But in mine adversity they rejoiced - Margin, as in Hebrew, “halting.” That is, when reverses and troubles came upon me; when, in my journey of life, I seemed to stumble.
And gathered themselves together - Not to help me, but to oppose me, and to deride me.
Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me - The word rendered “abjects” - נכים nēkiym - has been very variously rendered. The Septuagint renders it: μάστιγις mastiges, “scourges;” so the Vulgate, “flagella.” Our translators evidently regarded it as meaning the low, the vile, the outcasts of society; but this idea is not necessarily implied in the Hebrew word. The word used here is derived from a verb - נכה nâkâh - which means to smite, to strike, to beat; and it would be correctly rendered in this place, “those smiting,” or “beating:” - “the smiters.” But probably the allusion is to the “tongue” - to those who, as it were, smite or beat with the tongue; that is, who rail or revile: those who are slanderous. Compare Jeremiah 18:18; Gesenius (Lexicon). Others have supposed that it means “lame;” that is, those who limp or halt - meaning that all classes of persons gathered themselves together. But probably the true idea is that which is expressed above, that he was surrounded by slanderers and revilers.
And I knew it not - Hebrew, “I knew not;” that is, I knew nothing of what they accused me of; I was wholly ignorant of the charges brought against me. See the notes at Psalms 35:11.
They did tear me - See the notes at Job 16:9. The idea here is that they “tore” or “rent” with words; or, as we say in English, they “tore him in pieces;” that is, they railed at, or reviled him, tearing his character in pieces.
And ceased not - It was not one act only; it was continuous and unceasing. They did it when alone; and they gathered themselves together to do it; they countenanced and encouraged one another.