PSALM 71 COMME�TARYEDITED BY GLE�� PEASE

I�TRODUCTIO�

SPURGEO�, "There is no title to this Psalm, and hence some conjecture that Psalms 70:1-5 is intended to be a prelude to it, and has been broken off from it. Such imaginings have no value with us. We have already met with five Psalms without title, which are, nevertheless, as complete as those which bear them.We have here THE PRAYER OF THE AGED BELIEVER, who, in holy confidence of faith, strengthened by a long and remarkable experience, pleads against his enemies, and asks further blessings for himself. Anticipating a gracious reply, he promises to magnify the Lord exceedingly.DIVISIO�. The first four verses are faith's cry for help; the next four are a testimony of experience. From Psalms 71:9-13, the aged saint pleads against his foes, and then rejoices in hope, Psalms 71:14-16. He returns to prayer again in Psalms 71:17-18, repeats the confident hopes which cheered his soul, Psalms 71:19-21; and then he closes with the promise of abounding in thanksgiving. Throughout, this Psalm may be regarded as the utterance of struggling, but unstaggering, faith.

ELLICOTT, "The Palestinian collectors of the sacred songs of Israel found no traditional inscription to this psalm, and left it without conjecture of its authorship. In Alexandria it appears to have been attributed to David, but with the addition that it had some peculiar connection with the son of Jonadab and the first exiles. This connection, together with the resemblance between this psalm and Jeremiah’s writings, has led many critics to ascribe it to that prophet, a conjecture also borne out by the fact that it is, in great part, an adaptation of other psalms, chiefly 22, 31, 35, and 40, since such dependence on older writings is a prominent feature in Jeremiah. His life of danger and adventure, his early consecration to his office, the high position which he took at one time in the councils of the nation, all agree with what the author of this psalm says of himself. (Comp. Psalms 71:6, with Jeremiah 1:5, and see �ote, Psalms 71:21.) Still it is quite as likely that we have here another of those hymns composed, or, more properly speaking, in this case, arranged, to express not individual feeling and experience, but that of suffering Israel. (See �ote, Psalms 71:6; Psalms 71:20.) In a cento of passages from older compositions the rhythm is necessarily irregular.

PULPIT, "Psalms 71:1-24 is, like so many others, a psalm divided between complaint and praise. It is comparatively wanting in originality, being, to a very

great extent, an echo of other psalms, especially Psalms 22:1-31, Psalms 31:1-24, Psalms 35:1-28, and Psalms 40:1-17. Complaint, mingled with prayer, occupies the first half (Psalms 40:1-13); praise and thanksgiving the second (Psalms 40:14 -24). The authorship of the psalm is very doubtful, as it has no "title," and few marked characteristics. Kay and Hengstenberg, however, regard it as Davidical, the former assigning it to the time of Adonijah's attempt, the latter to that of the rebellion of Absalom. Metrically, it is thought to divide into seven short stanzas, each of either three or four verses.

Psalms 40:1-3 are almost identical with the opening verses of Psalms 31:1-24. They express a firm trust in God, but combine with the expression of this trust an urgent prayer for deliverance.

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

BAR�ES, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust - See the notes at Psa_25:2. Compare Psa_22:4-5; Psa_31:1.

Let me never be put to confusion - Let me never be ashamed; that is, Let me not be so disappointed in the trust that I repose in thee as to have occasion to feel ashamed that I have done it.

GILL, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust,.... The Targum is,

"in thy Word;''

See Gill on Psa_31:1;

let me never be put to confusion; or "be ashamed"; see the note as before.

HE�RY, "Two things in general David here prays for - that he might not be confounded and that his enemies and persecutors might be confounded.

I. He prays that he might never be made ashamed of his dependence upon God nor disappointed in his believing expectations from him. With this petition every true believer may come boldly to the throne of grace; for God will never disappoint the hope that is of his own raising. Now observe here,

1. How David professes his confidence in God, and with what pleasure and grateful variety of expression he repeats his profession of that confidence, still presenting the profession of it to God and pleading it with him. We praise God, and so please him, by telling him (if it be indeed true) what an entire confidence we have in him (Psa_71:1): “In thee, O Lord! and in thee only, do I put my trust. Whatever others do, I choose the God of Jacob for my help.” Those that are entirely satisfied with God's all-sufficiency and the truth of his promise, and in dependence upon that, as sufficient to make them amends, are freely willing to do and suffer, to lose and venture, for him, may truly say, In thee, O Lord! do I put my trust. Those that will deal with God must deal upon trust; if we are shy of dealing with him, it is a sign we do not trust him. Thou art my rock and my fortress (Psa_71:3); and again, “Thou art my refuge, my strong refuge” (Psa_71:7); that is, “I fly to thee, and am sure to be safe in thee, and under thy protection. If thou secure me, none can hurt me. Thou art my hope and my trust” (Psa_71:5); that is, “thou hast proposed thyself to me in thy word as the proper object of my hope and trust; I have hoped in thee, and never found it in vain to do so.”

JAMISO�, "Psa_71:1-24. The Psalmist, probably in old age, appeals to God for help from his enemies, pleading his past favors, and stating his present need; and, in confidence of a hearing, he promises his grateful thanks and praise.

(Compare Psa_30:1-3).

CALVI�, "1.In thee, O Jehovah! do I put my trust. It has been thought that the occasion of the composition of this psalm was the conspiracy of Absalom; and the particular reference which David makes to his old age renders this conjecture not improbable. As when we approach God, it is faith alone which opens the way for us, David, in order to obtain what he sought, protests, according to his usual manner, that he does not pour forth at the throne of grace hypocritical prayers, but betakes himself to God with sincerity of heart, fully persuaded that his salvation is laid up in the Divine hand. The man whose mind is in a state of constant fluctuation, and whose hope is divided by being turned in different directions, in each of which he is looking for deliverance, or who, under the influence of fear, disputes with himself, or who obstinately refuses the Divine assistance, or who frets and gives way to restless impatience, is unworthy of being succoured by God. The particle לעולם, leolam, in the end of the first verse, which we have translated for ever, admits of a twofold sense, as I have shown on Psalms 31:1. It either tacitly implies a contrast between the present calamities of David and the happy issue which he anticipated; as if he had said, Lord, I lie in the dust at present as one confounded; but the time will come when thou wilt grant me deliverance. Or not to be ashamed for ever, means never to be ashamed. As these verses almost correspond with the beginning of the 31st psalm, I would refer to that place for those explanatory remarks which I here purposely omit, not wishing to tax the patience of my readers by unnecessary

repetition.

In these words of the third verse, Into which I may at all times enter, which are not to be found in the other psalm, David briefly prays that he may have so ready and easy access to God for succor, as to find in him a secure refuge whenever threatened by any immediate danger. Lord! as if he had said, let me always find ready succor in thee, and do thou meet me with a smile of benignity and grace, when I betake myself to thee. The expression which follows, Thou hast given commandment to save me, is resolved by some interpreters into the optative mood; as if David requested that he might be committed to the guardianship of angels. But it is better to retain the past tense of the verb, and to understand him as encouraging himself, from his experience in times past, to hope for a happy issue to his present calamities. �or is there any necessity for limiting to the angels the verb, thou hast given commandment. God, no doubt, employs them in defending his people; but as he is possessed of innumerable ways of saving them, the expression, I conceive, is used indefinitely, to teach us that he gives commandment concerning the salvation of his servants, according as he has purposed, whenever he gives some manifest token of his favor toward them in his providence; and what he has determined in his own mind, he executes sometimes by his nod alone, and sometimes by the instrumentality of men or other creatures. Meanwhile, David would intimate that such is the all-sufficient power of God intrinsically considered, that without having recourse to any foreign aid, his commandment alone is abundantly adequate for effecting our salvation.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Jehovah deserves our confidence; let him have it all. Every day must we guard against every form of reliance upon an arm of flesh, and hourly hang our faith upon the ever faithful God. �ot only on God must we rest, as a man stands on a rock, but in him must we trust, as a man hides in a cave. The more intimate we are with the Lord, the firmer will our trust be. God knows our faith, and yet he loves to hear us avow it; hence, the psalmist not only trusts in the Lord, but tells him that he is so trusting.Let me never be put to confusion. So long as the world stands, stand thou by me; yea, for ever and ever be faithful to thy servant. If thou forsake me, men will ridicule my religion, and how shall I be able to answer them? Confusion will silence me, and thy cause will be put to shame. This verse is a good beginning for prayer; those who commence with trust shall conclude with joy.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSWhole Psalm. This Psalm, which has no title in the Hebrew, in the LXX has the title, By David, of the sons of Jonadab, and of those who were first made prisoners. If any authority be allowed to this title, we must suppose that this was a Psalm written by David, which was used, as particularly adapted to the circumstances of their condition, by the Rechabites, who were descended from Jonadab (Jeremiah 35:1-19), and the Jews, who were taken by the Chaldeans as captives to Babylon. However this may be, it seems probable that David was the author of this Psalm, and that he wrote it in his extreme age, and but a little while before he died. The line which follows the next Psalm, and closes the second book, perhaps has a reference to this fact. Some of the Fathers interpret the Psalm mystically of the church in her old

age, and her trials at the end of the world. "Plain Commentary."Whole Psalm. The Psalm, I am aware, is anonymous, and is, therefore, by many recent critics referred to some later writer; but I am satisfied that Venema and Hengstenberg have adduced sufficient reasons for retaining the opinion of Calvin and the older expositors, that it is from David's pen, and is the plaintive song of his old age. It shows us the soul of the aged saint, darkened by the remembrance of his great transgression, and by the swarms of sorrows with which that sin filled all his later years. But he finds comfort in reverting to the happy days of his childhood, and especially to the irrevocable trust which he was then enabled to repose in God. The thoughts and feelings expressed remind one of those which invest with such a solemn, tender interest the Second Epistle to Timothy, which embalms the dying thoughts of the great apostle. Like Paul, David takes a retrospect of the Lord's dealings with him from the beginning; and, in effect, declares, with the dying apostle: "I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2 Timothy 1:12. Only, there is this notable difference between the two, that while Paul gathered confirmation of his faith from the experience of a thirty years' walk with his Lord, David's experience stretched over more than twice so many years; for it began with his childhood. William Binnie.Whole Psalm. It will be asked how Christ could use such verses as Psalms 71:9; Psalms 71:18, since these look forward apparently to the frailty of age. The reply to this felt difficulty is, these expressions are used by him in sympathy with his members, and in his own case denote the state equivalent to age. His old age was, ere he reached three and thirty years, as John 8:57 is supposed to imply: for "Worn out men live fast." Barclay seems to give the right sense in the following lines: --"Grown old and weak, with pain and grief,Before his years were half complete."Besides, the words signify, "Forsake me not from this time onward, even were I to live to grey hairs." This is a view that conveys precious consolation to aged ones, who might be ready to say that Christ could not altogether enter into their feelings, having never experienced the failing weakness of age, the debility, the decay, the bodily infirmities so trying to the spirit. But this Psalm shows us, that in effect he did pass through that stage of our sojourning, worn out and wasted in bodily frame and feeling, by living so much in so short a time. The aged members of his church may find his sweet sympathy breathed out in Isaiah 46:3-4; and, here they may almost see him learning the lesson in a human way, as he bends under the weight of our frailties. For this reason, among others, this Psalm was specially prized by Robert Blair, one of our godly forefathers. He used to call it "His Psalm." Andrew A. Bonar.Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. As if he should say: O Lord, permit not those who put their trust in thee to be confounded, and to be held up as a laughing stock. I have placed all my hope in thee, and thou art that God who, for the sake of thy goodness and truth, hast never deserted those who hope in thee. If thou shalt suffer me to be confounded, the enemies to triumph, and my hope to be placed in thee in vain, certainly this shame shall fall upon thine own name... Let us, therefore, learn from this place to be more anxious about what may happen to the name of God through us, than to our own; whether it be through us in doing, or in us in

suffering. The prophet is fearful lest he should be confounded on account of his hope placed in God, although it was not in his own power, nor could he prevent it... It is necessary, first, that we should be of those who place their hope in God, then it is necessary that this piety of our hearts should not be confined to ourselves only, but should be known to all those who come in contact with us, even our opponents and enemies; else it is not possible for us to dread this kind of confusion feared by the prophet, when nobody knows that our hope is placed in God. �o artist suffers confusion, if he has never shared the good opinion of his fellow men. To no sick man can it be said, Physician, heal thyself, if his reputation for medical skill has never stood high. So of those, it cannot be said, They hoped in God, let him save them if he will have them, of whom it was never remarked that they placed any hope in God. His solicitude, therefore, belongs only to those whose hope is in the Lord; upon others it cannot fall. Musculus.Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. It is a good beginning, and a recommendation to our prayers, when we can declare our faith and trust to be in God alone. Edward Walter, in "A Help to the profitable reading of the Psalms."

WHEDO�, "1. The first three verses are borrowed from Psalms 31:1-3, which see.

Confusion—The same word is rendered “ashamed,” Psalms 31:1, and it is always translated by either one or other of these words. It denotes, literally, the paleness of countenance which is caused by the perplexity, fear, and mortification of great disappointment.

COFFMA�, "THE PRAYER OF A� OLD MA� FOR DELIVERA�CE

The vast majority of the scholars whose works are available to us reject any thought of Davidic authorship of this psalm, but there is no agreement at all with regard to who did write it. Obviously, then, the community of scholars do not know anything about the author.

For this reason, we do not hesitate to accept the testimony of the superscription as it appears in the LXX.

Superscription: By David, a song sung by the sons of Jonadab, and the first that were taken captive,[1]Dr. George DeHoff stated categorically that, "David wrote this psalm in his old age. He was beset by many enemies and so near death that he could feel himself sinking into the earth. He was an old man (Psalms 71:9,18); but old age had not dried up his hope or weakened his religious spirit (Psalms 71:5,15,20)."[2]

Matthew Henry also declared that, "David penned this Psalm in his old age; and many think it was in the times of the rebellion of Absalom, or during the insurrection of Sheba."[3]

Rawlinson pointed out that such distinguished scholars as, "Dr. Kay and Hengstenberg both considered the Psalm Davidic, with Kay naming the occasion as

that of Adonijah's attempt, and Hengstenberg placing it in the times of the rebellion of Absalom."[4]

�o less than twenty-three lines in this Psalm are taken from other Psalms of David; and it is much more reasonable to suppose that such a phenomenon was a product of David's remembering words and phrases he had previously used, than it is to suppose that Jeremiah, or some other alleged minstrel, was so familiar with the Psalms from his constant reading of them, that he would automatically substitute the words of David for his own vocabulary.

Of course, we cannot pretend to know that David wrote this psalm, but it certainly sounds like David throughout.

Psalms 71:1-4

A PLEA FOR DELIVERA�CE

"In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge:

Let me never be put to shame.

Deliver me in thy righteousness, and rescue me:

Bow down thine ear unto me, and save me.

Be thou to me a rock of habitation, whereunto I may continually resort:

Thou hast given commandment to save me;

For thou art my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked;

Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man."

"Verses 1-3 here are quoted from Psalms 31."[5] Most of the terminology here actually has the significance of a Davidic signature.

"Thou art my rock and my fortress" (Psalms 71:3). This is a quotation from David's Psalms 18:2.

"Deliver me out of the hand of the wicked ... out of the hand ... of the cruel man" (Psalms 71:4). Here is another undeniable earmark of David's writing. "It is characteristic of David to single out from his adversaries an individual enemy from whom he prays to be delivered."[6] In fact, six of the psalms accredited to David show that he did that very thing: Psalms 13:2; 17:13; 18:17,48; 35:8; 41:6,9,11; 55:13-14.

COKE, "David, in confidence of faith and experience of God's favour, prayeth both for himself, and against the enemies of his soul: he promiseth constancy: he prayeth for perseverance: he praiseth God, and promiseth to do it cheerfully.

This psalm is so similar to the former, that, perhaps, says Mr. Mudge, as it is without a title, it is a continuation of that psalm: The author acknowledges the continued series of God's goodness to him, even from his birth, and implores him not to leave him now in his old age to the malice of his enemies, but to grant him his protection. Towards the end he is assured of this, and at length obtains it, and praises God for it. The Jews who were carried captive into Babylon, with king Joachim, made use of this psalm, as appears from the title of the Vulgate and LXX. See Psalms 31.

EBC, "ECHOES of former psalms make the staple of this one, and even those parts of it which are not quotations have little individuality. The themes are familiar, and the expression of them is scarcely less so. There is no well-defined strophical structure, and little continuity of thought or feeling. Psalms 71:13 and Psalms 71:24 b serve as a kind of partial refrain, and may be taken as dividing the psalm into two parts, but there is little difference between the contents of the two. Delitzsch gives in his adhesion to the hypothesis that Jeremiah was the author; and there is considerable weight in the reasons assigned for that ascription of authorship. The pensive, plaintive tone; the abundant quotations, with slight alterations of the passages cited; the autobiographical hints which fit in with Jeremiah’s history, are the chief of these. But they can scarcely be called conclusive. There is more to be said for the supposition that the singer is the personified nation in this case than in many others. The sudden transition to "us" in Psalms 71:20, which the Masoretic marginal correction corrects into "me," favours, though it does not absolutely require, that view, which is also supported by the frequent allusion to "youth" and "old age." These, however, are capable of a worthy meaning, if referring to an individual. Psalms 71:1-3 are slightly varied from Psalms 31:1-3. The character of the changes will be best appreciated by setting the two passages side by side.

Psalms 31:1-24 Psalms 71:1-24

1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take 1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take

refuge; let me not be ashamed refuge:

forever: Let me not be put to shame

forever:

In Thy righteousness

me. 2. In Thy righteousness deliver

2. Bend Thine ear to me; de- me and rescue me:

liver me speedily. Bend Thine ear and save me.

The two verbs, which in the former psalm are in separate clauses ("deliver" and "rescue"), are here brought together. "Speedily" is omitted, and "save" is substituted for "deliver," which has been drawn into the preceding clause. Obviously no difference of meaning is intended to be conveyed, and the changes look very like the inaccuracies of memoriter quotations. The next variation is as follows:-

Psalms 31:1-24 Psalms 71:1-24

2. Be to me for a strong 3. Be to me for a rock of

for a house of defence to save me. habitation to go to continually:

3. For my rock and my fortress Thou hast commanded to save me.

art Thou. For my rock and my me; fortress art Thou.

The difference between "a strong rock" and "rock of habitation" is but one letter. That between "for a house of defence" and "to go to continually: Thou has commanded" is extremely slight, as Baethgen has well shown. Possibly both of these variations are due to textual corruption, but more probably this psalmist intentionally altered the words of an older psalm. Most of the old versions have the existing text, but the LXX seems to have read the Hebrew here as in Psalms 31:1-24. The changes are not important, but they are significant. That thought of God as a habitation to which the soul may continually find access goes very deep into the secrets of the devout life. The variation in Psalms 71:3 is recommended by observing the frequent recurrence of "continually" in this psalm, of which that word may almost be said to be the motto. �or is the thought of God’s command given to His multitude of unnamed servants, to save this poor man, one which we can afford to lose.

GUZIK, "Verse 1Psalm 71 - Older in Years, Strong in Faith

Many commentators believe this is a Psalm of David, and is his prayer and trust in God in his latter years under the crisis of Absalom's rebellion. Since the title or text of the Psalm does not say this, we will not speculate and treat Psalm 71 as if it were so, and instead regard it as an anonymous composition.

"We have here The prayer of the aged believer, who in holy confidence of faith, strengthened by a long and remarkable experience, pleads against his enemies, and asks further blessings for himself." (Charles Spurgeon)

Of interest in this Psalm are the many references and allusions to other Psalms.

Psalm 71:1-3 is quoted almost exactly from Psalm 31:1-3The thoughts of Psalm 71:5 seem to be suggested by Psalm 22:9-11Do not be far from me (Psalm 71:12a) echoes Psalm 22:11My God, make haste to help me! (Psalm 71:12b) takes the thought of Psalm 70:1Psalm 71:13 is similar to Psalm 35:26Psalm 71:18 carries the thoughts of Psalm 22:22 and 22:30-31Psalm 71:19 uses the phrasing of Exodus 15:11

It is reasonable to think the author of Psalm 71 made study and meditation upon God's Word a priority through his life, and the result is that he naturally uses the phrases and vocabulary of the Scriptures to pray and praise.

"But imitative words are none the less sincere; and new thankfulness may be run into old moulds; without detriment to its acceptableness to God and preciousness to men." (Alexander Maclaren)

A. God our refuge in older years.

1. (1-3) Trusting the Lord who delivers His people.

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;

Let me never be put to shame.

Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;

Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

Be my strong refuge,

To which I may resort continually;

You have given the commandment to save me,

For You are my rock and my fortress.

a. In You, O Lord, I put my trust: Many Psalms begin with the description of the poet's need. The first line of Psalm 71 looks to God and declares its trust in Yahweh, the Lord, the covenant God of Israel. The Psalmist was confident that such trust in the Lord would lead to vindication, that he would never be put to shame.

i. "The Psalmist so often begins his prayer with a declaration of his 'faith' which is to the soul in affliction, what an anchor is to a ship in distress." (Horne)

b. Deliver me in Your righteousness: Because the Psalmist trusted in God, he boldly asked God to act righteously on his behalf, and to deliver him. He asked that the righteousness of God work on his behalf.

c. Incline Your ear save mebe my strong refuge: In the previous line the Psalmist established the basis of God's rescue: deliver me in Your righteousness. He then called on God to act righteously on behalf of His needy servant, to rescue and protect him.

i. Be my strong refuge: "Here we see a weak man, but he is in a strong habitation: his security rests upon the tower in which he hides and is not placed in Jeopardy through his personal feebleness." (Spurgeon)

d. You have given the command to save me: Confident that it was God's will, even His command, the Psalmist prayed with full confidence that God would be His rock and his fortress.

PULPIT, "Psalms 71:1-24

Godly old age.

