Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 59:13
Consume [them] in wrath, consume [them], that they [may] not [be]: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
13. Consume them in wrath, consume them] For the emphatic repetition cp. Psa 57:1; Psa 57:7-8; and for the wrath of divine judgement cp. Psa 56:7.
that they may not be] Better as R.V., that they be no more.
and let them know ] It is best to regard the subject of the verb as indefinite, let men know; and to connect unto the ends of the earth with this clause. Let it be known throughout the length and breadth of the world. Cp. 1Sa 17:46: ‘that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.’ The P.B.V. ‘that it is God that ruleth in Jacob, and unto the ends of the world,’ gives an equally good sense, but requires the insertion of the conjunction.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Consume them in wrath – Or, in thy justice. The idea in the word consume here is to finish; to complete; to bring to an end. It does not mean to burn them as our word might seem to imply, nor is there any reference to the mode or manner in which their power was to be brought to an end. It is merely a prayer that all their plans might be frustrated; that there might be an entire completion of their attempts; or that they might be in no sense successful.
Consume them – The expression is repeated for the sake of emphasis, implying a desire that the work might be complete.
That they may not be – That things might be as if they were not in the land of the living.
And let them know – Those who are now plotting my death.
That God ruleth in Jacob – That God rules among his people, protecting them and guarding them from the attacks of their enemies; that he is their friend, and that he is the enemy of all those who seek to injure and destroy them.
Unto the ends of the earth – Everywhere. All over the world. Let it be shown that the same principles of government prevail wherever man abides or wanders – that God manifests himself everywhere as the friend of right, and the enemy of wrong. The phrase the ends of the earth, is in accordance with the prevailing conception that the earth was an extended plane, and that it had limits or boundaries. Compare the notes at Isa 40:22, notes at Isa 40:28.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Consume them by degrees, and after thou hast made them to wander about, Psa 59:11.
That they may not be, to wit, in the land of the living, any more; as this phrase is frequently understood, whereof divers instances have been given.
Let them know experimentally, and to their cost, that God ruleth over and above them; that though Saul be king, yet God is his superior in power and authority, and all things among us shall be disposed, not as it pleaseth Saul, which his parasites are always suggesting to him, but as God will; and therefore I shall be preserved, and in fit time crowned, in spite of all that Saul or his forces can do against me.
In Jacob; in the land and over the people of Israel, whose king and governor he is in a peculiar manner.
Unto; or, and into; the contraction and being oft understood, as hath been noted before. These words may be referred, either,
1. To Gods ruling; let them know that God ruleth, not only in Jacob, but also to the ends of the earth. Or,
2. To mens knowing; let them, or let men, know, even to the ends of the earth, that God ruleth in Jacob; let thy judgments be so manifest and dreadful in the destruction of thy wicked enemies, that not only Israelites, but even the remote nations of the world, may see it, and acknowledge thy power and providence in it.
The ends of the earth; either of this land; or rather, of the world. The sense is, That by those eminent and extraordinary discoveries of thy power, and wisdom, and justice it may be evident, both to them and to all that hear of it, that thou art no puny, or inferior, or topical god, like the gods of heathens, whose government is confined to a narrow compass; but the high and mighty God, and the great Ruler of the whole world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Though delayed for wisereasons, the utter destruction of the wicked must come at last, andGod’s presence and power in and for His Church will be known abroad(1Sa 17:46; Psa 46:10;Psa 46:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Consume [them] in wrath, consume [them],…. The repetition of the request shows the ardour and vehemency of the mind of the petitioner, and the importunity in which he put up the petition; and suggests that the persons designed were guilty of very great sins, deserving of the wrath of God, and which came upon them to the uttermost, 1Th 2:16;
that they [may] not [be]; either any more in the land of the living; be utterly extinct, having no being in this world, Jer 31:15; or that they might not be in the glory and grandeur, in the honour, dignity, and felicity, they once were in; which best suits the present state of the Jews; and this sense better agrees with what follows;
and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth; this is to be understood of the Messiah, who is God over all, blessed for ever, and is the ruler in Israel, King of saints; reigns over the house of Jacob, in his church, and among his people, wherever they are; even to the ends of the earth, where he has had, or will have, some that are subject to him: for his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth, Ps 72:8; and this his government is known to men good and bad, by the judgments which he executeth; and particularly it is apparent that he is made Lord and Christ, and that he is come in his kingdom, and with power, by the vengeance taken on the Jewish nation.
