Psalms 7:5

Psa 7:5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it]; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

Ver. 5. Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it] Thus he cleareth himself by a holy imprecation (the Spanish Bible hath the Shiggaion Davidis, in the title, Purgatio Davidis, as the same Hebrew word חשׁא signifieth both sin and purification from sin, Psa 51:1-19), taking God to witness his innocence and good conscience, and wishing evil to himself if it were otherwise. This he did from a good cause, in a good manner, and for a good end. And not as many profane ones do today, who, taxed, though never so truly, with some evil they have done, seek to justify themselves by appealing to God, and calling for his curse upon them if guilty; who, therefore, striketh such impudent imprecators immediately, as Anne Averies and others. See Mr Clark’s Mirror.

And tread down my life] Heb. my lives; so usually called, saith an interpreter, for the many faculties and operations that are in life, the many years, degrees, estates thereof.

And lay mine honour in the dust. Selah] Let him brand me for a most treacherous, ignominious wretch, and let me lie buried in a bog of indelible infamy.

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 7:5. Let the enemy persecute my soul, &c. — I am contented, and wish that Saul may so persecute my life as to overtake it, and take it away. And lay mine honour in the dust — Meaning either 1st, that honourable and royal dignity for which he was designed; or, 2d, his reputation and memory: or, rather, 3d, his soul or life, mentioned in the former clause, it being very usual to express the same thing by different words or phrases in one verse: thus we may observe a gradation here. 1st, Let him persist to persecute it; 2d, take it; 3d, tread it down, or destroy it; and, 4th, lay it in the dust, or bury it, to prevent all hopes of restitution. So that the evils which David imprecates on himself, if he were such a person as his adversaries represented him to be, are persecution, apprehension, death, and disgrace.

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

6. (Psa 7:5). His consciousness of innocence is expressed in the strongest manner by invoking the divine displeasure if the charge can be established. An enemy, or by poetic licence, the enemy, whether Saul or the ideal enemy referred to in Psa 7:3 (2), shall pursue, or may pursue, which is equivalent to saying, Let the enemy pursue my soul, the figure being still the same as in Psa 7:3 (2) above, but carried out with more minuteness, and overtake (it), and trample to the earth my life, and my honour in the dust make dwell, i. e. completely prostrate and degrade. Some regard honour as equivalent to soul and life, the intelligent and vital part, which is the glory of man's constitution. But the analogy of Psa 3:4 (3) and Psa 7:3 (2) makes it more probable that in this case also there is reference to the Psalmist's personal and official honour. The allusion, however, is not so much to posthumous disgrace as to present humiliation. All this he imprecates upon himself if really guilty of the charges calumniously brought against him. The solemnity of this appeal to God, as a witness and a judge, is enhanced by the usual pause. Selah.

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

7:5 trample: Cp. 44:5; 60:12; 91:13; 108:13. • into the ground . . . in the dust: Disgrace and shame can lead to death and the grave (143:3; see 13:3-4).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Let me not only die, but be dishonored forever.

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

This is the consequence, if such has been his conduct.

mine honour--(compare Psa 3:3; Psa 4:2) --my personal and official dignity.

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 5. Let the enemy persecute my soul] If I have been guilty of the things laid to my charge, let the worst evils fall upon me.

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

5 Let mine enemy pursue It is a striking proof of the great confidence which David had in his own integrity, when he is willing to endure any kind of punishment, however dreadful, provided he should be found guilty of any crime. If we could bring a good conscience like this before God, his hand would be more quickly stretched forth to afford us immediate assistance. But as it often happens that those who molest us have been provoked by us, or that we burn with the desire of revenge when offended, we are unworthy of receiving succour from God; yea, our own impatience shuts the gate against our prayers. In the first place, David is prepared to be given over to the will of his enemies, that they may seize his life, and throw it down to the ground; and then to be publicly exhibited as an object of their mockery, so that, even after he is dead, he may lie under eternal disgrace. Some think that the כבוד kebod, which we have translated glory, is here to be taken for life, and thus there will be three words, soul, life, glory, signifying the same thing. But it appears to me, that the meaning of the passage will be fuller if we refer the word glory to his memory, or his good name, as if he had said, Let my enemy not only destroy me, but, after having put me to death, let him speak of me in the most reproachful terms, so that my name may be buried in mire or filth.

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.

