Psalms 7:4

If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me,.... That is, when Saul was at peace with him; when he lived at his court, and ate at his table his meaning is, that he did not conspire

If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me.

Unto him that was at peace with me, i.e. to Saul, when he was peaceable and friendly towards me; for David was charged with evil designs against Saul before Saul broke out into open enmity against him. Yea: this particle is here used by way of correction or opposition, as it is also . So far have I been from doing this, that I have done the contrary. I have delivered him, when it was in my power to destroy him, as 1Sa 24$ 1 Samuel 26$. Without cause; without any provocation on my part.

Psalms 7:4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)Ver. 4. If I have rewarded evil, &c.] If I have broke the conditions of our reconciliation, or betrayed my trust. Yea, I have delivered him that, &c.] This was true Christianity, to overcome evil with good, Matthew 5:44, &c.; Romans 12:17, &c. O quam hoc non est omnium! O how few can skill of this! Elisha made the Syrians a feast who came to make him a grave. David spared Saul, and delivered him, not without the hazard of his own life. Bradford conducted Bourn from the pulpit at Paul’ s Cross (where he had cried up Popery at the coming in of Queen Mary) safe to his lodging. A certain gentleman said unto him, Ah, Bradford, Bradford, thou savest him that will help to burn thee. I give thee his life; if it were not for thee I would run him through with my sword. And it proved as the gentleman had prophesied. There he sits, I mean my lord of Bath, Mr Bourn (said Bradford in his third examination before Stephen Gardiner), which desired me himself for the passion of Christ, I would speak to the people. Upon whose words I, coming into the pulpit, I had like to have been slain with a dagger which was hurled at him, I think, for it touched my sleeve, he then prayed me I would not leave him, and I promised that as long as I lived I would take hurt before him that day. And so went I out of the pulpit, and entreated with the people, and at length brought him myself into a house. Besides this, in the afternoon I preached in Bow Church, and there, going up into the pulpit, one willed me not to reprove the people; for, quoth he, you shall never come down alive if you do it. And yet in that sermon I did reprove their fact, and called it sedition at least twenty times. For all which my doing I have received this recompense, prison for a year and half and more, and death now, which you (my lord of Bath among the rest) go about. Let all men be judge where conscience is. Thus Master Bradford, like another David, in his own defence.

(4) Yea, I have—i.e., on the contrary, so far from returning evil for good, I have returned good for evil. With allusion, there can be little doubt, to the incidents referred to in the last Note. From metrical reasons, and also to avoid the abruptness of the change of construction, Ewald conjectures that two clauses have dropped out of the text, and restores as follows— “If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me (And cunning unto him that was at peace with me, Yea, if I have not rewarded his soul with good). And delivered him that without cause is my enemy.” Milton’s translation gives yet another colour to the passage— “If I have wrought Ill to him that meant me peace, Or to him have rendered less, And not freed my foe for nought.” The conjecture of a corruption of the text is supported by the rendering of the LXX. and Vulg., and a very slight change gives the probable rendering: “If I have returned evil to him that dealt friendly with me, and injured my enemy without cause.”

Verse 4. Yea, I have delivered him] When, in the course of thy providence, thou didst put his life in my hand in the cave, I contented myself with cutting off his skirt, merely to show him the danger he had been in, and the spirit of the man whom he accused of designs against his life; and yet even for this my heart smote me, because it appeared to be an indignity offered to him who was the Lord's anointed. This fact, and my venturing my life frequently for his good and the safety of the state, sufficiently show the falsity of such accusations, and the innocence of my life.

4. If I have rewarded evil &c.] If I have been guilty of unprovoked outrage, such, it is perhaps implied, as that of which Saul is guilty toward me (1 Samuel 24:17). This is probably right; but another possible rendering deserves mention: If I have requited him that rewarded me evil; i.e. taken revenge into my own hands. Cp. David’s solemn disclaimer of such conduct in 1 Samuel 24:12. Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy] R.V., him that without cause was mine adversary, as in Psalms 7:6. See on Psalms 6:7. The clause is a parenthesis, asserting that his conduct had been the very opposite of that which was attributed to him. Far from committing unprovoked outrages, he had saved the life of his enemy, and that though the enemy’s hostility to him was causeless. The words refer to the occasions in the cave and in the camp, when David prevented his followers from taking Saul’s life (1 Samuel 24:4 ff; 1 Samuel 26:8 ff.). The construction is bold, but it is thoroughly in keeping with the style of the Psalm, with its passionate protestations of innocence; and there is no need to adopt an unsupported meaning of the word for ‘deliver,’ and render, not as a parenthesis but in direct continuation of the preceding clause, and have spoiled him that without cause was mine adversary, with a supposed reference to 1 Samuel 24:4-5, or Psalms 26:11 : or to alter the text by transposing two letters, so as to mean: and oppressed mine adversary without cause.

If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me - If I have done evil; or if I have requited him that was friendly by some unjust and evil conduct.

4. Yea, I have delivered him, etc.—A plain allusion to the events of 1 Samuel 24:6-7; 1 Samuel 26:8-11