Psalm 7:12 Komentář

It appears by the title that this psalm was penned with a particular reference to the malicious imputations that David was unjustly laid under by some of his enemies. Being thus wronged, I. He applies to God for favour (Psa 7:1, Psa 7:2). II. He appeals to God concerning his innocency as to those things whereof he was accused (Psa 7:3-5). III. He prays to God to plead his cause and judge for him against his persecutors (Psa 7:6-9). IV. He expresses his confidence in God that he would do so, and would return the mischief upon the head of those that designed it against him (Psa 7:10-16). V. He promises to give God the glory of his deliverance (Psa 7:17). In this David was a type of Christ, who was himself, and still is in his members, thus injured, but will certainly be righted at last. Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 7 Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. The name of this psalm, "Shiggaion", either respects the music or the matter of the psalm. Some take it to be the name of the musical instrument to which the psalm was set (n): so Habakkuk's prayer is said to be "upon shigionoth"; which is the same word with this, only of the plural number, Hab 3:1. Others say it was the first word of a song, to the tune of which this was sung (o) And others understand it of a certain kind of a song (p): and the Targum renders it, "the interpretation of the ode of David"; which Ainsworth renders, "David's interpretation of the law"; leading instead of as does also the king of Spain's Bible. And certain it is that it is the name of a song; since it follows, "which he sang unto the Lord"; in his presence, before him, and to the glory of his name. But the question is, of what sort it is? and why it should be so called? since its root signifies "to err" or "wander": it is more generally rendered, "an erratic" or "wandering ode"; a song or psalm, which consisted of various kind of metre: it was sung with various notes, and all kind of music, which made it very pleasant. Hence some render it, "David's delight", as R. Obadiah Gaon; and the verb from whence it is derived is translated "ravished" in Pro 5:19; and Ben Melech says, the word signifies , "joy and pleasure"; and Aben Ezra observes that some interpret it "delight". But others are of opinion that this word regards the subject matter of the psalm, and may be rendered, "David's ignorance" or "error"; his sin of ignorance; and respects his mistaken conduct with regard to his enemies, particularly Saul, in making imprecations upon them, Psa 6:10; in cursing them, and especially King Saul; when a king is not to be cursed, Ecc 10:20; and in cutting off the skirt of his garment, for which his heart smote him, Sa1 24:4. Some render it, "the care of David", as Cocceius; which he wrote in deep meditation, when he had forgot himself, and was as it were in an ecstasy; setting forth "the sum of his cares", as Ainsworth expresses it, when he was harassed and greatly afflicted by his enemies. The occasion of it is, "the words of Cush the Benjamite"; which some understand of Shimei the Benjamite, who came out and cursed David as he went along, when he fled from Absalom, Sa1 16:5. Theodoret thinks Hushai is meant, who persuaded Absalom not to follow the counsel of Ahithophel; on which account David penned this psalm. Others interpret it of one of Saul's courtiers, who was of the tribe of Benjamin, and whose name was Cush (q); and which is very likely, since it is evident that some of Saul's courtiers accused David to him, and charged him with seeking his harm, not only to take away his crown and kingdom, but his life, Sa1 24:9. Though the generality of the Jewish writers (r) interpret it of Saul himself, who is called Cush, in allusion to his father's name Kish, who was a man of Benjamin, Sa1 9:1; or else because Cush signifies "an Ethiopian", to which he may be compared, as the children of Israel in Amo 9:7. For as the Ethiopian is various in his skin, so was Saul in his actions, as Jarchi observes; or rather because, as Kimchi and Ben Melech express it, as the Ethiopian does not change his skin, Jer 13:23; so Saul did not change his hatred to David. Though the same writers observe, that he may be called so by the rule of contraries, because he was a very goodly and beautiful man; the words referred to are supposed to be those in Sa1 22:7. (n) Menachem in Jarchi in loc. So David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 204. 1. (o) Aben Ezra in loc. (p) Kimchi in loc. (q) Aben Ezra & Obadiah Gaon in loc. (r) Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, Arama, & Ben Melech in loc.

