 at Jerusalem; G2419 insomuch as G5620 that G1565 field G5564 is called G2564 in their G846 proper G2398 tongue, G1258 Aceldama, G184 that is to say, G5123 The field G5564 of blood. G129 For G1063 it is written G1125 in G1722 the book G976 of Psalms, G5568 Let G1096 his G846 habitation G1886 be G1096 desolate, G2048 and G2532 let G2077 no man G3361 dwell G2730 therein: G1722 G846 and G2532 his G846 bishoprick G1984 let G2983 another G2087 take. G2983
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 55
Commentary on Psalms 55 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Prayer of One Who Is Maliciously Beset and Betrayed by His Friend
Psalms 54:1-7 is followed by another Davidic Psalm bearing the same inscription: To the Precentor, with accompaniment of stringed instruments, a meditation, by David . It also accords with the former in the form of the prayer with which it opens (cf. Psalms 55:2 with Psalms 54:3.); and it is the Elohimic counterpart of the Jahve- Psalms 41:1-13. If the Psalm is by David, we require (in opposition to Hengstenberg) an assignable occasion for it in the history of his life. For how could the faithless bosom friend, over whom the complaint concerning malicious foes here, as in Psalms 41:1-13, lingers with special sadness, be a mere abstract personage; since it has in the person of Judas Iscariot its historical living antitype in the life and passion of the second David? This Old Testament Judas is none other than Ahithפphel, the right hand of Absalom. Ps 55 belongs, like Psalms 41:1-13, to the four years during which the rebellion of Absalom was forming; only to a somewhat later period, when Absalom's party were so sure of their cause that they had no need to make any secret of it. How it came to pass that David left the beginnings and progressive steps of the rebellion of Absalom to take their course without bringing any other weapon to bear against it than the weapon of prayer, is discussed on Psalms 41:1-13.
Hitzig also holds this Psalm to be Jeremianic. But it contains no coincidences with the language and thoughts of Jeremiah worth speaking of, excepting that this prophet, in Psalms 9:1, gives utterance to a similar wish to that of the psalmist in Psalms 55:7, and springing from the same motive. The argument in favour of Jeremiah in opposition to David is consequently referred to the picture of life and suffering which is presented in the Psalm; and it becomes a question whether this harmonizes better with the persecuted life of Jeremiah or of David. The exposition which follows here places itself - and it is at least worthy of being attempted - on the standpoint of the writer of the inscription.
In this first group sorrow prevails. David spreads forth his deep grief before God, and desires for himself some lonely spot in the wilderness far away from the home or lurking-place of the confederate band of those who are compassing his overthrow. “Veil not Thyself” here, where what is spoken of is something audible, not visible, is equivalent to “veil not Thine ear,” Lamentations 3:56, which He designedly does, when the right state of heart leaves the praying one, and consequently that which makes it acceptable and capable of being answered is wanting to the prayer (cf. Isaiah 1:15). שׂיח signifies a shrub (Syriac shucho , Arabic šı̂ḥ ), and also reflection and care (Arabic, carefulness, attention; Aramaic, סח , to babble, talk, discourse). The Hiph . חריד , which in Genesis 27:40 signifies to lead a roving life, has in this instance the signification to move one's self backwards and forwards, to be inwardly uneasy; root רד , Arab. rd , to totter, whence râda , jarûda , to run up and down (IV to desire, will); raida , to shake (said of a soft bloated body); radda , to turn (whence taraddud , a moving to and fro, doubting); therefore: I wander hither and thither in my reflecting or meditating, turning restlessly from one thought to another. It is not necessary to read ואחמיה after Psalms 77:4 instead of ועהימה , since the verb הוּם = המה , Psalms 42:6, 12, is secured by the derivatives. Since these only exhibit הוּם , and not הים (in Arabic used more particularly of the raving of love), ואהימה , as also אריד , is Hiph ., and in fact like this latter used with an inward object: I am obliged to raise a tumult or groan, break out into the dull murmuring sounds of pain. The cohortative not unfrequently signifies “I have to” or “I must” of incitements within one's self which are under the control of outward circumstances. In this restless state of mind he finds himself, and he is obliged to break forth into this cry of pain on account of the voice of the foe which he cannot but hear; by reason of the pressure or constraint ( עקת ) of the evil-doer which he is compelled to feel. The conjecture צעקת (Olshausen and Hupfeld) is superfluous. עקה is a more elegant Aramaizing word instead of צרה .
The second strophe begins with a more precise statement of that which justifies his pain. The Hiph . חמיט signifies here, as in Psalms 140:11 ( Chethîb ), declinare : they cast or roll down evil (calamity) upon him and maliciously lay snares for him בּאף , breathing anger against him who is conscious of having manifested only love towards them. His heart turns about in his body, it writhes ( יהיל ); cf. on this, Psalms 38:11. Fear and trembling take possession of his inward parts; יבא in the expression יבא בי , as is always the case when followed by a tone syllable, is a so-called נסוג אחור , i.e., it has the tone that has retreated to the penult . (Deuteronomy 1:38; Isaiah 7:24; Isaiah 60:20), although this is only with difficulty discernible in our printed copies, and is therefore (vid., Accentsystem , vi. §2) noted with Mercha . The fut. consec . which follows introduces the heightened state of terror which proceeds from this crowding on of fear and trembling. Moreover, the wish that is thereby urged from him, which David uttered to himself, is introduced in the third strophe by a fut. consec.
(Note: That beautiful old song of the church concerning Jesus has grown out of this strophe: -
Ecquis binas columbinas
Alas dabit animae?
Et in almam crucis palmam
Evolat citissime