Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 27:12
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
12. enemies ] R.V., adversaries, as in Psa 27:2.
false witnesses ] Slanderous calumniators are meant, rather than actual witnesses in court. Cp. Psa 35:11; Pro 6:19.
such as breathe out cruelty ] Bent on injuring him by their talk. For the phrase cp. Act 9:1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies – Let them not accomplish their desires in regard to me; let them not be able to carry out their purposes. The word here rendered will means properly soul, but it is used here evidently to denote wish or desire. Compare Psa 35:25.
For false witnesses are risen up against me – People who would lay false charges against him, or who would wrongfully accuse him. They charged him with crimes which he never committed, and they persecuted him as if he were guilty of what they alleged against him.
And such as breathe out cruelty – That is, they meditate violence or cruel treatment. They are intent on this; they pant for it. Saul of Tarsus thus breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. See the notes at Act 9:1.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies] To their soul benephesh; their whole soul thirsts for my destruction. Let them not be gratified. They have suborned witnesses against me, but they are false witnesses: unmask their wickedness, and confound their counsels.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The will, or lust, or desire, Heb. soul; which is so taken, Psa 41:2; 78:18; Eze 16:27.
Such as breathe out cruelty; he presseth his request upon the quality of his enemies, who were both false and cruel, and in both respects hateful to God and men.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. willliterally, “soul,””desire” (Ps 35:25).
enemiesliterally,”oppressors.” Falsehood aids cruelty against him.
breathe outas beingfilled with it (Ac 9:1).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies,…. It is a dreadful thing for a man to be given up to his own heart’s lusts, and to be delivered up into the hands of Satan; who would fain have even the people of God themselves in his hands, that he might distress them at pleasure, if not destroy them; and also to be suffered to fall into the hands of wicked men, whose tender mercies are cruel;
for false witnesses are risen up against me; laying to his charge, that he sought to take away from Saul his crown and kingdom, and even his life, 1Sa 24:9;
and such as breathe out cruelty; as Doeg the Edomite, whose tongue was as a sharp razor, and by whose hands four score and five priests were slain, on account of David’s being supplied with bread by Ahimelech; the word is in the singular number; see Ps 52:1; compare with this clause Ac 9:1; and Horace’s phrase, “Spirabat amores” l.
l Carmin. l. 4. Ode. 13. v. 19.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
12. Give me not up to the desire of mine oppressors. The Hebrew noun נפש, nephesh, signifies lust, will, or desire; and the language of David implies, Deliver me not up to the pleasure or lust of mine enemies, and thus he intimates, that they greedily gaped for his destruction. God delivers his people in two ways; either by appeasing the cruelty of the wicked, and rendering them meek; or, if he permit them to burn with fury, by restraining their power and violence, so that they desire and endeavor in vain to do mischief. The Psalmist afterwards adds, that he is persecuted both with slanders and false accusations, and also by open violence; for when he says, that they bring forth violence, (589) he means that they speak of nothing but of war and slaughter. We thus see that the holy man was miserably oppressed on every side. Even his integrity, which we know to have been singular, could not free him from bitter and deadly calumnies, and he was at the same time overwhelmed by the violence and force of his enemies. If the ungodly, therefore, should at any time rise against us, not only with menaces and cruel violence, but to give the semblance of justice to their enmity, should slander us with lies, let us remember the example of David, who was assaulted in both ways; nay, let us recall to mind that Christ the Son of God suffered no less injury from lying tongues than from violence. (590) Moreover, this prayer was dictated for our comfort, to intimate that God can maintain our innocence, and oppose the shield of his protection to the cruelty of our enemies.
(589) Hammond renders the words “breathers or speakers of injury or rapine; חמס, signifying injury or rapine, and פוח, speak.” Ainsworth reads, “He that breatheth or puffeth out violent wrong.
(590) “ De glaives et autre tels efforts.” — Fr. “From the sword and other such weapons.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) By slightly changing a letter, we avoid the awkward ellipse in Psa. 27:13, and get
Such as breathe out cruelty against me,
So that I did not believe to see, &c
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Deliver me not over to the will of my adversaries,
For false witnesses are risen up against me,
And such as breathe out cruelty.
So with his confidence somewhat restored he asks that his life might not be subjected to what his opponents want for him, for they have risen up against him and maligned him, and have spoken about him cruelly, which is no doubt why his family have rejected him. The last thing therefore that he wants is to be subject to their will.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Here again, if it had been needed by way of confirmation, that this whole Psalm primarily belongs to, and is speaking of the blessed Jesus, this verse most plainly testifies. Mar 14:55-59 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Ver. 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies ] Heb. unto the soul; for the wicked are carried on against the godly, with all their soul, as it were.
For false witnesses
And such as breathe out cruelty
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
will = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
enemies = adversaries.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
will: Psa 31:8, Psa 35:25, Psa 38:16, Psa 41:11, Psa 140:8
false: Psa 35:11, Exo 20:16, 1Sa 22:9, 1Sa 22:10, 1Sa 26:19, 2Sa 16:7, 2Sa 16:8, Mat 26:59, Mat 26:60, Act 6:11-13
breathe: Psa 25:19, Act 9:1, Act 26:11
Reciprocal: Exo 23:1 – an unrighteous witness Deu 19:16 – a false witness 1Ki 21:13 – the men of Belial Job 16:11 – turned Job 35:14 – trust Psa 41:2 – thou wilt not Psa 55:3 – for they Pro 6:19 – A false Jer 37:14 – said Mic 7:7 – wait Mar 14:55 – sought Act 6:13 – set Act 25:7 – and laid
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
27:12 Deliver me not over unto the {g} will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
(g) But either pacify their wrath, or bridle their rage.