Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 139:19
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
19. Surely &c.] Rather as R.V. marg., Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked. The problem of the existence of evil perplexes him, as it perplexed Job (Job 21:7 ff.). Evil for him is no abstract idea; it is embodied in evil men. Will not God free His world from this insult to His government? Cp. Psa 104:35.
depart from me ] lest I be tempted by your example and involved in your fate. Cp. Psa 6:8; Psa 119:115.
ye bloody men ] Men of blood, who do not shrink from violence and murder (Psa 5:6; Pro 29:10).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
19 24. But how can this omniscient God tolerate the existence of wicked men, who blaspheme and hate Him? With such the Psalmist will have no fellowship; and he concludes with a prayer that God will purify his heart, and lead him in the right way.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God – Compare the notes at Isa 11:4. The literal translation of this would be, If thou wilt slay the wicked. It is not easy to account for the sudden and remarkable transition or diversion of the train of thought from the main subject of the psalm, in these verses Psa 139:19-22, in which the psalmist gives vent to his feelings toward the wicked, and prays that they may depart from him. Perhaps the explanation of it may be, that as the psalmist was reflecting on the fact that God is everywhere present, that he searches the hearts of people, that he must know all their conduct, he was suddenly struck with the idea of the condition of wicked people in the presence, and under the eye, of such a Being. As God knows all things, he must know them; and this instantaneously suggested the idea of their guilt and danger. People of such characters could not deceive such a God. They could not but be known to him, and could not but be objects of his aversion. They could not, therefore, but be in danger.
Depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men – See Psa 119:115. The Hebrew is, Men of bloods; that is, men who shed blood. The language is used to denote wicked men in general. The idea here is not that the psalmist was in danger from them at that time, but that he desired to be separate from that class of people; he did not wish to be ranked with them, to partake of their conduct, or to share in their fate. He had no sympathy with them, and he desired to be separate from them altogether.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 139:19-22
Surely Thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men.
Indignation against the wicked
I. Here is a fact in relation to the moral government of God. That fact is the ultimate ruin of the wicked. Surely Thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. The wicked will ultimately be ruined.
1. This fact agrees with the dictates of conscience. The consciences of mankind the world over proclaim it.
2. This fact agrees with the principle of moral causation. Sin brings ruin, every act of transgression carries with it its penalty, and tends to death.
3. This fact agrees with the declaration of the Bible, Be sure your sins will find you out. He that soweth to the flesh, etc.
II. Here is a fact in the experience of pious men. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? Whether these words breathe piety or not, they suggest a fact in the experience of all godly men. It is this–antipathy to the character that is opposed to God.
1. The fact is a necessity. From the laws of our mental constitution it is impossible for us go love those who hate the object we most love. Love makes the twain one, hence it is impossible for a man truly to love God and not hate that which is opposed to Him.
2. This fact is an excellence. It is morally right and grand to see the godly man rising up in indignation against all that is opposed to the character and will of God. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 19. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked] The remaining part of this Psalm has no visible connexion with the preceding. I rather think it a fragment, or a part of some other Psalm.
Ye bloody men.] anshey damim, men of blood, men guilty of death.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked: and as thou hast precious and gracious thoughts towards me, and all that love and fear thee; so thou hast other kinds of thoughts and purposes towards wicked men, such as thou knowest mine enemies to be, even to destroy them utterly.
Depart from me therefore; I renounce your friendship and society. I will not partake with you in your sins, lest I should also partake of your plagues.
Ye bloody men, Heb. ye men of blood; either,
1. Passively, deserving death, or guilty of blood, or of death, as the phrase is, Num 35:27,31; Mt 26:66. Or rather,
2. Actively, blood-thirsty, or shedders of blood, as this phrase is generally taken, as 2Sa 16:8; Psa 26:9; 55:23; 59:2. Having called them wicked men in general, he now gives a particular account of their wickedness; they were unjust and cruel towards men, and withal profane and impious towards God, as he tells us in the next verse.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God,…. Since he is God omniscient, and knows where they are, what they have done, are doing, and design to do; and God omnipresent, at hand to lay hold upon them; and God omnipotent, to hold them and inflict due punishment on them; this is a consequence rightly drawn from the above perfections of God. Or “if thou wilt slay the wicked” z, then, when I awake, I shall be with thee, as Kimchi connects the words; that is, be at leisure to attend to thy works and wonders, and daily employ myself in the contemplation of them, having no wicked persons near me to molest and disturb me. The word is singular in the original text, “the wicked one”; meaning either Saul, who was David’s enemy without a cause, and did very wickedly and injuriously by him, whom he might expect God in due time would take out of the world; though he did not choose to lay his hand on the Lord’s anointed, when he was in his power. Jarchi interprets it of Esau, by whom he means Edom or Rome, in the Rabbinic language, that it, the Christians; if he meant no more than the Papal Christians, he may be much in the right; the man of sin, the son of perdition, the wicked one, whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his lips, may be intended, the common enemy of Christ and his cause,
Isa 11:4. Though it may design a collective body of wicked men; all the followers of antichrist, all the antichristian states, on whom the vials of God’s wrath will be poured; and even all the wicked of the earth, all Christ’s enemies, that would not have him to reign over them, and none but they; the justice of God will not admit of it to slay the righteous with the wicked, and the omniscience of God will distinguish the one from the other, and separate the precious from the vile;
depart from me therefore, ye bloody men; men guilty of shedding innocent blood, and therefore by the law of God should have their blood shed; such particularly are antichrist and his followers, who deserve to have blood given them to drink, because they have shed the blood of the saints, Re 16:6; these and such as these the psalmist would have no company or fellowship with, lest he should be corrupted by them, fall into sin, and partake of deserved plagues with them, Re 18:4. Some consider these as the words of God, and in connection with the former, and by way of wish, thus, “O that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O God” a; and wouldest say, “depart from me, ye bloody men”; which will be said to the wicked at the last day, and even to such who have made a profession of the name of Christ, Mt 7:23.
