| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. An instruction, by David. |
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| Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not from my supplication. |
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| 2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise, |
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| 3 Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me. |
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| 4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me. |
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| 5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me. |
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| 6 And I say, 'Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove I fly away and rest, |
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| 7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah. |
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| 8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind. |
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| 9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city. |
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| 10 By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst, |
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| 11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street. |
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| 12 For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him. |
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| 13 But thou, a man as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance. |
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| 14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company. |
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| 15 Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. |
Let them go down – "I would that they were even cut off which trouble you." (Gal. 5:12) R356:1
Quick into hell – Sheol, oblivion, death, not torment. R2599:3; E364
The gradual change of language has attached a totally different meaning than the word "hell" originally had--the grave. PD29/41
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| 16 I to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me. |
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| 17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice, |
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| 18 He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me. |
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| 19 God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God, |
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| 20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant. |
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| 21 Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords]. |
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| 22 Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous. |
Cast thy burden – "Every man shall bear his own burden." (Gal. 6:5) This Psalms refers to burdens which we cannot bear. R549:6*
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| 23 And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I I do trust in Thee! |
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