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Confounded, i.e. frustrated in their wicked designs and hopes against me. Concerning this, and the like, and following imprecations, which may seem strange and severe, it must be considered,
1. That they did not proceed from any passionate or revengeful spirit in David towards his enemies, (from which how free he was, appears not only from his own words here, Psa_35:12-14, but from the whole course of his life, and the frequent instances mentioned in his history of his meek and merciful carriage to his enemies when they were in his power,) but from his zeal for God, and for piety and justice, to which they showed themselves to be constant and implacable adversaries, and by the direction of the prophetical Spirit of God wherewith he was endued, which Spirit did exactly know the condition of his enemies, and that those against whom they are levelled were hardened and incurable.
2. That they contain nothing but a prayer to God, that he would accomplish his own threatenings, and execute his own law of retaliation, of eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, and so bring upon them the evils which they designed against him; which also was of great and good use, both to glorify God’s justice, and to warn and reform other sinners by the terror of their example.
3. That they may be taken only for predictions, as hath been observed before upon the like occasion. Turned back; either,
1. Stopped or hindered in the execution of their wicked design. Or rather,
2. (which is more suitable to the context) discomfited and put to flight, as this phrase is frequently used, as Psa_9:3 70:2 78:9 Isa_42:17 Jer_46:5,21.