z “si occideris”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, &c. a So some in Vatablus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And this God is by many not only not believed in and loved, but even hated and blasphemed! The poet now turns towards these enemies of God in profound vexation of spirit. The , which is conditional in Psa 139:8, here is an optative o si, as in Psa 81:9; Psa 95:7. The expression reminds one of the Book of Job, for, with the exception of our Psalm, this is the only book that uses the verb , which is more Aramaic than Hebrew, and the divine name Eloah occurs more frequently in it than anywhere else. The transition from the optative to the imperative is difficult; it would have been less so if the Waw copul. had been left out: cf. the easier expression in Psa 6:9; Psa 119:115. But we may not on this account seek to read , as Olshausen does. Everything here is remarkable; the whole Psalm has a characteristic form in respect to the language. is the ground-form of the overloaded , and is also like the Book of Job, Job 21:16, cf. Job 4:12, Psa 68:24. The mode of writing (instead of which, however, the Babylonian texts had ) is the same as in 2Sa 19:15, cf. in 2Sa 20:9 the same melting away of the Aleph into the preceding vowel in connection with , in 2Sa 22:40 in connection with , and in Isa 13:20 with . Construed with the accusative of the person, here signifies to declare any one, profiteri , a meaning which, we confess, does not occur elsewhere. But (cf. , Psa 24:4; the Targum: who swear by Thy name for wantonness) and the parallel member of the verse, which as it runs is moulded after Exo 20:7, show that it has not to be read (Quinta: ). The form , with Aleph otians, is also remarkable; it ought at least to have been written (cf. , Eze 47:8) instead of the customary ; yet the same mode of writing is found in the Niphal in Jer 10:5, , it assumes a ground-form (Psa 32:1) = , and is to be judged of according to in Isa 28:12 [Ges. 23, 3, rem. 3]. Also one feels the absence of the object to . It is meant to be supplied according to the decalogue, Exo 20:7, which certainly makes the alteration (Bttcher, Olsh.) or (Hitzig on Isa 26:13), instead of , natural. But the text as we now have it is also intelligible: the object to is derived from , and the following is an explanation of the subject intended in that is introduced subsequently. Psa 89:52 proves the possibility of this structure of a clause. It is correctly rendered by Aquila , and Symmachus . , an enemy, prop. one who is zealous, a zealot (from , or rather , = Arab. gar , med . Je , , whence , Arab. gayrat = ), is a word that is guaranteed by 1Sa 28:16; Dan 4:16, and as being an Aramaism is appropriate to this Psalm. The form for has cast away the preformative Mem (cf. and , in Deu 23:11 for ); the suffix is to be understood according to Psa 17:7. Pasek stands between and in order that the two words may not be read together (cf. Job 27:13, and above Psa 10:3). as in the recent Psa 119:158. The emphasis in Psa 139:22 lies on ; the poet regards the adversaries of God as enemies of his own. takes the place of the adjective: extremo ( odio ) odi eos . Such is the relation of the poet to the enemies of God, but without indulging any self-glorying.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
19. If thou shalt slay, etc. It is unnatural to seek, as some have done, to connect this with the preceding verse. Nor does it seem proper to view the words as expressing a wish — “I wish,” or, “Oh! if thou God wouldst slay the wicked.” Neither can I subscribe to the idea of those who think that David congratulates himself upon the wicked being cut off. The sentiment seems to me to be of another kind, that he would apply himself to the consideration of the divine judgments, and advance in godliness and in the fear of his name, so often as vengeance was taken upon the ungodly. There can be no question that God designs to make an example of them, that his elect ones may be taught by their punishment to withdraw themselves from their society. David was of himself well disposed to the fear and worship of God, and yet he needed a certain check, like other saints, as Isaiah says, (Isa 26:9,) “when God has sent abroad his judgments, the inhabitants of the earth shall learn righteousness,” that is, to remain in the fear of the Lord. At the same time, I have no doubt that the Psalmist presents himself before God as witness of his integrity; as if he had said, that he came freely and ingenuously to God’s bar, as not being one of the wicked despisers of his name, nor having any connection with them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(19) Slay the wicked.This abrupt transition from a theme so profound and fascinating to fierce indignation against the enemies of God, would certainly be strange anywhere but in the Psalms. And yet, perhaps, philosophically regarded, the subject of Gods omniscience must conduct the mind to the thought of the existence of evil, and speculation on its origin and development. But the Hebrew never speculated for speculations sake. The practical concerns of life engaged him too intensely. Where a modern would have branched off into the ever-recurring problem of the entrance of evil into the world, the Israelite turned with indignation on those who then and there proved the existence of sin in concrete act.
