Arise, O Lord, in thine anger - That is, to punish him who thus unjustly persecutes me. See the notes at Psalms 3:7.
Lift up thyself - As if he had been lying in repose and inaction. The idea is derived from a warrior who is called on to go forth and meet an enemy.
Because of the rage of mine enemies - Not only of this particular enemy, but of those who were associated with him, and perhaps of all his foes. David felt, on this occasion, that he was surrounded by enemies; and he calls on God to interfere and save him.
And awake for me - Or, in my behalf. The word “awake” is a still stronger expression than those which he had before used. It implies that one had been asleep, and insensible to what had occurred, and he addresses God “as if” He had thus been insensible to the dangers which surrounded him.
To the judgment that thou hast commanded - To execute the judgment which thou hast appointed or ordered. That is, God had, in his law, commanded that justice should be done, and had proclaimed himself a God of justice - requiring that right should be done on the earth, and declaring himself in all cases the friend of right. David now appeals to him, and calls on him to manifest himself in that character, as executing in this case the justice which he required under the great principles of his administration. He had commanded justice to be done in all cases. He had required that the wicked should be punished. He had ordered magistrates to execute justice. In accordance with these great principles, David now calls on God to manifest “himself” as the friend of justice, and to show, in this case, the same principles, and the same regard to justice which he required in others. It is an earnest petition that he would vindicate his own principles of administration.