Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 64:7
But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
7. Therefore God shoots at them with an arrow;
Suddenly are they smitten.
The peculiar idiom of the Heb. in this and the following verses conveys the idea that this judgement is the immediate consequence of their conduct, and though still future, is as certain as though it were already historical fact. Lit. So God hath shot they have been wounded and they have been made to stumble and all men have feared, and they have declared and understood &c.: Note the parallelism of this verse to Psa 64:4, They aim their arrows at the righteous, unseen, as they fancy, by man, and unregarded by God; but swift retribution overtakes them unawares. Cp. Psa 7:12 ff. R.V. follows the Massoretic accents in attaching with an arrow to the second line; but the balance of the clauses is in favour of dividing the verses as A.V. does, and the parallel with Psa 64:4 is more striking if ‘suddenly’ occupies the same emphatic position at the beginning of the second line as there. Note how their punishment is described in terms of their crime ( Psa 64:4-5).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
7 10. They may scheme, but in the midst of their schemes the arrow of divine judgement pierces them: by this exhibition of God’s justice all men are warned, and the righteous are encouraged.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow – That is, Instead of their being able to carry out their purposes of shooting the arrows which they had prepared against others, God will shoot his arrows against them. The tables will be turned. They themselves will experience what they had intended to inflict on others. God will deal with them as they intended to deal with others. The sentiment here is substantially the same as in Psa 7:15; see the notes at that passage. It is also in accordance with what we often find in the writings of David, when in the close of a psalm he expresses a confident expectation that the prayer which he had offered in the beginning would be heard, or rejoices in the assurance that he had been heard. The idea, also, is involved in this part of the psalm that God will deal with men as they purpose to deal with others; that is, according to their true character. Compare the notes at Psa 18:25-26.
Suddenly shall they be wounded – Margin, their wound shall be. The Hebrew is, Suddenly shall be their wounds. The idea is, that the wounds in the case would be theirs; and would be inflicted suddenly. The blows which they thought to give to others would come on themselves, and this would occur at an unexpected moment.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow] They endeavour to trace me out, that they may shoot me; but God will shoot at them. This, if the Psalm refer to the times of David, seems to be prophetic of Saul’s death. The archers pressed upon him, and sorely wounded him with their arrows. 1Sa 31:3.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
God shall shoot at them; though I can neither search out or prevent their subtle devices, yet God can and will certainly do it.
Suddenly; shortly and unexpectedly.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. The contrast is heightened byrepresenting God as using weapons like theirs.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow,…. With one or other of his four judgments; famine, pestilence, sword, and wild beasts, Eze 14:21; which he brings upon wicked men; and may be compared to arrows, as they are, Eze 5:16; because they move swiftly. The judgment of wicked men lingereth not, though it may seem to do so; and because they often come suddenly and at an unawares, when men are crying Peace, peace; and because they are sharp and piercing, penetrate deep and stick fast, and wound and kill; they are not arrows of deliverance, unless to the Lord’s people, who, by his judgments on the wicked, are delivered from them; but destroying ones, 2Ki 13:17; when God draws the bow and shoots, execution is done. This is said in opposition to what wicked men do, Ps 64:3; and in just retaliation; they shoot at the perfect, and God shoots at them;
suddenly shall they be wounded; with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, with a deadly wound that shall never be healed; not with the arrow of God’s word, but with the stroke of his hand; which comes suddenly, falls heavy, and makes the wound incurable.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Deep is man’s heart and inward part, but not too deep for God, who knoweth the heart (Jer 17:9.). And He will just as suddenly surprise the enemies of His anointed with their death-blow, as they had plotted it for him. The futt. consec. that follow represent that which is future, with all the certainty of an historical fact as a retribution springing from the malicious craftiness of the enemies. According to the accentuation, Psa 64:8 is to be rendered: “then will Elohim shoot them, a sudden arrow become their wounds.” Thus at length Hupfeld renders it; but how extremely puzzling is the meaning hidden behind this sentence! The Targum and the Jewish expositors have construed it differently: “Then will Elohim shoot them with arrows suddenly;” in this case, however, because Psa 64:8 then becomes too blunt and bald, has to be repeated in thought with this member of the verse, and this is in itself an objection to it. We interpunctuate with Ewald and Hitzig thus: then does Elohim shoot them with an arrow, suddenly arise (become a reality) their wounds (cf. Mic 7:4), namely, of those who had on their part aimed the murderous weapon against the upright for a sudden and sure shot. Psa 64:9 is still more