The Believer’s Humble and Confident Submission to the Hand of God.

To the chief musician, for performance in the liturgical part of the Tabernacle worship, a psalm of David, written at some time when he was in very great trouble. Luther rightly makes the application when he writes that the psalm is spoken in the person of Christ and His saints, who are plagued during their whole life, internally by trembling and alarm, externally by persecution, slander, and contempt, for the sake of the Word of God, and yet are delivered by God from them all and receive the fullness of divine comfort.

A Confident Entreaty

v. 1. In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, having taken refuge with Jehovah, sheltered by His almighty power; let me never be ashamed, such shame bringing disgrace also upon Him to whom he entrusted himself; deliver me in Thy righteousness, by a manifestation of His essence which would prove Him to be the righteous God.

v. 2. Bow down Thine ear to me, in the attitude of most careful attention; deliver me speedily, since the need was so urgent. Be Thou my strong Rock, a pinnacle of defense, for an house of defense, a fortress, or stronghold, to save me. This is the humble, but bold and courageous manner in which a believer may at all times approach his heavenly Father.

v. 3. For Thou art my Rock and my Fortress, it was because David knew this that he prayed so confidently; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me and guide me, rather, “Thou wilt lead me and guide me,” for it expresses the strong hope and confidence that it will be done according to the believer’s faith and prayer.

v. 4. Pull me out of the net, again a definite statement, “Thou wilt bring me out of the net,” that they have laid privily for me, Psa 9:15; Psa 25:15; for Thou art my Strength, his Defense and Bulwark.

v. 5. Into Thine hand I commit my spirit, in all the vicissitudes of life, in all the dangers of death, he places the life of his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father, as in the safest place of deposit, as also Jesus and Stephen did, Luk 23:36; Act 7:59; Thou hast redeemed me, from all evils and dangers that beset the path of mortals here below, O Lord God of truth, whose Word and promise is secure at all times. Note that the spirit of faith is like the spirit of prophecy, speaking of things in the future with the certainty of fulfillment.

v. 6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities, those who place their trust in vain idols; but I trust in the Lord, the emphasis being placed on the contrast, the “I” being stressed, as was the “Thou” in v. 4.

v. 7. I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy, with exultant joy over God’s act of grace upon him; for Thou hast considered my trouble, regarding it for the sake of relieving the sufferer; Thou hast known my soul in adversities, not ignored it, but taken note of its needs,

v. 8. and hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy, to be a miserable captive, subject to every form of indignity; Thou hast set my feet in a large room, in a wide place, where he would not be hindered by the enemies. With all these evidences of God’s loving-kindness in mind, the psalmist again sounds his prayer.

v. 9. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, being gracious to the unworthy, for I am in trouble, distressed and oppressed; mine eye is consumed with grief, wasted away with vexation, yea, my soul and my belly, his entire person, including both his spiritual and physical activities and experiences.

v. 10. For my life is spent, consumed, eaten up, with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, by reason of the suffering which, as a punishment, followed his transgression, and my bones are consumed, wasted away with fear and dread. Note that David, and all believers with him, regards his sin as the real cause of his troubles.

v. 11. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, rather, “Because of all mine adversaries I have become a reproach,” on account of their continual nagging and jeering, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance, a burden to his nearest neighbors and a terror to all who knew him, on account of the reports spread about him, which laid every form of evil to his charge. They that did see me without fled from me, with an aversion due to the reports circulated about him.

v. 12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind, consigned to oblivion by men, out of sight, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel, one that is perishing, about to be discarded as unfit.

v. 13. For I have heard the slander of many, the whispering directed against his person; fear was on every side, terrors all around him; while they took counsel against me, they devised to take away my life. Thus his enemies were engaged, such intentions they harbored; that was the trouble in which David found himself, the experience of most believers, at one time or another.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

THIS psalm is, in the main, a cry for deliverance out of pressing danger and trouble; but it is interspersed with passages of a more cheerful tone, expressive of faith and confidence (Psa 31:5-8, Psa 31:14, Psa 31:15); and it winds up with a eulogy of God’s goodness (Psa 31:19-22), and an exhortation to the saints of God to “be strong,” and trust in him. The title declares it to be David’s; and it both breathes his spirit, and has many of his turns of expression. It has been thought to belong to the period of his early persecution by Saul; but, on the whole, it seems rather suggestive of the later period of trouble connected with the rebellion of Absalom. Dr. Kay divides it into three main portions:

(1) Psa 31:1-13;

(2) Psa 31:14-18; and

(3) Psa 31:19-24;

but part 1. might be further subdivided into three, and part 2. into two portions. The psalm thus fails into six divisions:

Part 1. (Psa 31:1-4), prayer;

Part 2. (Psa 31:5-8), self-encouragement;

Part 3. (Psa 31:9-13), causes of his trouble;

Part 4. (Psa 31:14-18), profession of faith and prayer;

Part 5. (Psa 31:19-22), praise of God’s goodness;

Part 6. (Psa 31:23, Psa 31:24), exhortation to the people to praise God.

Psa 31:1

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. If prayer to God for aid in a special time of trouble is the main object of the psalm, the expression of full trust in God is a secondary object, and is maintained throughout (see Psa 31:3-8, Psa 31:14, Psa 31:19-21, Psa 31:24). Notwithstanding the extremity of his danger, his belief is firm in the coming overthrow of his enemies, and in his own deliverance and restoration. Let me never be ashamed (comp. Psa 31:17, where the idea is expanded). David’s enemies having come to an open rupture with him, and appealed to arms (2Sa 15:10-12; 2Sa 17:24-26), one party or the other must of necessity be put to shame. Here he prays that it may not be himself; in Psa 31:17 he goes a step further, and asks that the shame may fall upon his enemies. Deliver me in thy righteousness. Seeing that my cause is the righteous one.

Psa 31:2

Bow down thine ear to me; or, incline thine ear to me, as the same phrase is translated in Psa 71:2. Deliver me speedily. Not doubting of deliverance, he makes his request for speedy deliverance (comp. Psa 38:22; Psa 40:17; Psa 70:1; Psa 71:12, etc.). Be thou my strong Rock, for an House of defence to save me; rather, as in the Revised Version, Be thou to me a strong Rock, an House of defence, etc. (comp. Psa 18:2).

Psa 31:3

For thou art my Rock; or, my cliff (, not ). And my Fortress. David prays God to be his Rock and Fortress in the future, because he has always looked to him as his Rock and Fortress in the past. Faith establishes a claim to have its anticipations made good. Therefore for thy Name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Metaphor is dropped, and God is simply asked for guidance and direction. In the struggle between Absalom and David more depended upon wise counsel than upon mere force (2Sa 15:31-37; 2Sa 16:15-23 : 2Sa 17:5-23).

Psa 31:4

Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me. Absalom set a imp for David when he asked permission to go to Hebron for the purpose of paying a vow, whereas his object was to get possession of a strongly fortified city (2Sa 15:7-9). It was, perhaps, by a device of AhithopheI’s that David was induced to quit Jerusalem and go into exile. For thou art my Strength (comp. Psa 18:1; 19:15; Psa 28:1, Psa 28:7, Psa 28:8, etc.).

Psa 31:5

Into thine hand I commit my spirit. Our Lord’s adoption of these words, and application of them to himself and his own departure from earth, have given them a special sacredness beyond that which attaches to Scripture generally. At the same time, they have impressed on them a new meaning, since David was not thinking of a final committal of his soul, as distinct from his body, into the hands of the Creator, but only intended solemnly to commit himself, both soul and body, into the Divine keeping, to be preserved from the attacks of his enemies. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth; or, thou hast delivered me, O Lord God of truth. It is redemption in the general sense of “deliverance from peril,” not redemption from sin, of which the psalmist speaks. David, having frequently experienced such deliverance in the past, is emboldened to expect now another deliverance.

Psa 31:6

I have hated them that regard lying vanities. By “lying vanities” are meant idolatrous practices, or possibly such superstitious usages as recourse to witch-craft and divination. (For David’s hatred of such persons as are here glanced at, see Psa 26:5.) But I trust in the Lord. Who is the direct opposite of all “lying vanities,” being at once Almighty, and the “God of truth” (Psa 31:5).

Psa 31:7

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. Anticipating the “mercy” which he has craved (Psa 31:2-4), the psalmist determines to “be glad and rejoice in it.” For thou hast considered my trouble. When God looks upon trouble and considers it, he is sure to compassionate the sufferer, and to grant him some relief. Thou hast known my soul in adversities (comp. Psa 1:6, “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous” ). God is said to “know” those on whom he looks with approval.

Psa 31:8

And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; i.e. “hast not delivered me up, without chance of escape, into the hands of my enemies”. Thou hast set my feet in a large room. Given me, i.e; plenty of space and freedom for action; not confined me, nor cramped me, nor hindered me in any way (comp. Psa 4:1; Psa 18:36). Having cheered himself with the enumeration of these grounds of encouragement (Psa 31:5-8), the psalmist again returns to prayer.

Psa 31:9

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble. The psalmist follows up his prayer for mercy by an exposition of his need of mercy. He is in trouble, in sore trouble”hard pressed,” as Hengstenberg translatesdistressed both in mind and body. Mine eye is consumed with grief (comp. Psa 6:7, where the expression is almost identical). The grief intended is “that produced by provocation or spiteful treatment” (Kay). It causes him to weep so much that his eye is well-nigh “consumed” or “eaten away.” Yea, my soul and my belly. Some explain this as meaning simply “my soul and my body” (Hengstenberg, Alexander, Revised Version); but others regard the “belly” as denoting “the very centre of physical life and of the emotions” (comp. Job 32:19).

Psa 31:10

For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing. The psalmist’s grief is of old standing. It dates from the time of his great sin (2Sa 11:4-17), which is thought to have preceded the revolt of Absalom by the space of twelve years. This sin necessitated a lifelong repentance (Psa 38:17; Psa 51:3, etc.). My strength faileth because of mine iniquity. Other causes had, no doubt, contributed to produce the profound depression of the psalmist at this period, but none was of equal force with this (comp. Psa 38:3-10; Psa 51:1-14, etc.). It caused his strength to fail utterly, and led to complete prostration both st mind and body. And my bones are consumed; i.e. racked with pain, as though they were being gnawed away.

Psa 31:11

I was a reproach among all mine enemies; rather, I am become a reproach (Kay, Revised Version). The psalmist complains of the loss of his reputation. Absalom’s rebellion was preceded by a long course of calumnious accusation of David (2Sa 15:1-4), whereby men’s hearts were stolen away from him, and his character blackened. His enemies made the most of these ill reports, and turned them to his reproach (camp. Psa 69:18-20). But especially among my neighbours. Not that they reproached him more than others, hut that he felt their reproaches more keenly. And a fear to mine acquaintance. His acquaintances were afraid of being recognized as such, and involved in his ill repute. They that did sea me without; i.e. “out of doors,” or “in the street.” Fled from me. Avoided my contact, not wishing to be seen with me (comp. Psa 88:8).

Psa 31:12

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind (comp. Psa 88:5). I am like a broken vessel. Of no value to any one; only fit to be thrown away.

Psa 31:13

For I have heard the slander of many (see the comment on Psa 31:11). The calumnies circulated against him had reached David’s ears, and these had so affected him that he felt as described in the preceding verse. Fear was on every side, while they took counsel together against me. Fear was “on every side”in his own heart, and in the hearts of all his friendswhen it came to the point of his enemies holding a formal council, in which the matter discussed was the best mode of proceeding against him to take away his life. The particulars of such a council are given in 2Sa 17:1-14. They devised to take away my life. That David’s life was sought is apparent from the last clause of 2Sa 17:2, “I will smite the king only.”

Psa 31:14

But I trusted in thee, O Lord. Having fully represented the miserable condition to which he is reduced (Psa 31:9-13), David now returns to expressions of trust in God, and to earnest prayer to him (comp. Psa 31:6). I said, Thou art my God; rather, I have said. In all my sufferings, dangers, and difficulties, I have always clung to thee, and said, “Thou, and thou alone, art, and ever shalt be, my God.”

Psa 31:15

My times are in thy hand. “My times,” i.e. “all the varied events, happy or sad, which make up the parti-coloured web of life” (Kay). Not one of them but is shaped by thee and ordered by thee. Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me (camp. Psa 31:1, Psa 31:2, Psa 31:4). The great need under existing circumstances was deliverance. Absalom was looked for daily to “pass over Jordan, and all the men of Israel with him” (2Sa 17:24). A battle was imminent. If the day went against David, and his army was defeated, he would necessarily fall into the hands of his “enemies” and “persecutors,” in which case he could not hope that they would spare his life (2Sa 17:2, 2Sa 17:12).

Psa 31:16

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. This expression is first used in the blessing of Moses (Num 6:25). Its intrinsic beauty and poetry recommended it to the psalmists, with whom it recurs frequently (camp. Psa 4:6; Psa 67:1; Psa 80:5, Psa 80:7, Psa 80:19; Psa 119:135). It may be regarded as equivalent to “Be thou favourable and gracious unto thy servant.” Save me for thy mercies’ sake; literally, save me in thy mercy.

Psa 31:17

Let me not be ashamed, O Lord (see the comment on verse l). For I have called upon thee. “I have,” i.e; “been ever thy true worshipper.” Even when I have sinned (Psa 31:10), my sins have not been “sins of unfaithfulness,” but lapses, sins of infirmity, unpremeditated yieldings to temptation. Let the wicked be ashamed. Bring shame, i.e; upon those who are at once my enemies and thinethe wicked and impenitent generallyand, among them on my present adversaries, those who are collected together to carry on war against me. And let them be silent in the grave; or, in Sheol. Let a stop be put to their slanders (Psa 31:13) and lying speeches (Psa 31:18); let them he silenced by removal from this world to the land of the departed.

Psa 31:18

Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous; rather, which speak arrogancy. The pride and insolence of David’s enemies is strongly noted in the Second Book of Samuel (see Psa 16:7, Psa 16:8; Psa 17:1-3).

Psa 31:19

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee! Another transition. David turns from prayer to praise, and in the four next verses (Psa 31:19-22) eulogizes the goodness and mercy and marvellous loving-kindness of God, who has wrought gloriously for his people in the past, and has further an ample store of mercies laid up for them in the future. Which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! God had wrought his mercies for his own people, but in the sight of men generally, whether good or bad.

Psa 31:20

Thou shalt hide (or, thou hidest) them in the secret of thy presence from the pride (rather, conspiracies) of man. Intense light forms as good a hiding-place as intense darkness. No vision can penetrate it. It is “too dazzling bright for mortal eye.” Thus those whom God brings close to himself, and on whom he pours the light of his countenance, need no other protection. Their life is hid in God. Thou shalt keep them (or, thou keepest them) secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. God keeps his own in a “pavilion,” or leafy arbour, a place of coolness and refreshment, far away from the “lying lips” (Psa 31:18) and slanderous tongues (Psa 31:13) of the ungodly.

Psa 31:21

Blessed be the Lord: for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. The “strong city” has been explained as Ziklag (Delitzsch), or Mahanaim (2Sa 17:24), but is probably as much a figure of speech as the “pavilion” of Psa 31:20. God has showed David his marvellous loving-kindness by giving him an assurance of absolute security.

Psa 31:22

For I said in my haste; rather, and I indeed had said in my haste (comp. Psa 116:11). David’s faith was not so firmly fixed but that he was liable, from time to time, to a sudden access of fear (see 1Sa 27:1; 2Sa 15:14; Psa 31:13). He had said to God in his heart, on one such occasion, I am cut off from before thine eyes; i.e. he had despaired and given himself up for lost. It is somewhat forced to understand the words as meaning, “I am banished from the city where the ark is placed” (‘Speaker’s Commentary’). Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. God did not forsake his servant on account of this temporary failure of faith. No sooner did the psalmist rid himself of his extreme alarm, and turn once more to God in prayer, than he was heard, and his prayer answered.

Psa 31:23

O love ye the Lord, all ye his saints. The psalmist winds up with a short burst of song, in which his heart goes out to others. He calls upon all God’s saints to “love” him, on the ground of his own experience, which is that the Lord preserveth the faithful (literally, those who stand firm, Kay), and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer; i.e. visits with ample vengeance such as in their pride set themselves against him and against his people.

Psa 31:24

Be of good courage (see the comment on Psa 27:14). And he (i.e. God) shall strengthen your heart. “To those who have it shall be given.” If they did their best to “be of good courage” when danger and difficulty assailed them, then God would give them supernatural aid, strengthening their hearts with his gracious favour. All ye that hope in the Lord; literally, all ye that hope for the Lord; i.e. that hope for his helpthat wait on him (see Job 14:14; and comp. Psa 33:18, Psa 33:22), and look to him as your Deliverer.

HOMILETICS

Psa 31:3

A prayer for guidance.

“For thy Name’s sake guide me.” God leads men, whether they ask him or not. He guides their lives, though they may not know himeven may deny his very existence. Belshazzar (Dan 5:23, “in whose hand,” etc). Cyrus (Isa 45:1-5). Heathen nations (Act 17:26, Act 17:27). Does this make such a prayer as the text superfluous? On the contrary, it is the very reason for it. God’s guidance of men without their knowledge, or even against their will, is very different from his guidance of those who ask it for his Name’s sake. (As you speak of “driving a horse,” or “driving a friend” who asks a seat by your side.) Consider the meaning and the plea of the psalmist’s prayer.

I. WHAT DOES THIS PRAYER ASK FOR? In other words, how can God grant it?

1. By the lending of his providence. Q.d.: his unfailing, unerring, unlimited control of all events and creatures, great or small. The old-fashioned phrase, “particular providence,” is often strongly objected to; rightly, if it be taken to mean some special interference with the course of thingshere, not there; now, not then; a touch to the helm sectionally, not the firm hand never taken off it. But remember, what cleverest people (busy with wide generalizations and laws) are most apt to forgetthat all reality is particular. A pound of iron weighs a pound because each atom of iron is precisely like every other, and obeys exactly the same force. The harvest ripens because the same life is working in every several grain. A lifetime is not made up of weeks and years, but breaths and heart-beats. We must not liken God’s knowledge to ours. We are compelled to store ours in abstract ideas, names, laws, etc; just as we arrange books on shelves, with titles on their backuseless else. Divine knowledge, lust because infinite, must take in every movement of every atom. Inconceivable! But not more inconceivable than that God has set going movements at the rate of hundreds of millions of millions in a second, which keep time throughout the universe. And what his power has called into being and sustains, and his knowledge surveys, his wisdom and goodness guide. This, at once deepest truth and plain common sense, is the Bible doctrine of providence. “He maketh grass to grow on the mountains”each blade from its own root. Not a bird falls to the earth without our heavenly Father. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord “(Psa 139:3, Psa 139:9, Psa 139:10).

2. By his Word. (2Ti 3:15; Psa 119:105.) What is a lamp for? To give light. How do I know that light is light? Simply by its shining. Light is its own evidence. If a lamp cannot be kindled, or, being kindled, refuses to burn, no argument will persuade you that it is a good lamp. If it burns bright and steady, shedding a clear light on the page you read, the work you handle, the path you walk in, no argument will persuade you that it is not a good lamp. So with God’s Word. Men may dispute as they please about inspiration, pile up mountains of criticism, publish every few years a new work that is to finally dispose of the Bible; they cannot stop the light from shining. This main fact remains solid, unanswerable, that a life guided by this light rises to a level, gains a purity, strength, beauty, hopeful courage, and calm settled peace not otherwise attainable. The light, observe, not of mere precept. Pagan teachersBuddha, Confucius, Seneca, and I know not how many, have given noble and lofty precepts, enabling men to say, with the old Roman poet, “I see and approve what is good, though I practise what is bad.” But only from the Bible shines, along with precept, the light of pardon and the light of promise (1Jn 2:12, 1Jn 2:25). Against the sceptics’ learning and logic the plain Christian sets his experience. If you could find a grey-haired Christian saying, “I have framed my life according to the Bible, and I wish I had not; I have lived a life of prayer to God, and trust in Jesus as my Saviour, and obedience to his Word, and if I could begin again, I would be wiser,”then you would at least have something to set against the lives ruined by despising the Bible, and flinging faith and prayer away. But the testimony is the other way (Psa 119:165; Psa 19:11; 2Ti 4:6-8).

3. By his Spirit. (Joh 14:13; Rom 8:14.) The Bible itself affords no countenance to the idea that life can be rightly guided by the written Word alone, severed from the living presence and personal teaching of the Holy Spirit. For three plain reasons. A rightly guided life means:

(1) A life of faith in Christ; and this is the Holy Spirit’s gift and work (Mat 16:17).

(2) A life of prayer; and the Holy Spirit is at once the Answer to prayer and the Inspirer of prayer (Luk 11:13; Jud 1:20).

(3) The true meaning of Scripture is hidden from an unspiritual mind (1Co 2:14).

II. WHAT IS THE FORCE OF THE PLEA HERE URGED“For thy Name’s sake” ? If one may venture to put it so plainly, it is putting God on his honour to fulfil his promises. The “Name” of God stands for all that he has made known to us of himself. Especially it includes his words of promise, because here his faithfulness stands pledged. Not that God promises to grant every request, wise or foolish, right or wrong. (Who would dare to pray?) But he does promise to attend to our prayerto give good things to those who ask. He has filled the Bible with encouragements and commands to pray, and with examples of prayer answered. As our Lord Jesus is himself the full Revelation of the Father, so he authorizes us to pray in his Name (Joh 14:13, Joh 14:14).

Conclusion. Of all prayers there is none we need to offer more earnestly, more constantly.

1. Without God‘s guidance we shall miss our way. A life at the mercy of passion, expediency, fashion, fancy, is like a rudderless ship. Especially in trouble and temptation. The traveller in fair, calm weather may think the mountain-track is plain enough without a guide; but the snowstorm comes on, and he is lost.

2. If God be not your Guide, you will have some other. Conformity to the world is practical submission to the enemy of souls (Eph 2:2,

3. “He who bows not to him has bowed to me,” Byron’s ‘Cain’). Like a ship that has taken on board a false pilot, who steers her on the quicksand.

3. Life is a journey to be taken but once. The wrong path cannot be retraced.

Psa 31:15

God’s sovereign will.

“My times are in thy hand.” “The stream cannot rise higher than its source.” If this be true in the spiritual as in the material world, then the feelings, desires, trust, which rise so mightily to God in this psalm, and throughout the Book of Psalms, must have their fountain in God. The Psalter is the mouthpiece of the Bible, uttering the testimony of experience, not fictitious, but real, living, personal experienceif such ever was; the genuine outcome of human hearts; yet withal superhuman, Divine; the breath of God’s own Spirit (Rom 8:26).

