Psalm 17:13
Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Arise, O Lord,.... See Psalms 3:7;
disappoint him, or "prevent his face" {k}; be beforehand with him, and so disappoint him, when he is about to seize his prey; who is comparable to the lion, or to the young lion; meaning the chief of his enemies, it may be Saul;
cast him down; everyone of them that set themselves to cast down others to the earth. Jarchi's note is,
"cut off his feet,''
that he may bow down and fall;
deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword; so Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, render the words; that is, from wicked men, whom God makes use of as instruments to afflict and chastise his people: so the Assyrian monarch is called the "rod" of his anger, with whom he scourged his people Israel, Isaiah 10:5. Compare with this
Psalms 22:20. The words are rendered by some, "deliver my soul from the wicked by thy swords" {l}; meaning not the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God by which Christ was delivered from the wicked one, when tempted by him in the wilderness; but the avenging justice of God, the sword of the Lord, which, being whetted and taken hold on, and used by him, brings vengeance on his enemies, and salvation to his people; see
Deuteronomy 32:41. The Targum paraphrases the clause thus,
"deliver my soul from the wicked, who deserves to be slain by thy sword.''
{k} wynp hmdq "praeveni faciem ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Musculus, Gejerus; "anticipa faciem ejus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
{l} Kbrx evrm "gladio tuo ab improbis", Junius & Tremellius; Gejerus; so Ainsworth.