Solomon has said, "The beauty of old men is the grey head" (Proverbs 20:29). But he tells also of a nobler beauty, "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness" (Proverbs 16:31). Old men are few, but godly old men are fewer still. Rarity signalizes the "beauty," and enhances the "glory." This psalm may well be called, "The Old Man's Psalm." Would that the portrait were more common! It is pleasant to look at in poetry; it is far more delightful to behold in fact. In this portrait of a godly old man, we may mark—

I. HIS SUBLIME FAITH." In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust" (verse 1). Here is the secret of his character. "Trust" gave strength to his heart, and unity and completeness to his life. In this he was in sympathy with others who had gone before (cf. Psalms 31:1-3).

II. HIS EAR�EST PRAYERS. The godly are ever given to prayer. It is their great resource. It is the never failing means of obtaining mercy and grace. They learnt to call upon God at their mother's knee (cf. Psalms 116:16; 2 Timothy 1:5), and all through life they have found the virtue and the blessedness of prayer. In old age the cry of the godly is, "I must pray more."

III. HIS VARIED EXPERIE�CES. Often, when looking back, there is dimness, or many things have fallen out of sight, or there is a confusion in the perspective; but events that have made a deep impression stand out clearly. Memory goes back to the time of youth, and traces life onward, with all the great changes, the dangers and adventures, the attempts and the achievements, the joys and sorrows. There are grateful recollections of kindness and help from many; but above all, there is praise to God for his goodness and wonderful works (verses 5, 6; cf. Isaiah 44:4).

IV. HIS SETTLED CO�VICTIO�S. Experience is a great teacher. The man who has seen many days has learned much, and is able to bear witness as one that speaketh with authority (Job 32:7; Le 19:32; 2 Peter 1:13). One thing that the godly old man testifies is that God is worthy of trust; another thing is that the Word of God is not a cunningly devised fable, but truth; another thing is that religion is not a delusion, but a reality—the power of God unto salvation; another thing is that the most pleasant memories are of loyalty to God, and of good done to men, even to enemies, and that the saddest thoughts are of times when self prevailed over love and duty, and opportunities were lost from neglect and sloth.

V. HIS U�FALTERI�G RESOLUTIO�. The old have their regrets. They have also their times of trial and weakness. In another place the psalmist says, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken" (Psalms 37:25), and yet here he seems just for a moment to falter; but if he trembles at the thought of being a "castaway," as Paul also did (1 Corinthians 9:27), he renews his strength by prayer (verses 17, 20). Then having gained courage, he pledges himself with fresh ardour to be true to God. Instead of wavering, he will press on. Instead of keeping silence, he will testify, by word and deed, to the strength and power of God. This was beautifully seen in Polycarp, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never wronged me; and shall I forsake my God and my Saviour?"

VI. HIS GLORIOUS PROSPECTS. For the old the end is near. They know that soon they must die, and have no more to do with anything under the sun. This seems a dismal condition. But for the godly there is not only hope in death, but the bright prospect of a blessed immortality. "The end of that man is peace," yea, more, far more, the future is glorious.—W.F.

K&D 1-6, "Stayed upon Jahve, his ground of trust, from early childhood up, the poet hopes and prays for deliverance out of the hand of the foe. The first of these two strophes (Psa_71:1-3) is taken from Psa_31:2-4, the second (Psa_71:4-6, with the exception of Psa_71:4 and Psa_71:6) from Psa_22:10-11; both, however, in comparison with Psa_70:1-5 exhibit the far more encroaching variations of a poet who reproduces the

language of others with a freer hand. Olshausen wishes to read מעוז in Psa_71:3, Psa_

90:1; Psa_91:9, instead of מעון, which he holds to be an error in writing. But this old

Mosaic, Deuteronomial word (vid., on Psa_90:1) - cf. the post-biblical oath המעון (by the

Temple!) - is unassailable. Jahve, who is called a rock of refuge in Psa_31:3, is here called a rock of habitation, i.e., a high rock that cannot be stormed or scaled, which affords a safe abode; and this figure is pursued still further with a bold remodelling of

the text of Psa_31:3 constantly to go into, i.e., which I can constantly, and ,לבוא �מיד :

therefore always, as often as it is needful, betake myself for refuge. The additional is צוית

certainly not equivalent to צוה; it would more likely be equivalent to צוית but ;אשרprobably it is an independent clause: Thou hast (in fact) commanded, i.e., unalterably determined (Psa_44:5; Psa_68:29; Psa_133:3), to show me salvation, for my rock, etc.

To the words צוית in Psa_31:3, which the לבית מצודות corresponds the expression לבוא תמיד

lxx renders κα� ε�ς ο!κον καταφυγ'ς, whereas instead of the former three words it has κα�

ε�ς τόπον *χυρόν, and seems to have read מבצרות cf. Dan_11:15 ,לבית (Hitzig). In Psa_71:5,

Thou art my hope reminds one of the divine name ישראל in Jer_17:13; Jer_50:7 מקוה (cf.

0 1λπίς 0µ5ν used of Christ in 1Ti_1:1; Col_1:27). נסמכ�י is not less beautiful than השלכ�יin Psa_22:11. In its incipient slumbering state (cf. Psa_3:6), and in its self-conscious continuance. He was and is the upholding prop and the supporting foundation, so to

speak, of my life. And גוזי instead of חי; in Psa_22:10, is just such another felicitous

modification. It is impracticable to define the meaning of this גוזי according to זה = ;זה;,

Arab. jz', retribuere (prop. to cut up, distribute), because מל; is the representative of this

Aramaeo-Arabic verb in the Hebrew. Still less, however, can it be derived from וז;,

transire, the participle of which, if it would admit of a transitive meaning = מוציאי

(Targum), ought to be זי;. The verb זה;, in accordance with its radical signification of

abscindere (root גז, synon. קט ,קד ,קץ, and the like), denotes in this instance the

separating of the child from the womb of the mother, the retrospect going back from

youth to childhood, and even to his birth. The lxx σκεπαστής (µου) is an erroneous

reading for 1κσπαστής, as is clear from Psa_22:10, L 1κσπάσας µε. N Psa_44:9 ,הOל (cf. שיח

N, Psa_69:13), is at the bottom of the expression in Psa_71:6. The God to whom he owes

his being, and its preservation thus far, is the constant, inexhaustible theme of his praise.

BI 1-24, "In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

A picture of a pious old man

I. The entreaties of a pious old man.

1. Against evil.

(1) Moral failure (Psa_70:1).

(2) General danger (Psa_70:2; Psa_70:4).

(3) Divine desertion (verse 9).

2. For good.

(1) Divine protection (Psa_70:3). I want a “strong” refuge, a “habitation,” where I shall feel sheltered from all storms. I want a habitation where I may “continually resort,” one close at hand, always open to me. O God, be such a “habitation” to me, shivering on the margin of the awful future, the storms of

retribution gathering around me.

(2) The spirit of worship (verse 8).

II. The blessed memories of a pious old man. It is natural for age to turn to the past. What did this aged man remember in the past?

1. His youthful confidence (Psa_70:5). In the opening years of my life, I rested my soul on Thy love and Thy truth. My young heart went out to Thee, and on Thee it has settled. What a blessed memory is this! What a contrast to the memory of the old profligate who remembers his rebellions, his blasphemies, etc.

2. God’s goodness to him from his earliest days (verse 6). Thou didst take care of me in helpless infancy, and all through life. Thy very love has been marvellous. “I am as a wonder unto many.” “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth.” Taught me the true theory both of duty and of happiness.

III. The exalted contemplations of a pious old man (verse 19).

IV. The unfailing confidence of a pious old man (verses 20, 21). Though he had been subjected to great and sore troubles—and what aged man has not met with such troubles?—his trust was unabated, and he says, “Thou shalt quicken me again,” etc. However feeble I become, though I sink into the depths of the earth, Thou wilt revive me; nay, more, “Thou shalt increase my greatness,” etc. I infer from the character of Thy past conduct to me that I shall not be allowed to sink into extinction, dishonour, or misery. Thou wilt raise me, dignify me, and “comfort me on every side.” God grant us all this unfailing confidence in old age! “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

V. A noble resolution of a pious old man (verses 22-24). (Homilist.)

The vow of faith

I. The life of faith is a constant realization of the presence of God. The mountain was as full of the chariots of fire when the prophet’s servant did not perceive them as when he did. Christ was just as much present with the disciples when their eyes were holden as when they were open. God speaks with men as truly to-day as in the time of Abraham. It is because our minds are preoccupied with other matters that we fail to perceive God.

II. The life of faith is entered upon by a definite vow. If such be the life of faith, how few of us have entered upon it! This may be due to some obstacle, such as an unfulfilled duty, or a disregarded command, or a permitted practice opposed to God’s will. But if it be none of these, then most likely it is because the attitude of faith has net been consciously and definitely assumed. We must take our all and lay it at the feet of Christ. This is the wicket-gate by which we enter upon the blessed life of faith. Brainerd Taylor, feeling that he needed something which he did not possess, lifted up his heart in prayer, and became conscious of giving up all to God, and then he cried, “Here, Lord, take me, take my whole soul, and seal me Thine now, and Thine for ever.”

III. Some considerations on the taxing of such a vow. Let it be taken with all seriousness, and let it be a very definite one. Doddridge gives this advice, “Set your hand and seal to it that on such a day and year, and at such a place, on full consideration and serious reflection, you come to this happy resolution, that whatever others might do, you would serve the Lord.” Doddridge’s own vow was a very elaborate and detailed one. It may not be necessary to draw up a document setting forth one’s vow, but in some

definite way it should be taken. (R. C. Ford, M. A.)

HENRY 1-3, "What his requests to God are, in this confidence.

(1.) That he might never be put to confusion (Psa_71:1), that he might not be disappointed of the mercy he expected and so made ashamed of his expectation. Thus we may all pray in faith that our confidence in God may not be our confusion. Hope of the glory of God is hope that makes not ashamed.

(2.) That he might be delivered out of the hand of his enemies (Psa_71:2): “Deliver me in thy righteousness. As thou art the righteous Judge of the world, pleading the cause of the injured and punishing the injurious, cause me in some way or other to escape” (God will, with the temptation, make a way to escape, 1Co_10:13): “Incline thy ear unto my prayers, and, in answer to them, save me out of my troubles, Psa_71:4. Deliver me, O my God! out of the hands of those that are ready to pull me in pieces.” Three things he pleads for deliverance: - [1.] The encouragement God had given him to expect it: Thou hast given commandment to save me (Psa_71:3); that is, thou hast promised to do it, and such efficacy is there in God's promises that they are often spoken of as commands, like that, Let there be light, and there was light. He speaks, and it is done. [2.] The character of his enemies; they are wicked, unrighteous, cruel men, and it will be for the honour of God to appear against them (Psa_71:4), for he is a holy, just, and good God. [3.] The many eyes that were upon him (Psa_71:7): “I am as a wonder unto many; every one waits to see what will be the issue of such extraordinary troubles as I have fallen into and such extraordinary confidence as I profess to have in God.” Or, “I am looked upon as a monster, am one whom every body shuns, and therefore am undone if the Lord be not my refuge. Men abandon me, but God will not.”

(3.) That he might always find rest and safety in God (Psa_71:3): Be thou my strong habitation; by thou to me a rock of repose, whereto I may continually resort. Those that are at home in God, that live a life of communion with him and confidence in him, that continually resort unto him by faith and prayer, having their eyes ever towards him, may promise themselves a strong habitation in him, such as will never fall of itself nor can ever be broken through by any invading power; and they shall be welcome to resort to him continually upon all occasions, and not be upbraided as coming too often.

2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.

BAR�ES, "Deliver me in thy righteousness - See the notes at Psa_31:1. The first three verses of this psalm seem in fact to have been taken, with slight variations, from the first three verses of Ps. 31.

And cause me to escape - That is, from impending dangers; from the power of my enemies.

Incline thine ear unto me - In Psa_31:2, this is, “Bow down thine ear to me.” The idea is the same. See the notes at that place. Compare the notes at Psa_17:6.

And save me - In Psa_31:2, this is, “Deliver me speedily.”

GILL, "Deliver me in thy righteousness,.... By it, or "for the sake of it" (q); See Gill on Psa_31:1;

and cause me to escape; present danger, and out of the hands of enemies, as well as wrath to come, and eternal death; which nothing but the righteousness of God can deliver from, or cause to escape;

incline thine ear unto me; or "bow it"; See Gill on Psa_31:2;

and save me; out of all troubles and afflictions, and from wicked and unreasonable men.

(q) .propter justitiam tuam", Pagninus, Piscator; so Schmidt" בצדקתך

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape. Be true, O God, to thy word. It is a righteous thing in thee to keep the promises which thou hast made unto thy servants. I have trusted thee, and thou wilt not be unrighteous to forget my faith. I am taken as in a net, but do thou liberate me from the malice of my persecutors.Incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Stoop to my feebleness, and hear my faint whispers; be gracious to my infirmities, and smile upon me: I ask salvation; listen thou to my petitions, and save me. Like one wounded and left for dead by mine enemies, I need that thou bend over me and bind up my wounds. These mercies are asked on the plea of faith, and they cannot, therefore, be denied.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness. Incline thine ear. Let my deliverance be the fruit of thy promise, and of my prayer; and so it will be much the sweeter. John Trapp.Ver. 2. In thy righteousness. The righteousness of God is in this place that virtue by which he makes good his promises-- revenges injuries and rewards piety--which is elsewhere called his veracity. Upon this perfection David here calls, not because he was innocent before God, but because God had bound himself to him by promises, as if he were, in the presence of the men who were persecuting him, both innocent and righteous; and, therefore, worthy of being delivered from this last terrible

calamity into which he has fallen through Absalom, since God had thus acted towards him. Hermann Venema.Ver. 2. Thy righteousness. �ot mine. He knew that he was being chastened for his sin against Uriah. He pleads no merit of his own. Simon de Muis.Ver. 2. Incline thine ear. And since I am so wounded that I am not able to send up my cry to thee, the Most High, do thou incline thine ear to me as I lie half dead, left by the robbers who have wounded and spoiled me. Gerhohus.

3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

BAR�ES, "Be thou my strong habitation -Margin, as in Hebrew, “Be thou to me for a rock of habitation.” That is, a rock where I may safely make my abode, or to which I may resort and feel safe. In Psa_31:2, this is, “Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.” The idea is the same. See the notes at that passage, and compare the notes at Psa_18:2.

Whereunto I may continually resort -Where I may take refuge at all times, in all circumstances of danger.

Thou hast given commandment to save me - There was some command, or some promise, on which the psalmist relied, or which he felt he might plead as the ground of his appeal. This may refer to some “special” promise or command made to the author of the psalm - and, if the psalm was composed by David, there were many such; or the reference may have been to the general commands or promises made to the people of God as such, which he felt he was at liberty to plead, and which all may plead who are the friends of God. “We” cannot refer, as David could, to any special promise made to “us” as “individuals;” but, in proportion as we have evidence of piety, we can refer to the promises made to alI the people of God, or to all who devote themselves to him, as a reason why he should interpose in our behalf. In this respect the promises made in the Scriptures to the children of God, may be pleaded by us “as if” they were made personally to ourselves, for, if we are his, they are made to us - they are intended for us.

For thou art my rock and my fortress - See the notes at Psa_18:2.

CLARKE, "Be thou my strong habitation - Instead of מען maon, habitation,

many of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS. read מעז maoz, munition or defense. Be thou

my rock of defense.

Thou hast given commandment to save me - Thou hast determined my escape, and hast ordered thy angels to guard me. See Psa_91:11, Psa_91:12.

GILL, "Be thou my strong habitation,.... This is very appropiately said, when David was driven out of his dwelling place, and palace at Jerusalem, by his son, as Kimchi observes. When God's people have no certain dwelling place, which is sometimes their case, they always find one in the Lord; particularly in his heart's love; for he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, 1Jo_4:16; and a strong habitation he is: wherefore he is called a strong rock, a strong hold, a strong tower; he is as a wall of fire around his people, a munition of rocks; his salvation is as walls and bulwarks, and his power as a garrison in which they are kept. The psalmist adds,

whereunto I may continually resort; or "may go into daily" (r), in times of danger and distress, for safety; the name of the Lord being a strong tower, whither the righteous run, and are safe, Pro_18:10; and his perfections, his power, faithfulness, lovingkindness, and unchangeableness, being as so many secret chambers, where they may enter into, and hide themselves, till calamities are over, Psa_57:1; and every day indeed for food, for comfort, for refreshment and pleasure, through communion with him; and God in Christ is always to be come at: Christ is the way of access and acceptance; and through his blood, sacrifice, and righteousness, the believer has boldness to enter into the holiest of all, and go up to the seat of God, the throne of his grace; and even to enter into him himself, who has been the dwelling place of his people in all generations, Psa_90:1;

thou hast given commandment to save me; either to the ministering angels, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, comparing it with Psa_91:11; or rather to his Son, in the council and covenant of grace and peace; when he enjoined him the salvation of his people, which he readily agreed to, and with which David was acquainted, Psa_40:7; of this command our Lord speaks, Joh_10:18; and to which he was obedient, Phi_2:8; it may respect David's salvation from present trouble, and his assurance of it, believing that the Lord had determined it, and by his mighty power would effect it; see Psa_44:4;

for thou art my rock and my fortress; see Psa_18:2.

JAMISO�, "given commandment— literally, “ordained,” as in Psa_44:4; Psa_68:28.

rock ... fortress— (Psa_18:2).

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 3. Be thou my strong habitation. Permit me to enter into thee, and be as much at home as a man in his own house, and then suffer me to remain in thee as my settled abode. Whereas foes molest me, I need a dwelling framed and

bulwarked, to sustain a siege and resist the attacks of armies; let, then, thine omnipotence secure me, and be as a fortress unto me. Here we see a weak man, but he is in a strong habitation; his security rests upon the tower in which he hides, and is not placed in jeopardy through his personal feebleness.Whereunto I may continually resort. Fast shut is this castle against all adversaries, its gates they cannot burst open; the drawbridge is up, the portcullis is down, the bars are fast in their places; but, there is a secret door, by which friends of the great Lord can enter at all hours of the day or night, as often as ever they please. There is never an hour when it is unlawful to pray. Mercy's gates stand wide open, and shall do so, till, at the last, the Master of the house has risen up and shut to the door. Believers find their God to be their habitation, strong and accessible, and this is for them a sufficient remedy for all the ills of their mortal life.Thou hast given commandment to save me. �ature is charged to be tender with God's servants; Providence is ordered to work their good, and the forces of the invisible world are ordained as their guardians. David charged all his troops to spare the young man Absalom, but yet he fell. God's commandment is of far higher virtue, for it compels obedience, and secures its end. Destruction cannot destroy us, famine cannot starve us; but we laugh at both, while God's mandate shields us. �o stones of the field can throw us down, while angels bear us up in their hands; neither can the beasts of the field devour us, while David's God delivers us from their ferocity, or Daniel's God puts them in awe of us. For thou art my rock and my fortress. In God we have all the security which nature which furnishes the rock, and art which builds the fortress, could supply; he is the complete preserver of his people. Immutability may be set forth by the rock, and omnipotence by the fortress. Happy is he who can use the personal pronoun "my" --not only once, but as many times as the many aspects of the Lord may render desirable. Is he a strong habitation? I will call him "my strong habitation, "and he shall be my rock, my fortress, my God (Psalms 71:4), my hope, my trust (Psalms 71:5), my praise (Psalms 71:6). All mine shall be his, all his shall be mine. This was the reason why the psalmist was persuaded that God had commanded his salvation, namely, because he had enabled his to exercise a calm and appropriating faith.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 3. Whereunto I may continually resort. Would he then want to repair to him always? Our necessities, our work, our danger require it constantly. We are commanded to pray without ceasing. And if, while we acknowledge and feel the obligation, we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, we shall not lament it. Loving him, as well as depending upon him, we shall find it good to draw near to God, and delight ourselves in the Almighty; and we shall never find him, when we want him, inaccessible. There is a way to our strong habitation, and we know the way. There is a door, and we have the key. �o sentinel keeps us back; the dwelling is our own: and who dares to forbid us all its accommodations and contents? Kings, however disposed, cannot be always approachable. Owing to the multitude of their claims, and the limitation of their powers, and the importance of keeping up a sense of their dignity, they are only accessible at certain times, and with stately formalities. But the King of kings allows us to come boldly to the throne of grace; and enjoins us in every thing, by prayer and supplication, to make our requests unto him. We cannot be too importunate, or by our continual coming weary him. William Jay.

Ver. 3. Thou hast given commandment to save me. Let us observe his words; he ascribes to the word and command of God a saving virtue, which no power on earth, none in hell, nor death itself can resist. Only, he says, give the command that I may be saved, and, in a moment, I shall be wholly saved. Musculus.

WHEDO�, "3. Strong habitation—Literally, my rock of habitation. Psalms 31:2.

Continually resort—Continual going to God is the only safety.

Commandment to save me—This is the language of faith. If God had commanded “to save,” no man could disannul or make void the decree, Psalms 44:4. God commands to be done what is promised, when the conditions of the promise are fulfilled.

SIMEO�, "GOD A HABITATIO� FOR HIS PEOPLE

Psalms 71:3. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort.

�O one can enter into the spirit of David’s psalms, unless he himself have been sorely persecuted and severely tried. A very great number of the Psalms were written under circumstances of deep affliction; and record either the prayers of David for protection from his enemies, or his thanksgivings for deliverance from them. This psalm was written when David, far advanced in life, was driven from his throne by his son Absalom, and was in the most imminent dan ger of falling by the hands of his blood-thirsty pursuers. But as in early life, when menaced by Saul, he had besought the Lord, saying, “Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me [�ote: Psalms 31:1-2.];” so now, in nearly the same terms, he repeats the cry: “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear to me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort [�ote: ver. 1–3.].” �ow though, through the goodness of God, we are not brought into such imminent perils as David, yet have we occasion to adopt his language, and to seek in God that protection which no created power can afford.

