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John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:9

Destroy, O Lord ,.... Or "swallow up" F19 בלע "degluti", Montanus, Tigurine version; "absorbe", Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. , as Pharaoh and his host were swallowed up in the Red sea; or as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were swallowed up in the earth; so all the enemies of Christ and his church will be destroyed; and death, the last of them, will be swallowed up in victory, Isaiah 25:8 . The Targum interprets it, "destroy", or "scatter their counsel": but this seems to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:10

Day and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof ,.... That is, "violence" and "strife" go about the walls of it continually; men of violence and contention are the only watchmen of it: a city must be sadly guarded that has no better watch than this; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it ; it was full of wickedness within and without; the city, as Aben Ezra observes, was like a circle; violence and strife were as a line round about it, and mischief and sorrow the centre... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:11

Wickedness is in the midst thereof ,.... All manner of wickedness; abominable wickedness; wickedness as arrived to its highest pitch, and as having filled up its measure; see Ezekiel 9:4 ; deceit and guile depart not from her streets ; where truth was fallen, and equity could not enter, Isaiah 59:14 ; for these are contrary the one to the other, and are incompatible; where the one prevails, the other must give way. This whole account shows the aboundings of sin in Jerusalem at this... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:1

Give ear to my prayer - The frequency of such petitions shows the great earnestness of David's soul. If God did not hear and help, he knew he could not succeed elsewhere; therefore he continues to knock at the gate of God's mercy. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:2

I mourn in my complaint - בשיחי besichi , in my sighing; a strong guttural sound, expressive of the natural accents of sorrow. And make a noise - I am in a tumult - I am strongly agitated. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:3

They cast iniquity upon me - To give a colourable pretense to their rebellion, they charge me with horrible crimes; as if they had said: Down with such a wretch; he is not fit to reign. Clamour against the person of the sovereign is always the watch-word of insurrection, in reference to rebellion. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:4

The terrors of death are fallen upon me - I am in hourly expectation of being massacred. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:5

Fearfulness - How natural is this description! He is in distress; - he mourns; - makes a noise; - sobs and sighs; - his heart is wounded - he expects nothing but death; - this produces fear; - this produces tremor, which terminates in that deep apprehension of approaching and inevitable ruin that overwhelms him with horror. No man ever described a wounded heart like David. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:6

O that I had wings like a dove! - He was so surrounded, so hemmed in on every side by his adversaries, that he could see no way for his escape unless he had wings, and could take flight. The dove is a bird of very rapid wing; and some oil them passing before his eyes at the time, might have suggested the idea expressed here. And be at rest - Get a habitation. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 55:7

Would I wander far off - He did escape; and yet his enemies were so near, as to throw stones at him: but he escaped beyond Jordan. 2 Samuel 17:22 , 2 Samuel 17:23 . A passage in the Octavia of Seneca has been referred to as being parallel to this of David. It is in the answer of Octavia to the Chorus, Acts v., ver. 914-923. Quis mea digne deflere potest Mala? Quae lacrymis nostris quaestus Reddet Aedon? cujus pennas Utinam miserae mihi fata darent! Fugerem luctus ablata... read more

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