difficult. Kimchi’s interpretation, which accords with the accents: et corruere facient eam super se, linguam suam , is intolerable; the proleptic suffix, having reference to (Exo 3:6; Job 33:20), ought to have been feminine (vid., on Psa 22:16), and “to make their own tongue fall upon themselves” is an odd fancy. The objective suffix will therefore refer per enallagen to the enemy. But not thus (as Hitzig, who now seeks to get out of the difficulty by an alteration of the text, formerly rendered it): “and they cause those to fall whom they have slandered [ lit. upon whom their tongue came].” This form of retribution does not accord with the context; and moreover the gravely earnest , like the -, refers more probably to the enemies than to the objects of their hostility. The interpretation of Ewald and Hengstenberg is better: “and one overthrows him, inasmuch as their tongue, i.e., the sin of their tongue with which they sought to destroy others, comes upon themselves.” The subject to , as in Psa 63:11; Job 4:19; Job 7:3; Luk 12:20, is the powers which are at the service of God, and which are not mentioned at all; and the thought (a circumstantial clause) is like Psa 140:10, where in a similar connection the very same singularly rugged lapidary, or terse, style is found. In Psa 64:9 we must proceed on the assumption that in such a connection signifies the gratification of looking upon those who are justly punished and rendered harmless. But he who tarries to look upon such a scene is certainly not the person to flee from it; does not here mean “to betake one’s self to flight” (Ewald, Hitzig), but to shake one’s self, as in Jer 48:27, viz., to shake the head (Psa 44:15; Jer 18:16) – the recognised (vid., Psa 22:8) gesture of malignant, mocking astonishment. The approbation is awarded, according to Psa 64:10, to God, the just One. And with the joy at His righteous interposition, – viz. of Him who has been called upon to interpose, – is combined a fear of the like punishment. The divine act of judicial retribution now set forth becomes a blessing to mankind. From mouth to mouth it is passed on, and becomes an admonitory nota bene. To the righteous in particular it becomes a consolatory and joyous strengthening of his faith. The judgment of Jahve is the redemption of the righteous. Thus, then, does he rejoice in his God, who by thus judging and redeeming makes history into the history of redemption, and hide himself the more confidingly in Him; and all the upright boast themselves, viz., in God, who looks into the heart and practically acknowledges them whose heart is directed unswervingly towards Him, and conformed entirely to Him. In place of the futt. consec., which have a prophetic reference, simple futt. come in here, and between these a perf. consec. as expressive of that which will then happen when that which is prophetically certain has taken place.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| God’s Judgments on Persecutors. | |
7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. 8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. 9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. 10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
We may observe here,
I. The judgments of God which should certainly come upon these malicious persecutors of David. Though they encouraged themselves in their wickedness, here is that which, if they would believe and consider it, was enough to discourage them. And it is observable how the punishment answers the sin. 1. They shot at David secretly and suddenly, to wound him; but God shall shoot at them, for the ordains his arrows against the persecutors (Ps. vii. 13), against the face of them, Ps. xxi. 12. And God’s arrows will hit surer, and fly swifter, and pierce deeper, than theirs do or can. They have many arrows, but they are only bitter words, and words are but wind: the curse causeless shall not come. But God has one arrow that will be their death, his curse which is never causeless, and therefore shall come; with it they shall be suddenly wounded, that is, their wound by it will be a surprise upon them, because they were secure and not apprehensive of any danger. 2. Their tongues fell upon him, but God shall make their tongues to fall upon themselves. They do it by the desert of their sin; God does it by the justice of his wrath, v. 8. When God deals with men according to the desert of their tongue-sins, and brings those mischiefs upon them which they have passionately and maliciously imprecated upon others, then he makes their own tongues to fall upon them; and it is weight enough to sink a man to the lowest hell, like a talent of lead. Many have cut their own throats, and many more have damned their own souls, with their tongues, and it will be an aggravation of their condemnation. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself, art snared in the words of thy mouth. If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. Those that love cursing, it shall come unto them. Sometimes men’s secret wickedness is brought to light by their own confession, and then their own tongue falls upon them.
II. The influence which these judgments should have upon others; for it is done in the open sight of all, Job xxxiv. 26.
1. Their neighbours shall shun them and shift for their own safety. They shall flee away, as the men of Israel did from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Num. xvi. 27. Some think this was fulfilled in the death of Saul, when not only his army was dispersed, but the inhabitants of the neighbouring country were so terrified with the fall, not only of their king but of his three sons, that they quitted their cities and fled, 1 Sam. xxxi. 7.
