Psalms 55:21

_AS FOR ME, I WILL CALL UPON GOD; AND THE LORD SHALL SAVE ME._ -Third strophe. His confident hope, resting upon the grounds stated in the previous prayer. Verse 16,17. AS FOR ME ... EVENING, AND MORNING, AND AT NOON, WILL I PRAY (_ 'AASIYCHAAH_ (H7878), from _ SIYACH_ (H7878)) - literally, 'meditate;' meditative prayer. The Hebrews, in counting their day, began it with the evening. This and morning and mid-day form the three turning points of the whole day; so that he who wished to consecrate the whole day to God (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17) would naturally connect these three with stated prayer ...

16-23 In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more true Christians, and believers have more real friends, than in their gloomy hours they suppose. His enemies should be reckoned with, and brought down; they could not ease themselves of their fears, as David could, by faith in God. Mortal men, though ever so high and strong, will easily be crushed by an eternal God. Those who are not reclaimed by the rod of affliction, will certainly be brought down to the pit of destruction. The burden of afflictions is very heavy, especially when attended with the temptatio...

Verse Psalms 55:21. _WERE SMOOTHER THAN BUTTER_] He was a complete courtier, and a deep, designing hypocrite besides. His words _were as soft as_ _butter, and as smooth as oil_, while he meditated war; and the fair words which were intended to _deceive_, were intended also to _destroy_: they _were drawn swords_. This is a literal description of the words and conduct of Absalom, as we learn from the inspired historian, 2 Samuel 15:2, c. He was accustomed to wait at the gate question the persons who came for justice and judgment; throw out broad hints that the king was negligent of the affairs of his kingdom, and had not provided an effective magistracy to administer justice among the people, and added that if he were appointed judge in the land, justice should be done to all....

THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH WERE SMOOTHER THAN BUTTER - Prof. Alexander renders this, “Smooth are the butterings of his mouth.” This is in accordance with the Hebrew, but the general meaning is well expressed in our common version. The idea is, that he was a hypocrite; that his professions of friendship were false; that he only used pleasant words - words expressive of friendship and love - to deceive and betray. We have a similar expression when we speak of “honeyed words,” or “honeyed accents.” This would apply to Ahithophel, and it will apply to thousands of similar cases in the world. BUT WAR WAS IN HIS HEART - He was base, treacherous, false. He was really my enemy, and was ready, when any suitable occasion occurred, to show himself to be such. HIS WORDS WERE SOFTER THAN OIL - Smooth, pleasant, gentle. He was full of professions of love and kindness....

EXPOSITION THIS psalm has been assigned to Jeremiah by Hitzig, and by others to an unknown writer of the seventh century B.C. But no solid grounds have been shown for setting aside the traditionary evidence of the "title," which ascribes it to David. It is Davidic in its depth of feeling, in its abrupt transitions (verses 9, 15, 20), and in its reference to a faithless friend, who is the chief cause of the writer's sufferings (verses 12-14, 20, 21; comp. Psalms 41:9). The Davidic authorship is accepted by Hengstenberg, Dr. Kay, and Canon Cook. The probable date of the psalm is the time of Absalom's rebellion. David, still a dweller at Jerusalem (verses 9-11), has become aware of the conspiracy which has been formed against him (verses 3-8), and of the participation in it of his "familiar friend," Ahithophel (verses 12-14). He is already contempl

[THE WORDS] OF HIS MOUTH WERE SMOOTHER THAN BUTTER,.... Such were the words of Ahithophel, when in counsel with David; and such the words of Judas, when he said to Christ, "hail, master", and kissed him, Matthew 26:49; BUT WAR [WAS] IN HIS HEART; even a civil war, rebellion against his prince; that was what Ahithophel meditated in his heart; and nothing less than to take away the life of Christ was designed by Judas. The words may be rendered, "they were divided" e; that is, his mouth and his heart: "his mouth [was] butter, and his heart war"; the one declared for peace, when the other intended war; see Jeremiah 9:8; HIS WORDS WERE SOFTER THAN OIL; at one time full of soothing and flattery: YET [WERE] THEY DRAWN SWORDS: at another time

Psalms 55 In the Throes of the Great Tribulation _ 1. Prayer for help (Psalms 55:1)_ 2. Longings to escape (Psalms 55:4) 3. The great tribulation (Psalms 55:9) 4. The comfort of hope (Psalms 55:22) The man of sin, the Antichrist, stands out prominently in this Psalm. Because of him and his oppression, the godly remnant calls for help. They are overwhelmed with horror and beholding the abomination, they wish for wings like a dove and escape from the storm and the tempest of the great tribulation. This is in accordance

LV. A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM TREACHEROUS FOES. Psalms 55:1. The Psalmist tells God of his disquiet and terror. His desire to flee from Jerusalem to the wilderness. Psalms 55:12. A description of the treacherous friend, ending with an imprecation: let them go down suddenly to the pit. Psalms 55:16. The Psalmist's continuous prayer and his trust that God will defeat his enemies. Psalms 55:20 f. The treachery of his foes described. Psalms 55:22 f. God's care for the godly: His vengeance on

WAR WAS IN HIS HEART. Compare 2 Samuel 14:33 with 2 Samuel 15:5; 2 Samuel 15:6. Referring to Psalms 55:19....

In this division of the Psalm the storm of indignation dies away, and the Psalmist's trustful confidence revives....