Psalms 55:9

“Destroy, O Lord, etc.] Or “swallow up” f718, as Pharaoh and his host were swallowed up in the Red sea; or as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were swallowed up in the earth; so all the enemies of Christ and his church will be destroyed; and death, the last of them, will be swallowed up in victory, (<232508>Isaiah 25:8). The Targum interprets it, “destroy”, or “scatter their counsel”: but this seems to be intended in the next clause; [and] divide their tongues: as at the confusion of languages at Babel, to which the allusion is: this had its accomplishment in Absalom’s counsellors according to David’s wish, (<101531>2 Samuel 15:31 17:14); and in the Jewish sanhedrim in Christ’s time, and in the…”

“Destroy--literally, "swallow" (Psa 21:9). divide their tongues--or, "confound their speech," and hence their counsels (Gen 11:7). the city--perhaps Jerusalem, the scene of anarchy.”

“Destroy, O Lord - The word rendered “destroy,” properly means to “swallow up;” to “devour” with the idea of greediness. Isaiah 28:4; Exodus 7:12; Jonah 1:17; Jeremiah 51:34. Then it is used in the sense of “destroy,” Job 20:18; Proverbs 1:12. The reference here is to the persons who had conspired against David. It is a prayer that they, and their counsels, might be destroyed: such a prayer as people always offer who pray for victory in battle. It is a prayer that the may be successful in what they regard as a righteous cause; but this implies a prayer that their enemies may be defeated and overcome. That is, they pray for success in what they have undertaken; and if it is right for them to…”

“Destroy - Destroy them by dividing. Tongues - Their speech, as thou didst at Babel, Gen 11:9, their votes, and opinions, and counsels. Which was eminently done among Absalom's followers, Sa2 17:23. Strife - Injustice and fraud, oppression and contention rule here, instead of that public justice and peace which I established. City - In Jerusalem; which in Absalom's time was a sink of all sins. Psalms 55:10”

“divide: That is, "Distract their counsels; and let their devices be confounded" - and the prayer was heard. See the parallel passages. Gen 11:7-9; Sa2 15:31, Sa2 17:1-14; Joh 7:45-53; Act 23:6-10 I have: Jer 6:7, Jer 23:14; Mat 23:37, Mat 23:38 Psalms 55:10”

“In the second group anger is the prevailing feeling. In the city all kinds of party passions have broken loose; even his bosom friend has taken a part in this hostile rising. The retrospective reference to the confusion of tongues at Babel which is contained in the word פּלּג (cf. Gen 10:25), also in remembrance of בּלל ( Gen 11:1-9), involves the choice of the word בּלּע, which here, after Isa 19:3, denotes a swallowing up, i.e., annihilation by means of confounding and rendering utterly futile. לשׁונם is the object to both imperatives, the second of which is פּלּג (like the pointing usual in connection with a final guttural) for the sake of similarity of sound. Instead of חמס וריב, the…”