flicker Heb. נזעכו have sprung away, like (above 6:17) “they jump (נדעכו).”

graves are ready for me I am ready for the grave.

even if there were no [Even if] this had not befallen me, that scornful people had gathered with me in my consolations to mock me.

in their provocation Heb. ובהמרותם, like (Ezek. 20:8, 13, 21), “And they provoked (וימרו) me”; (Deut. 9:7), “you have been provoking (ממרים).” [This is] an expression meaning: in their provocation.

my eye...abide My eye, my heart, and my thought abide in them.

Pay heed now O Creator.

give me surety by shaking the hands to debate together, for who is it of these who will shake my hand that it should be good for me?

For Behold. You have hidden their hearts from understanding Therefore, Your glory will not be exalted through them.

flattery Heb. לְחֵלֶק, flattery (חלקלקות). speaks Each one of them [speaks] to his friend, and this will come to them: their children’s eyes will fail.

and...a drum Heb. תפת, like תּוֹף, a drum.

before them lit. to the face; [i.e., to the face] of the people, I am [a drum].

and my limbs namely, the limbs with which I was formed.

will be appalled they will wonder.

and an innocent one If there is a righteous [man] who hears the mockery of these hypocrites.

will be aroused to quarrel with you.

Yet the righteous holds on his way i.e., every righteous man holds on his way to stand up against the company of the hypocrites.

But all of them I say to you, “Return now and come now.”

and I will not find any wise man among you insofar as you mock my lamentation.

My days etc. Behold, the days of my prosperity, to which I became accustomed, have passed.

my purposes Which I had expected to last with prosperity.

the thoughts of my heart have been broken off Heb. מורשי, lit. the inheritances of. The thoughts which my heart gave me to possess, for my heart said that I would inherit good because of my [righteous] way.

They turn night into day These mockers turn night into day for me, for I cannot sleep at night because of the trouble of the mockings.

the light is short lit. קרוב, near, and short for me because of the trouble of the darkness of the night. The light is short; when the sun sets, it appears to me as though a short time ago the day dawned, was shortened, and left. This is like (Gen. 19:20), “this city is recent (קרובה)” it was newly settled recently and like (below 20:5), “That the triumph of the wicked is short (מקרוב),” and like (Deut. 32:17), “new ones that came up of late (מקרוב).”

Since I hope for the grave Heb. אם, like (above 14:5), “If (אם) his days are limited” [See Rashi ad loc.], i.e., since I hope for the grave as my house.

in the darkness I have spread out my couch I have spread out my couch in the grave.

To the pit I have called, ‘You are my father,’ to lodge there many days as though it was my father, since this is my hope.

Where then is my hope [Where then is] this [my hope]? Why is it deferred, and who will see it to hasten it to me?

The limbs of the grave shall descend Those limbs [of my body] that will ultimately descend to the grave, for indeed they will all rest on the dust.

they rest on the dust Heb. נחת, will lodge, an expression of (Num. 11:26), “the spirit rested (ותנח) upon them.”