Psalm 55:1-23 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:8

I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. Of an army of rebellious subjects, bearing down all before them, and threatening with utter ruin and destruction; so a powerful army of enemies invading a country is signified by a storm and tempest, Isaiah 28:2 ; and may be expressive of the storm and tempest of divine wrath and vengeance the sensible sinner hastens his escape from by fleeing to Christ; and of the blowing and furious winds of persecution, which the church,... read more

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:12

For it was not an enemy that reproached me ,.... An open and avowed one; a Moabite or a Philistine; such an one as Goliath, who cursed him by his gods; but one of his own country, city, court, and family, who pretended to be a friend; his son Absalom, according to Arama: so it was not one of the Scribes and Pharisees, the sworn enemies of Christ, who rejected him as the Messiah, and would not have him to reign over them, that reproached him, but one of his own apostles; then I could... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:13

But it was thou ,.... The Targum is, "but thou Ahithophel"; of whom the words are literally to be understood, and so they are in the Talmud F21 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 106. 2. Pirke Abot, c. 6. s. 3. ; and mystically and typically of Judas; a man mine equal ; "a man", and not a beast, nor a devil; but a man, from whom humanity, kindness, and tenderness might have been expected; though both Ahithophel and Judas acted the part of a devil; and the latter is expressly called one, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:14

We took sweet counsel together ,.... Not in religious matters; for in these the testimonies of the Lord were David's counsellors, Psalm 119:24 ; but in civil things: hearty counsel is one branch of friendship, and which greatly sweetens it, Proverbs 27:9 ; as this may be applied to Christ and Judas, it may denote the mutual delight and pleasure they had, the one in communicating, the other in receiving a notional knowledge of the Gospel, and the mysteries of it, which are the counsel of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:15

Let death seize upon them ,.... Ahithophel and his accomplices, Judas and the men with him; as a mighty man, as the king of terrors, and shake them to pieces. Or, "let him exact upon them" F1 ישי "exigat debitum", Pagninus; "aget vel agat exactorem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Amama. ; as a creditor upon the debtor, and demand the debt of punishment for sin: or let him come upon them at an unawares; let them not die a natural, but a violent death. The... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:16

As for me, I will call upon God ,.... Not upon a creature, on idols and images, on angels or saints departed; but upon God, in his time of trouble, for salvation and deliverance from enemies; who is able to save. This is to be understood of calling upon God in prayer; as Psalm 55:17 explains it, and the Targum here renders it; though sometimes invocation of the name of God takes in the whole of divine worship; and the Lord shall save me ; which confidence was founded partly upon his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:17

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray ,.... These being the stated times of prayer with the Jews, and which continued to later ages, Daniel 6:10 . These times, they say F2 Yalkut Simeoni in loc. , were fixed by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the morning prayer by Abraham, according to Genesis 22:3 , the prayer of the "minchah" by Isaac, according to Genesis 24:63 ; and the evening prayer by Jacob, according to Genesis 28:11 . The prayer of the evening was at the time of... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:8

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

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

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 55:17

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