1The Psalmist, declaring his trust in God founded on past experience, prayeth for the continuance of God's saving help, and the confusion of his enemies: 14he promiseth acts of praise: 17he prayeth not to be abandoned in the decline of life: 19he praiseth God, and promiseth to do it cheerfully.
1IN thee, O LORD, do I puta my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
a Psalm 22:5; 25:2, 3; 31:1, 2; Isa. 49:23.
2Deliver me in thy 1righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
1 As Psalm 31:1.
3Be thou my strong 2habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given 3commandment to save 4me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
2 Hebr. rock of abode.
3 Namely, to Thine angels, as Psalm 91:11. Or, Thou hast ordained, taken order, decreed that I shall be saved.
4 Or, to save of me.
4Deliver me, O my God, out of the 5hand of the wicked, out of the 6hand of the 7unrighteous and 8cruel man.
5 That is, from his power or violence.
6 Hebr. palm.
7 Or, that practices iniquity.
8 Or, of the puffed up, austere, who spoils and wastes all, the insolent, violent. The Hebrew word comes from leaven, to which the apostle also compares the bad, 1 Cor. 5:8. Or, (as some think) by a change of a letter, from insolence or violence.
5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
6By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he 9that took me out of my mother's bowels: 10my praise shall be continually of thee.
9 Or, pulled me forth. Other, out of my mother’s bowels hast thou drawn me. Compare Psalm 22:9, 10.
10 That is, I am (or shall be) always taken up with lauding and praising of Thee, for which Thou hast given me enough cause, ever since I was born.
7I am as a 11wonder unto 12many; but thou art my strong refuge.
11 Or, monster, of which many (or, the great ones) in Saul’s time were afraid and terrified, thinking God must needs hate me, because of my manifold suffering. See Psalm 31:11, and compare verse 11 below. Some are of the opinion that here David continues what he had said in the previous verse, applying this to the wonderful deliverances and protections, which God from time to time had wrought for David beyond all men’s thoughts or expectation, being no less than a miracle, whereby God’s people would learn to believe God, and firmly rely on Him, nothing doubting but David’s sufferings should have a good issue. Compare Isa. 20:3; Ezek. 12:6, 11 with the annotations.
12 Or, the great ones.
8Let my mouth 13be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
13 As Thou hast done in former times, so give me new cause again still of praising Thee.
9Cast me not off in the time of 14old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
14 From this, and from verse 18, it is gathered that David made this psalm upon the conspiracy and persecution of Absalom.
10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that 15lay wait for my 16soul take counsel together,
15 Or, keep watch, or, spy out for my soul.
16 That is, to seek to destroy and take away my life. Compare Psalm 56:6.
11Saying, God hath forsaken him: 17persecute and take him; for there is 18none to deliver him.
17 Compare 2 Sam. 17:1, 2.
18 None who shall now be able to rescue him out of our hands.
12O God, be not far from me: O my God, 19make haste for my help.
19 For, Absalom’s persecution came very suddenly and unexpectedly upon him. See 2 Sam. 15:14.
13Letb them be confounded and 20consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my 21hurt.
bPsalm 35:4, 26; 40:14; 70:2.
20 Or, faint.
21 That is, my ruin and destruction, as verse 24.
14But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee 22more and more.
22 Hebr. I shall add to all thy praise, that is, praise Thee more yet than ever I did. Compare the manner of speaking with 2 Chron. 10:11.
15My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the 23numbers thereof.
23 That is, the works of Thy righteousness and of Thy salvation are so many that there is no numbering of them.
16I will 24go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make 25mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
24 As if he would say: I will tread on courageously and undauntedly, being enabled through God’s almighty power. Or, (as others take it) I will betake myself to the relating and declaring of Thy mighty works; I will enter upon or go about that matter, although I am not able to do it according to their worth.
25 Or, will record, recount, keep in or bring to remembrance; giving Thee alone the glory, for having so often and wonderfully delivered and preserved me through Thy righteousness, as verse 2 and 19.
17O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18Now also 26when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy 27strength unto 28this generation, and thy 29power to 30every one that is to come.
26 Hebr. unto old age and gray hairs. See of the like use of the Hebrew particle in Job 1 on verse 18.
27 Hebr. thine arm; that is, Thy power, as the prophet declares it himself presently after.
28 That is, to the men of this age, to the people now living. See Psalm 12 on verse 7.
29 Which Thou showest in delivering of me, and in destroying of mine enemies.
30 Or, unto all posterity.
1931Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, 32who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
31 Some connect these words with the previous, thus: and thy righteousness, namely, declare, which reacheth unto the height, that is, unto the heavens. See Psalm 36:5, 6. Or, to the highest, namely, proclaiming glory.
32 Or, for that thou, or because thou. Other, they are great things which thou hast done.
20Thou, which hast shewed me 33great and sore 34troubles, shalt quicken 35me 36again, and shalt bring 37me up again from the 38depths of the earth.
33 Or, many.
34 That is, hast made me to undergo and taste many afflictions. See Job 7 on verse 7.
35 Other, us.
36 Hebr. shalt return, shalt revive me; likewise: thou shalt return, thou shalt fetch me up. He wants to say: Thou wast wont so to do, and Thou wilt do so again now at this time. Compare Psalm 85:6.
37 Other, us.
38 That is, out of deep miseries.
21Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me 39on every side.
39 Hebr. thou shalt go round about or surround, compass, thou shalt comfort me; that is, Thou shalt supply me with comfort from all sides. Compare Psalm 45 on verse 4.
22I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou 40Holy One of Israel.
40 As Psalm 78:41; 89:18, etc. That is, Thou, being holiness Thyself, dost sanctify Thy people, and art sanctified of Thy people, that is, acknowledged to be holy, to be praised, to be honored in holiness, and to be separated from all idols. See Lev. 20:8, 26; Isa. 8:13; Mat. 6:9, etc.
23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, 41for they are brought unto shame, that seek my 42hurt.
41 David does triumph here through faith, seeing, as it were, thereby the ruin of his persecutors before his eyes. Other, when they are made ashamed, when they are made to blush.
42 As verse 13.