Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 11:2
For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
2. The words of the faint-hearted friends continued. They justify their advice by pointing to the treacherous intentions of remorseless enemies. Similar language is used figuratively of slander in Psa 64:3-4; Jer 9:3; but here it may be taken literally of intent to murder. Cp. 1Sa 19:1 ff. For the language cp. Psa 7:12; Psa 7:10.
privily ] Lit. as R.V., in darkness. LXX, in a moonless night.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For, lo, the wicked bend their bow – These are to he regarded as the words of the persons referred to in the previous verse, who had advised the persecuted psalmist to flee to the mountains. In this verse reasons are suggested for that advice. The reasons are, that the enemy was preparing for an attack, and that at an unexpected moment the attack would be made unless he should effect his escape. Apprised of the danger, he might now make good his escape, and avoid the peril which was impending. The common weapon in war, as in hunting, was the bow and arrow. The process of preparing for the use of the bow consisted in bending it, and properly adjusting the arrow. The Hebrew word used here is tread; the wicked tread upon the bow; that is, with a view to bend it. The bow was made of steel, or strong wood, or pieces of ivory framed together, and it often required great strength – beyond the strength of the arm – to bend it so as to adjust the string. Hence, the foot was placed upon the center, and the two ends drawn near to each other.
They make ready their arrow upon the string – Hebrew, they fit or fix the arrow upon the string. That is, they place the end of the arrow in the proper place upon the string of the bow.
That they may privily shoot at the upright in heart – Margin, as in the Hebrew, in darkness. That is, that they may do it secretly or treacherously. They do not intend to do it in open day, or (as we should say) in a fair fight; but they mean to do it when their victim is not aware of their design. The phrase, the upright in heart, may either denote their own conviction that those whom they designed so to attack were upright in heart – thus knowing that they were innocent; or it may be a statement of the advisers in the case, that those whom they counseled were thus upright – a statement on their part that the attack was made on the righteous. The latter is probably the true construction.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. For, lo, the wicked bend their bow] Perhaps these are more of the words of his advisers: Every thing is ready for thy destruction: the arrow that is to pierce thy heart is already set on the bow-string; and the person who hopes to despatch thee is concealed in ambush.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For lo: these are the words, either,
1. Of Davids friends or enemies, confirming their former advice; which might suit with it, if that was the counsel of his friends; but not if it was (as it seems to have been) the counsel of his enemies; for these would never have called themselves
wicked, nor David and his men
upright in heart. Or rather,
2. Of David himself; who having directed his speech to his enemies, Psa 11:1, now turns it to God, and pours out before him his complaints against his enemies, as his usual course is in this book. They do not only speak scornfully of me, as I have said, but, O Lord, they act against me with all their might and malice.
They make ready their arrow upon the string; they lay designs for my destruction, and they make all things ready to execute them.
Privily; out of their lurking holes: compare Psa 10:8,9; 64:5. For as some of his enemies did openly oppose him, so others did secretly undermine him, and with pretences of friendship seek to betray him.
At the upright in heart; at me and my followers, who have manifested our integrity both towards God and towards Saul, whom I have faithfully served and Spared when I could have taken away his life.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. privilyliterally, “indarkness,” treacherously.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow,…. Are devising mischief, and making preparations to accomplish it;
they make ready their arrow upon the string; of the bow, and are just about to execute their wicked designs;
that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart; such as David, and those that were with him, were; they were men whose hearts were upright before God, and were of upright conversations before men, and so became the butt of the malice and resentment of wicked men; against these they formed evil purposes, delivered out bitter words, which were like sharp arrows of the mighty; threatened them with ruin and destruction, and took methods to bring about their designs and make good their words, in the most private and secret manner. Hence some of David’s friends thought it most advisable for him to make his escape; adding,
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Surely, behold! the ungodly. Some think that this is added as the excuse made by those who desired David to save himself by flight. According to others, David expostulates with his countrymen, who saw death menacing him on all sides, and yet denied him shelter. But, in my judgment, he here continues his account of the trying circumstances in which he was placed. His design is not only to place before our view the dangers with which he was surrounded, but to show us that he was exposed even to death itself. He therefore says, that wherever he might hide himself, it was impossible for him to escape from the hands of his enemies. Now, the description of so miserable a condition illustrates the more strikingly the grace of God in the deliverance which he afterwards granted him. With respect to the words, they have fixed their arrows upon the string, to Shoot Secretly, or in darkness, some understand them metaphorically of the attempts which David’s enemies made to surprise him by craft and snares. I, however, prefer this interpretation, as being more simple, – that there was no place so hidden into which the darts of his enemies did not penetrate, and that, therefore, to whatever caves he could betake himself for concealment and shelter, death would follow him as his inseparable attendant.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Privily.See margin, which preserves the image of the archer lurking in a dark corner.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Here is given the reason for the above advice of David’s friends namely, the character and attitude of his enemies.
