Psalms 11 · Adam Clarke
Introduction David's friends advise him to flee to the wilderness from Saul's fury, Psa 11:1-3 . He answers that, having put his trust in God, knowing that he forsakes not those who confide in him, and that he will punish the ungodly, he is perfectly satisfied that he shall be in safety, Psa 11:4-7 . The inscription is, To the chief Musician, A psalm of David. By the chief musician we may understand the master-singer; the leader of the band; the person who directed the choir: but we know that the word has been translated, To the Conqueror; and some deep and mystical senses have been attributed to it, with which I believe the text has nothing to do. Verse 1 In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye - Some of David's friends seem to have given him this advice when they saw Saul bent on his destruction: "Flee as a bird to your mountain;" you have not a moment to lose; your ruin is determined; escape for your life; get off as swiftly as possible to the hill-country, to some of those inaccessible fortresses best known to yourself; and hide yourself there from the cruelty of Saul. To which advice he answers, "In the Lord put I my trust," shall I act as if I were conscious of evil, and that my wicked deeds were likely to be discovered? Or shall I act as one who believes he is forsaken of the protection of the Almighty? No: I put my trust in him, and I am sure I shall never be confounded.
Verse 2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow - Perhaps these are more of the words of his advisers: Every thing is ready for thy destruction: the arrow that is to pierce thy heart is already set on the bow-string; and the person who hopes to despatch thee is concealed in ambush.
Verse 3 If the foundations be destroyed - If Saul, who is the vicegerent of God, has cast aside his fear, and now regards neither truth nor justice, a righteous man has no security for his life. This is at present thy case; therefore flee! They have utterly destroyed the foundations; (of truth and equity); what can righteousness now effect? Kimchi supposes this refers to the priests who were murdered by Doeg, at the command of Saul. The priests are destroyed, the preservers of knowledge and truth; the Divine worship is overthrown; and what can the righteous man work? These I think to be also the words of David's advisers. To all of which he answers: -
Verse 4 The Lord is in his holy temple - He is still to be sought and found in the place vhere he has registered his name. Though the priests be destroyed, the God in whose worship they were employed still lives, and is to be found in his temple by his upright worshippers. And he tries the heart and the reins of both sinners and saints. Nothing can pass without his notice. I may expect his presence in the temple; he has not promised to meet me in the mountain.
Verse 5 The Lord trieth the righteous - He does not abandon them; he tries them to show their faithfulness, and he afflicts them for their good. His soul hateth - The wicked man must ever be abhorred of the Lord; and the violent man - the destroyer and murderer - his soul hateth; an expression of uncommon strength and energy: all the perfections of the Divine nature have such in abomination.
Verse 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain - This is a manifest allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Snares - Judgments shall fall upon them suddenly and unawares. Fire - Such as shall come immediately from God, and be inextinguishable. Brimstone - Melted by the fire, for their drink! This shall be the portion of their cup. A horrible tempest - רוח זלעפות roach zilaphoth, "the spirit of terrors." Suffering much, and being threatened with more, they shall be filled with confusion and dismay. My old MS. has "gost of stormis." See at the end, Psa 11:7 (note). Or, the blast of destructions. This may refer to the horribly suffocating Arabian wind, called Smum. Mohammed, in describing his hell, says, "The wicked shall drink nothing there but hot stinking water; breathe nothing but burning winds; and eat nothing but the fruit of the tree zakon, which shall be in their bellies like burning pitch." Hell enough! The portion of their cup - Cup is sometimes put for plenty, for abundance; but here it seems to be used to express the quantum of sorrow and misery which the wicked shall have on the earth. See Psa 75:8 ; Isa 51:17 , Isa 51:21-23 ; Jer 25:15 ; Jer 49:12 ; Lam 4:21 , Lam 4:22 . It is also used in reference to the afflictions of the righteous, Mat 20:22 ; Mat 26:39 , Mat 26:42 ; Joh 18:11 . We find a similar metaphor among the heathens. The following, from Homer, Il. xxiv., ver. 525, is in point: - Ὡς γαρ επεκλωσαντο θεοι δειλοισι βροτοισι, Ζωειν αχνυμενους· αυτοι δε τ' ακηδεες εισι, Δοιοι γαρ τε πιθοι κατακειαται εν Διος ουδει Δωρων, οια διδωσι, κακων· ἑτερος δε εαων· Ὡ μεν καμμιξας δῳη Ζευς τερπικεραυνος, αλλοτε μεν τε κακῳ ὁγε κυρεται, Αλλοτε δ' εσθλῳ. Such is, alas! the god's severe decree, They, only they are bless'd, and only free. Two urns by Jove's high throne have ever stood, The source of evil one, and one of good. From thence the Cup of mortal man he fills: Blessings to these; to those distributes ills. To most he mingles both: the wretch decreed To taste the bad unmixed, is curs'd indeed. - Pope.