641 Hear, O God, my voice, in my meditation, From the fear of an enemy Thou keepest my life, 2 Hidest me from the secret counsel of evil doers, From the tumult of workers of iniquity. 3 Who sharpened as a sword their tongue, They directed their arrow—a bitter word. 4 To shoot in secret places the perfect, Suddenly they shoot him, and fear not. 5 They strengthen for themselves an evil thing, They recount of the hiding of snares, They have said, 'Who doth look at it?' 6 They search out perverse things, 'We perfected a searching search,' And the inward part of man, and the heart 'are' deep.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 64:1-6
Commentary on Psalm 64:1-6
(Read Psalm 64:1-6)
The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him. There is no guard against a false tongue. It is bad to do wrong, but worse to encourage ourselves and one another in it. It is a sign that the heart is hardened to the greatest degree, when it is thus fully set to do evil. A practical disbelief of God's knowledge of all things, is at the bottom of every wickedness. The benefit of a good cause and a good conscience, appears most when nothing can help a man against his enemies, save God alone, who is always a present help.