Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off,.... That raises and spreads a false report of him; that insinuates evil things of him; that brings false charges and accusations against him, in a private manner, when he has no opportunity to defend himself: such an one David threatens to cut off from his presence, as Kimchi interprets it; from all communion and conversation with him; and yet he listened to the slanders of Ziba against Mephibosheth: but Christ, who knows the hearts and the secret actions of men, will reject and cut off all persons of such a character: the Targum is,
"he that speaketh with a triple tongue against his neighbour, him will I destroy, and he shall be smitten with the leprosy:''
a slandering tongue is called a triple tongue with the Jews m, because, as they say, it kills three persons; him that carries the slander, him that receives it, and him of whom it is related; see the Apocrypha:
"Whoso hearkeneth unto it shall never find rest, and never dwell quietly.'' (Sirach 28:16)
him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer; or, "I cannot" n; that is, cannot bear him in my presence and company; cannot look upon him with any pleasure and delight: the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and the Oriental versions, render it, "with him I will not eat": have no familiarity or acquaintance with him; see 1 Corinthians 5:11, such who looked above others, and with contempt upon them, whose hearts were large, as the word o signifies, were ambitious and insatiable, and never had enough of riches and honour; such were very contrary to David's character, and could never be agreeable to him, Psalms 121:1, as the proud and haughty Pharisees were not to Christ, Luke 18:9, and the man of sin that exalts himself above all that is called God, that little horn, whose look is more stout than his fellows, 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
m T. Bab. Erahin, fol. 15. 2. Vide Targum Jon. in Deut. 27. 4. n לא אוכל "non potero", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus; "ferre", Musculus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis. o רחב לבב "vastum corde", Montanus "latum corde", Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.