Let us, in discoursing on his words, consider,

1. The sentiment propounded—

Accustomed as we are to hear the language of the Psalms, we pass by, without any particular notice, expressions which, if duly considered, will appear truly wonderful. How extraordinary is the idea, for instance, of making Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth, “our habitation!” Contemplate, I pray you,

1. The condescension of God in suffering himself to be so addressed—

[Consider, for a moment, what a habitation is. Whether it be greater or less in point of magnificence or strength, if it be ours, we have access to it as our own; we gain a ready admission to it at all seasons; we expect to find in it all the accommodations which our necessities require: we regard every chamber of it as destined for our use; we shut the door against every unwelcome intruder; and whatever storms may rage without, we lie down to rest in it, in perfect peace and safety. If we superadd the idea of a fortress, we deride the vain attempts of our enemies, and defy all the power that can be brought against us. �ow, think of God as revealing himself to us under such an image; and permitting every sinner in the universe, who will but enter in by Christ as the door, to take to himself this mansion as his own. Truly, if God himself had not authorised such a representation of his character, we should have been ready to denounce it as blasphemy. That the Most High God should give even to the vilest of the human race such intimate access unto himself, seems to be perfectly incredible. Even an earthly monarch could not endure such humiliation as this: and yet the God of heaven and earth feels it to be not unworthy of him. Truly, I say again, this condescension far exceeds all that could ever have entered into the mind of man to conceive, if the voice of inspiration itself had not announced it to us. And this is the very view in which David himself speaks of it in another psalm: “Blessed be the Lord, my strength, my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower and deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him; or the son of man, that thou makest account of him [�ote: Psalms 144:1-3.]?”]

2. The comfort which man derives from this view of the Deity—

[Every one, the meanest as well as the greatest of men, knows what is comprehended in the idea of a “habitation.” It requires no stretch of thought to grasp it: the image is familiar to every mind; and presents itself in all its bearings to every one that has felt the blessings of civilized society. But if we suppose a person to be under the pressure of heavy affliction, whether from the persecutions of men or the assaults of devils, what a comfort must it be to him to contemplate the wisdom, the power, the goodness, the mercy, the love, the faithfulness of Almighty God; and to hear him saying, “Come, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut the doors about thee, and hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast [�ote: Isaiah 26:20.]!” how joyfully will he “hide himself in the secret of this tabernacle;” and, like the manslayer that has got within the city of his refuge, lift up his soul in adoring gratitude to God, and look with exultation on his disappointed foe!

The more we contemplate the sentiment that is here propounded, the more we shall see occasion to admire the condescension of our God, and to congratulate man upon the high privilege which is thus accorded to him.]

But it is not as an abstract sentiment that this truth is declared: it is embodied in a petition that is presented to God himself: and therefore, to view it aright, we must contemplate,

II. The petition urged—

That it is such a petition as every one will do well to offer, will appear, if we mark,

1. The wisdom of it—

[Every man has enemies to encounter; nor can any one encounter them in his own strength. But we have a vantage ground to which we may repair, a fortress that is absolutely impregnable. In our God we have not only a wall, but “a wall of fire;” which, whilst it protects his people, will devour their assailants. With such a habitation open to us, would it not be madness to neglect it? Should we not rather “resort to it continually,” yea, and abide in it, that we may enjoy the safety which is thus provided for us? If, indeed, there were any other means of safety, an option would be left us: but not all the powers of heaven and earth can save us, if we turn our back on God, to rely upon an arm of flesh. God has said, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm: but blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is [�ote: Jeremiah 17:5-8.].” To every one, therefore, I would say, Flee to your mountain, that the flames overtake you not; and “look not back in all the plain, lest ye be consumed [�ote: Genesis 19:17.].”]

2. The piety of it—

[David renounced every other hope but that which he had in God. �or, indeed, did he wish for any other; because he saw that God was all-sufficient for him. He saw in God a sufficiency of grace to receive him, of power to protect him, of love to supply his every need; and hence it was that he was emboldened to offer the petition which we are now contemplating. In truth, without such news of God, no one would over think of addressing him in such terms as these. There must be a just knowledge of God’s character, with suitable affections towards him, else we could never entertain such a desire as is here expressed: it is this apprehension of his excellency that could alone inspire a wish to make him, even his very bosom, our continual resort. But all who have those views of him will unite in that grateful acknowledgment, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations [�ote: Psalms 90:1.].”]

Address—

1. Those who have never yet had these views of God—

[Truly, you are greatly to be pitied. For who amongst you can hope to escape all trouble, when it is said that “we are born to trouble as the sparks fly upward?” And whither will you go, when enemies assail you? where will you flee for refuge? or in whom will you find the aid which you will stand in need of? Alas! your state, whatever it may now be, will be terrible beyond expression. You will resemble the host of Pharaoh, who found at last that the God with whom they had presumed to contend was mightier than they. On the other hand, “acquaint yourselves with God, and you shall be at peace,” both now and in the eternal world.]

2. Those who have resorted to him under this character—

[Hear what the Psalmist says concerning you: “Because thou hast made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee [�ote: Psalms 91:9-10.].” Truly, “his name is a strong tower, to which you may run at all times, and be safe [�ote: Proverbs 18:10.]:” and whatever your circumstances may be, “he will be to you as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land [�ote: Isaiah 32:2.].” Enjoy, then, the exalted privilege which is here vouchsafed unto you. And let there not be a day, or an hour, wherein you do not resort to God under this endearing character, dwelling in him, abiding in him, and finding in him all that your necessities can require.]

4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

BAR�ES, "Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked - It is, of course, not possible now to ascertain who are particularly referred to here. If David was the author of the psalm, they may have been any of the numerous enemies that he had in his life.

Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man - Hebrew, “out of the palm.” This means here the same as hand, and refers to the “grasp” which anyone makes in taking hold of a thing by the hand.

CLARKE, "Out of the hand of the wicked - Probably his unnatural son Absalom,

called here רשע rasha, the Wicked, because he had violated all laws, human and Divine.

The unrighteous and cruel man - Probably Ahithophel who was the iniquitous counsellor of a wicked and rebellious son.

GILL, "Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,.... Meaning

Absalom his son, as Arama, who had risen up in rebellion against him; and he may not only intend him, but all those wicked men that had joined with him: it was David's mercy he had a covenant God to go to, and could claim his interest in him, who had power to deliver him, and from whom he might expect it;

out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man; or "leavened" (s); a sour ill natured man; one leavened with malice and wickedness: perhaps Ahithophel is intended. It may be applied to any wicked, lawless, and tyrannical persecutor of God's people; and particularly to the lawless and wicked one, the man of sin, the son of perdition, antichrist, 2Th_2:4.

JAMISO�, "cruel man— corrupt and ill-natured - literally, “sour.”

CALVI�, "4.O my God! deliver me from the hand of the wicked man. Here he uses the singular number; but he is not to be understood as indicating one man only. (102) It is highly probable that he comprehends the whole host of the enemies who assaulted him. We have elsewhere had occasion to observe how greatly it contributes to inspire us with the confidence of obtaining our requests, when we are so assured of our own integrity, as to be able freely to complain before God that we are unjustly and wickedly assaulted by our enemies; for we ought not to doubt that God, who has promised to become the defender of those who are unjustly oppressed, will, in that case, undertake our cause.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked. God is on the same side with us, and those who are our enemies are also his, for they are wicked; therefore will the Lord surely rescue his own confederates, and he will not suffer the evil to triumph over the just. He who addresses such a prayer as this to heaven, does more injury to his enemies than if he had turned a battery of Armstrongs upon them.Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. Being wicked to God, they become unrighteous towards men, and cruel in their persecutions of the godly. Two hands are here mentioned: they grasp and they crush; they strike and they would slay if God did not prevent; had they as many hands as Briarcus, the finger of God would more than match them.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 4. The cruel man is literally the leavened man, leavened with hatred of truth and enmity to God; and, therefore, a violent opposer of his people. So, in 1 Corinthians 5:8 we are cautioned against the "leaven of malice and wickedness, "which, in accordance with the figure, may pervade the whole natural character of an ungodly man, his faculties and affections. W. Wilson.

WHEDO�, "4. The unrighteous and cruel man—If this refers to any one individual, and we have rightly judged the occasion of the psalm, the allusion might well be to Ahithophel. See our note on Psalms 55:12. But it may be a general and abstract term

for any and every man who is “unrighteous and cruel.”

GUZIK, " (4-6) Trusting in the constant care of God.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,

Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For You are my hope, O Lord God;

You are my trust from my youth.

By You I have been upheld from birth;

You are He who took me out of my mothers womb.

My praise shall be continually of You.

a. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked: The source of the Psalmist's misery is revealed. There was a wicked man, unrighteous and cruel who seemed to hold the Psalmist in his grip. From this he needed God to deliver him.

i. Out of the hand of the wicked: "Ever remembering that wickedness is at least as dangerous when it tempts as when it persecutes; and can smile, as well as frown, a man dead." (Horne)

b. You are my hope, O Lord God: The Psalmist proclaimed his hope and trust in Adonai Yahweh, the Master and covenant God of Israel. It wasn't just that his hope was in Yahweh; He was his hope.

c. By You I have been upheld from birth: �oting God's care and help to him from the earliest age, the Psalmist appealed to God's continued care and promised praise to God that was just as continual.

i. "As in the womb I lived upon thee, so from the womb." (Trapp)

ii. My praise shall be continually of You: "Where goodness has been unceasingly received, praise should unceasingly be offered." (Spurgeon)

5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

BAR�ES, "For thou art my hope, O Lord God - The ground of my hope and my expectation is in thee.

(1) I have no other help; no other defense; but

(2) I “have” confidence; on thee I “do” rely.

Thou art my trust from my youth - From my earliest years. The meaning is, that he had always trusted in God, and had always found him a helper. All that he was, and all that he possessed, he owed to God; and he felt now that God had been his protector from his earliest years. Perhaps it could not be shown certainly from this expression that he meant to say he had “actually trusted” in God from his youth, for the “language” means no more than that God had actually protected him, and holden him up, and had continually interposed to save and keep him. As God had always been his Protector, so he felt that he might come to Him now, and put his trust in Him.

CLARKE, "My trust from my youth -When I was born into the world, thou didst receive me, and thou tookest me under thy especial care. “My praise shall be continually of thee.” Rather, I have always made thee my boast.

GILL, "For thou art my hope, O Lord God,.... The object, ground, and foundation of it, even of present deliverance, and of future and eternal salvation;

thou art my trust from my youth; in whom he trusted in his youthful days, of which there is an eminent instance in 1Sa_17:33.

HE�RY, " How his confidence in God is supported and encouraged by his experiences (Psa_71:5, Psa_71:6): “Thou hast been my trust from my youth; ever since I was capable of discerning between my right hand and my left, I stayed myself upon thee, and saw a great deal of reason to do so; for by thee have I been holden up from the

womb.” Ever since he had the use of his reason he had been a dependent upon God's goodness, because ever since he had had a being he had been a monument of it. Note, The consideration of the gracious care which the divine Providence took of us in our birth and infancy should engage us to an early piety and constant devotedness to his honour. He that was our help from our birth ought to be our hope from our youth. If we received so much mercy from God before we were capable of doing him any service, we should lose no time when we are capable. This comes in here as a support to the psalmist in his present distress; not only that God had given him his life and being, bringing him out of his mother's bowels into the world, and providing that he should not die from the womb, nor give up the ghost when he came out of the belly, but that he had betimes made him one of his family: “Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels into the arms of thy grace, under the shadow of thy wings, into the bond of thy covenant; thou tookest me into thy church, as a son of thy handmaid, and born in thy house, Psa_116:16. And therefore,” (1.) “I have reason to hope that thou wilt protect me; thou that hast held me up hitherto wilt not let me fall now; thou that madest me wilt not forsake the work of thy own hands; thou that helpedst me when I could not help myself wilt not abandon me now that I am as helpless as I was then.” (2.) “Therefore I have reason to resolve that I will devote myself unto thee: My praise shall therefore be continually of thee;” that is, “I will make it my business every day to praise thee and will take all occasions to do it.”

JAMISO�, "trust— place of trust.

CALVI�, "5.For thou art my expectation, O Lord Jehovah! The Psalmist here repeats what he had said a little before concerning his trust or confidence. But some, perhaps, may be inclined to refer this sentence rather to the matter or ground afforded him for hope and confidence than to the emotions of his heart; supposing him to mean, that by the benefits which God had conferred upon him, he was furnished with well-grounded hope. And certainly he does not here simply declare that he hoped in God, but with this he conjoins experience, and acknowledges that even from his youth he had received tokens of the Divine favor, from which he might learn, that confidence is to be reposed in God alone. By adverting to what God had done for him, (106) he expresses the real cause of faith, (if I may so speak;) and from this we may easily perceive the powerful influence which the remembrance of God’s benefits had in nourishing his hope.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 5. For thou art my hope, O Lord God. God who gives us grace to hope in him, will assuredly fulfil our hope, and, therefore, we may plead it in prayer. His name is "Jehovah, the hope of Israel" (Jeremiah 17:13); and, as he cannot be a false or failing hope, we may expect to see our confidence justified.Thou art my trust from my youth. David had proved his faith by notable exploits when he was a youth and ruddy; it was to him a cheering recollection, and he felt persuaded that the God of his youth would not forsake him in his age. They are highly favoured who can like David, Samuel, Josiah, Timothy, and others say, "Thou art my trust from my youth."EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS

Ver. 5. Thou art my hope. �ot only is our hope in him but he himself is our hope. "God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, "saith St. Paul, "our hope." 1 Timothy 1:1. Yea, there is a deeper, nearer depth: "The glory of the mystery of the gospel, "says St. Paul, "is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ himself is our hope, as the only Author of it; Christ is our hope, as the End of it; and Christ, who is the Beginning and the End, is our hope also by the way; for he saith, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27. Each yearning of our hearts, each ray of hope which gleams upon us, each touch which thrills us, each voice which whispers in our inmost hearts of the good things laid up in store for us, if we will love God, are the light of Christ enlightening us, the touch of Christ raising us to new life, the voice of Christ, "Whoso cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out; "it is "Christ in us, the hope of glory, "drawing us up by his spirit who dwelleth in us, unto himself our hope. For our hope is not the glory of heaven, not joy, not peace, not rest from labour, not fulness of our wishes, nor sweet contentment of the whole soul, nor understanding of all mysteries and all knowledge, not only a torrent of delight; it is "Christ our God, ""the hope of glory." �othing which God could create is what we hope for; nothing which God could give us out of himself, no created glory, or bliss, or beauty, or majesty, or riches. What we hope for is our Redeeming God himself, his love, his bliss, the joy of our Lord himself who hath so loved us, to be our joy and our portion for ever. E. B. Pusey.Ver. 5. From my youth. The remembering and acknowledging of God in youth will be great satisfaction in old age. O what joy will reflection upon youthful piety yield! Even Seneca, a heathen, could say: "Youth well spent is the greatest comfort of old age." David could confidently plead with God for deliverance out of the hand of the wicked: For, saith he, thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth" (Psalms 71:9; Psalms 71:17-18). An ingenuous master will not turn off a superannuated servant. When the proconsul bade Polycarp deny Christ and swear by the emperor, he answered: "I have served Christ these eighty-six years, and he hath not once injured me, and shall I now deny him?" Jacob could say: "God hath fed me all my life long unto this day; he hath been kind to me all my days, and I trust he will look to me even in the end; and shall I now turn my back on him?" Whither can I go to mend myself for a master? "Thou only hast the words of eternal life." He that hath been the stay of my youth, will be the staff of my age. I dare venture my soul upon his promise who hath hitherto maintained me by his providence. "In the days of my youth, the secret of God was upon my tabernacle, his candle did shine upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness; "and, though now "the sun, and the light, and moon and stars be darkened, "in this my natural horizon, yet "the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." I have abundant experience of his grace and presence. O the days of mercy I have had many years ago! A good man said: "I got that in my youth, which I would not for all the world have to get now." Oliver Heywood. 1629-1702.

COFFMA�, "GOD HAS HELPED HIM ALL OF HIS LIFE

It is true of every person who reaches an advanced age that God has been the constant helper all the way, even from the very beginning of life.

"For thou art my hope, O Lord Jehovah:

Thou art my trust from my youth.

By thee have I been holden up from the womb:

Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels:

My praise shall be continually of thee.

I am a wonder unto many:

But thou art my strong refuge.

My mouth shall be filled with thy praise,

And with thy honor all the day."

"Thou art my hope" (Psalms 71:5). This is from Psalms 29:7 and Psalms 40:4.

"By thee have I been holden up from the womb" (Psalms 71:6). The same thought exactly is expressed in Psalms 22:9-10.

"I am as a wonder unto many" (Psalms 71:7). The word here rendered "wonder" is also translated "portent." "The general significance of `portent' is `something that clearly shows that God is at work.'"[7]

Certainly, there were many things in the life of David that indicated the special blessing and providence of God. How remarkable is it that a shepherd boy should have become the mighty King of Israel?

Besides that, he killed a lion and a bear under circumstances that strongly suggest the miraculous. Then there was that encounter with the Giant Goliath of Gath.

In one of the most astounding actions of human history, that unarmed shepherd boy slew the mighty champion of the Philistines in full armor! Yes indeed, God was at work in the life of David.

Of course, it is possible that God also did such wonders in the life of some other aged psalmist; but the Scriptures tell us of these wonders.

Some have understood this Psalms 71:7 to speak of remarkable punishments heaped upon the psalmist; and Rawlinson even referred to this interpretation as

"Preferable."[8] However, we prefer the other interpretation. This is not to deny that there were also some very remarkable punishments in David's life. Among such was the death of the first child of Bathsheba and the rebellion of David's own son Absalom.

EBC, "ECHOES of former psalms make the staple of this one, and even those parts of it which are not quotations have little individuality. The themes are familiar, and the expression of them is scarcely less so. There is no well-defined strophical structure, and little continuity of thought or feeling. Psalms 71:13 and Psalms 71:24 b serve as a kind of partial refrain, and may be taken as dividing the psalm into two parts, but there is little difference between the contents of the two. Delitzsch gives in his adhesion to the hypothesis that Jeremiah was the author; and there is considerable weight in the reasons assigned for that ascription of authorship. The pensive, plaintive tone; the abundant quotations, with slight alterations of the passages cited; the autobiographical hints which fit in with Jeremiah’s history, are the chief of these. But they can scarcely be called conclusive. There is more to be said for the supposition that the singer is the personified nation in this case than in many others. The sudden transition to "us" in Psalms 71:20, which the Masoretic marginal correction corrects into "me," favours, though it does not absolutely require, that view, which is also supported by the frequent allusion to "youth" and "old age." These, however, are capable of a worthy meaning, if referring to an individual. Psalms 71:1-3 are slightly varied from Psalms 31:1-3. The character of the changes will be best appreciated by setting the two passages side by side.

Psalms 31:1-24 Psalms 71:1-24

1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take 1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take

refuge; let me not be ashamed refuge:

forever: Let me not be put to shame

forever:

In Thy righteousness

me. 2. In Thy righteousness deliver

2. Bend Thine ear to me; de- me and rescue me:

liver me speedily. Bend Thine ear and save me.

The two verbs, which in the former psalm are in separate clauses ("deliver" and "rescue"), are here brought together. "Speedily" is omitted, and "save" is substituted for "deliver," which has been drawn into the preceding clause. Obviously no difference of meaning is intended to be conveyed, and the changes look very like the inaccuracies of memoriter quotations. The next variation is as

follows:-

Psalms 31:1-24 Psalms 71:1-24

2. Be to me for a strong 3. Be to me for a rock of

for a house of defence to save me. habitation to go to continually:

3. For my rock and my fortress Thou hast commanded to save me.

art Thou. For my rock and my me; fortress art Thou.

The difference between "a strong rock" and "rock of habitation" is but one letter. That between "for a house of defence" and "to go to continually: Thou has commanded" is extremely slight, as Baethgen has well shown. Possibly both of these variations are due to textual corruption, but more probably this psalmist intentionally altered the words of an older psalm. Most of the old versions have the existing text, but the LXX seems to have read the Hebrew here as in Psalms 31:1-24. The changes are not important, but they are significant. That thought of God as a habitation to which the soul may continually find access goes very deep into the secrets of the devout life. The variation in Psalms 71:3 is recommended by observing the frequent recurrence of "continually" in this psalm, of which that word may almost be said to be the motto. �or is the thought of God’s command given to His multitude of unnamed servants, to save this poor man, one which we can afford to lose.

Psalms 71:5-6, are a similar variation of Psalms 22:9-10. "On Thee have I been stayed from the womb," says this psalmist; "On Thee was I cast from the womb," says the original passage. The variation beautifully brings out, not only reliance on God, but the Divine response to that reliance by lifelong upholding. That strong arm answers leaning weakness with firm support, and whosoever relies on it is upheld by it. The word rendered above "protector" is doubtful. It is substituted for that in Psalms 22:9 which means "One that takes out," and some commentators would attach the same meaning to the word used here, referring it to God’s goodness before and at birth. But it is better taken as equivalent to benefactor, provider, or some such designation, and as referring to God’s lifelong care.

The psalmist has been a "wonder" to many spectators, either in the sense that they have gazed astonished at God’s goodness, or, as accords better with the adversative character of the next clause ("But Thou art my refuge"), that his sufferings have been unexampled. Both ideas may well be combined, for the life of every man, if rightly studied, is full of miracles both of mercy and judgment. If the psalm is the voice of an individual, the natural conclusion from such words is that his life was conspicuous; but it is obvious that the national reference is appropriate here.

On this thankful retrospect of life-long help and life-long trust the psalm builds a prayer for future protection from eager enemies, who think that the charmed life is

vulnerable at last.

6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

BAR�ES, "By thee have I been holden up from the womb - From the beginning of my existence. The “idea” in all this is, that, since God had sustained him from his earliest years - since he had shown his power in keeping him, and manifested his care for him, there was ground to pray that God would keep him still, and that he would guard him as old age came on. The sentiment in this verse is substantially the same as in Psa_22:9-10. See the notes at that passage.

