Charles Spurgeon

In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.

“The proud boastings and lewd blessings of the wicked have been received in evidence against him, and now his own face confirms the accusation, and his empty closet cries aloud against him. "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God."”

He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes.

“"His ways are always grievous." To himself they are hard. Men go a rough road when they go to hell. God has hedged-up the way of sin: O what folly to leap these hedges and fall among the thorns!”

He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.”

“The testimony of the sixth verse concludes the evidence against the prisoner upon the first charge of pride, and certainly it is conclusive in the highest degree.”

His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue.

“Let us now hear the witnesses in court. Let the wretch speak for himself, for out of his own mouth he will be condemned. "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud."”

He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.

“Despite the bragging of this base wretch, it seems that he is as cowardly as he is cruel. "He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor."”

He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.

“The picture becomes blacker, for here is the cunning of the lion, and of the huntsman, as well as the stealthiness of the robber. Surely there are some men who come up to the very letter of this description.”

They are crushed and beaten down; the hapless fall prey to his strength.

“"He croucheth and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones." Seeming humility is often armour-bearer to malice. The lion crouches that he may leap with the greater force, and bring down his strong limbs upon his prey.”

He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.”

“As upon the former count, so upon this one; a witness is forthcoming, who has been listening at the keyhole of the heart. Speak up, friend, and let us hear your story.”

Arise, O LORD! Lift up Your hand, O God! Do not forget the helpless.

“With what bold language will faith address its God! and yet what unbelief is mingled with our strongest confidence.”

Why has the wicked man renounced God? He says to himself, “You will never call me to account.”

“In these verses the description of the wicked is condensed, and the evil of his character traced to its source, viz., atheistical ideas with regard to the government of the world.”

But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

“This vile suggestion receives its answer in verse 14. "Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand." God is all-eye to see, and all-hand to punish his enemies.”

But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

“GOD is the poor man's Friend. The poor man, in his helplessness and despair, leaves his case in the hands of God and God undertakes to care for him.”

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found.

“In this verse we hear again the burden of the psalmist's prayer: "Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man."”

The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts.

“The Psalm ends with a song of thanksgiving to the great and everlasting King, because he has granted the desire of his humble and oppressed people, has defended the fatherless, and punished the heathen who trampled upon his poor and afflicted children.”

You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,

“NOTICE at the outset, the logic of this verse. It is very simple, very forcible, very accurate logic. It runs thus—"You have"—"You will." "Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble: You will prepare their heart."”

In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain!

“These verses contain an account of a temptation to distrust God, with which David was, upon some unmentioned occasion, greatly exercised.”

For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

“How forcibly the case is put! The bow is bent, the arrow is fitted to the string: "Flee, flee, thou defenceless bird, thy safety lies in flight; begone, for thine enemies will send their shafts into thy heart; haste, haste, for soon wilt thou be…”

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

“It was equally correct that the very foundations of law and justice were destroyed under Saul's unrighteous government: but what were all these things to the man whose trust was in God alone?”

The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence.

“"The Lord trieth the righteous:" he doth not hate them, but only tries them. They are precious to him, and therefore he refines them with afflictions.”

On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.

“"But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth:"why, then, shall I flee from these wicked men? If God hateth them, I will not fear them.”

For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.

“The delightful contrast of the last verse is well worthy of our observation, and it affords another overwhelming reason why we should be stedfast, unmoveable, not carried away with fear, or led to adopt carnal expedients in order to avoid trial.”

Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

“"Help, Lord." A short but sweet, suggestive, seasonable, and serviceable prayer; a kind of angel's sword, to be turned every way, and to be used on all occasions.”

Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

“THIS was a prayer of David. It was offered under peculiar circumstances. He had been treacherously betrayed again and again.”

They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.

“"They speak vanity every one with his neighbour." They utter that which is vain to hear, because of its frivolous, foolish, want of worth; vain to believe, because it was false and lying; vain to trust to, since it was deceitful and flattering; vain to…”

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?”

“Total destruction shall overwhelm the lovers of flattery and pride, but meanwhile how they hector and fume! Well did the apostle call them "raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame."”