This psalm is entitled “A Psalm of David;” and there is no reason for doubting the correctness of the inscription. But, as in some of the previous psalms, neither the title nor the contents contain any intimation as to the time or the circumstances of its composition. It has, in some respects, a str... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THEE WILL I CRY - That is, under the consciousness of the danger to which I am exposed - the danger of being drawn away into the society of the wicked. In such circumstances his reliance was not on his own strength; or on his own resolutions; on his own heart; or on his fellowmen. He felt that... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR THE VOICE OF MY SUPPLICATIONS - It was not mental prayer which he offered; it was a petition uttered audibly. WHEN I LIFT UP MY HANDS - To lift up the hands denotes supplication, as this was a common attitude in prayer. See the notes at 1 Timothy 2:8. TOWARD THY HOLY ORACLE - Margin, as in Heb... [ Continue Reading ]
DRAW ME NOT AWAY WITH THE WICKED - See the notes at Psalms 26:9. The prayer here, as well as the prayer in Psalms 26:9, expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world. The reason of the prayer seems to ha... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS - Deal righteously with them. Recompense them as they deserve. AND ACCORDING TO THE WICKEDNESS OF THEIR ENDEAVOURS - Their designs; their works; their plans. GIVE THEM AFTER THE WORK OF THEIR HANDS - Reward them according to what they do. RENDER TO THEM THEIR DE... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THEY REGARD NOT THE WORKS OF THE LORD - What the Lord does in creation; in his providence; through His commands and laws; and by His Spirit. They do not find pleasure in His works; they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings; they do not listen to His co... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE THE LORD, BECAUSE HE HATH HEARD THE VOICE OF MY SUPPLICATIONS - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms, when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God, and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate. The mind of the anxious and troubl... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH - See the notes at Psalms 18:1. AND MY SHIELD - See the notes at Psalms 3:3. Compare Psalms 33:20; Psalms 59:11; Psalms 84:9; Psalms 89:18; Genesis 15:1. MY HEART TRUSTED IN HIM - I trusted or confided in him. See... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS THEIR STRENGTH - Margin, “his strength.” The Hebrew is, “their strength,” or “strength to them.” The allusion is to the people of God. The course of thought seems to be, that the psalmist, having derived in his own case assistance from God, or having found God a strength to him, his mind... [ Continue Reading ]
SAVE THY PEOPLE - All thy people. The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God. The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced, and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy. AND BLESS THI... [ Continue Reading ]