My praise shall be continually of thee -My praise shall ascend to thee constantly. I will not cease to praise thee. Compare the notes at Psa_22:25.

GILL, "By thee have I been holden up from the womb,.... Supported in being, upheld in life, and sustained with food and raiment, and followed with the mercies and blessings of life from thence to this present moment; which the psalmist takes notice of, as he does of what goes before and follows after, to encourage his faith and hope in God as to present deliverance;

thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels; See Gill on Psa_22:9; the Syriac version is, "thou art my hope from my mother's bowels"; the Arabic version, "thou art my helper"; and the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, "thou art my protector"; the word is only used here, and in Psa_90:10; and is there rendered "cut off"; the Lord was, as it were, his "cutter off" (t); that cut the navel string, and loosed him from his mother, and safely brought him into the world, and preserved him ever since: wherefore he adds,

my praise shall be continually of thee; as the God of nature and providence; and also as the God of grace, who had blessed him both with temporal and spiritual blessings; and these being continued with him, he determines that God should be the subject of his praise always. The Targum is,

"in thy Word my praise is continually.''

JAMISO�, "His history from early infancy illustrated God’s care, and his wonderful

deliverances were at once occasions of praise and ground of confidence for the future.

my praise ... of thee— literally, “in” or “by Thee” (Psa_22:25).

CALVI�, "6.Upon thee have I been sustained from the womb. This verse corresponds with the preceding, except that David proceeds farther. He not only celebrates the goodness of God which he had experienced from his childhood, but also those proofs of it which he had received previous to his birth. An almost similar confession is contained in Psalms 22:9, by which is magnified the wonderful power and inestimable goodness of God in the generation of men, the way and manner of which would be altogether incredible, were it not a fact with which we are quite familiar. If we are astonished at that part of the history of the flood, in which Moses declares (Genesis 8:13) that �oah and his household lived ten months amidst the offensive nuisance produced by so many living creatures, when he could not draw the breath of life, have we not equal reason to marvel that the infant, shut up within its mother’s womb, can live in such a condition as would suffocate the strongest man in half an hour? But we thus see how little account we make of the miracles which God works, in consequence of our familiarity with them. The Spirit, therefore, justly rebukes this ingratitude, by commending to our consideration this memorable instance of the grace of God, which is exhibited in our birth and generation. When we are born into the world, although the mother do her office, and the midwife may be present with her, and many others may lend their help, yet did not God, putting, so to speak, his hand under us, receive us into his bosom, what would become of us? and what hope would there be of the continuance of our life? Yea, rather, were it not for this, our very birth would be an entrance into a thousand deaths. God, therefore, is with the highest propriety said to take us out of our mother’s bowels To this corresponds the concluding part of the verse, My praise is continually of thee; by which the Psalmist means that he had been furnished with matter for praising God without intermission.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb. Before he was able to understand the power which preserved him, he was sustained by it. God knows us before we know anything. The elect of old lay in the bosom of God before they were laid on their mothers' bosoms; and when their infantile weakness had no feet strong enough to carry it, the Lord upheld it. We do well to reflect upon divine goodness to us in childhood, for it is full of food for gratitude.Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels. Even before conscious life, the care of God is over his chosen. Birth is a mystery of mercy, and God is with both mother and babe. If marriages are registered in heaven, we may be sure that births are also. Holy women do well to bless God for his mercy to them in nature's perilous hour; but every one who is born of woman has equal cause for thankfulness. She, whose life is preserved, should render thanks, and so should he whose life is given.My praise shall be continually of thee. Where goodness has been unceasingly received, praise should unceasingly be offered. God is the circle where praise should begin, continue, and endlessly revolve, since in him we live, and move, and have our being.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS

Ver. 6. He did not, like most men, recognise the hand of God only when, in an extraordinary manner, it became manifest in life; but his eye of faith regards the ordinary works of God as miracles. The translation from his mother's womb to the light of day is to him an object of praise. (Psalms 22:9-10.) And, really, is not the preservation of the embryo, in its narrow confines, a miracle? Is it not a pledge, simultaneously with man's growing into being, of our after experience in life, that we have a God "who bringeth us out of death to light?" (Psalms 68:20.) Is not the reason of our finding so little of praise, to be sought in our having no eyes for his daily miracles? The psalmist has eyes for the daily miracles of the Lord; and, therefore, his mouth is daily full of the praise of the Lord. Augustus F. Tholuck.Ver. 6. Blessed be God that ever I was born. Halyburton.Ver. 6. This verse corresponds with the preceding, except that David proceeds farther. He not only celebrates the goodness of God, which he had experienced from his childhood, but, also, those proofs of it which he had received previous to his birth. An almost similar confession is contained in Psalms 22:9-10, by which is magnified the wonderful power and inestimable goodness of God in the generation of men, the way and manner of which would be altogether incredible, were it not a fact with which we are quite familiar. If we are astonished at that part of the history of the flood, in which Moses declares (Genesis 8:13), that �oah and his household lived ten months amidst the offensive nuisance produced by so many living creatures, when he could not draw the breath of life, have we not equal reason to marvel that the infant, shut up within its mother's womb, can live in such a condition as would suffocate the strongest man in half an hour? But we thus see how little account we make of the miracles which God works, in consequence of our familiarity with them. The Spirit, therefore, justly rebukes this ingratitude, by commending to our consideration this memorable instance of the grace of God which is exhibited in our birth and generation. When we are born into the world, although the mother do her office, and the midwife may be present with her, and many others may lend their help, yet did not God, putting, so to speak, his hand under us, receive us into his bosom, what would become of us? and what hope would there be in the continuance of our life? Yea, rather, were it not for this, our very birth would be an entrance into a thousand deaths. God, therefore, is with the highest propriety said to take us out of our mother's bowels. To this corresponds the concluding part of the verse, My praise shall be continually of thee by which the psalmist means that he has been furnished with matter for praising God without intermission. John Calvin.

WHEDO�, "6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb—From the birth, or since the birth. The tender care of God for him had been like that of a mother, holding up and carrying the child from the moment of birth.

Thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels—He has already retrospected God’s care from youth to manhood, and from earliest childhood to youth. He now delicately traces back the divine tenderness during all his unconscious life until the act itself of birth. Psalms 139:15-16. After his life-long and life-giving tenderness and care, can God now forsake him in old age?

ELLICOTT, "(6) Took me out.—Comp. Psalms 22:10. The Hebrew is not the same, but the Authorised Version renders by the same word, treating it as a transitive participle of a word that elsewhere only means to go through, a doubtful expedient. The LXX. (and Vulg.) have “protector,” σκεπαστἠς, which is probably an error for ἐκσπαστἠς (following Psalms 22:10, ἐκσπάσας), which would support the rendering, “he that severed me,” a rendering for other reasons probable.

This allusion to birth and retrospect of life from the earliest infancy, is not unsuitable to Israel personified as an individual, or rather it suits both the individual and the community of which he is the mouthpiece. So it has often been in application treated as an epitome of the history of the Christian Church.

7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge.

BAR�ES, "I am as a wonder unto many - The word here rendered “wonder” -

môphêth מופת - means properly a miracle, a prodigy; then things that are suited to excite

wonder or admiration; then, a sign, a token. See the notes at Isa_8:18. The meaning here is, that the course of things in regard to him - the divine dealings toward him - had been such as to excite attention; to strike the mind as something unusual, and out of the common course, in the same way that miracles do. This might be either from the number and the character of the calamities which had come upon him; or from the narrow escapes which he had had from death; or from the frequency of the divine intervention in his behalf; or from the abundant mercies which had been manifested toward him. The connection makes it probable that he refers to the unusual number of afflictions which had come upon him, and the frequency of the divine interpositions in his behalf when there was no other refuge, and no other hope.

But thou art my strong refuge - See the notes at Psa_18:2. That is, God had been his Protector, his hiding-place.

CLARKE, "I am as a wonder unto many - I am כמופת kemopheth “as a portent,”

or “type:” I am a typical person; and many of the things that happen to me are to be considered in reference to him of whom I am a type. But he may mean I am a continual

prodigy. My low estate, my slaying the lion and the bear, conquering the Philistine, escaping the fury of Saul, and being raised to the throne of Israel, are all so many wonders of thy providence, and effects of thy power and grace.

GILL, "I am as a wonder unto many,.... To the multitude, to the populace, or "to the great" (u) and mighty; and indeed to both: which respects not his wonderful preservation from the womb, he had before observed; nor his being in a wonderful manner raised to the throne of Israel; nor the wonderful things and amazing exploits done by him, and victories he obtained; nor the wonderful instances of divine grace and goodness to him; but rather the forlorn and distressed state and condition he was now in, being obliged to quit his palace, and flee from the face of his son, accompanied only with a few of his servants; and so was a shocking sight, a spectacle, as the apostle says of himself, to others, to the world, to angels, and to men, 1Co_4:9; so the Messiah and his children are said to be set for signs and wonders, Isa_8:18; and Joshua and his fellows to be men wondered at, Zec_3:8; as the saints are by themselves, that they should partake of such favours; and by the angels, that they should be the objects of electing, redeeming, calling, adopting, justifying, and pardoning grace; and by the world, that they should choose to suffer affliction and reproach for Christ, bear it with so much patience, and be supported, and thrive under it; see 2Co_6:8;

but thou art my strong refuge; or "my refuge of strength" (w); his refuge and strength, as in Psa_46:1; his refuge, to which he betook himself, when refuge failed him, and no man cared for him, and which he found to be a strong one, and in it safety.

CALVI�, "7.I have been as a prodigy to the great ones. He now makes a transition to the language of complaint, declaring that he was held in almost universal abhorrence by reason of the great calamities with which he was afflicted. There is an apparent, although only an apparent, discrepancy between these two statements; first, that he had always been crowned with the benefits of God; and, secondly, that he was accounted as a prodigy on account of his great afflictions; but we may draw from thence the very profitable doctrine, that he was not so overwhelmed by his calamities, heavy though they were, as to be insensible to the goodness of God which he had experienced. Although, therefore, he saw that he was an object of detestation, yet the remembrance of the blessings which God had conferred upon him, could not be extinguished by the deepest shades of darkness which surrounded him, but served as a lamp in his heart to direct his faith. By the term prodigy (107) is expressed no ordinary calamity. Had he not been afflicted in a strange and unusual manner, those to whom the miserable condition of mankind was not unknown would not have shrunk from him with such horror, and regarded him as so repulsive a spectacle. It was, therefore, a higher and more commendable proof of his constancy, that his spirit was neither broken nor enfeebled with sham but reposed in God with the stronger confidence, the more he was cast off by the world. The sentence is to be explained adversatively, implying that, although men abhorred him as a monster, yet, by leaning upon God, he continued in despite of all this unmoved. If it should be thought preferable to translate the word רבים, rabbim,

which I have rendered great ones, by the word many, the sense will be, That David’s afflictions were generally known, and had acquired great notoriety, as if he had been brought forth upon a stage and exposed to the view of the whole people. But in my opinion it will be more suitable to understand the word of great men, or the nobles. There is no heart so strong and impervious to outward influences as not to be deeply pierced when those who are considered to excel in wisdom and judgment, and who are invested with authority, treat a suffering and an afflicted man with such indignity, that they shrink with horror from him, as if he were a monster. In the next verse, as if he had obtained the desire of his heart, he expresses it to be his resolution to yield a grateful acknowledgement to God. To encourage himself to hope with the greater confidence for a happy issue to his present troubles, he promises loudly to celebrate the praises of God, and to do this not only on one occasion, but to persevere in the exercise without intermission.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 7. I am as a wonder unto many. "To thousand eyes a mark and gaze am I." The saints are men wondered at; often their dark side is gloomy even to amazement, while their bright side is glorious even to astonishment. The believer is a riddle, an enigma puzzling the unspiritual; he is a monster warring with those delights of the flesh, which are the all in all of other men; he is a prodigy, unaccountable to the judgments of ungodly men; a wonder gazed at, feared, and, by and by, contemptuously derided. Few understand us, many are surprised at us.But thou art my strong refuge. Here is the answer to our riddle. If we are strong, it is in God; if we are safe, our refuge shelters us; if we are calm, our soul hath found her stay in God. When faith is understood, and the grounds of her confidence seen, the believer is no longer a wonder; but the marvel is that so much unbelief remains among the sons of men.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 7. I am as a wonder unto many. The Hebrew word translated wonder, would, perhaps, be better expressed by portent. It denotes anything uncommon and wonderful, and admits a double meaning. Some interpreters are of opinion, that it is here taken in the most favourable sense, and that the psalmist represents himself as considered, by the many, as a prodigy of God's goodness. But the whole tenor of the Psalm is against this meaning; which is not badly expressed by Green: "I am become a gazing stock to the multitude." Alexander Geddes. 1737-1802.Ver. 7. I am as a wonder unto many etc. On several accounts a converted man may be an object of surprise among his contemporaries. This may arise from the circumstance of his conversion dating at a late period of his life, when his long continuance in a state of impenitence seemed to render it almost certain that he would persist in it to the last. It is, indeed, a wonder to see any human being's course entirely altered at a late period, and to observe him afterwards moving in a totally different direction, influenced by different principals. Or, to take the instance of another convert, the character he is enabled to sustain, founded upon his great change, is in such marked and continued contrast to his former habits of life as to render it difficult to recognise in the Christian of today the sinner of yesterday. "Is Saul also among the prophets?" Or, in yet another example, the means divinely employed to effect result, as to place the result itself under suspicion and doubt. Every godly man, like Ananias of old, may hesitate to admit into his society the

persecutor or the profligate of unhappy notoriety, except upon clearly discerning that he has become a new creature in Christ Jesus, and that old evil habits have passed away. At the same time, his former ungodly associates are mortified at his renunciation of fellowship with them, and are malicious enough to promulgate false reports concerning his character and motives. "They think it strange, "says the apostle, "that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." Yet to such a convert his God is a sun and shield--a shield from the shafts of cruel slander, and a refuge to him from all storms of persecution. In all similar cases the language of the psalmist becomes particularly appropriate: I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. John Leifchild.Ver. 7. A wonder. The Messiah did not attract the admiring gaze of mankind. He did arrest attention; he did excite wonder; but it was not the wonder of admiration. A few whose eyes God had opened, saw, indeed, in some measure, the real grandeur that was amid all this apparent meanness. They "beheld his glory--the glory as of the only begotten of the Father; "a glory that bedimmed all created lustre. But the great body of those who beheld him were, "astonished" at him. His external appearance, especially when contrasted with his claim to be the Messiah, shocked them. The Galilean peasant--the �azarene carpenter--the son of Joseph, claiming God for his own Father, --declaring himself the "bread of life, "and "the light of the world, "and asserting that the destinies of eternity hung on the reception or rejection of him and his message; all this excited a mingled emotion of amazement and indignation, scorn and horror, in the bosom of the great majority of his countrymen. He was a wonder, a prodigy unto many. A mixture of pity and contempt, disgust and wonder, seems to have stirred the stern bosom of the Roman governor, when he brought him out wearing the robe of mock royalty and the torturing crown, and exclaimed, "Behold the man." Even his friends were confounded, though their astonishment bore a different character. The closing scene, notwithstanding what appear to us very plain forewarnings, appears to have come on them like a thunderbolt. They were overwhelmed with amazement, as well as sorrow. What blank astonishment sat on their countenances when he made the announcement, "Verily I say unto you, one of you shall betray me!" How must their amazement have risen at the successive scenes of Gethsemane, and the hall of the high priest, and the court of Pilate, till at last they saw him, in whom they trusted that he should redeem Israel, nailed to a cross like a felonious slave--execrated of man, and deserted of God! Then their amazement reached its consummation: they were "astonished at him." John Brown, in "The Sufferings and Glories of the Messiah."

WHEDO�, "7. I am as a wonder unto many— “As a prodigy or wonder, an object of contemptuous astonishment was I, or have I been, to many, on account of my extraordinary sufferings.”—Alexander. But מופת is often used in the sense sign, symbol, or token, indicating the divine will or purpose, as in Ezekiel 12:11, “Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them;” and Ezekiel 24:24, “Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do.” This sense is quite common. So, in the text, the psalmist was a sign or token to many, illustrating by his high example what God will do with the righteous and the wicked,

and the principles on which he will reward or punish men. Thus, in all ages, individual experience has been used as illustrative of the settled methods of divine grace and judgment for the admonition and encouragement of others, Isaiah 8:18; Zechariah 3:8, where “men wondered at,” should be “men of a sign.” David seemed conscious of this public relation of his personal and official life.

BE�SO�, "Psalms 71:7. I am a wonder to many — Hebrew, כמופת, chemopeth, as a prodigy, or monster, that is, as a frightful spectacle, which they are afraid to come near. Green renders it, as a gazing-stock to the multitude. This David was, on account of his many and sore calamities, and perhaps, also, because of his firm trust in God amidst them all; as if he had said, Every one waits to see what will be the issue of such extraordinary troubles as I have fallen into, and such extraordinary confidence as I profess to have in God. But thou art my sure refuge — But, although men desert me, and look with suspicion and contempt on me, God is a sure refuge for me. “David, banished from his kingdom,” says Dr. Horne, “was regarded as a wonder, or prodigy of wretchedness; Christ, in his state of humiliation upon earth, was a sign everywhere spoken against, as Simeon foretold he would be, Luke 2:34 . The Christian, who lives by faith, who quits possession for reversion, and who chooses to suffer with his Saviour here, that he may reign with him hereafter, appears to the men of the world as a monster of folly and enthusiasm. But God is the strong refuge of all such.”

GUZIK, "7-11) A strong refuge through a long life.

I have become as a wonder to many,

But You are my strong refuge.

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

And with Your glory all the day.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

For my enemies speak against me;

And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,

Saying, God has forsaken him;

Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

a. I have become a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge: Because of the many adversities and attacks, many people were amazed at the Psalmist. They were in wonder that a man - especially one so committed to God - could be so afflicted. Despite it all, he found a strong refuge in God Himself.

i. "It seems best to understand a portent [wonder] here in its bad sense of 'a solemn warning' (neb), somewhat as in Deuteronomy 28:46 where the disobedience suffer an exemplary fate." (Kidner)

ii. "The believer is a riddle, an enigma puzzling the unspiritual; he is a monster warring with those delights of the flesh, which are the all in all of other men; he is a prodigy, unaccountable to the judgments of ungodly men; a wonder gazed at, feared, and, by-and-by, contemptuously derided." (Spurgeon)

iii. "Christ, in his state of humiliation upon earth, was a 'sign' everywhere 'spoken against,' as Simeon foretold he would be; Luke 2:34." (Horne)

iv. But You are my strong refuge: "�ote, too, the pivotal effect of the phrase but thou (71:7b) in re-directing his attention from himself and the encircling enemy (71:8); an escape to reality rather than from it." (Kidner)

b. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise: Because God had been so faithful as a strong refuge, the Psalmist was determined to speak praise unto God and speak of His glory.

i. "Gods bread is always in our mouths, so should his praise be. He fills us with good; let us be also filled with gratitude. This would leave no room for murmuring or backbiting." (Spurgeon)

c. Do not forsake me when my strength fails: He knew the faithfulness of God through his younger years and now asked that God continue that faithfulness in his old age and as his strength fails. He knew that man's strength diminishes with old age, but God's strength does not.

i. "It is not unnatural or improper for a man who sees old age coming upon him to pray for special grace, and special strength, to enable him to meet what he cannot ward off, and what he cannot but dread; for who can look upon the infirmities of old age, as coming upon himself, but with sad and pensive feelings? Who would wish to be an old man?" (Barnes, cited in Spurgeon)

ii. The Psalmist did not only speak of the loss of physical and mental strength, but also the potential loss of spiritual strength. �ot every believe grows stronger in the Lord as they grow older. The Bible is filled with examples of those who sinned or fell away in the older years.

David sinned against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah in his mature years (2 Samuel 11)

Solomon was drawn away to idolatry in his later years (1 Kings 11)

King Asa's trust in God greatly declined in his later years (2 Chronicles 16:7-12)

d. For my enemies speak against me: The Psalmist knew what his adversaries said against him. He knew they claimed that God has forsaken him and there is none to deliver him. His adversity made them think God was no longer with him, so it was a good time to attack (pursue and take him).

i. Jesus knew what it was like for men to say against Him, "God has forsaken him" (Luke 23:35-37) "Our Lord felt this barbed shaft and it is no marvel if his disciples feel the same. Were this exclamation the truth, it were indeed an ill day for us; but, glory be to God, it is a barefaced lie." (Spurgeon)

SIMEO�, "THE KI�G’S ACCESSIO�

Psalms 71:7-9. I am as a wonder unto many: but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

THIS day being called The Jubilee [�ote: Oct. 25, 1809.], it will be proper

to inform you whence that name is given to it. By the Mosaic law, every seventh year was a sabbatical year, or year of rest. At the end of the seventh sabbatical year, that is the 49th, there was a year of universal rest, not to the land only, but to persons of every description: debtors were released, captives liberated, and inheritances restored. This was, as might be expected, a season of peculiar joy. The connexion between that day, and this which we now celebrate, is only in the time, the grounds of joy being altogether different. We are called to celebrate the fiftieth year of our Monarch’s reign. On this account, I have chosen a subject which I consider as appropriate to the occasion. The psalm before us was written (we apprehend) after Absalom’s rebellion. In discoursing on that portion of it which we have read to you, it will be proper,

I. To consider it in reference to David—

Absalom being dead, and the rebellion suppressed, David finds himself firmly seated on his throne; on which occasion,

1. He acknowledges the mercies he had received—

[He felt himself most peculiarly circumstanced: his trials had been great, and his deliverances most extraordinary. His hair-breadth escapes from Saul, and afterwards from foreign and domestic enemies, were very numerous — — — He had recently been even driven from his throne by his son Absalom, the partisans of whom were ordered to direct their efforts exclusively against him: yet from this danger also had he been delivered: so that he seemed to all to be under the peculiar protection of Heaven. His mind too had in all these trials been wonderfully preserved from any thing vindictive, or unworthy of his high character. On all these accounts he was “a wonder unto many.”

