Psalms 71:3

_BE THOU MY STRONG HABITATION, WHEREUNTO I MAY CONTINUALLY RESORT: THOU HAST GIVEN COMMANDMENT TO SAVE ME; FOR THOU ART MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS._ Be thou my strong habitation - (Psalms 90:1.) In Psalms 31:2 it is "my strong rock," designedly varied by the author, as often elsewhere, when he repeats former psalms. WHEREUNTO I MAY CONTINUALLY RESORT - in every need. THOU HAST GIVEN COMMANDMENT TO SAVE ME (note, Psalms 44:4; Psalms 68:28) - the basis of the prayer-God's authoritative and efficacious word of promise....

1-13 David prays that he might never be made ashamed of dependence upon God. With this petition every true believer may come boldly to the throne of grace. The gracious care of Divine providence in our birth and infancy, should engage us to early piety. He that was our Help from our birth, ought to be our Hope from our youth. Let none expect ease or comfort from the world. Those who love the Lord, often are hated and persecuted; men wondered at for their principles and conduct; but the Lord has been their strong refuge. The faithful servants of God may be assured that he will not cast them off in old age, nor forsake them when their strength fails....

Verse Psalms 71:3. _BE THOU MY STRONG HABITATION_] Instead of מען _maon,_ _habitation_, many of _Kennicott's_ and _De Rossi's_ MSS. read מעז _maoz_, _munition_ or _defence_. Be thou my rock of defence. _THOU HAST GIVEN COMMANDMENT TO SAVE ME_] Thou hast determined my escape, and hast ordered thy angels to guard me. See Psalms 91:11....

BE THOU MY STRONG HABITATION - Margin, as in Hebrew, “Be thou to me for a rock of habitation.” That is, a rock where I may safely make my abode, or to which I may resort and feel safe. In Psalms 31:2, this is, “Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.” The idea is the same. See the notes at that passage, and compare the notes at Psalms 18:2. WHEREUNTO I MAY CONTINUALLY RESORT - Where I may take refuge at all times, in all circumstances of danger. THOU HAST GIVEN COMMANDMENT TO SAVE ME - There was some command, or some promise, on which the psalmist relied, or which he felt he might plead as the ground of his appeal. This may refer to some “special” promise or command made to the

EXPOSITION Psalms 71:1 is, like so many others, a psalm divided between complaint and praise. It is comparatively wanting in originality, being, to a very great extent, an echo of other psalms, especially Psalms 22:1, Psalms 31:1, Psalms 35:1, and Psalms 40:1. Complaint, mingled with prayer, occupies the first half (Psalms 40:1); praise and thanksgiving the second (Psa 40:14 -24). The authorship of the psalm is very doubtful, as it has no "title," and fe

BE THOU MY STRONG HABITATION,.... This is very appropiately said, when David was driven out of his dwelling place, and palace at Jerusalem, by his son, as Kimchi observes. When God's people have no certain dwelling place, which is sometimes their case, they always find one in the Lord; particularly in his heart's love; for he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, 1 John 4:16; and a strong habitation he is: wherefore he is called a strong rock, a strong hold, a strong tower; he is as a wall of fire around his people, a munition of rocks; his salvation is as walls and bulwarks, and his power as a garrison in which they are kept. The psalmist adds, WHEREUNTO I MAY CONTINUALLY RESORT; or "may go into daily" r, in times of danger and distress, for safety; the name of the Lord being a strong tower, whither the righteous run, and are safe,...

Psalms 71:1. _In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion._ There is his trust, and there is his fear; his trust he dares to avow, his fear he turns into a prayer. Psalms 71:2. _Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress._ «Be thou my strong habitation whereunto I may continually resort.» Not merely now and then a hiding-place in emergency, but my constant abode, my home, so that from morning to night I may come to thee, and feel myself secure. «Thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.» You see he knows that God has

Psalms 71 Israel's Song of Hope _ 1. Declaration of trust (Psalms 71:1)_ 2. Anticipations of faith (Psalms 71:12) 3. Revival and victory (Psalms 71:19) This Psalm, which bears no inscription whatever, gives another prophetic picture of the faith and the anticipations of faith as found in the godly of Israel, when the salvation is about to come out of Zion. They look to Him who is all sufficient to deliver and to save them. The Psalm may well be called Israel's song of hope. It abounds in many beautiful, refreshing statements, equally precious to us....

LXXI. A PSALM OF GRATITUDE FOR GOD'S CONSTANT CARE OF HIS SERVANT FROM YOUTH TO OLD AGE. The Psalmist expresses himself in language borrowed from older sources. PSALMS 71:1. Quoted from Psalms 31. Use is also made of Psalms 22. But the Psalmist is a man of original power, and the Ps. has a definite character of its own. He has powerful enemies and has been brought to death's door, but he is full of trust that God, who has led him from his infancy, will lead him to the end. He is already growing old. The writer cannot be speaking in the name of Israel (see Psalms 71:9). Psalms 71:6_ c_. Read, my hope shall be continually in thee....

STRONG HABITATION. rock of habitation. Hebrew. _zur_,. fortified place. Some codices, with six early printed editions, Aramaean, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "a rock of refuge". WHEREUNTO. MAY CONTINUALLY RESORT, &C. Septuagint reads "a place of security to save me". ROCK. Hebrew. _sela_ '. See note on Psalms 18:1; Psalms 18:2.Exodus 17:6; Deuteronomy 32:13....