4 The LORD H3068 is in his holy H6944 temple, H1964 the LORD'S H3068 throne H3678 is in heaven: H8064 his eyes H5869 behold, H2372 his eyelids H6079 try, H974 the children H1121 of men. H120
The LORD H3068 hath prepared H3559 his throne H3678 in the heavens; H8064 and his kingdom H4438 ruleth H4910 over all.
But the LORD H3068 is in his holy H6944 temple: H1964 let all the earth H776 keep silence H2013 before H6440 him.
Heaven G3772 is my G3427 throne, G2362 and G1161 earth G1093 is my G3450 footstool: G4228 G5286 what G4169 house G3624 will ye build G3618 me? G3427 saith G3004 the Lord: G2962 or G2228 what G5101 is the place G5117 of my G3450 rest? G2663
He that sitteth H3427 in the heavens H8064 shall laugh: H7832 the Lord H136 shall have them in derision. H3932
Who G3588 opposeth G480 and G2532 exalteth G5229 himself above G1909 all G3956 that is called G3004 God, G2316 or G2228 that is worshipped; G4574 so G5620 that he G846 as G5613 God G2316 sitteth G2523 in G1519 the temple G3485 of God, G2316 shewing G584 himself G1438 that G3754 he is G2076 God. G2316
Then a cloud H6051 covered H3680 the tent H168 of the congregation, H4150 and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 filled H4390 the tabernacle. H4908 And Moses H4872 was not able H3201 to enter H935 into the tent H168 of the congregation, H4150 because the cloud H6051 abode H7931 thereon, and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 filled H4390 the tabernacle. H4908
Hear, H8085 all ye people; H5971 hearken, H7181 O earth, H776 and all that therein H4393 is: and let the Lord H136 GOD H3069 be witness H5707 against you, the Lord H136 from his holy H6944 temple. H1964
He ruleth H4910 by his power H1369 for ever; H5769 his eyes H5869 behold H6822 the nations: H1471 let not the rebellious H5637 exalt H7311 H7311 themselves. Selah. H5542
Shall not God H430 search this out? H2713 for he knoweth H3045 the secrets H8587 of the heart. H3820
Sing praises H2167 to the LORD, H3068 which dwelleth H3427 in Zion: H6726 declare H5046 among the people H5971 his doings. H5949
For the eyes H5869 of the LORD H3068 run to and fro H7751 throughout the whole earth, H776 to shew himself strong H2388 in the behalf of them whose heart H3824 is perfect H8003 toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: H5528 therefore from henceforth H6258 thou shalt have H3426 wars. H4421
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 11
Commentary on Psalms 11 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Refusal to Flee When in a Perilous Situation.
Psalms 11:1-7, which likewise confidently sets the all-seeing eye of Jahve before the ungodly who carry out their murderous designs under cover of the darkness, is placed after Ps 10. The life of David (to whom even Hitzig and Ewald ascribe this Psalm) is threatened, the pillars of the state are shaken, they counsel the king to flee to the mountains. These are indications of the time when the rebellion of Absolom was secretly preparing, but still clearly discernible. Although hurrying on with a swift measure and clear in the principal thoughts, still this Psalm is not free from difficult points, just as it is with all the Psalms which contain similar dark passages from the internal condition of Israel. The gloomy condition of the nation seems to be reflected in the very language. The strophic plan is not easily discernible; nevertheless we cannot go far wrong in dividing the Psalm into two seven line strophes with a two line epiphonema .
David rejects the advice of his friends to save his life by flight. Hidden in Jahve (Psalms 16:1; Psalms 36:8) he needs no other refuge. However well-meant and well-grounded the advice, he considers it too full of fear and is himself too confident in God, to follow it. David also introduces his friends as speaking in other passages in the Psalms belonging to the period of the Absolom persecution, Psalms 3:3; Psalms 4:7. Their want of courage, which he afterwards had to reprove and endeavour to restore, showed itself even before the storm had burst, as we see here. With the words “how can you say” he rejects their proposal as unreasonable, and turns it as a reproach against them. If the Chethמb , נוּדוּ , is adopted, then those who are well-disposed, say to David, including with him his nearest subjects who are faithful to him: retreat to your mountain, (ye) birds ( צפּור collective as in Psalms 8:9; Psalms 148:10); or, since this address sounds too derisive to be appropriate to the lips of those who are supposed to be speaking here: like birds ( comparatio decurtata as in Psalms 22:14; Psalms 58:9; Psalms 24:5; Psalms 21:8). הרכס which seems more natural in connection with the vocative rendering of צפור (cf. Isaiah 18:6 with Ezekiel 39:4) may also be explained, with the comparative rendering, without any need for the conjecture הר כמו צפור (cf. Deuteronomy 33:19), as a retrospective glance at the time of the persecution under Saul: to the mountains, which formerly so effectually protected you (cf. 1 Samuel 26:20; 1 Samuel 23:14). But the Kerî , which is followed by the ancient versions, exchanges נודו for גוּדי , cf שׁחי Isaiah 51:23. Even reading it thus we should not take צפור , which certainly is epicoene, as vocative: flee to your mountain, O bird (Hitz.); and for this reason, that this form of address is not appropriate to the idea of those who profer their counsel. But we should take it as an equation instead of a comparison: fly to your mountain (which gave you shelter formerly), a bird, i.e., after the manner of a bird that flies away to its mountain home when it is chased in the plain. But this Kerî appears to be a needless correction, which removes the difficulty of נודו coming after לנפשׁי , by putting another in the place of this synallage numeri .
(Note: According to the above rendering: “Flee ye to your mountain, a bird” it would require to be accented נודו הרכם צפוז (as a transformation from נודו הרכם צפור vid., Baer's Accentssystem XVIII. 2). The interpunction as we have it, נודו הרכם צפור , harmonises with the interpretation of Varenius as of Löb Spira ( Pentateuch-Comm. 1815): Fugite (o socii Davidis), mons vester (h. e. praesidium vestrum, Psalms 30:8, cui innitimini) est avis errans.)