There was indeed a reason for these mercies, which his enemies had no idea of: “he had made God his refuge.” When persecuted by men, he betook himself to prayer, and “encouraged himself in God.” Thus, under all circumstances, he had “God for his glory and defence.”]

2. He makes a suitable improvement of them—

[He renders thanks to God for his past favours.—In this the Psalmist was so exemplary, that he seems frequently to breathe almost the very language of heaven itself — — — In this too he is distinguished from almost all other saints: others abound in prayer, but he in praise — — —

He next prays for a continuance of these favours.—He well knew that he could no longer be safe than whilst he was under the care of the Almighty; and that now in his advanced age he needed, if possible, more than ever the guidance and protection of Heaven — — — Hence he prayed that God would “not cast him off in his old age, nor forsake him when his strength failed him.”]

Such is the import of the passage. Let us now,

II. Accommodate it to the circumstances of this day—

Well may we at this time acknowledge the mercies of God to us—

[Our king may truly be said to be “a wonder unto many,” whether we consider the length, or the prosperity, of his reign. Twice only, within the space of a thousand years, has any monarch of ours reigned so long as to see a jubilee kept on his account. And if we consider the state of the world, it is truly wonderful, that, after so many difficulties as we have encountered, we should stand so eminent among the nations. Some indeed are fond of representing us as in a distressed and fallen state.

But let such persons compare us with all the other nations of Europe, and they will see, that, whilst all of them have fallen a sacrifice to the politics or arms of France, we are as rich and potent as at any period of our history. That we have burthens to bear, is certain: but it is very unfair to ascribe them to our governors. They have arisen out of the circumstances of the world around us; in which we were of necessity involved; and from which we could no more disengage ourselves, than we could exempt our nation from the physical motion of the globe.]

We should also make a similar improvement of them—

[Many are the grounds which we have for praise and thanksgiving: and our mouths may well “be filled with God’s praise all the day.” On this day especially we are called to manifest our gratitude both in a way of spiritual, and, if I may so speak, of carnal joy. Some, in their zeal for spiritual joy, forget that we consist of body as well as of a spiritual part; and that in the Scriptures we have numerous instances of national gratitude expressed by the combined exercise of spiritual and carnal joy. Such was that holy feast which David himself, together with his people, kept, not long after he had written this psalm [�ote: 1 Chronicles 29:20-22.]. And it is truly gratifying to think, that, through the benevolence of the rich, all the poorer classes of society are enabled to participate, in a more than ordinary measure, the bounties of Providence, and to share in the general joy.

Yet have we also peculiar need of prayer.—At this moment our enemy is disengaged from other contests, and enabled to direct all his force against us. Our own government also is unhappily disunited, and our aged king begins to find “his strength fail him.” What, in such a state, shall we do, if God forsake us? We have need to pray unto him “not to cast us off.” Our prosperity hitherto has doubtless been in a great measure owing to this, that we “have made. God our refuge.” Both king and people, when compared with other nations, have been exemplary in this. Let us continue to seek Him more and more: and then, whatever be our state on earth, we shall keep an eternal jubilee in heaven.]

K&D 7-12, "Brought safely through dangers of every kind, he is become מופתZ, as a

wonder, a miracle (Arabic aft from afata, cognate afaka, to bend, distort: a turning ,הפך

round, that which is turned round or wrenched, i.e., that which is contrary to what is usual and looked for) to many, who gaze upon him as such with astonishment (Psa_40:4). It is his God, however, to whom, as hitherto so also in time to come, he will look

to be thus wonderfully preserved: מחסי־עז, as in 2Sa_22:33. עז is a genitive, and the suffix

is thrown back (vid., supra, p 171) in order that what God is to, and does for, the poet may be brought forward more clearly and independently [lit. unalloyed]. Psa_71:8 tells us what it is that he firmly expects on the ground of what he possesses in God. And on this very ground arises the prayer of Psa_71:9 also: Cast me not away (viz., from Thy

presence, Psa_51:13; Jer_7:15, and frequently) in the time of old (as in Gen_8:11 ,לעת)

age - he is therefore already an old man זקנה though only just at the beginning of the ,(זקן). He supplicates favour for the present and for the time still to come: now that my vital

powers are failing, forsake me not! Thus he prays because he, who has been often wondrously delivered, is even now threatened by foes. Psa_71:11, introduced by means

of Psa_71:10, tells us what their thoughts of him are, and what they purpose doing. לי,

Psa_71:10, does not belong to אויבי, as it dies not in Psa_27:2 also, and elsewhere. The ל

is that of relation or of reference, as in Psa_41:6. The unnecessary לאמר betrays a poet of the later period; cf. Psa_105:11; Psa_119:82 (where it was less superfluous), and on the contrary, Psa_83:5. The later poet also reveals himself in Psa_71:12, which is an echo of very similar prayers of David in Psa_22:12, Psa_22:20 (Psa_40:14, cf. Psa_70:2), Psa_35:22; Psa_38:22. The Davidic style is to be discerned here throughout in other points

also. In place of הישה the Kerî substitutes חושה, which is the form exclusively found

elsewhere.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

BAR�ES, "Let my mouth be filled - This is an appeal to himself, in view of the goodness of God, to praise him always. See the notes at Psa_35:28.

With thy praise -With the expressions of praise.

And with thy honor all the day -With such expressions as shall promote thy glory, and make thy honor known.

GILL, "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise,.... Or "thy praise shall fill my mouth" (x); which shows that his heart was affected with the goodness of God to him, and that he had a deep impression and sense of it upon him; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; and for the mouth to be filled with the praise of God, is to speak largely, publicly, and with great delight, in the praise of God, his divine perfections and benefits;

and with thy honour all the day; the excellency of his nature, the glory of his majesty, the honour due unto him, on account of his being, attributes, and blessings of providence and grace; a work to be employed in all the day, evening, morning, and at noon; as often as prayer is made to God, praise, honour, and glory, should be given him; since his mercies are new every morning, and they continue all the day long; his

goodness endures for ever.

HE�RY, " That he might have continual matter for thanksgiving to God, and might be continually employed in that pleasant work (Psa_71:8): “Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, as now it is with my complaints, and then I shall not be ashamed of my hope, but my enemies will be ashamed of their insolence.” Those that love God love to be praising him, and desire to be doing it all the day, not only in their morning and evening devotions, not only seven times a day (Psa_119:164), but all the day, to intermix with all they say something or other that may redound to the honour and praise of God. They resolve to do it while they live; they hope to be doing it eternally in a better world.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 8. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. What a blessed mouthful! A man never grows nauseated though the flavour of it be all day in his mouth. God's bread is always in our mouths, so should his praise be. He fills us with good; let us be also filled with gratitude. This would leave no room for murmuring or backbiting; therefore, may we well join with holy David in this sacred wish.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 8. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise. Let my mouth, I say, be so filled with thy praise, that from the bottom of my heart, even to the lips of my mouth, the plenitude of thy grace, O God, infused into my heart, and diffused over my lips, may loyally magnify thee; so shall I not be found like that people, of whom thou dost say: "This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Isaiah 29:13. Gerhohus.

BE�SO�, "Verses 8-11Psalms 71:8-11. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise — Give me occasion to multiply praises to thee for delivering me out of my present distress. Cast me not off in my old age — When I am most feeble, and most need thy help, and am one that is grown old in thy service. For mine enemies lay wait for my soul, &c. — Hebrew, ,shomree naphshi, the watchers, or observers, of my soul — That watch ,שמרי נפשיthat they may find occasion to take away my life, and that I may not escape out of their hands; take counsel together — Combine their powers and policies to destroy me. Saying, God hath forsaken him — For his many acts of wickedness, as is manifest, because the hearts of all Israel are turned from him, and his own heart fails him. Persecute him, and take him — Let us pursue him closely now, and we shall certainly take him; for he has not forces sufficient to withstand us, and deliver him out of our hands.

9 Do not cast me away when I am old;

do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

BAR�ES, "Cast me not off in the time of old age -When old age comes with its infirmities; its weaknesses; its trials. When my strength fails me; when my eyes grow dim; when my knees totter; when my friends have died; when I am no longer able to labor for my support; when the buoyant feelings of earlier years are no more; when my old companions and associates are gone, and I am left alone. Thou who didst watch over me in infancy; who didst guard me in childhood and youth; who hast defended me in manhood; who hast upheld me in the days of sickness, danger, bereavement, trouble -do thou not leave me when, in advanced years, I have special need of thy care; when I have reason to apprehend that there may come upon me, in that season of my life, troubles that I have never known before; when I shall not have the strength, the buoyancy, the elasticity, the ardor, the animal spirits of other years, to enable me to meet those troubles; and when I shall have none of the friends to cheer me whom I had in the earlier periods of my course. It is not unnatural or improper for a man who sees old age coming upon him to pray for special grace, and special strength, to enable him to meet what he cannot ward off, and what he cannot but dread; for who can look upon the infirmities of old age as coming upon himself but with sad and pensive feelings? Who would wish “to be” an old man? Who can look upon a man tottering with years, and broken down with infirmities - a man whose sight and hearing are gone - a man who is alone amidst the graves of all the friends that he had in early life - a man who is a burden to himself and to the world, a man who has reached the “last scene of all, that ends the strange eventful history,” that scene of

“Second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything,” -

That scene when one can say,

“I have lived long enough; my way of lifeIs fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf;And that which should accompany old age,As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends,I must not look to have,”

Who can think of all this, and not pray for special grace for himself should he live to see those days of infirmity and weakness? And who, in view of such infirmities, can fail to see the propriety of seeking the favor of God in early years? Compare Ecc_12:1-6.

Forsake me not when my strength faileth - As I may expect it to do, when I grow old. A man can lay up nothing better for the infirmities of old age than the favor of God sought, by earnest prayer, in the days of his youth and his maturer years.

CLARKE, "Cast me not off in the time of old age - The original might be translated and paraphrased thus: “Thou wilt not cast me off till the time of old age; and

according to the failure of my flesh, thou wilt not forsake me.” My expectation of rest and happiness will not be deferred till the time that I shall be an aged man, Thou wilt not withdraw thy presence from me as my flesh decays, and as my natural strength abates; but, on the contrary, as my outward man decays, my inward man shall be renewed day by day. It was in David’s old age that the rebellion of Absalom took place.

GILL, "Cast me not off in the time of old age,.... The Lord never casts off nor casts away his people, whom he foreknew; they are near unto him; they are on his heart, and are engraven on the palms of his hands; and they shall never be removed from his heart's love, nor out of his arms, nor out of his covenant, and shall always be the objects of his care: he bears and carries them to old age, and even to hoary hairs: the Lord had been the guide of David's youth, and his trust then, Psa_71:5; and now he desires he would be the staff of his old age; at which age he was when Absalom rebelled against him;

forsake me not when my strength faileth: as it does when old age comes on; then the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and especially at death, when flesh and heart fail; but God will never forsake his people, neither in youth nor in old age, neither in life nor at death.

HE�RY, "That he might not be neglected now in his declining years (Psa_71:9): Cast me not off now in the time of my old gage; forsake me not when my strength fails.Observe here, [1.] The natural sense he had of the infirmities of age: My strength fails.Where there was strength of body and vigour of mind, strong sight, a strong voice, strong limbs, alas! in old age they fail; the life is continued, but the strength is gone, or that which is his labour and sorrow, Psa_90:10. [2.] The gracious desire he had of the continuance of God's presence with him under these infirmities: Lord, cast me not off;do not then forsake me. This intimates that he should look upon himself as undone if God should abandon him. To be cast off and forsaken of God is a thing to be dreaded at any time, especially in the time of old age and when our strength fails us; for it is God that is the strength of our heart. But it intimates that he had reason to hope God would not desert him; the faithful servants of God may be comfortably assured that he will not cast them off in old age, nor forsake them when their strength fails them. He is a Master that is not wont to cast off old servants. In this confidence David here prays again (Psa_71:12): “O God! be not far from me; let me not be under the apprehension of thy withdrawings, for then I am miserable. I my God! a God in covenant with me, make haste for my help, lest I perish before help come.”

CALVI�, "9.Cast me not off in the time of my old age. David having just now declared that God had been the protector of his life at his birth, and afterwards his foster-father in his childhood, and the guardian of his welfare during the whole course of his past existence; being now worn out with age, casts himself anew into the fatherly bosom of God. In proportion as our strength fails us — and then necessity itself impels us to seek God — in the same proportion should our hope in the willingness and readiness of God to succor us become strong. David’s prayer, in

short, amounts to this: “Do thou, O Lord, who hast sustained me vigorous and strong in the flower of my youth, not forsake me now, when I am decayed and almost withered, but the more I stand in need of thy help, let the decrepitude and infirmities of age move thee to compassionate me the more.” From this verse expositors, not without good reason, conclude that the conspiracy of Absalom is the subject treated of in this psalm. And certainly it was a horrible and tragical spectacle, which tended to lead, not only the common people, but also those who excelled in authority, to turn away their eyes from him, as they would from a detestable monster, when the son, having driven his father from the kingdom, pursued him even through the very deserts to put him to death.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 9. Cast me not off in the time of old age. David was not tired of his Master, and his only fear was lest his Master should be tired of him. The Amalekite in the Bible history left his Egyptian servant to famish when he grew old and sick, but not so the Lord of saints; even to hoar hairs he bears and carries us. Alas for us, if we were abandoned by our God, as many a courtier has been by his prince! Old age robs us of personal beauty, and deprives us of strength for active service; but it does not lower us in the love and favour of God. An ungrateful country leaves its worn out defenders to starve upon a scanty pittance, but the pensioners of heaven are satisfied with good things.Forsake me not when my strength faileth. Bear with me, and endure my infirmities. To be forsaken of God is the worst of all conceivable ills, and if the believer can be but clear of that grievous fear, he is happy: no saintly heart need be under any apprehension upon this point.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 9. Cast me not off in the time of old age, etc.; for now I have most need of thee. The white rose is soonest cankered; so is the white head soonest corrupted. Saepe nigrum cor est, caput album. Satan maketh a prey of old Solomon, Asa, Lot, others; whom when young he could never so deceive. The heathens, therefore, well warn us to look well to our old age, as that which cometh not alone, but is infested with many diseases, both of body and mind. This David knew, and, therefore, prayed as here: Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. He is a rare old man that can say with Caleb (Joshua 14:10; Joshua 14:14), "Behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, "etc. John Trapp.Ver. 9. Cast me not off in the time of old age, etc. It is not unnatural or improper for a man who sees old age coming upon him to pray for special grace, and special strength, to enable him to meet what he cannot ward off, and what he cannot but dread; for who can look upon the infirmities of old age, as coming upon himself, but with sad and pensive feelings? Who would wish to be an old man? Who can look upon a man tottering with years, and broken down with infirmities; a man whose sight and hearing are gone; a man who is alone amidst the graves of all the friends that he had in early life; a man who is a burden to himself, and to the world; a man who has reached the "Last scene of all that ends the strange, eventful history" --that scene of"Second childishness, and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything; "

that scene when one can say--"I have lived long enough; my way of lifeIs fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf;And that which should accompany old age,As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,I must not look to have; "Who can think of all this and not pray for special grace for himself, should he live to see those days of infirmity and weakness? And who, in view of such infirmities, can fail to see the propriety of seeking the favour of God in early years? Albert Barnes.Ver. 9. Cast me not off in the time of old age, etc. David, mindful of the noble actions which, through God's assistance, he had achieved in his youth, beseeches him not to desert his servant, when persecuted by a rebellious son, in his old age. The weakness and temptations peculiar to that time of life, render this a petition necessary for all to make, before we are overtaken by it. The church findeth but too much occasion to make the same, now that she is sunk in years; when faith languisheth, charity waxeth cold, and the infirmities of a spiritual old age are coming fast upon her. George Horne.Ver. 9. Cast me not off. God had cast of his predecessor, Saul, and things looked as if he now meant to cast him off. His people also seemed disposed, by their joining with Absalom, to cast him off: hence the force of the petition. Andrew Fuller.Ver. 9. Forsake me not when my strength faileth. �either will Christ forsake his church in the latter days of its age, when the weakness of faith becomes more prevalent. W. Wilson.Ver. 9. Forsake me not when my strength faileth. June 28. This day I enter on my eighty-sixth year. I now find I grow old:(1) My sight is decayed, so that I cannot read a smallprint, unless in a strong light.(2) My strength is decayed, so that I walk much slowerthan I did some years since.(3) My memory of names, whether of persons, or places, isdecayed, till I stop a little to recollect them.What I should be afraid of, is, if I took thought for the morrow, that my body should weigh down my mind, and create either stubbornness, by the decrease of my understanding, or peevishness, by the increase of bodily infirmities; But thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God. John Wesley.

WHEDO�, "9. In the time of old age—According to Usher, David was now sixty-two years old; according to Hale, sixty-four years; and such a life as his had been must have already made its mark upon his physical frame. He died at the age of seventy. The word does not necessarily denote extreme old age, but he had entered the period of old age. “He is already an old man, though only just at the beginning of old age.”—Delitzsch. That he had still before him a hopeful future appears from Psalms 71:18

COFFMA�, "Verse 9A SPECIAL PLEA I� A TIME OF OLD AGE

"Cast me not off in the time of old age;

Forsake me not when my strength faileth.

For mine enemies speak concerning me;

And they that watch for my soul take counsel together,

Saying, God hath forsaken him;

Pursue and take him; for there is none to deliver.

O God, be not far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me."

Old age is a time when strength is abated, when eyesight dims,, when hearing becomes difficult, and when teeth and the sense of smell either diminish or disappear altogether. The inabilities, infirmities, helplessness and sorrows of the aged are exposed daily in the newspapers. And for those fortunate enough to be permitted to grow old, what should they do? Let them do what the psalmist does here: pour out their hearts to God in prayer; plead for his help and support; and trust God for his salvation and protection.

When John Wesley approached old age, he said, "What I would be afraid of if I took any thought for tomorrow, is that my body might weigh down my mind, and create either stubbornness through the decrease of my understanding, or peevishness by the increase of bodily infirmities; but, `Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord, my God.'"[9]

Brother C. E. Barrick, a noted Texas educator, for whom one of the Houston public school buildings was named, was approaching old age; and he said to this writer, "Brother Coffman, I pray more than anything else that I may be spared the humiliation of senility."[10] That prayer was graciously answered by the Father.

"Mine enemies speak concerning me ... take counsel together, saying, God has forsaken him ... Pursue him ... take him ... there is none to deliver" (Psalms 71:10-11). The proposal of Ahithophel to Absalom (2 Samuel 17:1-4) is hardly anything else except what is written here.

"O God, be not far from me" (Psalms 71:12). This is another striking bit of evidence of Davidic authorship of this psalm. David often felt that God was far away from him and pleaded for Him to be near. Psalms 22:1,11,19; 35:22 exhibit four examples of this. Furthermore, there is not only a verbal likeness in these passages, but there is also a correspondence in the thought patterns.

"Make haste to help me" (Psalms 71:12). Another Davidic characteristic is that of praying for God to help him "in haste," or "speedily." Psalms 38:22; 40:13; 70:2 have three other instances of this same appeal.

EBC, "Psalms 71:9-13 rise to a height of emotion above the level of the rest of the psalm. On one hypothesis, we have in them the cry of an old man, whose strength diminishes as his dangers increase. Something undisclosed in his circumstances gave colour to the greedy hopes of his enemies. Often prosperous careers are overclouded at the end, and the piteous spectacle is seen of age overtaken by tempests which its feebleness cannot resist, and which are all the worse to face because of the calms preceding them. On the national hypothesis, the psalm is the prayer of Israel at a late stage of its history, from which it looks back to the miracles of old, and then to the ring of enemies rejoicing over its apparent weakness, and then upwards to the Eternal Helper.

10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

BAR�ES, "For mine enemies speak against me - That is, they said substantially, as it is stated in Psa_71:11, that God had forsaken him, and that therefore, they would arise and punish him, or treat him as an outcast from God.

And they that lay wait for my soul - For my life; or, to take my life. The margin here - as the Hebrew - is, “watch,” or “observe.” The “watchers for my life;” that is, they who watch for an opportunity to take my life, or to destroy me.

Take counsel together - About the best means of accomplishing their object.

CLARKE, "Lay wait for my soul - They seek to destroy my life.

GILL, "For mine enemies speak against, me,.... Or "say unto me" (y) what is expressed in the following verse, "God hath forsaken him"; and so these words are a reason of the above petitions: or "mine enemies speak to me"; or "of me" (z); not good,

but evil, and so the Targum paraphrases it,

"for mine enemies speak evil against me;''

or concerning me. David had his enemies, and many, as Ahithophel, and others, who spake against him to the people, and thereby drew many with them into rebellion against him; and particularly Shimei spoke against him, and cursed him, calling him a bloody man, a man of Belial, 2Sa_16:7;

and they that lay wait for my soul; or "life"; that laid snares for him; or lay in ambush, and sought for an opportunity to take away his life: or "they that keep my soul", or "life" (a); that were his bodyguards that were about his person for the preservation of him; and so the Targum seems to understand it;

take counsel together; lay schemes and form plots how to destroy him, as Ahithophel did, 2Sa_16:20.