If he turn not,.... Not God, but the enemy, or the wicked man, spoken of Psa 7:5; if he turn not from his wicked course of life, to the Lord to live to him, and according to his will; unless he is converted and repents of his sin, and there is a change wrought in him, in his heart and life; the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "if ye turn not", or "are not converted", an apostrophe to the wicked; he will whet his sword: God is a man of war, and he is sometimes represented as accoutred with military weapons; see Isa 59:17; and among the rest with the sword of judgment, which he may be said to whet, when he prepares sharp and sore judgments for his enemies, Isa 27:1; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready; drawn his bow of vengeance, and put it on the full stretch, and made it ready with the arrows of his wrath, levelled against the wicked, with whom he is angry; which is expressive of their speedy and inevitable ruin, in case of impenitence; see Lam 2:4; or "trod his bow", as is the usual phrase elsewhere; see Psa 11:2; which was done by the feet, and was necessary when the bow was a strong one, as Jarchi on Psa 11:2; observes; and so the Arabs, as Suidas (g) relates, using arrows the length of a man, put their feet on the string of the bow instead of their hands. (g) In voce

Just as men who are polishing up their arms indicate by this action the attack in war, so Scripture, wishing to bespeak a movement of God toward vengeance, says that he polishes his sword. “He has bent his bow.” … There is no bowstring that stretches the bow of God, but a punitive power, now strained tight, again loosened. Scripture threatens the sinner that future punishments are prepared for him, if he remains in his sin.

That same adversary, Absalom, as if he has been born again from ourselves, prepares the war against us. Our sound judgment concerning the matter, or rather our alliance with God, turns him who is bloodthirsty against us back. For because he attributes the cause of the good things that have been accomplished for him through “the words of Cush” to God, he composes this thanksgiving.… It would be worthwhile to apply the figures of the story to the virtuous life, how the advice that saves us becomes the strangling of the adversary; and this saving advice has been recorded, on the one hand, in the history, and on the other, in the psalm.

Many maintain that these words of the psalm refer to the devil; they mean, unless you will have been converted, unless you will have repented, you will be in the power of the devil. “He will bend and aim his bow.” The devil always has his bow ready, and he is ever alert to shoot his arrows and strike us down.… They whose hearts are burning with lust and passion are the very ones whom the devil conquers.… The psalm did not say for those who are about to burn—that is, about to burn from his arrows. The hearts of those he sees already burning, no matter whose they are, are his target.

"Unless ye be converted," He says, "He will brandish His sword" [Psalm 7:12]. The Lord Man Himself may be taken to be God's double-edged sword, that is, His spear, which at His first coming He will not brandish, but hides as it were in the sheath of humiliation: but He will brandish it, when at the second coming to judge the quick and dead, in the manifest splendour of His glory, He shall flash light on His righteous ones, and terror on the ungodly. For in other copies, instead of, "He shall brandish His sword," it has been written, "He shall make bright His spear:" by which word I think the last coming of the Lord's glory most appropriately signified: seeing that is understood of His person, which another Psalm has, "Deliver, O Lord, my soul from the ungodly, Your spear from the enemies of Your hand. He has bent His bow, and made it ready." The tenses of the words must not be altogether overlooked, how he has spoken of "the sword" in the future, "He will brandish;" of "the bow" in the past, "He has bent:" and these words of the past tense follow after.

These are not words of punishment, note, but of threat: he said wield, not inflict; bent his bow, not fired the arrow. And to teach us against whom he will fire the arrows, he immediately attached the words “he made his arrows into flaming shafts,” that is, those taking combustible material of sin, building with wood, hay and stubble, as the divine apostle says, will be struck with these fiery arrows.

The ones who are burning are those who have received the flaming arrows of the devil.

