Psalm 55:6 Komentář

It is the conjecture of many expositors that David penned this psalm upon occasion of Absalom's rebellion, and that the particular enemy he here speaks of, that dealt treacherously with him, was Ahithophel; and some will therefore make David's troubles here typical of Christ's sufferings, and Ahithophel's treachery a figure of Judas's, because they both hanged themselves. But there is nothing in it particularly applied to Christ in the New Testament. David was in great distress when he penned this psalm. I. He prays that God would manifest his favour to him, and pleads his own sorrow and fear (Psa 55:1-8). II. He prays that God would manifest his displeasure against his enemies, and pleads their great wickedness and treachery (Psa 55:9-15 and again Psa 55:20, Psa 55:21). III. He assures himself that God would, in due time, appear for him against his enemies, comforts himself with the hopes of it, and encourages others to trust in God (Psa 55:16-19 and again Psa 55:22, Psa 55:23). In singing this psalm we may, if there be occasion, apply it to our own troubles; if not, we may sympathize with those to whose case it comes nearer, foreseeing that there will be, at last, indignation and wrath to the persecutors, salvation and joy to the persecuted. To the chief musician on Neginoth, Maschil. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 55 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil A Psalm of David. The occasion of this psalm was either the persecution of Saul, or the conspiracy of Absalom. Some think it was written when David understood that the inhabitants of Keilah would deliver him into the hands of Saul, Sa1 23:12; and others when the Ziphites attempted a second time to do the same, Sa1 26:1; but since a single person is spoken of that magnified himself against him, Psa 55:12; and Ahithophel seems to be designed; it may be thought rather to be written on account of Absalom's rebellion, and Ahithophel's counsel against him; who is considered by many Christian interpreters as a type of Judas, the betrayer of our Lord; and, indeed, there are many things in this psalm, if not the whole, which may be truly applied to Christ, as will be seen in the following exposition of it.

And I said, oh that I had wings like a dove,.... The psalmist pitches upon this creature, partly to suggest that his enemies pursuing him were like the ravenous hawk, and he like the harmless, innocent, and trembling dove; and partly because of its swiftness in flying. Aben Ezra thinks the dove is mentioned, because it is sociable with men, and who send letters by them for quick dispatch, of which instances may be given (r). This wish is expressed suitably to his character and case. The church is sometimes compared to a dove for its innocence, modesty, chastity, purity, affection, inconsolableness for the loss of its mate, and for its fearfulness, Sol 2:14; and so is Christ, Sol 5:12; who was typified by Jonah, whose name signifies a dove; and on whom the Spirit of God descended as a dove, at his baptism, and by whom he was filled with his dovelike graces; for then would I fly away; so David desired to flee, and did flee with good speed and haste from Absalom his son, Sa2 15:14, title. Arama observes of the dove, that, when weary with flying with one wing, it rests that, and flies with the other, and so has strength to fly continually without stopping, which he supposes to be the reason why the wing of a dove is desired. So every sensible sinner desires to flee from sin and sinners, and from wrath to come; from avenging justice, to Christ the city of refuge; so Christ, under the terrors of death, in his human nature, in a view of the law's curse and wrath, desired the cup might pass from him, and he might flee and escape death, though with submission to the divine will; and be at rest; safe and secure from the conspirators, as David was; and as a sinner is that has fled to Christ; in whom is rest from the burden and guilt of sin, from the wrath, curse, and condemnation of the law, and under all afflictions, whether of body or mind; and not in the world, and worldly enjoyments; nor in the law, and the works of it: and as Christ is; not by escaping death, but through dying, and having done his work has ceased from it, and is entered into his rest; which was the joy set before him, that animated him as man to endure the cross, and despise the shame; here also true believers, weary of the world, desire to be, enjoying that rest which remains for the people of God. (r) Vid. Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 9. c. 2.

As for the person who wishes to be lifted up by the hand of Christ, let him first fly away himself, let him have his own wings, for one who flees from the world has wings. And if he does not have wings of his own—and perhaps only the individual who is able to fly has them—if then he does not have his own, let him get them from the one who has them. Thus a person who flees from the world does fly. “Behold, I have gone far off flying away, and I remained in the wilderness.” Thus, David flew away like the night raven in the dwelling, like the lone sparrow in the house. Now if you apply this to Christ, he flew away in the passion of his body, so that he could protect the peoples of the nations under the shadow of his wings. He flew away from the Godhead; he remained in the body and dwelled in the desert, so that the children of the deserted wife might be more than those of her who had a husband. Therefore let us seek after Christ’s body that we also may rise again; for where the body is, there also will the eagles be.

"Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and darkness has covered me" [Psalm 55:5]. "And I have said," "He that hates his brother, is in darkness until now." [1 John 2:9, 11] If love is light, hatred is darkness. And what says to himself one set in that weakness and troubled in that exercise? "Who shall give me wings as to a dove, and I shall fly and shall rest?" [Psalm 55:6]. Either for death he was wishing, or for solitude he was longing. So long, he says, as this is the work with me, as this command is given me, that I should love enemies, the revilings of these men, increasing and shadowing me, do derange my eye, perturb my sight, penetrate my heart, slay my soul. I could wish to depart, but weak I am, lest by abiding I should add sins to sins: or at least may I be separated for a little space from mankind, lest my wound suffer from frequent blows, in order that when it has been made whole it may be brought back to the exercise. This is what takes place, brethren, and there arises ofttimes in the mind of the servant of God a longing for solitude, for no other reason than because of the multitude of tribulations and scandals, and he says, "Who shall give me wings?" Does he find himself without wings, or rather with bound wings? If they are wanting, be they given; if bound, be they loosed; because even he that looses a bird's wings, either gives, or gives back to it its wings. For it had not as though its own them, wherewith it could not fly. Bound wings make a burden. "Who," he says, "shall give me wings as to a dove, and I shall fly and shall rest?" Shall rest, where? I have said there are two senses here: either, as says the Apostle, "To be dissolved and to be with Christ, for it is by far the best thing." [Philippians 1:23] ...Even he that amended cannot be, is yours, either by the fellowship of the human race, or ofttimes by Church Communion; he is within, what will you do? Whither wilt go? Whither separate yourself, in order that these things you may not suffer? But go to him, speak, exhort, coax, threaten, reprove. I have done all things, whatever powers I had I have expended and have drained, nothing I see have I prevailed; all my labour has been spent out, sorrow has remained. How then shall my heart rest from such men, except I say, "Who shall give me wings?" "As to a dove," however, not as to a raven. A dove seeks a flying away from troubles, but she loses not love. For a dove as a type of love is set forth, and in her the plaint is loved. Nothing is so fond of plaints as a dove: day and night she complains, as though she were set here where she ought to complain. What then says this lover? Revilings of men to bear I am unable, they roar, with frenzy are carried away, are inflamed with indignation, in anger they shadow me; to do good to them I am unable; O that I might rest somewhere, being separated from them in body, not in love; lest in me there should be troubled love itself: with my words and my speech no good can I do them, by praying for them perchance I shall do good. These words men say, but ofttimes they are so bound, that to fly they are not able. For perchance they are not bound with any birdlime, but are bound by duty. But if they are bound with care and duty, and to leave it are unable, let them say, "I was wishing to be dissolved and to be with Christ, for it is by far the best thing: to abide in the flesh is necessary because of you." [Philippians 1:23-24] A dove bound back by affection, not by cupidity, was not able to fly away because of duty to be fulfilled, not because of little merit. Nevertheless a longing in heart must needs be; nor does any man suffer this longing, but he that has begun to walk in that narrow way: [Matthew 7:14] in order that he may know that there are not wanting to the Church persecutions, even in this time, when a calm is seen in the Church, at least with respect to those persecutions which our Martyrs have suffered. But there are not wanting persecutions, because a true saying is this, "All that will godly to live in Christ, shall suffer persecution." [2 Timothy 3:12] ...

And yet, persecution and tribulation had become so great that he [Paul] was weary of life itself. Fear and trembling had come on him, and darkness had enveloped him, as you have heard when it was read in the psalm. That is the voice of the body of Christ, the voice of the members of Christ. Would you like to recognize it as your own voice? Then, be one of Christ's members, and hear what the psalm says: "Fear and trembling are come on me, and darkness has covered me. And I said, Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest." Is not this similar to the cry of the apostle when he says, "so that we were weary even of life"? It is as though he were suffering weariness from the slime of the body, for he was longing to fly to Christ while the abundance of tribulations was impeding his flight without rendering it impossible. Yes, he was weary of life, weary of this life; for weariness is not to be found in the everlasting life, to which he refers when he says, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Typologically, however, the desert where John [the Baptist] remained separated from the allurements of the world designates the lives of the saints, who, whether they live as solitaries or mingled with the crowds, always reject the desires of the present world with the whole intention of their minds. They take delight in clinging only to God in the secrecy of their heart and in placing their hope in him. This solitude of mind, most dear to God, is what the prophet desired to attain with the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit when he said, “Who will give me wings as of a dove, and I will fly away and rest?” And as soon as he had secured this [solitude] by the Lord’s help, he gave thanks, and as though reviling the entanglements of ordinary earthly desires, he continued, “Behold, I have withdrawn afar in flight, and I have remained in solitude.”