HE�RY, "He prays that his enemies might be made ashamed of their designs against him. Observe, 1. What it was which they unjustly said against him, Psa_71:10, Psa_71:11. Their plot was deep and desperate; it was against his life: They lay wait for my soul(Psa_71:10), and are adversaries to that, Psa_71:13. Their powers and policies were combined: They take counsel together. And very insolent they were in their deportment: They say, God has forsaken him; persecute and take him. Here their premises are utterly false, that because a good man was in great trouble and had continued long in it, and was not so soon delivered as perhaps he expected, therefore God had forsaken him and would have no more to do with him. All are not forsaken of God who think themselves so or whom others think to be so. And, as their premises were false, so their inference was barbarous. If God has forsaken him, then persecute and take him, and doubt not but to make a prey of him. This is talking to the grief of one whom God has smitten, Psa_69:26. But thus they endeavour to discourage David, as Sennacherib endeavoured to intimidate Hezekiah by suggesting that God was his enemy and fought against him. Have I now come up without the Lord against this city, to destroy it? Isa_36:10. It is true, if God has forsaken a man, there is none to deliver him; but therefore to insult over him ill becomes those who are conscious to themselves that they deserve to be for ever forsaken of God. But rejoice not against me, O my enemy! though I fall, I shall rise. He that seems to forsake for a small moment will gather with everlasting kindness. 2. What it was which he justly prayed for, from a spirit of prophecy, not a spirit of passion (Psa_71:13): “Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. If they will not be confounded by repentance, and so saved, let them be confounded with everlasting dishonour, and so ruined.” God will turn into shame the glory of those who turn into shame the glory of God and his people.

JAMISO�, "The craft and malicious taunts of his enemies now led him to call for aid (compare the terms used, 2Sa_17:12; Psa_3:2; Psa_7:2).

CALVI�, "10.For my enemies have said of me, etc. He pleads, as an argument with God to show him mercy, the additional circumstance, that the wicked took greater

license in cruelly persecuting him, from the belief which they entertained that he was rejected and abandoned of God. The basest of men, as we all know, become more bold and audacious, when, in tormenting the innocent, they imagine that this is a matter in which they have not to deal with God at all. �ot only are they encouraged by the hope of escaping unpunished; but they also boast that all comes to pass according to their wishes, when no obstacle presents itself to restrain their wicked desires. What happened to David at that time is almost the ordinary experience of the children of God; namely, that the wicked, when once they come to believe that it is by the will of God that his people are exposed to them for a prey, give themselves uncontrolled license in doing them mischief. Measuring the favor of God only by what is the present condition of men, they conceive that all whom he suffers to be afflicted are despised, forsaken, and cast off by him. Such being their persuasion, they encourage and stimulate one another to practice every thing harassing and injurious against them, as persons who have none to undertake and avenge their cause. But this wanton and insulting (109) procedure on their part ought to encourage our hearts, since the glory of God requires that the promises which he has so frequently made of succouring the poor and afflicted should be actually performed. The ungodly may flatter themselves with the hope of obtaining pardon from him; but this foolish imagination does not by any means lessen the criminality of their conduct. On the contrary, they do a double injury to God, by taking away from him that which especially belongs to him.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 10. For mine enemies speak against me. Dogs howl over a dying lion. When David's arm was able to chastise his foes, they were yet impudent enough to slander him, and he fears that now they will take fresh license in the hour of his weakness. The text most properly means that his enemies had said that God would forsake him; and, therefore, he is the more earnest that the Lord's faithful dealings may give them the lie.And they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together. The psalmist had enemies, and these were most malicious; seeking his utter destruction, they were very persevering, and staid long upon the watch; to this they added cunning, for they lay in ambush to surprise him, and take him at a disadvantage; and all this they did with the utmost unanimity and deliberation, neither spoiling their design by want of prudence, nor marring its accomplishment by a lack of unity. The Lord our God is our only and all sufficient resort from every form of persecution.

11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

BAR�ES, "Saying, God hath forsaken him - That is, God has given him over; he no longer protects him; he regards him as a wicked man, and we shall therefore, not only be “safe” in our attempts upon his life, but we shall be “justified” in those attempts.

Persecute and take him - It can be done safely now; it can be done with propriety.

For there is none to deliver him - He has no one now to whom to look; no one on whom he can rely. Abandoned by God and by man, he will be an easy prey. Compare the notes at Psa_41:7-8.

CLARKE, "God hath forsaken him - “God, who has been his special help all through life, and who has guarded him so that no hand could be raised successfully against him, has now cast him off; therefore we shall easily prevail against him. His present adversity shows that God is no longer his friend.” Thus men judge. “Secular prosperity is a proof of God’s favor: adversity is a proof of his displeasure.” But this is not God’s way, except in especial judgments, etc. He never manifests his pleasure or displeasure by secular good or ill.

GILL, "Saying, God hath forsaken him,.... Good men may seem to others to be forsaken of God; and they themselves may sometimes think they are; and they may be forsaken for a small moment, when God withdraws his gracious presence, or does not afford immediate help; but never finally and totally. This David's enemies concluded, from the distressed condition he was in, being obliged to leave his family and court, and flee from his son, and wander up and down with a small retinue; and this they said to one another, to encourage themselves to lay violent hands upon him, which they thought they might do with ease and impunity; wherefore it follows,

persecute and take him; pursue after him eagerly and diligently; lose no time; and, when come up to him, seize upon him, without any fear of God or man;

for there is none to deliver him; out of our hands. God will not, for he has forsaken him; and men cannot, for he has not an army sufficient to defend him or recover him.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 11. Saying, God hath forsaken him. O bitter taunt! There is no worse arrow in all the quivers of hell. Our Lord felt this barbed shaft, and it is no marvel if his disciples feel the same. Were this exclamation the truth, it were indeed an ill day for us; but, glory be to God, it is a barefaced lie.Persecute and take him. Let loose the dogs of persecution upon him, seize him, worry him,for there is none to deliver him. Down with him, for he has no friends. It is safe to

insult him, for none will come to his rescue. O cowardly boasts of a braggart foe, how do ye wound the soul of the believer: and only when his faith cries to his Lord is he able to endure your cruelty.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 11. All kinds of distresses are obnoxious to the worst of misjudgings from malevolent minds. The sufferings of Christ produced this censorious scoff, "Let God deliver him, if he will have him." (Matthew 27:43.) David's trouble easily induced his adversaries to conclude that God had forsaken him, and that there was none to deliver him. But in troubles of this nature, where especially there are frightful complainings against themselves, men are more easily drawn out to be peremptory in their uncharitable judgments concerning them, because the trouble itself is somewhat rare, and apt to beget hideous impressions, and, withal, the vent which the afflicted parties give by their bemoaning of their estate, in hope to ease themselves thereby, is but taken as a testimony against themselves and the undoubted echoes of their real feelings. Richard Gilpin (1625-1700), in "Daemonologia Sacra; or, a Treatise of Satan's Temptations." (In �ichols Series of Puritan Divines.)

12 Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me.

BAR�ES, "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.

GILL, "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 Psa_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 Psa_119:94.

CALVI�, "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. �or 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.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 12. O God, be not far from me. �earness to God is our conscious security. A child in the dark is comforted by grasping its father's hand.O my God, make haste for my help. To call God ours, as having entered into covenant with us, is a mighty plea in prayer, and a great stay to our faith. The cry of "make haste" has occurred many times in this portion of the Psalms, and it was evoked by the sore pressure of affliction. Sharp sorrows soon put an end to procrastinating prayers.

EBC, "Psalms 71:12-13 are woven out of other psalms. Psalms 71:12 a "Be not far from me," is found in Psalms 22:11-19; Psalms 35:22;, Psalms 38:21, etc. "Haste to my help" is found a Psalms 38:22;, Psalms 40:13 (Psalms 70:1). For Psalms 71:13 compare Psalms 35:4; Psalms 40:14 (Psalms 70:2). With this, as a sort of refrain, the first part of the psalm ends.

The second part goes over substantially the same ground, but with lighter heart. The confidence of deliverance is more vivid, and it, as well as the vow of praise following thereon, bulk larger. The singer has thinned away his anxieties by speaking them to God, and has by the same process solidified his faith. Aged eyes should see God, the helper, more clearly when earth begins to look grey and dim. The forward look of such finds little to stay it on this side of heaven. As there seems less and less to hope for here, there should be more and more there. Youth is the time for buoyant anticipation, according to the world’s notions, but age may have far brighter lights ahead than youth had leisure to see. "I will hope always" becomes sublime from aged lips, which are so often shaped to say, "I have nothing left to hope for now."

This psalmist’s words may well be a pattern for old men, who need fear no failure of buoyancy, nor any collapse of gladness, if they will fix their thoughts where this singer did his. Other subjects of thought and speech will pall and run dry; but he whose theme is God’s righteousness and the salvation that flows from it will never lack materials for animating meditation and grateful praise. "I know not the numbers thereof." It is something to have fast hold of an inexhaustible subject. It will keep an old man young.

The psalmist recognises his task, which is also his joy, to declare God’s wondrous

works, and prays for God’s help till he has discharged it. The consciousness of a vocation to speak to later generations inspires him, and assures him that he is immortal till his work is done. His anticipations have been fulfilled beyond his knowledge. His words will last as long as the world. But men with narrower spheres may be animated by the same consciousness, and they who have rightly understood the purpose of God’s mercies to themselves, will, like the psalmist, recognise in their own participation in His salvation an imperative command to make it known, and an assurance that nothing shall by any means harm them till they have fulfilled their witnessing. A many-wintered saint should be a convincing witness for God

GUZIK, ". (12-13) Help me by striking my enemies.

O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me!

Let them be confounded and consumed

Who are adversaries of my life;

Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor

Who seek my hurt.

a. O my God, make haste to help me: With determined enemies as described in the previous lines, the Psalmist needed God's help soon. He felt as if delayed help was no help at all.

i. The Psalmist had to deal with the fact that as his years advanced his troubles did not go away. The problems remained. This is a significant test to some believers, but the Psalmist understood it as compelling his constant and more personal trust in God.

ii. "�otice the still more intense grip of faith in the second clause. The psalmist first says, 'O God,' then he says, 'O my God.' It is grand pleading when we so grasp God with the personal grip of faith that we cry, 'O my God, make haste for my help.'" (Spurgeon)

b. Let them be confounded and consumedLet them be covered with reproach and dishonor: This was the help the Psalmist asked for. He wanted God to strike his adversaries with confusion and consumption; with disapproval and dishonor. He not only wanted them defeated, but also discredited.

i. Adam Clarke regarded these let them statements more as prophecies than prayers: "They shall be confounded: these are prophetic denunciations." (Clarke)

13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

BAR�ES, "Let them be confounded and consumed - See the notes at the similar passage in Psa_35:4. The sentiment in this verse is the same; the language is slightly varied. See also Psa_40:14, where the same sentiment occurs.

CLARKE, "Let them be confounded - They shall be confounded: these are prophetic denunciations.

GILL, "Let them be confounded,.... See Psa_70:2;

and consumed; like smoke; see Psa_37:20; as antichrist will be with the breath of Christ's mouth, and the brightness of his coming, 2Th_2:8;

that are adversaries to my soul; that hated him with a diabolical hatred, as the devil hates the souls of men, and who has his name "Satan" from the word here used; all wicked men are Satans, full of enmity against God, and all good men; and such were David's enemies, spiteful and malicious, and nothing would satisfy them but his life;

let them be covered with reproach and dishonour; as with a garment:

that seek my hurt; see Psa_35:26; as Absalom and his company; so Arama.

HE�RY, "What it was which he justly prayed for, from a spirit of prophecy, not a spirit of passion (Psa_71:13): “Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. If they will not be confounded by repentance, and so saved, let them be confounded with everlasting dishonour, and so ruined.” God will turn into

shame the glory of those who turn into shame the glory of God and his people.

JAMISO�, "(Compare Psa_35:4; Psa_40:14).

CALVI�, "While invoking the aid of God, he at the same time prays (verse 13) that his enemies may be filled with shame until they be consumed. These words, however, may not improperly be read in the future tense; for it is frequently the practice of David, after having ended his prayer, to rise up against his enemies, and, as it were, to triumph over them. But I have followed that which seems more agreeable to the scope of the passage. Having had occasion elsewhere to explain this imprecation, it is unnecessary for me to repeat, in this place, what I have previously said.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 13. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. It will be all this to them to see thy servant preserved; their envy and malice, when disappointed, will fill them with life consuming bitterness. The defeat of their plans shall nonplus them, they shall be confounded as they enquire the reason for their overthrow; the men they seek to destroy seem so weak, and their cause so contemptible, that they will be filled with amazement as they see them not only survive all opposition, but even surmount it. How confounded must Pharaoh have been when Israel multiplied, despite his endeavours to exterminate the race; and how consumed with rage must the Scribes and Pharisees have become when they saw the gospel spreading from land to land by the very means which they used for its destruction.Let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt. He would have their shame made visible to all eyes, by their wearing it in their blushes as a mantle. They would have made a laughing stock of the believer, if his God had forsaken him; therefore, let unbelief and atheism be made a public scoffing in their persons.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 13. Let them be confounded, etc. Let them, who were so wicked that they never hoped anything good of me, be confounded by the evidence of the blessings which manifestly fall upon me; and, let them fail, the grounds of their abuse being taken away, as a fire fails when the fagots are removed. Gerhohus.Ver. 13. Let them be confounded, etc. By the law of retaliation (talio), he might have said: "Be thou an adversary to their souls, and seek their hurt." �othing of this is hinted at: his only desire is that they may be confounded and fail, that they may be covered with disgrace and shame. He seeks nothing beyond the frustration of their attempts, that they may begin to be ashamed, and have no cause for boasting that they came off victorious. Musculus.Ver. 13. Shame ariseth from utter disappointments. If hope deferred causeth shame, then much more hope destroyed. When a man sees his hopes quite cut off, so that he

can no way reach the thing he looked for, shame takes hold of him strongly. Joseph Caryl.Ver. 13. That are adversaries to my soul. That hated him with a diabolical hatred, as the devil hates the souls of men, and who has his name Satan from the word here used. All wicked men are Satans, full of enmity against God and all good men; and such were David's enemies, spiteful and malicious, and nothing would satisfy them but his life. John Gill.

COFFMA�, "A� IMPRECATIO� AGAI�ST E�EMIES

"Let them be put to shame and consumed that are adversaries to my soul,

Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt."

Who was as skilled as David in calling down the judgments of God upon his enemies? The very vocabulary of this imprecation is found no less than five times in other psalms of David: Psalms 41:7,9; 53:5; 35:4; 40:14; 70:2.

K&D 13-18, "In view of Psa_40:15 (Psa_70:3), Psa_35:4, Psa_35:26; Psa_109:29,

and other passages, the reading of למוZי, with the Syriac, instead of יכלו in Psa_71:13

commends itself; but there are also other instances in this Psalm of a modification of the original passages, and the course of the thoughts is now climactic: confusion, ruin (cf. Ps 6:11), and in fact ruin accompanied by reproach and shame. This is the fate that the poet desires for his deadly foes. In prospect of this he patiently composes himself, Psa_71:14(cf. 31:25); and when righteous retribution appears, he will find new matter and ground and motive for the praise of God in addition to all such occasion as he has hitherto had.

The late origin of the Psalm betrays itself again here; for instead of the praet. Hiph. הוסיף(which is found only in the Books of Kings and in Ecclesiastes), the older language made

use of the praet. Ka. Without ceasing shall his mouth tell (ס_ר, as in Jer_51:10) of God's

righteousness, of God's salvation for he knows not numbers, i.e., the counting over or through of them (Psa_139:17.);

(Note: The lxx renders ο`κ aγνων πραγµατείας; the Psalterium Romanum, non

cognovi negotiationes; Psalt. Gallicum (Vulgate), non cognovi literaturam (instead of which the Psalt. Hebr., literaturas). According to Böttcher, the poet really means that he did not understand the art of writing.)

the divine proofs of righteousness or salvation ר_cמ (Psa_40:6), they are in עצמו

themselves endless, and therefore the matter also which they furnish for praise is inexhaustible. He will tell those things which cannot be so reckoned up; he will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord Jahve, and with praise acknowledge His

righteousness, Him alone. Since ברות;, like the New Testament δυνάµεις, usually signifies

the proofs of the divine בורה; (e.g., Psa_20:7), the Beth is the Beth of accompaniment, as

e.g., in Psa_40:8; Psa_66:13. N 'N, vernire cum, is like Arab. j'âוא b (atâ), equivalent to

afferre, he will bring the proofs of the divine power, this rich material, with him. It is

evident from Psa_71:18. that בגברות does not refer to the poet (in the fulness of divine

strength), but, together with צדקתך, forms a pair of words that have reference to God.

Thy :(cf. Ps 83:19) צדקתך according to the sense, joins closely upon the suffix of ,לבhך

righteousness (which has been in mercy turned towards me), Thine alone (te solum = tui

solius). From youth up God has instructed him, viz., in His ways (Psa_25:4), which are

worthy of all praise, and hitherto (הjעד־ה, found only in this passage in the Psalter, and

elsewhere almost entirely confined to prose) has he, “the taught of Jahve” (ה had to ,(לkוד

praise the wonders of His rule and of His leadings. May God, then, not forsake him even

further on ושיבה ,שיבה ), and is drawing ever nearer toזקןThe poet is already old ( .עד־זקנהsilvery, hoary old age (cf. 1Sa_12:2). May God, then, in this stage of life also to which he

has attained, preserve him in life and in His favour, until (עד־אשר = עד, as in Psa_132:5;

Gen_38:11, and frequently) he shall have declared His arm, i.e., His mighty interposition

in human history, to posterity (ורh), and to all who shall come (supply אשר), i.e., the

whole of the future generation, His strength, i.e., the impossibility of thwarting His purposes. The primary passage for this is Psa_22:31.

14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

BAR�ES, "But I will hope continually - I will always cherish hope; I will not give up to despair. I will trust in God whatever may be the number, the power, and the confidence of my enemies. None of these things shall make me despair, for as long as I have a God, I have every ground for hope. No man should despair who has God for his Friend. Compare Psa_42:5, Psa_42:11; Psa_43:5.

And will yet praise thee more and more - literally, “I will add upon all thy praise.” That is, I will accumulate it; I will increase it. He saw abundant cause in the past for praising God; he had such confidence in him, and he felt such an assurance that he would interpose in his behalf, that he did not doubt that in the future dealings of God with him, he would have every reason to “add” to that praise.

CLARKE, "I will hope continually - I shall expect deliverance after deliverance, and blessing after blessing; and, in consequence, I will praise thee more and more. As thy blessings abound, so shall my praises.

GILL, "But I will hope continually,.... For deliverance and salvation from present outward troubles, for; more grace here and glory hereafter: it is the excellency of the grace of hope to be exercised in times of affliction and distress, and with Abraham to believe in hope against hope; and then it is that this grace is eminently and remarkably useful: it is an anchor to the soul when in distress, which keeps it firm and steadfast; and an helmet, which covers the head in the day of battle; in the exercise of which the believer glories in tribulation: it is an abiding grace, and should be continually exercised by those that have it, which is to abound in it; but this must be through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom_15:13;

and will yet praise thee more and more; or "will add to all thy praise" (b); to former praises and thanksgivings, fresh ones, as his mercies were renewed to him, and he was daily loaded with benefits.

HE�RY, "David is here in a holy transport of joy and praise, arising from his faith and hope in God; we have both together Psa_71:14, where there is a sudden and remarkable change of his voice; his fears are all silenced, his hopes raised, and his prayers turned into thanksgivings. “Let my enemies say what they will, to drive me to despair, I will hope continually, hope in all conditions, in the most cloudy and dark day; I will live upon hope and will hope to the end.” Since we hope in one that will never fail us, let not our hope in him fail us, and then we shall praise him yet more and more. “The more they reproach me the more closely will I cleave to thee; I will praise thee more and better than ever I have done yet.” The longer we live the more expert we should grow in praising God and the more we should abound in it. I will add over and above all thy praise, all the praise I have hitherto offered, for it is all too little. When we have said all we can, to the glory of God's grace, there is still more to be said; it is a subject that can never be exhausted, and therefore we should never grow weary of it. Now observe, in these verses,

JAMISO�, "The ruin of his enemies, as illustrating God’s faithfulness, is his deliverance, and a reason for future confidence.

CALVI�, "14.But I will hope continually. David again, as having obtained the victory, prepares himself for thanksgiving. There is, however, no doubt, that during the time when the wicked derided his simplicity, he struggled manfully amidst his distresses, as may be gathered from the word hope. Although, to outward appearance, there was no prospect of deliverance from his troubles, and although the wicked ceased not proudly to pour contempt upon his trust in God, he nevertheless determined to persevere in the exercise of hope; even as it is a genuine proof of faith, to look exclusively to the Divine promise, in order to be guided by its light alone amidst the thickest darkness of afflictions. The strength, then, of the

hope of which David speaks, is to be estimated by the conflicts which he at that time sustained. In saying, I will add to all thy praises, he shows the confidence with which he anticipated a desirable escape from his troubles. It is as if he had said — Lord, I have been long accustomed to receive benefits from thee, and this fresh accession to them, I doubt not, will furnish me with new matter for celebrating thy grace.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 14. The holy faith of the persecuted saint comes to the front in these three verses.But I will hope continually. When I cannot rejoice in what I have, I will look forward to what shall be mine, and will still rejoice. Hope will live on a bare common, and sing on a branch laden down with snow. �o date and no place are unsuitable for hope. Hell alone excepted, hope is a dweller in all regions. We may always hope, for we always have grounds for it: we will always hope, for it is a never failing consolation.And will yet praise thee more and more. He was not slack in thanksgiving; in fact, no man was ever more diligent in it; yet he was not content with all his former praises, but vowed to become more and more a grateful worshipper. When good things are both continual and progressive with us, we are on the right tack. We ought to be misers in going good, and our motto should be "more and more." While we do not disdain to "rest and be thankful, "we cannot settle down into resting in our thankfulness. "Superior" cries the eagle, as he mounts towards the sun: higher and yet higher is also our aim, as we soar aloft in duty and devotion. It is our continual hope that we shall be able more and more to magnify the Lord.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 14. But I will hope continually. Behold, O Lord, I have prayed to thee, and I am comforted. Hope has thus taught me. I am glad; because in thee have I trusted, I shall never be confounded. Sorrow returned, equipped with vast array, fortified at all points with swords and spears, and with great clamour beleaguered my city. The din of his horsemen terrified me; and, standing at the gates, he commanded silence, and thus loudly spake: "Behold the man who trusted in God; who said, I shall not be confounded for ever; who took hope for a consoler." And, when he observed me blushing at these words, he drew nearer, and said: "Where are the promises which were thy trust? Where the consolation? Where the deliverance? What have thy tears availed thee? What help have thy prayers brought thee from heaven? Thou hast cried, and no one has answered; thou hast wept, and who have been moved with pity for thee? Thou hast called upon thy God, and he has been silent. Thou hast prayed to him, and he has hidden himself from thee: there has come no voice nor sound... Arise, therefore, and flee for help to man, that he may free thee from thy prison." With these words, there arose such a din of arms in the camp--such a clamour of men and sounding of trumpets--that I could hardly keep up heart; and, unless my beloved Hope had brought me help, Sorrow would have seized and carried me off in chains to his own place. Comes Hope to me, gleaming in divine brightness, and, smiling, said: "O soldier of Christ, how is thy heart? What is this struggle in thy mind?" At these words, I began to blush. "Fear not, "she said, "Evil shall not capture thee; thou shalt never perish. Behold, I am with thee, to deliver thee. Dost thou not know what is written (Psalms 12:1-8), `The fool hath said in his

heart, there is no God.' As one of the foolish women hath this Sorrow spoken; never shall he be able to persuade thee that there is no God, or that God does not exercise a providence over all." Girolamo Savonarola. 1452-1498.Ver. 14. And I will always hope, and add to (literally, add upon, accumulate, increase) all thy praise. To all thy praise which I have uttered hitherto, I will continue still to add. Joseph Addison Alexander.Ver. 14. I will expect continually. But what did he expect? That for which he prayed in the ninth verse--the preservation of his prosperity, the presence and the help of God to the very end of life. Wherefore, he adds, continually, in perpetuity, in the time of old age, --usque ad mortem. Hermann Venema.Ver. 14. As there is no end to the lovingkindness of Jehovah, there should be none to our gratitude. The hope of a Christian enableth him to be thankful, even in the dark season of affliction. Mrs. Thomson.