Surely . . . Or, rather
O that thou wouldest slay, O God, the wicked,
And that ye bloody men would depart from me.
We get the last clause, which is better than an abrupt change to the imprecations, by a slight change of reading.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19-22. From the foregoing survey of the divine perfections the psalmist draws unbounded consolation and hope for the righteous. He now, however, sees that the same causes secure the ultimate, inevitable punishment of the wicked. Sin, in the light of God, now appears “exceeding sinful;” and before the omniscience and omnipresence of God, cannot escape its desert. The transition of the poem at this point is abrupt, but natural, upon the laws of antithesis.
Surely The Hebrew is a strong asseveration. God will punish sin. It follows from his attributes.
Depart from me The author will have no alliance with the enemies of God. Their guilt and their ruin are, before him, alike abhorrent; on the other hand, the glory of God attracts him.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
If we needed any farther evidence as to whom this Psalm can with any propriety be otherwise applied, what is here said in conclusion must direct our hearts to the blessed Jesus, and to him only. Who is there that enters into the interests of God with such oneness of soul as to say, I hate them that hate thee, with perfect hatred? Much less, who among a fallen race could step forward and challenge a scrutiny over his heart, even by the great Searcher of hearts, except Him who was holy, harmless, undefiled; separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, Heb 7:26 . Reader! pause over these considerations, and the Lord give both you and me a right understanding in all things!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
Ver. 19. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked ] Those that traduce and slander me for a hypocrite and a Belialist. Some render it, Oh that thou wouldest slay them! inasmuch as they hate me for my zeal, and forwardness to turn the wheel of justice over them, and to give them their due and condign punishment; for, for mine own part, I cannot abide them, but bid tbem avaunt, with
Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 139:19-22
19O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
20For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
Psa 139:19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God At first this last strophe seems to be a radical break in the context, but it is really continuing the thoughts of a righteous God and His Personal Presence in a sinful world. The wicked are characterized in five phrases.
1. they are murderers, Psa 139:19 b
2. they speak wickedly, Psa 139:20 a
3. they take God’s name in vain, Psa 139:20 b
4. they hate God, Psa 139:21 a
5. they rise up against God, Psa 139:21 b
The psalmist wishes that they would experience the curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-30. The two ways has clear consequences in time and eternity (cf. Deu 30:15; Deu 30:19; Psalms 1).
Depart from me Note Psa 6:8; Psa 119:115; Mat 7:23. This is exactly opposite from Psa 139:18 b, which speaks of God’s presence with His faithful followers.
This last strophe is characterized by imperatives (seven). There are no other imperatives in this Psalm.
1. depart from me, Psa 139:19 – BDB 693, KB 747, Qal imperative addressed to the wicked
2. search me, Psa 139:23 – BDB 350, KB 347, Qal imperative; the same root appears in Psa 139:1, addressed to God, cf. Psa 26:2; Numbers 2-7 are addressed to God by the psalmist
3. know my heart, Psa 139:23 (twice) – BDB 393, KB 390, Qal imperative, see Psa 139:1-2; Psa 139:14, addressed to God
4. try me, Psa 139:23 – BDB 103, KB 119, Qal imperative, cf. Psa 7:9; Psa 11:5
5. know, Psa 139:23 – same as #3
6. see, Psa 139:24 – BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal imperative
7. lead me, Psa 139:24 – BDB 634, KB 685, Qal imperative, cf. Psa 5:8; Psa 31:3
Psa 139:20 And Your enemies take Your name in vain Notice Your name is in italics, which means that it is not in the Hebrew text. The literal Hebrew text, followed by the Septuagint, has Thy cities in vain, but this seems to be a difficult translation to understand. The UBS Text Project gives this reading a C rating (i.e., considerable doubt). It is possible to revocalize take in vain in the sense of to array against. It is uncertain if the men referred to are simply ignorant of God or if they are aggressive false teachers.
