Psalms 31:3

_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-for instance, thy righteousness, Psalms 31:1; Psalms 23:3), thou wilt lead me and guide me, thou wilt pull me out of the net.' The Chaldaic and Syriac support the English version....

3._For thou art my rock. _This verse may be read as one sentence, thus: As thou art like a tower for my defense, for thy name’s sake direct and guide me during my whole life. And thus the conjunction, as in many similar cases, would be superfluous. But I rather prefer a different sense, namely, that David, by interjecting this reflection, encourages himself not only to earnestness in prayer, but also in the confident hope of obtaining his requests. We know, at all events, that it is usual with him to mingle such things in his prayers as may serve to remove his doubts, and to confirm his assurance. Having, therefore, expressed his need, he assures himself, in order to encourage and animate himself, that his prayer shall certainly have a happy answer. Hehad formerly said, _Be thou my strong rock and fortress; _and now he adds, _Assuredly thou art my rock, and my fortress: _intimating, that...

1-8 Faith and prayer must go together, for the prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer. David gave up his soul in a special manner to God. And with the words, ver. 5, our Lord Jesus yielded up his last breath on the cross, and made his soul a free-will offering for sin, laying down his life as a ransom. But David is here as a man in distress and trouble. And his great care is about his soul, his spirit, his better part. Many think that while perplexed about their worldly affairs, and their cares multiply, they may be excused if they neglect their souls; but we are the more concerned to look to our souls, that, though the outward man perish, the inward man may suffer no damage. The redemption of the soul is so precious, that it must have ceased for ever, if Christ had not undertaken it. Having relied on God's mercy, he will be glad and rejoice in it. God looks upon our souls, when we ar...

FOR THOU ART MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS - See the notes at Psalms 18:2. THEREFORE FOR THY NAME’S SAKE - For the sake of thine own honor, or for the glory of thy name. See the notes at Psalms 23:3. That is, since thou art my rock and my defense - since I put my trust in thee - show, by leading and guiding me, that my trust is well founded, or that this is Thy character, and that Thou wilt be true and faithful to those who commit their all to thee. See the notes at Psalms 31:1....

EXPOSITION THIS psalm is, in the main, a cry for deliverance out of pressing danger and trouble; but it is interspersed with passages of a more cheerful tone, expressive of faith and confidence (Psalms 31:5, Psalms 31:14,_ _Psalms 31:15); and it winds up with a eulogy of God's goodness (Psalms 31:19), and an exhortation to the saints of God to "be strong," and trust in him. The title declares it to be David's; and it both breathes his spirit, and has many of his turns of expression. It has been thought to belong to the period of his early persecution by Saul; but, on the whole, it seems rather su

FOR THOU [ART] MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS,.... What he prayed for he knew him to be, and to have been in times past, and could claim his interest in him; and therefore entreats that he would appear to be to him what he was in himself, and what he had been to him; THEREFORE FOR THY NAME'S SAKE LEAD ME, AND GUIDE ME; either as a shepherd does his flock, gently, as they are able to bear it; into the green pastures of the word and ordinances, and beside the still waters of divine love, and to the overflowing fountain, and fulness of grace in himself; or as a general leads and guides his army; Christ being a Leader and Commander of the people, and the great Captain of their salvation, and who being at the head of them, they fear no enemy; or as a guide leads and directs such as are ignorant, and out of the way. The psalmist desires the Lord would lead him in the way of truth and paths of righte...

Psalms 31:1. _In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust;_ Can we say as much as that? However else this Psalm of David may end, it strikes a grand key-note, that which should be the first indication of our spiritual life, confidence in God. Here is an ancient weather-beaten saint who, in the very midst of the storm, can say, «In thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust.» There will the anchor of his soul find a sure hold. Psalms 31:1. _Let me never be ashamed:_ «How canst thou let me be put to shame after having trusted in thee, O my God? I shall be ashamed, if thou dost forsake me, if thy promises be not kept to me, O my Lord! Therefore, ‘let me never be ashamed.'» Psalms 31:1. Deliver

Psalms 31 The Enemies of Israel and the Victory _ 1. The prayer for deliverance (Psalms 31:1)_ 2. The victory (Psalms 31:19) Psalms 31:1. Many saints have turned to this Psalm for encouragement in time of trouble and sorrow. And there is much in it which helps the trusting soul. Notice the different names of Jehovah--my rock--my house of defense--my strong rock--my fortress--my strength--God of truth. But like the previous Psalms this one also unfolds prophetically the sufferings of the remnant of Israel during the last days of this age. Yet likewise we may think of Him who endured the contradiction of sinne

XXXI. Prayer in distress strangely intermingled with such confidence in God that the deliverance seems to be already accomplished. PSALMS 31:1_ A_. Recurs with textual variants in Psalms 71:1. Psalms 31:5. The poet commends his spirit to God, that God may preserve it from death. In Luke 22:46 the application is different. TRUTH: _i.e._ faithfulness. Psalms 31:15. The crises of life are in the hands of Yahweh, and Israel has, therefore, no room for such comfort as, _e.g.,_ astrology....

ROCK. Hebrew. _sela'._ THY NAME'S SAKE. See note on Psalms 20:1. LEAD. Thou wilt gently lead. GUIDE. gently guide. PULL. Thou wilt pull....