1David shewing his confidence in God desireth his help: 7he rejoiceth in God's mercy: 9he prayeth in his calamity: 19he extolleth God's goodness toward them that fear him: 21he blesseth him for the kindness which he himself had experienced: 23he exciteth the faithful to love and trust in him.
0To the chief 1Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 See the first annotation at Psalm 4 in the title.
1IN thee, O LORD, doa I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy 2righteousness.
a Psalm 22:5; 25:2, 3; 71:1, 2; Isa. 49:23.
2 Which requires that Thou keepest Thy Word and vindicate my righteous cause, as Psalm 71:2.
2Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my 3strong rock, for an 4house of defence to save me.
3 Hebr. rock of strength.
4 Hebr. house or place of firmnesses or fortresses.
3For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake 5lead me, and guide me.
5 As a shepherd does his sheep. As Psalm 23:2.
4Pull me out of the net that they have 6laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
6 That is, covertly or secretly laid or spread before me.
5Intob thine hand I commit my 7spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of 8truth.
b Luke 23:46.
7 That is, I commend or resign my soul into Thy power, keeping, care and supervision.
8 Or, faithfulness, that is, Thou true and faithful God Who hast kept Thy promises made unto me.
6I have hated them that regard 9lying vanities:c but I trust in the LORD.
9 Other, naughty. Hebr. vanities of falsehood or naughtiness. He understands those who rely and trust in carnal and idolatrous help and assistance. See Deut. 32:21; 1 Kings 16:26; 2 Kings 17:15; Psalm 62:10; Jer. 2:5; 8:19; 10:15; 14:22; 23:16; Rom. 1:21. Compare Lev. 19 on verse 4.
c falsehoods*
7I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast 10considered my trouble; thou hast 11known my soul in adversities;
10 See Gen. 16 on verse 13.
11 Not disdained, but tenderly regarded and provided for me. Compare Gen. 18 on verse 19; Psalm 1 on verse 6.
8And hast not 12shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.d
12 Or, delivered, as elsewhere.
d space*
9Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed 13with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
13 As Psalm 6:7.
10For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength 14faileth because of mine 15iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
14 As when one trips and falls down through weakness and infirmity. Compare Psalm 109:24, and see the contrary Psalm 105:37.
15 That is, the punishment of mine iniquity. See Gen. 4:13; Gen. 19 on verse 15, and compare Num. 14 on verse 33: Jer. 51 on verse 6.
11I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but 16especiallye among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without 17fled from me.
16 Hebr. very, exceedingly.
e Job 19:13; Psalm 38:11.
17 That they may not be suspected by mine enemies, as if they were affected to his cause, or were friends to his person.
12I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a 18broken vessel.
18 Or, decaying, perishing, almost corrupted, which is regarded very little or not at all, being good for nothing anymore. Compare Deut. 26:5; Psalm 119:176. Likewise Jer. 22:28.
13For I have heard the 19slander 20of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they 21devised to take away my 22life.
19 Or, defamation, slander, ill report. Compare Jer. 20:10.
20 Or, of the great ones.
21 Or, practice, plot, design, etc.
22 Or, my soul. Or thus: When they consult together against me, then they think to take my soul.
14But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
15My 23times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
23 That is, my life and whatever may therein betide me; however it may go with me, I know that all depends on Thee, that Thou dost govern all and that it is not in the power of mine enemies.
16Make thy 24face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake.
24 See Num. 6 on verse 25; Num. 6 on verse 26.
17Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the 25grave.
25 That they, being taken away from the earth, must leave their evil practices, slanders and violence behind. Other, let them be cut off or destroyed to the grave; as the Hebrew word is also taken. Psalm 49:12, 20, etc.
18Let the 26lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
26 Hebr. lips of falsehood. See Psalm 12:2; 27:12, etc.
19Ohf how 27great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee 28before the sons of men!
fIsa. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9.
27 Or, manifold. This regards indeed the good of soul and body in general which God has prepared for His own, and has locked it up as in a treasury, and from it to bring in view at the appointed times and proper seasons for their good and to make them to enjoy it; but it proceeds more particularly from the meditation of a singular and unexpected, wonderful deliverance shown unto David, when he was in great danger to be overtaken, and could not conceive that God had any such deliverance in readiness for him, as when this had befallen him; which makes him break forth with such an amazement.
28 Hebr. over against, before, that is, making the innocence of the godly to appear in the sight of all the world, and with Thy wonderful unexpected help manifesting that they are dear unto Thee who repair to Thee for refuge by their prayers of faith.
20Thou shalt hide them in the secret 29of thy presence from the 30pride 31of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the 32strife of tongues.
29 By the manifestation of Thy Fatherly favor and gracious presence, Thou dost comfort and support them in a wonderful, unknown manner of which the world is not able to comprehend; yea, often times in obscure hiding places, to which Thou leadest, keepest an eye, provideth for and dost protect them. This has truly appeared unto David. See also 1 Kings 18:4; 19:4, 5, 9, 11, etc.; Heb. 11:38. Compare also Psalm 27:5; 32:7.
30 Or, engagements, alliances, intertwined, thorough-stitched practices, or, raw designs and devices.
31 Hereby may be understood a certain great and mighty person, such as Saul; or it may be taken more generally for mankind, that is, any man whatsoever, or, of every one.
32 That is, contentious tongues which do always seek to vex, molest, ensnare and endanger the godly with their slanders and false accusations. See Psalm 35:11.
2133Blessed be the LORD: for he hath 34shewed me his marvellous kindness in a 35strong city.
33 Or, Praised.
34 That is, manifested the same unto me in a wonderful manner. Compare Psalm 4:3. See the contrary Deut. 28:59.
35 Hebr. a fenced city. He wants to say that God protected him so well in the open field where he seemed to be quite surrounded and passed hope to escape, as if he had been in a strong and fenced city.
22For I 36said in my 37haste, I am 38cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
36 Namely, by myself, that is, I thought.
37 This seems to relate to the history in 1 Sam. 23:26, where the same word haste is used by David as here; if God at that time had not very wonderfully provided, David had been quite undone in all appearances. See the place referred to.
38 The danger was so great and apparent, and the means of escaping, to all human sense and apprehension, so impossible and incredible, that, overcome with human frailty and astonishment, I thought verily: Surely God does not regard me anymore. Nevertheless, being in this perplexity, that he did most humbly seek and supplicate God, this is plain from the sequel. Compare Psalm 116 on verse 11; Jonah 2:4.
23O love the LORD, all ye his 39saints: for the LORD preserveth the 40faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
39 See Psalm 4 on verse 3.
40 Or, believers, the true ones. Other, keepeth faithfulnesses. See Psalm 12 on verse 1.
2441Beg of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
41 As Psalm 27:14. See there.
gPsalm 27:14.