(4) They run and prepare.--These words might both be taken in a military sense. For "run," see Psalm 18:29; Job 15:26; Job 16:14.

Help me.--Literally, as in margin, meet. It is found in a hostile sense, and never in the sense of helping. A suggested emendation, "Awake to my calling, and behold," removes the difficulty.

Verse 4. - They run and prepare themselves without my fault; or, "establish themselves" - "take up their position" (so Hengstenberg, Kay, and Professor Cheyne). Awake to help me (see the comment on Psalm 44:23). And behold; i.e. "see how things are - how innocent I am; how unjust and cruel are my enemies!"

59:1-7 In these words we hear the voice of David when a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ when surrounded by his merciless enemies; the voice of the church when under bondage in the world; and the voice of the Christian when under temptation, affliction, and persecution. And thus earnestly should we pray daily, to be defended and delivered from our spiritual enemies, the temptations of Satan, and the corruptions of our own hearts. We should fear suffering as evil-doers, but not be ashamed of the hatred of workers of iniquity. It is not strange, if those regard not what they themselves say, who have made themselves believe that God regards not what they say. And where there is no fear of God, there is nothing to secure proper regard to man.They run and prepare themselves without my fault,.... Or, "without sin in me"; or "without punishment in them"; so the same word is rendered, 1 Samuel 28:10. "They run", in an hostile manner, "against me", as the Syriac version adds; or like dogs up and down, about the city, to find him and kill him; see Psalm 59:7. Or this may denote their readiness and swiftness to shed blood, Proverbs 1:16; "and prepare themselves" with weapon, with instruments of death, as the men did that were sent to kill him; and as the band of men that came with Judas to take Christ prepared themselves with swords and staves. The Targum is,

"they order or ordain war;''

which they prosecuted without any occasion of it from him, and wilt, impunity in them. Wherefore it follows,

awake to help me; or "to meet me" (n); see Genesis 46:29; with succour and supplies, and to deliver out of the hands of enemies. The Lord, though he neither slumbers nor sleeps, yet seems to be asleep when he does not arise to help his people, but suffers the enemy to prevail; and when he seems to take no notice of their case, but hides his eyes, and shuts them as a man asleep. Hence the following petition,

and behold; the distress the psalmist was in, and the wickedness and malice of his enemies against him.

(n) "in occursum meum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Michaelis.