John Calvin Commentary Psalms 64

Hear my voice, O God! He begins by saying that he prayed earnestly and with vehemence, stating at the same time what made this necessary. The voice is heard in prayer in proportion to the earnestness and fervor we feel. He then specifies the circumstances of distress in which he was at that time, and takes notice of the dangers to which his life was exposed from enemies, along with other points suited to elicit God's favorable consideration.

His praying that God would protect his life proves that it must have been in danger at this time. In the second verse, he suggests that his enemies were numerous, and that, without divine assistance, he would be unable to withstand their attacks. Some difficulty is connected to the words, because they are open to two meanings.

The Hebrew term סוד, sod, which means a secret, is understood by some to refer here to the secret plots of the wicked, and by others, to denote their meeting together for consultation. In translating it, I have employed a word that admits of either interpretation. The term רגשת, rigshath, used in the second part of the verse, may also be rendered in two ways, as meaning either an assembly of men, or noise and uproar. It comes from רגש, ragash, a root meaning to make a tumult. This would suggest that the word סוד, sod, in the former clause might refer to the clandestine plots of the wicked, and רגשת, rigshath, in the latter, to their open violence; and that David prayed to be protected, on the one hand, from the malicious purposes of his enemies, and, on the other, from the violent actions by which they proceeded to carry them out.

But the first mentioned meaning, which I have adopted, seems the most simple and natural: that he solicits God's compassion by complaining of the number of those united against him. Still, his language implies that he regarded heaven's protection as fully sufficient against the greatest combination of adversaries.

I may add that there is an implied plea in his prayer that strengthens his case, in what he says of the malice and wickedness of those who were opposed to him. For the more cruel and unjust the conduct of our enemies may be, we have all the more reason to believe that God will intervene on our behalf.

For they have whetted their tongue like a sword. His enemies, in their rage, aimed at nothing less than his life; yet, what he complains of more than anything else is the poison with which their words were imbued. It is probable that he refers to the slanderous reports which he knew were falsely spread to discredit him, and with the aim of damaging his reputation with the people.

He compares their tongues to swords, and their bitter and venomous words to arrows. And when he adds that they shoot against the upright and innocent, he should be understood as contrasting his integrity with their unprincipled conduct. It inspired him with confidence in his religious addresses to know that he could clear his own conscience of guilt and that he was the target of undeserved attacks by worthless and abandoned men.

In mentioning that they shoot secretly and suddenly, he refers to the cunning that characterized them. They were not only eagerly determined to cause mischief and intent on watching for their opportunities, but also so expert and quick in their movements that they struck their victim before he could suspect any danger. When we hear that David, who was a man in every respect so much more holy and upright in his conduct than we are, suffered from groundless slanders against his character, we should not be surprised if we are exposed to a similar trial.

This comfort, at least, we always have: that we can turn to God and obtain His defense for the upright cause. He takes particular notice of another circumstance: that they shot their poisoned arrows from their lips without fear, or shame. This self-assured spirit demonstrated a degree of abandoned presumption, as they obstinately persisted in the conduct for which they had been repeatedly detected and renewed their desperate attempts, disregarding all fear of God or worldly shame.

They assure themselves in an evil work. He proceeds to complain of the perverse determination with which they pursued their wickedness, and of their combinations among themselves; remarking, at the same time, on the confidence with which they stirred one another up to the most daring acts of iniquity.

There can be little doubt that in this they were encouraged by David's current state of weakness. Finding him in poverty and exile, and without means of resistance, they took the opportunity to persecute him more freely.

Having referred to them as being beyond hope of reform and incapable of any humane feelings, he speaks of their meeting together to plot his destruction. In connection with this, he also mentions the unbounded confidence they displayed, believing their designs were not seen.

It is well known that one circumstance strengthening the false security of the wicked, and encouraging them to triumph in their crafty schemes against the simple and upright in heart, is their belief that they can cover their crimes with pretexts they always have ready. They say, Who shall see them?

The word למו, lamo, them, may refer either to the workers of iniquity themselves or to the snares spoken of in the preceding clause. The first meaning seems preferable. They run recklessly and without restraint in the ways of sin, blinded by their pride, and influenced by neither the fear of God nor a sense of shame.

In the verse that follows, he criticizes severely the deceit they practiced. He speaks of their having exhausted all the arts of mischief, so as to have left nothing in this area to be discovered. The search referred to relates to the secret methods of doing evil.

He adds that their malice was deep. By the inward part and the heart, which was deep, he means the hidden devices that the wicked use for concealment.

Some, instead of translating the words the inward part of each, etc., give a more indefinite sense to איש, ish, and read, the inward part, and deep heart, of every one, is found in them; that is, his enemies contrived to embody all the craft and subtlety that people have ever shown.

Either rendering may be adopted, for it is evidently David’s meaning that his enemies practiced secret stratagem as well as open violence to bring about his ruin, and showed themselves to possess the deepest insight in discovering dark and unimagined methods of doing mischief.

And God shall shoot an arrow at them. The Psalmist now congratulates himself in the confident belief that his prayers have not been in vain but have already been answered. Although there was no outward sign of God’s approaching judgment, he declares that it would suddenly be executed; and in this, he offers a remarkable proof of his faith.

He saw the wicked growing hardened in their prosperity and presuming they would escape punishment due to divine forbearance and God’s apparent overlooking of their actions; but instead of yielding to discouragement, he was sustained by the belief that God, according to His usual way of acting towards the wicked, would visit them at an unexpected moment, when they were flattering themselves that they had escaped and were indulging in excessive confidence.

This is a truth that should comfort us when we are subjected to prolonged trials: that God, in delaying to punish the ungodly, does so with the express purpose of later inflicting more fitting and deserved judgments upon them, and, when they say, Peace and safety, overwhelming them with sudden destruction (Jeremiah 8:11).

And they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves. Pursuing the same subject, he remarks that the poison concocted in their secret plans, and which they revealed with their tongues, would prove to have a deadly effect upon themselves. The sentiment is the same as that expressed elsewhere by another figure, when they are said to be caught in their own snares and to fall into the pit which they have digged themselves (Psalms 57:6). It is just that Heaven should make the mischiefs which they had devised against innocent and upright people recoil upon their own heads.

The judgment is one that we see repeatedly and daily exemplified before our eyes, and yet we find much difficulty in believing that it can take place. We should feel all the more bound to impress the truth upon our hearts, that God is always watching, as it were, for His opportunity to turn the stratagems of the wicked into means for their destruction, just as completely effective as if they had intentionally employed them for that purpose.

At the end of the verse, to point out the striking severity of their punishment, it is said that all who saw them should flee away. The judgments of God are often beyond the sight of an ignorant world, and before it can be roused to fear and dismay, these judgments must bear striking signs indeed of a divine hand.