(5) Let the enemy.—Better, let an enemy.

Persecute.—Literally, burn. (See Note on Psa_10:2.)

Tread.—Used of a potter treading the clay (Isa_41:25); of the trampling of horses (Eze_26:11); of a herd trampling down their pasture (Eze_34:28).

Dust.—Either as Psa_22:15, “the dust of death,” and if so, then khabôd’.

Honour must be the soul or life, as plainly in Psa_16:9; Psa_57:8, where the Authorised Version has “glory.” The parallelism is in favour of this. On the other hand, to lay one’s honour in the dust is a common figurative phrase. Shakespeare, K. Hen. VI., i. 5, “Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust”; and Coriol. iii. 1, “And throw their power in the dust.”

Selah.—See Note on Psa_3:2. This is one of the places which suggest its interpretation as a direction to the music, to strike up with passion and force.

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

5. Render:

Let an enemy pursue my soul and overtake it;

Yea, trample my life to the ground,

And make my glory to dwell in the dust.

With the first line comp. Exo_15:9, echoed again in Psa_18:37. The last line might mean only, ‘degrade my dignity, treat me with insult and ignominy;’ but the parallelism of ‘my soul,’ ‘my life,’ ‘my glory,’ is decisive in favour of interpreting ‘my glory’ to mean ‘my soul, as in Psa_16:9; Psa_30:12; Psa_57:8. The ‘soul’ is so designated either as the noblest part of man, or as the image of the divine glory. ‘The dust’ will then be ‘the dust of death.’ Cp. Psa_22:15; and the exact parallel ‘dwellers in the dust,’ Isa_26:19. David then invokes death by an enemy’s hand if he is guilty, and death, as the language implies, with every circumstance of violence and disgrace.

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.

Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it,.... That is, if the above things he was charged with could be proved against him; then he was content that Saul his enemy should pursue after him, and apprehend him, and bring him to justice, by taking away his life from him;

yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth; with the utmost indignation and contempt, without showing any mercy; as the lion treads down his prey, and tears it to pieces, Mic 5:8; or as the potter treads his clay under foot, Isa 41:25;

and lay mine honour in the dust; meaning either his life and soul, as before; denominating himself from his better part, and which he elsewhere calls his glory, Psa 16:9; see Gen 49:6; or else his body, as R. Judah Ben Balaam, who is blamed for it by Jarchi; or rather his fame, credit, and reputation, that he had gained, both by his courage and valour in the field, and by his wise and prudent behaviour at court, Sa1 18:7. Should he appear to be guilty of the crimes he was accused of, he is willing to have his glorious name buried in the dust of oblivion, and his memory perish for ever. The words are to be considered as a strong assertion of his innocence, in an appeal to God, the searcher of hearts, and the trier of the reins of men; and as imprecating on himself the worst of evils, should it not appear; see Job 31:21.

Selah; Aben Ezra renders "selah", "in truth", "let it be so"; and the Targum renders it, as usual, "for ever"; See Gill on Psa 3:2.

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

Let the enemy persecute my soul - Persecute my “life,” for so the word rendered “soul,” נפשׁ nephesh, is evidently used here. He was willing, if he had been guilty of the thing charged upon him, that the enemy here referred to should “pursue” or persecute him until he should destroy his life. Compare with this the expression of Paul in Act 25:11. The meaning here is simply that if he were a guilty man, in the manner charged on him, he would be willing to be treated accordingly. He did not wish to screen himself from any just treatment; and if he had been guilty he would not complain even if he were cut off from the land of the living.

And take it - Take my life; put me to death.

Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth - The allusion here is to the manner in which the vanquished were often treated in battle, when they were rode over by horses, or trampled by men into the dust. The idea of David is, that if he was guilty he would be willing that his enemy should triumph over him, should subdue him, should treat him with the utmost indignity and scorn.

And lay mine honor in the dust - All the tokens or marks of my honor or distinction in life. That is, I am willing to be utterly degraded and humbled, if I have been guilty of this conduct toward him who is my enemy. The idea in all this is, that David did not wish to screen himself from the treatment which he deserved if he had done wrong. His own principles were such that he would have felt that the treatment here referred to would have been right and proper as a recompense for such base conduct; and he would not have had a word to say against it. His desire for the interposition of God, therefore, arose solely from the fact of his feeling that, in these respects, he was entirely innocent, and that the conduct of his enemy was unjust and cruel.

Selah - A musical pause, not affecting the sense, but introduced here, perhaps, because the sense of the psalm now demanded a change in the style of the music. See the notes at Psa 3:2.

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

I am contented, and wish that Saul may so persecute my life as to overtake it, and take it away. Mine honour; either,

1. That honourable and royal estate to which I am chosen and designed. Or,

2. My reputation and memory. Or rather,

3. The same thing which he called his

soul and his life in the former branch of the verse, and here his honour; it being very frequent to express one thing in several words or phrases in one verse. And so here may be observed a gradation. Let him,

1. Persist to persecute it;

2. Take it;

3. Tread it down, or destroy it; and,

4. Lay it in the dust, or bury it, to prevent all hopes of restitution.

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

Ver. 5. Let him tread down my life upon the earth. The allusion here is to the manner in which the vanquished were often treated in battle, when they were rode over by horses, or trampled by men in the dust. The idea of David is, that if he was guilty he would be willing that his enemy should triumph over him, should subdue him, should treat him with the utmost indignity and scorn. Albert Barnes, in loc.

Ver. 5. Mine honour in the dust. When Achilles dragged the body of Hector in the dust around the walls of Troy, he did but carry out the usual manners of those barbarous ages. David dares in his conscious innocence to imprecate such an ignominious fate upon himself if indeed the accusation of the black Benjamite be true. He had need have a golden character who dares to challenge such an ordeal. C.H.S.

None.

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

5. Let the enemy persecute my soul—Here is a direct and solemn appeal to God to judge and punish him if he were not upright and pure in the matters urged by his accuser. Here is the boldness of conscious righteousness before God, even before his judgment seat. Compare in the evangelical sense, Rom_8:33-34; 1Jn_3:19-21; 1Jn_4:17.

Lay mine honour in the dust— “Honour,” or glory as it is more commonly rendered, unquestionably refers to his kingly dignity, and proves that David had, at this time, come to the throne of Israel, which corroborates the date and occasion above given to this psalm. The significant pause “selah” fitly follows so solemn an appeal to God as has just been made, and closes the strophe.

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

Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it. "If I have been guilty of any of these acts, then let my enemy not only persecute my soul, as he is doing (vers. 1, 2), but take it make it his prey obtain full power over it." Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth; i.e. "utterly destroy me and bring me to ruin." And not only so, but also lay mine honour in the dust; i.e. "bring me down to the grave with shame.

Compare the imprecations of Job upon himself. (Job_31:8, Job_31:10, Job_31:22, Job_31:40)

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

my life

The life represents the person. AT: "me" (See: Metonymy)

overtake me

This represents capturing him. AT: "capture me" (See: Metonymy)

let him trample my life to the ground

Here "my life" represents the writer. AT: "allow him to destroy me" (See: Metonymy)

lay my honor in the dust

This refers to lying dead and unburied in disgrace.

translationWords

life

trample

body

dishonor

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

if I repaid the one who did evil to me If I repaid him according to his deeds.

and I stripped my adversary into emptiness I destroyed his garment when I severed the skirt of his coat. Did I do it to destroy and to strip him and cause him to stand empty, and [was it done] with hatred? Only to let him know that he was delivered into my hand to kill him, and I did not kill him. [The word] חלצה is an expression of stripping off clothing.

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.

If I have requited evil unto him that was at peace with me: – If I have requited him evil who was at peace with me as he does me who was at peace with him, and was his son-in-law, and fought his battles – and he requites me evil in return for good!

But (no)! I have delivered him that without cause was my enemy: – Not merely have I not requited evil unto him (who was) at peace with me, but (on the contrary) I have delivered him who without cause was my enemy. But to no purpose did I rescue him as indeed he rescued Saul from the power of Abishai, who, had he not withheld him, was about to kill him, as he said: “Let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time” (i Sam. 26:8); and so of the occasion when he was in the cave it is said: “so David checked his men with these words and suffered them not to rise against Saul” (i Sam. 24:7). And the waw in ואחלצה (“but [lit. and] I have delivered”) is like the waw (in ועבדיך in the verse) “but (and) thy servants came to buy food” (Gen. 42:10), of which (passage) the interpretation is: “It is not, my lord, as thou sayest, that we are spies; but thy servants are come to buy food.”

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.