Verse 3

How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

Ye — Mine enemies; to whom now he turns his speech.

Against — Against me, a man like yourselves, whom common humanity obliges you to pity.

Verse 9

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

Vanity — Vain, and helpless creatures.

A lie — They promise much, but generally deceive those who trust in them.

Verse 10

Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

Vain — Feeding yourselves with vain hopes of felicity, from those riches which you take from others by violence.

Verse 11

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

Spoken — Frequently, both immediately as at Sinai, and by his holy prophets, from time to time.

That — That power is God's prerogative; and consequently all creatures, either against or without him, are poor impotent things.

Verse 12

Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

Therefore — God is almighty, therefore he can easily destroy all his enemies: he is also merciful, and therefore will pardon good mens failings.

Renderest — And this as he is obliged to do by his holy nature, so is he able to do it, being omnipotent, and willing to do it to the godly (which was the only thing that might be doubted, because of their manifold miscarriages) because he is merciful and gracious.