I. HERE IS THE RECOGNITION OF A DIVINE GUIDANCE AND PURPOSE IN EACH ONE‘S LIFE. “My times;” q.d. the daily circumstances, and whole plan and arrangement of my life; the number of its days and years, birth and death, seasons of joy and sorrow, strength and weakness, prosperity and adversity (Ecc 3:1-8). Scripture is full of examples of this special training. Abraham, Joseph, John the Baptist (a life seemingly broken off prematurely), St. Paul. In each child of God there is a character to be formed, fruit ripened, an end attained.

II. PERFECT TRUST IN GOD‘S WISDOM, POWER, LOVE. These words, “my” and “thy,” express conscious personal relation to God. Personal trust forms the most sacred relation between man and manthe basis and cement of human society. It is the glory of the Bible, distinguishing its teaching from all human systems, that it rests religion on this personal trust. We are saved by faith. We walk by faith. We love God because we trust him and believe his Word (1Jn 4:16, 1Jn 4:19). Because the psalmist can say, “I trusted,” etc. (verse 14), he fears not to say, “My times are in thy hand;” and to add verses 19, 20, 24. Note that from this psalm (verse 5) our Saviour drew his dying prayer.

III. DUTIFUL SUBMISSION TO GOD‘S SOVEREIGN WILL. If God did not rule all things, he could rule nothing. Each lifeyours, minewith all its vicissitudes, has its place in his great plan. “No man liveth to himself.” The cairn happiness and triumph of faith is not merely submission to God’s will when manifest, but willingness that he shall choose (Php 1:20-25; Php 4:5-7, Php 4:11-13). Sometimes we are tempted to shrink from this full surrender, from half-unconscious fear that trial may be good for us, which God is too faithful and wise to spare us; as we might dread to call in the most skilful surgeon, lest he should say the diseased limb must come off.

CONCLUSION. The text has a special application to

(1) the young;

(2) those in the full activity of mid-life;

(3) those who have reached old age.

HOMILIES BY C. CLEMANCE

Psa 31:1-24

The saint rehearsing his experience of the great Protector’s care

There is no good reason to doubt that this is one of David’s psalms. Its forms of expression bear the marks of his pen, and the “undesigned coincidences ” between it and the history of his life are both interesting and striking. The old interpreters supposed the psalm to belong to the time when David fled from Saul into the wilderness of Maon; others attribute it to the time of his deliverance from being shut up in Keilah, with which, indeed, it seems well to agree. While, in some respects, the psalm resembles others, yet, in others, it has features exclusively its own. Its title, according to the LXX; is, “For the end, a Psalm of David, of extreme fear” (). The Vulgate has pro extasi. Under such emotion, it is not to be wondered at if the verses bid defiance to all logical order. There is, however, beneath the surface an order which is full of helpful teaching, by which, when perceived, the beauty of the psalm will stand revealed, as otherwise it could not have been. This order we will seek carefully to follow and to expound.

I. GOD‘S SAINTS MAY BE AT TIMES IN EXTREME DISTRESS. The list of troubles here specified is an unusually long one.

1. A net is spread for David (Psa 31:4).

2. There is a design on his life (Psa 31:13).

3. Bands of men are conspiring together (Psa 31:20, Hebrew).

4. His friends forget him (Psa 31:12).

5. His enemies are guilty of falsehood (Psa 31:18), reproach (Psa 31:11), slander (Psa 31:13).

6. Others unfeelingly flee from him (Psa 31:11).

7. He is in perplexity (Psa 31:9).

8. His strength faileth, his bones are consumed, because the consciousness of his own sin adds its bitterness to his woe (Psa 31:10).

9. His alarm (Hebrew) is so great, that he regards his case as one deserted by God (Psa 31:22).

Here, surely, is a list of woes longer than most men could reckon up. There are few against whom enemies would take so much trouble to plot! But David was in a high position, and therefore he was a mark to be shot at! Note: The higher our position, and the greater our usefulness, the more likely is it that Satan will aim at us with his fiery darts. The more we disturb him, the more he will disturb us. And, for wise and holy reasons, the Lord may allow a messenger of Satan to buffet us.

II. EVEN WHEN IN THE LOWEST DEPTHS, THERE IS NO MISTAKING THE SAINT FOR A SINNER, the believer for an alien, the godly one for a godless man. Scarce any one could have a longer list of woes to enumerate than David had, but yet the saint shines through all.

1. He knows where to flee for protection. (Psa 31:1, Hebrew.) The way in which he still speaks to God as his God, his strong Rock, etc; is inexpressibly touching. “Be thou my Rock, because thou art my Rock,” is a wonderfully tender appeal to the loving heart of God. Even in the densest darkness the loving child must clasp the Father’s hand, and cry, “Father!” Yea, because of the darkness, and the denser it is, the louder and more piercing will be his cry.

2. He knows to whom he fleeseven to One who has redeemed him (Psa 31:5). (For the Scripture usage of this word “redeemed,” see Deu 9:26; Deu 21:8; 1Ch 17:21; Isa 29:22; Jer 31:11; Mic 6:4; Psa 130:8; Psa 25:22; Hos 13:14.) David was one who knew God, not only as a Deliverer from earthly calamity, but as a Redeemer from sin. And he could well put in this as a plea on which to base his petitions. The richest evangelical form of this argument is given in Rom 5:10; Rom 8:32. If God has taught us and drawn us by his Spirit to plead with him, that is the witness of the Spirit to the fact that we are redeemed out of the world.

3. He knows he may tell all his woes to God, just as they are. It has been no small comfort to us in writing these homilies to note, again and again, how the psalmist told God everything, just as he felt it. This we, too, may do, knowing that God will accept the prayer of faith and will bury all its faults.

4. He can absolutely leave all with God, not as one who finds it useless to contend with the inevitable, but as one who can implicitly trust his redeeming God.

(1) All his times are in God’s hand; the entire ordering of them; nothing will be neglected or overlooked.

(2) He trusts his spirit in God’s hands (Rom 8:5); i.e. his inner self, the immortal part of his being, wherein he is made in the image of God. Note: Since we know God as our redeeming God, who has graciously promised to be ours to the end, in our deepest sorrows, we may trust everything with him.

III. GOD‘S SAINTS CAN SCARCELY END THEIR MOAN ERE THEIR WORDS TURN TO SONG. When the Spirit of God presides at the soul’s keyboard, the sounds may at first be in the minor key, hut they will not long continue so. The plaint will be a diminuendo, and will be substituted by a crescendo of joyful song. Hence so many of the psalms which begin woefully end joyfully. There are three several mercies here recorded.

1. Deliverance. (Rom 8:7, Rom 8:8.) The narrow straits in which David was hedged up gave way, and he had amplitude of room. And sooner or later, in his own time and way, God will deliver the righteous out of the hands of the wicked.

2. Treasures of goodness laid up. (Rom 8:9.) The thought of this evokes a very shout of praise, as well it may. Let the student compare the three expressions in Rom 8:4, “the net which they have laid privily;” Rom 8:19, “goodness laid up secretly;” Rom 8:20, “Thou shalt keep them secretly.” Is not the antithesis beautiful? The wicked have their nets laid in secret. But God’s secrecy of love outwits theirs. He hides the saints in the secret place of his “pavilion,” and prepares for them in secret “treasures of goodness,” to be brought forth in all their richness as occasion requires. Note: God will be bringing forth from his secret treasury of love to all eternity.

3. Marvellous kindness manifested; and this in a beseiged (Heb 5:1-14 :21) city(cf Psa 23:5). At the very moment foes were encamping round him, God ministered such rich loving-kindness as to bear him up and bring him through. So it will ever be. The moment of man’s fiercest plots will be that of God’s most vigilant care (Psa 121:4). And within the walls of the thickest dungeon God can minister richest supplies of heavenly food!

IV. SUCH EXPERIENCES WILL LEAD THE SAINTS TO CALL ON THEIR FELLOW–BELIEVERS TO HOPE IN THE LORD, AND TO WAIT FOR HIM. (Rom 8:23, Rom 8:24.) The new experience of God’s loving-kindness and care, which is born of such deliverances in answer to prayer, gives believers wondrous vantage-ground in exhorting others to put their whole trust in the Lord. Note:

1. It is an infinite mercy that God’s providential care has preserved to us these records of the struggles, the prayers, and the triumphs of his saints.

2. Those who have known the most trouble are those who can afterwards minister most comfort to those who are troubled (2Co 1:3-5).

3. Let those who have known the depths of sorrow, and who have learnt how God can deliver, make their experience known to others (Psa 66:16-20).

4. How abundant even now is God’s recompense for his people’s sorrows, when he thereby gives them such tastes of his love as they could not else have had, and then makes them “sons of consolation”!C.

HOMILIES BY W. FORSYTH

Psa 31:5, Psa 31:15

Duty and destiny.

Let us place these two texts together, and we shall find that they become the more intelligible and the richer in instruction and comfort.

I. OUR TIMES ARE FIXED BY GOD. We have no choice in the matter, no more than as to when we should be born. God is Sovereign. It is his prerogative to settle all things that concern us. Whatever comes of prosperity or adversity, or joy or sorrow is of his ordering. It is for him to rule, it is for us to trust and to obey.

II. OUR SPIRIT CAN ONLY BE COMMITTED TO GOD BY OUR OWN DEED. We are free. When we act, we express the feelings of our hearts. To commit our spirit to God is to surrender ourselves wholly and for ever to his will. It is only when we know and believe in God’s love towards us, that we can joyously do this transcendent thing that will settle our destiny for time and for eternity.

III. IT IS ONLY WHEN WE HAVE IN TRUTH COMMITTED OUR SPIRITS TO GOD, THAT WE CAN TAKE COMFORT FROM THE KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR TIMES ARE IN HIS HAND. We should be careful to put that first which should be first (Mat 6:33). When the most precious thing is safe, we need not be much concerned as to the lesser things. God has given us the greatest proof of his love, for he has redeemed us; we can therefore with quiet hearts leave to him the ordering of all things that concern us (Rom 5:9, Rom 5:10). “My times are in thy hand;” and it is there I would have placed them if I had the choice (2Sa 24:14). “My times are in thy hand;” then come what will of vicissitude and trial, nothing can befall me but what is of the ordering of God. “My times are in thy hand;” therefore I will be content and not fret; I will trust, and not be afraid; I will work, and not be weary in well-doing. I will be patient and hope to the end. knowing that all things work together for good to them that love God.” “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” This I did at the first, when the Lord Jesus called me; this I would do evermore during my earthly course, after the example of thy saints; this I would do in the end, as our Lord himself has taught us.W.F.

Psa 31:8

Opportunity.

The young are eager for opportunities. Conscious of power, they fondly think that, if only a fair chance were to come, they would be sure to make a name for themselves. But they are often disappointed. Perhaps they say it is not their fault; but unprejudiced onlookers see that, through lack of insight, decision, or perseverance, they have failed. They have let the tide. which, taken at the flood, would have led on to fortune, pass by. Life is full of possibilities. It is our wisdom to watch, to be on the alert, to make the most of opportunities. We must be willing to begin where we are free to begin, and to do the duty, however humble, that lies nearest to us, as well as we are able. Honest work is the best training and preparation for advancement. Above all, we must have regard to the will and doings of God. If we ask of him, he will give us light. If we wait upon him, he will let us know his will. If we do with our might what he gives us to do, he win enlarge our opportunities. We may take the text to illustrate what God does for his servants in the way of opportunity. The “large room” may apply to

I. CULTIVATION OF CHARACTER. There may be circumstances which are unfavourable. It is much more difficult for some, from their birth and surroundings, to be good and to do good, than for others. Let us acknowledge God’s love in placing us where we have free play for our minds, and every help and inducement to follow the things which are good. We are not in the dark, but in the light; we are not confined and straitened, but in the enjoyment of freedom; we are not denied the use of air and food and exercise, but have the use of all that is good and fitted to nourish our strength and virtue, that we may grow up unto the stature of the perfect man in Christ Jesus.

II. EMPLOYMENT OF TALENT. There may be some, as the poet suggests, to whom opportunity has not come.

“Knowledge to their eyes her ample page,
Rich with the spoils of time, did ne’er unroll.”

But it is not so with us. God has not only given us talents, but also provided a sphere for their rightful and beneficent use. There are differences as regard natural ability; unto some it is one talent, unto others two or more. But there is no difference as to opportunity. The command is laid upon all to work; and God’s commands imply opportunity to all who choose to obey. If we are willing, “the large room” will be given us.

III. INCREASING USEFULNESS. We are placed in such relationship to others that we cannot but influence them one way or another. Whether this influence be for good or for evil will mainly depend upon our character. God prepares his servants for the place and work he has for them to do. When the time comes, they find that difficulties give waythat “a large and effectual door” has been opened to them. But to every one, however humble, there is opportunity given of doing good and of being helpful to others. Never a day dawns but it brings its own duties. Woe to us if, like Dives, we fail to recognize the claims of the poor and needy! They who are at our gate to-day, so that we can do them good if we will, may be to-morrow in “Abraham’s bosom,” and oar opportunity gone for ever.

IV. HIGHER HONOURS. It has been said of the government of Napoleon that it was remarkable for opening a career to talent. In old France, society was so constituted that it was only the highborn and the rich, the classes and not the masses, that had any chance. Under Napoleon all this was changed. Not only could a man hope to rise by his merits, but he also knew that he served a master who would rigidly exact what was required in the way of duty, and reward only according to work done. Besides, he knew that what his master demanded of others he made a law to himself. Consequently, never did a sovereign inspire a greater enthusiasm of devotion. At the side of every soldier, from the highest to the lowest, seemed to stand the form of the emperor, ready to mark, ready to exact; but, above all, setting the example of his own immense activity, and stimulating all to do their part worthily in the great work in which they were engaged. If this was in a measure true of Napoleon and his soldiers, it is true in a far higher and nobler way of Christ and his soldiers. Take an example in Matthew. See what he was before Christ found him. See what he became when Christ called him away from his “seat at the receipt of custom,” and all his selfish, narrow, degrading ways, and placed him in the “large room,” where he had not only the noblest society and the means of living the purest life, but where there was opened up to him ever more increasing opportunities of usefulness and honour. It is said that in his first love and joy he “made a great feast” to his friends; and this was but an unconscious prophecy of the “great feast” which he has spread for all people in his glorious Gospel. But Levi was but a sample. “Such honour have all the saints”W.F.

HOMILIES BY C. SHORT

Psa 31:1-8

A prayer for grace in trouble.

Authorship uncertain. Some give it to David, in Ziklag; others to Jeremiah. Three divisions.

(1) He prays God to be gracious to him in his trouble, expressing at the same time his confidence in him, as if the prayer had been already fulfilled (verses 1-8);

(2) he pours out the story of his sufferings and sorrows, and repeating his prayer (verses 9-18);

(3) he concludes with praise and thanksgiving (verses 19-24).

I. THE PSALMIST‘S PRAYER. The trouble that oppressed him had been of long duration, as appears from the tenth verse.

1. He prays for deliverance from his trouble. (Verse 1.) Does not qualify the prayer, but seeks absolute deliverance. It was to him an unqualified evil, and, as evil, he had no thought it could be working any good for him. So the Lord’s Prayer, “Deliver us from evil,” would be put to shame if not delivered.

2. He prays for protection and defence. (Verse 2.) He apart from God was weak against the united power of his enemies. “If God be for us, who can be against us” with any success?

3. He prays for leading and guidance. (Verse 3.) That he may see and feel the way of safety amid the bewildering dangers of his path. Christ is our great Leader, “the Beginner and Finisher of our faith.” Striking description of Christ.

4. He prays that he may escape out of the secret snares that were set for him. (Verse 4.) We cannot fight against hidden dangers.

II. THE EXULTING FAITH IN WHICH HE PLEADS WITH GOD. He trusts:

1. In God‘s righteousness. (Verse 1.) God’s righteousness demands that he should not give him over to the unrighteous. He could not doubt that.

2. He knew that God was his Strength and Refuge. (Verses 3, 4.) Prove thyself to be to me what I know thou artmy Rock and House of defence. “Thou art my Strength.”

3. He knew that God had redeemed him. (Verse 5.) And therefore he surrenders his spirit into his keeping, knowing him to be a God of truth, i.e. faithful to his word and to his work. “He who hath begun a good work,” etc.; “Perfect that which concerneth me.”

4. He knew that God saw his trouble and adversities. (Verse 7.) And that therefore out of merciful compassion he would interpose to rescue him. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him,” etc.

5. He enjoys deliverance already by anticipation. (Verse 8.) “Thou hast set my feet in wide, open spaces,” where I can roam at liberty. Faith like this removes mountains of difficulties

“Laughs at impossibilities,
And says, ‘It shall be done.'”

S.

Psa 31:9-18

A story of suffering and sorrow.

The psalmist now, in the spirit of heartfelt trust in the helping grace of God, proceeds first to describe at length his trouble (Psa 31:9, Psa 31:13); and second, to pray for deliverance (Psa 31:14-18).

I. CAUSES OF TROUBLE. (Psa 31:9, Psa 31:13.)

1. Consciousness of sin. (Psa 31:9, Psa 31:10.) This was the constant lifelong grief. None but good men feel their sinfulness so acutely.

2. Loss of reputation. (Psa 31:11, Psa 31:12.) “A fear to mine acquaintance;” so that they avoided him. “Like a broken vessel;” equivalent to “an object of contempt.”

3. Stood in constant danger of his life. (Psa 31:13.) Through slander and misrepresentation, he was in constant fear and dread. Like some kings who live in constant dread of assassination.

II. THE CRY FOR DELIVERANCE. (Psa 31:14 18.)

1. Seeks to reassure himself of his personal relation to God. (Psa 31:14.) Nothing more difficult, when we see our faith despised by the whole world, than to rest on the testimony of our own conscience that “God is our God.”

2. Because his times were in God‘s hand, he was not left to the mercy of his enemies. (Psa 31:15.) God could transform evil into good, and danger into safety.

3. He was God‘s servant, and on that ground he cried for protection. (Psa 31:16.) “Make thy face to shine.” The good Master would be merciful “for his own sake” towards his servant.

4. God would not allow his faith in him to be put to shame. (Psa 31:17.) He puts God in remembrance of his promise that he will hear and help those who call upon him with heartfelt confidence. He prays that his enemies may be struck dumb with the silence of the grave, so that they may be no longer able to slander him (Psa 31:18). His faith in God reached thus to all the difficulties of his life, and might be called a working faith.S.

Psa 31:19-24

Praise and thanksgiving.

From Psa 31:1 to Psa 31:8 the Lord may, must, and will help him in his trouble, because he is his God. From Psa 31:9 to Psa 31:18 he describes at length his trouble, and brings it to God. From Psa 31:19 to Psa 31:24

I. THE PSALMIST OBTAINS FROM GOD THE HEARTFELT ASSURANCE OF HELP, AND PRAISES GOD FOR IT.

1. God‘s goodness is a treasure laid up for future as well as present use and blessing. (Isaiah lair. 4; 1Co 2:9.) Same thought in substance in all these passages. Compare with the parable of “the treasure.”

2. God hides and protects those who trust in himas in a royal pavilion (Psa 31:20).

3. God was to the psalmist what a strong city is to those who seek safety. (Psa 31:21.)

4. God‘s great goodness was shows to him openly and secretly. (Psa 31:19, Psa 31:20.) The former to discomfit his enemies, and the latter for his own comfort and faith.

II. MAN‘S UNBELIEF AND THE DIVINE FAITHFULNESS. (Psa 31:22.)

1. He was is haste, Flying from his enemies, when he said this. We say and do things in panic which we disown in calmer hours. “He that believeth shall not make haste.”

2. But God pardoned his unbelief, and answered the inarticulate cry of the heart.

Ill. LESSONS ADDRESSED TO THE CHURCH, DRAWN FROM HIS OWN EXPERIENCE. (Psa 31:23, Psa 31:24.)

1. What love and reverence we owe to God because of his retributive work! (Psa 31:23.) He preserveth the faithful, and rewardeth the proud. This is good and just.

2. With what courage we should hope in God! (Psa 31:24.) He strengthens us by his Spirit to hope and trust in him. From him must be derived the power for every duty and every difficulty. This must be the ground of our courage.S.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Psalms 31.

David, shewing his confidence in God, craveth his help: he rejoiceth in his mercy: he prayeth in his calamity: he praiseth God for his goodness.

To the chief musician. A Psalm of David.

Title. lamnatseach mizmor ledavid. Bishop Patrick supposes this psalm to have been composed by David soon after the straits to which he was reduced in the wilderness of Maon, when he fled from Keilah, and was so closely pursued by Saul, that, without the extraordinary protection of God, he would infallibly have fallen into his hands. But Mudge is of a different opinion: “There are,” says he, “many strokes in this psalm which point us to the prophet Jeremiah for its author. The 13th verse begins with exactly the same words as are found Jer 20:10. The account of his enemies agrees well with the people of Anathoth, who had plotted to take away his life, and in a treacherous manner, by drawing him in to say things on which they might ground a charge: the miraculous preservation he found at Jerusalem during the siege, Psa 31:19-21, where others suffered extremely, is another proof.”

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Psalms 31

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David

1In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust;

Let me never be ashamed:
Deliver me in thy righteousness.

2Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily:

Be thou my strong rock, for a house of defence
To save me.

3For thou art my rock and my fortress;

Therefore for thy names sake lead me, and guide me.

4Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me:

For thou art my strength.

5Into thine hand I commit my spirit:

Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

6I have hated them that regard lying vanities:

But I trust in the Lord.

7I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:

For thou hast considered my trouble;
Thou hast known my soul in adversities;

8And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy

Thou hast set my feet in a large room.

9Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble:

Mine eye is consumed with grief,

Yea, my soul and my belly.

10For my life is spent with grief,

And my years with sighing:
My strength faileth because of mine iniquity,
And my bones are consumed.

11I was a reproach among all mine enemies,

But especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance:
They that did see me without fled from me.

12I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind:

I am like a broken vessel.

13For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side:

While they took counsel together against me,
They devised to take away my life.

14But I trusted in thee, O Lord:

I said, Thou art my God.

15My times are in thy hand:

Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

16Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:

Save me for thy mercies sake.

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 grave.

18Let the lying lips be put to silence;

Which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;

Which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee

Before the sons of men!

20Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man:

Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

21Blessed be the Lord:

For he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

22For I said in my haste,

I am cut off from before thine eyes:
Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

23O love the Lord, all ye his saints:

For the Lord preserveth the faithful,

And plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

24Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,

All ye that hope in the Lord.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Its Contents and Composition.According to Luther, this Psalm is spoken in the person of Christ and His saints, who are plagued their life long, internally by trembling and alarm, externally by persecution, slander and contempt, for the sake of the word of God, and yet are delivered by God from them all and comforted. Brentz, Calv., and many of the older interpreters have, with Augustine, interpreted this Psalm as directly Messianic, because the crucified Saviour in the moment of dying (Luk 23:46) used the words which begin Psa 31:5. Then the iniquity, Psa 31:10 c, is understood of the sins of the world imputed to Christ. But Stier very properly recognizes in the words of Psa 31:5 : into Thy hand I commit my spirit, only the appropriation of an expression which is full of confidence, which cannot have a prophetical reference, because David, according to Psa 31:4; Psa 31:8; Psa 31:15, hoped for deliverance from the danger still in this life and for this life. Stier maintains the Davidic composition of the Psalm, although he gives up the historical reference of most earlier interpreters, which is again advocated by Delitzsch, to the situation of David in the wilderness of Man during his persecution by Saul (1 Samuel 23. sq.). There is certainly no weight to be put upon the merely apparent correspondence of the word , Psa 31:22, with 1Sa 23:26, to which the title of the Sept. , Vulg. pro ecstasi is referred by many with the explanation, for the trembling, because the Sept., Psa 31:22, translates . Yet many resemblances are apparent with the Psalms which are generally put in that period, and if partly the elegiac softness, partly the character of the language remind us of the prophet Jeremiah, and especially Psa 31:13 a strikingly agrees with Jer 20:10, yet, as even Hupfeld states, there is no evidence in this for the composition of the Psalm by Jeremiah, as Hitzig and Ewald contend, especially as there are frequently found in this prophet expressions and turns of thought from more ancient books, particularly from the Psalms. There is a change in experience, and a transition from expressions of confidence and trust to a lamenting description of need, but this does not show, any more than the final transition from praising God to the exhortation of all the pious, that only after deliverance had taken place (Ruding., Rosenm.), the prayer in time of danger has been connected with thanksgiving for deliverance. When Hengstenberg regards David as speaking from the person of every righteous man in severe trouble, he defaces the historical character of the Psalm, and does away with the limits between explanation and application. The contents are divided into three principal groups, so that at first the prayer for deliverance (Psa 31:1-2) bases itself on the confidence in the grace of God peculiar to Him (Psa 31:3-5) and previously exhibited to the Psalmist (Psa 31:6-8); then from the description of present trouble (Psa 31:9-13) it rises anew with protestations of trust in God (Psa 31:14-16) and the assurance of being heard (Psa 31:17-18); finally it passes over into thankful praise of God for His gracious dealings with all the pious (Psa 31:19-20), particularly for the hearing of prayer particularly afforded to the Psalmist (Psa 31:21-22), and in the exhortation of all the favored ones to believing hope in God (Psa 31:23-24). Compare the hymn: In dich hab ich gehoffet Herr.

[Str. I. Psa 31:1. In Thee, Jehovah, have I taken refuge.Vid.Psa 7:1; Psa 11:1.Let me not be shamed forever.Most interpreters, ancient and modern, regard this as=never be shamed, which could not very well be expressed otherwise in Hebrew. Hengstenberg however, interprets it: Though I am put to shame now, yet let not that shame last forever. This verse and the two following reappear with few variations in Psa 71:1; Psa 71:3.

Psa 31:2. Be Thou to me for a rock of defence, for a house of fortification, to save me.Compare these figures with those of Psa 18:2.C. A. B.]

[Str. II. Psa 31:3. For Thou art my rock and my fortress.Perowne: This has been called illogical. But is it so illogical as it seems? The Psalmist prays, Be Thou to me, or rather become to me, prove Thyself to be, my rock and house of defence; for I know that Thou, and Thou only, art my refuge. This is the logic of the heart, if not of the intellect; the logic, it may be added, of every prayer of faith.Wilt lead me and guide me.Perowne: The futures here and in the next verse are not to be rendered as imperatives. They express the strong hope and confidence that it will be done according to his faith and his prayer.

Psa 31:4. Wilt pull me out of the net.Comp. Psa 9:15; Psa 25:15.For Thou art my defence.The Thou is emphatic. Moll renders it, for Thou, Thou art, etc.

Psa 31:5. Into Thy hand I commit my spirit.Perowne: Upon the expression of confidence in the power and faithfulness of God, follows the expression of the singers resolve. My spirit (ruach) is more than my soul or life (nephesh). It is not only from sickness and death, but from sin and all ghostly enemies, that the man of God would be kept, and therefore he commends to God, not his body or his bodily life alone, but the life of his spirit, which is more precious (comp. Isa 38:16, life of my spirit).I commend (), i.e. place as a deposit, entrust.C. A. B.]1

Str. III. Psa 31:6. I have hated them that regard vain idols.The Vulgate, Syriac and Arabic versions translate after the Septuagint, Thou hast hated, which is preferred by some interpreters, as Venema, Hitzig, Ewald, Olsh., on account of the contrast in the second member of the verse, comp. in Psalms 5. Psa 31:5 with Psa 31:7, whilst they read with Cod. 170 Kenn. the second person shantha. The regarding does not refer to portents in the sense of the interpretation of signs and magic (Aben Ezra), nor does it express the obedient regarding in the sense of reverence (most interpreters, with reference to Hos 4:10; Pro 27:18), but the trusting and waiting attention which is contained therein (Rosenm., Hengst., Hupf., Delitzsch). The object is not vain things and things of naught in general (Calv., Ruding., Rosenm., Stier), although these are literally designated as breath of nothingness, but the idols as the unsubstantial things of naught (Hitzig), as the use of this passage in Jon 2:9 shows. The plural of hebel denotes likewise in Deu 32:21; Jer 2:5; Jer 8:19; Jer 14:22, the idols on the side of their vanity. Their delusive nature (Hengst.) is here expressed by , Psa 7:14; Jer 18:15. God constitutes the contrast as El meth, for which 2Ch 15:3 has Elohe meth, with the change from the true being of God which ever proves itself true, to the faithful disposition of God which ever proves itself thus as El mnah,Deu 32:4 (Delitzsch).[As for me, I have trusted in Jehovah.The I is emphatic, as the Thou in Psa 31:4, and is opposed to those trusting in vain idols.C. A. B.]

Psa 31:7-8. Let me exult and rejoice in Thy mercy, Thou who hast regarded my distress, taken knowledge of the needs of my soul; and hast not shut me up in the hand of the enemy, hast set my feet on a wide place.In Psa 31:7 c with does not denote a theoretical knowledge, but a practical and operative taking knowledge, a looking into (a being concerned about). Hupfeld says that this construction is an unheard of one, and since usage and the accents do not allow of taking the soul as the object of the knowledge (Luther, Stier), he would supply the object and indeed either the suffix, me, or from the immediate context, my distress. But Delitzsch, as the ancient interpreters, refers to Job 12:9; Job 35:15, and Hitzig compares, besides the last passage, Gen 19:33; Isa 9:8, likewise the Arabic, and remarks that is used for in Job 37:16.It is possible to regard Psa 31:7 b as a conjunction=that, because (Geier, Delitzsch, Hitzig), so that the subject of the exultation would be stated in the following clauses, as then likewise the perfects are for the most part regarded as prophetical perfects. But it is much more natural to regard it as a relative clause, as Psa 31:5 b without the relative, an appeal to previous experience as the motive of the prayer and reason of the hope of being heard (Hupf.), so that Psa 31:7 a is not an antecedent and a promise (most interpreters [A. V.]), but a prayer (Ruding., J. H. Mich.). [Alexander: To shut up in the hand of any one is to abandon to his power. The expression is a figurative one, but occurs in prose, and even in the history of David. See 1Sa 23:11; 1Sa 26:8. The figure of the last clause is a favorite with David. See above, on Psa 4:1; Psa 18:19; Psa 18:36.C. A. B.]

Str. IV. [Psa 31:9-10. Mine eye is consumed with vexationmy soul and my belly.Compare Psa 6:7. The soul and belly are general terms enlarging and adding emphasis to the more specific term, eye. The belly stands for the body, yet with a more particular reference to the bowels as the seat of the affections, or as Delitzsch, the interior of the body reflecting the spiritual and physical activities and experiences. The soul and the belly thus represent the entire man. The expressions of Psa 31:10 are to be compared with Psa 102:3 sq.; Jer 20:18, as well as Psalms 6. The clauses are parallel, the general terms becoming in each case more specific, thus life has its parallel years; grief, sighing; strength, bones. The bones are the frame-work of the body, vid.Psa 6:3. His iniquity is regarded by the Psalmist as the real cause of all his trouble.C. A. B.]

Psa 31:11. Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, and to my neighbors a burden, and a terror to mine acquaintance.J. D. Mich. already conjectured that was a substantive, with the meaning of burden, and compared with the Arabic. Fleischer, in Delitzschs commentary, has proved this more accurately and thus made an end of all the difficulties, which arise if we retain the usual meaning of very, which the Sept. already expressed with . It has likewise the present order of words, so the placing of and to my neighbors after friends (Olsh.) does great violence to the text. The words because of all my adversaries could be attached to the preceding clause with less difficulty (Ewald) than this. But the translation which is then proposed, I have become a reproach even to my neighbors exceedingly, is wrecked upon the fact that the intensive signification of the (even, likewise), which most interpreters with Calvin and Geier accept, in connection with the usual division of the clauses and connection of words cannot be proved. It is admissible to regard the as explanatory (= and indeed). But this meaning, accepted here by Piscator, Stier, et al., makes such a drawling clause that Hupfeld would rather suppose that the has come into the text by mistake or that a substantive has been omitted. Hitzig translates: fled from my neighbors, since he regards the as a corruption of a , but he now reads no longer , but . Instead of because of all my enemies, he translates likewise: from all, etc., which is certainly better than the translation, more than all (Vulg., and many of the older interpreters, even Rosenm.), although it is likewise allowed by the language.

[Psa 31:12. Alexander: The next stage of his calamity was that of contemptuous oblivion, which usually follows the acute one of disgust and shame described in the foregoing verse.From the heart,i.e. the memory; the expression seems to correspond exactly to the second member of the English proverb: out of sight, out of mind.The comparison with an earthen vessel, at best of little value, easily broken, and when broken worthless, only fit to be contemptuously thrown aside, is a favorite with Jeremiah, who appears to have derived it, with some other favorite ideas and expressions, from the Psalm before us. See Jer 19:11; Jer 22:28; Jer 25:34; Jer 48:38, and compare Hos 8:8.C. A. B.]

Psa 31:13. For I hear the whispering of many; terrors round about; whilst they take counsel together against methey devise to take away my life.[The usual interpretation of slander does not suit here as Hupfeld shows, and so Hitzig, Delitzsch, Moll, et al. Ewald translates, report. The phrase, terrors round about, magor missabib, is a favorite formula in Jeremiah, probably having become a current phrase in the mouths of the people in troublous times. Jer 20:10; also Jer 6:2; Jer 20:3-4; Jer 46:5; Jer 49:29; Lam 2:22.C. A. B.]

[Str. V. Psa 31:15. My times are in Thy hand.Perowne: My times, i.e., all my life, with its sundry and manifold changes, its joys and sorrows, its hopes and conflicts, are not the sport of chance, or the creatures of a blind fate but are in Thy hand, O Thou living personal Redeemer. On this confidence are grounded the petitions which follow and the hopes expressed, Psa 31:18. The second of the petitions, Psa 31:16, is borrowed from the High Priests blessing, Num 6:25. Comp. Psa 4:7.

Psa 31:17. Let the wicked be shamed, be silenced in the world below.For an explanation of Sheol, vid.Psa 6:5, and the corresponding fate of the wicked, Psa 9:15. Alexander: He distinguishes himself as one who calls upon God, from the wicked who do not, and appeals to the righteousness of God as requiring that defeat, and disappointment, and frustration of the hopes, should fall, not upon the class to which he belongs and of which he is the representative, but upon that represented by his enemies, of whom it has been well said, that they are not reckoned sinners because they are his enemies, but enemies because they are sinners, or in other words, enemies to him because they are the enemies of God.

Psa 31:18. Let lying lips be put to silencethat is the silence of destruction, as is clear from Psa 31:17 where the world below is added. The reference is back to the whispering of Psa 31:13.Which speak arrogantly against a righteous man with pride and scorn.Hupfeld: not=hard (as Geier, J. H. Mich.), nor impudent (as Gesen. and most recent interps.) but arrogant, properly with the neck thrown back comp. Psa 75:5. Speak not with a stiff neck, comp. Isa 3:16), that is proudly, as in all passages where the word occurs (Psa 75:5; Psa 94:4; 1Sa 2:3, and here). So Luther already (stiff) and Rosenm.C. A. B.]

[Str. VI. Psa 31:19. Thou hast laid up.Perowne: Literally hidden, comp. Psa 17:4. and the hidden manna, Rev 2:17. This is the love of God manifested to the soul in secret; the next clause tells of its open manifestation, Thou hast wrought.

Psa 31:20. Thou screenest them with the screen of Thy countenance from the conspiracies of men.Hupfeld: This is here naturally not as Job 24:15, the screen with which his countenance was concealed (mask), but which the countenance of God afforded. The countenance of God (usually in an evil sense as Psa 21:9) is here the gracious presence of God turned towards the pious in a friendly manner (vid.Psa 4:6), and the source of all good (vid.Psa 16:2), particularly His protection, His guarding countenance (comp. the eye of God. Psa 33:18; Psa 34:15, comp. Psa 32:8.) as it marched in the pillar of cloud and of fire with the Israelites through the wilderness, Exo 33:14-15, which, therefore, in Isa 4:5-6 likewise serves as a screen. Here this presence is in connection with the figure of one seeking protection, whom God receives into His dwelling as a guest, where he is before the face of God; hence a screen (properly hiding-place, latibulum= comp. Isa 4:6; Isa 32:2) is attributed to him so far as the dwelling-place of God is such, instead of screen of His tent.Psa 27:6 (whence the passage was probably derived), comp. the parallel (as in Psa 27:5); thus mingling it with the figure of a shelter.C. A. B.]

Str. VII. Psa 31:21. In a strong city.This expression is usually taken as a figure of safety either with the comparison omitted as in a strong city (Symm., Stier), or the is regarded as an expression of the comparison, as a strong city (Hengst.). If we suppose that there is a historical reference, it is more natural to refer to Ziklag (Delitzsch) than Keila. It is possible from the language to translate; in a besieged city, which then can either be taken as a figure of trouble or be referred to an actual fact. It is taken in the latter reference by Hitzig who refers to Jeremiah 38.

Psa 31:22. [In my confusion.Hupfeld: This is not my hasty flight (Hengst.) but in my surprise, confusion, as Jerome in stupore meo, Aquil. , Symm. , Calv. in prcepitatione mea = perturbatione animi (which then drives to hasty flight, but is not the flight itself). It is the infin. constr. of =to be terrified, confused (comp. ) Deu 20:3 (with ) 2Sa 4:4, () 2Ki 7:15; Job 40:23; and only afterwards flee (as in the Niphal=)C. A. B.]I am cut off from the presence of Thine eyes.Instead of cut off (=separated), which Delitzsch and Hupfeld advocate, Hengst. and Hitzig translate after the Rabbins, Geier et al. blotted out.

Str. VIII. Psa 31:23. Jehovah keepeth faith.It is possible to translate this likewise: Jehovah preserveth the faithful. (Chald., Jerome, Rabbins, Calvin, et al.) finally Hupfeld. [So A. V.]. Yet the parallelism does not force us to regard this abstract as concrete. But this pretended parallelism is rather produced by this interpretation.2

[Psa 31:24. All ye that wait.Perowne. (The Psalm ends as Psalms 27.). Hope and waiting are marks peculiarly of the Old Testament dispensation. It is true even in the New, one apostle writes, We are saved by hope. And another says, It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but he adds what no believer in the days of types and shadows could have said, We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Wonderful indeed is the hopeful trust of the saints of old in God, when we remember that they did not know Him as God manifest in the flesh.C. A. B.]

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. This Psalm is again a true song from the depths as well according to the extent and measure of the sufferings as the corresponding experience of faith and grace; therefore it is a song of the struggling Church and for the militant Church. (Taube). In severe troubles those have a great consolation, who have previously gained not only the true knowledge, but likewise the living knowledge of God and a personal experience of the blessings of trust in God and communion with God. It is to them a true help in prayer and serves to strengthen their faith, as well as to awaken new hopes and encourage to perseverance. David is in the position to give God a name, which alone has already been a mighty shield in the day of trouble. He names Him the faithful God, has learned to know that all other hopes previous to this, are vain, and knows that God knows about him in the day of need. (Tholuck).

2. The name of God says not only, who God is, what God desires, what God does, but likewise reminds the souls of the pious of what they have already received from God and what they may always expect from God. They need merely to entreat it in faith and to accept it and appropriate it in humility with thanksgiving. There is connected with such a remembrance, therefore, a refreshment and an encouragement. John Huss strengthened himself on his way to the stake by repeatedly praying from Psa 31:5 of this Psalm. The same verse was the last word of the dying Stephen, of Polycarp, of Basil the Great. For many examples: vid. Geier and Bake.

3. The soul often feels itself straitened by bodily trouble; and again anxiety of heart causes likewise the body to fail. The only reliable helper against both kinds of need is Jehovah, the faithful God, whose government is as just as it is gracious. He is the redeeming and the delivering God. It is therefore well done to commit our spirits into the hands of this God even with respect to the life of the body. The servant of God thus declares not only his pious disposition and the wish to be preserved by the power and grace of God, but he likewise makes his deliverance sure. For whether he is externally about to die or to live, his communion with God is strengthened and sealed by this resignation, and thus he gains the pledge, that he has not taken refuge with God in vain.

4. The true communion and closer union of the pious with Jehovah constitute not only the pledge of their deliverance, but at the same time the foundation of their hopes and the means of their realization. For on the one side they know that they are internally and externally separated from the worshippers of idols in all things, by the fact that they hold fast to, witness to and strengthen this communion with God by faith and trust in God in the severest sufferings and trials, amid the terrors which surround them and in connection with the scorn and threats of those who regard them as lost; on the other side they continue to be mindful of their sins as well as their weakness and are led to communion with God in the strongest manner even by this, that they have to base their deliverance as well as their salvation not on their own works and merits, but solely on the power and grace of God and that they can safely expect it from the faithfulness of God. Ut infinitum non potest finiri, ita nec termini misericordi statui (Savonarola).

5. There may certainly be times in the life of pious men, when the countenance of God seems to be turned away or veiled from them and the feeling of the presence of God threatens almost to vanish. In such gloomy times the more earnestly the light of the Divine countenance is sought and the more fervently the attestation of the Divine presence, which alone comforts and helps, is implored out of the experience of the trouble of abandonment, the more manifestly is disclosed to the soul, the faithfulness of God, or the Being and Providence of God which are eternally the same, the more vitally do the riches of the Divine fulness of power and grace present themselves, the more powerfully does the remembrance of the self-evidencing miracle of the distribution of these treasures work upon them. Thus the confidence of trust in God returns, and in the assurance of the hearing of prayer, the cry for help is transformed into a song of praise and the praise of the Lord is connected with the exhortation of their companions to love God, in thankfulness for His grace which has been previously shown to them; and the encouragement to steadfastness in waiting upon God in the view of His righteous Providence. The conception of the virtus totius psalmi in the Gloss. ord. is to narrow, ne carnis fragilitas timeat tot mala seculi. Burks divisions are more correct in his Gnomon: fiducia erga dominum declaratur; exercita eam promoventia narrantur; preces ad dominum adduntur; usus generalis exinde elictur.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Our confession says what we know and teach about God; our prayer, what we believe and hope about God; our life how we love and honor God.Our sins bring us to shame and disgrace, but not so with our trust in God.Man can do nothing better than trust in Gods faithfulness, build on Gods strength, look upon Gods countenance.He who has God as his friend, need not fear the crowd of his enemies; God provides him a better refuge than a fortified city.A hearty trust in God can only exist in connection with a sincere resignation to God, both mutually strengthen one another and lead to waiting for help and salvation.We can observe how the soul prospers by that upon which it puts its confidence; upon what its love depends; upon what its hope is directed. That man alone is helped, who not only commits his external fortunes, but likewise his spirit into the hand of God.It is not enough to have hopes in the mind; all depends to what they are directed, upon what they are based, how long they hold outGod sees not only our misery; He is concerned about our needs; He delivers, those who trust Him from ruin; This is reason enough for prayer, praise and thanksgiving,The effects of sin extend to the soul and the body; but God is the Redeemer and Helper in time of need; this is experienced by those who believe on Him, turn to Him, wait on Him.We may know that we are innocent towards men and appeal to the righteousness of God to protect us against their unrighteous treatment of us, and yet we must confess ourselves guilty before God and console ourselves with the grace of God.For those who fear God, there is not only laid up a treasure of good things in the future, but God likewise imparts to them now out of these riches that which is needful of grace.Communion with God is the tabernacle of safety for believers in all the trials and dangers of life.

Starke: Believing hearts speak with their God as a child with his father, secretly lament their troubles to Him, are comforted by His almighty protection and commit themselves to His Divine government.Although we may not prescribe the time and hour of help to our God, yet He allows us to call upon Him to hasten the help, though with entire resignation to His will.He who allows himself to be led by human advice and wisdom alone, often errs, but he who is guided by the advice of God can accomplish great things. If Satan and his followers have ventured even to lay snares for our Redeemer, how much more will he strive to do us harm? But he who has the Lord of strength with him will not be injured by him.The impenitent know of no true sorrow for sin; but the penitent feel anxiety of conscience so, that soul and body are often nigh to death.A true servant of God is not excluded forever from the light of grace, nor cast out in the darkness.Gods chamber of grace has many secret corners, in which our enemies will be obliged to leave us alone.Believers may strengthen themselves and confirm their confidence in God by a faithful use of the promises of grace and a believing use of prayer.

Calvin: Nothing is more difficult when we see our faith mocked by the whole world, than to direct our words to God alone and to rest in the testimony of our conscience that He is our God.Osiander: Although we are sinners, yet we may call upon God for help on account of the unreasonableness of our enemies, when our cause is a just one.Selnekker: These are glorious consolations to a godly man: 1) that God gives him to know heavenly Wisdom 2) that He protects him against all tyrants and all misfortunes; 3) that He gives him everlasting treasures and everlasting goods, eternal life and eternal blessedness.Menzel: How shall suffering Christians strengthen their confidence and their faith? David refers us: 1) to Gods righteousness, 2) to His strong power, 3) to the honor of His name, 4) to His faithfulness and goodness, 5) to his own example and experience.We learn: 1) what distresses and trials befall the believer; 2) that our dear Lord God does not reject His own children on account of such weaknesses, but spares them, and indeed can suffer that they pour out and lament their weaknesses before Him; 3) we should be careful not to meddle with those who are plagued and troubled.Bake: Let us believe without guile, live without guile, die without guile, and so we will please God.Arndt: All temporal and eternal consolation arises from this faith and hope, that God is our God.Where faith and love meet together and both depend on God, God cannot refuse us anything.Franke: If we had our heart truly given to God, the world would soon show itself displeased.Frisch: To know one in trouble is the mark of true friendship. The pious David boasts this of our God. Make and retain God as your friend; He knows your soul in trouble. His knowledge is power, consolation and life.Tholuck: Great evil serves to awaken in man the consciousness of sin.The faith of David sees not the number and power of his enemies, but the hand of God alone, which distributes to men their lots. Thus the believer transacts his business in his chamber with his God instead of with his enemies; and whilst they fancy that they are entirely safe, the power of his prayers fights against them from heaven.Schaubach: It is so easy to explain the word trust: it is not so difficult to believe that the Almighty God is able to help out of every trouble; but to be sure that the Lord will and wishes to help likewise me and thee in every affliction, in which we have fallen for the sake of His honor, that will only be learned and exercised by true and manifold experience.Taube: How hope does not let a believers heart be ashamed even in the deepest need: 1) it impels to prayer and supports prayer; 2) it hopes even under circumstances where nothing is to be hoped; 3) it is therefore so gloriously crowned with the assurance of a hearing, that it praises loudly and extols the wonderful goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.

