Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 7

1. O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust : save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

All my hope and confidence is in thy Favour and Faithfulness to make good thy Promise made to me.

2. Lest he tear my soul like a lion , renting it in pieces, while there is none to deliver .

(i. e.) Mine enemy, as it is expressed v. 4. even Saul, or any of his followers.

Out of my Body. Or destroy me and my Life, as Psal. 6. 5.

To which he compares him both for Power and Cruelty, and withal intimates his own inability to oppose or escape his Rage without God's almighty help.

Whilest I have no considerable Force to defend myself, but am forced to flee to Mountains and Caves, and Woods for my Safety:

Marginal references: Heb▪ not a deliverer.

3. O LORD my God, if I have done this ; if there be Iniquity in my hands :

(i. e.) That which C[illegible: 1+ letters]sh and others falsly lay to my Charge. If I design or have endeavoured to take away Saul's Crown and Life by Violence, as S[illegible: 1+ letters]s's Courtiers maliciously reported, 1. Sam 24. 9, 10. and 26. 19.

(i. e.) In my actions or carriage towards Saul. The hand is oft put for actions, whereof the hand is a great and common Instrument, as Psal. 78. 42. and 109. 27. Ionah 3. 8. If I design, or have attempted to lay violent hands upon Saul.

4. If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me : (yea , I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy.)

(i. e.) To Saul, when he was peaceable and friendly towards me: For David was charged with evil Designs against Saul, before Saul broke out into open Enmity against him.

This Particle is here used by way of correction or opposition, as it is also Psal. 2. 6. Prov. 6. 16. So far have I been from doing this, that I have done the contrary.

When it was in my power to destroy him, as 1. Sam. 24. and 26.

Without any Provocation on my part.

5. Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it ; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

I am contented, and wish that Saul may so persecute my Life as to overtake it, and take it away.

Either 1. That honourable and royal Estate to which I am chosen and designed. Or 2. My Reputation and Memory. Or rather 3. The same thing which he called 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 several words or phrases in one verse. And so here may be observed a gradation. Let him 1. Persist to persecute it; 2. Take it; 3. Tread it down, or destroy it, and 4. Lay it in the dust, or bury it, to prevent all hopes of Restitution.

6. Arise, O LORD, in thine anger , lift up thy self , because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded .

Oppose thy just Anger to their causeless and sinful Rage against me.

That thou maist give them a deadly blow. A Metaphor from men who arise and lift up themselves to do so. Heb. Be thou exalted; glorifie thyself, and shew thyself to be above them.

To execute that just and righteous Sentence of Saul's Deposition, and m[illegible: 1+ letters] Advancement, 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.

Marginal references: Isal. 30. 18.; Psal. 35. 23.

7. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about : for their sakes therefore return thou on high .

Either 1. A great number of all sorts of people, who shall observe thy Justice, and Holyness, and Goodness in pleading my righteous Cause against my cruel and implacable Opp[illegible: 1+ letters]essor. Or rather 2. The whole Body of thy people Israel, to whom both these Hebrew Words are commonly ascribed in holy Scripture.

They will, and I as their King and Ruler in thy stead will take care that they shall come from all parts and meet together to worship thee, which in Saul's time they have grosly neglected, and been permitted to neglect, and to offer to thee [illegible: 1 word] and Sacrifices for thy Favour to me, and for the manifold Benefits which they shall enjoy by my Means, and under my Government.

Or, for its sake. (i. e.) For the sake of thy Congregation, which now is wofully dissipated and oppressed, and have in a great measure lost all administration of Justice, and exercise of Religion.

Or, return to thy high place. (i. e.) To thy Tribunal to [illegible: 1+ letters]it there and judg my cause. An Allusion to earthly Tribunals, which generally are set up on high above the people. 1. Kings 10. 19.

8. The LORD shall judg the people : judg me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine Integrity that is in me .

It belongs to thee to judg all persons and people, and to give Sentence between them, especially when they appeal unto thee; which I now do.

If I be guilty of those evil Designs, towards him, wherewith Cush and others charge me, do thou give Sentence against me; but if I be just and innocent towards him, as thou knowest I am and have been, do thou plead my right.

Marginal references: Ps[illegible: 1+ letters]l. 18. 20.

9. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end , but establish the just : for the righteous God trieth the heart and reins .

