Psalms 54:5

_HE SHALL REWARD EVIL UNTO MINE ENEMIES: CUT THEM OFF IN THY TRUTH._ He shall reward evil unto mine enemies. So the Qeri' reads х_ YAASHIYB_ (H7725)]; but the Khethibh reads better, 'the evil shall return х_ YAASHUWB_ (H7725)] unto mine enemies' (Psalms 7:16). 'The evil' is that which the Psalmist's adversaries wished to inflict. "Mine enemies" (_ SHORªRAAY_ (H8324)) - literally, those who watch me; insidious liers in wait for my halting (Psalms 5:8, note). CUT THEM OFF IN THY TRUTH. The imperative expresses the certainty, and carries with it the operative power of the Word of God, which works by its own intrinsic efficacy. The truth of Go

5._He shall reward evil unto mine enemies _As the verb ישיב _, yashib, _may be rendered _he shall cause to return, _(292) it seems to point not only at the punishment, but the kind of punishment, which would be awarded to his enemies, in the recoiling of their wicked machinations upon their own heads. Some give an optative signification to the verb, understanding the words to express a wish or prayer; but I see no reason why it should not be taken strictly in the future tense, and imagine that David intimates his certain expectation that this favor, which he had already prayed for, would be granted. It is by no means uncommon to find the prayers of the Psalmist intersected with sentences of this kind, inserted for the purpose of stimulating his faith, as here, where he announces the general truth, that God is the righteous judge who will recompense the wicked. With

4-7 Behold, God is mine Helper. If we are for him, he is for us; and if he is for us, we need not fear. Every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes it to be. The Lord will in due time save his people, and in the mean time he sustains them, and bears them up, so that the spirit he has made shall not fail. There is truth in God's threatenings, as well as in his promises; sinners that repent not, will find it so to their cost. David's present deliverance was an earnest of further deliverance. He speaks of the completion of his deliverance as a thing done, though he had as yet many troubles before him; because, having God's promise for it, he was as sure of it as if it was done already. The Lord would deliver him out of all his troubles. May he help us to bear our cross without repining, and at length bring us to share his victories and glory. Christians never should suffer th...

Verse Psalms 54:5. _HE SHALL REWARD EVIL_] Saul and his courtiers, instead of having God's approbation, shall have his curse. _CUT THEM OFF IN THY TRUTH._] Thou hast _promised_ to save me; these have purposed to destroy me. Thy _truth_ is engaged in my defence; they will destroy me if permitted to _live_: to save _thy truth_, and to accomplish its _promises, thou must cut them off_....

HE SHALL REWARD EVIL UNTO MINE ENEMIES - Margin, “those that observe me.” The original word here means literally “to twist, to twist together;” then, to press together; then, to “oppress,” or to treat as an enemy. The reference here is to those who pressed upon him as enemies, or who endeavored to crush him. The idea is that God would recompense them for this conduct, or that he would deal with them as they deserved. CUT THEM OFF IN THY TRUTH - In thy faithfulness; in thy regard for what is right. This is simply a prayer, or an expression of strong confidence, that God would deal with them as they deserved, or that he would not suffer such conduct to pass without a proper expression of his sense of the wrong. There is no evidence that David in this prayer was prompted by private or vindictive feeling....

EXPOSITION THIS is a short psalm, written in a time of great trouble, and containing, first, an earnest prayer for deliverance (Psalms 54:1); and then an expression of confidence in God's aid, and of thankfulness for the deliverance, which is counted as absolutely certain (Psalms 54:4). The "title," which assigns the psalm to David, and makes the occasion his betrayal to Saul by the Ziphites, appears to be trustworthy. PSALMS 54:1 SAVE ME, O GOD, BY THY NAME; _i.e. _by the qualities of which thy "Name" is significant—power, goodness, and truth. AND JUDGE ME; _i.e. _"vindicate me," or "judge my cause." By thy strength;

HE SHALL REWARD EVIL UNTO MINE ENEMIES,.... That eyed him as Saul did; that observed his haunts, where he resorted, and who were with him, as the Ziphites did under Saul's direction; as the Word m here used for "enemies" signifies: the mischief they had devised for him, he believed, would be returned upon their own heads; the pit they digged they would fall into themselves; and the net they had spread for others their own feet would be taken in. This was true as of David's enemies, so of Christ's, the wicked Jews, who narrowly watched him to take every advantage against him; CUT THEM OFF IN THY TRUTH; root and branch, as Saul, and his family, and his courtiers, quickly were, according to the truth of promises made to David, and of threatenings unto them. m לשררי "observatoribus meis", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Michaelis....

Psalms 54 The Prayer of the Godly _ 1. The prayer for salvation (Psalms 54:1)_ 2. The assurance of faith (Psalms 54:4) During that final apostasy when the man of sin is revealed, the saints among the Jews will suffer persecution as the prophetic Word elsewhere reveals. Here is another prophetic record of their prayers, with a believing anticipation of deliverance....

LIV. THE PSALMIST PRAYS FOR DELIVERANCE FROM POWERFUL AND BITTER FOES. He trusts in God who will destroy his enemies. When that is done, he will offer sacrifice in thanksgiving. His enemies are Jews for who would expect heathen to set God before their eyes (Psalms 54:3)? True, we are told expressly in Psalms 54:3 that the adversaries are strangers, _i.e._ foreigners, but we should read insolent men. _Cf._ also Psalms 86:14. PSALMS 54:1. The name sums up all the attributes of God, but especially His power. See on Psalms 5 and _cf._ Psalms

EVIL. the evil. Hebrew. _ra'a'_ (with Art.) App-44....