2. Spectators shall reverence the providence of God therein, v. 9. (1.) They shall understand and observe God’s hand in all (and, unless we do so, we are not likely to profit by the dispensations of Providence, Hos. xiv. 9): They shall wisely consider his doing. There is need of consideration and serious thought rightly to apprehend the matter of fact, and need of wisdom to put a true interpretation upon it. God’s doing is well worth our considering (Eccl. vii. 13), but it must be considered wisely, that we put not a corrupt gloss upon a pure text. (2.) They shall be affected with a holy awe of God upon the consideration of it. All men (all that have any thing of the reason of a man in them) shall fear and tremble because of God’s judgments, Ps. cxix. 120. They shall fear to do the like, fear being found persecutors of God’s people. Smite the scorner and the simple shall beware. (3.) They shall declare the work of God. They shall speak to one another and to all about them of the justice of God in punishing persecutors. What we wisely consider ourselves we should wisely declare to others, for their edification and the glory of God. This is the finger of God.
3. Good people shall in a special manner take notice of it, and it shall affect them with a holy pleasure, v. 10. (1.) It shall increase their joy: The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocency pleaded effectually. (2.) It shall encourage their faith. They shall commit themselves to him in the way of duty and be willing to venture for him with an entire confidence in him. (3.) Their joy and faith shall both express themselves in a holy boasting: All the upright in heart, that keep a good conscience and approve themselves to God, shall glory, not in themselves, but in the favour of God, in his righteousness and goodness, their relation to him and interest in him. Let him that glories glory in the Lord.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
7 And God shall shoot an arrow at them The Psalmist now congratulates himself in the confident persuasion that his prayers have not been without effect, but already answered. Though there was no appearance of God’s approaching judgment, he declares that it would suddenly be executed; and in this he affords a remarkable proof of his faith. He saw the wicked hardening themselves in their prosperity, and presuming upon impunity from the divine connivance and forbearance; but instead of yielding to discouragement, he was borne up by the belief that God, according to his usual mode of procedure with the wicked, would visit them at an unexpected moment, when they were flattering themselves with having escaped, and indulging in extravagant confidence. It is a consideration which should comfort us, when subjected to long-continued trial, that God, in delaying to punish the ungodly, does so with the express design of afterwards inflicting judgments of a more condign description upon them, and when they shall say, “Peace and safety,” overwhelming them with sudden destruction, (Jer 8:11 (443))
(443) In the French version the reference is changed to 1Th 5:3.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7, 8) The meaning of these verses is clear. In the moment of their imagined success, their deeply-laid schemes just on the point of ripening, a sudden Divine retribution overtakes the wicked, and all their calumnies, invented with such cunning, fall back on their own heads. But the construction is most perplexing. The text presents a tangled maze of abrupt clauses, which, arranged according to the accents, run: And God shoots an arrow, sudden are their wounds, and they make it (or him) fall on themselves their tongue. The last clause seems to pronounce the law which obtains in Divine judgment. While God orders the retribution it is yet the recoil of their own evil on the guilty. In these cases,
We still have judgment here, that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor; this evenhanded justice
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips.
SHAKSPEARE: Macbeth.
Flee away.The verb (ndad) properly means to flutter the wings like a bird (Isa. 10:14).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow Both the verbs in the two lines of this verse are in the past tense, and though the Hebrew gives an ambiguous idea as to interpunction, yet we should read:
But God hath shot at them an arrow,
Suddenly have come their wounds.
Thus, when they had completed their deep schemes when they had bent their bow to shoot in secret at the upright, (Psa 64:3-4,) in a moment, by the unseen arrow of God, they received their own death wound. See Psa 7:12; Psa 38:2
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
But God Has Taken Note And Will Turn Their Schemes Back On Their Own Heads So That All Will See Their Folly And Recognise In Their Demise The Hand Of God ( Psa 64:7-9 ).
His adversaries thought that no one noted what they were doing (Psa 64:5), but they will soon find out that they were wrong. For God in turn will shoot His arrows at them, and ‘suddenly’ they will be wounded. He will return what they have been whispering on their own heads through the triumph of David. Thus their own tongue will be against them, for it will have brought them into disrepute. In view of David’s continual triumphs over apparent disaster his adversaries continually found their harsh words returning on their heads, and regretted that they had spoken them.
