Psalms 65:3

3 The words of wicked men had the mastery over us; and thou shalt do mercy to our wickednesses. (The words of the wicked had the mastery over us; but thou hath shown mercy toward our wickednesses.)

Psalms 65:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 65:3

Iniquities prevail against me
Or, "are mightier than I" {h}; this may be understood either of the iniquities of others, his enemies; their "words of iniquities" ^F9 or iniquitous words, as in the Hebrew text; their calumnies, reproaches, false charges, and accusations, which prevailed against David in Saul's court; or rather his own iniquities, inward lusts, indwelling sins, as well as open transgressions, which he considers as his enemies, as numerous and powerful, too mighty for him, which warred against him, and sometimes got the better of him, and threatened him with utter ruin and destruction; but amidst all this he spies atonement and pardon through the blood and sacrifice of Christ, as follows;

[as for] our transgressions, thou shall purge them away;
not only his own, but others, which Christ has done by the sacrifice of himself; and when his blood is applied to the conscience of a sensible sinner, it purges it from all his sins, ( Hebrews 1:3 ) ( 9:14 ) ; it may be rendered, "thou shall expiate them", or "make atonement for them" ^F11; which Christ, our propitiation, has done: this was the work appointed him, which he undertook, came into the world to do, and has performed, ( Daniel 9:24 ) ( Hebrews 2:17 ) ( 9:26 ) ; or "thou shalt cover them"; with the blood and righteousness of Christ; or forgive them for the sake of them, ( Psalms 32:1 Psalms 32:2 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F8 (ynm) "prae me", Muis, Michaelis.
F9 (tnwe yrbd) "verba iniquitatum", Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.
F11 (Mrpkt) "propitiaberis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; "expiabis", Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Psalms 65:3 In-Context

1 To victory, the psalm of the song of David. God, praising becometh thee in Zion; and a vow shall be yielded to thee in Jerusalem. (God, praises be due to thee in Zion; and our vows shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.)

2 Hear thou my prayer; each man shall come to thee. (Hear thou my prayer; let everyone come to thee.)

3 The words of wicked men had the mastery over us; and thou shalt do mercy to our wickednesses. (The words of the wicked had the mastery over us; but thou hath shown mercy toward our wickednesses.)

4 Blessed is he, whom thou hast chosen, and hast taken; he shall dwell in thy foreyards. We shall be [ful]filled with the goods of thine house; thy temple is holy, (Happy is he, whom thou hast chosen, and thou hast brought to live in thy courtyards; and we shall be satisfied with the good things of thy House, yea, of thy holy Temple.)

5 wonderful in equity. God, our health, hear thou us; thou art hope of all coasts of earth, and in the sea afar. (With wonderful things, and with victory, thou answereth us, O God, our salvation/O God, our deliverance; thou art the hope of all who be at the ends of the earth, and who be far across the sea.)