Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth
One that sets his mouth against the heavens, and speaks evil of God; of his being, perfections, purposes, and providences: whose tongue walks through the earth, and speaks evil of all men, even of dignities; and especially of the saints of the most High, and of the Gospel and ways of Christ. Or, "a men of tongue" F17; that uses his tongue in an ill way, in detractions and slanders F18; in blaspheming God, his name and tabernacle, and those that dwell therein, as antichrist, ( Revelation 13:5 ) ; a man that calumniates with a triple tongue, so the Targum; like a serpent, whose tongue seems to be so sometimes. Kimchi applies this to Doeg, and Jarchi to Esau. The request is, that such an one might not be established in the earth; in the land of the living, as the Targum; might not increase and flourish in worldly substance, or be continued in his posterity; but be rooted out of the earth, and he and his be no more; see ( Psalms 3:4 Psalms 3:5 ) ;
evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow [him];
or "to impulsions" {s}: to drive him from evil to evil, as Kimchi. The sense is, that the evil of punishment shall hunt him, as a beast of prey is hunted; it shall closely pursue him and overtake him, and seize on him, and thrust him down to utter ruin and destruction. The Targum is,
``the injurious wicked man, let the angel of death hunt, and drive into hell.''Of the violent man, see ( Psalms 140:1 Psalms 140:4 ) ; he who purposed to overthrow David, he was persuaded would be overthrown himself. This clause teaches us how to understand the rest; for though they are delivered out as wishes and imprecations, yet are prophetic, and are strongly expressive of the certainty of the things imprecated.