BE�SO�, "Verses 14-16Psalms 71:14-16. But I will hope continually — Although in the greatest straits and difficulties; and will yet praise thee more and more — For which I know thou wilt yet give me abundant occasion. My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness — Thy truth, justice, and mercy, manifested in all thy dispensations toward me; and thy salvation — Temporal and spiritual, wrought out for me; all the day long — It shall be the subject of all my songs, and my continual employment to publish it abroad. For I know not the number thereof — Of the instances in which thou hast manifested thy righteousness, that is, thy mercy and truth in delivering me. I will go — I will not sit down in despair, but I will go on in my work and warfare; in the strength of the Lord God — Relying, not on any strength of my own, or any efforts I can make, but disclaiming my own sufficiency, and depending on God only as all-sufficient: looking to and trusting in his providence and grace. Observe, reader, we must always go about God’s work in his strength, having our eyes up unto him, to work in us both to will and to do. I will make mention of thy righteousness — Of thy mercy and goodness; or, rather, of thy faithfulness in making good all thy promises, of thy equity in all thy dispensations, and of thy kindness to thy people that trust in thee. Of this righteousness, including these thy perfections, I will make mention, partly to praise and celebrate it, and partly to support and comfort myself with the remembrance of it, and what it implies.

COFFMA�, "Verse 14A PLEDGE TO KEEP O� PRAISI�G A�D TRUSTI�G GOD

"But I will hope continually,

And will praise thee yet more and more.

My mouth shall tell of thy righteousness,

And of thy salvation all the day;

For I know not the numbers thereof.

I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Jehovah:

I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only."

"I will hope ... my mouth shall tell ... I will come ... I will make mention" (Psalms 71:14-16). These verbs are all future; and they amount to a pledge that David who has always praised and trusted God will continue to do so "more and more."

"I will praise thee more and more" (Psalms 71:14). What a marvelous answer is this to the inevitable encroachments upon life of age and infirmity. It is not a time for slowing down in the pursuit of holiness; it is not a time for leaving everything to the next generation; it is not a time for slackening zeal in our faithfulness to Christ and his Church. Indeed no! It is time for trusting God, "more and more." It is time for greater fidelity, more loving devotion, and "more and more" constancy in our adherence to the "Faith once for all delivered to the saints."

"I know not the numbers thereof" (Psalms 71:15). This is David's admission that, "The blessings of God upon him were innumerable."[11]

"Even of thine alone" (Psalms 71:16). This simply means that David promised not to make any mention at all of "his" righteousness, and that he would speak only of the marvelous righteousness of God. David had already learned the truth, mentioned in later generations by Isaiah, that, "All our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6).

CO�STABLE, "Verses 14-18Regardless of the outcome in his case, the writer determined to continue trusting and praising God. The Lord had demonstrated His righteousness, salvation, and mighty deeds for a long time and in many ways. Therefore, the psalmist vowed to speak of them forever, even if he could not tally up all of God"s faithful acts. If God forsook him, he could not fully relate these testimonials to the present generation of his people.

GUZIK, "(14-16) Continual hope, continual strength.

But I will hope continually,

And will praise You yet more and more.

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness

And Your salvation all the day,

For I do not know their limits.

I will go in the strength of the Lord God;

I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

a. I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more: The Psalmist was in serious crisis and depended upon God for help. Yet in this Psalm he does not slip into despair or seem to lose the sense of God's favor. Psalm 71 is a wonderful combination of both problems and praise.

i. I will hope continually: "I shall expect deliverance after deliverance, and blessing after blessing; and, in consequence, I will praise thee more and more. As thy blessings abound, so shall my praises." (Clarke)

ii. "When I cannot rejoice in what I have, I will look forward to what shall be mine, and will still rejoice." (Spurgeon)

iii. Praise You yet more and more: "A dying hope would bring forth declining songs; as the expectations grew more dim, so would the music become more faint; but a hope immortal and eternal, flaming forth each day with intenser brightness, brings forth a song of praise which, as it shall always continue to arise, so shall it always gather new force." (Spurgeon)

b. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day: He was happy to testify of both God's righteousness and His salvation, and to do so all day long. He felt the entire day was needed because he did not know the limits of God's righteousness and salvation. They are limitless.

i. I do not know their limits: "Lord, where I cannot count I will believe, and when a truth surpasses numeration I will take to admiration." (Spurgeon)

c. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: Looking forward, the Psalmist was confident in God's strength, despite his sense of diminished personal strength with advancing years (Psalm 71:9).

i. "He who goeth to the battle against his spiritual enemies should go, confiding not in his own 'strength,' but in that of the Lord God; not in his own 'righteousness,' but in that of his Redeemer. Such a one engageth with omnipotence on his side, and cannot but be victorious." (Horne)

d. I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only: The Psalmist was only interested in telling of God's righteousness, not of his own or the supposed righteousness of pagan gods.

i. Of Yours only: "Mans righteousness is not fit to be mentioned -- filthy rags are best hidden; neither is there any righteousness under heaven, or in heaven, comparable to the divine." (Spurgeon)

PULPIT, "Psalms 71:1-24 is, like so many others, a psalm divided between complaint and praise. It is comparatively wanting in originality, being, to a very great extent, an echo of other psalms, especially Psalms 22:1-31, Psalms 31:1-24, Psalms 35:1-28, and Psalms 40:1-17. Complaint, mingled with prayer, occupies the first half (Psalms 40:1-13); praise and thanksgiving the second (Psalms 40:14 -24). The authorship of the psalm is very doubtful, as it has no "title," and few marked characteristics. Kay and Hengstenberg, however, regard it as Davidical, the former assigning it to the time of Adonijah's attempt, the latter to that of the rebellion of Absalom. Metrically, it is thought to divide into seven short stanzas, each of either three or four verses.

Psalms 40:1-3 are almost identical with the opening verses of Psalms 31:1-24. They express a firm trust in God, but combine with the expression of this trust an urgent prayer for deliverance.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.

BAR�ES, "My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness ... - See the notes at Psa_71:8. The word “righteousness” here refers to the righteous character of God, particularly as manifested in his behalf; the word “salvation” refers to what God had done to deliver him from his dangers.

For I know not the numbers thereof - That is, I cannot estimate the amount of

thy favors; they are innumerable. See the notes at Psa_40:5.

CLARKE, "I know not the numbers - I must be continually in the spirit of gratitude, praise, and obedience, for thy blessings to me are innumerable.

GILL, "My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness,.... Both his punitive justice in taking vengeance on his enemies, agreeably to the above imprecations; and his faithfulness in the performance of promises of good things unto him; as also his essential righteousness displayed and glorified in the redemption that is by Christ; and particularly the righteousness of Christ, accepted of God, and imputed by him; which the psalmist with his mouth declared his faith in, expressed his joy at, and set forth in a strong manner the glory and excellency of it, and determined to make mention of it, and of that only, as in Psa_71:16;

and thy salvation all the day; both temporal and eternal; the glory of both, and praise for the same;

for I know not the numbers thereof; of that righteousness and salvation, the numerous blessings which are contained in them; see Psa_40:5; or "though I know not the numbers of them" (c); though he could not fully declare the glories and excellencies of the righteousness and salvation of God, and the numerous mercies and rich grace included in them; yet he would attempt to set them forth in the best way he could, though in a feeble and imperfect manner.

JAMISO�, "for I know ... thereof— innumerable, as he had not time to count them.

CALVI�, "15.My mouth shall recount thy righteousness Here he expresses more clearly what sacrifice of praise he resolved to present to God, promising to proclaim continually his righteousness and salvation. I have often before had occasion to observe, that the righteousness of God does not mean that property of his nature by which he renders to every man his own, but the faithfulness which he observes towards his own people, when he cherishes, defends, and delivers them. Hence the inestimable consolation which arises from learning that our salvation is so inseparably linked with the righteousness of God, as to have the same stability with this Divine attribute. The salvation of God, it is very evident, is taken in this place actively. The Psalmist connects this salvation with righteousness, as the effect with the cause; for his confident persuasion of obtaining salvation proceeded solely from reflecting that God is righteous, and that he cannot deny himself. As he had been saved so often, and in so many different ways, and so wonderfully, he engages to apply himself continually to the celebration of the grace of God. The particle כי,ki, which we have translated for, is by some rendered adversatively although, and explained in this way: Although the salvation of God is to me incomprehensible, and

transcends my capacity, yet I will recount it. But the proper signification of the word is more suitable in this place, there being nothing which ought to be more effectual in kindling and exciting our hearts to sing the praises of God, than the innumerable benefits which he has bestowed upon us. Although our hearts may not be affected from having experienced only one or two of the Divine benefits; although they may remain cold and unmoved by a small number of them, yet our ingratitude is inexcusable, if we are not awakened from our torpor and indifference when an innumerable multitude of them are lavished upon us. Let us learn then not to taste of the goodness of God slightly, and, as it were, with loathing, but to apply all our faculties to it in all its amplitude, that it may ravish us with admiration. It is surprising that the authors of the Greek version ever thought of translating this clause, I have not known learning, (112) an error unworthy of being noticed, were it not that some fanatics in former times, to flatter themselves in their ignorance, boasted that, after the example of David, all learning and liberal sciences should be despised; even as, in the present day, the Anabaptists have no other pretext for boasting of being spiritual persons, but that they are grossly ignorant (113) of all science.

“Although I am no proficient in learning; I will enter upon [the subject of] the Lord Jehovah’s great might; I will commemorate thy righteousness.”

In a foot-note he refers to John 7:15, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” and to Matthew 13:54; and in an additional note he says, “It is strange that Houbigant should treat an interpretation with contempt, which is supported by the versions of the LXX., Jerome, and the Vulgate; which the Hebrew words will naturally bear, and which gives great spirit to the sentiment.” Street reads: —

“Though I am ignorant of books, I will proceed with strength,” etc.;

and observes, that “The word מספר signifies number, but ספר, signifies an epistle, a book. ”

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 15. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day. We are to bear testimony as experience enables us, and not withhold from others that which we have tasted and handled. The faithfulness of God in saving us, in delivering us out of the hand of our enemies, and in fulfilling his promises, is to be everywhere proclaimed by those who have proved it in their own history. How gloriously conspicuous is righteousness in the divine plan of redemption! It should be the theme of constant discourse. The devil rages against the substitutionary sacrifice, and errorists of every form make this the main point of their attack; be it ours, therefore, to love the doctrine, and to spread its glad tidings on every side, and at all times. Mouths are never so usefully employed as in recounting the righteousness of God revealed in the salvation of believers in Jesus. The preacher who should be confined to this one theme would never need seek another: it is the medulla theologae, the very pith and marrow of revealed truth.

Has our reader been silent upon this choice subject? Let us, then, press him to tell abroad what he enjoys within: he does not well who keeps such glad tidings to himself.For I know not the numbers thereof. He knew the sweetness of it, the sureness, the glory, and the truth of it; but as to the full reckoning of its plenitude, variety, and sufficiency, he felt he could not reach to the height of the great argument. Lord, where I cannot count I will believe, and when a truth surpasses numeration I will take to admiration. When David spoke of his enemies, he said they were more in number than the hairs of his head; he had, therefore, some idea of their number, and found a figure suitable to set it out; but, in the case of the Lord's covenant mercies, he declares, "I know not the number, "and does not venture upon any sort of comparison. To creatures belong number and limit, to God and his grace there is neither. We may, therefore, continue to tell out his great salvation all day long, for the theme is utterly inexhaustible.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 15. The righteousness of God, here mentioned, includes not only the rectitude of his nature, and the equity of his proceedings, but likewise that everlasting righteousness which his Son hath brought in for our justification. God's righteousness and salvation are here joined together; and, therefore, let no man think to put them asunder, or expect salvation without righteousness. Mrs. Thomson.Ver. 15. I know not the numbers. David began his arithmetic, in Psalms 71:14, with addition: "I will yet praise thee more and more; "but he is fairly beaten in this first rule of sacred mathematics. His calculation fails him, the mere enumeration of the Lord's mercies overwhelms his mind; he owns his inadequacy. Reckon either by time, by place, or by value, and the salvation of God baffles all powers of estimation. C. H. S.

WHEDO�, "15. Thy righteousness and thy salvation—Two words literally translated and everywhere well defined. “God’s salvation stands to his righteousness in the relation of effect to cause. God has pledged himself to save those who put their trust in him, and as a righteous God he cannot deny himself.”—Perowne. Compare Hebrews 6:10. See note on Psalms 71:19.

I know not the numbers—That is, the limits, or measures, (Furst,) of the righteousness and salvation just spoken of. But the Hebrew word, which occurs nowhere else, may be taken in the sense of enumerations, as in English version, and applied to God’s acts of righteousness and salvation; and in this sense corresponds with the declarations of Psalms 40:5; Psalms 139:17-18. In either sense, however, the doctrine is the same. These numberless and limitless mercies call for endless praises.

COKE, "Psalms 71:15. For I know not the numbers thereof— Though I know not the number of them; i.e. of thy righteousness or mercies, or thy salvation and deliverances; they being so numerous, that it is not possible to count them, I will go, in the next verse, is rendered by Mudge, I will come; that is, into thy temple, by virtue of these acts of prowess which God has exerted in my favour.

SIMEO�, "SALVATIO� A GROU�D OF JOY

Psalms 71:15. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

PERHAPS, of all mankind, no one person ever experienced more signal deliverances than David. In his early life he was exposed to the most imminent dangers from Saul. During his whole reign he was engaged in almost one continual scene of warfare: and in his old age, his own son Absalom conspired against him, and sought his life. It was on this last occasion that he penned this psalm; and gave it to the Church, as a memorial of God’s unbounded mercy and faithfulness towards him.

The spirit which he breathes in the words before us shews,

I. What should be the subjects of our daily contemplation—

We, like David, have numberless mercies to acknowledge at God’s hands. Could we but see one half of the deliverances we have received, we should be perfectly overwhelmed with wonder and astonishment. From our youth up, even to the present moment, his care of us has been unintermitted, and his interpositions truly wonderful. But still greater has been his care for our souls. Behold the “salvation” he has revealed to us: truly, we “cannot know the numbers thereof.” Behold, I say,

1. How inestimable are its blessings!

[Who can ever declare the value of pardon or peace, or holiness or glory? Go down to the dread abodes of hell, and see the misery of unpardoned sin: or go up to the regions of bliss in heaven, and see the joys that are at God’s right hand for evermore: or take the state of God’s people here on earth: and contrast the liberty enjoyed by his children with the bondage endured by the slaves of Satan; and you will see what unspeakable obligations we owe to God for his converting and saving grace.]

2. How incalculable the price paid for them!

[Truly, “it is not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, that we have been redeemed, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot [�ote: 1 Peter 1:10.].” In comparison of this, ten thousand worlds would have been a worthless sacrifice. How inconceivable the cost! Truly, “We know not the numbers thereof;” nor could all the angels in heaven count the mighty sum.]

3. How unsearchable the grace displayed in them!

[All of them are the fruits of sovereign grace; and all are bestowed on the very chief of sinners; yea, and bestowed, not only unmerited by us, but unsought and

unsolicited. In the first instance, they were given to man when he was risen up in rebellion against his Maker: and even still are they conferred on men, “not according to their works, but according to God’s purpose and grace, which he purposed from all eternity in Christ Jesus” our Lord [�ote: 2 Timothy 1:9.].]

Let us, then, consider,

II. What should be the frame of our minds in relation to them?

Our determination should resemble that of David “Our mouth should shew forth this salvation from day to day”—

1. In grateful acknowledgments to God—

[It seems really wonderful, that men so indebted to their God should be able to find time for any thing but praise. David in his Psalms, sets us a good example: “I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever [�ote: ver. 8. with Psalms 145:1-2.].” Let us only learn to appreciate aright the mercies we have received, and there will be no bounds to our gratitude, no end to our praise.]

2. In affectionate commendations to men—

[David desired to make known to others the goodness of his God. In the psalm just cited, hear how he dilates upon this subject: “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works: and men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; and I will declare thy greatness — — — They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of thy kingdom [�ote: ver. 24. with Psalms 145:5-6; Psalms 145:11-12. See also Psalms 40:9-10.].” And what other subject of conversation can we ever find so interesting, so useful, so worthy of a rational being, and, above all, so suitable to a redeemed soul?]

Behold, then,

1. Whatglorioussubjectshaveministerstoproclaim!

[The Apostles “preached to men the unsearchable riches of Christ [�ote: Ephesians 3:8.].” And so filled with this subject was the Apostle Paul, that “he determined to know nothing among his people but Jesus Christ, and him crucified [�ote: 1 Corinthians 2:2.].” This is a subject utterly inexhaustible: in it “are contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [�ote: Colossians 2:3.].” O, that every minister would bring it forth to his people! Surely his hearers should soon be enriched; for it cannot be that the Saviour should ever be exhibited in vain, and his salvation be offered unto men in vain. But,]

2. How unlike to David are the generality of men!

[David would think and speak of nothing else but God’s righteousness and salvation; but the generality of men scarcely ever speak or think of it at all. Indeed, this is the one subject which, beyond all others, is, as it were, by universal consent, proscribed: so that we may mix in company for years and scores of years, and never once hear it brought forward in the way that David and the Apostles spake of it. And even good men are too little impressed with it, either in their conversations with men, or in their secret addresses at the Throne of Grace. Mark the frame of your minds, Brethren, from day to day, and see whether you have not reason to blush and be ashamed for the little impression which this subject makes upon your minds. But as for the world at large, if any thing under heaven can shew them how far they are from God, methinks they must see it by comparing their experience with that of David in our text.]

3. What a resemblance to heaven is the saint’s life on earth!

[Let us suppose a saint resembling David, and uttering from his inmost soul the expressions in my text; and you will immediately be reminded of the heavenly host, who “rest not day and night,” ascribing, without a moment’s intermission, and with all the powers they possess, “salvation to God and to the Lamb.” Take this view, then, of real piety, and seek, my Brethren, to begin your heaven upon earth.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

BAR�ES, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God - In my future journey through life; in my trials; in my duties; in my conflicts; in my temptations. Admonished in the past of my own weakness, and remembering how often God has interposed, I will hereafter lean only on his arm, and not trust to my own strength. But thus leaning on his arm, I “will” go confidently to meet the duties and the trials of life. If one has the strength of God to lean on, or can use that strength “as if” it were his own, there is no duty which he may not discharge; no trial which he may not bear. The Hebrew here is, “I will come with the mighty deeds (more literally, “strengths”) of the Lord God.” The word is used to denote the “mighty acts” of Yahweh, in Deu_3:24; Psa_106:2; Job_26:14. DeWette proposes to render this, “I will go in the mighty deeds of Yahweh;” that is, I will sing of his mighty deeds. Rosenmuller explains it, “I will go into the temple to celebrate

his praise there;” that is, I will bring the remembrance of his mighty acts there as the foundation of praise. So Professor Alexander explains it. It seems to me, however, that our translation has expressed the true idea, that he would go in the strength of God; that he would rely on no other; that he would make mention of no other. Old age, trials, difficulties, arduous duties, were before him; and in all these he would rely on no other strength but that of the Almighty.

I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only - Of thy just and holy character. I will allude to nothing else; I will rely on nothing else as the foundation of my hope, and as my encouragement in the duties and trials of life.

CLARKE, "I will go - abo, I will enter, i.e., into the tabernacle, in the strength אבוא

or mightinesses of Adonai Jehovah, the supreme God, who is my Prop, Stay, and Support.

I will make mention of thy righteousness - I will continually record and celebrate the acts of thy mercy and goodness. They are without number, (Psa_71:15), and of these alone will I speak.

