“Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.”
Why. Let me know the enormity of my sins. All Israel follows Absalom, 2 Kings xv. 13. So all rose up against Christ. (Worthington) — The Church was assailed on all sides, (Calmet) and every soul must live in expectation of battle from innumerable enemies. Hebrew also, (Haydock) “How are they multiplied.” (Houbigant) — David is surprised at the sudden change, and adores the depth of God’s judgments, which had been denounced unto him, 1 Kings xii. 10. (Calmet)
“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. for: or, about”
God. His case is desperate. (Worthington) — He must therefore be a criminal. This is the usual judgment of the world, though very false, as we have seen in the person of Job; for temporal punishments are frequently an effect of the divine clemency. Semei upbraided David on this occasion, as the Jews did Christ, 2 Kings xvi. 7., and Matthew xxvii. 42. At the end of this verse, Hebrew adds, Selah, (Calmet) sle and Septuagint diapsalma, (Haydock) a word which is not much better understood. Houbigant therefore informs us that he has omitted it entirely, as the Vulgate seems to have done, except [in] Psalm lxi. 8., where it is rendered, in æternum, “for ever,” (Berthier) as St. Jerome expresses it semper, in his Hebrew version. It would perhaps be as well to leave the original term. (Haydock) — It occurs seventy-one times in the psalms, and thrice in Habacuc. Some think it is a sign to raise the voice, or to pause, &c., (Berthier) at the end of the lesson, before the psalter was divided. None, except Eusebius, asserts that it was inserted by the original authors, and it seems now to be useless. (Calmet, Dis.)
“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”
Protector. Hebrew, “shield.” — Glory. God is the hope of his servants, (1 Corinthians xv. 31.) and grants their requests. (Calmet) — He has not abandoned me, when I had fallen into sin. (Haydock) — He gives me the victory, and confirms my throne. (Worthington)
“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”
Hill. Sion, where the ark had been placed, (Calmet) or from heaven. (Menochius) — Hebrew adds, “Selah.” (Protestants) (Haydock)
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”
Rest, in sin; (St. Athanasius) or, I have not lost my confidence in God, though dangers threaten on every side. (Calmet) — Jesus remained undaunted, when his enemies surrounded him; he continued (Theodoret, &c.) free among the dead, and rose again by his own power. (Haydock) — If he prayed that the chalice might be removed, it was to teach us how to behave. (Calmet) — He was buried, and rose again, and his disciples believed the Scriptures (John ii. 22.) recorded here, and in other places. (Worthington) — The same word refers to past and future things. (St. Gregory, Mor. xx. 1.) (Worthington)
“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.”
Thousands. Septuagint, “myriads.” (Haydock) — If my enemies were still more numerous, I should not fear. (Calmet) — I beseech thee to help me. (Worthington)
“Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”
Without cause. Hebrew, “on the jaw.” (Haydock) — Without redress. (Calmet) — Septuagint seems to have read leinom, as “some Jews say that the ancient copies were different.” (Origen, A.D. 231.) (Kennicott) — Teeth. Strength and fury.
Blessing. Abundance of grace is promised to God’s servants, who must look up to him for salvation. David gives thanks for the victory, though he grieved at his son’s death. (Worthington) — He shewed proofs of the greatest clemency on this occasion. It is evident, from this psalm being inserted before many which regard Saul, that no chronological order is observed. (Calmet) — Selah occurs a third time here, as some may have ended the lecture at one, while others ordered it to be continued to another, or even to the 3rd or 5th verse of the next psalm, if that be its real import. (Haydock)