תהלים, פרק ק״מ, פסוק ג׳

Wicked and violent individuals are not satisfied with open acts of malice; they are constantly engaged in secret plotting. They harbor evil thoughts deep within, which eventually spill over into spoken words and actual deeds [רד״ק]. These plotters never rest. Even in the absence of direct conflict, they are always scheming ways to cause harm. Historically, this captures the plight of King David, whose enemies secretly devised plans to slander him before King Saul and hand him over [מאירי]. On a broader national level, this constant plotting reflects the era of the Greek exile. In this context, the hidden evil thoughts represent the ideological mission of the Greeks to force the Israelites to abandon their faith [אלשיך].

These malicious thoughts inevitably lead to daily conflict. The primary approach among commentators is that these wicked individuals actively gather and stockpile hostility, collecting slander and hatred to deliver to the ruling authorities [מאירי]. Another perspective suggests that they literally live within conflict. Their very homes are filled with fighting [רש״י], and they exist in a permanent state of war, unable to pass even a single hour without thinking about strife [מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, they are seen as the ones who intentionally provoke and initiate these battles [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

When viewed through the lens of the Greek exile, this daily warfare took the form of relentless decrees. The Greeks constantly attacked the observance of Commandments such as the Sabbath, the new month, and circumcision. They damaged the Temple and demanded that the Israelites publicly write and declare that they had no share in God [אלשיך].