1_O Jehovah! rebuke me not in thy wrath _As I have already expounded this verse in the beginning of the sixth psalm, where it occurs, and that I may not prove tedious to the reader, I shall notice it more briefly here. David does not expressly ask that his afflictions should be removed, but only tha... [ Continue Reading ]
2._For thy arrows go down in me. _He shows that he was constrained by dire necessity to ask an alleviation of his misery; for he was crushed under the weight of the burden which he sustained. This rule is always to be observed in our prayers — to keep God’s promises present to our view. But God has... [ Continue Reading ]
3._There is no soundness in my flesh because of thy anger _Others translate, _There is no beauty; _but this does not seem to be so suitable. In the clause which follows, David ascribes to God the praise of righteousness, without which, the acknowledgement which he formerly made would be of little av... [ Continue Reading ]
4._For my iniquities have passed over my head. _Here he complains that he is overwhelmed by his sins as by a heavy burden, so that he utterly faints under their weight; and yet he again confirms the doctrine which we have already stated, that he deservedly suffered the wrath of God, which had been i... [ Continue Reading ]
5_My wounds _(50) _have become putrid _In this verse, he pleads the long continuance of his disease as an argument for obtaining some alleviation. When the Lord declares, concerning his Church, “that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord’s ha... [ Continue Reading ]
6_I am bent _This description clearly shows that this holy man was oppressed with extreme grief, so much so, that it is marvellous how, under such a vast accumulation of miseries, his faith was sufficiently strong to bear up his mind. When he says _bowed down, _he seems tacitly to contrast his humil... [ Continue Reading ]
In the next verse, the word כסלים, _kesalaim, _which I have rendered _reins, _is by some translated _the flanks. _But the more generally received opinion is, that it denotes the part under the reins, which extends towards the haunch, or the space between the thighs and flanks, where it is supposed t... [ Continue Reading ]
9_O Lord! thou knowest all my desire. _He adds this, not so much in respect of God, as to strengthen himself in the hope of obtaining some alleviation of his trouble, and thus to animate himself to persevering prayer. It may be explained in a twofold sense, either as denoting his confident assurance... [ Continue Reading ]
10_My heart hath turned round _The verb which David here uses signifies _to travel _or _wander hither and thither; _but here it is taken for the agitation or disquietude which distress of heart engenders when we know not what to do. According as men are disquieted in mind, so do they turn themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
11_My friends and my companions stand away from my sore _Here David enumerates other circumstances to show the aggravated character of his misery, that he might excite the compassion of God. One of these is, that he finds no help or solace among men. In saying that his friends _stand away from him,... [ Continue Reading ]
12_They also that sought for my life have laid snares for me, etc_. . Here another circumstance is added, that the enemies of David laid snares for him, and talked about his destruction, and framed deceits among themselves. (54) The purport of what is stated is, that while his friends cowardly sit s... [ Continue Reading ]
13_But I, as a deaf man, hear not, etc. _The inspired writer here compares himself to a dumb and deaf man, for two reasons. In the first place, he intimates that he was so overwhelmed with the false and wicked judgments of his enemies, that he was not even permitted to open his mouth in his own defe... [ Continue Reading ]
15_For on thee, O Jehovah! do I wait. _David here shows the source of his patience. It consisted in this, that, trusting in the grace of God, he overcame all the temptations of the world. And certainly, the mind of man will never be framed to gentleness and meekness, nor will he be able to subdue hi... [ Continue Reading ]
16_For I said, lest they rejoice over me. _Here he also confirms his faith and his earnestness in prayer from this consideration, that if he should be forsaken of God, his enemies would triumph. This indignity, on their part, is of no small weight in inducing God to help us; for the wicked, in thus... [ Continue Reading ]
17_Surely I am ready to halt _This verse has led expositors to suppose that David was afflicted with some sore, from which he was afraid of having brought upon him the infirmity of halting all his days; but I have already shown, in Psalms 35:15, that this supposition is very improbable. We have cert... [ Continue Reading ]
18and 19_Surely I declare my iniquity. _By comparison, he amplifies what he had just said concerning the pride and the reproachful conduct of his enemies; for he says, that whilst he is lying in a filthy and wretched condition, like a wicked man, and one abandoned by God, they fly about in mirth and... [ Continue Reading ]
This _living, _(58) which he attributes to his enemies, implies as much as to enjoy continued and abundant prosperity in all things; and therefore he adds, that they _are become strong and increase in power _I interpret the word רבב, _rabbab, _in this place, _increase in power, _because he would spe... [ Continue Reading ]
This is more fully confirmed in the following verse, in which he declares that they requited him evil for the good which he had done them. More than this, however, is implied in the language of David. It implies that he not only abstained from all hurtful dealing towards his enemies, but that he had... [ Continue Reading ]
In these concluding verses, David briefly states the chief point which he desired, and the sum of his whole prayer; namely, that whereas he was forsaken of men, and grievously afflicted in every way, God would receive him and raise him up again. He uses three forms of expression; first, that _God wo... [ Continue Reading ]