Psa 139:20-22 This is the psalmist’s righteous indignation!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Surely, &c. These six verses (19-24) are not an “interpolation”. They are required to complete the Structure. See above.
Thou wilt slay, &c. This is Omnipotent work. Compare Job 40:9-14.
the wicked = a lawless one. Hebrew. rasha’, App-44.
GOD. Hebrew Eloah. App-4.
bloody = blood thirsty.
men. Hebrew. ‘enosh. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 139:19-24
Psa 139:19-24
THE SUPPLICATION
“Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God,:
Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against thee wickedly,
And thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee?
And am I not grieved at those who rise up against thee?
I hate them with perfect hatred:
They are become mine enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
Try me, and know my thoughts;
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”
“And thine enemies take thy name in vain” (Psa 139:20). What an indictment this is against the world’s profane swearers! It would be a shock to most of those indulging in profanity to contemplate the awful implications of this verse.
This final division of the psalm is essentially a prayer; and as Maclaren noted, the awareness of the unfathomable character of God as revealed in the first three paragraphs of the psalm make this sudden, abrupt change to prayer quite, “Natural.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psa 139:23). David’s plea here is that God may deliver him from the danger of committing sins which are unknown to him, sinful deeds which to the psalmist might not appear as sins, “secret sin,” meaning not sins that he would hide from men, but sin of which he himself is unaware. The truth must be that all people are guilty of this type of sin.
“And lead me in the way everlasting” (Psa 139:24). James Moffatt’s translation of the Bible (1929) gives the true meaning of this passage in his translation, “Do thou lead me on the lines of life eternal.” Here is the answer to the question of whether or not the Old Testament saints believed in life after death. Of course, they did! That Moffatt’s translation here is correct is corroborated by Delitzsch’s comment that, “The `everlasting way’ is the way of God (Psa 27:11), the way of the righteous, which stands fast forever and shall not perish.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 139:19. Evil and dangerous association was frowned upon by David. He understood that wicked men were to be overthrown by the Lord, and did not want to be near them when that happened for fear of sharing in the penalty.
Psa 139:20. Those who defy the name of the Lord are considered as His enemies.
Psa 139:21. The word hate has a harsh sound, yet it Is attributed to God in more than one instance. The main question is, what does that hatred lead one to do? We know that God’s hatred of anything will not prevent him from doing by that thing (or person) that which is right. On this principle, if a man hates that which God hates, or hates those who hate Him, such hatred will not lead him to do what he should not.
Psa 139:22. Perfect hatred is a hatred that is complete. See comments on the preceding verse on the subject of hatred. Mine enemies is a significant phrase. Too many people will include the enemies of the Lord among their friends. That should not be done for it makes such people also the enemies of God. (Jas 4:4.)
Psa 139:23. If a man is honestly trying to do right he will even be eager to have his thoughts exposed. This is the teaching in Joh 3:19-21.
Psa 139:24. The everlasting way certainly would be the one the Psalmist mentioned in Psa 23:3. It is -everlasting because those who walk therein even down to the “last mile of the way,” will close their journey at the throne of God.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Surely: Psa 5:6, Psa 9:17, Psa 55:23, Psa 64:7, Psa 94:23, Isa 11:4
depart from: Psa 6:8, Psa 119:115, Mat 7:23, Mat 25:41, 2Co 6:17
Reciprocal: Gen 4:8 – Cain rose Gen 49:6 – come 2Ch 32:19 – spake Est 7:6 – this wicked Psa 26:9 – bloody men Psa 59:2 – save
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 139:19. Surely, thou wilt slay the wicked, O God And as thou hast precious and gracious thoughts toward me, (which thou also hast toward all that love and fear thee,) so thou wilt not now desert me and leave me in the hands of those wicked men who, unmindful of thy presence and thy all-seeing eye, regard not by what means they plot my ruin. But rather, as thou knowest all things, and art perfectly acquainted with the justice of my cause, and the iniquity of my adversaries; and as thou hast formed, and hitherto in so wonderful a manner watched over and preserved me, thou wilt slay the wicked, and deliver me, as thou hast promised to do, out of their hands. Depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men I trust in my God, and will have no connection in the way of treaty or friendship with you. Thus David, in this verse, draws the intended conclusion from the premises so largely expatiated upon in the former part of the Psalm.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
4. David’s loyalty 139:19-24
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
With these thoughts in his mind, David turned his attention to his present situation. His enemies were attacking him. He prayed that the Lord would slay those who were trying to kill him (Psa 139:19). These enemies were evidently hostile to God, as well as to David, and were using the Lord’s name for an evil purpose. In loyalty to God, David affirmed his "hatred" for (i.e., rejection of) those who "hated" (rejected) God. By "hate" David meant he rejected them (cf. Mal 1:3).