"And I said: Who will give?" Above, the Psalmist set forth the affliction of heart that he suffered; now he sets forth the remedy he applied. And this remedy is above all the pursuit of contemplation, especially because in the works of the active life he is afflicted again. Gregory says: The evils that press upon us here compel us to go to God. And concerning this he does three things. First, he sets forth his desire for the contemplative life. Second, he shows what he did to dispose himself for it. Third, what he expects to be accomplished by God. The second, at "Behold, I went far away." The third, at "I waited." In contemplation, three things are required: facility for contemplating, the act of contemplation, and the effect. Facility is designated by wings. Hence he says, when he was afflicted in the active life: "I said, 'Who will give me wings like a dove?'" Considering that there is no remedy for escaping this affliction except through contemplation, and that he does not have the facility of escaping because he does not have wings by which he could fly. And there is a threefold wing corresponding to the three things required for contemplation. First, there is required the ordering of disordered affections, which is a certain disposition for contemplation; and this is had through the moral virtues. Hence the wings are the moral virtues, such as patience, humility, etc. Mal., last chapter: "Healing in his wings." Another wing is charity, which above all makes one fly into contemplation. Ezek. 1: "Their wings were joined together." Another wing is wisdom; and by the wings of wisdom, truth is contemplated, because without those wings one easily falls into errors if one contemplates divine things. Of these wings, Is. 40: "They shall take wings like eagles," which signifies wisdom through lofty flight. These things are said because wings are not fully possessed and are given so that they may be absolutely possessed. And all these are given by God. Sometimes they are given to certain people who have wings but have them impeded, as prelates when their resignation is accepted. And he says, "wings like a dove," not a raven. For the raven did not return to the ark, but the dove returned carrying a branch of a green olive. Those who do not return to the ark with holy affection fly like ravens, because they think of nothing but themselves -- namely, how they might discover some truth, like the philosophers. But those fly like doves who both contemplate and return to their neighbors, teaching what they have contemplated, carrying a branch of green olive in their mouths, bestowing the oil of mercy upon their neighbors. For the dove is a clean, lovable, mourning animal; so too the saints are moved by their neighbors and have compassion for them. It is also a simple animal; and so too the saints have simplicity. Mt. 10: "Simple as doves." The act of contemplation is signified by flight. "I will fly." In Sacred Scripture, the progress of good works is designated by a threefold movement of an animal: namely, by walking -- Jn. 12: "Walk while you have the light"; by running -- Ps. (118): "The way of your commandments," etc.; and by flying -- Is. 40: "They shall fly and not grow weary." Walking is designated through the moral virtues, by which a man lives humanly. Running through charity. Flying through contemplation. According to Richard of Saint Victor, contemplation is diversified as flight is among birds. Sometimes birds fly upward, sometimes downward, to the right, to the left, forward and backward, sometimes in circles. Sometimes they hover suspended and advance and retreat. So too in contemplation: to ascend is to consider sublime causes; to descend is to consider the lowest effects. Likewise, to go forward is to consider more general matters that pertain to many; to go backward is when one considers private matters. Likewise, to the right and to the left is when one considers certain circumstances. In a circular motion is when one considers the accidents of things; but when what is individual is signified, then there is rest. The effect is designated when he says, "and I will rest," namely in consideration. This rest is had in this life: Wis. 8: "Entering my house, I will rest with her." And in the fatherland: Ps. (4): "In peace, in the selfsame, I will sleep and I will rest."

In great terror on account of enemies, and grieved by the treachery of a friend, the Psalmist offers an earnest prayer for relief. He mingles confident assurances of divine favor to himself with invocations and predictions of God's avenging judgments on the wicked. The tone suits David's experience, both in the times of Saul and Absalom, though perhaps neither was exclusively before his mind. (Psa. 55:1-23) hide not thyself, &c.--(compare Psa 13:1; Psa 27:9), withhold not help.

be at rest--literally, "dwell," that is, permanently.