Psalms 64:1-4 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

Preserve my life from fear That is, from danger: the act or passion of fear being often put for its object, danger, as Psalms 14:5; 1 Peter 3:14, and frequently elsewhere. Hide me from the secret counsels of the wicked That is, from the ill effects of their plots against me. Who shoot their arrows Of which phrase, see notes on Psalms 58:7. Even bitter words Slanderous and pernicious speeches against me. That they may shoot in secret Lying in ambush, or hiding themselves in secret places, as fowlers commonly do; at the perfect Or, upright man; that is, at me, who, in spite of all their calumnies, dare avow that my heart is perfect with God, and that I am blameless as to them, having given them no just provocation; suddenly At the very first opportunity; do they shoot at him, and fear not Neither fear men, because they conceal their actions from them, as appears from the foregoing and following words; nor God, whose judgments they despise.

Psalms 64:1-4

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.