Make ready Fix, place upon the string.
Privily Literally, in darkness; that is, treacherously. See Saul’s conduct towards David, 1Sa 19:11. The imagery is that of an archer in ambush, with drawn bow and with an assassin’s purpose, awaiting his victim.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
There will be, there must be, persecutions. But Jesus is the foundation of his Church, and that standeth sure.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
Ver. 2. For, lo, the wicked bend their bow ] sc. To shoot at you, a silly bird; you were best therefore to be packing, and not to stay till you come tumbling down, as a bird fetched off with a bolt. Nam ecce inquitis impii apposuerunt pedem arcui (Beza). This hath ever been the guise of the Church’s enemies, and is still, to terrify her (if they could) and affright her out of her faith and true religion. Nebuchadnezzar, for instance, Antiochus, that little antichrist, the primitive persecutors, and still the Papists, with their cruel inquisition, and otherwise. But what saith the apostle, In nothing be terrified by your adversaries, Phi 1:28 . Be not afraid with any amazement, 1Pe 3:6 . Nos quidem neque expavescimus neque pertimescimus ea quae ab ignorantibus patimur, saith Tertullian, We fear not what any of you can do to us, do your worst ( Ad Scapulain). Contemptus est a me Romanus et favor et furor, said Luther, I care not for Rome’s frowns or fair looks. This the blind world counteth and calleth silliness or stubbornness, but they know not the force of faith nor the privy armour of proof that the saints have about their hearts. They make ready their arrow upon the string, not in the quiver, as the Vulgate reads it.
That they may privily shoot Heb. to shoot in the darkness; so that, although the saints hide themselves in caves and dark corners, yet they are ferreted out thence by their persecutors, as David was by Saul often. And this some hold to be the meaning of that place, Psa 74:20 , “The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty”; that is, we can hide ourselves nowhere but the persecutors find us out.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the wicked = the lawless ones. Hebrew. rasha. ‘.
privily = in the darkness.
the upright = upright ones.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
lo: Psa 10:2, Psa 37:14, Psa 64:3, Psa 64:4, Jer 9:3
make: Psa 21:12
that: Psa 10:8, Psa 10:9, Psa 64:5, Psa 142:3, 1Sa 18:21, 1Sa 23:9, Mat 26:4, Act 23:12-15
privily: Heb. in darkness
the upright: Psa 7:10, Psa 32:11, Psa 64:10, Psa 94:15, Psa 97:11, Psa 125:4
Reciprocal: Num 35:20 – by laying Neh 4:10 – The strength Neh 6:11 – Should such Psa 7:13 – ordaineth Psa 26:10 – In Dan 6:10 – as he Luk 13:31 – Get Act 24:1 – informed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 11:2. For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, &c. Many eminent commentators consider these also as the words of Davids friends, representing to him, as a motive for his flight, the extreme danger he was in, which they compare to that of a bird when a fowler, having already fixed his eye upon it, had fitted his arrow to the string, and lying close, was taking aim at it, intending to shoot it. Just so, they signified, Saul and his counsellors had laid their plot on a sudden to destroy David. See Patrick and Dodd.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The wicked were attacking the upright and David in particular. He was the target of their deadly missiles. They may have been shooting at him or he may have been under verbal attack.