Exaudi, Deus.
A prayer of a just man under persecution from the wicked. It agrees to
Christ persecuted by the Jews, and betrayed by Judas.
54:1. Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David.
54:2. Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
54:3. Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and
am troubled,
54:4. At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner.
For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were
troublesome to me.
54:5. My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen
upon me.
54:6. Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
54:7. And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and
be at rest?
54:8. Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the
wilderness.
54:9. I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit,
and a storm.
54:10. Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen
iniquity and contradiction in the city.
54:11. Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in
the midst thereof are labour,
54:12. And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its
streets.
54:13. For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with
it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would
perhaps have hidden my self from him.
54:14. But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
54:15. Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God
we walked with consent.
54:16. Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell.
For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them.
Let death, etc... This, and such like imprecations which occur in the
psalms, are delivered prophetically; that is, by way of foretelling the
punishments which shall fall upon the wicked from divine justice, and
approving the righteous ways of God: but not by way of ill will, or
uncharitable curses, which the law of God disallows.
54:17. But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
54:18. Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he
shall hear my voice.
54:19. He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me:
for among many they were with me.
Among many, etc... That is, they that drew near to attack me were many
in company all combined to fight against me.
54:20. God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is
no change with them, and they have not feared God:
54:21. He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his
covenant,
54:22. They are divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart
hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts.
They are divided, etc... Dispersed, scattered, and brought to nothing,
by the wrath of God; who looks with indignation on their wicked and
deceitful ways.
54:23. Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall
not suffer the just to waver for ever.
54:24. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of
destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their
days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.