1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
Presents commentary in a tabular format for ease of reading.Click to learn more.
| Psalms 139:1 | Unto the end, a psalm for David. | David. He, (Calmet) Ezechias, (Ven. Bede) the captives, (Bossuet) or Jesus Christ and his servants under persecution, speak in this psalm. (Holy Fathers) See Psalm lv. (Calmet) |
| Psalms 139:2 | Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man. | Man. Saul, (Calmet) Judas, (St. Hilary) or self-love, the old man, who is our most dangerous enemy. (Berthier) |
| Psalms 139:3 | Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles. | Battles. And formed plots to destroy the just. (Worthington) |
| Psalms 139:4 | *They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips. Psalm 5:11.; Romans 3:13. | Serpent. So Plautus says, "A double-tongued and wicked man is like a creeping beast," in Persa. (Haydock) |
| Psalms 139:5 | Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me. Who have proposed to supplant my steps: | |
| Psalms 139:6 | the proud have hidden a net for me. And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumbling-block by the wayside. | Side. The enemies of David calumniated him, and strove to make him follow idols, 1 Kings 26:19. |
| Psalms 139:7 | I said to the Lord: Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication. | |
| Psalms 139:8 | O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle. | Battle. Against Goliath, or against the attempts of Saul, etc. (Calmet) --- Prayer and divine grace are necessary, to guard us from sin. (Worthington) |
| Psalms 139:9 | Give me not up, O Lord, from my desire to the wicked: they have plotted against me: do not thou forsake me, lest they should triumph. | Desire. If I yield to my passions, (St. Augustine) or after I have expressed my request, contrary to my desire, etc. Hebrew, "Grant not the desire of the sinner, complete not his thought. They will be elated." Some supply, "lest they be." The ancients seem not to have read in the same manner. (Berthier) --- Abandon not my soul, which is all my care, (Psalm 21:21.) to the sinner. (Calmet) |
| Psalms 139:10 | The head of their compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them. | Head. Hebrew also, "poison," (Berthier) or "sum" of their mischievous devices. (Worthington) --- Labour, or punishment. (Calmet) --- Their subtle persuasions shall turn to their ruin. (Worthington) |
| Psalms 139:11 | Burning coals shall fall upon them; thou wilt cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand. | Fire of hell, (Worthington; Chaldean) as well as temporal afflictions, from lightning, etc., Psalm 17:9. (Haydock) --- Some have ridiculed the belief of hell. But the universality of this opinion is a strong proof of it, as it is also confirmed by revelation. (Berthier) |
| Psalms 139:12 | A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evils shall catch the unjust man unto destruction. | Tongue. This member is very dangerous. (Pet. Bless. cxix.) (James 3:6.) --- The just man is not styled "a man of tongue," but "of heart;" for which reason Christ exhorted his disciples not to make long speeches in prayer, Matthew 6:7. (Berthier) --- Into. Literally, "in;" though (Haydock) it should be into, conformably to the Septuagint. (Berthier) Raro antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede poena claudo. (Horace, 3:Od. ii.) |
| Psalms 139:13 | I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor. | I know. Hebrew, "thou knowest." But some copies read more accurately. (Houbigant) --- Poor. Thus, in the end, was Lazarus treated. [Luke 16:22.] (Worthington) |
| Psalms 139:14 | But as for the just, they shall give glory to thy name: and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance. | Countenance in glory, when thou shalt appear, 1 John 3:2. (Haydock) --- They shall dwell under thy special protection in the tabernacle. (Calmet) |