Bible Commentaries

Verse 1

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

(Title

&) Al-taschith. or, Destroy not. A golden Psalm.

57:1; 59:1; *titles

Do

72:1-4; Deuteronomy 16:18,19; 2 Samuel 23:3; 2 Chronicles 19:6,7; Isaiah 11:3-5; 32:1; Jeremiah 23:5,6

O congregation

82:1,2; Numbers 11:16; Deuteronomy 1:15,16; 2 Samuel 5:3; Matthew 26:3; 27:1; Luke 23:50,51; Acts 5:21

O ye

82:6,7

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 25:1 - General; Psalm 4:2 - O; Psalm 56:1 - Michtam; Psalm 119:85 - which; Proverbs 31:9 - General; Ecclesiastes 3:16 - General; Isaiah 32:6 - and his heart; Isaiah 59:8 - judgment; Micah 3:9 - that; Habakkuk 1:4 - for; John 7:24 - General; John 8:15 - judge; John 19:13 - and sat; Acts 4:19 - judge; Acts 16:37 - They have; Acts 23:3 - for; Acts 24:25 - righteousness; Galatians 2:14 - walked; James 2:4 - judges

Verse 2

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

in heart

21:11; Ecclesiastes 3:16; Isaiah 59:4-6; Jeremiah 22:16,17; Ezekiel 22:12,27; Micah 3:1-3,9-12; John 11:47-53

weigh

94:20; Isaiah 10:1; 26:7

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 25:1 - General; Psalm 5:9 - inward; Psalm 82:2 - judge; Psalm 119:85 - which; Proverbs 31:9 - General; Isaiah 32:6 - and his heart; Isaiah 59:6 - their works; Isaiah 59:8 - judgment; Jeremiah 19:15 - that they; Daniel 11:27 - shall be to; Habakkuk 1:4 - for; Mark 7:21 - out; John 7:24 - General; John 8:15 - judge; John 19:13 - and sat; Acts 16:37 - They have; Acts 21:35 - for; Acts 23:3 - for; Acts 24:25 - righteousness

Verse 3

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

estranged, etc

51:5; Job 15:14; Proverbs 22:15; Isaiah 48:8; Ephesians 2:3

as soon, etc

Heb. from the belly.

22:10; Isaiah 46:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 8:21 - the imagination; Psalm 4:2 - leasing; Psalm 5:9 - For; Psalm 10:7 - and deceit; Psalm 36:3 - The words; Psalm 144:8 - mouth; Proverbs 20:11 - General; Isaiah 1:4 - gone away backward; Matthew 3:7 - O generation; Matthew 15:11 - but; Matthew 23:33 - serpents; Mark 7:21 - out

Verse 4

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

poison

140:3; Ecclesiastes 10:11; Romans 3:13; James 3:8

like

Heb. according to the likeness of. serpent.

Matthew 3:7; 23:33

the deaf

Jeremiah 8:17

adder or asp

Pethen, is no doubt the boeten of the Arabians, which M. Forskal describes as spotted with black and white, about one foot in length, nearly half an inch thick, oviparous, and its bite almost instant death. It is the aspic of the ancients, and is so called the literati of Cyprus, though the common people call it [kouphe] deaf.

Job 20:14,16; Isaiah 11:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:2 - serpent; Deuteronomy 32:33 - the poison; Psalm 91:13 - adder; Proverbs 21:13 - stoppeth; Zechariah 7:11 - stopped; Matthew 15:11 - but; Luke 3:7 - O generation; Acts 7:57 - stopped

Verse 5

Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

Which

That serpents might be charmed or rendered harmless was well known to the ancients. Virgil, and many others state the fact:--Frigidus in pratis cantando, rumpitur anguis. "In the meadows the cold snake is burst by incantation."

charming never so wisely

or, be the charmer never so cunning.

Deuteronomy 18:11; Isaiah 19:3

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 10:11 - the serpent; Jeremiah 8:17 - which; Jeremiah 25:30 - his holy; Zechariah 7:11 - stopped; Luke 3:7 - O generation

Verse 6

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

Break their

3:7; 10:15; Job 4:10,11; 29:17; Ezekiel 30:21-26

young

17:12; 91:13; Numbers 23:24; Isaiah 31:4; Hosea 5:14; Micah 5:8

Reciprocal: Job 41:14 - his teeth; Psalm 7:9 - Oh; Psalm 57:4 - among; Proverbs 30:14 - whose; Jeremiah 51:38 - roar; Lamentations 3:16 - broken; Ezekiel 19:2 - young lions; Zechariah 9:7 - I will

Verse 7

Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

22:14; 64:7,8; 112:10; Exodus 15:15; Joshua 2:9-11; 7:5; 2 Samuel 17:10; Isaiah 13:7

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 14:16 - melted away; Job 24:18 - swift; Psalm 64:3 - bend; Daniel 2:5 - ye shall

Verse 8

As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

a snail

&-- Shabbelool, in Chaldee tivlala, the snail, is probably so called from the Arabic balla, to wet, moisten, because of the glutinous slime emitted from its body, by which it appears to waste itself away in its own motion; and in the same manner the wicked prove their own destruction.

