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Expositor's Bible Commentary Psalm 64:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Psalm 64:1-10 FAMILIAR notes are struck in this psalm, which has no very distinctive features. Complaint of secret slanderers, the comparison of their words to arrows and swords, their concealed snares, their blasphemous defiance of detection, the sudden flashing out of God’s retribution, the lesson thereby read to and learned by men, the vindication of God’s justice, and praise from all true hearts, are frequent themes. They are woven here into a whole which much resembles many other psalms. But the singer’s heart is none the less in his words because many others before him have had to make like complaints and to stay themselves on like confidence. "We have all of us one human heart," and well-worn words come fresh to each lip when the grip of sorrow is felt. The division into pairs of verses is clear here. The burdened psalmist begins with a cry for help, passes on to dilate on the plots of his foes, turns swiftly from these to confidence in God, which brings future deliverance into present peril and sings of it as already accomplished, and ends with the assurance that his enemies’ punishment will witness for God and gladden the upright. In the first pair of verses complaint is sublimed into prayer, and so becomes strengthening instead of weakening. He who can cry "Hear, O God, guard, hide" has already been able to hide in a safe refuge. "The terror caused by the enemy" is already dissipated when the trembling heart grasps at God; and escape from facts which warrant terror will come in good time. This man knows himself to be in danger of his life. There are secret gatherings of his enemies, and he can almost hear their loud voices as they plan his ruin. What can he do, in such circumstances, but fling himself on God? No thought of resistance has he. He can but pray, but he can pray; and no man is helpless who can look up. However high and closely engirdling may be the walls that men or sorrows build around us, there is always an opening in the dungeon roof, through which heaven is visible and prayers can mount. The next two pairs of verses ( Psalm 64:3-6 ) describe the machinations of the enemies in language for the most part familiar, but presenting some difficulties. The metaphors of a slanderous tongue as a sword and mischief-meaning words as arrows have occurred in several other psalms. { e.g., Psalm 55:21 ; Psalm 57:4 ; Psalm 59:7 } The reference may either be to calumnies or to murderous threats and plans. The latter is the more probable. Secret plots are laid, which are suddenly unmasked. From out of some covert of seeming friendship an unlooked-for arrow whizzes. The archers "shoot, and fear not." They are sure of remaining concealed, and fear neither man’s detection of them nor God’s. The same ideas are enlarged on in the third verse pair ( Psalm 64:5-6 ) under a new metaphor. Instead of arrows flying in secret, we have now snares laid to catch unsuspecting prey. "They strengthen themselves [in] an evil plan" (lit. word) pictures mutual encouragement and fixed determination. They discuss the best way of entrapping the psalmist, and, as in the preceding verse, flatter themselves that their subtle schemes are too well buried to be observed, whether by their victim or by God. Psalm 64:6 tells without a figure the fact meant in both figures. "They scheme villainies," and plume themselves upon the cleverness of their unsuspected plots. The second clause of the verse is obscure. But the suppositions that in it the plotters speak as in the last clause of the preceding verse, and that "they say" or the like expression is omitted for the sake of dramatic effect, remove much of the difficulty. "We have schemed a well-schemed plan" is their complacent estimate. God’s retribution scatters their dreams of impunity, as the next pair of verses ( Psalm 64:7-8 ) tells. The verbs are in the past tense, though the events described are still in the future; for the psalmist’s faith reckons them to be as good as done. They were shooting at him. God will shoot at them. The archer becomes a target. "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Punishment is moulded after the guise of sin. The allusion to Psalm 64:4 is made more obvious by adopting a different division of Psalm 64:7 from that directed by the accents, and beginning the second half with "Suddenly," as in Psalm 64:4 . Psalm 64:8 b is with difficulty made intelligible with the existing reading. Probably the best that can be done with it is to render it as above, though it must be acknowledged that "their tongue comes upon them" needs a good deal of explanation to be made to mean that the consequences of their sins of speech fall on them. The drift of the clause must be that retribution falls on the offending tongue; but there is probably some textual corruption now unremovable. Cheyne wisely falls back on asterisks. Whatever is the precise nature of the instance of lex talionis in the clause, it is hailed with gestures of scornful approval by all beholders. Many men approve the Divine punishments, who have no deep horror of the sins that are punished. There is something of a noble, if rough, sense of justice in most men, and something of an ignoble satisfaction in seeing the downfall of the powerful, and both sentiments set heads nodding approval of God’s judgments. The psalm closes with the familiar thought that these judgments will move to wholesome awe and be told from lip to lip while they become to the righteous occasion of joy, incitements to find refuge in God, and material for triumph. These are large consequences to flow from one man’s deliverance. The anticipation would be easily explained if