For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul
As the men did that watched his house, when Saul sent to kill
him; so the Jews sought and lay in wait to take away the life of
Christ; and very often was it the case of the Apostle Paul, that
he was in danger of his life, through the lying in wait of the
Jews; so Satan makes use of cunning devices, stratagems, and
wiles, to ruin the souls of God's people, if possible; and false
teachers lie in wait to deceive them. The emphasis lies upon the
word "soul", which is so precious, and the redemption of which
has cost so much, even the blood of Christ;
the mighty are gathered against me;
or, "dwell by me"; see ( Psalms 56:6 ) ; around
his house, the soldiers that Saul sent; and such were the enemies
of Christ, ( Psalms 69:4 ) ; the
chief priests, Scribes, and elders, men of great authority and
influence among the people; the kings of the earth and rulers,
Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and people of the
Jews, ( Acts 4:26
Acts 4:27 ) ;
yea, Satan, and his principalities and powers; and who are also
those against whom the saints wrestle, and would be too mighty
for them, were it not that God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit,
and the holy angels, are on their side;
not [for] my transgression, nor [for] my sin, O
Lord;
as the cause of such usage and treatment. David was not without
original sin, in which he was conceived and born; nor without
inward corruptions, of which he often complained; nor without
actual transgressions, and some very gross ones, and which he
owned and confessed, and prayed for the pardon of: but in the
case of Saul there was no transgression nor iniquity in him, as
he declared to him himself, and appeals to God for the truth of
it, ( 1 Samuel
24:11 ) ( Psalms
7:3-5 ) . One of the words here used signifies "rebellion"
F13; of this he was not guilty; he
never entered into any treasonable measures, nor committed any
treasonable practices, nor conspired against the life and crown
of his sovereign; in this respect he was quite clear and
innocent. Christ, his antitype, was entirely without sin, without
original or actual transgression; he had no sin in his nature,
nor committed any in his life; he had none inherent in him, only
the sins of his people imputed to him; and therefore the usage he
met with from men was very cruel and unjust. And as for the
saints, though they are not free from sin, original and actual,
yet in the case for which they suffer reproach, and are
persecuted by men, they are not criminal; they have done nothing
to deserve such usage; they do not suffer as evildoers, but as
Christians, ( 1 Peter 4:15
1 Peter
4:16 ) .