Psalms 3:1 - Exposition

Lord, how are they increased that trouble me: rather, Lord. how numerous are they that trouble me ! We arc told, in the Book of Samuel, that "the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom ( 2 Samuel 15:12 ), and again, "Absalom, and all the people , the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him" ( 2 Samuel 16:15 ). Ahithophel proposed to attack David with twelve thousand men only ( 2 Samuel 17:1 ), but the actual number which went against him must have been far larger, for some twenty thousand men, chiefly, no doubt, Absalom's partisans, fell in the battle ( 2 Samuel 18:7 ). Many are they that rise up against me ; i.e. "that rebel against me, and rise up in arras to make war upon me" (comp. Psalms 18:48 ; Psalms 44:5 ; Psalms 59:1 , etc.).