Commentary on Psalms Volume 2 John Calvin
Psalm 64
PSALM 64
This psalm expresses the language of complaint and prayer. David, in order that he may incline God to compassionate his case, dwells upon the injustice and cruelty, the intrigues and deceitfulness of his enemies. At the close, his eyes are directed to God, in the anticipation of a joyful deliverance from their hands.
To the chief musician. A Psalm of David.
Psalm 64:1-6
1. Hear my voice, O God: in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 2. Hide me from the counsel of the wicked; from the assembly of the workers of iniquity. 3. For they have whetted their tongue like a sword; they have directed [or aimed 439 ] for their arrow a bitter word, [or report.] 4. To shoot in secret at the perfect; suddenly will they shoot, and not fear. 5. They assure themselves in an evil work, they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? 6. They have searched out iniquities, they have accomplished
The original word,דרךdarach, signifies to go, to send out, direct, and is used in different senses, according to the objects to which it is applied. "But most especially it is used of a bow or arrows. If of,קשתa bow, then it is to bend it; if of,חציםarrows, then it is not so properly to shoot as to prepare, or direct them. So Psalm 58:7, 'He directeth or prepareth his arrows;' so here, 'they direct, or aim, or make ready their arrows.' Parallel to which is that of Jeremiah 9:3, where being applied to the tongue, as to a bow that shoots out lying words, as arrows, it must be rendered bend; but here applied to words as arrows, direct, and not bend." — Hammond