[Matth. Henry: They that have in sincerity avouched the Lord for theirs may expect the benefit of His being so, for Gods relations to us carry with them both name and thing.It is the wisdom and duty of every one of us solemnly to commit our spirits into the hands of God to be sanctified by His grace, devoted to His honor, employed in His service, and fitted for His kingdom.Those know not how to value their hope in God who cannot find joy enough in that hope to balance their grievances, and silence their griefs.Let those that are airy and gay take heed of running into extremes, and never set sorrow at defiance; God can find out ways to make them melancholy if they will not otherwise learn to be serious.Such swallow friends the world is full of, that are gone in winter. Let those that fall on the losing side not think it strange if they be thus deserted, but make sure a Friend in heaven that will not fail them, and make use of Him.There is enough in Gods goodness both for the portion and inheritance of all His children, when they come to their full age, and for their maintenance and education during their minority. There is enough in bank, and enough in hand.The saints are Gods hidden ones.Special preservations call for particular thanksgivings.Barnes: We shall live as long as God has appointed; we shall pass through such changes as He directs; we shall die when and where and how He chooses. In the faithful discharge of our duty, therefore, we may commit all these things to Him and leave all at His disposal.Spurgeon: Faiths repetitions are not vain. The avowal of our reliance upon God in times of adversity is a principal method of glorifying Him.In our most importunate intercessions, we must find breathing time to bless the Lord; praise is never a hindrance to prayer, but rather a lively refreshment therein.Better spend our years in sighing than in sinning.If we wantonly give a portion of our strength to sin, it will by and by take the remainder from us.We must not look for the reward of philanthropy this side of heaven, for men pay their best servants but sorry wages, and turn them out of doors when no more is to be got out of them.The sovereign arbiter of destiny holds in His own power all the issues of our life; we are not waifs and straws upon the ocean of fate, but are steered by infinite wisdom toward our desired haven. Providence is a soft pillow for anxious heads, an anodyne for care, a grave for despair.We generally speak amiss when we are in a hurry. Hasty words are but for a moment on the tongue, but they often lie for years on the conscience.C. A. B.]

Footnotes:

[1][Perowne: With these words our Lord breathed out His life, Luk 23:46, as He had before used words from another Psalm in His agony on the cross. The first words were from a Psalm (the 22) which, typically at least, foreshadowed His sufferings; whereas, this is not in the same way predictive. But the Holy One of God, in that last hour of mortal agony, chose these words of one of His servants, to express the solemn surrender of His life. And in so doing, He gave them a new interpretation. The Jewish singer only meant by them that he put himself and all his hopes into the hand of God. Jesus meant by them, that by His own act, of His own free will, He gave up His spirit, and therewith His life, to the Father. And they who have died with their Lord, have died with the same words on their lips. These were the last words of Polycarp, of Bernard, of Huss, of Jerome of Prague, of Luther, Melanchthon, and many others. Blessed are they, says Luther, who die not only for the Lord, as martyrs: not only in the Lord, as all believers; but likewise with the Lord, as breathing forth their lives in these words, Into Thy hand I commend my spirit.C. A. B.]

[2][Hengst., Hitzig, Riehm and Alexander agree with Moll in his rendering. Riehm: The clause is parallel not with the first clause of the verse, but with the third as the accusatives indicate, and forms the contrast to it, as in Exo 34:7. Perowne follows Hupfeld and the more ancient interpreters.C. A. B.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

This is a memorable Psalm, in that it contains some of the very words pronounced by our Lord on the cross. So that here also, as in numberless instances, we may discern somewhat of Jesus. The Psalm opens in prayer, and ends in praise.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

The last verse of these five becomes a key to open to us the four preceding. Nothing can be more evident than that the whole must have been written by David, under the spirit of prophecy, in direct reference to the Lord Jesus Christ; for Christ closed his ministry on the cross with those very words: Luk 23:46 : as if to show to whom this scripture pointed. How delightful is it to view Christ in this scripture! We see him here as our Surety; we behold him at prayer, agreeably to the covenant engagements of support from his Father, through the whole of his great undertaking; and thereby manifesting, that while he was and is the salvation of his people, he was and is Jehovah’s salvation, in all the merits of his work. We behold him no less our glorious example, in all the circumstances of our exercises, and are hereby most plainly taught, how, in his name and righteousness, we are to look up to the Rock of our Salvation, and commit our cause into his hands, as Jesus did into the hands of his Father. See Isa 49:6 ; Psa 89:21-23 ; Heb 2:17-18 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

The Large Room

Psa 31:8

To many people these seem strange words to come from the lips of age and experience. It is youth and inexperience that find the world a large room.

The writer of those words had left his childhood far behind him. He had entered into manhood’s inheritance of duty and responsibility. He had been many a time over-caught in the coil of adverse circumstance; he had sorrowed and suffered and sinned; he had faced temptation and found bitter proof of his own weakness; he had faced the many-sided and intricate problem of existence; he knew something of the inevitable and the unalterable, and yet, calmly mindful of all this, his verdict upon existence was this: ‘Thou hast set my feet in a large room’.

I. After having seen the sordidness and meanness and littleness of things, David still held that life is a grand, free, glorious gilt that it is liberty and opportunity and hope. What was the secret of his wide and worthy view of life? How had he escaped these narrower and meaner thoughts that crowd into men’s minds and belittle their lives? He had laid hold upon God. He looked at life through the Divine purpose. He found the high and noble meaning of the dusty parable that men call the day’s work. When he talks of life as a large room, it is really his way of saying, ‘Thy service is perfect freedom’. If life is lived to God, then it is wider than any man can measure.

II. ‘Thou hast set my feet in a large room.’ Sin, more than anything else, seems to take the meaning out of these words. There is the inherited weakness and the encircling contagion. Within us, the evil tendency; without us, the unhallowed opportunity. Sometimes a man accepts the pressing solicitation of evil, or yields to the hot-handed grip of the world’s desire; and then with a demeaned dignity and lowered self-respect, he measures life and finds he has but a few square feet in which to stand and call himself a fool.

III. ‘Thou hast set my feet in a large room.’ Those are the words of a man who has felt the force of his own immortality. He has found that on one side of this room of life there is no wall to limit and fold us. Life goes out into God’s eternity. That is where God has fashioned it to go.

P. Ainsworth, The Pilgrim Church, p. 201.

References. XXXI. 15. Bishop M. Simpson, Sermons, p. 39. H. J. Wilmot-Buxton, Bible Object Lessons, p. 71. XXXI. 19. M. R. Vincent, Gates Into the Psalm Country, p. 91. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xiii. No. 773.

The Consummation of Love and Peace

Psa 31:20

The ‘they’ of the golden oracle are all those who fear Him, all those who trust in Him.

I. The Christian life is on the one hand meant to know no rest nor holiday from obedience to the law of duty, from hourly serving our generation in the will of God; yet, on the other hand, at the very heart of this life there is always to be this mysterious stillness, this secret place of peace. There is a peace of God, able indeed to keep, to safeguard, the weakest and the most treacherous heart. There is a Presence that makes at life’s centre a stillness, pregnant with positive and active blessing. The Christian is needed to be ever seeking, ever aspiring upward, ‘not as though he had already attained’. He is to avoid as his most deadly poison that subtle spiritual Pharisaism which plumes itself upon a supposed advanced experience, and presumes to compare itself with others, and hesitates, if but for a moment, to prostrate itself in confession and penitence before the awful, the blessed, holiness of God. But none the less the Christian is called to a great rest as well as to a great aspiration.

II. Conditions there are indeed to that great peace; so we have remembered. But they are conditions, each of them in its nature a heavenly blessing. There is the condition of godly fear. There is the condition of humble trust. There is the condition of trusting thus ‘before the sons of men’; let not that be forgotten. There is the condition of coming direct to Jesus Christ, to take the yoke of His word and will. There is the condition of looking unto Him. There is the condition of watching and of prayer. But are these things a complicated and grievous burthen, a bundle of arbitrary exactions? They are only so many forms of that one great condition to our finding what is laid up in our Lord: the condition of coming into directest contact with Himself, and there abiding.

H. C. G. Moule, Cambridge Sermons, p. 132.

Illustration. It is a wonderful thing to be permitted to watch a life which you have reason to know is hid in the Secret of the Presence of the Lord. Some few years ago I met a good man, humble and gentle, a missionary to Eastern Africa. He abode in the Presence; I could not but see it. I heard him tell, with the eloquence of entire simplicity, how in the tropical wilderness, in the deep night, he had waited for and shot the raging lion which had long been the unresisted terror of a village clan. It could not be the will of God, he reasoned, that this beast should lord it over men; and so, as it were in the way of Christian business, he went forth and put it to death. And then I watched that man, a guest in my own house, under the very different test of the inconvenience of disappointed plans; and the Secret of the Presence was as surely with him then as when he had lain quietly down to sleep in his tent on the lonely field, to be roused only by the sound of the lion’s paw, as it rent the earth at the open door.

H. C. G. Moule.

Psa 31

On 6 July, 1415, the anniversary of his birth, John Huss was burned to death in a field near the ancient city of Constance. He had come there from Bohemia, under a warrant of safety from the hand of the Emperor Sigismund, for the violation of which the Pope granted absolution, pressing it on the reluctant monarch…. A brass tablet let into the floor of the cathedral marks the spot where Huss stood, while seven bishops removed his priestly dress piece by piece, and placed on his head a paper crown painted with demons. They addressed him, ‘We deliver thy soul to Satan’. ‘But I,’ he said, ‘commend it into Thy hands, Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast redeemed me.’ When taken to the place of execution he fell on his knees, and repeated in prayer some of the Psalms, especially the 51st and 53rd. He was heard to repeat frequently the words, ‘Into Thy hands I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, Lord God of truth’. When he arose, he said, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, stand by me, that, by Thy and Thy Father’s help, I may endure this painful and shameful death which I suffer for Thy word’. When the fire was kindled he cried three times, ‘Jesus, Thou Son of God, have mercy on me’. At the third time his voice was stifled by the smoke, but they saw his lips still moving.

John Ker.

References. XXXI. International Critical Commentary, vol. i. p. 263. XXXI. 20. J. T. Stannard, The Divine Humanity, p. 141. P. Brooks, Sermons, p. 78. XXXI. 22. J. M. Neale, Passages of the Psalms, p. 67. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xix. No. 1146. XXXI. 23. J. Bowstead, Practical Sermons, vol. ii. p. 1. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vi. No. 325. J. E. Vaux, Sermon Notes (3rd Series) p. 38. XXXII. International Critical Commentary, vol. i. p. 276. XXXII. 1. J. Keble, Sermons from Lent to Passiontide, p. 260. XXXII. 1, 2. R. S. Candlish, The Gospel of Forgiveness, p. 182. XXXII. 1-7. C. Kingsley, Town and Country Sermons, No. 29.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

PSALMS

XI

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS

According to my usual custom, when taking up the study of a book of the Bible I give at the beginning a list of books as helps to the study of that book. The following books I heartily commend on the Psalms:

1. Sampey’s Syllabus for Old Testament Study . This is especially good on the grouping and outlining of some selected psalms. There are also some valuable suggestions on other features of the book.

2. Kirkpatrick’g commentary, in “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,” is an excellent aid in the study of the Psalter.

3. Perowne’s Book of Psalms is a good, scholarly treatise on the Psalms. A special feature of this commentary is the author’s “New Translation” and his notes are very helpful.

4. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. This is just what the title implies. It is a voluminous, devotional interpretation of the Psalms and helpful to those who have the time for such extensive study of the Psalter.

5. Hengstenburg on the Psalms. This is a fine, scholarly work by one of the greatest of the conservative German scholars.

6. Maclaren on the Psalms, in “The Expositor’s Bible,” is the work of the world’s safest, sanest, and best of all works that have ever been written on the Psalms.

7. Thirtle on the Titles of the Psalms. This is the best on the subject and well worth a careful study.

At this point some definitions are in order. The Hebrew word for psalm means praise. The word in English comes from psalmos , a song of lyrical character, or a song to be sung and accompanied with a lyre. The Psalter is a collection of sacred and inspired songs, composed at different times and by different authors.

The range of time in composition was more than 1,000 years, or from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra. The collection in its present form was arranged probably by Ezra in the fifth century, B.C.

The Jewish classification of Old Testament books was The Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The Psalms was given the first place in the last group.

They had several names, or titles, of the Psalms. In Hebrew they are called “The Book of Prayers,” or “The Book of Praises.” The Hebrew word thus used means praises. The title of the first two books is found in Psa 72:20 : “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The title of the whole collection of Psalms in the Septuagint is Biblos Psalman which means the “Book of Psalms.” The title in the Alexandrian Codex is Psalterion which is the name of a stringed instrument, and means “The Psalter.”

The derivation of our English words, “psalms,” “psalter,” and “psaltery,” respectively, is as follows:

1. “Psalms” comes from the Greek word, psalmoi, which is also from psallein , which means to play upon a stringed instrument. Therefore the Psalms are songs played upon stringed instruments, and the word here is used to apply to the whole collection.

2. “Psalter” is of the same origin and means the Book of Psalms and refers also to the whole collection.

3. “Psaltery” is from the word psalterion, which means “a harp,” an instrument, supposed to be in the shape of a triangle or like the delta of the Greek alphabet. See Psa 33:2 ; Psa 71:22 ; Psa 81:2 ; Psa 144:9 .

In our collection there are 150 psalms. In the Septuagint there is one extra. It is regarded as being outside the sacred collection and not inspired. The subject of this extra psalm is “David’s victory over Goliath.” The following is a copy of it: I was small among my brethren, And youngest in my father’s house, I used to feed my father’s sheep. My hands made a harp, My fingers fashioned a Psaltery. And who will declare unto my Lord? He is Lord, he it is who heareth. He it was who sent his angel And took me from my father’s sheep, And anointed me with the oil of his anointing. My brethren were goodly and tall, But the Lord took no pleasure in them. I went forth to meet the Philistine. And he cursed me by his idols But I drew the sword from beside him; I beheaded him and removed reproach from the children of Israel.

It will be noted that this psalm does not have the earmarks of an inspired production. There is not found in it the modesty so characteristic of David, but there is here an evident spirit of boasting and self-praise which is foreign to the Spirit of inspiration.

There is a difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint. Omitting the extra one in the Septuagint, there is no difference as to the total number. Both have 150 and the same subject matter, but they are not divided alike.

The following scheme shows the division according to our version and also the Septuagint: Psalms 1-8 in the Hebrew equal 1-8 in the Septuagint; 9-10 in the Hebrew combine into 9 in the Septuagint; 11-113 in the Hebrew equal 10-112 in the Septuagint; 114-115 in the Hebrew combine into 113 in the Septuagint; 116 in the Hebrew divides into 114-115 in the Septuagint; 117-146 in the Hebrew equal 116-145 in the Septuagint; 147 in the Hebrew divides into 146-147 in the Septuagint; 148-150 in the Hebrew equal 148-150 in the Septuagint.

The arrangement in the Vulgate is the same as the Septuagint. Also some of the older English versions have this arangement. Another difficulty in numbering perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another, viz: In the Hebrew often the title is verse I, and sometimes the title embraces verses 1-2.

The book divisions of the Psalter are five books, as follows:

Book I, Psalms 1-41 (41 chapters)

Book II, Psalms 42-72 (31 chapters)

Book III, Psalms 73-89 (17 chapters)

Book IV, Psalms 90-106 (17 chapters)

Book V, Psalms 107-150 (44 chapters)

They are marked by an introduction and a doxology. Psalm I forms an introduction to the whole book; Psa 150 is the doxology for the whole book. The introduction and doxology of each book are the first and last psalms of each division, respectively.

There were smaller collections before the final one, as follows:

Books I and II were by David; Book III, by Hezekiah, and Books IV and V, by Ezra.

Certain principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection:

1. David is honored with first place, Book I and II, including Psalms 1-72.

2. They are grouped according to the use of the name of God:

(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovah psalms;

(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohim-psalms;

(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovah psalms.

3. Book IV is introduced by the psalm of Moses, which is the first psalm written.

4. Some are arranged as companion psalms, for instance, sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes more. Examples: Psa 2 and 3; 22, 23, and 24; 113-118.

5. They were arranged for liturgical purposes, which furnished the psalms for special occasions, such as feasts, etc. We may be sure this arrangement was not accidental. An intelligent study of each case is convincing that it was determined upon rational grounds.

All the psalms have titles but thirty-three, as follows:

In Book I, Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 33 , (4 are without titles).

In Book II, Psa 43 ; Psa 71 , (2 are without titles).

In Book IV, Psa 91 ; Psa 93 ; Psa 94 ; Psa 95 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 97 ; Psa 104 ; Psa 105 ; Psa 106 , (9 are without titles).

In Book V, Psa 107 ; III; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117; 118; 119; 135; 136; 137; 146; 147; 148; 149; 150, (18 are without titles).

The Talmud calls these psalms that have no title, “Orphan Psalms.” The later Jews supply these titles by taking the nearest preceding author. The lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; and 10 may be accounted for as follows: Psa 1 is a general introduction to the whole collection and Psa 2 was, perhaps, a part of Psa 1 . Psalms 9-10 were formerly combined into one, therefore Psa 10 has the same title as Psa 9 .

QUESTIONS

1. What books are commended on the Psalms?

2. What is a psalm?

3. What is the Psalter?

4. What is the range of time in composition?

5. When and by whom was the collection in its present form arranged?

6. What the Jewish classification of Old Testament books, and what the position of the Psalter in this classification?

7. What is the Hebrew title of the Psalms?

8. Find the title of the first two books from the books themselves.

9. What is the title of the whole collection of psalms in the Septuagint?

10. What is the title in the Alexandrian Codex?

11. What is the derivation of our English word, “Psalms”, “Psalter”, and “Psaltery,” respectively?

12. How many psalms in our collection?

13. How many psalms in the Septuagint?

14. What about the extra one in the Septuagint?

15. What is the subject of this extra psalm?

16. How does it compare with the Canonical Psalms?

17. What is the difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint?

18. What is the arrangement in the Vulgate?

19. What other difficulty in numbering which perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another?

20. What are the book divisions of the Psalter and how are these divisions marked?

21. Were there smaller collections before the final one? If so, what were they?

22. What principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection?

23. In what conclusion may we rest concerning this arrangement?

24. How many of the psalms have no titles?

25. What does the Talmud call these psalms that have no titles?

26. How do later Jews supply these titles?

27. How do you account for the lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ?

XII

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS (CONTINUED)

The following is a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms:

1. The author: “A Psalm of David” (Psa 37 ).

2. The occasion: “When he fled from Absalom, his son” (Psa 3 ).

3. The nature, or character, of the poem:

(1) Maschil, meaning “instruction,” a didactic poem (Psa 42 ).

(2) Michtam, meaning “gold,” “A Golden Psalm”; this means excellence or mystery (Psa 16 ; 56-60).

4. The occasion of its use: “A Psalm of David for the dedication of the house” (Psa 30 ).

5. Its purpose: “A Psalm of David to bring remembrance” (Psa 38 ; Psa 70 ).

6. Direction for its use: “A Psalm of David for the chief musician” (Psa 4 ).

7. The kind of musical instrument:

(1) Neginoth, meaning to strike a chord, as on stringed instruments (Psa 4 ; Psa 61 ).

(2) Nehiloth, meaning to perforate, as a pipe or flute (Psa 5 ).

(3) Shoshannim, Lilies, which refers probably to cymbals (Psa 45 ; Psa 69 ).

8. A special choir:

(1) Sheminith, the “eighth,” or octave below, as a male choir (Psa 6 ; Psa 12 ).

(2) Alamoth, female choir (Psa 46 ).

(3) Muth-labben, music with virgin voice, to be sung by a choir of boys in the treble (Psa 9 ).

9. The keynote, or tune:

(1) Aijeleth-sharar, “Hind of the morning,” a song to the melody of which this is sung (Psa 22 ).

(2) Al-tashheth, “Destroy thou not,” the beginning of a song the tune of which is sung (Psa 57 ; Psa 58 ; Psa 59 ; Psa 75 ).

(3) Gittith, set to the tune of Gath, perhaps a tune which David brought from Gath (Psa 8 ; Psa 81 ; Psa 84 ).

(4) Jonath-elim-rehokim, “The dove of the distant terebinths,” the commencement of an ode to the air of which this song was to be sung (Psa 56 ).

(5) Leannoth, the name of a tune (Psa 88 ).

(6) Mahalath, an instrument (Psa 53 ); Leonnoth-Mahaloth, to chant to a tune called Mahaloth.

(7) Shiggaion, a song or a hymn.

(8) Shushan-Eduth, “Lily of testimony,” a tune (Psa 60 ). Note some examples: (1) “America,” “Shiloh,” “Auld Lang Syne.” These are the names of songs such as we are familiar with; (2) “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” are examples of sacred hymns.

10. The liturgical use, those noted for the feasts, e.g., the Hallels and Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146-150).

11. The destination, as “Song of Ascents” (Psalms 120-134)

12. The direction for the music, such as Selah, which means “Singers, pause”; Higgaion-Selah, to strike a symphony with selah, which means an instrumental interlude (Psa 9:16 ).

The longest and fullest title to any of the psalms is the title to Psa 60 . The items of information from this title are as follows: (1) the author; (2) the chief musician; (3) the historical occasion; (4) the use, or design; (5) the style of poetry; (6) the instrument or style of music.

The parts of these superscriptions which most concern us now are those indicating author, occasion, and date. As to the historic value or trustworthiness of these titles most modern scholars deny that they are a part of the Hebrew text, but the oldest Hebrew text of which we know anything had all of them. This is the text from which the Septuagint was translated. It is much more probable that the author affixed them than later writers. There is no internal evidence in any of the psalms that disproves the correctness of them, but much to confirm. The critics disagree among themselves altogether as to these titles. Hence their testimony cannot consistently be received. Nor can it ever be received until they have at least agreed upon a common ground of opposition.

