Psalms 119:78

“Let the proud be ashamed, etc.] The same persons he before speaks of as accursed, who had him in derision, and forged a lie against him. Here he prays that they might be ashamed of their scoffs and jeers, of their lies and calumnies, the evils and injuries they had done him; that they might be brought to a sense of them, and repentance for them; when they would be ashamed of them in the best manner: or that they might be disappointed of their ends, in what they had done, and so be confounded and ashamed, as men are when they cannot gain their point; or be brought to shame and confusion eternally; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause; or, “they perverted me [with] falsehood”…”

“Let the proud be ashamed - Referring here to his enemies, who appear to have been in the higher ranks of life, or to have been those who prided themselves on their wealth, their station, or their influence. See the notes at Psalms 119:51. The psalmist asks here that they might be confounded or put to shame; that is, that they might fail of accomplishing their purposes in regard to him. See Psalms 25:2-3, notes; Job 6:20, note. For they dealt perversely with me - They were not honest; they deceived me; they took advantage of me; they were not true to their professions of friendship. Compare the notes at Isaiah 59:3; notes at Job 8:3; notes at Job 34:12. Without a cause - Hebrew, “by a lie.”…”

“the proud: Psa 119:21, Psa 119:51, Psa 119:85, Psa 35:26 without: Psa 119:86, Psa 7:3-5, Psa 25:3, Psa 35:7, Psa 69:4, Psa 109:3; Sa1 24:10-12, Sa1 24:17, Sa1 26:18; Joh 15:25; Pe1 2:20 but I will: Psa 119:23, Psa 1:2 Psalms 119:79”