A manual of the book of Psalms · Martin Luther
PSALM LIX.
_David prayeth to be delivered from his enemies.—He complaineth of their cruelty.—He trusteth in God.—He prayeth against them.—He praiseth God._ To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the mighty are gathered against me; not _for_ my transgression, nor _for_ my sin, O LORD. They run and prepare themselves without _my_ fault: awake to help me, and behold. Thou, therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords _are_ in their lips; for who, _say they_, doth hear? But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. _Because of_ his strength will I wait upon thee: for God _is_ my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me; God shall let me see _my desire_ upon my enemies. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O LORD our shield.
_For_ the sin of their mouth, _and_ the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and for cursing and lying _which_ they speak. Consume _them_ in wrath, consume _them_, that they _may_ not _be_; and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. And at evening let them return, _and_ let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge, if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, I will sing: for God _is_ my defence, _and_ the God of my mercy. This Psalm is a prayer; and may be very properly understood as offered up in the person of Christ, complaining of, and prophecying concerning the Jews; on whom, on account of their denial of Christ, and their rejection of the gospel, the awful judgments of God should fall; but yet, not so as to destroy the whole nation entirely; but, in such a manner, as to make of them an example to all future nations;—that they should be scattered abroad as exiles, and left vagabonds among all nations; and should be punished by being given up to blindness, and maddened fury; so as not to be able to teach anything, or say anything, but blasphemies against Christ. And this we see fulfilled in them in reality: for all their books and commentaries are replete with the most bitter reproaches and blasphemies against Christ and his gospel. And, for this their wickedness, they suffer dreadful and unceasing punishments: for they ‘go about the city like hungry dogs,’ seeking food, and finding it not.
The meaning of this prophecy is, therefore, that at the end, after the times of the apostles, the Jews should be left as exiles, should be banished from their own land, should wander about as outcasts, should be oppressed under foreign jurisdictions, should be driven out from one country to another, and should be cast out without any certain dwelling-place; and that they should seek out any corner of the world, where they might collect together again the wrecks and remains of their kingdom, and endeavour to find out another one to lead them, but should be frustrated in every attempt. And their exile and dispersion shall remain unfinished until the end appointed: till then, they shall remain and waste away like famished dogs, and run and smell about round the cities, and gape like dogs, but shall not be filled: and they shall perish without a king, and without a kingdom. But with respect to the history of this Psalm, it may rightly be understood as referring to David, praying against the heirs of Saul and the Saulites; who, being at length stripped of their kingdom, wandered about like yawning and hungry dogs, ejected from their kingdom, and forsaken and held in contempt, until they all utterly perished. For God declared that the house of Saul should not be raised up; though the posterity of Saul greatly desired his kingdom.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.