David is the author of more than half the entire collection, the arrangement of which is as follows:

1. Seventy-three are ascribed to him in the superscriptions.

2. Some of these are but continuations of the preceding ones of a pair, trio, or larger group.

3. Some of the Korahite Psalms are manifestly Davidic.

4. Some not ascribed to him in the titles are attributed to him expressly by New Testament writers.

5. It is not possible to account for some parts of the Psalter without David. The history of his early life as found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1and 2 Chronicles, not only shows his remarkable genius for patriotic and sacred songs and music, but also shows his cultivation of that gift in the schools of the prophets. Some of these psalms of the history appear in the Psalter itself. It is plain to all who read these that they are founded on experience, and the experience of no other Hebrew fits the case. These experiences are found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles.

As to the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition, I have this to say:

1. This theory has no historical support whatever, and therefore is not to be accepted at all.

2. It has no support in tradition, which weakens the contention of the critics greatly.

3. It has no support from finding any one with the necessary experience for their basis.

4. They can give no reasonable account as to how the titles ever got there.

5. It is psychologically impossible for anyone to have written these 150 psalms in the Maccabean times.

6. Their position is expressly contrary to the testimony of Christ and the apostles. Some of the psalms which they ascribe to the Maccabean Age are attributed to David by Christ himself, who said that David wrote them in the Spirit.

The obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result if it be Just, is a positive denial of the inspiration of both Testaments.

Other authors are named in the titles, as follows: (1) Asaph, to whom twelve psalms have been assigned: (2) Mosee, Psa 90 ; (3) Solomon, Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ; (4) Heman, Psa 80 ; (5) Ethem, Psa 89 ; (6) A number of the psalms are ascribed to the sons of Korah.

Not all the psalms ascribed to Asaph were composed by one person. History indicates that Asaph’s family presided over the song service for several generations. Some of them were composed by his descendants by the game name. The five general outlines of the whole collection are as follows:

I. By books

1. Psalms 1-41 (41)

2. Psalms 42-72 (31)

3. Psalms 73-89 (17)

4. Psalms 90-106 (17)

5. Psalms 107-150 (44)

II. According to date and authorship

1. The psalm of Moses (Psa 90 )

2. Psalms of David:

(1) The shepherd boy (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 ).

(2) David when persecuted by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ).

(3) David the King (Psa 101 ; Psa 18 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 110 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 21 ; Psa 60 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 3:4 ; Psa 64 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 ).

3. The Asaph Psalms (Psa 50 ; Psa 73 ; Psa 83 ).

4. The Korahite Psalms (Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 84 ).

5. The psalms of Solomon (Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ).

6. The psalms of the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah (Psa 46 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 )

7. The psalms of the Exile (Psa 74 ; Psa 79 ; Psa 137 ; Psa 102 )

8. The psalms of the Restoration (Psa 85 ; Psa 126 ; Psa 118 ; 146-150)

III. By groups

1. The Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms:

(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovistic;

(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic Psalms;

(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovistic.

2. The Penitential Psalms (Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 )

3. The Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120-134)

4. The Alphabetical Psalms (Psa 9 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 37 ; 111:112; Psa 119 ; Psa 145 )

5. The Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 11-113; 115-117; 146-150; to which may be added Psa 135 ) Psalms 113-118 are called “the Egyptian Hallel”

IV. Doctrines of the Psalms

1. The throne of grace and how to approach it by sacrifice, prayer, and praise.

2. The covenant, the basis of worship.

3. The paradoxical assertions of both innocence & guilt.

4. The pardon of sin and justification.

5. The Messiah.

6. The future life, pro and con.

7. The imprecations.

8. Other doctrines.

V. The New Testament use of the Psalms

1. Direct references and quotations in the New Testament.

2. The allusions to the psalms in the New Testament. Certain experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart, such as: (1) his peaceful early life; (2) his persecution by Saul; (3) his being crowned king of the people; (4) the bringing up of the ark; (5) his first great sin; (6) Absalom’s rebellion; (7) his second great sin; (8) the great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 ; (9) the feelings of his old age.

We may classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time, thus:

1. His peaceful early life (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 )

2. His persecution by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 7 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 120 ; Psa 140 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ; Psa 17 ; Psa 18 )

3. Making David King (Psa 27 ; Psa 133 ; Psa 101 )

4. Bringing up the ark (Psa 68 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 15 ; Psa 78 ; Psa 96 )

5. His first great sin (Psa 51 ; Psa 32 )

6. Absalom’s rebellion (Psa 41 ; Psa 6 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 109 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 39 ; Psa 3 ; Psa 4 ; Psa 63 ; Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 5 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 )

7. His second great sin (Psa 69 ; Psa 71 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 103 )

8. The great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 (Psa 2 )

9. Feelings of old age (Psa 37 )

The great doctrines of the psalms may be noted as follows: (1) the being and attributes of God; (3) sin, both original and individual; (3) both covenants; (4) the doctrine of justification; (5) concerning the Messiah.

There is a striking analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms. The Pentateuch contains five books of law; the Psalms contain five books of heart responses to the law.

It is interesting to note the historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms. These were controversies about singing uninspired songs, in the Middle Ages. The church would not allow anything to be used but psalms.

The history in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah is very valuable toward a proper interpretation of the psalms. These books furnish the historical setting for a great many of the psalms which is very indispensable to their proper interpretation.

Professor James Robertson, in the Poetry and Religion of the Psalms constructs a broad and strong argument in favor of the Davidic Psalms, as follows:

1. The age of David furnished promising soil for the growth of poetry.

2. David’s qualifications for composing the psalms make it highly probable that David is the author of the psalms ascribed to him.

3. The arguments against the possibility of ascribing to David any of the hymns in the Hebrew Psalter rests upon assumptions that are thoroughly antibiblical.

The New Testament makes large use of the psalms and we learn much as to their importance in teaching. There are seventy direct quotations in the New Testament from this book, from which we learn that the Scriptures were used extensively in accord with 2Ti 3:16-17 . There are also eleven references to the psalms in the New Testament from which we learn that the New Testament writers were thoroughly imbued with the spirit and teaching of the psalms. Then there are eight allusions ‘to this book in the New Testament from which we gather that the Psalms was one of the divisions of the Old Testament and that they were used in the early church.

QUESTIONS

1. Give a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms.

2. What is the longest title to any of the psalms and what the items of this title?

3. What parts of these superscriptions most concern us now?

4. What is the historic value, or trustworthiness of these titles?

5. State the argument showing David’s relation to the psalms.

6. What have you to say of the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition?

7. What the obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result, if it be just?

8. What other authors are named in the titles?

9. Were all the psalms ascribed to Asaph composed by one person?

10. Give the five general outlines of the whole collection, as follows: I. The outline by books II. The outline according to date and authorship III. The outline by groups IV. The outline of doctrines V. The outline by New Testament quotations or allusions.

11. What experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart?

12. Classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time.

13. What the great doctrines of the psalms?

14. What analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms?

15. What historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms?

16. Of what value is the history in Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah toward a proper interpretation of the psalms?

17. Give Professor James Robertson’s argument in favor of the Davidic authorship of the psalms.

18. What can you say of the New Testament use of the psalms and what do we learn as to their importance in teaching?

19. What can you say of the New Testament references to the psalms, and from the New Testament references what the impression on the New Testament writers?

20. What can you say of the allusions to the psalms in the New Testament?

XVII

THE MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS

A fine text for this chapter is as follows: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Psalms concerning me,” Luk 24:44 . I know of no better way to close my brief treatise on the Psalms than to discuss the subject of the Messiah as revealed in this book.

Attention has been called to the threefold division of the Old Testament cited by our Lord, namely, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luk 24:44 ), in all of which were the prophecies relating to himself that “must be fulfilled.” It has been shown just what Old Testament books belong to each of these several divisions. The division called the Psalms included many books, styled Holy Writings, and because the Psalms proper was the first book of the division it gave the name to the whole division.

The object of this discussion is to sketch the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah, or rather, to show how nearly a complete picture of our Lord is foredrawn in this one book. Let us understand however with Paul, that all prophecy is but in part (1Co 13:9 ), and that when we fill in on one canvas all the prophecies concerning the Messiah of all the Old Testament divisions, we are far from having a perfect portrait of our Lord. The present purpose is limited to three things:

1. What the book of the Psalms teaches concerning the Messiah.

2. That the New Testament shall authoritatively specify and expound this teaching.

3. That the many messianic predictions scattered over the book and the specifications thereof over the New Testament may be grouped into an orderly analysis, so that by the adjustment of the scattered parts we may have before us a picture of our Lord as foreseen by the psalmists.

In allowing the New Testament to authoritatively specify and expound the predictive features of the book, I am not unmindful of what the so-called “higher critics” urge against the New Testament quotations from the Old Testament and the use made of them. In this discussion, however, these objections are not considered, for sufficient reasons. There is not space for it. Even at the risk of being misjudged I must just now summarily pass all these objections, dismissing them with a single statement upon which the reader may place his own estimate of value. That statement is that in the days of my own infidelity, before this old method of criticism had its new name, I was quite familiar with the most and certainly the strongest of the objections now classified as higher criticism, and have since patiently re-examined them in their widely conflicting restatements under their modern name, and find my faith in the New Testament method of dealing with the Old Testament in no way shattered, but in every way confirmed. God is his own interpreter. The Old Testament as we now have it was in the hands of our Lord. I understand his apostle to declare, substantially, that “every one of these sacred scriptures is God-inspired and is profitable for teaching us what is right to believe and to do, for convincing us what is wrong in faith or practice, for rectifying the wrong when done, that we may be ready at every point, furnished completely, to do every good work, at the right time, in the right manner, and from the proper motive” (2Ti 3:16-17 ).

This New Testament declares that David was a prophet (Act 2:30 ), that he spake by the Holy Spirit (Act 1:16 ), that when the book speaks the Holy Spirit speaks (Heb 3:7 ), and that all its predictive utterances, as sacred Scripture, “must be fulfilled” (Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:16 ). It is not claimed that David wrote all the psalms, but that all are inspired, and that as he was the chief author, the book goes by his name.

It would be a fine thing to make out two lists, as follows:

1. All of the 150 psalms in order from which the New Testament quotes with messianic application.

2. The New Testament quotations, book by book, i.e., Matthew so many, and then the other books in their order.

We would find in neither of these any order as to time, that is, Psa 1 which forecasts an incident in the coming Messiah’s life does not forecast the first incident of his life. And even the New Testament citations are not in exact order as to time and incident of his life. To get the messianic picture before us, therefore, we must put the scattered parts together in their due relation and order, and so construct our own analysis. That is the prime object of this discussion. It is not claimed that the analysis now presented is perfect. It is too much the result of hasty, offhand work by an exceedingly busy man. It will serve, however, as a temporary working model, which any one may subsequently improve. We come at once to the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah.

1. The necessity for a Saviour. This foreseen necessity is a background of the psalmists’ portrait of the Messiah. The necessity consists in (1) man’s sinfulness; (2) his sin; (3) his inability of wisdom and power to recover himself; (4) the insufficiency of legal, typical sacrifices in securing atonement.

The predicate of Paul’s great argument on justification by faith is the universal depravity and guilt of man. He is everywhere corrupt in nature; everywhere an actual transgressor; everywhere under condemnation. But the scriptural proofs of this depravity and sin the apostle draws mainly from the book of the Psalms. In one paragraph of the letter to the Romans (Rom 3:4-18 ), he cites and groups six passages from six divisions of the Psalms (Psa 5:9 ; Psa 10:7 ; Psa 14:1-3 ; Psa 36:1 ; Psa 51:4-6 ; Psa 140:3 ). These passages abundantly prove man’s sinfulness, or natural depravity, and his universal practice of sin.

The predicate also of the same apostle’s great argument for revelation and salvation by a Redeemer is man’s inability of wisdom and power to re-establish communion with God. In one of his letters to the Corinthians he thus commences his argument: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? -For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preach-ing to save them that believe.” He closes this discussion with the broad proposition: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and proves it by a citation from Psa 94:11 : “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”

In like manner our Lord himself pours scorn on human wisdom and strength by twice citing Psa 8 : “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Mat 11:25-26 ). “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mat 21:15-16 ).

But the necessity for a Saviour as foreseen by the psalmist did not stop at man’s depravity, sin, and helplessness. The Jews were trusting in the sacrifices of their law offered on the smoking altar. The inherent weakness of these offerings, their lack of intrinsic merit, their ultimate abolition, their complete fulfilment and supercession by a glorious antitype were foreseen and foreshown in this wonderful prophetic book: I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goat out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all of the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Psa 50:8-13 .

Yet again it speaks in that more striking passage cited in the letter to the Hebrews: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers, once purged should have no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. Saying above, Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, (the which are offered according to the law), then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb 10:1-9 ).

This keen foresight of the temporary character and intrinsic worthlessness of animal sacrifices anticipated similar utterances by the later prophets (Isa 1:10-17 ; Jer 6:20 ; Jer 7:21-23 ; Hos 6:6 ; Amo 5:21 ; Mic 6:6-8 ). Indeed, I may as well state in passing that when the apostle declares, “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” he lays down a broad principle, just as applicable to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. With reverence I state the principle: Not even God himself by mere appointment can vest in any ordinance, itself lacking intrinsic merit, the power to take away sin. There can be, therefore, in the nature of the case, no sacramental salvation. This would destroy the justice of God in order to exalt his mercy. Clearly the psalmist foresaw that “truth and mercy must meet together” before “righteousness and peace could kiss each other” (Psa 85:10 ). Thus we find as the dark background of the psalmists’ luminous portrait of the Messiah, the necessity for a Saviour.

2. The nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah. In no other prophetic book are the nature, fullness, and blessedness of salvation so clearly seen and so vividly portrayed. Besides others not now enumerated, certainly the psalmists clearly forecast four great elements of salvation:

(1) An atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit offered once for all (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:4-10 ).

(2) Regeneration itself consisting of cleansing, renewal, and justification. We hear his impassioned statement of the necessity of regeneration: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” followed by his earnest prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” and his equally fervent petition: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa 51 ). And we hear him again as Paul describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin Psa 32:1 ; Rom 4:6-8 .

(3) Introduction into the heavenly rest (Psa 95:7-11 ; Heb 3:7-19 ; Heb 4:1-11 ). Here is the antitypical Joshua leading spiritual Israel across the Jordan of death into the heavenly Canaan, the eternal rest that remaineth for the people of God. Here we find creation’s original sabbath eclipsed by redemption’s greater sabbath when the Redeemer “entered his rest, ceasing from his own works as God did from his.”

(4) The recovery of all the universal dominion lost by the first Adam and the securement of all possible dominion which the first Adam never attained (Psa 8:5-6 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 ; 1Co 15:24-28 ).

What vast extent then and what blessedness in the salvation foreseen by the psalmists, and to be wrought by the Messiah. Atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit; regeneration by the Holy Spirit; heavenly rest as an eternal inheritance; and universal dominion shared with Christ!

3. The wondrous person of the Messiah in his dual nature, divine and human.

(1) His divinity,

(a) as God: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa 45:6 and Heb 1:8 ) ;

(b) as creator of the heavens and earth, immutable and eternal: Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end Psa 102:25-27 quoted with slight changes in Heb 1:10-12 .

(c) As owner of the earth: The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein, Psa 24:1 quoted in 1Co 10:26 .

(d) As the Son of God: “Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee” Psa 2:7 ; Heb 1:5 .

(e) As David’s Lord: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:41-46 .

(f) As the object of angelic worship: “And let all the angels of God worship him” Psa 97:7 ; Heb 1:6 .

(g) As the Bread of life: And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven Psa 78:24 ; interpreted in Joh 6:31-58 . These are but samples which ascribe deity to the Messiah of the psalmists.

(2) His humanity, (a) As the Son of man, or Son of Adam: Psa 8:4-6 , cited in 1Co 15:24-28 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Compare Luke’s genealogy, Luk 3:23-38 . This is the ideal man, or Second Adam, who regains Paradise Lost, who recovers race dominion, in whose image all his spiritual lineage is begotten. 1Co 15:45-49 . (b) As the Son of David: Psa 18:50 ; Psa 89:4 ; Psa 89:29 ; Psa 89:36 ; Psa 132:11 , cited in Luk 1:32 ; Act 13:22-23 ; Rom 1:3 ; 2Ti 2:8 . Perhaps a better statement of the psalmists’ vision of the wonderful person of the Messiah would be: He saw the uncreated Son, the second person of the trinity, in counsel and compact with the Father, arranging in eternity for the salvation of men: Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 . Then he saw this Holy One stoop to be the Son of man: Psa 8:4-6 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Then he was the son of David, and then he saw him rise again to be the Son of God: Psa 2:7 ; Rom 1:3-4 .

4. His offices.

(1) As the one atoning sacrifice (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 ).

(2) As the great Prophet, or Preacher (Psa 40:9-10 ; Psa 22:22 ; Heb 2:12 ). Even the method of his teaching by parable was foreseen (Psa 78:2 ; Mat 13:35 ). Equally also the grace, wisdom, and power of his teaching. When the psalmist declares that “Grace is poured into thy lips” (Psa 45:2 ), we need not be startled when we read that all the doctors in the Temple who heard him when only a boy “were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luk 2:47 ); nor that his home people at Nazareth “all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luk 4:22 ); nor that those of his own country were astonished, and said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom?” (Mat 13:54 ); nor that the Jews in the Temple marveled, saying, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (Joh 7:15 ) ; nor that the stern officers of the law found their justification in failure to arrest him in the declaration, “Never man spake like this man” (Joh 7:46 ).

(3) As the king (Psa 2:6 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 45:1-17 ; Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:42-46 ; Act 2:33-36 ; 1Co 15:25 ; Eph 1:20 ; Heb 1:13 ).

(4) As the priest (Psa 110:4 ; Heb 5:5-10 ; Heb 7:1-21 ; Heb 10:12-14 ).

(5) As the final judge. The very sentence of expulsion pronounced upon the finally impenitent by the great judge (Mat 25:41 ) is borrowed from the psalmist’s prophetic words (Psa 6:8 ).

5. Incidents of life. The psalmists not only foresaw the necessity for a Saviour; the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation; the wonderful human-divine person of the Saviour; the offices to be filled by him in the work of salvation, but also many thrilling details of his work in life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. It is not assumed to cite all these details, but some of the most important are enumerated in order, thus:

(1) The visit, adoration, and gifts of the Magi recorded in Mat 2 are but partial fulfilment of Psa 72:9-10 .

(2) The scripture employed by Satan in the temptation of our Lord (Luk 4:10-11 ) was cited from Psa 91:11-12 and its pertinency not denied.

(3) In accounting for his intense earnestness and the apparently extreme measures adopted by our Lord in his first purification of the Temple (Joh 2:17 ), he cites the messianic zeal predicted in Psa 69:9 .

(4) Alienation from his own family was one of the saddest trials of our Lord’s earthly life. They are slow to understand his mission and to enter into sympathy with him. His self-abnegation and exhaustive toil were regarded by them as evidences of mental aberration, and it seems at one time they were ready to resort to forcible restraint of his freedom) virtually what in our time would be called arrest under a writ of lunacy. While at the last his half-brothers became distinguished preachers of his gospel, for a long while they do not believe on him. And the evidence forces us to the conclusion that his own mother shared with her other sons, in kind though not in degree, the misunderstanding of the supremacy of his mission over family relations. The New Testament record speaks for itself:

Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them. How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them Luk 2:48-51 (R.V.).

And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Joh 2:3-5 (R.V.).

And there come his mother and his brethren; and standing without; they sent unto him, calling him. And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him. Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother Mar 3:31-35 (R.V.).

Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; because my time is not fulfilled. Joh 7:2-9 (R.V.).

These citations from the Revised Version tell their own story. But all that sad story is foreshown in the prophetic psalms. For example: I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children. Psa 69:8 .

(5) The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was welcomed by a joyous people shouting a benediction from Psa 118:26 : “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mat 21:9 ); and the Lord’s lamentation over Jerusalem predicts continued desolation and banishment from his sight until the Jews are ready to repeat that benediction (Mat 23:39 ).

(6) The children’s hosanna in the Temple after its second purgation is declared by our Lord to be a fulfilment of that perfect praise forecast in Psa 8:2 .

(7) The final rejection of our Lord by his own people was also clear in the psalmist’s vision (Psa 118:22 ; Mat 21:42-44 ).

(8) Gethsemane’s baptism of suffering, with its strong crying and tears and prayers was as clear to the psalmist’s prophetic vision as to the evangelist and apostle after it became history (Psa 69:1-4 ; Psa 69:13-20 ; and Mat 26:36-44 ; Heb 5:7 ).

(9) In life-size also before the psalmist was the betrayer of Christ and his doom (Psa 41:9 ; Psa 69:25 ; Psa 109:6-8 ; Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:20 ).

(10) The rage of the people, Jew and Gentile, and the conspiracy of Pilate and Herod are clearly outlined (Psa 2:1-3 ; Act 4:25-27 ).

(11) All the farce of his trial the false accusation, his own marvelous silence; and the inhuman maltreatment to which he was subjected, is foreshown in the prophecy as dramatically as in the history (Mat 26:57-68 ; Mat 27:26-31 ; Psa 27:12 ; Psa 35:15-16 ; Psa 38:3 ; Psa 69:19 ).

The circumstances of his death, many and clear, are distinctly foreseen. He died in the prime of life (Psa 89:45 ; Psa 102:23-24 ). He died by crucifixion (Psa 22:14-17 ; Luk 23 ; 33; Joh 19:23-37 ; Joh 20:27 ). But yet not a bone of his body was broken (Psa 34:20 ; Joh 19:36 ).

The persecution, hatred without a cause, the mockery and insults, are all vividly and dramatically foretold (Psa 22:6-13 ; Psa 35:7 ; Psa 35:12 ; Psa 35:15 ; Psa 35:21 ; Psa 109:25 ).

The parting of his garments and the gambling for his vesture (Psa 22:18 ; Mat 27:35 ).

His intense thirst and the gall and vinegar offered for his drink (Psa 69:21 ; Mat 27:34 ).

In the psalms, too, we hear his prayers for his enemies so remarkably fulfilled in fact (Psa 109:4 ; Luk 23:34 ).

His spiritual death was also before the eye of the psalmist, and the very words which expressed it the psalmist heard. Separation from the Father is spiritual death. The sinner’s substitute must die the sinner’s death, death physical, i.e., separation of soul from body; death spiritual, i.e., separation of the soul from God. The latter is the real death and must precede the former. This death the substitute died when he cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” (Psa 22:1 ; Mat 27:46 ).

