But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: [yea], the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not; they did tear [me], and ceased not:
Ver. 15. But in mine adversity] Heb. in my halting; when through weakness I could not but halt before my best friends, as we say. Morbus est sic dictus quia incedere nequit nisi cum doloro quasi claudicando (Aben-Ezra).
Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together] Claudi congregati sunt, et secundum claudicationem meam claudicabant, ut me deriderent, so the Syriac senseth it. They halted, as I did, by way of derision; but they should have known, first, that mocking is catching, as we say. Cicero confesseth that while he laughed at one Hircus, a very ridiculous man, he became as bad almost himself: Dum illum rideo, pene factus sum ille (Epist. 9, lib. 2). Secondly, that such cruel mockings are grievous sins, and such as God will severely punish. Some render it the smiters, that is, the tongue smiters, as Jeremiah 18:18. Others, the smitten, that is, the abjects, the vile persons: the basest can mock, as did Tobiah the servant, Nehemiah 2:19, and those pests, Psalms 1:1 .
And I knew not] Or, such as I knew not, took no notice of, they were so base. See the like, Job 30:8 .
They did tear me] sc. With their tongues, as dogs toss and tear carrion with their teeth, Scindunt illud quod reparare nequeunt, non per pcenitentiam, saith Kimchi. They tear that which they cannot make good again, no, not by repentance, viz. my good name. Or, they rent, sc. their garments, as if they had been very sorry for me, as Gen 37:36 Job 2:12. This they did, as Austin speaketh, simulatione miseriae, non compassione misericordiae, out of deep dissimulation.