EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS (4)

“My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore,” as fearing more my sore than me; but “my kinsmen stand afar off,” as fearing me no less than my sore; and where my lovers and friends by standing aloof do but violate the law of a contracted friendship, my kinsmen by standing afar off violate even the law of natural affection; and is not this a grievous thing, that the law of reason, the law of friendship, the law of nature, shall all be broken rather than I shall be relieved or find assistance?—Sir Richard Baker.

Verse 11.—“My lovers and my friends stand afar off.” Deserted by false friends, but conqueror through thee, to thee I speed, who though seeming to act the part of an enemy, yet never changest thy love; but lovest for ever him whom thou once hast loved. When thou seemest afar off, thou art near. I conceive this sorrow on account of the treachery of false friends, and the cowardliness of my kinsfolk, who are to me as piercing thorns rather than sweet-smelling roses. The proof of affection is seen by deeds. I hear the name of kinsman and friend; I see no deed. To thee, therefore, I flee, whose word is deed; for I need thy help.—From the Latin of A. Rivetus.

Verse 13.—“But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.” For why should I hear when I meant not to speak? and why should I speak when I knew beforehand I should not be heard? I knew by contesting I should but provoke them, and make them more guilty that were guilty too much before. I therefore thought it better myself to be silent than to set them a roaring and make them grow outrageous. No doubt a great wisdom in David, to know that to be deaf and dumb was in this case his best course, but yet a far greater virtue that knowing it, he was able to do it. Oh, how happy should we be, if we could always do that which we know is best to be done, and if our wills were as ready to act, as our reason is able to enact; we should then decline many rocks we now run upon, we should then avoid many errors we now run into. To be deaf and dumb are indeed great inabilities and defects, when they be natural; but when they be voluntary, and I may say artificial, they are then great abilities, or rather perfections.—Sir Richard Baker.

Verse 13.—“But I, as a deaf man, heard not.” The inspired writer here compares himself to a dumb and deaf man for two reasons. In the first place, he intimates that he was so overwhelmed with the false and wicked judgments of his enemies, that he was not even permitted to open his mouth in his own defence. In the second place, he alleges before God his own patience, as a plea to induce God the more readily to have pity upon him; for such meekness and gentleness, not only with good reason, secures favour to the afflicted and the innocent, but it is also a sign of true piety.—John Calvin.

Verse 14.—“Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.” You, who truly know yourselves; by whom silent suffering, secret grief, and hidden joy are understood; by the knowledge of your own unspoken sorrow, unexpressed, because inexpressible feelings, by the consciousness of the unrevealed depths of your own nature, the earnest, but ever unsatisfied yearnings of your spirit, learn to reverence and love those by whom you are surrounded, whose inner life can never be completely read, but whom you are sure must need sacred sympathy and tender consideration. If a secret grief is constantly gnawing my heart, making my voice falter in the song of praise, may not my brother’s downcast eye and heavy heart be occasioned by a similar cause; shall I condemn him for his want of gladness? No: but remember, “the heart knoweth his own bitterness, and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.” The silent breathings of the spirit are not for our ears; the hot tears which in secret fall, are not for our eyes; in mercy has the veil been drawn round each heart; but by the sacred memory of our own sadness, let our voice be gentle, our look tender, our tread quiet, as we pass amongst the mourners.—Jessie Coombs, in “Thoughts for the Inner Life.” 1867.

Verse 15.—A man that is to go down into a deep pit, he does not throw himself headlong into it, or leap down at all adventures, but fastens a rope at top upon a cross beam or some sure place, and so lets himself down by degrees: so let thyself down into the consideration of thy sin, hanging upon Christ; and when thou art gone so low that thou canst endure no longer, but art ready to be overcome with the horror and darkness of thy miserable estate, dwell not too long at the gates of hell, lest the devil pull thee in, but wind thyself up again by renewed acts of faith, and “fly for refuge unto the hope that is set before thee.” Heb. vi. 18.—Thomas Cole (1627-1697), in “Morning Exercises.”

Verse 17.—“For I am ready to halt:” to show my infirmity in my trials and afflictions; as Jacob halted after his wrestling with God. Gen. xxxii. 31. In the Greek, I am ready for scourges, that is, to suffer correction and punishment for my sins: so the Chaldee saith, for calamity.—Henry Ainsworth.

Verse 18.—Pliny writeth of some families that had private marks on their bodies peculiar to those of that line, and every man hath, as it were, a private sin, which is most justly called his; but if we will confess our sins aright, we must not leave out that sin; nay, our chiefest spite must be against it, according to David’s resolve: “I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” ... David doth not only say, “I will declare,” but, “I will be sorry for my sin.” The people of God (1 Sam. vii. 6) in the day of their confession not only say, “We have sinned,” but draw water, and pour it out before the Lord in token of contrition. We should, in confessing sin, have our hearts so affected, that our eyes, with Job, may “pour tears before God” (Job xvi. 20); that, with David, “rivers of tears, may run down our eyes” (Psalm cxix. 136); yea, we should wish with Jeremiah, that “our head were waters, and our eyes a fountain of tears.” Jer. ix. 1. But, however, nonne stillabit oculus noster? if we cannot pour out, shall we not drop a tear? or at least, if we cannot shed a tear, let us breathe forth a sigh for our sins. It is only the heart broken with godly sorrow that sends forth a true confession.—Nathanael Hardy.

Verse 20.—“They are mine enemies because I follow the thing that good is.” It is a bold attempt to ding Satan out of his nest. If we conform us to the men of this world we find peace with them; they will not discord with us so long as we go their way; but to shame them by a godly life is an affront they cannot digest; and to rebuke their sin, findeth at their hand all that Satan disappointed or corruption provoked can devise. A sleeping dog is quiet, but being stirred, turneth all in barking and biting. Not to do as they do is matter enough of anger, but a reproof is the highest degree of disgrace in their account. All that hatred which they ought to bear to Satan and his instruments, is turned upon God in his rebuking and reclaiming servants. That anger that in remorse should burn against their own sin is set against their reprovers.—William Struther.

Verse 22.—“O Lord my salvation.” Faith the suppliant is now made faith triumphant.—Franz Delitzsch.