Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryPsalms 55:10
Day and night they go around her upon her walls, And iniquity and mischief are in her midst. Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Wesley's Notes • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryDay and night they go about - This and the following verse show the state of Jerusalem at this time. Indeed, they exhibit a fair view of the state of any city in the beginning of an insurrection. The leaders are plotting continually; going about to strengthen their party, and to sow new dissensions by misrepresentation, hypocrisy, calumny, and lies. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleDay and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof - That is, continually. The word “they” in this place probably refers to the violence and strife mentioned in the preceding verse. They are here personified, and they seem to surround the city; to be everywhere moving, even on the very walls. They are like a besieging army. Inside and outside; in the midst of the city and on the walls, there was nothing but violence and strife - conspiracy, rebellion, and crime. Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it - Crime abounded, and the result was anguish or sorrow. This language would well describe the scenes when Absalom rebelled; when the city was filled with conspirators and rebels; and when crime and anguish seemed to prevail in every part of it. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleDay and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof,.... That is, "violence" and "strife" go about the walls of it continually; men of violence and contention are the only watchmen of it: a city must be sadly guarded that has no better watch than this; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it; it was full of wickedness within and without; the city, as Aben Ezra observes, was like a circle; violence and strife were as a line round about it, and mischief and sorrow the centre of it: and these two commonly go together; where mischief is, sorrow follows. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleDay and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: h mischief also and sorrow [are] in the midst of it.(h) All laws and good orders are broken and only vice and dissolution reigns under Saul. Copyright Statement Bibliography Wesley's Explanatory NotesDay and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. They — Violence and strife. Go about — Do encompass it, as it were a garrison. Walls — In the outward parts, as also in the very midst of it. So that all parts were horribly corrupted. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryPsalms 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow [are] in the midst of it. Ver. 10. Day and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof] The ruffian soldiers do, as in garrisons is usual; or violence and strife do; so that in no place are good men in safety from rapines and robberies.
Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it] What work may be thought to be made the common soldiers, among the women especially, when Absalom openly defileth his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel! 2 Samuel 16:22. When Tilly took Magdeburg in the late German wars, besides many other outrages, the ladies, gentlewomen, and others, like beasts and dogs, they yoked and coupled together, leading them into the woods to ravish them. Such as resisted they stripped naked, whipped them, cropped their ears, and so sent them home again. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BiblePsalms 55:10. Sorrow— Injury. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleThey, i.e. the violence and strife last mentioned, Psalms 55:9, go about it; do encompass it, and are as it were the garrison by which they design to defend it. Upon the walls thereof; in the more outward parts, as also in the very midst of it, as it follows. So that all parts were horribly corrupted. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10. They go about it upon the walls—That is, the conspirators, or their spies, mentioned Psalms 55:3. A strict watch was kept against the friends and emissaries of David, but little attention was given to the public order and peace. Sorrow—Rather, iniquity, wrong doing, as the word more commonly denotes, (Psalms 55:10-11,) describe the misrule of the city during the whirl of revolution. In the midst contrasts with “upon the walls” of the city. Sharp espionage and confusion were everywhere. Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible NotesMischief. Hebrew. "aven. App-44. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedDay and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Day and night they go about it - at all times. Upon the walls thereof ... in the midst of it - in all the space of the city, alike in the exterior circumference and in the interior area. "They" - namely, violence and strife - "go about it" (Psalms 55:9), as warriors stalking round its ramparts. Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) They go.—It is quite in keeping with the Hebrew style to suppose mischief and strife personified here as the ancient versions do, and not only occupying the city as inhabitants, but prowling about its walls. So in the next verse corruption (see Psalms 5:9, Note), deceit, and guile are personified. Comp. Virgil’s “ubique Luctus, ubique Pavor, et plurima mortis imago.” Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeDay and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
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