Emerging from the darkness of that death, which was the hour of the prince of darkness, the psalmist heard him commend his spirit to the Father (Psa_31:35; Luk 23:46 ) showing that while he died the spiritual death, his soul was not permanently abandoned unto hell (Psa 16:8-10 ; Act 2:25 ) so that while he “tasted death” for every man it was not permanent death (Heb 2:9 ).

With equal clearness the psalmist foresaw his resurrection, his triumph over death and hell, his glorious ascension into heaven, and his exaltation at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords, as a high Driest forever, as invested with universal sovereignty (Psa 16:8-11 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 68:18 ; Psa 2:6 ; Psa 111:1-4 ; Psa 8:4-6 ; Act 2:25-36 ; Eph 1:19-23 ; Eph 4:8-10 ).

We see, therefore, brethren, when the scattered parts are put together and adjusted, how nearly complete a portrait of our Lord is put upon the prophetic canvas by this inspired limner, the sweet singer of Israel.

QUESTIONS

1. What is a good text for this chapter?

2. What is the threefold division of the Old Testament as cited by our Lord?

3. What is the last division called and why?

4. What is the object of the discussion in this chapter?

5. To what three things is the purpose limited?

6. What especially qualifies the author to meet the objections of the higher critics to allowing the New Testament usage of the Old Testament to determine its meaning and application?

7. What is the author’s conviction relative to the Scriptures?

8. What is the New Testament testimony on the question of inspiration?

9. What is the author’s suggested plan of approach to the study of the Messiah in the Psalms?

10. What the background of the Psalmist’s portrait of the Messiah and of what does it consist?

11. Give the substance of Paul’s discussion of man’s sinfulness.

12. What is the teaching of Jesus on this point?

13. What is the teaching relative to sacrifices?

14. What the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah and what the four great elements of it as forecast by the psalmist?

15. What is the teaching of the psalms relative to the wondrous person of the Messiah? Discuss.

16. What are the offices of the Messiah according to psalms? Discuss each.

17. Cite the more important events of the Messiah’s life according to the vision of the psalmist.

18. What the circumstances of the Messiah’s death and resurrection as foreseen by the psalmist?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Psa 31:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

A Psalm of David ] Made, say Vatablus and others, at that time when Saul pursued David in the wilderness of Maon, 1Sa 23:24 . But by many circumstances and passages of this psalm it appeareth more probable that it was, as the former, composed when Absalom was up, 2Sa 15:10-12 Sss Psa 31:11-12 ; Psa 31:22 of this psalm, with 2Sa 17:24 ; 2Sa 17:27 ; 2Sa 19:33 ; Joseph. Antiq. lib. 7, cap. 9.

Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust ] Hic Psalmus varia mixtus et magna effectuum vicissitudine insignis est. This psalm is strangely mixed and made up of many and divers passions and petitions, according to the change of times and estate. In the time of affliction he prayeth, in the time of consolation he praiseth the Lord, Ecc 7:15 . In these three first verses is little said but what had been before said, and is already opened.

Let me never be ashamed ] i.e. Repulsed, worsted, defeated.

In thy righteousness ] And not according to mine own righteousnes, saith Kimchi, or, according to thy faithfulness.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

It is not triumph over the grave here, but the heart exercised in distress, and the Jew dying in the confidence which the proved knowledge of Jehovah gives. Hence the Lord did not hesitate to adopt its words for Himself at that moment (Luk 23:46 ), only substituting as became Him “Father” for Jehovah; as now He risen from the dead authorises us to do in the faith of His redemption, as later the ‘Spirit of adoption was given to be its power. But it is not as a whole His utterance, still less in resurrection power.

The closing rise of the soul from verse 20 is very fine after varied trials, with solemn sense of the judgment awaiting persecuting foes and the haughty wicked. He realises the pavilion of the divine presence, and the great goodness laid up for the God-fearing. It is the Spirit of Christ in the tried and delivered soul, rather than Christ personally.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 31:1-5

1In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;

Let me never be ashamed;

In Your righteousness deliver me.

2Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;

Be to me a rock of strength,

A stronghold to save me.

3For You are my rock and my fortress;

For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

4You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

5Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

Psa 31:1-5 Notice the very personal way the author addresses YHWH. Notice the number of personal pronouns. Biblical faith is a personal trust in a personal God. It is not initially about a creed or even a moral code but about a personal encounter! That encounter changes everything! All else is based on it.

This strophe has several prayer requests.

1. Let me never be ashamed BDB 101, KB 116, Qal cohortative; this shame could be connected to David’s sin (cf. Psalms 32; Psalms 51) or others’ attack on his reputation or motives, cf. Psa 25:2-3; Psa 25:20; Psa 31:1; Psa 31:17; Psa 35:26; Psa 69:6; Psa 119:6; Psa 119:46; Psa 119:78; Psa 119:80. Shame sometimes means abandonment by YHWH (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 621-627).

2. Deliver me BDB 812, KB 930, Piel imperative

3. Incline Your ear to me BDB 639, KB 692, Hiphil imperative, cf. Psa 17:6; Psa 71:2; Psa 86:1; Psa 88:2; Psa 102:2

4. Rescue me BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

5. Be my rock BDB 224, KB 243, Qal imperative

6. Lead me BDB 634, KB 685, Qal imperative

7. Guide me BDB 624, KB 675, Hiphil imperative

8. Pull me out of their net BDB 422, KB 425, Hiphil imperfect

His prayer requests are based on

1. he has committed himself to YHWH, Psa 31:5

2. YHWH has ransomed him, Psa 31:5 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: RANSOM/REDEEM )

3. YHWH is his strength, Psa 31:4

4. YHWH is the God of truth/faithfulness, Psa 31:5 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: Believe, Trust, Faith, and Faithfulness in the Old Testament )

Psa 31:1 refuge This alludes to a strong hiding place of safety and security. See note at Psa 2:12.

righteousness See SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS .

Psa 31:2 rock See note at Psa 18:2. There are two different Hebrew words translated rock; in Psa 31:2 BDB 700; in Psa 31:3 BDB 849. Both refer to a place of stability, protection, and security (cf. Deu 32:4; Deu 32:15; Deu 32:18; Deu 32:30).

Psa 31:3 fortress See note at Psa 18:2.

For Your name’s sake See notes at Psa 23:3; Psa 25:11. It represents YHWH’s character. See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL’S GOD .

Psa 31:3-4 Notice the series of imperfects that speak of continuous, ongoing actions.

1. lead BDB 634, KB 685, Hiphil imperfect

2. guide BDB 624, KB 675, Piel imperfect

3. pull out BDB 422, KB 425, Hiphil imperfect

Psa 31:4 NET This was an instrument of hunting (BDB 440). It came to be used figuratively of hurting or capturing humans (cf. Psa 9:15; Psa 10:9; Psa 35:7-8; Psa 57:6; Psa 140:5).

Psa 31:5 into Your hand I commit my spirit This was quoted by Jesus on the cross just before His death (cf. Luk 23:46).

This verb (BDB 823, KB 955, Hiphil imperfect) has a wide semantic field. Here it denotes an ongoing trust. This trust is based on who God is (i.e., God of truth, faithful God), not the merits of the psalmist.

hand See SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND .

spirit This is the Hebrew word ruah (BDB 924). Here it is the unseen life force connected to YHWH breathing life into Adam in Gen 2:7. When it leaves the body that body goes to the holding place of the dead (Sheol, see SPECIAL TOPIC: Where Are the Dead? ). See Special Topic: Spirit in the Bible.

SPECIAL TOPIC: BREATH, WIND, SPIRIT ( and pneuma)

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Title. A Psalm. See App-65.

of David = by David, or relating to the true David.

LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

do I put my trust = have I fled for refuge to. See App-69.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Let’s turn now in our Bibles to Psa 31:1-24 . This thirty-first psalm is actually divided into three sections. The first one covering the first eight verses, the second one covering verses Psa 31:9-18 , and Psa 31:1-24 : ,the final section from nineteen to the end of the psalm. In the first section of the psalm, with David it is sort of a mixture between trust and trial. In the next section the trial is overcome by the trust. And then in the final section it is the triumph of the trusting in the Lord. So the first section through verse Psa 31:8 the trusting and the trials.

In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for a house of defense to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me ( Psa 31:1-3 ).

So a prayer of David declaring that he put his trust in the Lord. Asking God to deliver him. Asking God to hear him and to hear him speedily. I like that. When I pray I like God to hear me speedily. I really don’t like when God says, “Wait.” Or when He exhorts me towards patience. I like… I am a man of action, and I like God to work quickly when I am in trouble.

“Be Thou my strong rock and a house of defense, for Thou art my rock and my fortress.” Now David often speaks of God as his rock and as his fortress. I guess you would really have to go over to the land of Israel to appreciate this fully. The Israelis have a joke that they will tell you when you first arrive. They will say that God dispatched two angels to distribute the rocks over the face of the earth. And that the one angel went all over the earth scattering his rocks, sort of spreading them out all over the entire earth. And the other angel just was tired and so he dumped all of his rocks on Israel. It is a rocky place. But the rocks afforded a tremendous place of defense in those days. And so in speaking of God as a rock, you are speaking actually of God being a shield to you, a defense. So God is my rock. He is my place of defense. He is my fortress. And oftentimes God is spoken of in the figure of a rock.

Now in the Proverbs there are three things on the earth that are small, yea four that are small but exceedingly wise. And he speaks of the conies; they are just a feeble folk. It is sort of a… a coney is sort of related partly to the rabbit family. It looks something like a rabbit, and yet on the other hand, it looks sort of like an overgrown rat. Down in Engedi when you go in there, there is a lot of reeds along the stream, and there are hundreds of these conies down in that area. And the scripture says, “The coney is a feeble folk.” It is actually a very defenseless kind of an animal. It is sort of… well, it really is a defenseless animal. It doesn’t have any way of defending itself from a predatory type of an animal. And so it says that a coney is a feeble folk, but he makes his home in the rock. So the conies crawl back in the rocks and the wolves, or whatever can stand on the outside and just bark and howl and all, but they can’t get to them. So it is actually, the four things on the earth small, exceeding wise, the coney is one of them. The wisdom is knowing its weakness. It has enough sense to make its home in the rock.

Now, we, knowing our weakness, ought to have enough sense to make our home in the Rock. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress.” I know that I am weak. I know that I cannot really defend myself from the attacks of the enemy. I know his powers. I know his wiles. I know his guises. I know that I am no match. So it is so important, knowing my weaknesses, that I make my home in the Rock, Jesus Christ. Who then becomes my rock and my fortress. And then asking God to lead me and guide me for His name’s sake.

Pull me out of the net that they have privately laid for me: for thou art my strength. For into thine hand I commit my spirit ( Psa 31:4-5 ):

This is what Jesus, of course, cried from the cross at the time of His death, “Father, into Thine hands I commend My Spirit” ( Luk 23:46 ).

thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for you have considered my trouble; you have known my soul in adversities; Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: you have set my feet in a large room ( Psa 31:5-8 ).

Now we enter into the second section where the trial is overcome by the trust.

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: my eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones are consumed. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life ( Psa 31:9-13 ).

So they have set a net for David. They are talking about him. His life is filled with grief and with sighing. He is a reproach of his enemies. Even his friends have forsaken him. They treat him like a dead man. Out of mind. Like a vessel that is broken, of no further value.

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in your hand: deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake. Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. And let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous ( Psa 31:14-18 ).

Into the final section now, into the triumph of his trusting.

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the LORD: for he hath showed me his marvelous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewards the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he will strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD ( Psa 31:19-24 ).

So the triumph of trusting and then the encouragement of others. Having experienced the help of God, I then seek to share and to encourage others to also receive God’s help and God’s work in their life. “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Psa 31:1. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust;

Can we say as much as that? However else this Psalm of David may end, it strikes a grand key-note, that which should be the first indication of our spiritual life, confidence in God. Here is an ancient weather-beaten saint who, in the very midst of the storm, can say, In thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust. There will the anchor of his soul find a sure hold.

Psa 31:1. Let me never be ashamed:

How canst thou let me be put to shame after having trusted in thee, O my God? I shall be ashamed, if thou dost forsake me, if thy promises be not kept to me, O my Lord! Therefore, let me never be ashamed.

Psa 31:1. Deliver me in thy righteousness.

David dares to appeal even to the faithfulness, and truth, and justice of Jehovah, that he should keep the promise upon which his servant had placed his trust.

Psa 31:2. Bow down thine ear to me;

I am very weak, I am also very unworthy; it will be a great instance of thy divine condescension if thou dost hear me; yet I cry unto thee, Bow down thine ear to me;

Psa 31:2. Deliver me speedily:

We may not set the time for God to answer our petitions, yet may we expect that his sure mercies will be swift mercies when our necessities are very urgent. So the psalmist pleads, Lord, come not late to me, lest thou come too late to me, for I am in sore distress; my case is urgent, therefore help me now, deliver me speedily.

Psa 31:2. Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.

He remembered Adullam and Engedi, and he worked these places into his supplication. A mans prayer should be the index of his lifes history. The scenes to which he has been most accustomed should rise up vividly before his spirit when he is at the throne of grace; it was so with David: My God, be thou an immutable, immovable, impregnable rock to me, and let me dwell in thee. Be not merely a refuge for the moment, but be a house of defense to save me.

Psa 31:3. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy names sake lead me, and guide me.

David is of a logical turn of mind, notice the therefore in this verse. What a singular for there is here! Be thou my strong rock, for thou art my rock. What God is already, we may ask him to be. What we believe him to be by faith, we ask him to be in our experience. Observe that Davids appeal is not in any degree to his own merit; but for thy names sake,-because I trust in thy name, and if thou dost not do as thou hast said, thy great name will suffer dishonour. How can I believe in thy veracity if thou dost not do for me according to thy promise and covenant? Therefore, for thy names sake, lead me. Guide me, too, even when I do not think of thy presence. Lead me like a child, and guide me like a traveler. There are shades of meaning here, so that there is no redundancy of expression in the words, Lead me, and guide me. But even if the two words meant the same it would be quite lawful for the psalmist to repeat the prayer, since he felt his need of leading and guiding to be so great. Lord, I am so foolish, and the way is so difficult, therefore, for thy names sake, lead me, and guide me.

Psa 31:4. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

Lord, my enemies have entangled me; or ever I was aware of it, I was taken in the meshes of their net; wilt thou not pull me out, O Lord? It will need a strong pull, but then, thou art my strength. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Sometimes our strength is crippled, and we are baffled, by the net in which we are enclosed. We feel ourselves hampered, we cannot use the strength we have; but Gods strength is always available. There seems to me to be a very blessed turn in the expression here used: Pull me out of the net: for thou art my strength.

Psa 31:5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit:

You notice that this Psalm is dedicated to the chief musician. I have studied these Psalms, not only by the hour, and by the day, but sometimes by the month together. Some of these Psalms have been the pillow for my head at night; others of them, like wafers made of honey, have lain in my mouth till I have sucked out of them their divine sweetness. I have often noticed that, when one of these sacred songs is dedicated to the chief musician, The Chief Musician generally appears somewhere in the Psalm; he, from whom comes all the music that ever makes bleeding hearts glad, usually shows some traces of himself within the Psalm itself. In this instance, the living word of David was the dying word of Davids Lord: Into thy hands I commend my spirit. What David did, and what the Lord Jesus Christ did, let us do, and do it every day; let us commit our spirit into the hands of our God.

Psa 31:5-6. Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth, I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

Men are sure to have some kind of trust or other on which they rely. In Davids day, some trusted to false gods, others relied upon their own strength; the psalmist does not speak in soft tones concerning these people, but he says, I could not bear them. I have hated them that regard lying vanities. I would not come into their secret, or have any connection with them. I was astonished at them, that they should turn away from God; but as for myself, I trust in Jehovah. See how he comes back to the note with which he started: In thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust; and now he repeats it, I trust in Jehovah. It is an unfashionable thing, many will not do it yet David says, I trust in Jehovah, as if he dared to stand alone, and did not mind how singular he seemed to be.

Psa 31:7. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:

What a grand faith! Should there not sometimes be the sounding of the cymbals even in the midst of our supplications? Though we must often put on sackcloth, yet we must lift up our song of praise whenever we can: I will be glad and rejoice, there shall be a reduplication of my delight,

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy.

Psa 31:7. For thou hast considered my trouble;

Thou didst not send it without due consideration; thou didst weigh it, and now thou lookest upon me and thou dost study my trouble, then knowest all about it. You know what is meant by human consideration; but how wonderful must divine consideration be! When a single glance suffices for Jehovah to know all that is transpiring in the whole universe what must his consideration be! Thou hast considered my trouble.

Psa 31:7. Thou hast known my soul in adversities;

When others did not know me, thou didst; thou wast familiar with me, and sympathetic towards me, especially in the day of adversity. Thou hast known my soul. God knows his own children, even when they are in rags, and when their faces are stained with tears, and their spirits are depressed almost to despair: Thou hast known my soul in adversities.

Psa 31:8. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy:

No; I may get into the enemys prison, but there is no bar to it. Thou hast not shut me up. I may seem to get into my enemys hand; but he cannot shut that hand. Truly, it must be so, because David had already put his soul into the hand of God: Into thine hand I commit my spirit. How, then, could he be shut up in the hand of the enemy?

Psa 31:8. Thou hast set my feet in a large room.

Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage.

Wherever the child of God is when his faith is in active exercise, his feet are in a large room, by faith he walks at liberty.

Psa 31:9. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble:

In this short sentence of four words, I am in trouble, David gives the text of which the next few verses are a kind of sermon, with divisions and subdivisions.

Psa 31:9. Mine eye is consumed with grief,

My eyes seem burnt up with scalding tears. The salt of our tears wears out the very strength of our life: Mine eye is consumed with grief,

Psa 31:9. Yea, my soul and my belly.

Or, body, The inward part of my being seems washed away with the deluge of my tears.

Psa 31:10. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing:

Better spend them in sighing than in sinning; yet it is a sad case when we seem to measure our days by the bars of our grief.

Psa 31:10. My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

Now he sees to the bottom of his sorrow: My strength faileth because of mine iniquity. We can bear those sorrows which have no connection with our sins, but, alas! where are they to be found? It may be that Davids great sin seemed to him to lie at the very root of all his grief.

Psa 31:11. I was a reproach among all mine enemies,

They had found something to fling at him, and they were delighted to throw it with all their malicious force: I was a reproach among all mine enemies,

Psa 31:11. But especially among my neighbours,

Those that are nearest can stab the sharpest. Those who knew David the best, endeavored to find some silly tale to use against him.

Psa 31:11. And a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

This Psalm may have been written after Absaloms rebellion, when Shimei cursed the king, and when everybody seemed to be forsaking him. Then was David brought into a low estate indeed.

Psa 31:12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

This was the same David who slew the Philistine giant; this was the great deliverer of his country; yet the people had forgotten all that. Earthly popularity is the most fleeting thing under heaven. The world is a hard and cruel master; it forgets its servants when they grow old, it has nothing good to say of them when there is nothing further to be got out of them. So David laments, I am like a broken vessel,-a potsherd that can hold nothing, and is flung away upon a dunghill.

Psa 31:13. For I have heard the slander of many:

To have one slanderer attacking your character, is bad enough, but to have many such cruel enemies about you, to have a whole brood of hells hornets, as it were, stinging you, oh, what misery is this! You who, happily, have never experienced this torture, cannot imagine what agony it causes; I hope you never may know it.

Psa 31:13-14. Fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O LORD.

Here he is back on the old rock, and rejoicing as his feet stand once more on this firm foundation: I trusted in thee, O Jehovah.

Psa 31:14; Psa 31:16. I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand:

My enemies cannot do anything against me without thy permission. Divine providence is a downy pillow for an aching head, a blessed anodyne for the sharpest pain. He who can feel that his times are in the hand of God, need not tremble at anything that is in the hand of man.

Psa 31:15-16. Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies sake.

If thy face shines upon me, Lord, they may look as black as they please. If thou wilt but deliver me, I care not how cruelly they persecute me. If thou wilt save me, who can destroy me? O you who are in trouble at this time, hasten to your God! Whither should the little bird fly, when pursued by the hawk, but to its shelter in the rock? Whither canst thou go, O sheep of Christs flock, but to thy Shepherd?

Psa 31:17. Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

There is something of the harshness of the old dispensation about that prayer; so we will turn it into a prophecy, and say, The wicked shall be ashamed; they shall be silent in the grave.

Psa 31:18-19. Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;

Is not that a blessed expression to be used by the man who said that his life was spent with grief, and his years with sighing?

Psa 31:19. Which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Not only has the Lord abundant goodness stored up for his children, but his goodness is brought out for others to see, and for his people to feed upon even in the presence of their enemies.

Psa 31:20. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

They shall not be wounded by all the malice of their adversaries; they shall be preserved in the Kings royal pavilion.

Psa 31:21-23. Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O love the LORD, all ye his saints:

See what a fount of happiness there is in the psalmists heart; he longs for all the saints to love the Lord.

Psa 31:23-24. For the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

In this Psalm, we have heard the wail of the sackbut, and the clashing of the cymbals; but we finish with the blast of the silver trumpets.

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Psa 31:1-8

THE PERSECUTED ONE SURRENDERS TO THE LORD

As Barnes declared, “There can be no doubt that the inscription that ascribes this Psalm to David is correct. We are surprised that Dummelow and others have suggested that Jeremiah might have been the author of this psalm, on the basis of some verses in Jeremiah which are very much like some of the passages in this chapter; but Jonah and Jeremiah were quoting the Psalms, not the other way around. As McCaw noted, “Jeremiah actually quoted verse 13 in Jer 20:10.

Another device of destructive critics is that of declaring the psalm to be a composite; but that proposition has been exposed and rejected by both Leupold and Yates. “The latter section of the Psalm describes an intensified problem on the part of the same author. “Quite unacceptable is the division of the psalm into two parts, regarded separately, as though they had no connection with each other.

The occasion for this psalm has been variously understood as having been in the days of David’s flight before Absalom, and as connected with the period of David’s fleeing for his life before the jealousy of King Saul. To us, the latter option appears to be preferable. “If the facts of this psalm are compared with 1 Samuel 23, where David is in flight before Saul, they are seen to be in agreement. In the notes we shall mention some of these examples of agreement.

The paragraphing of the psalm is as follows:

(1) A Plea for Help, Reinforced by the Psalmist’s Attitude (Psa 31:1-8);

(2) The Psalmist’s Pitiful Situation (Psa 31:9-13);

(3) Further Cries to God for Help (Psa 31:14-18);

(4) Praise of God’s Goodness to His People (Psa 31:19-22); and

(5) A Closing Exhortation for All of God’s Saints to Trust Him (Psa 31:23-24).

