Charles Spurgeon

O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—

“Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. There can be no doubt upon that head, for thou hast seen all their transgressions, which indeed have been done in thy presence; and thou hast long enough endured their provocations, which have been so openly manifest…”

who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.

“For they speak against thee wickedly. Why should I bear their company when their talk sickens me? They vent their treasons and blasphemies as often as they please, doing so without the slightest excuse or provocation; let them therefore be gone, where they may find…”

Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?

“Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? He was a good hater, for he hated only those who hated good.”

I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.

“I hate them with perfect hatred. He does not leave it a matter of question. He does not occupy a neutral position. His hatred to bad, vicious, blasphemous men is intense, complete, energetic.”

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart. David is no accomplice with traitors. He has disowned them in set form, and now he appeals to God that he does not harbour a trace of fellowship with them.”

See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

“WE must all of us have a "way." We must be journeying, for this is not our resting place. We cannot abide in any one stay. "Forward" is the word of command. As the round earth never pauses but perpetually revolves.”

See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

“And see if there be any wicked way in me. See whether there be in my heart, or in my life, any evil habit unknown to myself. If there be such an evil way, take me from it, take it from me.”

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men. Protect me from men of violence,

“Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man. It reads like a clause of the Lord's prayer, "Deliver us from evil."”

who devise evil in their hearts and stir up war all day long.

“Which imagine mischiefs in their heart. They cannot be happy unless they are plotting and planning, conspiring and contriving. They seem to have but one heart, for they are completely agreed in their malice; and with all their heart and soul they pursue their victim.”

They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah

“They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. The rapid motion of a viper's tongue gives you the idea of its sharpening it; even thus do the malicious move their tongues at such a rate that one might suppose them to be in the very…”

Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Keep me safe from men of violence who scheme to make me stumble.

“Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked. To fall into their hands would be a calamity indeed.”

The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me. Selah

“The proud have hid a snare for me. Proud as they are, they stoop to this mean action: they use a snare, and they hide it away, that their victim may be taken like a poor hare who is killed without warning—killed in its usual…”

I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, O LORD, my cry for help.

“I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God. Here was David's stay and hope. He was assured that Jehovah was his God, he expressed that assurance, and he expressed it before Jehovah himself.”

O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You shield my head in the day of battle.

“O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. When he looked back upon past dangers and deliverances, the good man felt that he should have perished had not the Lord held a shield over…”

Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not promote their evil plans, lest they be exalted. Selah

“Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked. Even they are dependent upon thee they can do no more than thou dost permit. Thou dost restrain them; not a dog of them can move his tongue without thy leave and license.”

May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

“As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.”

May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again.

“Let burning coals fall upon them. Then will they know that the scattering of the firebrands is not the sport they thought it to be. When hailstones and coals of fire descend upon them, how will they escape?”

May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.

“Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth. For that would be an established plague, a perpetual curse.”

I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor and defends the cause of the needy.

“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and, the right of the poor. All through the Psalm the writer is bravely confident, and speaks of things about which he had no doubt: in fact, no Psalm can be more grandly…”

Surely the righteous will praise Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name. The former Psalm had its "surely", but this is a more pleasing one. As surely as God will slay the wicked he will save the oppressed, and fill their hearts and mouths with praises.”

I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You.

“Lord, I cry unto thee. This is my last resort: prayer never fails me. My prayer is painful and feeble, and worthy only to be called a cry; but it is a cry unto Jehovah, and this ennobles it.”

May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.

“Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense. As incense is carefully prepared, kindled with holy fire, and devoutly presented unto God, so let my prayer be. We are not to look upon prayer as easy work requiring no thought.”

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. That mouth had been used in prayer, it would be a pity it should ever be defiled with untruth, or pride, or wrath; yet so it will become unless carefully watched, for these intruders are ever lurking…”

Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.

“Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness. He prefers the bitters of gracious company to the dainties of the ungodly. He would rather be smitten by the righteous than feasted by the wicked.”

When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

“This is a verse of which the meaning seems far to seek. Does it refer to the righteous among the Israelites? We think so.”