1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
5 Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
8 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
<html><b>al tashcheth</b> He called the psalm by this name because he was close to dying and to being destroyed, and he begged for mercy in the matter. <b>and they guarded the house</b> when Michal told them that he was ill (I Sam. 19:14) and she allowed him to flee at night.</html>
<html><b>[they] lodge against me</b> to enter my house, to guard me.</html>
<html><b>Without iniquity</b> I did not sin against them. <b>and prepare themselves</b> Ready to kill.</html>
<html><b>arise to visit upon all the nations</b> And judge these wicked men according to the statutes of the nations. Do not be gracious to them.</html>
<html><b>They return in the evening, etc…</b> <b>Behold, they spew forth with their mouth</b> The interpretation of these two verses connects one to the other. <b>They return in the evening</b> What they did by day does not suffice them; in the evening they repeat their evil: guarding me that I do not escape and leave the city Now what did they do by day? Behold, all day they spew forth with their mouth, to spy on me to Saul.</html>
<html><b>swords in their lips</b> and they think to themselves, “Who hears?”</html>
<html><b>But You, O Lord</b> Who will scoff at all the nations, will mock these wicked men as well.</html>
<html><b>[Because of] his strength</b> The strength and might of my enemy, who is stronger than I. <b>I hope for You</b> and I wait [for You] to rescue me from him.</html>
<html><b>will precede</b> He will give me His help before the hand of my enemy overwhelms me. <b>will allow me to see in those who watch me</b> what I long to see.</html>
<html><b>Do not kill them</b> because this is not recognizable [as] revenge. <b>lest my people forget</b> because all the dead are forgotten. Instead, deprive them of their possessions, so that they are impoverished. That is the revenge that will be long remembered.</html>
<html><b>The sin</b> of their mouth is the word of their lips, and the poor who are pursued by them because of the curse and the lies that they tell, are seized through their haughtiness.</html>
<html><b>Destroy [them] with wrath</b> Destroy them with Your wrath, O King Who judges, and let them know that You rule over Jacob.</html>
<html><b>And they will return in the evening</b> This is attached to the preceding verse. The sin of their mouth they speak by day, and in the evening, they return to ambush those whom they slandered.</html>
<html><b>They will roam about to eat</b> as the dogs do all night if they are not sated, so that they can lodge out of satiety, and sleep.</html>
<html><b>And I</b> when I escape them, I will sing of Your power in the morning.</html>
<html><b>My strength! To You</b> To You, Who are my strength and my stronghold, to You I will sing.</html>