And all who see the retribution that David’s adversaries have brought on themselves, will shake their head at their folly. And they themselves will fear, and declare the work of God, taking notice of what He does. So the folly of David’s adversaries will be a lesson to the world.
Psa 64:7-9
‘But God will shoot at them,
With an arrow will they suddenly be wounded,
So they will they make them stumble,
Their own tongue being against them,
All who see them will wag the head,
And all men will fear,
And they will declare the work of God,
And will wisely consider of his doing.’
‘God will shoot at them, with an arrow will they suddenly be wounded’ or possibly, ‘God will shoot at them with an arrow, suddenly will they be wounded’. Either way the stress is on the fact that they who have aimed their arrows (‘even bitter words’) at David ‘suddenly and without fear’ behind his back (Psa 64:5), will themselves find that David’s God will shoot His arrows at them equally suddenly. His powerful word will go forward to do His will (compare Isa 55:10-13). God’s mysterious instruments of justice, ‘they’ (compare Psa 63:10), will make them stumble. With unexpected suddenness they will find themselves wounded. Their own tongues, with which they had been surreptitiously attacking David, will react against them. They had acted without fear. But if they had known David’s God, and the forces at His disposal, they would have been afraid indeed.
Indeed all who see what happens to them will ‘wag their heads’ with amazement at their folly, and they will be afraid, for they will have seen what God can do. And they will declare what God has done, and wisely think about and consider it. Thus will David’s tribulations bring glory to God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
I have not interrupted the progress of these verses, in order that the Reader, after having finished the perusal of the whole, may mark their connection. There is a beautiful climax of order in the relation. The wicked are described as planning their schemes in secret: who shall see them, who shall know their contrivances? None but God. He shall not only see, but punish them; yea, out of their own mouth their villanies shall be discovered. And the consequence shall be, that the righteous shall see the final issue and rejoice, and ascribe the whole glory to God. How strikingly was this displayed in the case of the Jews after our Lord’s crucifixion, in the destruction of themselves and their beloved Jerusalem! How frequently is it manifested in private life, when, after the long persecution of the faithful by the ungodly, the Lord suddenly appears for the defense of his servants! And how fully and completely will the whole issue of the divine providence be manifested, when Christ shall appear to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe! While the church shout their songs of victory, Satan’s everlasting destruction will form a part in their remembrance before the throne. The song is already given to the church, and will be sung in full chorus in the great day of God: Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of his testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. Rev 12:10-11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 64:7 But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
Ver. 7. But God shall shoot at them, &c. ] He shall overshoot them in their own bow, pay them home in their own coin; he will deal with them lege talionis, for he loveth to retaliate, see Psa 64:4 , they shall find that he can handle his arms a fair deal better against them than they did against David.
With an arrow suddenly
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 64:7-10
7But God will shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they will be wounded.
8So they will make him stumble;
Their own tongue is against them;
All who see them will shake the head.
9Then all men will fear,
And they will declare the work of God,
And will consider what He has done.
10The righteous man will be glad in the Lord and will take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will glory.
Psa 64:7 This is a typical role reversal imagery. What the wicked did to the righteous (cf. Psa 64:3-4) is now done to them.
This same type of imagery may explain Psa 64:8. The evil planners who used hateful words against the psalmist now have their own words used against themselves.
Psa 64:8 shake the head This is an idiom of surprise and rejection (cf. Psa 22:7; Psa 44:14; Jer 18:16; Jer 48:27; Lam 2:15).
Psa 64:9 Notice the ultimate purpose f YHWH’s actions in the world (i.e., blessing or judgment, cf. Psa 58:11; Psa 65:8) is for all men to know Him (see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH’s ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN ).
Psa 64:9 is surely hyperbolic and reflects what will happen to those in Israel but, like so many verses, it states a larger truth (cf. Psa 46:10).
Psa 64:10 This verse is a unique concluding statement. Usually the concluding statement in the Psalms is
1. a praise to God
2. a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
righteous man See Special Topic: Righteousness .
will be glad There may be a word play between
1. hear, Psa 64:1 (BDB 1033)
2. be glad, Psa 64:10 (BDB 970)
This would be a form of inclusio.
refuge See notes at Psa 2:12; Psa 5:11-12.
will glory The NRSV sees the verbs will be glad (BDB 970, KB 1333) and will glory (BDB 237, KB 248) as imperfects used in a jussive sense. Most English translations have them as ongoing statements.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. Why are there so many individual laments recorded in the Psalter?
