Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 55:2
Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
2. hear me ] Answer me.
I mourn &c.] Render, I am restless in my complaint, and am distracted (R.V. moan). A word used in Gen 27:40 of a roving life, in Jer 2:31 of impatience of restraint (R.V. break loose), is here applied to the restlessness of a distracted mind.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Attend unto me, and hear me – This also is the language of earnest supplication, as if he was afraid that God would not regard his cry. These varied forms of speech show the intense earnestness of the psalmist, and his deep conviction that he must have help from God.
I mourn – The word used here – rud – means properly to wander about; to ramble – especially applied to animals that have broken loose; and then, to inquire after, to seek, as one does by running up and down; hence, to desire, to wish. Thus in Hos 11:12 – Judah runs wild toward God, – in our translation, Judah yet ruleth with God. The word occurs also in Jer 2:31, We are lords (margin, have dominion); and in Gen 27:40, When thou shalt have the dominion. It is not elsewhere found in the Scriptures. The idea here seems not to be to mourn, but to inquire earnestly; to seek; to look for, as one does who wanders about, or who looks every way for help. David was in deep distress. He looked in every direction. He earnestly desired to find God as a Helper. He was in the condition of one who had lost his way, or who had lost what was most valuable to him; and he directed his eyes most earnestly toward God for help.
In my complaint – The word here employed commonly means speech, discourse, meditation. It here occurs in the sense of complaint, as in Job 7:13; Job 9:27; Job 21:4; Job 23:2; Psa 142:2; 1Sa 1:16. It is not used, however, to denote complaint in the sense of fault-finding, but in the sense of deep distress. As the word is now commonly used, we connect with it the idea of fault-finding, complaining, accusing, or the idea that we have been dealt with unjustly. This is not the meaning in tills place, or in the Scriptures generally. It is the language of a troubled, not of an injured spirit.
And make a noise – To wit, by prayer; or, by groaning. The psalmist did not hesitate to give vent to his feelings by groans, or sobs, or prayers. Such expressions are not merely indications of deep feeling, but they are among the appointed means of relief. They are the effort which nature makes to throw off the burden, and if they are without complaining or impatience they are not wrong. See Isa 38:14; Isa 59:11; Heb 5:7; Mat 27:46.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. I mourn in my complaint] besichi, in my sighing; a strong guttural sound, expressive of the natural accents of sorrow.
And make a noise] I am in a tumult – I am strongly agitated.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For my misery is very great, and forceth tears and bitter cries from me.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. The terms of the last clauseexpress full indulgence of grief.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Attend unto me, and hear me,…. So as to answer, and that immediately and directly, his case requiring present help;
I mourn in my complaint; or “in my meditation” p; solitary thoughts, and melancholy views of things. Saints have their complaints, on account of their sins and corruptions, their barrenness and unfruitfulness, and the decay of vital religion in them; and because of the low estate of Zion, the declining state of the interest of Christ, and the little success of his Gospel; and they mourn, in these complaints, over their own sins, and the sins of others, professors and profane, and under afflictions temporal and spiritual, both their own and the church’s. Christ also, in the days of his flesh, had his complaints of the perverseness and faithlessness of the generation of men among whom he lived; of the frowardness, pride and contentions of his disciples; of the reproaches, insult, and injuries of his enemies; and of the dereliction of his God and Father; and he often mourned on account of one or other of these things, being a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs;
and make a noise; not only with sighs and groans, but in so loud a manner as to be called roaring; see Ps 22:1.
p “in meditatione mea”, Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) I mourn.A verb found in this form only in three other passages, always with the idea of restlessnesse.g., Gen. 27:40, of the roving life of a Bedouin; Jer. 2:31, of moral restlessness; Hos. 12:1, of political instability. Here it may either indicate that bodily restlessness which often serves as an outlet of grief:
Hard mechanic exercise,
Like dull narcotics, numbing pain,
or the distracted state of the mind itself.
And make a noise.Better, and must roar, the form of the verb expressing the compulsion which the sufferer feels to give vent to his feelings in groans and murmurs. (See Note on Psa. 42:5.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. I mourn in my complaint I wander about in my complaint. As one who has lost his way, I go up and down in meditative grief. The word rendered “mourn” signifies to wander, to roam about. “Here it is used of the restless tossing to and fro of the mind filled with cares and anxieties.” Perowne.
Make a noise I groan, and cannot repress my cry of pain. The Hiphil form of the verb gives the sense of compulsion, “I am forced to cry out,” I have no power to repress my complaint.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 55:2. I mourn in my complaint I bathe myself with tears in my complaint. Chandler. Compare Isa 16:2.; Lam 1:16. The next words are rendered by Chandler, and am in the greatest consternation. He was brought into such immediate danger, that he scarcely knew what method to take to avoid the destruction which threatened him.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 55:2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
Ver. 2. Attend unto me, and hear me ] Heb. answer me, that is, grant me deliverance from this death which threateneth me. This is his sense, as appeareth by the sequel; though at present he could not instance, but only beggeth audience.
I mourn in my complaint
And make a noise
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hear = answer. make a noise = moan.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I mourn: Psa 13:1, Psa 13:2, Psa 32:3, Psa 38:6, Psa 43:2, Psa 102:9, Psa 102:10, Isa 38:14
Reciprocal: Job 35:9 – they make Psa 5:1 – Give Psa 17:1 – attend Psa 54:2 – General Psa 61:1 – Hear Psa 64:1 – Hear Psa 119:149 – Hear Psa 130:2 – let thine ears Psa 140:6 – hear Rom 8:26 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The pressure David’s enemy had placed on him sprang from a grudge. Evidently David had offended this person previously and now he was getting even. His enemy’s words had brought trouble down on the psalmist.