pass

37:35,36; Matthew 24:35; James 1:10

untimely

Job 3:16; Ecclesiastes 6:3

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:12 - of whom; Job 3:11 - died I; Job 10:19 - General; Job 24:19 - so doth; Job 29:17 - I brake; Psalm 112:10 - melt; Ecclesiastes 6:5 - this; Hosea 9:11 - from the birth

Verse 9

Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

thorns

118:12; Ecclesiastes 7:6

as

10:2,5; 55:23; 73:18-20; Job 18:18; 20:5-29; Proverbs 1:27; 10:25; 14:32; Isaiah 17:13; 40:24; Jeremiah 23:19

both living, etc

Heb. as living as wrath.

Numbers 16:30

Reciprocal: Judges 16:9 - toucheth; 1 Kings 16:19 - in doing; Job 24:19 - so doth; Job 27:19 - he openeth; Job 27:21 - a storm; Psalm 73:19 - How; Psalm 83:15 - General; Isaiah 37:7 - I will; Isaiah 57:13 - but the; Jeremiah 30:23 - the whirlwind; Zechariah 7:14 - scattered

Verse 10

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

righteous

52:6; 64:10; 68:1-3; 107:42; Judges 5:31; Proverbs 11:10; Revelation 11:17,18; 18:20; Revelation 19:1-6

wash

68:23; Job 29:6; Revelation 14:20

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:30 - saw; Exodus 34:7 - that will by no means clear the guilty; Deuteronomy 6:22 - before; Judges 9:56 - God rendered; Judges 16:28 - that 1may; 1 Samuel 25:39 - Blessed; 2 Samuel 18:31 - the Lord; 1 Kings 20:28 - therefore will; 1 Kings 21:19 - In the place; 2 Chronicles 23:21 - General; 2 Chronicles 24:23 - princes; Job 19:29 - that ye may; Job 22:19 - righteous; Job 34:26 - in; Psalm 5:11 - But; Psalm 7:7 - So; Psalm 9:16 - known; Psalm 21:13 - so will; Psalm 35:9 - General; Psalm 36:12 - There; Psalm 37:10 - thou; Psalm 48:11 - because; Psalm 54:7 - and mine; Psalm 68:3 - But; Psalm 91:8 - Only; Psalm 97:8 - because; Proverbs 29:16 - but; Ecclesiastes 5:8 - regardeth; Isaiah 14:16 - shall narrowly; Isaiah 24:16 - glory; Isaiah 49:26 - and all; Isaiah 66:24 - and look; Jeremiah 51:48 - the heaven; Ezekiel 25:14 - and they shall know; Micah 7:10 - mine; Malachi 1:5 - The Lord; Malachi 3:18 - discern; Romans 3:5 - Is God; Romans 11:22 - therefore; Revelation 6:10 - dost; Revelation 18:9 - shall bewail; Revelation 19:13 - clothed

Verse 11

So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Verily there is

73:13-15; 92:15; Malachi 3:14; Romans 2:5

a reward for

Heb. fruit of the, etc.

Isaiah 3:10; Romans 6:21,22

verily he

9:16; 64:9; 67:4; 33:18; 96:13; 98:9; Malachi 2:17; 2 Peter 3:4-10 Reciprocal: Genesis 15:1 - and thy; Genesis 18:25 - Shall; Exodus 10:2 - that ye; Exodus 34:7 - that will by no means clear the guilty; Deuteronomy 4:35 - know; Deuteronomy 6:22 - before; Judges 5:31 - So let; Judges 9:56 - God rendered; Judges 16:28 - that I may; Ruth 2:12 - recompense; 1 Samuel 25:39 - Blessed; 1 Kings 20:28 - therefore will; 1 Kings 21:19 - In the place; 2 Chronicles 15:7 - your work; 2 Chronicles 23:21 - General; 2 Chronicles 24:23 - princes; Job 19:29 - that ye may; Job 34:26 - in; Psalm 7:7 - So; Psalm 18:20 - rewarded; Psalm 21:13 - so will; Psalm 35:9 - General; Psalm 36:12 - There; Psalm 37:10 - thou; Psalm 52:6 - laugh; Psalm 54:7 - and mine; Psalm 75:7 - God; Psalm 79:10 - let him; Psalm 91:8 - Only; Psalm 94:15 - But; Psalm 107:42 - righteous; Proverbs 11:10 - when; Ecclesiastes 5:8 - thou seest; Isaiah 14:16 - shall narrowly; Isaiah 26:9 - for; Isaiah 49:26 - and all; Isaiah 66:24 - and look; Jeremiah 51:48 - the heaven; Ezekiel 25:14 - and they shall know; Ezekiel 30:8 - shall know; Ezekiel 36:35 - they shall; Malachi 1:5 - The Lord; Malachi 3:18 - discern; Matthew 5:12 - for great; Romans 3:5 - Is God; Romans 11:22 - therefore; Hebrews 11:6 - a rewarder; Revelation 6:10 - dost