Psalms 119:157

Psa 119:157 Many [are] my persecutors and mine enemies; [yet] do I not decline from thy testimonies.

Ver. 157. Many are my persecutors] Truth never wanted an adversary; and goes seldom without a scratched face.

Yet do I not decline] But still adhere to thy word; when others fall off as fast as leaves fall from trees in autumn.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa_119:157-160

Many are my persecutors and mine enemies.

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The trials and traits of piety

I. The trials of piety. They are twofold--objective and subjective.

1. Objective. Many are my persecutors and enemies. In the world ye shall have tribulation, etc. The seed of the serpent is always darting its venomous sting into the sensibilities of the seed of the woman.

2. The subjective. I beheld, etc. Transgressors here points especially to apostates from Divine truth. In sooth all sin is moral apostasy, and all sin strikes sorrow into the heart of the pious.

II. The traits of piety.

1. Steadfast adherence to truth. Yet I declined not from Thy testimonies. Whatever happens, hold fast to truth.

2. Loving devotion to rectitude. Consider how I love Thy precepts. It is characteristic of a godly man that he delights in the law of God.

3. Devout craving for a higher life. Quicken me, etc. I count not myself to have attained, etc. Excelsior! is the watchword of the Christly soul.

4. A settled consciousness of the truth of God. Thy Word is true, or, Thy Word is truth, and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. That is the sum total, and each unit of the sum of Gods commandments is truth and perfection (Joh_3:33). (Homilist)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 119:157-160. Many are my persecutors — David, being a public person, had many enemies. In this he was a type both of Christ and of his church. The enemies, the persecutors of both, are many, implacable and unwearied in their endeavours against them. Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies — Though they tempt me so to do, and persecute me because I will not do it: for I know while I adhere to them God is for me, and then I need not regard who is against me. A man that is steady in the way of his duty, though he may have many enemies, he needs to fear none. I beheld transgressors — I observed and considered their ungodly courses; and was grieved — Commiserating their sin and folly, and distressed to think of the misery they were bringing on themselves; because they kept not thy word — And thereby exposed themselves to thy wrath and indignation. Consider how I love thy precepts — My love to which is the cause of my grief for the violation of them. Thy word is true from the beginning — From the beginning of the world. “God’s word, and every article of his law, was, and ever will be, truth, first and last; what he spoke first was truth, and so will be every determination of his to the end of the world.” — Waterland.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

157. (Psa 119:157) Many (are) my persecutors and oppressors; from thy testimonies I decline not. The second noun is often rendered adversaries, as in Psa 119:139, but it may here be taken in its primary sense, which is near akin to that of the preceding word. I decline not, and have not declined, deviated, swerved.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here is, 1. David surrounded with difficulties and dangers: Many are my persecutors and my enemies. When Saul the king was his persecutor and enemy no marvel that many more were so: multitudes will follow the pernicious ways of abused authority. David, being a public person, had many enemies, but withal he had many friends, who loved him and wished him well; let him set the one over-against the other. In this David was a type both of Christ and his church. The enemies, the persecutors, of both, are many, very many. 2. David established in the way of his duty, notwithstanding: "Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies, as knowing that while I adhere to them God is for me; and then no matter who is against me." A man who is steady in the way of his duty, though he may have many enemies, needs fear none.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

157. My persecutors and oppressors are many. The Psalmist here as in other places testifies, that although he had been provoked by many injuries, yet he had not departed from the right way; which, as I have elsewhere observed, was an evidence of great and singular constancy. It is an easy matter to act well when we are among the good; but if wicked men afflict us, if one man openly assault us by force, if another rob us of our property, if a third circumvent us by wiles, and a fourth attack us by calumnies, it is difficult for us to persevere in our integrity, and we rather begin to howl among the wolves. Besides, the license which is allowed them of doing what they please without the fear of being punished, is a powerful engine for shaking our faith, because, when God thus winks at the wicked, he seems to abandon us for a prey. The Prophet therefore, by God’s testimonies, means not only the rule of holy and righteous living, but also the promises. Lord, as if he had said, I have not turned away from the path of integrity, although the conduct of the wicked has presented me with a temptation to do so; nor have I shaken off nay confidence in thy grace, but have waited patiently for thy succor. Both these are necessary. For although he who has suffered wrongs may contend against the malice of his enemies by his well — doing, and may refrain from every act of retaliation, yet, provided he does not depend wholly upon God, this uprightness will not be sufficient to save him. Not that any man behaves himself in a manner so moderate, except he who leans upon God and waits upon him as his deliverer; but granting that such could be the ease, there would not be sufficient power in this half virtue to save him. The salvation of God is reserved for the faithful who ask it in the exercise of lively faith. And whoever, persuaded that God will be his deliverer, pillars and supports his mind on the divine promises, will endeavor also to overcome evil with good.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

SCHIN.--The Twenty-first Part.

