Psalms 7

Shiggaion of David, ivhich he sang unto the Lord, concerning the Words (or business) of Cush the Benjamite. An excellent Psalm, composed by David to commemorate • the loving-kindness of the Lord upon occasion of some calumnies and false accusations; wherein Cush, one of the same tribe with Saul (and probably one of his courtiers or captains, if not one of his kinsmen), had charged David with some very great crime; of treason, it is likely,; and conspiracy against Saul. Athanasius, indeed (as we find in some fragments of his upon the Psalms), thinks that David made this xapiarhpiov 4>&7v,‘as he calls it, when Hushai (whom he takes for Cush) had defeated the good counsel of Ahithophel, by a discourse he made to shew it was not safe to set upon so warlike a prince as David, without a greater force than Absalom had at present; • whereby he saved David from certain ruin. But I see nothing in the Psalm to give a colour to this conjecture; • for the words therein mentioned were against David, not in his favour. The name of Hushai also is otherways written, and he is called an Archite, not a Benjamite; which St. Basil (whose opinion this was) endeavours to solve, by saying he was called Benjameni, because he Digitized, by Microsoft ® [psalm VII. managed his matters so dexterously, in overthrowing the counsel of Ahithophcl. But that is only a piece of wit; and the conjecture of Valentine Schindlcr seems to me more probable; that by Cush, he secretly notes (by a change of letters) Saul himself, the son of Kish j who could no more alter his mind, full of hatred to David, than a man of Cush, or an Ethiopian, could his skin or complexion.

Psalms 7:1

(J LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. O Lord, who hast hitherto been my most gracious God, and defended my innocence against those that have falsely accused me, I ought not to doubt of thy continued care and love towards me: and therefore fly unto thee, with an humblo confidence in thy almighty goodness, that thou wilt preserve and deliver me from this new persecution which is raised against me.

Psalms 7:2

Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. For if thou dost not protect me, I am no more able to stand before Saul than a lamb before a lion: so great is his power, and so implacable his rage, that if thou suffcrest me to fall into his hands, there is no creature can rescue me, but he will infallibly destroy me.

Psalms 7:3

O Lord, my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands. And let him destroy me, O Lord, if I be guilty of that whereof I am accused. Thou art the most righteous judge of all, and to thee I here again most solemnly appeal, as I have done before him, (1 Sam. xxiv. 12. 15.) desiring that thou wilt judge between us. If I have conspired against him, or had any design to do him hurt, (as he was made to believe, 1 Sam. xxiv. 9.) if any such thing hath so much as entered into my thoughts:

Psalms 7:4

If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy). If I have cither injured him when he was kind to me, or sought to be revenged of him since he has injured me: (no, I abhorred to take revenge, so far was I from seeking it, when he fell into my hand, and spared him twice when it was in my power to have killed him, who causelessly endeavoured to kill me, 1 Sam. xxiv. xxvi.)

Psalms 7:5

Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. Then I beg no mercy; let him go on to be my enemy; let him pursue me till he apprehend me, and execute his desire upon me. I refuse not to die; nay, to be trod under foot like dirt with the greatest contempt; and to bo as much reproached when I am dead, as I have been honoured alive. Ver. G. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself, because of the rage of mine enemies; and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.] But if I be innocent in this matter (as thou, Lord, knowest I am), then I beseech thee to shew thy displeasure at this unjust proceeding. Let my enemies know that thou art the sovereign Lord of all, by suppressing them now that they rage thus furiously. Thou hast appointed judges upon earth to distribute justice, and relieve the oppressed; but hast reserved the supreme judgment to thyself, even over them as well as others: and therefore I beseech thee to take cognizanco of my cause, and issue out thy orders speedily for mydeliverance from this persecution.

Psalms 7:7

So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about; for their sakes therefore return thou on high. Which will draw all the people to make their resort to thee, and wait upon thee, till thou dost them justice. For that reason ascend thy judgment-seat again, and, as thou hast done formerly, vindicate me from these calumnies, and assert my innocence.

Psalms 7:8

Tlie Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.* The Sovereign of the world will not fail to dispense equal justice unto all, according to their works. Of which I beseech thee, Lord, to give an example in me, who desire no greater favour than to be disposed of according to my innocence in this matter. Thou hast designed indeed a kingdom forme: but let me lose it, if ever I entertain a disloyal thought against him who now enjoys it.

Psalms 7:9

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. I leave it to thee to perform thy own purposes; who hast long borne with the wicked in their unjust proceedings, but wilt at last put a stop to them, and settle the righteous, whom they injuriously persecute from place to place, in a peaceable possession of what thou hast promised. For thou, Lord, discerncst the most secret thoughts and desires of them both; and as thou canst not be deceived withspecious shows, so thou wilt not be corrupted, cither by fear or favour, to pronounce an unrighteous sentence.

Psalms 7:10

My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. That is my comfort, none but God, the Judge of all, can either absolve or condemn me; and he knows so well the sincerity of my heart, that I assure myself from him of protection and deliverance.

Psalms 7:11

God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. For he is so just a judge, that he will defend the cause of the righteous, and never be persuaded to take part with the wicked; with whom he is highly displeased all the time that he forbears to strike him, and cut him offin f his evil courses.

Psalms 7:12

If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. And if he will not repent, as he is invited by that forbearance, he shall be punished at last with so much the greater severity; because he would take no warning, but went on confidently, notwithstanding the vengeance he was told was preparing for him.

Psalms 7:13

He hath also prepared for him the insb-umentsof death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. Vengeance, which will certainly come, though it stay long, and jiot fail to do execution: for it is decreed in heaven (if they do not repent), and will pierce through the very heart of Saul, and all the rest of my fierce and outrageous persecutors.

Psalms 7:14

Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. See here the folly of this calumniator; who wickedly plots my ruin, and hath formed mostmischievous designs against lnylifc; which shall all miscarry, and deceive his expectation.

Psalms 7:15

He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. And he shall not escape sonei-