4. In God I will praise his word.] By the assistance of God I shall be enabled to praise Him for the performance of his promises. Bp. Patrick. 18. -many with me.] Namely, God and his holy angels. Dr. Wells. 19. - Because they have no changes, &c.] They experience no change of fortune, and therefore will not fear God. Green. Or, Because there is no reformation in them, neither do they fear God. Street, Archdeacon Randolph. 20. He hath put forth &c.] This perfidious traitor hath basely lifted up his hands to injure those who were at peace and friendship with him; he hath broken his promise and oath of fidelity. Bp. Patrick, Travell. 21. - drawn swords.] That is, pernicious in their design and consequences. Poole. 22. Cast thy burden &c. The conclusion of the whole matter is, that amidst all dangers and adversities, whensoever they oppress us, we are to put our full trust and confidence only in his mercy, who delivered David, and the Son of David, out of all their troubles. Bp. Horne. The distresses and dangers to which we are subject are hardly remediable, when they who by intimate conversation know our nature, and to whom we have communicated our purposes, counsels, and designs, prove treacherous and false to us, and concur with the envy and malice of our enemies; and as the danger is then almost inevitable, so the grief and agony that attends it is sharper and more troublesome than the danger; it bereaves us of that composure, and temper, and serenity of mind, which usually relieves us in all other accidents. But our comfort is, though we are least able to help ourselves in such exigencies, and against such distresses, we have an helper, if we call faithfully upon Him, who sees the pangs we suffer, the agony and fear we endure, and hears the just voice of our lamentations. Lord Clarendon. Psalm LVI. — Jonath-elem-rechokim.] That is, the silent dove afar off. David thus styles himself, on account of his being at that time in a far country. Dr. Wells. Or, these words may be the name of some well known song, to the musick of which this is directed to be sung. Mudge. Ver. 1. — he fighting &c.] He is daily fighting against me, that he may crush me. Green. Ver. 1. Do ye indeed speak &c.] O ye assembly of princes and rulers, have you pronounced a righteous sentence against me, and judged me uprightly according to your consciences? Bp. Patrick, Travell. 3. The wicked are estranged &c.] Such is their wickedness, that they were depraved from the very womb; going astray as soon as they could go; and telling lies as soon as they could speak. Travell. 4, 5. — like the deaf adder &c.] Allusion is here made to that sort of serpents, which, according to some naturalists, were able to make themselves deaf, in order to resist the effect of charms employed for the purpose of lulling them asleep and taking them. The meaning is, These incorrigible persons resolve never to hearken to any thing which may induce them to quit their evil ways. Dr. Hammond. The notion of charming serpents with certain sounds, or by uttering particular words, was formerly extremely general, and still prevails over many parts of Barbary. Dr. Shaw. 7. Let them melt &c.] Let them fall away one from the other till they come to nothing, as waters, which not being contained within any vessel or bank, run continually, and spread themselves further and further, 8. As a snail which &c.] As a snail, which melts or spends itself the further it goes, so let every one of them that are my enemies pass away, or miscarry in their designs. Dr. Wells. 9. Before your pots &c.] Perhaps these words should rather be translated, "Before your pots can feel the thorns, the tempest shall bear them away." Briars and thorns, when set on fire, are frequently applied in Scripture to represent the rage of the wicked: violent, yet impotent, and of no long continuance. They are applied also to the wicked themselves, as useless and unprofitable, proper objects of God's wrath, to be burned up or driven away by the wind. Both these ideas seem to be joined in the above verse. Bp. Lowth. 10. — the vengeance. The just judgment of God upon wicked men. Bp. Wilson. — he shall wash &c.] This is an allusion to a great conqueror, who dips his feet in the blood of his enemies as he passes over their carcasses. Bp. Patrick. In general, we see here that all those who harden themselves in their evil ways, without hearkening to the voice of God, are threatened with his vengeance. We learn also from this Psalm, that though the wicked prosper, and good men are afflicted for a while, yet they will always have reason to acknowledge, "that there is a reward for the righteous, and that there is a God who judgeth the earth." Ostervald. Psalm LIX. ver. 5. — awake to visit &c.] Awake to punish all those wretches, who, though they call themselves thy people, yet are as wicked as even the heathen: be not merciful in sparing longer any such notoriously wicked transgressors. Dr. Wells. 6. They return at evening: &c.] The messengers of Saul, coming after David in the evening, besetting his house, and blocking up the approaches to it, are here compared to a set of hungry dogs in quest of their prey. Bp. Horne. See note on ver. 14. 7. Behold, they belch out &c.] Behold, their hearts are full of malice, which burst out at their mouths in open threats to kill me; for, Who, say they, shall call us to account for it? Bp. Patrick. 9. Because of his strength &c.] It is probable that the beginning of this verse should be the same with that of verse 17. Bp. Louth. 10. — shall prevent me.] That is, shall make way for my timely escape. Dr. Wells. 11. Slay them not, &c.] Do not utterly destroy them, lest my countrymen lose the remembrance of it: but let them remain a just monument of thine anger. Travell.