1The Psalmist praying God to judge his cause, and restore him to his temple, promiseth to serve him joyfully there: 5he encourageth his soul to trust in God.
1JUDGE me, O God, and 1plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust 2man.
1 See Psalm 35 on verse 1.
2 Who persecutes and seeks to surprise me cunningly and wrongfully or perversely, such as were Saul and his counselors, and Absalom with Ahithophel, etc. Compare Psalm 5 on verse 6.
2For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I 3mourninga because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 See Psalm 35 on verse 14.
a Psalm 35:14; 38:6; 42:9.
3O send out thy 4light and thy 5truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy 6hill, and to thy 7tabernacles.
4 Namely, the light of Thy countenance (as frequently, and Psalm 44:3) or Thy favor and love, whereby the darkness of my sad and grievous condition may be dispelled. See Psalm 27 on verse 1.
5 Of Thy promises, which Thou hast made unto me.
6 By reason that this is commonly taken and understood of Mount Zion (see Psalm 2:6). Some do hold that this psalm was not made in Saul’s time (the tabernacle was not there yet), but sometime afterwards, as it may be about the time of the persecution by Absalom, etc.
7 Or, habitations; in regard that this word is expressed in the plural number, some conceive that it may have reference to the several places or stations of the solemn worship, in Saul’s and David’s days. The place of Moses’ tabernacle was at Nob, 1 Sam. 21:1, and afterwards at Gibeon, 1 Kings 3:4; 1 Chron. 16:39. The place of the ark was at Kirjath-jearim, until David fetched the same away into Zion, 1 Sam. 7:1, 2; 2 Sam. 6:3, 4. Others understand that it simply regards the several habitations or partitions in God’s house, namely, the most holy place, the holy place and the court, etc. Compare Psalm 46:4; 84:1.
4Then will I go unto the 8altar of God, unto God my exceeding 9joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
8 The altar of burnt sacrifice.
9 That is, Who gives me cause and occasion of singular great joy, and cheerfulness inwardly in my heart and outwardly in my deportment and behavior.
510Whyb art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the 11health of my countenance, and my God.
10 From the similarity of the words which are used in this and the previous psalm, some do gather that both of them were made by David about one and the same time or at least in the same condition, when he had to flee at first before Saul, and afterwards before Absalom.
bPsalm 42:5, 11.
11 As Psalm 42:11. See the annotation there.