we took the speaker to be the personified nation. But it would be equally intelligible if he were in any way a conspicuous or representative person. The humblest may feel that his experience of Divine deliverance witnesses, to as many as know it, of a delivering God. That is a high type of godliness which, like this psalmist, counts the future as so certain that it can be spoken of as present even in peril. It augurs a still higher to welcome deliverance, not only for the ease it brings to the suppliant, but for the glory it brings to God. The Expositor's Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Psalm 64 Man's enmity towards man Homilist. We see this enmity here in three aspects. I. PIOUSLY DREADED. David prays against it. He prays for his own protection. Self-preservation is a natural instinct, and it is right that it should have a religious expression. II. CHARACTERISTICALLY WORKING. How does enmity work generally? 1. Clandestinely (ver. 2). Enmity in the heart, like poison in the serpent, has within it the instinct of cunning. 2. Slanderously (vers. 3, 4). "Slander, whose edge," says Shakespeare, "is sharper than a sword." It strikes at the reputation of the foe, and reputation is as dear as life. 3. Plottingly (ver. 5). It lays traps and snares for the foe everywhere — snares by which a man may lose his commercial credit, his domestic peace, his social reputation. 4. Diligently (ver. 6). Enmity is not dormant or lazy, nor a spasmodic agent, it is systematically and persistently active: it pursues its victim, tracks him until it finds him out, however labyrinthian the course. III. DIVINELY THWARTED. "God shall shoot at them with an arrow." 1. Unawares (ver. 7). Divine judgment will Strike at the malignant man when he least expects it. 2. By its own agency (ver. 8). The malicious man must destroy himself. This is God's law ( Job 5:12, 13 ). 3. in such a way as shall make an impression upon all (vers. 9, 10). What David here predicates of his enemies applies to all malignant men. Divine retribution will overtake them; they shall be baffled, thwarted, confounded, ruined, ( Homilist. ) They say, Who shall see them? Psalm 64:5 Omniscience ignored Homiletic Magazine. I. IT IS A FACT THAT THIS NOTION HAS GREAT INFLUENCE UPON THE CONDUCT OF MAN. They like to cherish such notion, finding it convenient. Because they sometimes escape the eye of man, they think it possible to escape the eye of God. The sinner persuades himself that he has gained his end, escaped observation and avoided the punishment. II. It is a fact that this notion IS UTTERLY UNTRUTHFUL AND DELUSIVE. If God exist, this must be so. The spirituality of His nature makers possible His onmipresence and omniscience. III. GOD HAS OFTEN EXPOSED THIS DELUSION, and the time is fixed for the complete demonstration. 1. Character is often seen through by man. 2. Retribution often follows men's deeds here and now. 3. The future state will show that God saw all. ( Homiletic Magazine. ) And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing. Psalm 64:9, 10 Preservation from enemies H. Dove, D. D. I. AN ACT OF GOD. His enemies were strong and powerful, but God was omnipotent, and in Him was his help and trust; they designed his utter ruin, but God turned their mischief upon their own heads. 1. The suddenness of their destruction. 2. The manner of the discovery, and prevention of his danger. II. ITS EFFECT UPON MEN IN GENERAL. 1. Fear, which naturally arises in men's minds upon the apprehensions of God's irresistible power and greatness; for whom has an arm like God? or who can thunder with a voice like Him? yea, who can hear His voice and not tremble? or see His hand stretched out and not be afraid? "All men shall fear," but fear alone will not profit us; for the devils tremble before the power they hate, and wicked men may dread God's vengeance, where they are unwilling to see His hand; and therefore here follows another effect, which such signal actions have upon men. 2. "They shall declare the work of God." And this is an effect as general and large as the other, though upon different accounts; for even they who are unwilling to own it shall be forced to acknowledge it, and they for whose sake it is done shall rejoice to publish it. 3. "They shall wisely consider of His doing." That is, they shall better understand the method of God's proceedings, and the reasons of His dealings in the world; for these things make it plain that God takes care of the affairs of His people, and that the enemies of His Church shall not be able to prevail against her. III. A DUTY RESULTING FROM ALL THESE CONSIDERATIONS, AND CHIEFLY INCUMBENT ON GOOD MEN. 1. "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord." A duty no less easy than pleasant, and that which we all seem to covet most; that which we eagerly pursue as the best of this world's satisfaction, joy and rejoicing. 2. "The righteous shall trust in Him." And good reason indeed to trust in Him, of whose favour and lovingkindness we have had so large experience; well may we rely on that power which is so able to protect us; well may we depend on that providence which so remarkably takes care of us. 3. "All the upright in heart shall glory." They shall glory in His strength, and triumph in His favour. But that is not all; they shall glory in the confusion of the wicked, and rejoice in the continual disappointment of such treacherous designs. ( H. Dove, D. D. ) Providential deliverance Bishop Horne. I. The necessity there is of attention and CONSIDERATION, to discover the hand of God, and the manner of its working, in those events of which we are informed either by history, or our own experience. — "They shall consider of His doing." II. The WISDOM of thus considering — "They shall wisely consider