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3.
|
They. By this plural, and in vv. 9-11, David shows that
he does not see Absalom as the real enemy. His foolish vain son was being
manipulated by others, who doubtless intended to get rid of him when they had
wrested the kingdom away from his father.
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|
Cast iniquity upon me. Well exemplified in Shimei: 2
Sam. 16:7,8,13.
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4.
|
My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death
are fallen upon me. The extreme form of this language (and v. 5) suggests a
sick man unable to cope with a bad situation. It was because of David’s
sore illness that Absalom was able to gain a foothold in the affections of the
people (2 Sam. 15:1-7). Note David’s weeping: 2 Sam. 15:30, and see Psa.
41 notes. “The atmosphere of the palace is heavy with foreboding”
(N.P. Holt).
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6.
|
Oh that I had wings like a dove. There is no
inclination to stand and fight, but only to get away, at almost any cost (vv.
7,8).
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7.
|
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the
wilderness. The first object of David’s flight was to get away from
the city, and into open country: 2 Sam. 15:17 (“far off” =
mer’chov), 28; 17:16.
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8.
|
I would hasten my escape. “Make speed to depart
lest he overtake us suddenly” (2 Sam. 15:14). There is almost a suggestion
of panic about David’s words in this phase of the flight.
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9.
|
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues. This is
precisely what happened. Counsels were divided. Hushai, surely inspired on this
occasion, won the battle of wits: 2 Sam. 17:1-14.
|
|
Violence and strife in the city. Compare v. 10b. Here
is an added detail about the revolution. It is just what was likely to
happen.
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11.
|
Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart
not from her streets. Justice and good administration become the first
casualties in a civil war.
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13,14.
|
A man mine equal, my guide, and my acquaintance. We took
sweet counsel together. Every phrase here is appropriate to Ahithophel,
David’s chief counselor: 2 Sam. 15:12,31; 16:23; 17:1-3. See Psa. 41:9
also.
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13.
|
A man mine equal. Hebrew enosh might
imply a man who had been promoted from a much inferior social level, to talk
with the king on level terms.
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|
My guide. Contrast 2 Sam. 17:1-3.
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|
Mine acquaintance. This is not a strong enough term.
Rather, “one who knew me intimately”. Yet did David not reflect that
he was being treated by Ahithophel precisely as he had dealt with Uriah —
one of his staunchest friends (2 Sam. 23:39)? Blunt’s Undesigned
Coincidences (pp. 157-161) gives the reason for the linking together of
these two seemingly disparate events: Bathsheba was almost certainly
Uriah’s granddaughter!
|
14.
|
We walked unto the house of God in company. Compare
Psa. 42:4. Was it David’s intense religious enthusiasm which set
worldly-wise Ahithophel against him? Keeping up appearances would be a
considerable strain on the man. “In company” =
homonoia in LXX, signifying complete unanimity!
(“Ahithophel” may mean “brother of prayer” or
“brother of folly”!)
|
15.
|
What a contrast with the preceding verse!
|
|
Let death seize on them. Ahithophel committed suicide
(2 Sam. 17:23), and Absalom was stabbed to death, cast into a pit, and buried
under a heap of stones (2 Sam. 18:14,17).
|
16,17.
|
As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save
me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall
hear my voice. Compare 2 Sam. 15:31: “And David said, O Lord, I pray
thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
|
18.
|
From the battle: s.w. 2 Sam. 17:11.
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21.
|
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war
was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
An admirable description of the deceitful scheming of both Ahithophel and
Absalom (2 Sam. 15:5,6). Compare the lips of the strange woman in Prov.
5:3,4.
|
23.
|
The pit of destruction... Bloody and deceitful men shall
not live out half their days. Almost literally true of Absalom, cast into a
pit (2 Sam. 18:17), his life cut off in his prime. Did David know that he was
pronouncing the doom of his own son whom he so much idolized?
|
|
2.
|
Mourn... make a noise. “Strong crying and
tears” (Heb. 5:7). The very words of the LXX are used in John 13:21
(“Jesus... was troubled in spirit”) and Matt. 26:37 (Jesus
“began to be sorrowful and very heavy”).
|
3.
|
They cast iniquity upon me. That is, his cleansing of
the temple would be remembered against him as a great enormity.
|
4.
|
My heart is sore pained. True of Jesus (see on v. 2),
but he quoted these words for his disciples: “Let not your heart be
troubled” (John 14:27) echoes LXX here. See note on Psa. 102:9.
|
|
The terrors of death are fallen upon me. Is it
conceivable that Jesus was afraid to die? Or, possibly, ‘Death, the great
terror (as other men see it) is come on me.’
|
5.
|
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath
overwhelmed me. Compare the gospel picture of Christ in
Gethsemane.
|
6,7.
|
Oh that I had wings like a dove, for then would I... remain
(RV: abide) in the wilderness. Do these verses express a longing in
Christ that the Holy Spirit would guide him away from existing stress and strain
to a life of quiet reflection? The nearest approach to this would be the last
times spent at Bethany (Matt. 21:17) or the all-too-brief moments on the mount
of Olives (Luke 21:37).
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8.
|
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
This happened to the disciples, more than once, through the prayers and
presence of their Master: (1) Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25; and (2)
Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-56; John 6:15-21.
|
9.
|
Destroy them. LXX has precisely the s.w. as in Matt.
