Psa 17:13-14 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 13. Arise, O Lord, disappoint him ] When he arises to spring upon and tear me to pieces, arise thou , O Lord; disappoint him of his prey; seize him, and cast him down. Deliver my soul ] Save my life. From the wicked , which is thy sword ] Saul is still meant, and we may understand the words as either implying the sword , the civil power , with which God had intrusted him, and which he was now grievously abusing; or, it may mean, deliver me by THY sword -cut him off who wishes to cut me off. On this ground the next verse should be read from men, BY thy hand . So the margin. The hand of God not only meaning his power , but his providence .

‏ Psalms 17:13-14

Verse 13. Arise, O Lord, disappoint him] When he arises to spring upon and tear me to pieces, arise thou, O Lord; disappoint him of his prey; seize him, and cast him down.

Deliver my soul] Save my life.

From the wicked, which is thy sword] Saul is still meant, and we may understand the words as either implying the sword, the civil power, with which God had intrusted him, and which he was now grievously abusing; or, it may mean, deliver me by THY sword-cut him off who wishes to cut me off. On this ground the next verse should be read from men, BY thy hand. So the margin. The hand of God not only meaning his power, but his providence.

Verse 14. From men of the world, which have] mimethim mecheled, from mortal men of time; temporizers; men who shift with the times, who have no fixed principle but one, that of securing their own secular interest: and this agrees with what follows-which have their portion in this life; who never seek after any thing spiritual; who have bartered heaven for earth, and have got the portion they desired; for thou fillest their belly with thy hid treasure. Their belly-their sensual appetites-is their god; and, when their animal desires are satisfied, they take their rest without consideration, like the beasts that perish.

Their portion in this life] bachaiyim, in lives, probably meaning heritable lands and estates; for they leave them to their children, they descend to posterity, and every one has his life portion in them. They are lands of lives.

They are full of children] Have a numerous offspring, whom they educate in the same principles, and to whom they leave a large earthly patrimony, and who spend it as their fathers have done, and perhaps even more dissolutely. Often covetous fathers lay up riches, which profligate sons scatter to all the winds of heaven. I have seen many instances of this.