| Barnes' Notes on the Bible They draw nigh - They follow me; they press hard upon me. That follow after mischief - That seek to do me wrong. They are far from thy law - They yield no obedience to it; they are not influenced by it in their conduct toward me. Clarke's Commentary on the BibleThey draw nigh - They are just at hand who seek to destroy me. They are far from thy law - They are near to all evil, but far from thee. Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey draw nigh that follow after mischief,.... Or "evil" (c); that which is sinful in itself, and injurious to others. Some cannot sleep unless they do mischief; they are bent upon it, and proceed from evil to evil: they are eager in their pursuit of it, as the huntsman after his sport, to which the allusion is; though it is to their ruin, even to their death, Proverbs 11:19; These the psalmist says "draw nigh"; not unto God, unless feignedly and with their mouths only; but to him they drew nigh, to David, in an hostile way they pursued after him, in order to take away his life, and they had very nearly overtaken him, and were just ready to seize him; his life drew nigh to those destroyers, and those destroyers drew nigh to that, so that he was in great danger; and the more as these were abandoned creatures, that neither feared God nor regarded man, as follows: they are far from thy law; from the knowledge of it, of its equity and purity; and especially of its spirituality, and of its power and influence upon their minds; and so far from subjection and obedience to it; so far from it, that they treat it with the utmost contempt, cast it away from them and despise it, Romans 8:7. (c) "iniquitati", V. L. "scelus", Tigurine version; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Michaelis. Geneva Study BibleThey draw nigh that follow after {c} mischief: they are far from thy law. (c) He shows the nature of the wicked to be to persecute against their conscience. Wesley's Notes 119:150 Nigh - To me, they are at hand and ready to seize upon me. Are far - They cast away from them all thoughts of thy law. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary150-152. Though the wicked are near to injure, because far from God's law, He is near to help, and faithful to His word, which abides for ever. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary119:145-152 Supplications with the whole heart are presented only by those who desire God's salvation, and who love his commandments. Whither should the child go but to his father? Save me from my sins, my corruptions, my temptations, all the hinderances in my way, that I may keep thy testimonies. Christians who enjoy health, should not suffer the early hours of the morning to glide away unimproved. Hope in God's word encourages us to continue in prayer. It is better to take time from sleep, than not to find time for prayer. We have access to God at all hours; and if our first thoughts in the morning are of God, they will help to keep us in his fear all the day long. Make me lively and cheerful. God knows what we need and what is good for us, and will quicken us. If we are employed in God's service, we need not fear those who try to set themselves as far as they can out of the reach of the convictions and commands of his law. When trouble is near, God is near. He is never far to seek. All his commandments are truth. And God's promises will be performed. All that ever trusted in God have found him faithful. |