Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 71:12
O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
12, 13. Reminiscences of Psa 35:22 b; Psa 40:13 b, 14 (Psa 70:1 b, 2): cp. Psa 22:11 a; Psa 38:21-22; Psa 35:4; Psa 35:26; Psa 109:29.
make haste for my help ] R.V. make haste to help me.
let them be confounded ] R.V. as in Psa 71:1, let them be ashamed.
consumed ] Some editors would read dishonoured as in Psa 40:14, with some MSS. and the Syr. The Hebrew words differ in one letter only. But the LXX and Jer. support the M.T., for which cp. Psa 37:20.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
O God, be not far from me – See the notes at Psa 22:11.
O my God, make haste for my help – See the notes at Psa 40:13.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 71:12
O God, be not far from me.
God always near
A busy woman entered her room hastily as twilight shades were falling–went directly to her desk, turned on the gas, and began to write. Page after page she wrote. The solitude became oppressive: She wheeled her chair around, and with a shock of joyful surprise looked squarely into the face of her dearest friend, lying on the lounge at her side. Why, I didnt know you were here! she cried. Why didnt you speak to me? Because you were so busy. You didnt speak to me. So with Jesus–here all the time. The room is full of Him, always ready to greet us with a smile–but we are so busy. But when the solitude grows oppressive we suddenly turn, and lo, He is at our side. We speak to Him and He speaks to us, and the souls deepest yearnings are satisfied. (Christian Age.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
12. (Compare Psa 22:19;Psa 40:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
O God, be not far from me,…. God is everywhere, at hand and afar off, with regard to his being, power, and providence; his glorious presence is in heaven, his gracious presence is with his people; but, when he hides his face, he seems to be at a distance; and this they cannot bear, and therefore deprecate it; see Ps 10:1;
O my God, make haste for my help; he knew that his help was in God, and that there was none for him elsewhere; and that he could help him when none else could, and was a present help in time of trouble; and it being such a time with him, and his case desperate, he desires the Lord that he would make haste; and he addresses him as his own God, the consideration of which encouraged his faith and hope in him, and carried in it an argument to help him; see Ps 119:94.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
12. O God! be not far from me. It is scarcely possible to express how severe and hard a temptation it was to David, when he knew that the wicked entertained the persuasion that he was rejected of God. They did not without consideration circulate this report; but after having seemed wisely to weigh all circumstances, they gave their judgment on the point as of a thing which was placed beyond all dispute. It was therefore an evidence of heroic fortitude on the part of David, (110) thus to rise superior to their perverse judgments, and, in the face of them all, to assure himself that God would be gracious to him, and to betake himself familiarly to him. Nor is it to be doubted that, in calling God his God, he makes use of this as a means of defending himself from this hard and grievous assault.
(110) “ Parquoy c’a este une vertu a David plus qu’humaine.” — Fr. “It was therefore fortitude more than human for David.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12, 13) These verses recall Psa. 22:11; Psa. 35:4; Psa. 35:26; Psa. 38:21-22; Psa. 40:13-14.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. Make haste for my help David’s familiar cry in his deepest distresses, which identifies the occasion with Psa 70:1. See Psa 22:19
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 71:12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
Ver. 12. O God, be not far from me ] The insolence of his enemies sets an edge upon his prayers Oratio sine malis est avis sine alis. Our Saviour in his agony prayed the more earnestly, Luk 22:44 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 71:12-16
12O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, hasten to my help!
13Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.
14But as for me, I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
16I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
Psa 71:12-16 This strophe has three aspects.
1. the psalmist’s prayer for, Psa 71:12
a. God’s presence (lit. be not far from me) BDB 934, KB 1221, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, cf. Psa 22:11; Psa 22:19
b. God’s quick help BDB 301, KB 300, Qal imperative
2. the psalmist’s prayers for his enemies’ demise, Psa 71:13
a. be ashamed BDB 101, KB 116, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
b. be consumed BDB 477, KB 476, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
c. be covered with reproach BDB 741, KB 813, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
d. be covered with dishonor same verb assumed from c.
3. the psalmist’s steadfast faith, Psa 71:14-16
a. I will hope continually
b. I will praise. . .more and more
c. I will tell (i.e., in the temple)
(1) of Your righteousness
(2) of Your salvation
(3) of Your mighty deeds
(4) of Your righteousness, Yours alone (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM )
Psa 71:13 adversaries This is a participle (the ones accusing, BDB 966, KB 1316) of the term often used of Satan, the arch accuser. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SATAN .
Psa 71:15 my mouth will tell This verb (BDB 707, KB 765, Piel imperfect) is often used in Psalms of proclaiming YHWH’s character and deeds in a worship setting (i.e., temple).
1. His wonders Psa 9:1; Psa 26:7; Psa 40:5; Psa 75:1; Psa 78:4
2. His praise Psa 9:14; Psa 79:13; Psa 107:21
3. His acts Psa 66:16; Psa 118:17; Psa 145:6; Psa 145:12
4. His righteousness Psa 71:15 (cf. Psa 35:28; Psa 40:10)
5. His covenant love and faithfulness Psa 88:11 (cf. Psa 40:10)
6. His glory Psa 19:1; Psa 96:3 (cf. Psa 145:12)
7. His greatness Psa 145:6
8. His Messiah Psa 2:7
9. His name Psa 22:22; Psa 102:21
Here in this verse His righteousness and His salvation.
For I do not know the sum of them This phrase may reflect
1. the same truth as Psa 40:5; Psa 139:18, that God’s marvelous acts are too numerous to be comprehended
2. the same truth as Job 42:3; Psa 139:6, that they are beyond human understanding
3. that it means write as opposed to tell (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 1288)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
O God: Psa 22:11, Psa 22:19, Psa 35:22, Psa 38:21, Psa 38:22, Psa 69:18
make: Psa 70:1, Psa 70:2, Psa 143:7
Reciprocal: Psa 31:14 – Thou Psa 141:1 – make haste
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
71:12 O God, be not far from me: O {i} my God, make haste for my help.
(i) In calling him his God, he puts back the false reports of the adversaries who said God had forsaken him.