Verse 1

"To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David." Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O a congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

(a) You counsellors of Saul, who under pretence of consulting for the common wealth, conspire my death being an innocent.

Verse 2

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of b your hands in the earth.

(b) You are not ashamed to execute that cruelty publicly, which you have imagined in your hearts.

Verse 3

The wicked c are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

(c) That is, enemies to the people of God even from their birth.

Verse 4

Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf d adder [that] stoppeth her ear;

(d) They pass in malice and subtilty the crafty serpent who could preserve himself by stopping his ears from the enchanter.

Verse 6

Break their e teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

(e) Take away all opportunity and means by which they hurt.

Verse 7

Let them f melt away as waters [which] run continually: [when] he bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

(f) Considering God's divine power, he shows that God in a moment can destroy their force of which they brag.

Verse 9

g Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in [his] wrath.

(g) As flesh is taken raw out of the pot before the water boils: so he desires God to destroy their enterprises before they bring them to pass.

Verse 10

The righteous shall h rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the i blood of the wicked.

(h) With a pure affection.

(i) Their punishment and slaughter will be so great.

Verse 11

So that a man shall say, k Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

(k) Seeing God governs all by his providence, he must put a difference between the godly and the wicked.