_I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES: HIS PRAISE SHALL CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH._ A thanksgiving of David for deliverance on the occasion of his 'changing his behaviour;' or, as Hengstenberg translates the TITLE, 'when he concealed his intellect' - i:e., feigned himself mad "before Abimelech, who d... [ Continue Reading ]
_MY SOUL SHALL MAKE HER BOAST IN THE LORD: THE HUMBLE SHALL HEAR THEREOF, AND BE GLAD._ My soul ... the Lord - (Jeremiah 9:23.) THE HUMBLE ... - because they feel his cause and theirs to be one. His deliverance is a pledge of theirs. [gimel (g)]... [ Continue Reading ]
_O MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH ME, AND LET US EXALT HIS NAME TOGETHER._ Magnify the Lord ... - assign to Him the greatness which really belongs to Him (Psalms 69:30). Joint praise is one sweet fruit of the communion of saints (Psalms 30:4). [daleth (d)]... [ Continue Reading ]
_I SOUGHT THE LORD, AND HE HEARD ME, AND DELIVERED ME FROM ALL MY FEARS._ Reason of his determination to "bless the Lord at all times." I SOUGHT ... ALL MY FEARS - i:e., from all the objects of my fear (Isaiah 66:4). [he (h)]... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEY LOOKED UNTO HIM, AND WERE LIGHTENED: AND THEIR FACES WERE NOT ASHAMED._ They ... lightened. In their times of darkness they were brightened with the light of His countenance, so that serenity was restored to their countenance (Psalms 4:6; Numbers 6:26). By the word "they" are meant "the humbl... [ Continue Reading ]
_THIS POOR MAN CRIED, AND THE LORD HEARD HIM, AND SAVED HIM OUT OF ALL HIS TROUBLES._ This poor man ... As in Psalms 34:4, he passed from his own individual case to the general case of all "the humble" (Psalms 34:2; Psalms 34:6), who by looking to the Lord were lightened so here he returns to the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ENCAMPETH ROUND ABOUT THEM THAT FEAR HIM, AND DELIVERETH THEM._ The angel of the Lord - THE DIVINE WORD, "the angel of God's presence" (Isaiah 63:9). He is the Lord and Captain (Joshua 5:14; 1 Kings 22:19; Revelation 19:11; Revelation 19:14) of the host of angels who encamp r... [ Continue Reading ]
_O TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD: BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TRUSTETH IN HIM._ O taste ... The sumptuous feast is ready, will you not taste it for yourselves? (Isaiah 55:1; Luke 14:16). Mere hearing about the feast will not stand instead of tasting it (1 Peter 2:3). Instead of brooding over theo... [ Continue Reading ]
_O FEAR THE LORD, YE HIS SAINTS: FOR THERE IS NO WANT TO THEM THAT FEAR HIM._ Fear the Lord - not with slavish fear, nor in the spirit of bondage, but with filial "trust." The phrase, them that fear him, in Psalms 34:9 is qualified by the parallel, "the man that, trusteth in Him" (Psalms 34:8). [k... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE YOUNG LIONS DO LACK, AND SUFFER HUNGER: BUT THEY THAT SEEK THE LORD SHALL NOT WANT ANY GOOD THING._ The young lions. "The young lions" are the symbol of powerful oppressors of the humble saints (Job 4:10; Psalms 57:4; Ezekiel 38:13; Ezekiel 19:2). THEY THAT SEEK ... - (Psalms 84:11; Matthew 6... [ Continue Reading ]
_COME, YE CHILDREN, HEARKEN UNTO ME: I WILL TEACH YOU THE FEAR OF THE LORD._ Introduction to the second strophe: invitation to all to enjoy the blessedness which the fear of the Lord brings Introduction to the second strophe: invitation to all to enjoy the blessedness which the fear of the Lord bri... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHAT MAN IS HE THAT DESIRETH LIFE, AND LOVETH MANY DAYS, THAT HE MAY SEE GOOD?_ What man ... desireth life ... see good? Who is there that does not desire "life" in its fullest enjoyment? The Psalmist proceeds to describe the sure and only means for attaining it. The word "good" in the second clau... [ Continue Reading ]
_KEEP THY TONGUE FROM EVIL, AND THY LIPS FROM SPEAKING GUILE._ Keep thy tongue. This verse refers to words. [camekh (c)]... [ Continue Reading ]
_DEPART FROM EVIL, AND DO GOOD; SEEK PEACE, AND PURSUE IT._ Depart ... do. This verse refers to deeds. SEEK PEACE, AND PURSUE IT - i:e., inoffensiveness toward thy neighbour, and harmony with him. Not only "seek" it, but if it seem to flee from thee, still press eagerly after it, not giving up the... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN UNTO THEIR CRY._ The righteous. "The righteous" here answer to "them that fear Him," and "that hope in His mercy" (Psalms 33:18). So that by the righteous not absolute righteousness is meant, but the righteousness of faith sincerit... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THEM THAT DO EVIL, TO CUT OFF THE REMEMBRANCE OF THEM FROM THE EARTH._ The face of the Lord is against. The Hebrew of the English version "against" is simply 'upon' [bª-]. The face of the Lord is fixed on them (Jeremiah 21:10). The object of His fixing His gaze on t... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE RIGHTEOUS CRY, AND THE LORD HEARETH, AND DELIVERETH THEM OUT OF ALL THEIR TROUBLES._ (THE RIGHTEOUS) CRY - answering to Psalms 34:15, "his ears are open unto their cry" - i:e., the cry of "the righteous" spoken of in the first clause. [qoph (q)]... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD IS NIGH UNTO THEM THAT ARE OF A BROKEN HEART; AND SAVETH SUCH AS BE OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT._ The Lord is nigh ... Though He "dwells in the high and holy place," yet He stoops down so as to be "nigh" those "of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18; Psalms 51:17;... [ Continue Reading ]
_MANY ARE THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS: BUT THE LORD DELIVERETH HIM OUT OF THEM ALL._ Many are the afflictions ... - (Psalms 34:6; Psalms 34:17.) Such was the case with Job. The many afflictions of the righteous show at once how imperfect man's righteousness is, which needs such corrective disc... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE KEEPETH ALL HIS BONES: NOT ONE OF THEM IS BROKEN._ He keepeth ... is broken. God, even if He permits calamity to befall the godly, will overrule the seeming evil to everlasting good. Their 'whole body' х_ HOLOKLEERON_ (G3648) _ TO_ (G3588) _ SOOMA_ (G4983), the body in its perfect integrity of... [ Continue Reading ]
_EVIL SHALL SLAY THE WICKED: AND THEY THAT HATE THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE DESOLATE._ Evil shall slay the wicked. Since the Hebrew х_ RAA`AAH_ (H7451)] is the same as in Psalms 34:19, to which this verse refers, translate, as there, 'affliction shall slay the wicked,' whereas 'the Lord delivereth the r... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD REDEEMETH THE SOUL OF HIS SERVANTS: AND NONE OF THEM THAT TRUST IN HIM SHALL BE DESOLATE._ The Lord redeemeth ... shall be desolate - or 'shall be (made to appear in their treatment) guilty.' He saves them from being really hurt, whether by temporal or by spiritual and eternal evil.... [ Continue Reading ]