Psalms 143:12

And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies,.... Which, though an act of vindictive justice, and terrible righteousness to them, would be an act of grace and mercy to him, who thereby would be delivered

And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies (Psalms 18:40; Psalms 31:15; Psalms 54:5) - according to the promise, Deuteronomy 7:24.

Of thy mercy; out of thy mercy to me, whose life they seek.

Psalms 143:12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I [am] thy servant.Ver. 12. Cut off mine enemies] Because not so much mine as thine; and those also implacable and irrecoverable. Elsewhere he saith, Slay them not, lest my people forget. For I am thy servant] See Psalms 116:16,

(12) Comp. Pss. xviii, 40, 54:7.

Verse 12. And of thy mercy] To me and the kingdom. Cut off mine enemies] Who, if they succeed, will destroy the very form of godliness. The steps he has already taken show that even morality shall have no countenance, if Absalom reign. I am thy servant.] Whoever is disloyal to me, I will love and serve thee. For a full explanation of this Psalm, as applied to penitents, see the analysis. ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THIRD PSALM David, being driven from Jerusalem by his son Absalom, wisely calls to mind his sin, as being the cause of it. This Psalm has four parts: - I. A prayer for remission of sin, grounded on God's promise, Psalms 143:1; not on his own worthiness, Psalms 143:2. II. A narration of the sad state of his affairs, Psalms 143:3-4. III. The comfort he received in his sad condition, and whence, Psalms 143:5-6. IV. His petition, containing many particulars and reasons, Psalms 143:7-12. I. He prays for audience: "Hear my prayer, O Lord," c. He does not plainly express the matter he prayed for but it may be gathered from the context that it was for remission of sin. 1. "In thy faithfulness," c. Thou art a faithful God, and hast promised to pardon the penitent. I am a penitent have mercy on me. 2. "And in thy righteousness," c. Which here signifies mercy, loving-kindness. This sense appears more plainly from the next verse. 1. "And enter not into judgment," c. Call me not to a strict account at the bar of thy justice. This he deprecates so that Justitia in the former verse could not be taken for that justice. 2. "For in thy sight," c. Not I, nor any other man: pardon me, then, for the sake of thy mercy and promise, not my merits. II. And now he enters upon the narration of his sad condition. 1. "For the enemy hath persecuted," &c. My son Absalom seeks my life: but it was Satan who enticed me to adultery and homicide. 2. "He hath smitten," &c. Humbled me made me a lover of earth, vile in thy sight. 3. "He hath made me to dwell," c. After Satan had entangled me with earthly pleasures, I was in spiritual darkness, and saw not the way of life, any more than those who have been long dead. The effect this darkness produced was fear and consternation. 1. "Therefore is my spirit," &c. I suffered a kind of swoon in my soul I was ready to faint when I considered thy holiness and my impurity. 2. "My heart within me," c. Far from comfort in heavy trouble. III. In this sadness of heart and mind, - 1. "I remember the days of old," &c. Thy past kindness to me and to others. 2. "I meditate," &c. I did not slightly run them over, but pondered on them. And I derived great profit from my meditation for, 1. "I stretch forth my hands," c. I began earnestly to pray to thee. 2.

12. Cp. Psalms 54:5, “Cut them [my enemies] off in thy truth”; Psalms 94:23. Such a prayer breathes the spirit of the Old Testament and not of the Gospel. It is a harsh and discordant conclusion to a Psalm full of humble penitence, patient resignation, and persevering faith. But the enemies who are relentlessly persecuting Jehovah’s servant to the death are the enemies of Jehovah; they are traitors to His kingdom who have forfeited their right to live; they give no quarter and deserve none themselves; if they triumph, Jehovah’s faithfulness to His promises would seem to have failed and his lovingkindness to have been exhausted or defeated (Psalms 77:8-9). For such hardened and impenitent offenders nothing remains but extermination. for I am thy servant] And therefore entitled to claim Thy protection. Cp. Psalms 143:2; Psalms 86:2; Psalms 86:4; Psalms 86:16; Psalms 119:17, and often.

And of thy mercy ... - Thy mercy to me; thy mercy to the world.

12. I am thy servant—The petition of this and the preceding verse is now rested on the basis given in the last clause.