Psalms 64:2 Hear, O God, my voice in my prayer The authors of Aggadoth Tehllim (Mid. Ps.) interpreted this psalm as referring to Daniel, who was cast into the lions’ den. The language of the psalm fits the Aggadah very well. David foresaw with the holy spirit all that would happen to him [Daniel], and prayed for him, because Daniel was his descendant. As was said to Hezekiah (Isa. 39:7): “And they shall take [some] of your sons, etc., whom you shall beget, and they shall be officers in the palace of the king of Babylon.” These are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
from fear of the enemy These are the satraps, who plotted against him, as it is stated (Dan. 6:5): “Then the viziers and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel.”
Psalms 64:3 from the gathering of workers of iniquity For they gather seeking against him a pretext of death, as it is written (Dan. 6:7): “...assembled about the king, etc.”
Psalms 64:4 who aimed...their arrow That is their slander.
Psalms 64:5 To shoot at the innocent in secret places They will shoot him with their arrows.
Psalms 64:6 they tell to hide snares They speak cunningly to the king secret words, for even the king did not know why they were doing this. But they intended to hide snares to entrap Daniel, for they said to Darius, “All the viziers of the kingdom, etc., have conferred to establish the king’s law, etc.” [stating] that no one should offer up prayer to any god except you until thirty days [have passed].
Psalms 64:7 They seek pretexts Heb. עולות. They seek pretexts (עלילות), as it is stated (Dan. 6:5): “sought to find a pretext against Daniel.”
they hid Heb. טמנו. They hid their thoughts in their heart and did not reveal the search for a pretext, which was searched out through them, and the midst of their thoughts and the depth of their heart.
hidden within man Each man of them. Each one concealed his thought.
Psalms 64:8 And God cast them down He cast them into the lions’ den, as it is written (Dan. 6:25): “And the king commanded, and they brought these men who had slandered Daniel, and they cast them into the lions’ den, etc.”
Psalms 64:9 That which they hoped would make him stumble, their tongue brought upon them The stumbling they planned to inflict on him, their tongue turned over upon them.
will shake their heads Heb. יתנודדו, will shake their head; all who see them should nod their head and laugh about them.
Psalms 64:11 The righteous will rejoice This is Daniel.
and all upright of heart will boast They will boast about the uprightness of their heart, and they will praise themselves because they are confident that the Holy One, blessed be He, will help them.