Selah; on this word, [See comments on Ps 3:2].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13 Consume, consume them in wrath, that they may not be David may seem to contradict himself in praying for the utter destruction of his enemies, when immediately before he had expressed his desire that they might not be exterminated at once. (374) What else could he mean when he asks that God would consume them in wrath, but that he would cut them off suddenly, and not by a gradual and slower process of punishment? But he evidently refers in what he says here to a different point of time, and this removes any apparent inconsistency, for he prays that when they had been set up for a sufficient period as an example, they might eventually be devoted to destruction. It was customary with the victorious Roman generals, first to lead the captives which had been kept for the day of triumph through the city, and afterwards, upon reaching the capital, to give them over to the lictors for execution. Now David prays that when God had, in a similar manner, reserved his enemies for an interval sufficient to illustrate his triumph, he would upon this consign them to summary punishment. The two things are not at all inconsistent; first, that the divine judgments should be lengthened out through a considerable period, to secure their being remembered better, and that then, upon sufficient evidence being given to the world of the certainty with which the wicked are subjected in the displeasure of God to the slower process of destruction, he should in due time bring them forth to final execution, the better to awake, by such a demonstration of his power, the minds of those who may be more secure than others, or less affected by witnessing moderate inflictions of punishment. He adds, accordingly, that they may know, even to the ends of the earth, that God ruleth in Jacob Some would insert the copulative particle, reading, that they may know that God rules in Jacob, and in all the nations of the world, an interpretation which I do not approve, and which does violence to the sense. The allusion is to the condign nature of the judgment, which would be such that the report of it would reach the remotest regions, and strike salutary terror into the minds even of their benighted and godless inhabitants. He was more especially anxious that God should be recognised as ruling in the Church, it being preposterous that the place where his throne was erected should present such an aspect of confusion as converted his temple into a den of thieves.
(374) Williams observes, that the Hebrew rendered consume “literally means to finish, bring to an end; namely, the (lang. it) banditti . The Psalmist, verse 11, prays, ‘Slay them not;’ i. e. , take not away their lives as individuals, but put an end to the conspiracy.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) That they may not be.Better, That they may be no more. These words are to be taken closely together. The signal overthrow of the poets foes is to be a proof to the ends of the world of the sovereign rule of the God of Jacob.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Consume them that they may not be He speaks of them as a conspiracy, a combination of wicked men. In this sense they would lose their power and fall to pieces when they should become divided in counsel.
This literally took place afterwards, on another occasion, when Ahithophel’s counsel was rejected, and consummated when Absalom was slain. See note on Psa 55:9.
Unto the ends of the earth Again the intrigues of heathen enmity to Israel are referred to, as in Psa 59:5; Psa 59:8, which see. The sense is, “They shall know to the ends of the earth that God ruleth.” Compare 1Sa 17:46
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 59:13 Consume [them] in wrath, consume [them], that they [may] not [be]: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
Ver. 13. Consume them in wrath, &c. ] But by degrees, as Psa 59:11 , slowly, but surely and severely; that they may feel themselves wasted. There may be much poison in little drops, paulatim seu gradatim et in fine penitus corruant (Kimchi).
And let them know
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Selah. See note on Psa 59:5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Consume: Psa 59:11, Psa 7:9, Num 14:34, Num 14:35, Num 32:13, Deu 2:14-16, Deu 7:22, Deu 7:23
and let: Psa 46:10, Psa 46:11, Psa 83:18, Psa 135:5, Psa 135:6, 1Sa 17:46, 1Sa 17:47, 1Ki 18:36, 1Ki 18:37, 2Ki 19:19, Isa 54:5, Eze 38:23, Eze 39:7, Dan 4:25
Reciprocal: Exo 15:7 – consumed Psa 5:10 – let Psa 28:4 – Give Psa 55:15 – Let death Psa 55:23 – O God Psa 90:7 – For we Psa 93:1 – Lord Psa 96:10 – the Lord Psa 104:35 – sinners Psa 109:17 – General Isa 37:20 – that all Isa 52:7 – Thy God
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 59:13. Consume them in wrath By degrees, and after thou hast made them to wander about, Psa 59:11. That they may not be Namely, any more in the land of the living; and let them know Experimentally, and to their cost; that God ruleth Over and above them; that though Saul be king, yet God is his superior in power and authority, and all things shall be ordered among us, not as Saul pleases, but as God pleases; and therefore I shall be preserved, and at the proper time crowned, in spite of all that Saul or his forces can do against me. In Jacob unto the ends of the earth In the land, and over the people of Israel, whose king and governor he is in a peculiar manner, and throughout the world. The sense is, that by those eminent and extraordinary discoveries of thy power, wisdom, and justice, it may be evident, both to them, and to all that hear of it, that thou art no inferior or local deity, like the gods of the heathen, but the high and mighty Jehovah, the Creator, Upholder, Governor, and Judge of the whole world.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
59:13 {l} Consume [them] in wrath, consume [them], that they [may] not [be]: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
(l) When your time will come, and when they have sufficiently served for an example of your vengeance to others.