1.
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Title. A Psalm. See App-65 .
Give ear . . . Consider . . .
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
meditation. Connecting this Psalm with Psalms 1:2 ; Psalms 2:1 .
2.
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
Hearken. Figure of speech Synonymia. App-6 .
voice. The voice marks the tone of any cry. First occurrence here.
my cry. Connecting this Psalm with Psalms 3:4 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
3.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
direct = set in order (as the wood on the altar). Compare Genesis 22:9 . Exodus 40:4 , Exodus 40:23 .
look up = look out, or watch for [an answer].
4.
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
wickedness = lawlessness. Hebrew. rasha'. App-44 .
5.
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
foolish = boasters.
iniquity . Hebrew. 'aven. App-44 .
6.
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
leasing = falsehood. See note on Psalms 4:2 .
7.
But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
as for me. Compare Psalms 17:15 ; Psalms 26:11 ; Psalms 35:13 ; Psalms 41:12 ; Psalms 55:16 ; Psalms 69:13 ; Psalms 73:2 .
multitude = abundance.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
temple. Hebrew. heykal = palace: i.e. heaven itself, which was the pattern for the earthly "house" or tent, as being the dwelling-place of Jehovah. Hence it is used of the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 1:9 ; 1 Samuel 3:3 ). Compare Psalms 11:4 ; Psalms 18:6 .
8.
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
Thy way: not mine.
9.
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
faithfulness = steadfastness, or stability.
their = his. Referring to the man of Psalms 5:6 .
Their. Three times repeated; refers to the "foolish" and "workers" of Psalms 5:6 .
tongue. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for what is spoken by it.
10.
Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
Destroy Thou them = Deal with them as guilty.
by their own counsels. Answered in Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:31 ; 2 Samuel 17:14 , 2 Samuel 17:23 ). A prayer suited for the dispensation in which David lived. See App-63 .
transgressions. Hebrew. pasha'. App-44 .
11.
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
put their trust = flee for refuge to. Hebrew. hasah. See App-69 .
defendest = coverest.
Thy name = Thee Thyself. "Name" put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for the person and character: i.e. all that the name implies and includes.
12.
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
bless the righteous = bless the justified one. Compare Psalms 1:1 ; Psalms 2:12 ; Psalms 3:8 .
favour. This is the "shield". In His favour is "life" (Psalms 30:5 ); "preservation" (Psalms 86:2 , margin); "security" (Psalms 41:11 ); "mercy "(Isaiah 60:10 ). Hence the prayer of Psalms 106:4 .
as. Figure of speech Simile. App-6 .
a shield. Hebrew. zinnah, a shield of the largest size. See 1 Samuel 17:7 , 1 Samuel 17:41 . "Only here, Psalms 35:2 (buckler), and Psalms 91:4 in the Psalms. In other Psalms it is magen, smaller both in size and weight (compare 1 Kings 10:17 . 2 Chronicles 9:16 ). The shield is the "favour" of Jehovah mentioned above.