“An unusual feature of this psalm is that it makes the journey twice from anguish to assurance, first in Psa 31:1-8, and again in Psa 31:9-24. In the first place, such peaks and valleys are common enough in the experience of all men; but the abrupt changes in the progress of Saul’s campaign to hunt David down and kill him afford the historical situation that corresponds perfectly to the changing moods of the psalm.

Psa 31:1-8

“In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge;

Let me never be put to shame:

Deliver me in thy righteousness.

Bow down thine ear unto me; deliver me speedily:

Be thou to me a strong rock,

A house of defence to save me.

For thou art my rock and my fortress;

Therefore for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me.

Pluck me out of the net that they have laid privily for me;

For thou art my stronghold.

Into thy hand I commend my spirit:

Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou God of truth.

I hate them that regard lying vanities;

But I trust in Jehovah.

I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness;

For thou hast seen my affliction:

Thou hast known my soul in adversities;

And thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;

Thou hast set my feet in a large place.”

That the psalm is most certainly David’s appears in the use of such terms as `rock,’ `stronghold,’ `lovingkindness,’ `thy righteousness,’ and `fortress.’ These expressions are found in dozens of David’s psalms

Note also that the word `enemy’ in Psa 31:8 is singular, suggesting that King Saul is the principle foe and the leader of those who have “laid a net” to capture David.

“For thy name’s sake” (Psa 31:3). See our discussion of this phrase in the Shepherd Psalm, above. It indicates that God’s special care and protection are provided especially for those who are in covenant relation with the Lord. This is yet another mark of Davidic authorship.

“Pluck me out of the net” (Psa 31:4). A device used by ancient murderers was that of casting a net over the intended victim, thus preventing his use of a sword or other weapon of defense, while they closed in upon him and destroyed him. David felt that the evil plot laid against him by Saul was the equivalent of just such a device.

“Into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Psa 31:5). Our Lord himself made these the last of his seven words from the Cross, adding only the word “Father,” at the beginning (Luk 23:46). However, quite unlike the verse quoted from Psalms 22 on that same occasion, we cannot believe that Jesus’ use of these words identified this psalm as a prophecy of himself.

In fact, Jesus appears to have used these words in the same understanding of them that David apparently had, with this exception, “Whereas David commended his spirit to God that he might live and not die, Jesus used the same words to mean that he indeed would die, but that he would continue to live after the resurrection!

Jesus did not commended `his spirit’ as distinct from `his body’ to the Father. Did not the Father keep and preserve both? We believe that Jesus may well have used “spirit” in this passage as a synonym for the whole being, just as David evidently did here. Certainly, David used these words in the sense of both soul and body.

“David was not thinking of a final committal of his soul, as distinct from his body, into the hands of the Creator, but was solemnly committing himself, both soul and body, into Divine keeping, to be preserved from his enemies.

“Jesus’ use of these words has made this entire psalm sacred and memorable, for Christians throughout the ages. Countless saints of God have remembered and used the words in their very act of departing from this life. Stephen used the sentiment of them (Act 7:59). Polycarp in his martyrdom is said to have made these his last words. And Adam Clarke tells us that the Latin rendition of these words are used in the last rites of the Catholic Church for those who are dying, “In manus tuas Domine, commendo spiritum meum.

“I hate them that regard lying vanities” (Psa 31:6). This is a reference to idols and is distinguished by the fact that the prophet Jonah quoted this very verse in his prayer from the belly of the great fish (Jon 2:8).

The RSV changes the words “I hate,” as they appear here, making them read “Thou hatest,” apparently out of respect for the foolish notion of many modern religious people that the child of God must not “hate” anything. We agree with Ash that the words as they stand in our version “make good sense.

“Thou hast set my feet in a large place” (Psa 31:8). This expression means that David had, at this point, been liberated from his terrible anxieties, and that for the moment, at least, he was free and safe in the protection of the Lord,

E.M. Zerr:

Psa 31:1. Deliver me in thy righteousness is about the same as saying, “thy will be done.” Such deliverance as would be righteous would be all that David would expect from the Lord. Never be ashamed means never to be confused.

Psa 31:2. Bow down thine ear is equivalent to saying, “give a listening ear.” A rock indicates strength and would provide a good basis for support. A house would indicate a defense because it would be a shelter.

Verse 3. A fortress is a place that has been fortified against attack. Name’s sake lead me. For explanation of this see my comments at Psa 23:3.

Psa 31:4. All public or official men dread a secret enemy more than all other kinds. One man lurking in ambush, waiting to spring unexpectedly at his victim, is more difficult to cope with than a score of men in the open. David was aware that he had many such enemies conspiring and plotting against him. But while he had evidence of their existence and activities he could not always discern them; hence he sent the plea to God for defense against his private foes.

Psa 31:5. This verse might be taken as a prophetic statement, referring to the one made by Christ in Luk 23:46. But a similar one was made by Stephen in Act 7:59. The clearest explanation is that it was a coincidence. But we should not overlook a very informative idea that is suggested in all three of the statements. The men asked the Lord to receive their spirit which shows that something was taken out of the body or was to leave it. That disproves the theory of materialists of every grade who maintain that every part of man is mortal and all there is of him goes to the grave at death.

Psa 31:6. All vanities are wrong and all lying is to be condemned. When the two evils are combined in one person it forms a character that would certainly be hateful to as humble and candid a man as David.

Psa 31:7. Among human beings it is required that one have a like experience before he can sympathize with another in trouble. It is not so with the Lord for his knowledge is infinite. That was why David could rejoice in the hope of divine mercy.

Psa 31:8. Large room means the Lord had made plently of room for him to escape from his enemies and to counteract their schemes against David.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

In this great song of trust struggling through tears to triumph, we have a fine example of an experience often repeated in the history of the children of faith. There are three divisions. In the first (1-8), the double sense of trust and trials clearly manifest. In the second (9-18), the trial seems for a time almost to have overcome the trust, so keen is the consciousness thereof. In the last (19-24), trust has completely triumphed and the sense of the singer is the sense of perfect safety in the pavilion of Jehovah.

In the first, the soul of the singer valiantly affirms its confidence and pleads for help. In the second, the affirmation of trust is in a past tense and the present is one of trial and tears. In the last, trust is a condition which needs no formal declaration but sings itself out in victory and gladness. In this song we find the seasons of the soul as we know them all sooner or later. First, autumn with its winds and gathering clouds, yet having sunlight and a golden fruitage even though the breath of death is everywhere (1-8). Then follows winter, chin and lifeless, full of sobs and sighing (9-13). After that the spring with its hope and expectation and its sweeping rains and bursting sun gleams (14-18). At last the glad and golden summer (19-24). We need them all to complete our year!

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

a Cry out of Deep Trouble

Psa 31:1-13

Some have supposed that this psalm was written during the Sauline persecutions; but it is more likely that it dates from Absaloms rebellion. It alternates between the depths of despondency and the heights of sublime faith, and well befits those who walk in darkness and have no light, Isa 50:10.

It sounds as if the soul were on a wind-swept moor, with no shelter from the storm. All is dark and wild; and it dreads to be caught in the entangling net, Psa 31:4. What a magnificent prayer is that of Psa 31:5! It supplied their last words to Stephen, Polycarp, Bernard, Hus, Luther, Melanchthon-above all, to our Lord, Luk 23:46; Act 7:59. The Psalter was our Lords prayer book. This verse is a suitable petition also, as we go forth into the unknown day, 2Ti 1:12.

Sin, slander, neglect make the heart break; but God is all-sufficient. Hide in Him; that life is safe which is God-encompassed. Hid with Christ in God! Col 3:1-4.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

We shall look briefly at the thirty-first Psalm. There we have a picture that links with the experience of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as with the individual saint. It is a Psalm in which the believer is showing his trust and confidence in God, rejoicing in His mercy, praising Him for His goodness, yet looking back to days of darkness and thanking God for deliverance.

In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness. The word translated deliver is exactly the same as the word for save so that this verse may be translated, Save me in Thy righteousness. That is the only way God will save anybody. I always call this Martin Luthers verse. When he was a monk in the Augustinian monastery he was in great distress about his soul, and he tried by all kinds of penances to make some sort of atonement for his own sins, but he became more and more miserable and distressed. Then one day he was reading the Latin psalter and came upon this verse, In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: save me in Thy righteousness, and Luther stopped and looked at it and said, What a strange verse. I can understand how God can damn me in His righteousness; how He can banish me from His presence in His righteousness for my sin deserves that; but if He saves me, surely He must save me in His mercy, not in His righteousness. But there was the word, Save me in Thy righteousness, and Luther began mulling it over in his mind. He was led to turn to the Epistle to the Romans and read, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith (Rom 1:16-17). Not the mercy of God, merely, not the grace of God, simply, but the righteousness of God. The gospel shows how God can be righteous and yet justify ungodly sinners; and here, David, hundreds of years before the Cross, looks on in faith to the coming of the Saviour and says, In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: save me in Thy righteousness. Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. And then faith leads him to say, Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy names sake lead me, and guide me, and he calls on God to pull him out of the net. In verse 5 we have the words used by the Lord Jesus Christ when He hung upon the Cross, Into Thine hand I commit My spirit. The Lord used these very words, showing us that He applied at least a part of the Psalm to Himself, to His own experience as He hung there upon that Cross bearing judgment due to sin.

Then look at verse 11 and again we can hear the Saviour speaking, I was a reproach among all Mine enemies, but especially among My neighbours, and a fear to Mine acquaintance: they that did see Me without fled from Me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. That is what Jesus is to the world, just as a dead man out of mind. If He ever lived, well, He is dead, gone the way of all flesh. One day there came into my book room in Oakland a gentleman whom I did not know at first. He asked for a Bible, and when he told me the particular type of Bible he wanted I rather suspected that he was what we call a Christian Scientist. They generally use the Bible without these turn-over edges. I said, You want the binding that matches Mrs. Eddys Science and Health, I presume.

Yes, he said; I am the first reader of such and such a Christian Science Church in the city.

I said, Do you love that Book?

Oh yes; we read this in all our services. I read a portion from this Book, and the other reader reads a portion from Mrs. Eddys Science and Health. The two agree very much.

I said, What is the precious blood of Jesus to you?

I never saw a man turn so angry over a simple question. He flared up; his face worked convulsively for a moment or two, and then his fist came down on my desk, and he said, The blood of Jesus! It is nothing more to me than the blood of any other dead Jew.

That is just what the Word of God says, Forgotten as a dead man out of mind. Oh, the blasphemy of it I said, Well, that is what you say about the blood. Do you know what God says of it? The precious blood of Christ.

What do you say? Is it precious to you, or is Christ to you forgotten as a dead man out of mind?

Notice one or two verses in the latter part of this Psalm. You have often used the words of verse 15, My times are in Thy hand. Do you really mean that? Is it not precious to know that my times are in Thy hand?

My times are in Thy hand;

Father, I wish them there;

A fathers hand can never cause

His child a needless tear.

And so one can just trust everything to Him, knowing that He will bring out all to His glory.

Then verse 19, Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men! You may not see it now but it will all come out eventually. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

Psa 31:5

(with Luke xxiii., ver. 46, and Acts vii., ver. 59)

I. Regard the words as supplying the true watchword of life. When we commit our spirit into the hand of God, three results accrue. (1) We approach the duties of life through a series of the most elevating considerations, (a) We are not our own. (b) We are parts of a great system. (c) We are servants, not masters. (d) The things that are round about us are beneath our serious notice except for momentary convenience or instruction. (2) We accept the trials of life with the most hopeful patience. They are disciplinary; they are under control; they are needful. (3) We recognise the mercies of life with the most joyous thankfulness.

II. Regard the words as supplying the true watchword of death. This watchword, as spoken by Jesus and as spoken by Stephen, shows (1) their belief in a state of being at present invisible; (2) their assurance of the limitations of human malice. In view of these considerations, there are four points of practical application. (1) Where the spirit is fit for the presence of God, there is no fear of death. (2) All who have lived in the faith are present with the Lord. (3) Jesus Himself knows what it is to pass through the valley of the shadow of death. (4) The prayer for entrance amongst the blest may come too late.

Parker, City Temple, vol. ii., p. 14 (see also Pulpit Notes, p. 106).

References: Psa 31:5.-H. Wace, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxviii., p. 358; Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 242; R. W. Evans, Parochial Sermons, vol. ii., p. 210. Psa 31:7.-F. D. Maurice, Sermons, vol. vi., p. 221.

Psa 31:15

I. Our times are in God’s hand in this sense, that He alone has chosen for us the period of the world in which we should live. Feeling that God has placed us in this age that we may make our impress on it, we should prepare ourselves faithfully for doing its work.

II. Again, our circumstances and the direction of our lives upon earth are in God’s hand. We are standing while the generations that rose up by our side are sleeping in the ground. We live because it is God’s good pleasure that we should still have a work to do and responsibilities to meet.

III. We shall see that our times are in God’s hand if we consider how impotent comparatively we are in respect to all the elements around us, how liable in a moment to be called hence.

IV. Our times are in God’s hand as to the opportunities enjoyed both for personal improvement and for conferring benefit upon others. God speaks to us through our opportunities.

V. Again, we are not our own. We may have wisdom, learning, wealth, power, influence, and yet we have not power to lift for one hour the veil which hides the future from our view. (1) Our ways are not under the control of our friends. (2) Our times are not in the hands of our enemies.

If God thus encircles us by the agencies of His providential power and grace, then (1) we ought to feel our dependence on God, not on man, not on the best-laid plans. This sense of dependence should keep us in the attitude of prayer. (2) Only by realising this great truth do we prepare ourselves either for great happiness or great usefulness. The God in whose hands our times are holds the times of all other human beings, holds all agencies, directs all events according to the counsel of His will, and we shall be successful only when we place ourselves directly in harmony with His laws. (3) What a source of comfort it is when we can believe fully that our times are in God’s hand! If we feel we are resting upon the bosom of Omnipotence, what can disturb our repose? It may be that the very evils which some of us fear are only the occasion of working out some good. In all ages the men who have done right have been successful.

Bishop M. Simpson, Sermons, p. 39.

Reference: Psa 31:15.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iv., p. 333, and vol. vii., p. 1.

Psa 31:16

I. The smile of God has its moving cause in the infinite heart of God.

II. The smile of God comes from His heart, and thus from His love and His blessedness.

III. The smile of God is essential to us, and it alone is sufficient for us. With the smile of man and without the smile of God there is neither well-being nor welldoing. With the smile of God and without the smile of man there must be prosperity, and there may be peace and joy.

IV. The smile of God is sorely missed when, having been found, it is lost. The loss of that smile was the occasion of the Psalm before us being written. Child of God, disciple of Jesus Christ, afflicted one, but comforted, recovered backslider, labourer in God’s vineyard, and ye who abide in Jesus, God smiles upon you. Every good gift, every gracious work, every merciful dealing with us, every prevention of mischief to us, every word of promise, is a smile of God. Above all, the face of Jesus is God’s perfect and infinite smile.

S. Martin, Comfort in Trouble, p. 58.

Psa 31:19

This text is the expression of a Divine law, the law of God’s wise reserve in dispensing His favours.

I. There are certain great blessings of God which no man is able to receive at once without preparation.

II. A part of this preparation depends upon ourselves; therefore it is sometimes our fault that the laid-up goodness is kept back.

III. God really consults for our pleasure by His judicious reservation of His bounties.

IV. Another of God’s designs in this policy of reservation is to stimulate us to effort. No one can study the Scriptures long without seeing that God’s gifts are to be sought for. If our joy is to be full, it is on condition that we ask.

V. Illustrations of this principle of reserve are seen particularly (1) in God’s promises, and (2) in His providences.

VI. God’s goodness is not always kept hidden. If there is reserve, there is also unfolding. But if we want the goodness wrought out, we must have faith in the goodness which is laid up.

M. R. Vincent, Gates into the Psalm Country, p. 91.

Reference: Psa 31:19.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xiii., No. 773.

Psa 31:20

By “the pride of man” and “the strife of tongues” we may understand the whole of that cruel and disturbing interference of one man’s life with another’s which may take such an endless variety of forms.

I. There are two different attitudes which almost all men take towards the tendency of the life around us to swallow up and drown our personality. It is strange to see how, long before they come to middle age, almost all men, except the lowest and the highest, all men of strong character who have not reached some religious conception of their true relations to the world, have either become defiant of the world, setting themselves in obtrusive independence against its claims, or else have tried in some way to withdraw themselves from it and let the world go its way, determined that they will not be sacrificed to its importunate demand. We know both spirits, and we know that both are bad. The first makes a man hard and brutal, and the second makes a man selfish and self-conceited.

II. Notice, next, how it is that in Christianity the refuge of God is thrown wide open to men who are tired with, and who feel the danger of, the world. (1) The release and refuge of Christianity consists in the way it brings the soul into communion with God. “Thou wilt keep him in the secret of Thy presence.” This means that when a man is spiritually conscious of the presence of God it secludes and separates him from every other presence. You are with others, and yet you are alone with Him. They parade their foolish vanities before you, and you hardly see them. It is as if a bright fly fluttered its impertinent finery between you and the west when you were looking at a gorgeous sunset. He has blinded you to all beside Himself. (2) True Christian faith develops and strengthens individuality in each of us. The reason why the talk of people about us, their pride and arrogance, their intrusion upon our life, hurts us so, gives us so much pain, and does us so much harm, is the weakness of our own sense of personality. A true Christian faith starts with the truth of a personal redemption, and leads the man up to personal duties. When he takes up his work and does it, he can no more be frightened out of it than the man to whom Jesus had given his bed to carry from Bethesda up the street to his own house could have been scared by all the curious gaping of the crowd and driven back to the dreary place under the porches where he had lain for thirty-eight long years.

III. The third element of the freedom which Christianity gave to its servants was in the value that it taught them to place upon the talk of the world, upon what David calls “the strife of tongues.” (1) It is good for us often to know how superficial, how lightly made, how soon forgotten, are the judgments of our brethren which sound so solemn, and which tyrannise over us so. Such a feeling sets us free, and makes us independent. (2) There is one other thing more helpful than this; and that is the way in which Christianity, by putting us into true relations to our fellow-men, saves us from falling into false relations to them. There is no escape from the slavery of other men like that which comes of the intelligent and earnest service of other men.

Phillips Brooks, Sermons, p. 78.

References: Psa 31:22.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xix., No. 1146, and vol. xxvii., No. 1589; J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 67. Psa 31:23.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vi., No. 325; J. E. Vaux, Sermon Notes, 3rd series, p. 38. Psalm 31-A. Maclaren, Life of David, p. 132. Psa 32:1.-J. Keble, Sermons from Lent to Passiontide, p. 260; H. Thompson, Concionalia: Outlines for Parochial Use, 1st series, vol. i., p. 117; Sermons for Boys and Girls, p. 328.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

Psalm 31

The Enemies of Israel and the Victory

1. The prayer for deliverance (Psa 31:1-18)

2. The victory (Psa 31:19-24)

Psa 31:1-18. Many saints have turned to this Psalm for encouragement in time of trouble and sorrow. And there is much in it which helps the trusting soul. Notice the different names of Jehovah–my rock–my house of defense–my strong rock–my fortress–my strength–God of truth. But like the previous Psalms this one also unfolds prophetically the sufferings of the remnant of Israel during the last days of this age.

Yet likewise we may think of Him who endured the contradiction of sinners. The words into Thine hand I commit My spirit were used by our Lord when He laid down His life on the cross (Luk 23:46).

Psa 31:19-24. The outcome of all the suffering and trials will be victory for the godly. His goodness will be displayed in their behalf, He will answer the voice of their supplications in the coming great deliverance. The faithful ones will be preserved. the proud rewarded for their evil deeds.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

trust

(See Scofield “Psa 2:12”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

am 2943, bc 1061

thee: Psa 22:4, Psa 22:5, Psa 25:2, Psa 71:1, Psa 71:2, Isa 49:23, Rom 5:5, Rom 10:11

deliver: Psa 7:8, Psa 7:9, Psa 43:1, Psa 143:1, Psa 143:11, Psa 143:12, Dan 9:16

Reciprocal: Psa 7:1 – in Psa 22:6 – a reproach Psa 31:17 – Let me Psa 86:2 – trusteth

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deliverance from the enemy.

To the chief musician: a psalm of David.

We have now what is in itself very simple, but which on that account may seem to have less instruction for us, with whom circumstances are so different, and whose attitude towards those who persecute them is to be so different. For Israel at the time of the end a psalm like this has, of course, the deepest importance. For ourselves spiritual enemies may be imaged in these human ones, and no doubt are: the conflict between good and evil is, in its principles, the same, whatever the part of the field in which we may be engaged.

1. Certain basis-truths are constantly repeated in these psalms; and, simple as they are, the repetition must be as wholesome as it is inevitable. That Jehovah -God in His unchangeable self-consistency -is the rock of faith, needs not, of course, to be proved, nor is it. It is used with God Himself as a prevailing argument for Him to show Himself in that character. Must He not be to the soul that trusts Him all that it counts upon Him for? The suppliant can plead His righteousness even in his own behalf; for does He not encourage faith to lay hold upon Him? “Be to me” therefore, he cries, “a rock of strength, a house of defence, to save me: for my rock and my fortress Thou art.” And would He not be known for what He is? that is, act for His Name’s sake, -lead and guide His people in conformity with this?

2. Relationship to God is one of dependence necessarily on the side of His creature it is the relation of the weak to the strong, of the foolish and short-sighted to the Infinitely Wise, of those prone to sin to the Ever-Holy. It implies that He is to be their resource and help, even against themselves, and against every form of real evil. Thus the psalmist commits himself into Jehovah’s hand, as his mighty and faithful Redeemer his heart cleaving to Him in opposition to every false confidence and senseless superstition of man.

3. Now he realizes Jehovah’s mercy. He has seen his trouble, known his soul in straits. How comforting to know that; though deliverance yet there is not! What comfort is there in the presence of one who loves us, even though powerless to bring us other help! But the psalmist can say more than that. He is not shut up in the enemy’s hand; his feet are set in freedom, in a large place.

4. After the manner of the Psalms, and indeed according to numerical symbolism, to which the Psalms, as well as all other scriptures, are conformed, the trial comes after the deliverance, or at least the anticipation of this by faith. The whole trouble is spread out before God, with every circumstance of sorrow and distress. The speaker is in strait; his eye shrunk with vexation, yea, his soul and inmost parts; his life is spent with grief, and his years with sighing; his strength fails, the solid bones themselves are shrunken. Nor is this even private misery: all around, his neighbors and acquaintances, realize his condition beset with eager enemies, and avoid him as not willing to share his lot. Even more, like a dead man, or a broken vessel cast upon the refuse-heap, he has dropped out of the memory, -worse, out of the hearts that once held him in affection. And even yet this desolate and cast-off life men cannot leave alone, but have conspired to take it: the extremes and opposites of sorrow meet and are reconciled in the forms of “terror round about.”

