Who whet their tongue like a sword, [and] bend [their bows to shoot] their arrows, [even] bitter words:
Ver. 3. Who whet their tongue like a sword] The tongue in its form resembleth a flaming sword, and being set on fire of hell, it woundeth deeply and dangerously. It is ordinary with David to compare aulicas criminationes cum armis castrensibus, court calumnies with warlike weapons, Psalms 5:6; Psalms 5:9,10 Psa 11:5-6 Psalms 57:4. See there.
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows] Heb. bend their arrow, that is, as Psalms 11:2, "they bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string," &c. See a like phrase Jeremiah 9:3 .
Even bitter words] Virulent and venomous, quae leviter volant, non leviter violant; for as Medius in Plutarch saith, though the wound they make be haply healed, yet there will be still a scar, ηη ουλη μενει της διαβολης (Plut.). An aspersion, though not fully believed, leaveth behind it a lower estimation of the party than before.