That thou mayest give him rest - Mayest make his mind quiet and calm; mayest save him from murmuring, from despondency, from impatience, by just confidence in thee, and in thy government.

From the days of adversity - Or, in the days of evil; the time of calamity and trouble. That his mind may then be composed and calm.

Until the pit be digged for the wicked - Until the wicked be punished; that is, while the preparations are going on, or while God seems to delay punishment, and the wicked are suffered to live as if God did not notice them, or would not punish them. The idea is, that the mind should not be impatient as if their punishment would not come, or as if God were unconcerned; and that just views of the divine administration would tend to make the mind calm even when the wicked “seemed” to prosper and triumph. See the notes at Psalms 73:16. The phrase “until the pit be digged” is derived from the method of hunting wild beasts by digging a pit into which they might fall and be taken. See the notes at Psalms 7:15.

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