_IN THEE, O LORD, DO I PUT MY TRUST; LET ME NEVER BE ASHAMED: DELIVER ME IN THY RIGHTEOUSNESS._ Psalms 31:1.-Prayer for deliverance, on the plea of Yahweh's righteousness (Psalms 31:1); David's confidence because of Yahweh's character toward His people (Psalms 31:2); his distress (Psalms 31:9); his... [ Continue Reading ]
_BOW DOWN THINE EAR TO ME; DELIVER ME SPEEDILY: BE THOU MY STRONG ROCK, FOR AN HOUSE OF DEFENCE TO SAVE ME._ The first strophe. The Psalmist's prayer, with confidence of being heard because of the Lord's character toward His trusting people. BOW DOWN ... - as a majestic Father stooping down His e... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR THOU ART MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS; THEREFORE FOR THY NAME'S SAKE LEAD ME, AND GUIDE ME._ Thy name sake ... - or (as the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic), continuing the ground on which the prayer (Psalms 31:2) rests, translate, 'And for thy name's sake (for the sake of thy manifested attributes... [ Continue Reading ]
_INTO THINE HAND I COMMIT MY SPIRIT: THOU HAST REDEEMED ME, O LORD GOD OF TRUTH._ Into ... - Christ's dying words (Luke 23:46). REDEEMED. In its application to the Saviour, the expression "redeemed" refers to the Father's having delivered the Son from Satan, death, and the grave, in Christ's resur... [ Continue Reading ]
_I HAVE HATED THEM THAT REGARD LYING VANITIES: BUT I TRUST IN THE LORD._ Lying vanities - the idols, literal or spiritual, in which the worldly trust, and which prove lying vanities, disappointing the hopes of their votaries (Jonah 2:8). BUT I TRUST - "in the Lord," who is the "God of truth" (Psal... [ Continue Reading ]
_I WILL BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN THY MERCY: FOR THOU HAST CONSIDERED MY TROUBLE; THOU HAST KNOWN MY SOUL IN ADVERSITIES;_ I will ... rejoice in thy mercy. With the eye of faith he SEES God already having regard to his "trouble," and therefore rejoices in God's mercy, as if it already had granted him... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HAST NOT SHUT ME UP INTO THE HAND OF THE ENEMY: THOU HAST SET MY FEET IN A LARGE ROOM._ _ AND HAST NOT SHUT ME UP INTO THE HAND OF THE ENEMY: THOU HAST SET MY FEET IN A LARGE ROOM._ Hast not shut me up (1 Samuel 23:12, margin) - an undesigned coincidence between the language of David here and... [ Continue Reading ]
_HAVE MERCY UPON ME, O LORD, FOR I AM IN TROUBLE: MINE EYE IS CONSUMED WITH GRIEF, YEA, MY SOUL AND MY BELLY._ The second strophe. His distress, and his commission of it to the Lord in prayer. I AM IN TROUBLE - `I am in straits.' MINE EYE ... GRIEF - `agitation' (_ BªKA`AC_ (H3708)), caused by... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR MY LIFE IS SPENT WITH GRIEF, AND MY YEARS WITH SIGHING: MY STRENGTH FAILETH BECAUSE OF MINE INIQUITY, AND MY BONES ARE CONSUMED._ For my life ... grief - (Jeremiah 20:18.) MY STRENGTH ... INIQUITY. The Psalmist's infirmities and occasional grievous transgressions, through neglect of watchful... [ Continue Reading ]
_I WAS A REPROACH AMONG ALL MINE ENEMIES, BUT ESPECIALLY AMONG MY NEIGHBOURS, AND A FEAR TO MINE ACQUAINTANCE: THEY THAT DID SEE ME WITHOUT FLED FROM ME._ A reproach among (Hebrew, _ MIN_ (H4480), from, on the part of) ALL MINE ENEMIES. The reproach arose from mine enemies. MY NEIGHBOURS. It is p... [ Continue Reading ]
