For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath brought down my life to the earth. He hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old:

For the enemy persecuteth my soul: he hath crushed my life down to the earth; he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

For an enemy hath pursued my soul, He hath bruised to the earth my life, He hath caused me to dwell in dark places, As the dead of old.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

The evil man has gone after my soul; my life is crushed down to the earth: he has put me in the dark, like those who have long been dead.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath crushed my life down to the ground; He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul. Having acknowledged that he only suffered the just punishment of his sins, David comes now to speak of his enemies; for to have begun by speaking of them would have been a preposterous order. Their cruelty was shown in their not resting satisfied but with the destruction of one who was a saint of God; he declares that he must even now perish unless God should help him speedily. The comparison is not merely to a dead man, but a putrid corpse; for by the dead of an age [1] are meant those who have been long removed from the world. Such language intimates that he not only trusted in God as he who could heal him of a deadly disease, but considered that though his life should be buried, as it were, and long out of mind, God could raise it again, and restore his very ashes.

Footnotes

1 - kmty vlm. These words are differently rendered in the ancient versions. The Septuagint has hos nekrous aionos, as the dead of the age; the Syriac, forever; the Chaldee, as they that lie down of that age. The real sense of the expression is, as they who have been dead a long time. The Psalmist employs hyperbolical language in this verse; he says, the enemy hath beaten his life to the ground, hath made him dwell in dark places, and for such a length of time, that there remained no remembrance of him, and that he had become like those persons who had long since been in their graves. The design of all this is to express emphatically great sorrow and oppression." -- Phillips.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul - Has persecuted me; has sought my life.
He hath smitten my life down to the ground - He has, as it were, trampled me down to the earth. The word rendered "smitten" means to break in pieces, to beat small, to crush. See Psalm 72:4; Psalm 89:10; Job 6:9. His very life seemed to be crushed out as one that is trodden down to the ground.
He hath made me to dwell in darkness - He has made my life like that of one who dwells in darkness; he has made it a life of sorrow, so that I have no comfort - no light.
As those that have been long dead - A similar expression occurs in Lamentations 3:6 : "He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old." The same Hebrew words are used. The word rendered "long" means, age, duration, eternity: Psalm 139:24. The idea here is, that his condition was like that of those who had been long in their graves; who had long since ceased to see any light; whose abode was utter and absolute gloom.

He hath made me to dwell in darkness - Literally, in dark places. This may be understood of David's taking refuge in caves and dens of the earth, to escape from his persecuting son; yea, even to take refuge in the tombs, or repositories of the dead.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been (d) long dead.
(d) He acknowledges that God is the only and true physician and heal him: and that he is able to raise him to life, though he were dead long ago, and turned to ashes.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul,.... Which is to be connected with Psalm 143:1; and is a reason why he desires his prayer might be answered, seeing his enemy, either Saul, or Absalom his own son, persecuted him, or pursued him in order to take away his soul, or life; or Satan, the enemy and avenger, who goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; or persecuting men, who are his emissaries and instruments, whom he instigates to persecute the Lord's people, and employs them therein;
he hath smitten my life down to the ground: brought him into a low, mean, and abject state, and near to death; had with a blow struck him to the ground, and left him wallowing in the mire and dirt, just ready to expire. The phrase is expressive of a very distressing state and condition. Some render it "my company" (r); meaning the men that were with him, his soldiers, who were reduced to a low condition with him, and greatly enfeebled and dispirited;
he hath made me to dwell in darkness: in the sides of the cave, as Kimchi; see 2-Samuel 24:3; or in great affliction of body and mind, frequently signified by darkness, as prosperity is by light; he was not only obliged by his enemy to hide himself in woods and wildernesses, and in caves and dens, but was filled with gloomy apprehensions of things, Psalm 88:6;
as those that have been long dead; or "of old" (s), an age or two ago, who are out of mind and forgotten, and of whom there is no hope of their coming to life again until the resurrection; or who are "dead for ever" (t); will remain so till that time comes; signifying hereby his hopeless, helpless, and forlorn state and condition; see Psalm 31:12.
(r) "catervam meam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (s) "olim", Tigurine version, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. (t) So Syriac and Arabic versions.

The exciting reason for his prayer--his afflictions--led to confession as just made: he now makes the complaint.
as those that have been long dead--deprived of life's comforts (compare Psalm 40:15; Psalm 88:3-6).

For - This is not a reason of what he last said, but an argument to enforce his petition delivered, Psalm 143:1. Soul - My life; nothing less will satisfy him. Dead - I am in as hopeless a condition in the eye of man, as those that have lain long in the grave.