of His doing." III. CERTAIN MARKS WHEREBY WE MAY AT ANY TIME DISCERN AN ESPECIAL PROVIDENCE, Diligently to mark, and carefully to treasure up in our minds, the special providences of the Almighty, is the way to preserve and nourish our faith and hope in Him; it furnishes the grounds of our thankfulness and praise; it stirs up our finest feelings and very best affections toward Him; holy joy, humble reverence, and hearty love; it supports us under all our sufferings; and affords us comfort in all our sorrows. ( Bishop Horne. ) All the upright in heart shall glory "All the upright in heart shall glory John Donne, D. D. 1. THE DISPOSITIONS OF THE PERSONS. "All the upright in heart," and then, THE RETRIBUTION upon these persons, "They shall glory," or, they shall be celebrated, they shall be praised. In the first, the qualification of the persons, we shall pass by these steps; first, that God in His punishments and rewardings proposes to Himself persons. God does not begin at a retribution, nor begin at a condemnation, before He have persons, persons fit to be rewarded, persons fit to be condemned. God did not first make a heaven and a hell, and after think of making man, that He might have some persons to put in them; but, first for His glory He made man, and for those, who, by a good use of His grace preserved their state, heaven; and for those who, by their own fault fell, He made hell. And, in the qualifications of these persons, He proposes first a rectitude, a directness, an uprightness; declinations downward, deviations upon the wrong hand, squint-eyed men, left-handed men (in a spiritual sense), He meddles not withal. They must be direct, and upright; and then, "upright in heart"; for, to be good to ill ends (as, in many eases, a man may be), God accepts not, regards not. But, let him be a person thus qualified, "upright," upright because he loves uprightness, "upright in heart"; and then, he is infallibly embraced in that general rule, and proposition, that admits no exception. All the upright in heart shall be partakers of this retribution; and in these branches we shall determine our first part, first, that God proposes to Himself persons; persons thus and thus qualified; He begins at them. Secondly, that God had rather dwell Himself, and propose to us the considerations of good persons, than bad, of His mercies, than His judgments, for He mentions no other here, but persons capable of His retributions; and then, the goodness that God considers, is rectitude, and rectitude in the root, in the heart; and from that root grows that spreading universality, that infallibility. All such are sure of the reward. And then, in our second part, in the reward itself, though it be delivered here in the whole bar, in the ingot, in the wedge, in bullion, in one single word, Gloriabuntur, Laudabuntur, they shall glory, yet it admits this mintage, and coining, and issuing in lesser pieces, that first we consider the thing itself, the metal in which God rewards us, glory, praise; and then, since God's promise is fastened upon that (we shall be praised), as we may lawfully seek the praise of good men, so must we also willingly afford praise to good men, and to good actions. And then, since we find this retribution fixed in the future (we shall be praised, we shall be in glory), there arises this consolation, that though we have it not yet, yet we shall have it; though we be in dishonour, and contempt, and under a cloud, of which we see no end ourselves, yet there is a determined future in God, which shall be made present, we shall overcome this contempt, we shall glory, we shall be celebrated; in which future the consolation is thus much farther exalted, that it is an everlasting future; the glory, and praise, the approbation which we shall receive from good men here, shall flow out and continue to the hosannas in heaven, in the month of saints, and angels, and to the "Well done, good and faithful servant," in the mouth of God Himself. ( John Donne, D. D. ) Gladness in God A. Maclaren, D. D. It is only where there is much faith and consequent love that there is much joy. If there is but little heat about the bulb of the thermometer, no wonder that the mercury marks but a low degree. If there is but small faith, there will not be much gladness. The road into Giant Despair's castle is through doubt, which doubt comes from an absence — a sinful absence — in our own experience, of the felt presence of God, and the felt force of the verities of the Gospel. ( A. Maclaren, D. D. ).

64:1-6 The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him. There is no guard against a false tongue. It is bad to do wrong, but worse to encourage ourselves and one another in it. It is a sign that the heart is hardened to the greatest degree, when it is thus fully set to do evil. A practical disbelief of God's knowledge of all things, is at the bottom of every wickedness. The benefit of a good cause and a good conscience, appears most when nothing can help a man against his enemies, save God alone, who is always a present help. 64:7-10 When God brings upon men the mischiefs they have desired on others, it is weight enough to sink a man to the lowest hell. Those who love cursing, it shall come upon them. Those who behold this shall understand, and observe God's hand in all; unless we do so, we are not likely to profit by the dispensations of Providence. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord; not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually. They rejoice not in men, nor in themselves, nor in any creature, or creature enjoyments, nor in their wisdom, strength, riches, or righteousness; but in Christ, in whom all the seed of Israel are justified and glory, and in what he is to them, and has done for them.