SCHIN. Princes have persecuted me without a cause,.... These were either the princes of the Philistines at the court of Achish; or the princes of Israel, who joined in the conspiracy with Absalom; or the princes in Saul's court, as Kimchi observes; who insinuated that David had evil designs against the king, drove him from abiding in the Lord's inheritance, and pursued him from place to place, as a partridge on the mountains, Sa1 29:4; and all which was without any cause or reason on his part; and which, as it was an aggravation of the sin of his persecutors, so it was an alleviation of his affliction: in this he was, a type of Christ, against whom the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers took counsel together; Herod, Pontius Pilate, and others, the princes of this world, who crucified the Lord of glory, and hated him without a cause; who was holy and harmless, and never did any injury to any man's person or property, Psa 2:2;

but my heart standeth in awe of thy word: not in awe of the princes, but of the word of God; he had a greater regard to that than to them: when they in effect said, "go, serve other gods", Sa1 26:19; he remembered what the word of God says, "thou shall have no other gods before me", Exo 20:3; and this was a means of preserving him from sinning. Kimchi thinks some respect is had to the word of God by Nathan the prophet, "I will raise up evil against thee out of thine house", &c. Sa2 12:11; and he was afraid, on account of this word, lest he should fall into the hands of the princes: but it seems not to be an excruciating tormenting fear that is here meant; but a high regard for, and a holy reverence of the word of God, or a reverential affection for it; such as is consistent with the highest joy on account of it, as follows.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Many are my persecutors and mine enemies - The thought here turns on the number of his enemies, and on the effect which numbers might have in turning one from the way of truth. We might meet one such enemy, and overcome him; we might resist the influence of one in endeavoring to turn us away from the truth, but the danger of falling is much increased when numbers are combined in persecuting us, or in seeking to turn us away from our religion - when it becomes unpopular to be a professed friend of God.

Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies - I still adhere to thee; I still maintain my integrity, notwithstanding all this. See the notes at Psa 119:51.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Though they tempt me to do so, and persecute me because I will not do it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 157. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies. Those who actually assail me, or who secretly abhor me, are many. He sets this over against the many tender mercies of God. It seems a strange thing that a truly godly man, as David was, should have many enemies; but it is inevitable. The disciple cannot be loved where his Master is hated. The seed of the serpent must oppose the seed of the woman: it is their nature.

Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies. He did not deviate from the truth of God, but proceeded in the straight way, however many adversaries might endeavour to block up his path. Some men have been led astray by one enemy, but here is a saint who held on his way in the teeth of many persecutors. There is enough in the testimonies of God to recompense us for pushing forward against all the hosts that may combine against us. So long as they cannot drive or draw us into a spiritual decline our foes have done us no great harm, and they have accomplished nothing by their malice. If we do not decline they are defeated. If they cannot make us sin they have missed their mark. Faithfulness to the truth is victory over our enemies.

Ver. 157. Persecutors. A participle from the verb rendered pursue, chase. "Enemies, "as in verse 139, the authors of my distress. Until men are hunted and hounded by many enemies, who for the time have power, and are withal fierce and to some extent unscrupulous, they can have but a faint conception of the anguish of the prophet when he experienced the evils noted in this verse. Yet they did not move him from his constancy and integrity. William S. Plurner.

Ver. 157.

1. A word of multitude: "many."

2. A tendency of dread, viz., a tendency to decline.

3. A note of consolation: "yet do I not decline, "

Psalms 119:158*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Many are my persecutors and mine enemies. Hitherto this had been implied (vers. 22, 23, 51, 61, etc.) rather than expressed. Now the thought of Psa_25:18 comes over the writer, "Consider mine enemies, for they are many." Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies. Repeated from ver. 51.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My persecutors

"Those who persecute me"

I have not turned from

This is an idiom. "I have not stopped obeying" or "I have not stopped believing" (See: Idiom)

covenant decrees

Other possible meanings are "testimonies" or "laws." See how this is translated in Psalms 78:5.

the treacherous

The adjective "treacherous" can be translated as a noun phrase. AT: "treacherous people" or "those who betray me" or "my enemies" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

do not keep

"do not obey"

translationWords

persecute

turn

covenant

decree

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.