2. Explain in your own words the last line of Psa 64:6.
3. Explain the literary concept of reversal, which is so common in the OT.
4. Does Psa 64:9 refer to Israel or the world?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
shoot. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 64:7-10
Psa 64:7-10
“But God will shoot at them;
With an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded.
So they shall be made to stumble, their own tongue being against them;
All that see them shall wag the head.
And all men shall fear;
And they shall declare the work of God,
And shall wisely consider of his doing.
The righteous shall be glad in Jehovah, and shall take refuge in him;
And all the upright in heart shall glory.”
“But God shall shoot at them” (Psa 64:7). In a verse and one half here (Psa 64:7-8 a), the tables are completely reversed. It is God who does the wounding. All of the cunningly-laid plots and baited traps and snares of the enemies utterly fail to harm the perfect man in God’s protection.
It is of particular interest that Leupold translated Psa 64:7-8 thus:
“But God shot an arrow at them;
Suddenly blows came upon them.
Each one was ruined; their tongues overcame them;
All that saw them shuddered.
Whether or not this is accurate, such an idea is most certainly in the passage. It was not David who was destroyed by the partisans of Absalom but themselves.
“But God” (Psa 64:7). How often in the history of God’s work among men have we encountered a thought like this. Acts 12 has a terrible record of the murder of the apostle James, the imprisonment of Peter, and the scattering of God’s people from Jerusalem, “But the word of God grew and multiplied” (Act 12:24).
Yates entitled these last four verses, “The Certainty of Judgment, leaving the way open for much wider interpretation than a restricted application of it to the enemies of a perfect man in a given situation. There is a sense in which “the certainty of judgment,” like the sword of Damocles hangs over the head of all mankind. The judgment is an appointment that no man may cancel, ignore, or escape.
“All that see them shall wag the head” (Psa 64:8). “These words refer either to `derision,’ or to `shocked concern.’
It seems to us that the latter would be most appropriate here.
“All the upright in heart shall glory” (Psa 64:10). However this might be applied to the enemies of the psalmist, these words have an eternal significance. It is true of all men that the wicked shall be punished with “everlasting destruction,” but that the righteous shall be welcomed into the home of the soul, “into the eternal habitations,” where they shall share the glory of the redeemed throughout eternity.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 64:7. The arrow that God will shoot will be his darts of wrath against the workers of unrighteousness. They will be wounded by having their pride brought down.
Psa 64:8. The lies of the enemies will be exposed. When that is done they will be shown to be the ones who are really guilty of the evils they charged against David. When people realize the wickedness of David’s foes they will flee away or evade them in fear.
Psa 64:9. Men shall fear means they will respect God for his wonderful works of righteousness. Wisely consider denotes they will take a wise and just view of the actions of God.
Psa 64:10. A righteous man will always be glad when he sees the good work of God. It will cause him to have Increased faith in the power and wisdom of divine providence.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
God: Psa 7:12, Psa 7:13, Psa 18:14, Deu 32:23, Deu 32:42, Job 6:4, Lam 3:12, Lam 3:13
suddenly: Psa 64:4, Psa 73:19, Pro 6:15, Pro 29:1, Isa 30:13, Mat 24:40, Mat 24:50, Mat 24:51, 1Th 5:2, 1Th 5:3
shall they be wounded: Heb. their wound shall be, 1Ki 22:34, 1Ch 10:3-7
Reciprocal: Psa 21:12 – thou shalt Psa 35:8 – Let destruction Psa 36:12 – There Psa 38:2 – thine Psa 52:5 – God Psa 58:7 – General Psa 59:12 – For the Psa 138:7 – thou shalt stretch Psa 139:19 – Surely Psa 141:10 – the wicked Pro 21:11 – the scorner
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 64:7. But God shall shoot at them Though I can neither search out nor prevent their subtle devices, yet God can, and will certainly do it, for he ordains his arrows against persecutors, Psa 7:13, and his arrows will hit more surely, and fly more swiftly, and pierce more deeply than theirs do or can. They have many arrows, but they are only words, though bitter, and the curse causeless shall not come: but God has one arrow that will be their destruction; his curse, which is never causeless, and therefore shall come. Suddenly shall they be wounded That is, their wound by it will be a surprise upon them, because they were secure, and not apprehensive of any danger.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3. A prediction of punishment 64:7-10
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
David’s enemies had assailed him with words that they used like deadly arrows, but God would shoot these foes with His arrow of judgment. With it God would make them fall in battle. The NASB is a bit misleading in Psa 64:8. The NIV is clearer. It reads, "He will turn their own tongues against them."