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Ver. 8. I am feeble and sore broken] Through the length and nature of my distemper, Isaiah 38:10,12. The same Hebrew word signifieth pining sickness and a thrum, because of the thinness and weakness of it. I have roared] But not repined. This nature prompteth to, when we are in extremity; and grace is not against it.
Ver. 9. Lord, all my desire is before thee] Confused desires, broken requests, if from a broken spirit, are upon the file of heaven, and stand before God till they may have an answer. And my groaning is not hid from thee] No, not my breathing, Lamentations 3:56. God can feel breath; but the groanings of his people go to his heart.
Ver. 10. My heart panteth] Heb. runneth about, or is tossed to and fro, circuivit cor meum, inordinate movetur, et non quiescit, saith Aben Ezra. The Hebrew word signifieth such a kind of motion as that of merchants, who run up and down from one country to another. Also the two last radicals are doubled; to note that it is more than an ordinary stirring and motion of the spirit, because it is not come to its rest. All earthly things to the soul are but as the air to the stone; can give it no stay till it come to God, the centre. As the circle is the most perfect figure, because it beginneth and endeth, the points do meet together, as (mathematicians give the reason) the last point meeteth in the first, from whence it came. So shall we never come to perfection or satisfaction (saith the reverend man) till our souls come to God, till God make the circle meet, &c. The wicked walk the round from one creature to another, Psalms 12:8, but they come not at God; and hence they are so dissatisfied. Return to thy rest (Heb. rests), saith David to his soul, that is, to God, to whom he here maketh his moan. Miser animus in varias subinde partes abreptus me deserit. As for the light of mine eyes] That lumen ami cum of mine eyes is almost quite benighted.
Ver. 11. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore] Heb. my stroke, which, therefore, some Jewish doctors will have to be the leprosy, which was noisome and contagious; and, therefore, by the law of God, none were to come near such, Prae horrore detrectantes accedere (Trem.). So among the Persians none might come near a Pisaga (so they called a leper), and therefore Megabyzus, having offended Artaxerxes, kept himself five years from court, pretending himself a leper, and in that space made his peace with the king (Ctes. Pers.). But in David’s friends, who dealt thus with him, it was not so much fear of danger as pride and perfidy that made them deny him all duty and friendship, Psalms 31:11. Job was so used, Job 6:15; and our Saviour, when he hung naked on the cross, Luke 23:49; and St Paul, when he made his defence before Nero, 2 Timothy 4:16. So was not Orestes by his friend Pylades, nor Damon by his Pythias, nor Achilles by Patroclus, which made Alexander cry out, O felicem iuvenem! O faithful youth, Trouble trieth who are friends, who traitors (Sophoc.; Val. Max.; Plutarch in Alex.).
Ver. 12. They also that seek after my life] That seek and would suck my blood. As his friends were slack to help him, so his foes were active to hurt him. This David relateth before the Lord, that he may pity him, and be so much the more engaged to him; for he knew that where human help faileth divine beginneth. Speak mischievous things] Exitialia, such things as wring from me that lamentable voice, Woe and Alas, woeful evils, תווה from יוה, voce σχετλιαστικη. And imagine deceits] Or, Murmur.
Ver. 13. But I, as a deaf man, heard not] But possessed any soul in patience; in quietness and confidence was my strength, Isaiah 30:15. As they were masters of their tongues, so was I of mine ears. He that cannot bear calumnies, reproaches, and injuries, cannot live, saith Chytraeus; let him even make up his pack, and get him out of the world. Virus Theodorus sends to advise with Melancthon what to do when Osiander preached against him? Melancthon desired him for God’s sake to make no reply, but to behave himself as a deaf man, that heard not. Virus writeth back that this was very hard; yet he would obey. Another bravely answered one that railed upon him, Facile est in me dicere, cum non sim responsurus, Thou mayest speak what thou wilt, but I will hear no more than I wish, and punish thee with silence, or rather with a merry contempt. Princes use not to chide when ambassadors offer them indecencies, but to deny them audience. That man certainly enjoyeth a brave composedness who setteth himself above the flight of the injurious claw. And I was as a dumb man, &c.] He answered them by silence and taciturnity; which is the best answer to words of scorn and petulance. Thus Isaac answered his brother Ishmael; and our Saviour Pilate, Herod, and Caiaphas; and Giles of Brussels, when the barking friars reviled him, held his peace continually; insomuch that those blasphemers would say abroad that he had a dumb devil in him. This is a great victory, not to render evil for evil, or railing for railing, 1 Peter 3:9. Nihil fortius, nihil magis egregium quam audire noxia, et non respondere contraria, saith Cassiodore, Nothing is more courageous, or egregious, than to hear reproaches and return no answer. As, on the contrary, In rixa is inferior est qui victor est, In a brawl he goes by the worst that hath the better, saith Basil. And, Sile, et funestam dedisti plagam, saith Chrysostom, Say nothing in such a case, and thou thereby giveth thine adversary a deadly blow.
