Commentaire sur Les Psaumes 3:8

for You have struck all my enemies on the cheek This is a disgraceful blow, as you say (Lam. 3: 30): “Let him offer his cheek to the smiter”; (Micah 4:14), “with a rod they strike...on the cheek.” According to the Midrash Aggadah (Mid. Ps. 3:7), this is a sickness of the mouth, [choking, croup] as you say (II Sam. 17:23): “And he [Ahithophel] gave charge to his household and he strangled himself.

Rise, O Lord; save me, O my God: – קומה (Rise) has the accent milra', and so on every occasion where the word occurs in this book, with the exception of "and stand up (וקומה) for mine help" (Ps. 35:2), where it is milel.

the teeth of the wicked Their might.

For Thou hast smitten all mine enemies: – Many times hast Thou delivered me and smitten mine enemies: so wilt Thou do now. Or its interpretation may be with regard to this very war and is as we have interpreted (the clause) and He answereth me out of His holy hill. And the interpretation of

(upon the) cheek: – is, a striking of the cheek, and it is a striking in contempt. So also (contemptuously)

Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked: – These are those who were proposing to tear him; and it is an expression of the same form as "And I brake the jaws of the wicked" (Job 29:17).