John Calvin Commentary Psalms 56:5

"All the day long they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil." — Psalms 56:5 (ASV)

Every day my words vex me. The first part of this verse has been rendered in various ways. Some understand my words to be the nominative in the sentence, and I agree with this opinion. Others suppose a reference to David’s enemies and translate, they slander my words, or, they cause me grief because of my words. Again, יעצבו, yeatsebu, has been understood in the neuter sense and translated, my words are troublesome. But עצב, atsab, commonly means to afflict with grief, and in Pihel is always taken transitively; nor does there seem to be any reason here to depart from the general rule of the language.

And the passage flows more naturally when rendered, my words affect me with grief, or vex me, than by supposing that he refers to his enemies. According to this translation, the verse contains a double complaint: on the one hand, he was himself unsuccessful in everything he attempted, his plans having continually resulted in vexatious failure; while, on the other hand, his enemies were devising every means for his destruction.

It may appear at first sight rather inconsistent to suppose that he should have immediately before disclaimed being under the influence of fear, and now acknowledge that he was not only distressed, but to some extent the cause of his own discomfort. I have already observed, however, that he is not to be considered as having been absolutely divested of anxiety and fear, although enabled to look down with contempt upon his enemies from the eminence of faith.

Here he speaks of the circumstances that tested him, which his faith certainly overcame, but at the same time could not completely remove. He confesses his own lack of wisdom and foresight, shown in the failed outcome of every plan he devised. It aggravated the evil that his enemies were employing their united plans to plot his ruin.

He adds that they gathered themselves together, and this made his case even more calamitous, matched as he was, a single individual, against this numerous host. In mentioning that they hide themselves, he refers to the subtle schemes they devised to surprise and destroy him.

The verb יצפינו, yitsponu, by grammatical rule ought to have the letter ו, vau, in the middle. The general opinion derived from this is that the י yod, serves, as it were, as the mark of Hiphil. This denotes that David’s enemies resolved to use an ambush, intending to surround him.

He tells us that they pressed upon him in every direction and, as it were, trod upon his heels, so that he had no respite. And he points to their implacable hatred as the cause of their eager pursuit of him; for, he informs us, nothing would satisfy them but his death.