Translation: ESV
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
God is one who hears even the voice of complaint, and this belief is the foundation of prayer.
▸This is David's personal lament prayer.
This is David's personal lament prayer. 'Dread of the enemy' refers to the fear that enemies cause. The belief that God hears the voice of complaint is the foundation of prayer, and the plea to preserve life is the most basic human desire.
who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
Language can become a weapon as sharp as a sword and an arrow, and its destructive power is real.
▸A vivid image depicting the tongue as a weapon.
But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
The weapon the wicked use ultimately returns upon them, and God's judgment comes at an unexpected time.
▸A paradoxical judgment: the wicked attacked with arrow-like words (v.
Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!
God's just judgment becomes the grounds for the righteous to rejoice and exult in God.
▸The response of the righteous after witnessing the judgment of the wicked.