7 All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
All those who see me mock at me, etc., [1] This is an explanation of the preceding sentence. He had said that he was an object of scorn to the lowest of men, and, as it were, to the refuse of the people. He now informs us of the ignominy with which he had been treated, -- that not content with opprobrious language, they also showed their insolence by their very gesture, both by shooting out their lips, [2] and by shaking their heads. As the words which we render they thrust out the lip, is, in the Hebrew, they open with the lip, [3] some explain them as meaning to rail. But this view does not appear to me to be appropriate; for the letter v, beth, which signifies with, is here superfluous, as it often is in the Hebrew. I have therefore preferred rendering the original words, they thrust out the lip; which is the gesture of those who mock openly and injuriously. The reproachful language which follows was much more grievous when they alleged against him that God, who he openly avowed was his father, was turned away from him. We know that David, when he saw himself unjustly condemned of the world, was accustomed to support and console himself with the assurance, that since he had the approving testimony of a good conscience, he had God in heaven for his guardian, who was able to execute vengeance upon his revilers. But now, all who saw him reproached him, that with vain arrogance he had groundlessly boasted of the succor he would receive from God. Where is that God, say they, on whom he leaned? Where is that love to which he trusted? Satan has not a more deadly dart for wounding the souls of men than when he endeavors to dislodge hope from our minds, by turning the promises of God into ridicule. David's enemies, however, do not simply say that his prayers were in vain, and that the love of God of which he boasted was fallacious; but they indirectly charge him with being a hypocrite, in that he falsely pretended to be one of the children of God, from whom he was altogether estranged. How severe a temptation this must have been to David every man may judge from his own experience. But by the remedy he used he afforded a proof of the sincerity of his confidence: for unless he had had God as the undoubted witness and approver of the sincerity of his heart, he would never have dared to come before him with this complaint. Whenever, therefore, men charge us with hypocrisy, let it be our endeavor that the inward sincerity of our hearts may answer for us before God. And whenever Satan attempts to dislodge faith from our minds, by biting detraction and cruel derision, let this be our sacred anchors -- to call upon God to witness it, and that, beholding it, he may be pleased to show his righteousness in maintaining our right, since his holy name cannot be branded with viler blasphemy than to say that those who put their trust in him are puffed up with vain confidence, and that those who persuade themselves that God loves them deceive themselves with a groundless fancy. As the Son of God was assailed with the same weapon, it is certain that Satan will not be more sparing of true believers who are his members than of him. They ought, therefore, to defend themselves from this consideration - that although men may regard them as in a desperate condition, yet, if they commit to God both themselves and all their affairs, their prayers will not be in vain. By the verb, gl, gol, which is rendered to commit, the nature and efficacy of faith are very well expressed, which, reposing itself upon the providence of God, relieves our minds from the burdens of the cares and troubles with which they are agitated.
1 - Bishop Horsley reads these words, "All who see me insult [me] with gestures of derision:" and says, "I can no otherwise render the verb lg, than by this periphrasis. Bishop Mant translates the whole verse thus, "All who to slaughter see me led, Deride my state distrest; They curl the lip, they shake the head, They point the taunting jest:" And observes, "The distinctness and colouring of the prophetic picture here are as striking to the imagination, as the subject is painful to the heart."
2 - "To protrude the lower lip is, in the East, considered a very strong indication of contempt. Its employment is chiefly confined to the lower orders." -- Illustrated Commentary upon the Bible.
3 - vsphh, besaphah, with the lip.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn - They deride or mock me. On the word used here - לעג lâ‛ag - see the notes at Psalm 2:4. The meaning here is to mock, to deride, to treat with scorn. The idea of laughing is not properly in the word, nor would that necessarily occur in the treatment here referred to. How completely this was fulfilled in the case of the Saviour, it is not necessary to say. Compare Matthew 27:39, "And they that passed by, reviled him." There is no evidence that this literally occurred in the life of David.
They shoot out the lip - Margin, "open." The Hebrew word - פטר pâṭar - means properly "to split, to burst open;" then, as in this place, it means to open wide the mouth; to stretch the mouth in derision and scorn. See Psalm 35:21, "They opened their mouth wide against me." Job 16:10, "they have gaped upon me with their mouth."
They shake the head - In contempt and derision. See Matthew 27:39, "Wagging their heads."
Laugh me to scorn - They utterly despised me; set me at naught; treated me with the utmost contempt. Laugh to scorn is so completely antiquated that it should be no longer used; derided, despised, treated with contempt, are much more expressive and are still in common use.
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head - This is applied by St. Matthew, to the conduct of the Jews towards our Lord, when he hung upon the cross; as is also the following verse. But both are primarily true of the insults which David suffered from Shimei and others during the rebellion of Absalom; and, as the cases were so similar, the evangelist thought proper to express a similar conduct to Jesus Christ by the same expressions. These insults our Lord literally received, no doubt David received the same.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn,.... To the afflicted pity should be shown; but instead or pitying him in his distresses they laughed at him; this must be understood of the soldiers when they had him in Pilate's hall, and of the Jews in general when he hung upon the cross; some particular persons must be excepted, as John the beloved disciple, the mother of our Lord, Mary Magdalene, and some other women, who stood afar off beholding him;
they shoot out the lip; or "open with the lip" (y); they made mouths at him, they put out their lips, or gaped upon him with their mouths, and in a way of sport and pastime made wide mouths and drew out their tongues, as in Job 16:10;
they shake the head, saying; in a way of scorn and derision, as in Lamentations 2:15. This was fulfilled in the Jews, Matthew 27:39.
(y) "hiatum fecerunt labiis suis", Grotius; "they make a mow with their lip", Ainsworth.
For the Jews used one of the gestures (Matthew 27:39) here mentioned, when taunting Him on the cross, and (Matthew 27:43) reproached Him almost in the very, language of this passage.
shoot out--or, "open."
the lip--(Compare Psalm 35:21).
Shoot out - They gape with their mouths, in mockery. This and the next verse are applied to Christ, Matthew 27:39, Matthew 27:43.
*More commentary available at chapter level.