Then when he says, "Unless," he shows that the Lord prepares himself to inflict punishment, even though he delays for a reason. And this preparation is set forth: first on God's part as the one punishing; second on man's part as the one punished or receiving, at "Behold, he is in labor." The preparation on God's part is described according to man's preparation against merit or sin: because "the impious man and his impiety are hateful to God" (Wis. 14). And just as a man prepares himself with a sword against enemies who are nearby, but with a bow against those who are distant, so divine vengeance against those who seem to cling to him and can see the cause of punishment is called a sword, as if against those nearby; but a bow against those far off. And therefore he does not immediately punish you, but prepares himself so that you may be converted. "And unless you are converted, he will brandish his sword," etc. -- that is, his vengeance. Job 19: "Flee from the face of the sword, for the sword is the avenger of iniquity," etc. Zech. 9: "His arrow shall go forth like lightning." He will brandish it to terrify and to strike those nearby more forcefully, because unless a man is converted through threats, he strikes forcefully. Valerius Maximus writes: "Divine wrath proceeds with slow step to its vengeance, but compensates for the slowness of punishment with its severity." Jerome has, "He will sharpen his sword," that is, he will prepare a greater damnation. Deut. 32: "If I sharpen my sword like lightning," etc. Mt. 10: "I did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword," etc. According to the Gloss, the sword of God is Christ. The brandishing, therefore, is the threat of Gehenna, in which the impious will be struck, as by his avenging: Is. 27: "On that day the Lord will visit with his hard and mighty sword," etc. He also prepares his bow, as if against those far off; hence, "his bow," etc. And first he treats of the preparation of the bow. Second, of the arrows. "And in it he prepared." He who prepares a bow first stretches it. Second, he positions it in his hand. Regarding the first, he says, "his bow," that is, divine vengeance, as if punishing unexpectedly. Regarding the second, he says, "and he prepared it": Is. 30: "For Topheth has been prepared from yesterday; prepared by the king, deep and wide" -- namely for punishing. Second, he treats of the preparation of the arrows: "and in it," etc. First regarding the arrows themselves. Second, how one places something more harmful in them, such as fire or poison. He says, therefore: "And in it," namely the bow, "he prepared instruments of death," that is, instruments of killing: Ezek. 9: "Each one has an instrument of destruction in his hand." "He made them burning," because there is something combustible in them, by which is understood the punishment of eternal fire. But it is said that in the Hebrew it reads, "He made his arrows for those who pursue me." By this bow, according to Augustine in the Gloss, Sacred Scripture is understood: Job 29: "My bow will be renewed in my hand." This is stretched when the harshness of the Old Testament is softened by the New. It is prepared when it is expounded. "And in it he prepared instruments of death." "Instruments of death" can be taken in two ways: namely in a good sense or in a bad sense. In a bad sense, these are the heretics, who prepare death for the simple from Sacred Scripture; and thus "he prepared," that is, he permitted to be prepared: Ps. 106: "He made them wander," etc. "He made" -- that is, he made outwardly, that is, he put them in appearance -- "arrows," penetrating sentences: Ps. 119: "Sharp arrows of the mighty," etc. Or in a good sense, "instruments of death" are the apostles, instruments of death to the disobedient: 2 Cor. 2: "To some we are the odor of death unto death." And he made them fit for burning with the fire of charity: Sir. 48: "Elijah arose like fire, and his word," etc.

Shiggaion--a plaintive song or elegy. Though obscure in details, this title seems to intimate that the occasion of this Psalm was some event in David's persecution by Saul. He prays for relief because he is innocent, and God will be glorified in his vindication. He thus passes to the celebration of God's righteous government, in defending the upright and punishing the wicked, whose malignant devices will result in their own ruin; and, confident of God's aid, he closes with rejoicing. (Psa. 7:1-17) Though many enemies set upon him, one is singled out as prominent, and compared to a wild beast tearing his prey to pieces (compare Sa1 20:1; Sa1 23:23; Sa1 26:19).

They are here distinctly pointed out, though by changing the person, a very common mode of speech, one is selected as a representative of wicked men generally. The military figures are of obvious meaning.