5. But out of it all he turns to God again. The waves but fling him higher on the rock. “But as for me, I have trusted in Thee, Jehovah: I have said, Thou art my God! My times are in Thy hand.” Oh what a song the wind’s wild music makes, when that can be said really from the heart! And though the prayer still goes on, “deliver me from the hand of mine enemies,” yet the perplexity is gone. “Make Thy face to shine,” he says; but its rays are already lighting up his heart when he says so. Then he sees the pillar-glory turn its terror upon his enemies: “the wicked shall be ashamed; they shall be silent in Sheol.” And he puts his consenting Amen into a prayer: “Be dumb the lying lips, which proudly and contemptuously speak against the righteous!”

6. The whole ends with a song of victory. The goodness of God was but “laid up” for those that fear Him, when as yet experience there was none; and, though in unseen Arms, His refugees too are laid up, -hidden from conspiracies and the whole strife of tongues; fenced round as in a fortressed city. Alas, there had been alarm, and unbelief had misconstrued God’s silence; yet He had heard, all through: and the unburdened heart breaks out in earliest exhortation, bred of this experience. “Oh love Jehovah, all ye godly ones of His! Jehovah preserveth the faithful, and plentifully recompenseth the proud doer.” Thus may the hearts of His own be animated with the courage of assured victory: Be strong, and let your hearts take courage: all ye that hope in Jehovah.”

Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

Psa 31:1-3. Never let me be ashamed Namely, of my confidence in thy promises. Deliver me in thy righteousness By, or for, or according to thy faithfulness and goodness, both which often come under the name of righteousness. Deliver me speedily Because of the greatness and urgency of my danger, which is even ready to swallow me up. For thy names sake lead me For the glory of thy name, that is, of thy power, and truth, and mercy to thy miserable servant. And guide me Lead and guide are two words expressing the same thing with more emphasis. Direct me clearly and continually in a right and safe path: for, without thy conduct, I can neither discern the right way nor continue in it.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psa 31:5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit, the words which our Saviour used on the cross, and the words which St. Stephen used the moment before his death, when addressing the Lord Jesus; and most assuredly all the saints would wish to die with the same sentiments, and uttering the same words.

Psa 31:6. Lying vanities. The prophets often use the words of Moses, Deuteronomy 32., in designating idols by the epithet vanities, because the gentiles knew not what they worshipped, walking in the imagination of their hearts.

Psa 31:10. My strength faileth because of mine iniquity. The LXX, because of my poor, low, or abject condition. Hebrew piety frequently describes afflictions by the word iniquity. Psa 103:3.

Psa 31:23. His saints. The Hebrew reads, his merciful ones, which joins the fruit with the sanctity of an active life.

REFLECTIONS.

David here, in exile and in trouble, pours out his soul before God, and comforts his heart by a trust and confidence which should never make ashamed. While others trust in forts and strong places, he made the Lord his rock. How happy then is a christian who has the ear of heaven, and the presence of God with him.

David sought deliverance by daily prayer, and by prudent counsel, to be delivered from the net which his enemies had spread for his feet. These should always be our resources in the time of trouble, prudence in conduct, and devotion in the closet. So Moses prayed, while Joshua fought, and Amalek was put to the route.

David relied on the superintending care of providence: my times are in thy hand. Therefore the enemy could not surprise him, and take away his life, without the special permission of God. The hairs of our head are all numbered.

He dwelt not too long on his grief, but counts the mercies and lovingkindnesses of the Lord. Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee! So this man, depressed when he looked at his troubles, was made so happy after prayer that he praises the Lord, and exhorts others to be of good courage.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

XXXI. Prayer in distress strangely intermingled with such confidence in God that the deliverance seems to be already accomplished.

Psa 31:1-3 a. Recurs with textual variants in Psa 71:1-3.

Psa 31:5. The poet commends his spirit to God, that God may preserve it from death. In Luk 22:46 the application is different.truth: i.e. faithfulness.

Psa 31:15. The crises of life are in the hands of Yahweh, and Israel has, therefore, no room for such comfort as, e.g., astrology.

Psa 31:21. The words in a strong city, make no sense. We may translate, although in the heat of trouble, or with a slight emendation of MT in the time of affliction.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

PSALM 31

The confidence of the godly man when in the depth of distress that he will be delivered from all his enemies by the righteousness of God.

The psalm voices the confidence of the godly remnant in Jehovah in the midst of their distress in the last days, when, for a time God is silent to their cry, and apparently they are left in the hands of their enemies. Into these sorrows Christ fully entered, and hence there are expressions used by the Lord, though there is no literal application to the Lord.

(vv. 1-5) The godly man looks to the Lord for deliverance from all his enemies, trusting in the righteousness of God. God, being absolutely righteous, becomes the rock on which faith can build, the defence against the enemy on which faith can depend. God being his rock and defence, he looks to God to be led and guided in conformity with His Name, to be delivered from every secret snare by the strength of God, and to be kept in his spirit, for he is one of God’s redeemed.

(vv. 6-8) The confidence of the godly soul was not in any of the senseless superstitions of men, but in the Lord Himself and in His mercy: in One who had seen his affliction and known the troubles of his soul. In this confidence he realizes that so far from being shut up in the hand of the enemy, he stands before God in a place of freedom of soul.

(vv. 9-13) Nevertheless, as to outward appearance, the soul is shut up in the power of the enemy. The circumstances of this trial are spread out before the Lord. His whole body is afflicted by the trial; his life is spent in grief; his years with sighing; his strength fails because of his distress (iniquity can better be translated misery or distress).

In relation to others he is a reproach among his enemies. His neighbours and acquaintances avoid him, for fear of sharing his reproach and trial. They prefer to forget him and treat him as a broken vessel that is flung aside as useless. He is slandered by many; the object of terror on every side; while some take counsel against him to destroy him.

(vv. 14-18) Notwithstanding this deep distress, the soul trusts in the Lord, knowing that his times are in the Lord’s hands. Therefore he looks to God for deliverance from his enemies, and for the favour of God to shine upon him. He prays that, calling upon the Lord, he may not he ashamed, and that the wicked, who have treated the righteous with contempt, may be silenced in shame.

(vv. 19-22) The closing verses present the answer to the cry of the godly soul. He discovers that however dark the circumstances, the goodness of God is laid up for them that fear God, though for a time, apparently, the sons of men are allowed to have their way. Yet, whatever the outward circumstances, God can keep His people in the secret of His presence and preserve them from the strife of tongues, and finally show His marvellous kindness. Under the pressure of circumstances the soul had said in haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes. Nevertheless, in the time of deepest trial, when God apparently was silent, the voice of his supplications had been heard.

(vv. 23-24) As a result of his experience, the soul calls upon all the godly to love the Lord, to be of good courage and hope in the Lord.

Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible

31:1 [To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy {a} righteousness.

(a) For then God declares himself just, when he preserves his as he has promised.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Psalms 31

This lament-thanksgiving psalm grew out of an experience in David’s life in which his foes plotted to kill him. That incident reminded David that the Lord would protect those who trust in Him. He urged others who might encounter similar affliction to love and trust in God as well.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

1. David’s cry for rescue 31:1-2

Because David was trusting in the Lord he called on Him to defend him. He could do this because God had promised to aid those who looked to Him for help in troubling times (e.g., Deu 28:1-14). David used many figures of speech that picture God as a secure fortress in these verses. [Note: Psa 31:1-3 also appear in 71:1-3.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Psa 31:1-24

THE swift transitions of feeling in this psalm may seem strange to colder natures whose lives run smoothly, but reveal a brother-soul to those who have known what it is to ride on the top of the wave and then to go down into its trough. What is peculiar to the psalm is not only the inclusion of the whole gamut of feeling, but the force with which each key is struck and the persistence through all of the one ground tone of cleaving to Jehovah. The poetic temperament passes quickly from hope to fear. The devout man in sorrow can sometimes look away from a darkened earth to a bright sky, but the stern realities of pain and loss again force themselves in upon him. The psalm is like an April day, in which sunshine and rain chase, each other across the plain.

“The beautiful uncertain weather,

Where gloom and glory meet together”

makes the landscape live, and is the precursor of fruitfulness.”

The stream of the psalmists thoughts now runs in shadow of grim cliffs and vexed by opposing rocks, and now opens out in sunny stretches of smoothness; but its source is “In Thee, Jehovah, do I take refuge” (Psa 31:1): and its end is “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all ye that wait for Jehovah” (Psa 31:24).

The first turn of the stream is in Psa 31:1-4, which consist of petitions and their grounds. The prayers reveal the suppliants state. They are the familiar cries of an afflicted soul common to many psalms, and presenting no special features. The needs of the human heart are uniform, and the cry of distress is much alike on all lips. This sufferer asks, as his fellows have done and will do, for deliverance, a swift answer, shelter and defence, guidance and leading, escape from the net spread for him. These are the commonplaces of prayer, which God is not wearied of hearing, and which fit us all. The last place to look for originality is in the “sighing of such as be sorrowful.” The pleas on which the petitions rest are also familiar. The man who trusts in Jehovah has a right to expect that his trust will not be put to shame, since God is faithful. Therefore the first plea is the psalmists faith, expressed in Psa 31:1 by the word which literally means to flee to a refuge. The fact that he has done so makes his deliverance a work of Gods “righteousness.” The metaphor latent in “flee for refuge” comes into full sight in that beautiful plea in Psa 31:3, which unsympathetic critics would call illogical, “Be for me a refuge rock, for Thou art my rock.” Be what Thou art; manifest Thyself in act to be what Thou art in nature: be what I, Thy poor servant, have taken Thee to be. My heart has clasped Thy revelation of Thyself and fled to this strong tower. Let me not be deceived and find it incapable of sheltering me from my foes. “Therefore for Thy names sake,” or because of that revelation and for its glory as true in mens sight, deliver me. Gods nature as revealed is the strongest plea with Him, and surely that cannot but be potent and acceptable prayer which says; Be what Thou art, and what Thou hast taught me to believe Thee.

Psa 31:5-8 prolong the tone of the preceding, with some difference, inasmuch as Gods past acts are more specifically dwelt on as the ground of confidence. In this turn of the stream, faith does not so much supplicate as meditate, plucking the flower of confidence from the nettle of past dangers and deliverances, and renewing its acts of surrender. The sacred words which Jesus made His own on the cross, and which have been the last utterance of so many saints, were meant by the psalmist to apply to life, not to death. He laid his spirit as a precious deposit in Gods hand, assured that He was able to keep that which was committed to Him. Often had he done this before, and now he does it once more. Petitions pass into surrender. Resignation as well as confidence speaks. To lay ones life in Gods hand is to leave the disposal of it to Him, and such absolute submission must come as the calm close and incipient reward of every cry for deliverance. Trust should not be hard to those who can remember. So Jehovahs past redemptions-i.e., deliverances from temporal dangers-are its ground here; and these avail as pledges for the future, since He is “the God of truth,” who can never falsify His past. The more nestlingly a soul clings to God, the more vehemently will it recoil from other trust. Attraction and repulsion are equal and contrary: The more clearly it sees Gods faithfulness and living power as a reality operating in its life, the more penetrating will be its detection of the falseness of other helpers. “Nothingnesses of emptiness” are they all to one who has felt the clasp of that great, tender hand; and unless the soul feels them to be such, it will never strongly clutch or firmly hold its true stay. Such trust has its crown in joyful experience of Gods mercy even before the actual deliverance comes to pass, as wind-borne fragrance meets the traveller before he sees the spice gardens from which it comes. The cohortative verbs in Psa 31:7 may be petition (“Let me exult”), or they may be anticipation of future gladness, but in either case some waft of joy has already reached the singer, as how could it fail to do, when his faith was thus renewing itself, and his eyes gazing on Gods deeds of old? The past tenses in Psa 31:7-8 refer to former experiences. Gods sight of the psalmists affliction was not idle contemplation, but implied active intervention. To “take note of the distresses of my soul” (or possibly, “of my soul in distresses”) is the same as to care for it. It is enough to know that God sees the secret sorrows, the obscure trials which can be told to none. He loves as well as knows, and looks on no griefs which He will not comfort nor on any wounds which He is not ready to bind up. The psalmist was sure that God had seen, because he had experienced His delivering power, as he goes on joyfully to tell. The figure in Psa 31:8 a points back to the act of trust in Psa 31:5. How should God let the hand of the enemy close round and crush the spirit which had been entrusted to His own hand? One sees the greedy fingers of the foe drawing themselves together on their prey as on a fly, but they close on nothing. Instead of suffering constraint the delivered spirit walks at liberty. They who are enclosed in Gods hand have ample room there; and unhindered activity, with the ennobling consciousness of freedom, is the reward of trust.

Is it inconceivable that such sunny confidence should be suddenly clouded and followed, as in the third turn of thought (Psa 31:9-13), by plaintive absorption in the sad realities of present distress? The very remembrance of a brighter past may have sharpened the sense of present trouble. But it is to be noted that these complaints are prayer, not aimless, self-pitying wailing. The enumeration of miseries which begins with “Have mercy upon me, for-,” has a hidden hope tinging its darkness, like the faint flush of sunrise on clouds. There is no such violent change of tone as is sometimes conceived; but the pleas of the former parts are continued in this section, which adds the psalmists sore need to Gods past and the suppliants faith, as another reason for Jehovahs help. He begins with the effects of his trouble on himself in body and soul; thence he passes to its consequences on those around him, and finally he spreads before God its cause: plots against his life. The resemblances to Psa 6:1-10 and to several parts of Jeremiah are unmistakable. In Psa 31:9-10 the physical and mental effects of anxiety are graphically described. Sunken eyes, enfeebled soul, wasted body, are gaunt witnesses of his distress. Cares seem to him to have gnawed his very bones, so weak is he. All that he can do is to sigh. And worse than all, conscience tells him that his own sin underlies his trouble, and so he is without inward stay. The picture seems exaggerated to easy-going, prosperous people; but many a sufferer has since recognised himself in it as in a mirror, and been thankful for words which gave voice to his pained heart and cheered him with the sense of companionship in the gloom.

Psa 31:11-12 are mainly the description of the often-repeated experience of friends forsaking the troubled. “Because of all my adversaries” somewhat anticipates Psa 31:13 in assigning the reason for the cowardly desertion. The three phrases “neighbours,” “acquaintance,” and “those who see me without” indicate concentric circles of increasing diameter. The psalmist is in the middle; and round him are, first, neighbours, who pour reproach on him, because of his enemies, then the wider range of “acquaintances,” afraid to have anything to do with one who has such strong and numerous foes, and remotest of all, the chance people met on the way who fly from Him, as infected and dangerous. “They all forsook Him and fled.” That bitter ingredient mingles in every cup of sorrow. The meanness of human nature and the selfishness of much apparent friendship are commonplaces, but the experience of them is always as painful and astonishing, as if nobody besides had ever suffered therefrom. The roughness of structure in Psa 31:11 b, “and unto my neighbours exceedingly,” seems to fit the psalmists emotion, and does not need the emendation of “exceedingly” into “burden” (Delitzsch) or “shaking of the head” (Cheyne).

In Psa 31:12 the desertion is bitterly summed up, as like the oblivion that waits for the dead. The unsympathising world goes on its way, and friends find new interests and forget the broken man, who used to be so much to them, as completely as if he were in his grave, or as they do the damaged cup, flung on the rubbish heap. Psa 31:13 discloses the nature of the calamity which has had these effects. Whispering slanders buzz round him; he is ringed about with causes for fear, since enemies are plotting his death. The use of the first part of the verse by Jeremiah does not require the hypothesis of his authorship of the psalm, nor of the prophets priority to the psalmist. It is always a difficult problem to settle which of two cases of the employment of the same phrase is original and which quotation. The criteria are elastic, and the conclusion is very often arrived at in deference to preconceived ideas. But Jeremiah uses the phrase as if it were a proverb or familiar expression, and the psalmist as if it were the freshly struck coinage of his own experience.

Again the key changes, and the minor is modulated into confident petition. It is the test of true trust that it is deepened by the fullest recognition of dangers and enemies. The same facts may feed despair and be the fuel of faith. This mans eyes took in all surrounding evils, and these drove him to avert his gaze from them and fix it on Jehovah. That is the best thing that troubles can do for us. If they, on the contrary, monopolise our sight, they turn our hearts to stone; but if we can wrench our stare from them, they clear our vision to see our Helper. In Psa 31:14-18 we have the recoil of the devout soul to God, occasioned by its recognition of need and helplessness. This turn of the psalm begins with a strong emphatic adversative: “But I-I trust in Jehovah.” We see the man flinging himself into the arms of God. The word for “trust” is the same as in Psa 31:6, and means to hang or lean upon, or, as we say, to depend on. He utters his trust in his prayer, which occupies the rest of this part of the psalm. A prayer, which is the voice of trust, does not begin with petition, but with renewed adherence to God and happy consciousness of the souls relation to Him, and thence melts into supplication for the blessings which are consequences of that relation. To feel, on occasion of the very dreariness of circumstances, that God is mine, makes miraculous sunrise at midnight. Built on that act of trust claiming its portion in God, is the recognition of Gods all-regulating hand, as shaping the psalmists “times,” the changing periods, each of which has its definite character, responsibilities, and opportunities. Every mans life is a series of crises, in each of which there is some special work to be done or lesson to be learned, some particular virtue to be cultivated or sacrifice made. The opportunity does not return. “It might have been once; and we missed it, lost it forever.”

But the psalmist is thinking rather of the varying complexion of his days as bright or dark; and looking beyond circumstances, he sees God. The “hand of mine enemies” seems shrivelled into impotence when contrasted with that great hand, to which he has committed his spirit, and in which are his “times”; and the psalmists recognition that it holds his destiny is the ground of his prayer for deliverance from the foes paralysed grasp. They who feel the tender clasp of an almighty hand need not doubt their security from hostile assaults. The petitions proper are three in number: for deliverance, for the light of Gods face, and for “salvation.” The central petition recalls the priestly blessing. {Num 6:25} It asks for consciousness of Gods friendship and for the manifestation thereof in safety from present dangers. That face, turned in love to a man, can “make a sunshine in a shady place,” and brings healing on its beams. It seems best to take the verbs in Psa 31:17-18, as futures and not optatives. The prayer passes into assurance of its answer, and what was petition in Psa 31:1 is now trustful prediction: “I shall not be ashamed, for I cry to Thee.” With like elevation of faith, the psalmist foresees the end of the whispering defamers round him: shame for their vain plots and their silent descent to the silent land. The loudest outcry against Gods lovers will be hushed some day, and the hands that threatened them will be laid motionless and stiff across motionless breasts. He who stands by God and looks forward, can, by the light of that face, see the end of much transient bluster, “with pride and contempt,” against the righteous. Lying lips fall dumb; praying lips, like the psalmists, are opened to show forth Gods praise. His prayer is audible still across the centuries; the mutterings of his enemies only live in his mention of them.

That assurance prepares the way for the noble burst of thanksgiving, as for accomplished deliverance, which ends the psalm, springing up in a joyous outpouring of melody, like a lark from a bare furrow. But there is no such change of tone as to warrant the supposition that these last verses (Psa 31:19-24) are either the psalmists later addition or the work of another, nor do they oblige us to suppose that the whole psalm was written after the Peril which it commemorates had passed. Rather the same voice which triumphantly rings out in these last verses has been sounding in the preceding, even in their saddest strains. The ear catches a twitter hushed again and renewed more than once before the full song breaks out. The psalmist has been absorbed with his own troubles till now. but thankfulness expands his vision, and suddenly there is with him a multitude of fellow dependants on Gods goodness. He hungers alone, but he feasts in company. The abundance of Gods “goodness” is conceived of as a treasure stored, and in part openly displayed, before the sons of men. The antithesis suggests manifold applications of the contrast, such as the inexhaustibleness of the mercy which, after all revelation, remains unrevealed, and after all expenditure, has not perceptibly diminished in its shining mass, as of bullion in some vault; or the varying dealings of God, who sometimes, while sorrow is allowed to have its scope, seems to keep his riches of help under lock and key, and then again flashes them forth in deeds of deliverance; or the difference between the partial unfolding of these on earth and the full endowment of His servants with “riches in glory” hereafter. All these carry the one lesson that there is more in God than any creature or all creatures have ever drawn from Him or can ever draw. The repetition of the idea of hiding in Psa 31:20 is a true touch of devout poetry. The same word is used for laying up the treasure and for sheltering in a pavilion from the jangle of tongues. The wealth and the poor men who need it are stored together, as it were; and the place where they both lie safe is God Himself. How can they be poor who are dwelling close beside infinite riches? The psalmist has just prayed that God would make His face to shine upon him; and now he rejoices in the assurance of the answer, and knows himself and all like-minded men to be hidden in that “glorious privacy of light,” where evil things cannot live. As if caught up to and “clothed with the sun,” he and they are beyond the reach of hostile conspiracies, and have “outsoared the shadow of” earths antagonisms. The great thought of security in God has never been more nobly expressed than by that magnificent metaphor of the light inaccessible streaming from Gods face to be the bulwark of a poor man.

The personal tone recurs for a moment in Psa 31:21-22, in which it is doubtful whether we hear thankfulness for deliverance anticipated as certain and so spoken of as past, since it is as good as done, or for some recently experienced marvel of lovingkindness, which heartens the psalmist in present trouble. If this psalm is Davids, the reference may be to his finding a city of refuge, at the time when his fortunes were very low, in Ziklag, a strange place for a Jewish fugitive to be sheltered. One can scarcely help feeling that the allusion is so specific as to suggest historical fact as its basis. At the same time it must be admitted that the expression may be the carrying on of the metaphor of the hiding in a pavilion. The “strong city” is worthily interpreted as being God Himself, though the historical explanation is tempting. Gods mercy makes a true man ashamed of his doubts, and therefore the thanksgiving of Psa 31:21 leads to the confession of Psa 31:22. Agitated into despair, the psalmist had thought that he was “cut off from Gods eyes”-i.e., hidden so as not to be helped-but the event has showed that God both heard and saw him. If alarm does not so make us think that God is blind to our need and deaf to our cry as to make us dumb, we shall be taught the folly of our fears by His answers to our prayers. These will have a voice of gentle rebuke, and ask us, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” He delivers first, and lets the deliverance stand in place of chiding.

The whole closes with a summons to all whom Jehovah loves to love Him for His mercys sake. The joyful singer longs for a chorus to join his single voice, as all devout hearts do. He generalises his own experience, as all who have for themselves experienced deliverance are entitled and bound to do, and discerns that in his single case the broad law is attested that the faithful are guarded whatever dangers assail, and “the proud doer” abundantly repaid for all his contempt and hatred of the just. Therefore the last result of contemplating Gods ways with His servants is an incentive to courage, strength, and patient waiting for the Lord.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary