Psalms 92:11

Psa 92:11 Mine eye also shall see [my desire] on mine enemies, [and] mine ears shall hear [my desire] of the wicked that rise up against me.

Ver. 11. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies] Or, on mine observers, who watch for my halting.

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 92:11. Mine eye also shall see my desire, &c. — The words, my desire, are twice inserted in this verse by our translators, and it seems improperly, as there is nothing for them in the original, which is literally, Mine eye also shall look upon mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear of the wicked that rise up against me; nor are they found in the Septuagint, or in several other versions ancient and modern. There is indeed an ellipsis, but, as Dr. Horne observes, would it not be better to supply it thus: “Mine eye shall behold the fall of mine enemies; and mine ears shall hear of the destruction of the wicked?” &c. The psalmist undoubtedly foresaw their dreadful doom, but we cannot infer, from that circumstance, that he desired it.

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

12. (Psa 92:11) And my eye has looked upon my enemies; of those rising up against me, evil-doers, my ears shall hear. The sense is that he sees and hears what is become of them. Their destruction is implied, though not expressed. The word translated enemies occurs only here. According to the most probable etymology it means watchers, liers in wait or ambush. See above, on Psa 27:11; Psa 54:5; Psa 56:2; Psa 59:10, where a cognate form occurs. My insurgents, or those rising up against me, expresses the accessory idea of rebellion against rightful authority. See above, on Psa 3:1; Psa 54:3; Psa 86:14. The addition of malefactors, evil-doers, shews that it is not merely as his enemies, but on account of their transgressions against God, that he expects his foes to perish

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

92:11-15 The psalmist understands the Lord’s mighty acts. He shares in the glory of the wise of heart.

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

Verse 11. Mine eye also shall see, - and mine ears shall hear] Even in my own times my enemies shall be destroyed; and of this destruction I shall either be an eye-witness or have authentic information.

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

(11) Mine eye also.—Better, And my eye looked upon (was able to look without fear) my insidious foes, and for their rising against me as villains my ears listened (without alarm).

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

11. And mine eye hath seen (its desire) upon them that laid wait for me:

Mine ear heard (its pleasure) of them that rose up against me to do evil.

Cp. Psa_54:7; Psa_59:10, &c. Do the words grate upon our ears as we repeat the Psalm? Their form indeed belongs to the O.T., yet even the Christian is bidden to rejoice at the judgement of the enemies of God’s kingdom (Rev_18:20).

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.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree,.... Not like grass, as the wicked, Psa 92:7 which is weak and tender, and soon cut down; but like trees, and like palm trees, that are firm and strong, and of a long continuance: the word for righteous being of the singular number, has led some to think that Christ is meant; but though he is eminently the righteous One, being so in himself, and the author of righteousness to others, yet not he, but his church and people, are compared to a palm tree, Sol 7:7, the reason why the singular number is made use of is, as Aben Ezra thinks, because the righteous are very few, in comparison of the wicked: the sense is, that everyone of the righteous, or everyone that is righteous, through the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, and are created anew in righteousness and true holiness, and live soberly, righteously, and godly, are like the flourishing palm trees; which grow upright, and under the greatest pressures, and rise upwards against the greatest weight upon them (e); whose force and vigour is on the top of them, which being cut off, they die; which delight in hot climates and sunny places, bear a delicious fruit, are ever green, are very durable, and their branches used in token of joy and victory; it is said to be a perfect image of a man, and in many things to resemble him (f): so truly righteous persons are upright ones in heart and life, grow up into their head, Christ, and rise up heavenwards in their desires and affections; and, like the Israelites, the more they are pressed with the weight of afflictions, the more they grow; their grace and strength, their life and rigour, lie in their head, Christ; from whom was it possible they could be separated, as it is not, they would instantly die; they flourish under him, the sun of righteousness, and his warming beams of love, and bring forth the fruits of righteousness by him, to the glory of God; their leaf of profession does not wither, but is always green; the grace of God, which is in them, being an incorruptible and never dying seed: hence, in the issue, they make that palm, bearing company in Rev 7:9 who are more than conquerors through Christ, that has loved them: the Greek version is, "as the phoenix", which some of the ancients understood of a bird so called, supposed to rise out of its ashes, and use it to prove the resurrection of the dead (g):