18:6:
|
|
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which
believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
|
|
And divide the tongues. But in the condemnation of
Jesus this did not happen. Instead, Sanhedrin and Herod and Caiaphas and at
last Pilate — all the leaders — were unanimous against him (Mic.
7:3). Yet even then, the specially instructed witnesses (Psa. 35:11) could not
agree together (Mark 14:56).
|
|
Violence and strife in the city suggests the
possibility of riots in Jerusalem because of Jesus.
|
13.
|
A man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
Compare Mark 14:10, where Judas is called “the one of the
twelve”. Was he so called because he was the traitor? Or because he was
the one of truly outstanding ability and promise?
|
|
Mine equal. LXX has the s.w. in Phil. 2:20:
|
|
“For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally
care for your state.”
|
|
Mine acquaintance is comparable to “Friend”
in Matt. 26:50.
|
|
We walked unto the house of God in company. Jesus and
Judas! How many would have given their last penny for such a
privilege!
|
17.
|
Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray. Which
prayers of Jesus?
|
|
Evening: Gethsemane. “Let this cup pass from
me.”
|
|
Morning: “Father, forgive them: they know not what they
do.”
|
|
Noon: Not “Why hast thou forsaken me?”, for this
was “at the ninth hour” (Matt. 27:46). Then, what?
|
18.
|
The battle that was against me. This verse makes clear
that Jesus found no pleasure or exhilaration in his collision with the religious
leaders. LXX: from them that draw near: s.w. Matt. 26:47; Luke
22:47.
|
|
For there were many with me. In conflict with me (cp.
56:2)? Or, many on my side? If the latter, compare 2 Kings 6:16,17 and
especially Matt. 26:53.
|
21.
|
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter.
Smooth-spoken Judas! “Hail, Master!”
|
|
1,2.
|
Four phrases telling God to listen!
|
1.
|
Hide (or “veil”, as Lam. 3:56) not
thyself from thy fellow when in need, says Deut. 22:1-4, three times over.
And now David quotes this to his God.
|
2.
|
And make a noise. It is a misery not to be held in.
Compare the figure of a mourning dove in Nah. 2:7. “The reference is to
the turtle-dove... Their low, sad plaint may be heard all day long at certain
sea-sons in the olive-groves” (Thomson, The Land and the Book, p.
269).
|
4.
|
The terrors of death are fallen upon me. Compare Gen.
15:12 (s.w.), at the darkness of Abraham’s great sacrifice.
|
5.
|
Horror hath overwhelmed me. Or, “hath fallen upon
me” (RSV).
|
6.
|
For then would I fly away and be at rest. As Elijah did
(1 Kings 19:3-9), and as Jeremiah longed to do (9:2).
|
9.
|
Divide their tongues, as at Babel (s.w. Gen. 10:25;
11:7). Compare the Jewish scattering to all nations.
|
13.
|
Guide. See the ironic way in which Peter used the same
word about Judas, “guide” to the Lord’s enemies, who came to
arrest him (Acts 1:16)!
|
15.
|
What a dramatic contrast with v. 14. This verse can be read:
Death shall seize on them; they shall go down... So the fierceness of
the imprecation is not necessarily there.
|
|
They shall go down quick (i.e. alive) into hell
(Sheol). This is a direct allusion to the end of Korah and his
fellow-rebels (Num. 16:30-33). Compare also v. 9: Swallow up (RV mg.)
— another allusion to the same incident. “He that being often
reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that
without remedy” (Prov. 29:1).
|
16.
|
Note the significant change from God to
Lord.
|
17.
|
Evening, and morning, and at noon, like Daniel prayed
(6:10). The Law of Moses said: Evening and morning (cp. Exod. 30:7,8: the daily
offerings). In Psa. 119:164, seven times in a day.
|
|
The word for pray (sichah) is an unusual one,
signifying “complaint”. It is also used in Psa. 64:1 and Job
15:4.
|
18.
|
He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was
against me. A reminiscence of how God had heard and helped on for-mer
occasions.
|
19.
|
Because they have no changes. That is, no changes of
mind, no reformation, no repentance — as the complacent Moab in Jer.
48:11. “Men who never change their ways” (NIV). This expresses the
same mentality as 2 Pet. 3:4-6: ‘God shows us no open miracle, therefore
He is a God who does not interfere.’ The modern mentality
exactly!
|
22.
|
Cast thy burden on the Lord is literally: “Cast
on the Lord that which He hath given thee”. Jesus himself did this: John
17:11; Psa. 22:10; 37:5. 1 Pet. 5:7 quotes the LXX, as a sequel to “Humble
yourself under God’s mighty hand”. Read with the emphasis: And he
shall sustain THEE, as well as your burden.
|
|
Burden. Notice that “burden” here
(yahab) is “gift” in the margin: The
“gift” of God to us is a life of cares and burdens, so that we might
learn to trust in Him alone (v. 23)! “Come unto me, all ye who (are) ...
heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28,29).
|
22b.
|
Hebrew has two forms of the letter t. Here,
change from one to the other, and this half-verse reads: He will not appoint
death for ever to the righteous.
|
23.
|
I trust in thee. What a conclusion! Here the
“I” is emphatic, to contrast with the bloody and deceitful
men.
|