สดุดี 55:4 วิจารณ์

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.

My heart is sore pained within me,.... At the civil war in his kingdom; at the battle likely to ensue between his forces and Absalom's, and at the issue of it; see Jer 4:19; this was true of Christ in the garden, when his soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death, and he was in pain, as a woman in travail, as the word (q) here used signifies; and on the cross, when his heart, like wax, melted in the midst of his bowels; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me; see Sa2 15:14; thus it was with the human nature of Christ, when he desired, if possible, the cup might pass from him. (q) "operuit me", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Michaelis; "operit", Cocceius; "obtegit", Junius & Tremellius; "obtexit", Piscator; so Ainsworth.

But this man being troubled and made sad was praying, his eye being disturbed as it were on account of anger. But the anger of a brother if it shall have been inveterate is then hatred. Anger does trouble the eye, hatred does quench it: anger is a straw, hatred is a beam. Sometimes you hate and chidest an angry man: in you is hatred, in him whom you chide anger: with reason to you is said, "Cast out first the beam from your own eye, and so you shall see to cast out the straw from your brother's eye." [Matthew 7:5] For that you may know how much difference there is between anger and hatred: day by day men are angry with their sons, show me them that hate their sons! This man being troubled was praying even when made sad, wrestling against all revilings of all revilers; not in order that he might conquer any one of them by giving back reviling, but that he might not hate any one of them. Hence he prays, hence asks: "From the voice of the enemy and from the tribulation of the sinner." "My heart has been troubled in me" [Psalm 55:4]. This is the same as elsewhere has been said, "My eye because of anger has been troubled." And if eye has been troubled, what follows? "And fear of death has fallen upon me." Our life is love: if life is love, death is hatred. When a man has begun to fear lest he should hate him that he was loving, it is death he is fearing; and a sharper death, and a more inward death, whereby soul is killed, not body. You minded a man raging against you; what was he to do, against whom your own Lord had given you security, saying, "Fear not them that kill the body"? [Matthew 10:28] He by raging kills body, thou by keeping hatred hast killed soul; and he the body of another, thou your own soul. "Fear," therefore, "of death has fallen upon me."

"My heart was troubled." Here the magnitude of the tribulation is set forth with respect to three things: that it is close at hand, great, and efficacious. When someone wishes to exaggerate his pain, he says he has been struck to the heart. And therefore he says, "My heart was troubled within me"; as if to say: not in external things, but he is wounded to the very heart. Jer. 4: "My bowels are in pain." The tribulation is also great, because no evil among worldly things is as great as death. Hence he says, "The dread of death," that is, the fear of death, "fell upon me," because Saul wanted to kill him. The tribulation is also efficacious, because when fear is strong, it has a twofold effect: one in the body, namely trembling; the other in the soul, namely trepidation. And therefore he says, "Fear and trembling of death came upon me," that is, upon my powers with respect to the soul, "and darkness covered me," that is, stupor enveloped me. Or "darkness," that is, evil men. Ps. (117): "They surrounded me like bees."

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.

express great alarm.