Psalm 54:5 Komentář

The key of this psalm hangs at the door, for the title tells us upon what occasion it was penned - when the inhabitants of Ziph, men of Judah (types of Judas the traitor), betrayed David to Saul, by informing him where he was and putting him in a way how to seize him. This they did twice (Sa1 23:19; Sa1 26:1), and it is upon record to their everlasting infamy. The psalm is sweet; the former part of it, perhaps, was meditated when he was in his distress and put into writing when the danger was over, with the addition of the last two verses, which express his thankfulness for the deliverance, which yet might be written in faith, even when he was in the midst of his fright. Here, I. He complains to God of the malice of his enemies, and prays for help against them (Psa 54:1-3). II. He comforts himself with an assurance of the divine favour and protection, and that, in due time, his enemies should be confounded and be delivered (Psa 54:4-7). What time we are in distress we may comfortable sing this psalm. To the chief musician on Neginoth, Maschil. A psalm of David, when the Ziphim came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 54 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us? Of the word "neginoth", See Gill on Psa 4:1, title; and of "maschil", See Gill on Psa 32:1, title. The occasion of writing this psalm were the discoveries the Ziphims or Ziphites made to Saul of David being in their neighbourhood; which they did twice, as appears from Sa1 23:14. Which of these gave occasion to the psalm is not certain; it is very likely that it was composed after both had been made. These Ziphims were the inhabitants of a city called Ziph, which was in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:55, near to which was a wilderness, which had its name from the city in which David was when they came to Saul with this news of him.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies,.... That eyed him as Saul did; that observed his haunts, where he resorted, and who were with him, as the Ziphites did under Saul's direction; as the Word (m) here used for "enemies" signifies: the mischief they had devised for him, he believed, would be returned upon their own heads; the pit they digged they would fall into themselves; and the net they had spread for others their own feet would be taken in. This was true as of David's enemies, so of Christ's, the wicked Jews, who narrowly watched him to take every advantage against him; cut them off in thy truth; root and branch, as Saul, and his family, and his courtiers, quickly were, according to the truth of promises made to David, and of threatenings unto them. (m) "observatoribus meis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Michaelis.

After this there is a return to the Person of God, to Whom the petition was at the first addressed: Destroy them by Your truth. Truth confounds falsehood, and lying is destroyed by truth. We have shown that the whole of the foregoing prayer is the utterance of that human nature in which the Son of God was born; so here it is the voice of human nature calling upon God the Father to destroy His enemies in His truth. What this truth is, stands beyond doubt; it is of course He Who said: I am the Life, the Way, the Truth. John 14:6 And the enemies were destroyed by the truth when, for all their attempts to win Christ's condemnation by false witness, they heard that He was risen from the dead and had to admit that He had resumed His glory in all the reality of Godhead. Ere long they found, in ruin and destruction by famine and war, their reward for crucifying God; for they condemned the Lord of Life to death, and paid no heed to God's truth displayed in Him through His glorious works. And thus the Truth of God destroyed them when He rose again to resume the majesty of His Father's Glory, and gave proof of the truth of that perfect Divinity which He possessed. Now in view of our repeated, nay our unbroken assertion both that it was the Only-begotten Son of God Who was uplifted on the cross, and that He was condemned to death Who is eternal by virtue of the origin which is His by the nature which He derives from the eternal Father, it must be clearly understood that He was subjected to suffering of no natural necessity, but to accomplish the mystery of man's salvation; that He submitted to suffering of His own Will, and not under compulsion. And although this suffering did not belong to His nature as eternal Son, the immutability of God being proof against the assault of any derogatory disturbance, yet it was freely undertaken, and was intended to fulfil a penal function without, however, inflicting the pain of penalty upon the sufferer: not that the suffering in question was not of a kind to cause pain, but because the divine Nature feels no pain. God suffered, then, by voluntarily submitting to suffering; but although He underwent the sufferings in all the fullness of their force, which necessarily causes pain to the sufferers, yet He never so abandoned the powers of His Nature as to feel pain.

"Turn away evil things unto mine enemies" [Psalm 54:5]. So however green they are, so however they flourish, for the fire they are being reserved. "In Your virtue destroy Thou them." Because to wit they flourish now, because to wit they spring up like grass: do not thou be a man unwise and foolish, so that by giving thought to these things thou perish for ever and ever. For, "Turn Thou away evil things unto mine enemies." For if you shall have place in the body of David Himself, in His virtue He will destroy them. These men flourish in the felicity of the world, perish in the virtue of God. Not in the same manner as they flourish, do they also perish: for they flourish for a time, perish for everlasting: flourish in unreal good things, perish in real torments. "In Your strength destroy," whom in Your weakness You have endured.

"Turn back evils upon my enemies." Here he asks to be heard on behalf of his enemies. And he asks two things against the two things they were doing to him, because they were persecuting him and seeking to kill him. And so he asks that they themselves may suffer persecution and be destroyed. With regard to the first he says, "turn back," namely from me, upon my enemies, the evils which they seek to inflict on me. As if to say: turn upon them those evils which they wish to inflict on me. With regard to the second he says, "destroy them," that is, cause them to be destroyed, that is, to be slain; "and this in your power." Or "in your power," that is, on account of your might. But this seems to be against the word of Christ, who says: "pray for those who persecute you." It must be said that all these imprecations that are read in the prophets can be understood in three ways. In one way, as a manner of pronouncement, because they were speaking by the Spirit of God and foretelling things to come. As a manner of prayer: as if to say, "turn back," etc., that is, "you will turn back." Hence in the Hebrew the present tense is used: "you turn back." In another way, in conformity with divine justice. Third, as a spiritual denunciation. For sinners, when they cease to sin, then die and cease to be sinners. And this is to be continually prayed for.

See on Psa 4:1, title; Psa 32:1, title; for the history, see Sa1 23:19, Sa1 23:29; 1Sa. 26:1-25. After an earnest cry for help, the Psalmist promises praise in the assurance of a hearing. (Psa 54:1-7) by thy name-- (Psa 5:11), specially, power. judge me--as in Psa 7:8; Psa 26:1.

He shall . . . evil--or, "Evil shall return on" (Psa 7:16) my enemies or watchers, that is, to do me evil (Psa 6:7). in thy truth--Thy verified promise.