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._ A consequence which he prays may follow IF he has done what his foes allege (Psalms 7:3). MY SOUL - parallel to 'my life,' my truest self, my inner being, and noblest part. UPON THE EARTH ... IN THE DUST. The Hebrew preposition lª- implies belonging to. "Let him tread down my life (so that it shall belong henceforth) to the earth, and lay mine honour (rather, yashkeen, make mine honour to dwell in the dust, so that it can never rise again. MINE HONOUR - in contrast to "the dust." "My honour" is not merely "my good name;" but as being parallel to "my soul," it means my noblest part; the glory of man above the brutes that perish, with whom he is only connected in his bodily part-the inner spirit, the breath

5_Let mine enemy pursue _It is a striking proof of the great confidence which David had in his own integrity, when he is willing to endure any kind of punishment, however dreadful, provided he should be found guilty of any crime. If we could bring a good conscience like this before God, his hand would be more quickly stretched forth to afford us immediate assistance. But as it often happens that those who molest us have been provoked by us, or that we burn with the desire of revenge when offended, we are unworthy of receiving succour from God; yea, our own impatience shuts the gate against our prayers. In the first place, David is prepared to be given over to the will of his enemies, that they may _seize his life, and throw it down to the ground; _and then to be publicly exhibited as an object of their mockery, so that, even after he is dead, he may lie under eternal disgrace. Some think...

1-9 David flees to God for succour. But Christ alone could call on Heaven to attest his uprightness in all things. All His works were wrought in righteousness; and the prince of this world found nothing whereof justly to accuse him. Yet for our sakes, submitting to be charged as guilty, he suffered all evils, but, being innocent, he triumphed over them all. The plea is, "For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." He knows the secret wickedness of the wicked, and how to bring it to an end; he is witness to the secret sincerity of the just, and has ways of establishing it. When a man has made peace with God about all his sins, upon the terms of grace and mercy, through the sacrifice of the Mediator, he may, in comparison with his enemies, appeal to God's justice to decide....

Verse Psalms 7:5. _LET THE ENEMY PERSECUTE MY SOUL_] If I have been guilty of the things laid to my charge, let the worst evils fall upon me....

LET THE ENEMY PERSECUTE MY SOUL - Persecute my “life,” for so the word rendered “soul,” נפשׁ _nephesh_, is evidently used here. He was willing, if he had been guilty of the thing charged upon him, that the enemy here referred to should “pursue” or persecute him until he should destroy his life. Compare with this the expression of Paul in Acts 25:11. The meaning here is simply that if he were a guilty man, in the manner charged on him, he would be willing to be treated accordingly. He did not wish to screen himself from any just treatment; and if he had been guilty he would not complain even if he were cut off from the land of the living. AND TAKE IT - Take my life; put me to death. YEA, LET HIM TREAD DOWN MY LIFE UPON THE EARTH - The allusion her

EXPOSITION THE composition of this psalm by David, asserted in the title, is generally allowed. Internal evidence seems to indicate for its date the earlier portion of David's public life—that during which he suffered persecution at the hands of Saul. There are two considerable difficulties connected with the title: (1) the meaning of "Shiggaion of David;" and (2) the determination of the identity of "Cush the Benjamite." "Shiggaion" is connected by some with the "Shigioneth" of Habakkuk 3:1, which is commonly explained to be a particular kind of tune or tunes. But the identity of the two words is uncertain, and the identity of their meaning, at an interval of nearly six centuries, is still more open to question. The meaning of "Shiggaion" has really to be _guessed _from the context; and the most proba

LET THE ENEMY PERSECUTE MY SOUL, AND TAKE [IT],.... That is, if the above things he was charged with could be proved against him; then he was content that Saul his enemy should pursue after him, and apprehend him, and bring him to justice, by taking away his life from him; YEA, LET HIM TREAD DOWN MY LIFE UPON THE EARTH; with the utmost indignation and contempt, without showing any mercy; as the lion treads down his prey, and tears it to pieces, Micah 5:8; or as the potter treads his clay under foot, Isaiah 41:25; AND LAY MINE HONOUR IN THE DUST; meaning either his life and soul, as before; denominating himself from his better part, and which he elsewhere calls his glory, Psalms 16:9; see...

Psalms 7 _ 1. Confidence and prayer (Psalms 7:1)_ 2. Unjust persecution (Psalms 7:3) 3. Arise Jehovah! (Psalms 7:6) 4. God's dealings in government (Psalms 7:11) 5. Thanksgiving (Psalms 7:17) Psalms 7:1. It has been suggested that over this Psalm should be written the sentence, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” David appealed to God to judge His cause, that a rig

VII. A AND VII. B. Here two Pss. have been welded together. In Psalms 7:1; Psalms 7:12 a man hard bestead in spite of his innocence pleads his cause before God. In Psalms 7:6 Israel personified asks for justice at God's hands and begs Him to summon all nations to the great assize, that they may attest the Divine sentence which declares Israel innocent. A. PSALMS 7:1; PSALMS 7:12. The parenthesis in Psalms 7:4 is difficult. Read with slight change of MT and with support of

ENEMY. foe. Hebrew. _'oyeb._ PERSECUTE... TAKE... TREAD. Figure of speech _Anabasis._ App-6. IT. me. SELAH. Connecting the treading down of Psalms 7:5 with the rising up of Jehovah. See App-66....