he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon; where the best, tallest, largest, and strongest cedars grow; See Gill on Isa 37:24 to which the righteous are compared, who grow up by degrees higher and higher, even to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; and, stronger and stronger in him, go from strength to strength, having their spiritual strength renewed by him; and cast forth their roots in him, like Lebanon, and the cedars there; and spread their boughs and branches, like them, in the exercise of grace and discharge of duty; and grow in every grace, of faith, hope, love, humility, self-denial, and submission to the will of God, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ; and are durable as the cedar, never die, their life being hid with Christ in God. Kimchi refers this to the days of the Messiah.

(e) Plutarch. apud A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 3. c. 6. (f) Set Sandys's Travels, l. 2. p. 80. (g) Texelii Phoenix, l. 1. c. 4. p. 14.

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

Mine eye also shall see my desire - That is, I shall be permitted to see the destruction of my foes; I shall be gratified with seeing them overthrown. On the sentiment here expressed, see Psa 54:7, note; Psa 59:10, note.

On mine enemies - The word used here - שׁור shûr - occurs nowhere else. It means, properly, a lier-in-wait; one who “watches;” one who is in ambush; and refers to persons who “watched” his conduct; who “watched” for his ruin.

And mine ears ... - literally, “Of those rising up against me, evil-doers, my ear shall hear.” He would hear of their ruin; he would hear what he desired to hear.

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

My desire, to wit, in the ruin of thine and mine incorrigible enemies.

Shall hear; what I do not see myself, I shall understand by the certain reports of others.

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

Ver. 11. Mine eye also shall see MY DESIRE on mine enemies. The words, "my desire", inserted by the translators, had far better have been left out. He does not say what he should see concerning his enemies, he leaves that blank, and we have no right to fill in the vacant space with words which look vindictive. He would see that which would be for God's glory, and that which would be eminently right and just.

And mine ears shall hear MY DESIRE of the wicked that rise up against me. Here, again, the words "my desire" are not inspired, and are a needless and perhaps a false interpolation. The good man is quite silent as to what he expected to hear; he knew that what he should hear would vindicate his faith in his God, and he was content to leave his cruel foes in God's hands, without an expression concerning his own desire one way or the other. It is always best to leave Scripture as we find it. The broken sense of inspiration is better let alone than pieced out with additions of a translator's own invention; it is like repairing pure gold with tinsel, or a mosaic of gems with painted wood. The holy psalmist had seen the beginning of the ungodly, and expected to see their end; he felt sure that God would right all wrongs, and clear his Providence from the charge of favouring the unjust; this confidence he here expresses, and sits down contentedly to wait the issues of the future.

Ver. 11. Mine enemies. The word here used rwv shur occurs nowhere else. It means, properly, a lier in wait, one who watches; one who is in ambush; and refers to persons who watched his conduct; who watched for his ruin. A. Barnes.

Psalms 92:12*

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

11. Mine eye… shall see… desire—The enemies which were feared had become powerless. God had made “the horn” of his power a terror to them, and the gladness of promised victory had come to the author’s soul like fresh oil. His eye, his ear, could desire no more. The expression “Thine eye shall see,” etc., denotes, Thou shalt witness and consider. Compare Psa_37:34; Psa_59:10; Psa_91:8. This language is yet to receive, in the spiritual sphere, its highest fulfilment to the Church.

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

Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies. (comp. Psa_54:7 Psa_59:10) The "desire" is probably that expressed in Psa_91:13. And mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. This is an unusual phrase, but sufficiently intelligible. Triumph over enemies is perceived both by the eye and by the ear.

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

to soak me with fresh oil Heb. בלתי. To soak me with the oil of dominion. בַלֹתִי is like (Num. 15: 9): “mingled (בלולה) with oil.”

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.