_I AM FORGOTTEN AS A DEAD MAN OUT OF MIND: I AM LIKE A BROKEN VESSEL._ forgotten ... out of mind. So Deuteronomy 31:21, "forgotten out of the months." AS ... DEAD - (Psalms 88:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5.) A BROKEN VESSEL - for which no one cares, since it can never be made whole again, therefore thrown... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR I HAVE HEARD THE SLANDER OF MANY: FEAR WAS ON EVERY SIDE: WHILE THEY TOOK COUNSEL TOGETHER AGAINST ME, THEY DEVISED TO TAKE AWAY MY LIFE._ I have heard the slander ... - (Psalms 2:2.) From slander in words, they proceeded to persecution in acts. By reproaches they alienated public sympathy fro... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT I TRUSTED IN THEE, O LORD: I SAID, THOU ART MY GOD._ Thou art my God - notwithstanding the "slander" of mine adversaries, that God has forsaken me (cf. Psalms 22:1; Psalms 22:8). 'There is nothing more difficult than, when we see our faith despised by the whole world, to direct our language to... [ Continue Reading ]
_MY TIMES ARE IN THY HAND: DELIVER ME FROM THE HAND OF MINE ENEMIES, AND FROM THEM THAT PERSECUTE ME._ My times ... thy hand. Compare on "my times," 1 Chronicles 29:30; Daniel 2:21. Christ, the great representative man, continually realized the sense of his times, with all their trials and their co... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAKE THY FACE TO SHINE UPON THY SERVANT: SAVE ME FOR THY MERCIES' SAKE._ Thy face ... shine ... servant - the Mosaic blessing (Numbers 6:25; cf. Psalms 4:6). The words "thy servant" imply an argument why God should hear his prayer; because God cannot but be gracious to His own servant.... [ Continue Reading ]
_LET ME NOT BE ASHAMED, O LORD; FOR I HAVE CALLED UPON THEE: LET THE WICKED BE ASHAMED, AND LET THEM BE SILENT IN THE GRAVE._ Let me ... O Lord; for I have called upon thee - resuming the prayer (Psalms 31:1) in a reverse order of the clauses; the 'calling upon' Yahweh here is the outward expressio... [ Continue Reading ]
_LET THE LYING LIPS BE PUT TO SILENCE; WHICH SPEAK GRIEVOUS THINGS PROUDLY AND CONTEMPTUOUSLY AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS._ Let the lying lips ... grievous things - or 'hard things,' as the Hebrew is translated, Psalms 94:4 х_ `AATAQ _ (H6275)]; properly, what is hardened by age: so here, reckless speech... [ Continue Reading ]
_OH HOW GREAT IS THY GOODNESS, WHICH THOU HAST LAID UP FOR THEM THAT FEAR THEE; WHICH THOU HAST WROUGHT FOR THEM THAT TRUST IN THEE BEFORE THE SONS OF MEN!_ The third division. The assurance of the Lord's goodness to His people. OH NOW GREAT ... HAST LAID UP - "laid up," as a treasure stored up l... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU SHALT HIDE THEM IN THE SECRET OF THY PRESENCE FROM THE PRIDE OF MAN: THOU SHALT KEEP THEM SECRETLY IN A_ _ PAVILION FROM THE STRIFE OF TONGUES._ Thou shalt hide ... pride of man - (Psalms 27:5; Psalms 32:7.) Gesenius translates, 'from the conspiracies of man' х_ MEERUKCEEY_ (H7407), from _ RA... [ Continue Reading ]
_BLESSED BE THE LORD: FOR HE HATH SHEWED ME HIS MARVELLOUS KINDNESS IN A STRONG CITY._ Strong city. Yahweh Himself, with His almighty protection, is the "strong city" (Psalms 46:1; Psalms 46:11). Thus, this last verse of the third strophe corresponds to the first verse of the first strophe, Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR I SAID IN MY HASTE, I AM CUT OFF FROM BEFORE THINE EYES: NEVERTHELESS THOU HEARDEST THE VOICE OF MY SUPPLICATIONS WHEN I CRIED UNTO THEE._ The conclusion recapitulates David's experience, with a view to strengthen all the saints in faith and love. FOR I SAID. Translate as not connected with... [ Continue Reading ]
_O LOVE THE LORD, ALL YE HIS SAINTS: FOR THE LORD PRESERVETH THE FAITHFUL, AND PLENTIFULLY REWARDETH THE PROUD DOER._ O love ... saints. From God, David turns to his fellow-saints. (FOR) THE LORD PRESERVETH THE FAITHFUL. Yahweh's faithfulness to the faithful is the ground of their "love plentiful... [ Continue Reading ]
_BE OF GOOD COURAGE, AND HE SHALL STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART, ALL YE THAT HOPE IN THE LORD._ Be of good courage ... hope in the Lord. The Hebrew, "hope" х_ YAACHAL_ (H3176)], expresses intent waiting for Him (Psalms 33:20; Isaiah 42:4 cf. Matthew 12:21, waiting trust, and expectation: Genesis 8:10). Man... [ Continue Reading ]