Ver. 14. Thus I was as a man that heareth not] He doubleth his speech, to show his holy pertinace in a prudent and patient silence, though greatly provoked. David was, as it is reported of Severus, the emperor, επιμελης των πρακτεων, careful of what was to be done by him, but careless of what was said of him by others. As Augustus, he did but laugh at the satires and buffooneries published against him. He knew that as physical pills must not be chewed, but swallowed whole; so must many injuries and indignities, Convitia spreta exolescunt.
Ver. 15. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope] This was the ground of his patience, and differenced it from that of heathens, which was rather pertinace than patience, and came not from a right principle. Thou wilt hear] Or answer; and, therefore, what need is there of my answer?
Ver. 16. For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise, &c.] He spread their vile speeches before the Lord, as afterwards good Hezekiah did Rabshakeh’s letter; and as it was said of Charles V., that he spake more to God than to men; so did David. His former silence, therefore, was not either from stupidity (a sheep bitten by a dog is as sensible thereof as a swine, though he make not so great a noise) or inability to make his own defence, if it had been to any purpose, for he was both innocent and eloquent; but he thought it far better to sustain himself in faith and patience, and meekly to commit himself to God in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Besides, he feared lest if he spake at all in this case, he should speak unadvisedly with his lips (as it is very easy to exceed), and so give occasion to the enemy to triumph, as the Papists did over Luther, for his hot and hasty speeches. When my foot slippeth] Or, When my tongue lasheth out in the least, they desire no other sport, but lay it in my dish as a foul disgrace. My motto, therefore, shall be, and my practice according, Taceo, Fero, Spero, I say nothing, but suffer, and hope for better.
Ver. 17. For I am ready to halt] i.e. To misbehave mysetf and so to mar a good cause by ill-managing it, and then what will become of thy great name? This is a very forcible motive to prevail with a jealous and just God. And my sorrow is continually before me] That is, my sin, as Ecclesiastes 11:10: or, my sorrow, but much more my sin the cause of it.
Ver. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity] To them that visit me in this disease, saith Aben Ezra, that they may pray for me, according to James 5:16; or rather to God, that he may pardon me and ease me. Or thus, When I declare, &c. Then
Ver. 19. Mine enemies are lively, &c.] q.d. It is nuts to them, and they soon compose comedies out of my tragedies, growing more insolent by mine afflictions, and upbraiding me with my sins.
Ver. 20. They also that render evil for good] While they rejoice at my misery, who fasted for them in their adversity, Psalms 35:15. Are mine adversaries] Heb. They satanically hate me, as if they were transformed into so many breathing devils. Because I follow the thing that good is] This was devil-like indeed; this was to hate and persecute God in David (Tertul.). Thus Cain, the devil’s patriarch, hated his brother Abel, and slew him. And why? “Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous,” 1 John 3:12. For like cause Moab fretted at Israel, Numbers 22:3,4, and the courtiers at Daniel, Psalms 6:5.
Ver. 21. Forsake me not, O Lord] This was that he most of all feared, spiritual desertion. So Jeremiah, Be not thou a terror unto me, O God; and then I care not what else can befall me. O my God, be not far from me] Though my friends stand aloof, Psalms 38:11, yet be thou ever at hand to help me.
Ver. 22. Make haste to help me] Nam mora frangit etiam fortes, God oft delayeth, that he may set an edge on our desires; he holdeth us in request, that he may commend his blessings to us.