Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 143:3
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
3. Cp. Psa 7:5; Psa 88:3-6. The last line agrees verbatim with Lam 3:6.
in darkness ] In dark places, as Psa 88:6, probably a figure for calamity, in which he is as it were buried alive. But it is possible (cp. Psa 142:7) that he was actually a prisoner.
as those that have been long dead ] And so are forgotten alike by God and man (Psa 88:5). But the meaning may be those who are dead for ever, who will never return to life; lit. dead of eternity, cp. Jer 51:39, ‘sleep of eternity’ = perpetual sleep; Ecc 12:5, ‘house of eternity’ = perpetual abode.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
3, 4. The reason for his prayer. The extremity of his present sufferings seems to be a proof that God is calling him to account and punishing him for his sins with strict severity.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul – Has persecuted me; has sought my life.
He hath smitten my life down to the ground – He has, as it were, trampled me down to the earth. The word rendered smitten means to break in pieces, to beat small, to crush. See Psa 72:4; Psa 89:10; Job 6:9. His very life seemed to be crushed out as one that is trodden down to the ground.
He hath made me to dwell in darkness – He has made my life like that of one who dwells in darkness; he has made it a life of sorrow, so that I have no comfort – no light.
As those that have been long dead – A similar expression occurs in Lam 3:6 : He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. The same Hebrew words are used. The word rendered long means, age, duration, eternity: Psa 139:24. The idea here is, that his condition was like that of those who had been long in their graves; who had long since ceased to see any light; whose abode was utter and absolute gloom.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. He hath made me to dwell in darkness] Literally, in dark places. This may be understood of David’s taking refuge in caves and dens of the earth, to escape from his persecuting son; yea, even to take refuge in the tombs, or repositories of the dead.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This is not a reason of what he last said, Psa 143:2, but an argument to enforce his petition delivered Psa 143:1, and repeated Psa 143:7, &c. For though I am not faultless, if thou shouldst make an exact search into me, yet mine enemies are more culpable and highly unjust, and therefore I hope for thy help against them, from thy justice as well as mercy.
My soul, i.e. my life; for nothing less will satisfy him.
He hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath beaten me down to the ground, where I lie struggling for life.
He hath made me to dwell in darkness; he hath forced me to have mine abode in dark vaults and caves, where I am out of sight and memory, and in as forlorn and hopeless a condition in the eye of man as those that have lain long rotting in the grave.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3, 4. The exciting reason forhis prayerhis afflictionsled to confession as just made: he nowmakes the complaint.
as those that have been longdeaddeprived of life’s comforts (compare Psa 40:15;Psa 88:3-6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul,…. Which is to be connected with Ps 143:1; and is a reason why he desires his prayer might be answered, seeing his enemy, either Saul, or Absalom his own son, persecuted him, or pursued him in order to take away his soul, or life; or Satan, the enemy and avenger, who goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; or persecuting men, who are his emissaries and instruments, whom he instigates to persecute the Lord’s people, and employs them therein;
he hath smitten my life down to the ground: brought him into a low, mean, and abject state, and near to death; had with a blow struck him to the ground, and left him wallowing in the mire and dirt, just ready to expire. The phrase is expressive of a very distressing state and condition. Some render it “my company” r; meaning the men that were with him, his soldiers, who were reduced to a low condition with him, and greatly enfeebled and dispirited;
he hath made me to dwell in darkness: in the sides of the cave, as Kimchi; see 2Sa 24:3; or in great affliction of body and mind, frequently signified by darkness, as prosperity is by light; he was not only obliged by his enemy to hide himself in woods and wildernesses, and in caves and dens, but was filled with gloomy apprehensions of things, Ps 88:6;
as those that have been long dead; or “of old” s, an age or two ago, who are out of mind and forgotten, and of whom there is no hope of their coming to life again until the resurrection; or who are “dead for ever” t; will remain so till that time comes; signifying hereby his hopeless, helpless, and forlorn state and condition; see
Ps 31:12.
r “catervam meam”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. s “olim”, Tigurine version, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. t So Syriac and Arabic versions.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul. Having acknowledged that he only suffered the just punishment of his sins, David comes now to speak of his enemies; for to have begun by speaking of them would have been a preposterous order. Their cruelty was shown in their not resting satisfied but with the destruction of one who was a saint of God; he declares that he must even now perish unless God should help him speedily. The comparison is not merely to a dead man, but a putrid corpse; for by the dead of an age (250) are meant those who have been long removed from the world. Such language intimates that he not only trusted in God as he who could heal him of a deadly disease, but considered that though his life should be buried, as it were, and long out of mind, God could raise it again, and restore his very ashes.
