Psalms 55:19

_AS FOR ME, I WILL CALL UPON GOD; AND THE LORD SHALL SAVE ME._ -Third strophe. His confident hope, resting upon the grounds stated in the previous prayer. Verse 16,17. AS FOR ME ... EVENING, AND MORNING, AND AT NOON, WILL I PRAY (_ 'AASIYCHAAH_ (H7878), from _ SIYACH_ (H7878)) - literally, 'meditate;' meditative prayer. The Hebrews, in counting their day, began it with the evening. This and morning and mid-day form the three turning points of the whole day; so that he who wished to consecrate the whole day to God (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17) would naturally connect these three with stated prayer ...

19_God shall hear, and afflict them _As the verb ענה, _anah, _which I have rendered _afflict, _signifies, occasionally, _to testify, _some understand David to say that God would rise up as a witness against them. The syntax of the language will scarcely, however, admit of this, as, in Hebrew, the letter ב, _beth, _is generally subjoined in such a case. There seems no doubt that the word signifies here _to addict _or _punish, _although this is rather its signification implicitly and by a species of irony; for, most commonly, ענה,_anah, _means _to answer. _Having said that God would hear him, he adds that he would answer him, in the way of avenging his cause, in the punishment of his enemies. The epithet, or descriptive title, which he applies to God, is one calculated to comfort the pious mind in times

16-23 In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more true Christians, and believers have more real friends, than in their gloomy hours they suppose. His enemies should be reckoned with, and brought down; they could not ease themselves of their fears, as David could, by faith in God. Mortal men, though ever so high and strong, will easily be crushed by an eternal God. Those who are not reclaimed by the rod of affliction, will certainly be brought down to the pit of destruction. The burden of afflictions is very heavy, especially when attended with the temptatio...

Verse Psalms 55:19. _BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO CHANGES_] At first Absalom, Ahithophel, and their party, carried all before them. There seemed to be a very general defection of the people; and as in their first attempts they suffered no _reverses_, therefore they feared not God. Most of those who have few or no afflictions and trials in life, have but little religion. They become sufficient to themselves, and call not upon God....

GOD SHALL HEAR AND AFFLICT THEM - That is, God will hear my prayer, and will afflict them, or bring upon them deserved judgments. As this looks to the future, it would seem to show that when in the previous verse he uses the past tense, and says that God “had” redeemed him, the language there, as suggested above, is that of strong confidence, implying that he had such certain assurance that the thing would be, that he speaks of it as if it were already done. Here he expresses the same confidence in another form - his firm belief that God “would” hear his prayer, and would bring upon his enemies deserved punishment. EVEN HE THAT ABIDETH OF OLD - The eternal God; he who is from everlasting. Literally, “He inhabits antiquity;” that is, he sits enthroned in the most distant past; he is eternal and unchanging. The same God who has heard prayer, will hear it now; he who has always shown himsel...

EXPOSITION THIS psalm has been assigned to Jeremiah by Hitzig, and by others to an unknown writer of the seventh century B.C. But no solid grounds have been shown for setting aside the traditionary evidence of the "title," which ascribes it to David. It is Davidic in its depth of feeling, in its abrupt transitions (verses 9, 15, 20), and in its reference to a faithless friend, who is the chief cause of the writer's sufferings (verses 12-14, 20, 21; comp. Psalms 41:9). The Davidic authorship is accepted by Hengstenberg, Dr. Kay, and Canon Cook. The probable date of the psalm is the time of Absalom's rebellion. David, still a dweller at Jerusalem (verses 9-11), has become aware of the conspiracy which has been formed against him (verses 3-8), and of the participation in it of his "familiar friend," Ahithophel (verses 12-14). He is already contempl

GOD SHALL HEAR AND AFFLICT THEM,.... That is, either he shall hear the prayers of his servant, imprecating evils upon his enemies, Psalms 55:9; and shall bring them down upon them, in answer to his requests; or it may be, rendered, "God shall hear and answer them" c; he shall hear their blasphemies, and take notice of their wickedness, and answer them by terrible things in righteousness; EVEN HE THAT ABIDETH OF OLD; or "is the inhabitant of eternity" d Isaiah 57:15; the eternal God, from everlasting to everlasting, who was before all creatures and before all time, and will ever remain the same, out of whose hands there is no escaping. The Targum is, "and he inhabiteth the heavens from of old to everlasting.'' SELAH; of this word,...

Psalms 55 In the Throes of the Great Tribulation _ 1. Prayer for help (Psalms 55:1)_ 2. Longings to escape (Psalms 55:4) 3. The great tribulation (Psalms 55:9) 4. The comfort of hope (Psalms 55:22) The man of sin, the Antichrist, stands out prominently in this Psalm. Because of him and his oppression, the godly remnant calls for help. They are overwhelmed with horror and beholding the abomination, they wish for wings like a dove and escape from the storm and the tempest of the great tribulation. This is in accordance

LV. A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM TREACHEROUS FOES. Psalms 55:1. The Psalmist tells God of his disquiet and terror. His desire to flee from Jerusalem to the wilderness. Psalms 55:12. A description of the treacherous friend, ending with an imprecation: let them go down suddenly to the pit. Psalms 55:16. The Psalmist's continuous prayer and his trust that God will defeat his enemies. Psalms 55:20 f. The treachery of his foes described. Psalms 55:22 f. God's care for the godly: His vengeance on

GOD. Hebrew El. App-4. The mighty Creator. because in conflict with His creatures. HEAR. hear me. AFFLICT THEM. answer them. EVEN, &C. Figure of speech _Parenthesis._ App-6. SELAH. Connecting the _true confidence_ of David with the _false confidence_ of the ungodly. David's true confidence was based on the fact that His GOD was the mighty One enduring for ever. "El" here is emphasized by the double accent _Pasek,_ or "note line" each side of it. (App-66.) BECAUSE... NO CHANGES. With whom are no changes (for the better): i.e. no improvement. See note on "alter" (Leviticus 27:10). Hebrew. _halaph._ Compare Genesis 35:2....