Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 120

2. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips , and from a deceitful tongue .

From the unjust censures and malicious slanders of mine enemies, who traduce me as an egregious hypocrite, as a rebel and traitor.

Which covereth mischievous designs with pretences of kindness.

3 What shall be given unto thee ? or what be done unto thee, thou false tongue?

Whosoever thou art who art guilty of these practices. He applies himself severally to the consciences of every one of them. Or, he designs Doeg or some other person in Sauls Court eminent for this wickedness. The sence may be this, It is true, thou dost me some mischief. But what benefit dost thou get by it, if all thy accounts be cast up? For although thou mayst thereby obtain some favour and advantage from Saul, yet thou wilt assuredly bring upon thy self the curse and vengeance of God; and then thou wilt be no gainer by the bargain. And to do mischief to another without benefit to thy self, is an inhumane and diabolical wickedness.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word], What shall [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] give [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]? or, [illegible: 1 word] shall it [illegible: 1 word] thee?; [illegible: 1 word] ▪ added.

4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper .

So this verse contains an answer to the question v. 3. and declares the slanderers recompence: which is the wrath and vengeance of the mighty God, which in Scripture, and particularly in this Book, is oft compared to arrows, as Psal. 7. 13, 14, &c. and here to arrows of the mighty, i. e. shot by the hands of a strong man; and to coals, Psal. 140. 11. and here to coals of juniper, which being kindled burn very fiercely and retain their heat for a long time. And the Psalmist may possibly express it in these words, to shew the suitableness of the punishment to the sin, as thy tongue shoots arrows, (for so calumnies are called Psal. 57. 4. & 64. 3.) and kindles coals, so thou shalt bring Gods arrows and coals kindled by the fire of his wrath upon thy self. But according to the other Translation, which is in the margent, this is a further declaration of the sin of calumny. Though, all things considered, it doth thee no good, yet it doth others much hurt, to whom it is like sharp arrows, &c.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word], It is as [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] arrows [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] mighty [illegible: 1 word] with coals [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

5 Wo is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar .

Mesech and Kedar are two sorts of people oft mentioned in Scripture, and reckoned amongst the heathen and barbarous Nations. But their names are not here to be understood properly, (for we do not read that either David, or the Israelites in the Babylonish Captivity dwelt in their lands) but onely Metaphorically, as the ungodly Israelites are called Sodom and Gomorrha, Isa. 1. 10. and Amorites and Hittites, Ezek. 16. 3. 45. and as in common speech among us, men of an evil character are called Turks or Iews. And so he explains himself in the next verse by this description of them, him or them that hated peace, although David sought peace with them, v. 7. And so he speaks either, 1. of the Philistins, among whom he sojourned for a time. But he did not seek peace with them, but sought their ruine, as the event shewed; not did they wage war against him, whilst he lived peaceably among them. Or rather, 2. the Courtiers and Souldiers of Saul, and the generality of the Israelites, who to curry favour with Saul, sought Davids ruine, and that many times by treachery and pretences of friendship; of which he oft complains in this Book; whom as he elsewhere calls Heathen, as Psal. 9. 5▪ & 59. 5. it is not strange if he compare them here to the savage Arabians. And amongst such persons David was oft forced to sojourn in Sauls time; and with them he sought peace by all ways possible, but they hated peace, and the more he pursued peace, the more eagerly did they prosecute the war, as it here follows.