Psalms 64:2

Psa 64:2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Ver. 2. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked] Or, from the mystery of evil doers, from the Church malignant, that mystery of iniquity. See the contrary, Psa 111:1.

From the insurrection, &c.] Heb. from their tumult, their hurricum, their open force, as well as from their secret fraud. Let thy protection equal their projects, who turn every stone to undo me.

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.

3. (Psa 64:2). Thou wilt hide me from the secret of evil doers, from the tumult of the workers of iniquity. By secret we are here to understand their confidential consultations and the devices there matured. See above, on Psa 25:14. The participle doing evil, used as a noun (evil doers) to describe the whole class of wicked men, is a favourite expression of David's. See above, Psa 22:16; Psa 26:5; Psa 27:2; Psa 37:1; Psa 37:9. As secrecy belongs, to the formation of the plot, so does noise or tumult to its execution. The same figures are combined, but in a very different application, Psa 55:14.

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

That is, from their secret malice.

To wit, their outward violence.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

insurrection--literally, "uproar," noisy assaults, as well as their secret counsels.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Hide me from the secret counsel] They plotted his destruction, and then formed insurrections in order to accomplish it.

Workers of iniquity] Those who made sin their labour, their daily employment; it was their occupation and trade. It is supposed that by this title the Babylonians are intended. See Ps 6:3; Ps 14:4; Ps 36:12; Ps 53:4; Ps 59:2.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Secret counsel . . . insurrection—Better, secret league (sôd) . . . noisy gathering (rigshah). For sôd see Psa_25:14, and for rigshah see Note to Psa_2:2.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. Thou wilt hide me from the secret council of evil doers,

From the tumultuous throng of workers of iniquity.

i.e. from secret machinations and open attack. The cognate verbs are used together in Psa_2:1-2 (tumultuously assemble, R.V. marg.; take counsel). Cp. Psa_31:13. The same words occur in Psa_55:14, but in a good sense.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked,.... The word used denotes both the place where wicked men meet together for consultation; see Gen 49:6; and the counsel itself they there take; from the bad effects of which the psalmist desired to be hid and preserved. So Saul and his courtiers secretly took counsel against David, and the Jews against Christ, and that very privily and secretly; see Mat 26:3;

from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity; their noise, rage, and tumult; see Psa 2:1. The former phrase denotes their secret machinations and designs, and this their open violence; and the persons that entered into such measures are no other than evildoers and workers of iniquity; though they might be under a profession of religion, as David's enemies, and the Jews, who were Christ's enemies, were, Mat 7:22; and who are further described in the next verses.

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

Hide me - Or, more literally, thou wilt hide me. There is both an implied prayer that this might be done, and a confident belief that it would be done. The idea is, Protect me; guard me; make me safe - as one is who is hidden or concealed so that his enemies cannot find him.

From the secret counsel - The word used here - סוד sôd - means properly couch, cushion; and then, a divan, a circle of friends sitting together on couches for familiar conversation, or for counsel. See Psa 25:14, note; Psa 55:14, note; compare Job 15:8; Job 29:4. Here the reference is to the consultations of his enemies for the purpose of doing him wrong. Of course, as they took this counsel together, he could not know it, and the word secret is not improperly applied to it. The idea here is, that although he did not know what that counsel or purpose was, or what was the result of their consultations, yet God knew, and he could guard him against it.

Of the wicked - Not the wicked in general, but his particular foes who were endeavoring to destroy him. Luther renders this, “from the assembling of the wicked.”

From the insurrection - The word used here - רגשׁה rigshâh - means properly a “noisy crowd, a multitude.” The allusion is to such a crowd, such a disorderly and violent rabble, as constituted a mob. He was in danger not only from the secret purposes of the more calm and thoughtful of his enemies who were plotting against him, but from the excited passions of the multitude, and thus his life was in double danger. If he escaped the one, he had no security that he would escape the other. So the Redeemer was exposed to a double danger. There was the danger arising from the secret plottings of the Scribes and Pharisees assembled in council, and there was also the danger arising from the infuriated passions of the multitude. The former calmly laid the plan for putting him to death by a judicial trial; the others took up stones to stone him, or cried, “Crucify him, crucify him!” The word insurrection here does not well express the idea. The word tumult would better represent the meaning of the original.

Of the workers of iniquity - That is, of those who were arrayed against him.

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

From the secret counsel, i.e. from the ill effects of their plots against me.

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

Ver. 2. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked. From their hidden snares hide me. Circumvent their counsel; let their secrets be met by thy secret providence, their counsels of malice by thy counsels of love.

From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity. When their secret counsels break forth into clamorous tumults, be thou still my preserver. When they think evil, let thy divine thoughts defeat them; and when they do evil, let thy powerful justice overthrow them: in both cases, let me be out of reach of their cruel hand, and even out of sight of their evil eye. It is a good thing to conquer malicious foes, but a better thing still to be screened from all conflict with them, by being hidden from the strife. The Lord knows how to give his people peace, and when he wills to make quiet, he is more than a match for all disturbers, and can defeat alike their deep laid plots and their overt hostilities.

None.

Ver. 2. (first clause). Applied to Satan.

I. The danger considered.

1. The enemy, wicked, mighty, malicious, experienced.

2. His counsel. He tempts cunningly, and with deliberation.

3. The secrecy of it. He may be exciting others against me, or sowing evil in myself. II. The deliverance implored. Hide me.

1. Keep me from being tempted.

2. Keep me from evil when tempted.

3. Bring me out of it all unharmed.

4. Meanwhile, let me be in thy secret place. III. The consolation of faith.

1. God does preserve praying ones.

2. Our enemy is his enemy.

3. He has preserved us.

4. We are his own.

5. His honour is involved.

Psalms 64:3*

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

2. Secret counsel—Conspiracy, dark plotting.

Insurrection—The word signifies a tumultuous assembly, a rushing together of the masses, as Psa_2:1; a noisy crowd, Psa_55:14. The secret counsel of Saul and the leaders of the nation gave birth to open demonstrations on the part of the people, both which are here deprecated.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity. The first danger is from secret plots, which David knows to be going on against his authority. (2Sa_15:1-12) The second, and greater danger, will be from open insurrection. (2Sa_17:1-14)

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

Hear, O God, my voice in my prayer The authors of Aggadoth Tehllim (Mid. Ps.) interpreted this psalm as referring to Daniel, who was cast into the lions’ den. The language of the psalm fits the Aggadah very well. David foresaw with the holy spirit all that would happen to him [Daniel], and prayed for him, because Daniel was his descendant. As was said to Hezekiah (Isa. 39:7): “And they shall take [some] of your sons, etc., whom you shall beget, and they shall be officers in the palace of the king of Babylon.” These are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

from fear of the enemy These are the satraps, who plotted against him, as it is stated (Dan. 6:5): “Then the viziers and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.