(250) כמתי עולם. These words are differently rendered in the ancient versions. The Septuagint has ὡς νεκροὺς αἰωνος, as the dead of the age; the Syriac, forever; the Chaldee, as they that lie down of that age. The real sense of the expression is, as they who have been dead a long time. The Psalmist employs hyperbolical language in this verse; he says, the enemy hath beaten his life to the ground, hath made him dwell in dark places, and for such a length of time, that there remained no remembrance of him, and that he had become like those persons who had long since been in their graves. The design of all this is to express emphatically great sorrow and oppression.” — Phillips.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) This verse explains the last. The affliction under which the psalmist suffers is evidence that God is visiting for sin.
He hath made . . .See Lam. 3:6; and comp. Psa. 88:5-6.
Long dead.Literally, either dead of old, or dead for ever, according as we take lam of past or future time. LXX., ; Vulg., mortuos sculi.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Have been long dead Or, have been “dead” from immemorial time, or, more literally, those that are for ever dead, who cannot rise from the grave, but are hopelessly bound in its chains of darkness. But in this sense it is simply hypothetical.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 143:3. He hath made me to dwell in darkness He maketh me to lie close in dark places. The original word macheshakkim, properly signifies dark places, and every where means the dark caverns of the earth, where, he complains in this and the preceding clause, his enemies forced him to hide himself, like the dead, who were deep inclosed in the bowels of the earth; a manner of speaking well suited to that state to which David was reduced in the wilderness by his enemies. See Mudge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jesus might yet thus complain, because when he stood forth in our stead, he felt all that it was our due to have felt, had he not interposed. The temptations of Satan were harassing to his holy soul, so that his spirit was overwhelmed. And above all, the Father’s desertion, though but for a season, bore hard upon the Lamb of God. Psa 22:1 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 143:3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Ver. 3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul ] Quasi rabie ferali percitus, he hath raged unreasonably. The utmost of a danger is to be related before the Lord in prayer, and to be acknowledged after we are delivered out of it, by way of thankfulness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
persecuted = pursued.
my soul = me (emphatic). Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the enemy: Psa 7:1, Psa 7:2, Psa 17:9-13, Psa 35:4, Psa 54:3, Psa 142:6
smitten: Psa 7:5, 2Sa 2:22, 2Sa 18:11
made me: Psa 31:12, Psa 31:13, Psa 88:4-6, Eze 37:11
Reciprocal: Psa 13:2 – exalted Psa 25:19 – Consider Psa 31:15 – deliver Psa 40:2 – brought Psa 42:5 – Why art thou cast down Psa 88:3 – soul Psa 88:6 – darkness Psa 88:12 – dark Psa 89:39 – profaned Psa 102:4 – heart Psa 141:8 – leave not my soul destitute Lam 3:6 – in dark
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 143:3-4. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul This is not a reason of what he said last, Psa 143:2, but an argument to enforce his petition, delivered Psa 143:1, and repeated Psa 143:7. He hath smitten my life down to the ground He hath beaten me down to the earth, where I lie struggling for life. He hath made me to dwell in darkness Not only in dark caves, but under dark apprehensions, and clouds of trouble and distress, out of which I see no way of deliverance, except from thy power and mercy; as those that have been long dead In as hopeless a condition in the eye of man, as those that have lain long in the grave. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed See on Psa 142:3. My heart within me is desolate Deprived of all hope and comfort, except from thee; or, is astonished, as may be properly rendered.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
143:3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been {d} long dead.
(d) He acknowledges that God is the only and true physician and heal him: and that he is able to raise him to life, though he were dead long ago, and turned to ashes.