Psalms 56:8

_THOU TELLEST MY WANDERINGS: PUT THOU MY TEARS INTO THY BOTTLE: ARE THEY NOT IN THY BOOK?_ Thou tellest my wanderings - i:e., Thou takest note of my movements in 'my flight' from my home and country. PUT THOU MY TEARS INTO THY BOTTLE - i:e., receive them as it were in a lachrymatory, or bottle for receiving tears, that thou mayest treasure them up as precious in thy sight, and as calling for an ample compensation to me in joy hereafter (Psalms 126:5; Isaiah 61:7). His tears were shed because of his flight or banishment. There is a play upon similar sounds, to mark this connection an the Hebrew for "my wanderings" and "thy bottle" х_ NO'DEKAA_ (H4997); _ NODIY_ (H5112)]. A

8._Thou hast taken account of my wanderings _The words run in the form of an abrupt prayer. Having begun by requesting God to consider his tears, suddenly, as if he had obtained what he asked, he declares that they were written in God’s book. It is possible, indeed, to understand the interrogation as a prayer; but he would seem rather to insinuate by this form of expression, that he stood in no need of multiplying words, and that God had already anticipated his desire. It is necessary, however, to consider the words of the verse more particularly. He speaks of his _wandering _as having been noted by God, and this that he may call attention to one remarkable feature of his history, his having been forced to roam a solitary exile for so long a period. The reference is not to any one wandering; the singular number is used for the plural, or rather, he is to be understood as declaring emphat...

8-13 The heavy and continued trials through which many of the Lord's people have passed, should teach us to be silent and patient under lighter crosses. Yet we are often tempted to repine and despond under small sorrows. For this we should check ourselves. David comforts himself, in his distress and fear, that God noticed all his grievances and all his griefs. God has a bottle and a book for his people's tears, both the tears for their sins, and those for their afflictions. He observes them with tender concern. Every true believer may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and then I will not fear what man shall do unto me; for man has no power but what is given him from above. Thy vows are upon me, O Lord; not as a burden, but as that by which I am known to be thy servant; as a bridle that restrains me from what would be hurtful, and directs me in the way of my duty. And vows of thankfulne...

Verse Psalms 56:8. _THOU TELLEST MY WANDERINGS_] Thou seest how often I am obliged to _shift the place_ of my _retreat_. I am hunted every where; but thou _numberest_ all my _hiding-places_, and seest how often I am in danger of losing my life. _PUT THOU MY TEARS INTO THY BOTTLE_] Here is an allusion to a very ancient custom, which we know long obtained among the _Greeks_ and _Romans_, of putting the tears which were shed for the death of any person into small phials, called _lacrymatories_ or _urnae_ _lacrymales_ and offering them on the tomb of the deceased. Some of these were of _glass_, some of _pottery_, and some of _agate, sardonyx,_ c. A small one in my own collection is of _hard baked clay_. ARE THEY _NOT IN THY BOOK?_] Thou hast taken an exact account

THOU TELLEST MY WANDERINGS - Thou dost “number” or “recount” them; that is, in thy own mind. Thou dost keep an account of them; thou dost notice me as I am driven from one place to another to find safety. “My wanderings,” to Gath, 1 Samuel 21:10; to the cave of Adullam, 1 Samuel 22:1; to Mizpeh, in Moab, 1 Samuel 22:3; to the forest of Hareth, 1 Samuel 22:5; to Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:5; to the wilderness of Ziph, 1 Samuel 23:14; to the w

EXPOSITION THIS and the following have been called "twin psalms." They begin with the same words, are nearly of the same length, and have each a refrain which divides them into two portions. Formally, the chief difference between the two is that Psalms 56:1. has an epilogue, or appendix (Psalms 56:12, Psalms 56:13), after the second refrain, to which there is nothing correspondent in Psalms 57:1. Both psalms were written under circumstances of great distress, and the tone of thought in them is very similar. Each begins with complaint, and earnest prayer for deliverance, while each ends with praise and triu

THOU TELLEST MY WANDERINGS,.... Not his sins; though these are aberrations or wanderings from the ways of God's commandments; yet these are not told by the Lord: he takes no account of them; the number of them is not kept by him; they are blotted out, cast behind his back, and into the depths of the sea; though sometimes his people think they are told and numbered by him, Job 14:16; but David's moves and flights from place to place are meant, through Saul's pursuit of him, as a partridge on the mountains. Some writers reckon twelve of these moves. The Targum renders it, "thou numberest the days of my wandering;'' that is, the days of his pilgrimage and sojourning in this world: the number of our days, and months and years, in which we wander about in this uncertain state of things, is with the Lord,...

Psalms 56:1. _Be merciful unto me, O God for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me._ «Man has no mercy upon me, but, O God, be thou merciful unto me! If thy justice doth for a while let loose mine enemies upon me, let thy mercy diminish their power over me, for they are very cruel. They would make a complete end of me if they could, devouring me utterly.» Psalms 56:2. _Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee._ In God I will praise his word, David means, «Through his grace, I will praise his word,» for we cannot rightly praise God unless he gives us the grace to do it. To receive from God, is more easy for us; but to return gratitude to Go

Psalms 56 The Faithfulness of God, the Comfort of His People _ 1. Trust and Comfort (Psalms 56:1)_ 2. Praise for anticipated deliverance (Psalms 56:10) These five Psalms which are grouped together are Michtam Psalms. This one was written by David when the Philistines took him at Gath. The inscription Jonathelem-rechokim has been rendered by the Septuagint translators as “upon the people driven afar from the holy place,” the literal rendering is, “The dove of silence in far off places.” On account of the great tribulation, the abomination in Jerusalem, seen in the previous Psalm, the godly have left the city and here we have the expressions of their trust in the faithfulness of their God. Whatever th

LVI. A PRAYER AGAINST STRONG, NUMEROUS, AND CRAFTY FOES. Psalms 56:2. For enemies read they that lie in wait for me (_mg.),_ PROUDLY: read bitterly. Psalms 56:4. Will praise his word, _i.e._ the fulfilment of His promise. The fulfilment comes, of course, through God. The verse recurs in Psalms 56:10 f., which is probably its original place since it cannot be a refrain. It has been anticipated here by a mistake of the scribe. Psalms 56:6_ b_, _c_, PSALMS 56:7_ a_. Read, with slight change in text,