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Selected Verse: Psalms 123:3 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 123:3	Strong Concordance	Have mercy [02603] upon us, O LORD [03068], have mercy [02603] upon us: for we are exceedingly [07227] filled [07646] with contempt [0937].
	King James	Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
contempt--was that of the heathen, and, perhaps, Samaritans (Neh 1:3; Neh 2:19).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

contempt--was that of the heathen, and, perhaps, Samaritans (Neh 1:3; Neh 2:19).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us - The language of earnest pleading, repeating with emphasis the object of the prayer. The supplicants are represented as standing and urging this petition, feeling that help could come only from God; looking only to him; and watching his countenance, as servants do their master's. For we are exceedingly filled - The Hebrew word used here means to be saturated; to have the appetite fully satisfied - as applied to one who is hungry or thirsty. Then it comes to mean to be entirely full, and the idea here is, that as much contempt had been thrown upon them as could be; they could experience no more. With contempt - Contempt has been shown us in every possible way. We are thoroughly despised.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The second strophe takes up the "be gracious unto us" as it were in echo. It begins with a Kyrie eleison, which is confirmed in a crescendo manner after the form of steps. The church is already abundantly satiated with ignominy. רב is an abstract "much," and רבּה, Psa 62:3, something great (vid., Bצttcher, Lehrbuch, ֗624). The subjectivizing, intensive להּ accords with Psa 120:6 - probably an indication of one and the same author. בּוּז is strengthened by לעג, like בּז in Eze 36:4. The article of הלּעג is restrospectively demonstrative: full of such scorn of the haughty (Ew. ֗290, d). הבּוּז is also retrospectively demonstrative; but since a repetition of the article for the fourth time would have been inelegant, the poet here says לגאיונים with the Lamed, which serves as a circumlocution of the genitive. The Masora reckons this word among the fifteen "words that are written as one and are to be read as two." The Kerמ runs viz., לגאי יונים, superbis oppressorum (יונים, part. Kal, like היּונה Zep 3:1, and frequently). But apart from the consideration that instead of גּאי, from the unknown גּאה, it might more readily be pointed גּאי, from גּאה (a form of nouns indicating defects, contracted גּא), this genitival construction appears to be far-fetched, and, inasmuch as it makes a distinction among the oppressors, inappropriate. The poet surely meant לגאיונים or לגּאיונים. This word גּאיון (after the form רעיון, אביון, עליון) is perhaps an intentional new formation of the poet. Saadia interprets it after the Talmudic לגיון, legio; but how could one expect to find such a Grecized Latin word (λεγεών) in the Psalter! dunash ben-Labrat (about 960) regards גאיונים as a compound word in the signification of הגּאים היונים. In fact the poet may have chosen the otherwise unused adjectival form גּאיונים because it reminds one of יונים, although it is not a compound word like דּביונים. If the Psalm is a Maccabaean Psalm, it is natural to find in לגאיונים an allusion to the despotic domination of the יונים.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The second strophe takes up the "be gracious unto us" as it were in echo. It begins with a Kyrie eleison, which is confirmed in a crescendo manner after the form of steps. The church is already abundantly satiated with ignominy. רב is an abstract "much," and רבּה, Psa 62:3, something great (vid., Bצttcher, Lehrbuch, ֗624). The subjectivizing, intensive להּ accords with Psa 120:6 - probably an indication of one and the same author. בּוּז is strengthened by לעג, like בּז in Eze 36:4. The article of הלּעג is restrospectively demonstrative: full of such scorn of the haughty (Ew. ֗290, d). הבּוּז is also retrospectively demonstrative; but since a repetition of the article for the fourth time would have been inelegant, the poet here says לגאיונים with the Lamed, which serves as a circumlocution of the genitive. The Masora reckons this word among the fifteen "words that are written as one and are to be read as two." The Kerמ runs viz., לגאי יונים, superbis oppressorum (יונים, part. Kal, like היּונה Zep 3:1, and frequently). But apart from the consideration that instead of גּאי, from the unknown גּאה, it might more readily be pointed גּאי, from גּאה (a form of nouns indicating defects, contracted גּא), this genitival construction appears to be far-fetched, and, inasmuch as it makes a distinction among the oppressors, inappropriate. The poet surely meant לגאיונים or לגּאיונים. This word גּאיון (after the form רעיון, אביון, עליון) is perhaps an intentional new formation of the poet. Saadia interprets it after the Talmudic לגיון, legio; but how could one expect to find such a Grecized Latin word (λεγεών) in the Psalter! dunash ben-Labrat (about 960) regards גאיונים as a compound word in the signification of הגּאים היונים. In fact the poet may have chosen the otherwise unused adjectival form גּאיונים because it reminds one of יונים, although it is not a compound word like דּביונים. If the Psalm is a Maccabaean Psalm, it is natural to find in לגאיונים an allusion to the despotic domination of the יונים.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Have mercy upon us, O Lord - Chastise us no more; we will no more revolt against thee. We are exceedingly filled with contempt - We not only suffer grievously from our captivity, but are treated in the most contemptuous maner by our masters.

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¹⁹ But when Sanballat [05571] the Horonite [02772], and Tobiah [02900] the servant [05650], the Ammonite [05984], and Geshem [01654] the Arabian [06163], heard [08085] it, they laughed us to scorn [03932], and despised [0959] us, and said [0559], What is this thing [01697] that ye do [06213]? will ye rebel [04775] against the king [04428]?

³ And they said [0559] unto me, The remnant [07604] that are left [07604] of the captivity [07628] there in the province [04082] are in great [01419] affliction [07451] and reproach [02781]: the wall [02346] of Jerusalem [03389] also is broken down [06555], and the gates [08179] thereof are burned [03341] with fire [0784].

¹ Woe [01945] to her that is filthy [04754] and polluted [01351], to the oppressing [03238] city [05892]!

⁴ Therefore, ye mountains [02022] of Israel [03478], hear [08085] the word [01697] of the Lord [0136] GOD [03069]; Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069] to the mountains [02022], and to the hills [01389], to the rivers [0650], and to the valleys [01516], to the desolate [08074] wastes [02723], and to the cities [05892] that are forsaken [05800], which became a prey [0957] and derision [03933] to the residue [07611] of the heathen [01471] that are round about [05439];

⁶ My soul [05315] hath long [07227] dwelt [07931] with him that hateth [08130] peace [07965].

³ How long will ye imagine mischief [02050] against a man [0376]? ye shall be slain [07523] all of you: as a bowing [05186] wall [07023] shall ye be, and as a tottering [01760] fence [01447].