Let the Malice of mine Enemies cease, put a stop to their wicked Practises, either by changing their Hearts, or by tying their Hands, or some other way: Say to it, as thou dost to the Sea, Hitherto hast thou gon, but thou shalt go no further, and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed. Or, The Wickedness of the Wicked shall have an end, not an end of perfection, which is to be accomplished; but an end of termination, it shall cease; and an end of destruction, it shall be roo[illegible: 1+ letters]ed ou[illegible: 1+ letters], Or, Let, I pray thee, Wickedness 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 Persons, which are not rashly to be drawn into president by ordinary Persons.

Or, and thou wilt establish, or [illegible: 1 word], or uphold: which is opposed to that coming to an end, or consuming last mentioned.

All just Persons and Causes, and mine in particular which is so.

And therefore he knows that I have not so much as a thought or a desire of that Mischief which Cush and others report I am designing against Saul.

Marginal references: 1. Sam. 16. 7. 1. Chr. 28. 9. Psal. 139. 1. Jer. 11. 20. & 17. 10. & 20. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. Rev. 2. 23.

10. My defence is of God , which saveth the upright in heart .

Heb. My shield is upon God. He doth as it were carry my Shield before me. See 1. Sam. 17. 7. He doth and will protect me against all mine Enemies.

And therefore me, whom he knoweth to be sincere and honest in my Carriage towards him and towards Saul.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] is [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

11. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day .

(i. e.) Defendeth, or avengeth, or delivereth, as this word is oft used, as Deut. 32. 36. Psal. 9. 4. and 10. 18. and 26. 1. &c. To judge, is properly to give Sentence; which because it may be done either by absolving and acquitting from Punishment; or by condemning and giving up to Punishment, therefore it is sometimes used for the one, and sometimes for the other, as the Circumstances of the place determine it.

Which though it may seem a bold Supplement, yet is necessary, and easily fetched out of the next and following verses.

Even then, when his Providence seems to favour them, and they are most secure and confident.

Marginal references: Or, God is [illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

12. If he turn not , he will whet his sword , he hath bent his bow , and made it ready.

(i. e.) The wicked Man last mentioned, either Cush, or Saul.

From this wicked course of Calumniating or Persecuting me.

(i. e.) God, who is often designed by this Pronoun, being easily to be understood from the nature of the thing.

(i. e.) Will prepare, and hasten, and speedily execute his Judgments upon him.

Did I say▪ He will do it, nay, he hath already done it, his Sword is drawn, his Bow is bent, and the Arrows are prepared and ready to be shot.

13. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death ; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors .

Either 1. For or against the Persecutor, as it follows. Or rather 2. For himself, for his own use, to wit, to shoot against his Enemies.

(i. e.) Arrows, or other deadly Weapon.

Heb. maketh or worketh, designeth or fit[illegible: 1+ letters]eth for his very use.

Or, against furious and fiery Persecutors, as the word signifies, and as it is used Gen. 31. 36. Psal. 10. 2. Lam. 4. 19.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word]. Psal. 4[illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters].

14. Behold, he travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood .

(i. e.) The Wicked, as is undeniably manifest from the matter and context.

This Metaphor noteth his deep Design, and continued Course, and vigorous Indeavours for the doing of Mischief, and his restlesness and pain till he have accomplished it.

Marginal references: Job 15. 35. Psal. [illegible: 1+ letters]9. 3. Jam. 1. 15.

15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made .

Hath brought that Evil upon himself which he intended against me. Which may be understood either of Saul, who whilest he plotted against David's Life, ran into apparent hazard of losing his own, 1. Sam. 24. and 26. Or of some Courtier or Courtiers of Saul, in whom this was evidently verified; although the History and Memory of it be now lost.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] digged a pit.; Job. 4. 8. Psal. 9. 15. & 10. 2. & 35. 8. & 141. 10. Prov. [illegible: 1+ letters]. 22.

16. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

Which Phrase may note whence this retribution should come, even from Heaven, or from the righteous and remarkable Judgment of God▪

Marginal references: Ps[illegible: 1+ letters]l. 3[illegible: 1+ letters]. 14▪ 15.

17. I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness : and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Declared and asserted by him in their exemplary Punishment, and my seasonable and wonderful Deliverance.