GILL, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God,.... Go on praising him, as he had determined to do in the preceding verses; not in his own strength, knowing that his heart was not always disposed aright or prepared and fit for such service; and that though the daily continuance of favours required constant praise, yet he needed always the aids of divine grace to raise his affection and song: or "I will go into the strengths of the Lord God" (d); the power of God is expressed in the plural number, to show the greatness of it, which is as a garrison to the believer; see 1Pe_1:5; a strong hold, a strong tower, a strong habitation, as in Psa_71:3; into which he goes by faith, and is there safe, in all times of distress and danger: or the sense is, that he would go into the house of God, the temple and sanctuary, and in his strength perform the duties of public worship there; and it may include all religious actions, private and public, and every, spiritual undertaking; which ought to be attempted and performed, not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord: man is become, through sin, a weak and impotent creature; though he is very hard to be brought to a sense and acknowledgment of his weakness; true believers are sensible of it, and own it; and such, knowing that there is a sufficiency of strength in Christ for them, look and go to him for it; to do otherwise, to attempt to do anything in our own strength, betrays our weakness, folly, and vanity, and is dangerous, attended with bad consequences, and never succeeds well: the Apostle Peter is an instance of this, Mat_26:33;

I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only; and that before the Lord himself: not his own righteousness, which he knew would not justify him in his sight, nor render him acceptable to him; nor furnish out a plea or argument why he should receive any favour from him; and therefore resolves not to mention it; but the righteousness of Christ, which is the righteousness of God, which he approves of, accepts, and imputes. This is a pure, perfect, and spotless righteousness, which God is well pleased with; honours his law, satisfies his justice, and so justifies in his sight; and renders person and service acceptable to him; and therefore with great pleasure and

boldness, may be mentioned unto as it should be to Christ himself also; by ascribing it to him, as the author of it; by expressing a desire to be found in it; to have faith of interest in it, and joy on account of it; and by owning him openly and freely as the Lord our righteousness: and we should make mention of it to others, in praise of it; extolling it as the righteousness of God, and not a creature; and so sufficient to justify many, even all the seed of Israel; as the best robe of righteousness, better than the best of man's, better than Adam's in innocence, or than the angels' in heaven; as a law honouring and justice satisfying one, and as an everlasting one. And we should put ourselves in mind of it, and, by repeated acts of faith, put it on as our justifying righteousness; since much of our joy, peace, and comfort, depend upon it. And this, and this only, is to be made mention of; it is only in the Lord that there is righteousness: as there is salvation in him, and in no other, so there is righteousness in him, and in no other; wherefore no other is to be mentioned along with it: justification is not partly by Christ's righteousness, and partly by our own; but only by his, and through faith in it; see Rom_9:32.

HE�RY, "How his heart is established in faith and hope; and it is a good thing that the heart be so established. Observe,

1. What he hopes in, Psa_71:16. (1.) In the power of God: “I will go in the strength of the Lord God, not sit down in despair, but stir up myself to and exert myself in my work and warfare, will go forth and go on, not in any strength of my own, but in God's strength - disclaiming my own sufficiency and depending on him only as all-sufficient -in the strength of his providence and in the strength of his grace.” We must always go about God's work in his strength, having our eyes up unto him to work in us both to will and to do. (2.) In the promise of God: “I will make mention of thy righteousness, that is, thy faithfulness to every word which thou hast spoken, the equity of thy disposals, and thy kindness to thy people that trust in thee. This I will make mention of as my plea in prayer for thy mercy.” We may very fitly apply it to the righteousness of Christ, which is called the righteousness of God by faith, and which is witnessed by the law and the prophets; we must depend upon God's strength for assistance and upon Christ's righteousness for acceptance. In the Lord have I righteousness and strength, Isa_45:24.

JAMISO�, "in the strength— or, relying on it.

thy righteousness— or, faithful performance of promises to the pious (Psa_7:17; Psa_31:1).

SBC, "Observe the two thoughts which compose this sentence. (1) "I will go"—the language of active, frequent, glad progression; (2) but no less, balancing it and justifying it, in all modesty and holy caution, turning rashness into courage, and sanctifying the fire of an impulsive nature, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God."

I. It is of the first importance that we should understand what is meant by "the strength of the Lord God." In Himself His strength is in the clouds, and the strength of the hills is His also. He is infinite in power, and His strength from everlasting. (1) But the going forth of His strength is His arm. The arm of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the "strength of the Lord God" to man is Christ, and to "go in the strength of the Lord God" is only, in other language, to walk in Christ. The strength of man is union with Christ. In Him the weakest, according to his capacity, becomes a partaker of the omnipotence of

God.

II. Subordinate to this union with Christ, and included in it, are other elements which compose "the strength of the Lord God." (1) There is an exceeding strength in the simple feeling of being at peace with God. That man has a giant’s strength who, holding his soul secure, goes in the composure of his confidence, and is therefore at leisure for every providence that meets him. (2) The presence of God is strength. (3) The promises are strength. (4) There is strength in knowing that you travel on to a large result, and that victory at last is inevitable. The sense of a fated life is indomitable; it may be abused, but it is God’s truth, and truth is strength. "Blessed is the man whose strength is in Him."

J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 7th series, p. 215.

The character of David.

The great master-key to David’s character is to be found in the text and other similar expressions in his psalms. He was eminently a godly man. On God his affections were centred, his hopes depended, his soul waited. This was the rule of his life. The grievous and dark exceptions to its practice cannot of course be for a moment denied or palliated. David’s sins were as much sins to him as they are sins to us.

I. Let us then judge him by the rules which we apply to other men. And what do we find? His course begins as a shepherd-boy on the rocky hills of Bethlehem. Whether we suppose the twenty-third Psalm to have been composed during the pastoral employments of his youth, or from recollection of them in afterlife, either supposition will equally show what was the bent of his mind while thus employed. Beautiful strains like these do not spring in after-years from the recollection of time passed in thoughts alien to them, but then only when the impressions of memory conveyed the sentiments as well as the scenes. Israel’s God was to him a living reality, not a God in books, nor in legends, nor in ordinances merely, but a God at hand—in his thoughts, in his slumbers, in his solitudes, with him evermore. He "set the Lord always before him; He was at his right hand, that he should not be moved."

II. Nor is there any reason to suppose that such feelings and such cleaving to God ever ceased to characterise the main current of David’s life; that as a man he was not found walking in God’s ways, as a king not ruling his people prudently, with all his power, by help from God and as responsible to Him. This rendering of himself up to God is the point for which Scripture puts him forth as an example, this continual regarding God’s law and God’s ways as the rule of his life.

III. The one point of David’s character which distinguished him as a youth and as a king distinguished him also as a penitent. He goes up at once to God: "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight."

IV. We have in David an example of an eminently godly man and good king, coupled with a very solemn warning that the best of men have a corrupt and sinful nature and are liable at any time to fall from grace if they forget God.

H. Alford, Quebec Chapel Sermons, vol. ii., p. 60.

CALVI�, "16.I will go in the strength of the Lord Jehovah! This may also very properly be translated, I will go into the strengths; and this interpretation is not less probable than the other. As fear and sorrow take possession of our minds in the time of danger, from our not reflecting with that deep and earnest attention which

becomes us upon the power of God; so the only remedy for alleviating our sorrow in our afflictions is to enter into God’s strengths, that they may surround and defend us on all sides. But the other reading, which is more generally received, I have thought proper to retain, because it also is very suitable, although interpreters differ as to its meaning. Some explain it, I will go forth to battle depending upon the power of God. But this is too restricted. To go is equivalent to abiding in a steady, settled, and permanent state. True believers, it must indeed be granted, so far from putting forth their energies without difficulty, and flying with alacrity in their heavenly course, rather groan through weariness; but as they surmount with invincible courage all obstacles and difficulties, not drawing back, or declining from the right way, or at least not failing through despair, they are on this account said to go forward until they have arrived at the termination of their course. In short, David boasts that he will never be disappointed of the help of God till he reach the mark. And because nothing is more rare or difficult in the present state of weakness and infirmity than to continue persevering, he collects all his thoughts in order to rely with entire confidence exclusively on the righteousness of God. When he says that he will be mindful of it O�LY, the meaning is, that, forsaking all corrupt confidences with which almost the whole world is driven about, he will depend wholly upon the protection of God, not allowing himself to wander after his own imaginations, or to be drawn hither and thither by surrounding objects.

Augustine quotes this text more than a hundred times as an argument to overthrow the merit of works, and plausibly opposes the righteousness which God gratuitously bestows to the meritorious righteousness of men. It must, however, be confessed that he wrests the words of David, and puts a sense upon them foreign to their genuine meaning, which simply is, that he does not rely upon his own wisdom, nor upon his own skill, nor upon his own strength, nor upon any riches which he possessed, as a ground for entertaining the confident hope of salvation, but that the only ground upon which he rests this hope is, that as God is righteous, it is impossible for God to forsake him. The righteousness of God, as we have just now observed, does not here denote that free gift by which he reconciles men to himself, or by which he regenerates them to newness of life; but his faithfulness in keeping his promises, by which he means to show that he is righteous, upright, and true towards his servants. �ow, the Psalmist declares that the righteousness of God alone will be continually before his eyes, and in his memory; for unless we keep our minds fixed upon this alone, Satan, who is possessed of wonderful means by which to allure, will succeed in leading us astray after vanity. As soon as hopes from different quarters begin to insinuate themselves into our minds, there is nothing of which we are more in danger than of falling away. And whoever, not content with the grace of God alone, seeks elsewhere for the least succor, will assuredly fall, and thereby serve as an example to teach others how vain it is to attempt to mingle the stays of the world with the help of God. If David, in regard to his mere external condition in life, could remain stable and secure only by renouncing all other confidences, and casting himself upon the righteousness of God; what stability, I pray you to consider, are we likely to have, when the reference is to the spiritual and everlasting life, if we fall away, let it be never so little, from our dependence upon the grace of God? It is, therefore, undeniable that the doctrine invented by the Papists, which divides the

work of perseverance in holiness between man’s free will and God’s grace, (114) precipitates wretched souls into destruction.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. Our translators give us a good sense, but not the sense in this place, which is on this wise, "I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord Jehovah." He would enter into those deeds by admiring study, and then, wherever he went, he would continue to rehearse them. He should ever be a welcome guest who can tell us of the mighty acts of the Lord, and help us to put our trust in him. The authorised version may be used by us as a resolve in all our exertions and endeavours. In our own strength we must fail; but, when we hear the voice which saith, "Go in this thy might, "we may advance without fear. Though hell itself were in the way, the believer would pursue the path of duty, crying:I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Man's righteousness is not fit to be mentioned--filthy rags are best hidden; neither is there any righteousness under heaven, or in heaven, comparable to the divine. As God himself fills all space, and is, therefore, the only God, leaving no room for another, so God's righteousness, in Christ Jesus, fills the believer's soul, and he counts all other things but dross and dung "that he may win Christ, and be found in him, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith." What would be the use of speaking upon any other righteousness to a dying man? and all are dying men. Let those who will cry up man's natural innocence, the dignity of the race, the purity of philosophers, the loveliness of untutored savages, the power of sacraments, and the infallibility of pontiffs; this is the true believer's immovable resolve: "I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only." For ever dedicated to thee, my Lord, be this poor, unworthy tongue, whose glory it shall be to glorify thee.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 16. I will go. The word to go must be here taken in the sense of going to battle against enemies. This, he says, he will do, trusting not to his own, but to the power of the Lord, his heart fired with the memory of the righteousness of God. So is it in another place: "Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we in the name of our God." Musculus.Ver. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord. The minister goes thus by realising this strength and depending on it. In this strength he goes into the path of communion with God, into the fields of conflict, in the privacy of domestic life, and in all the walks of active life. His boast is in the righteousness of Christ; and he mentions this to God as the ground of his confidence, to himself as the spring of his comforts, to others as the hope of salvation. Substance of Sermon by James Sherman. The first preached by him after his settlement at Surrey Chapel. September 4th, 1836.Ver. 16. The strength of the Lord God. The power of God is expressed in the plural number, to show the greatness of it, which is as a garrison to the believer. John Gill.Ver. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord. The phrase, to go in, or, with the strengths of God, does not teach us that he would go by means of them, by their help and assistance, as many have thought, first, because the word is used to signify the illustrious and mighty deeds of God; secondly, because it denotes the subject of praise; but to go with the strength of Jehovah, as the rendering ought to be... is to go

as if girt with his former deeds of power--girt with them as if with the material of praise. Hermann Venema.

WHEDO�, "16. I will make mention of thy righteousness—As the source and ground of my salvation. True faith looks beyond secondary causes, and refers deliverances directly to God. Hence the emphatic thine only, which immediately follows. See on Psalms 71:19

EXPOSITORS DICTIO�ARY OF TEXTS, "Psalm 71:16

This is one of the longest texts in the Bible. In its application it covers an indefinite period of time. The way to write this text is to put a few asterisks after the first three words, "I will go". Asterisks, as you know, are used in books to signify a lapse of time. They denote that there is a space of time—days, or it may be years—between the story that comes before them and the story that follows them. Song of Solomon , I say, we need asterisks in this text. There is sometimes a long stretch of years between "I will go" and "in the strength of the Lord". There is often a lapse of time ere the first and last of this verse meet, "I" and "the Lord". Divinity is not always the first resource of humanity. Often it is its last resource. Men do not learn all at once to take God into their reckonings when they make their plans and forecast their endeavours. Some never learn that. And however the world may judge them, however it may congratulate them and envy them, whatever the fashion of their earthly fortunes, they are the failures—the real and final failures; and the day comes when they know that this is so.

I. "I will go." That is often the whole text in lips of inexperience. Oh the wild strong will of youth! Oh the omnipotence of those early determinations! Oh the finality of those early decisions! "I will go in mine own strength. It is enough, and it will never fail me." But oh, how tired the feet grow! and how far away the blue mountains ever are; and the journey grows greater and the pilgrim"s strength less every day. And it may be there comes a day when the traveller can go no farther, all the strength of love and hope and enthusiasm expended. And there is nothing for it but despair or divinity. The soul finds God or it finds nothing. Life becomes a tragic failure or a triumph of faith.

II. But supposing that instead of thinking about the way itself, we begin to think about the end of the way. Instead of thinking about the difficulty of life, let us think about the destiny of life. "I will go in mine own strength." Yes, but where will you go? What is to be your destination? You may have health and skill to work, and the brain to think, and the heart to make many friends; and if the end of life were just to become a skilled workman, a clever student, or a social success—why you might do that "on your own".

But when you come to understand that you are here in the world to make a saint, to find some of the meaning of the immortal ideas of beauty, truth, goodness, sacrifice, and to develop and cherish in your heart that love that loves for love"s sake, unrepelled by ugliness, unchilled by indifference, undaunted by malice—why, then,

I say, you are face to face with something that strikes through your self-confidence and drives home into your soul a sense of your insufficiency for life as it was meant to be lived. "I will go." Say no more than that if you are only going to the market to make the best of a few bargains, and to the social circle to get the good word of a few friends. But that is not life. That is not finding your destination; that is missing the way, and any one with neither genius nor industry can do that.

III. Look at the things that give meaning and value and immortality to life. People sometimes say to youth, "The world is at your feet". But that is not true unless heaven is in your heart. Look out beyond the brief ambitions, the trivial honours, the cheap victories, and the spurious gains of earth, and behold—oh, so far beyond them all!—the stainless light shining from the towers and pinnacles of the city of God. And know that if ever you are to come to the gates of that city, it must be by winning a victory compared with which every temporal achievement is but child"s play.

—P. Ainsworth, The Pilgrim Church, p210.

�ISBET, "A MOTTO FOR THE �EW YEAR‘I will go in the strength of the Lord God.’Psalms 71:16Observe the two thoughts which compose this sentence. (1) ‘I will go’—the language of active, frequent, glad progression; (2) but no less, balancing it and justifying it, in all modesty and holy caution, turning rashness into courage, and sanctifying the fire of an impulsive nature, ‘I will go in the strength of the Lord God.’

I. It is of the first importance that we should understand what is meant by the ‘strength of the Lord God.’—In Himself His strength is in the clouds, and the strength of the hills is His also. He is infinite in power, and His strength from everlasting. (1) But the going forth of His strength is His arm. The arm of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the ‘strength of the Lord God’ to man is Christ, and to ‘go in the strength of the Lord God’ is only, in other language, to walk in Christ. The strength of man is union with Christ. In Him the weakest, according to his capacity, becomes a partaker of the omnipotence of God.

II. Subordinate to this union with Christ, and included in it, are other elements which compose ‘the strength of the Lord God.’—(1) There is a an exceeding strength in the simple feeling of being at peace with God. That man has a giant’s strength who, holding his soul secure, goes in the composure of His confidence, and is therefore at leisure for every providence that meets him. (2) The presence of God is strength. (3) The promises are strength. (4) There is strength in knowing that you travel on to a large result, and that victory at last is inevitable. The sense of a fated life is indomitable: it may be abused, but it is God’s truth, and truth is strength. ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in Him.’

—Rev. James Vaughan.Illustrations

(1) ‘So long as we live on earth our sufferings have no end; but God’s righteousness, power, and goodness likewise never cease to declare themselves. Only let our faith never cease to rely alone on this strong foundation of salvation, and let it drive us thither with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving! For we will then confess in old age what we have learned in youth, and sing in evil days as well as good: “I will not leave God, for God does not leave me.”’

(2) ‘The seventy-first psalm stands in our own Office for the Sick; it is the only psalm with its antiphon preserved. “O Saviour of the world, Who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us, save us, and help us.”’

PULPIT, "Psalms 71:16

Strong confidence.

"I will go," etc. Since these words were written, almost everything in the world capable of change has changed. Empires, nations, languages, religions, have died, and new ones grown up in their stead. The centre of civilization has moved westward. Discovery and invention have so revolutionized man's relation to his surroundings, that he seems to live in a new world. The form of revealed religion has undergone a no less marvellous change. The priesthood, sacrifices, sanctuary, laws, which seemed to a pious Israelite an integral part of true religion, have waxed old and vanished away. But "the Word of the Lord abideth forever." Faith, hope, love, based on God's promises, are the same in all ages—in Watts or Wesley, Calvin or Luther, Paul or John, as in David and Isaiah. Across that wide gulf of time which has swallowed so much deemed imperishable, we join hands with this ancient saint, and feel that he is our brother. His experience holds the mirror to our own. The Spirit who inspired him is promised to us also. Let us take note of his resolve, his humility, his confidence.

I. THE PSALMIST'S FIXED RESOLVE A�D PURPOSE. "I will go." He speaks as one who knows. The Revisers give a different sense. But they render the same Hebrew word (which commonly means "come") "go" in Genesis 37:30; �umbers 32:6; Jonah 1:3. And the word for "strength" (plural in Hebrew) is so rendered, and cannot be otherwise rendered, in Psalms 90:10. The vigorous Authorized Version is much the more apt and intelligible. Whither he is bound, and what he needs for the journey. Some lives can hardly be likened to either a journey or a race. �o fixed purpose rules them; no high aim inspires; no goal shines in view. They veer and drift with the changing current of fashion and circumstance. There is something very noble and admirable in fixed indomitable purpose, even when it does not rest on the highest motives. We admire the courage of the great Roman, who said to the trembling pilots in view of the tempest, "It is not necessary for me to live, but it is necessary for me to go" (Plutarch's 'Life of Pompey the Great'). But we find a grander courage in St. Paul (Acts 21:13). Or in Luther, after two hours spent in intense prayer, "If there were as many devils in Worms as tiles on the house tops, I would go." The one is the firmness of human will, defying circumstances to bend it.

The other, of human weakness taking hold on almighty strength.

II. Therefore note secondly, THE PSALMIST'S HUMILITY. He is not vaunting his own strength, or trusting to it. "In the strength of the Lord God." All strength is God's. He nerves the arm that is raised against his law; kindles the light of reason in the mind that denies him. Let but a tiny clot of blood press on a thread of nerve, and the strongest arm will be paralyzed, the keenest brain unconscious. Hence Scripture strongly condemns the worship of human power and greatness (Isaiah 2:22). A view to which men are always prone. A great blemish on the writings of one of our most powerful writers, Thomas Carlyle. It is wonderful how much people pardon in a conqueror! Such judgment is false. "God resisteth the proud." Illust.: �ebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30, Daniel 4:31, etc.). Humility is true wisdom; since it is simply acknowledging what is fact.

III. THE PSALMIST'S CO�FIDE�CE. "I will go," etc. A confidence resting in blind presumption, "I will go, come what may, hinder who dare!" is mere self-delusion. On the other hand, mere sense of weakness, "I cannot go!" is miserable, fatal to all success. Faith solves the paradox of combining the humblest sense of weakness with the boldest courage, most strenuous effort, most assured hope (1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:5; John 15:4, John 15:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9). �othing but this courage of humility, this confidence of faith, can warrant, in any sane mind, a fearless outlook, even as concerns earthly life. For the strongest is not strong all round; and the strain may come at the one weak point. To climb the mountain is one thing; to breathe the rare air at the top is another. The dash which carries the soldier against the enemies' ranks will not sustain him through the dark, cold hours of the sentinel's lone watch. The athlete may fail at the desk. The man whom no labour could over task, whose resource, quickness, energy, promptly met every emergency in action, may helplessly break down in adversity. The man whom adversity could neither break nor bend may lose self-control in prosperity, and make shipwreck in a smooth sea. Yet more is this true of The spiritual life. Illust.: Peter (John 14:1-31 :37, 38; John 18:10, John 18:17, John 18:25, John 18:27). Have we the right to exercise this confidence anew? We cannot over trust God (Philippians 4:13). Suppose a farmer has lowlying meadows along the course of a river, which he can irrigate at will. It is no presumption in him to say, "My land can never suffer drought"—if he opens the sluices. Prayer opens the sluices which let the full river of God's grace, wisdom, strength, peace, flow into the soul. How can you bear to face the unknown possibilities, or the certainties, of the future without this "strength of the Lord God"? What may happen any minute? "�o use," you say, "to think of that" �o; I know it is no use: does that make things better? How can you help thinking of it, unless you can take hold of God's strength and be at peace with him

17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

BAR�ES, "O God, thou hast taught me from my youth - See Psa_71:5-6. That is, God had guided and instructed him from his earliest years. He had made known to him his own being and perfections; he had made his duty plain; he had led him along the dangerous path of life.

And hitherto have I declared - I have made known. That is, he had done this by public praise; he had done it by his writings; he had done it by maintaining and defending the truth. In all situations of life, up to that time, he had been willing to stand up for God and his cause.

Thy wondrous works - See Psa_9:1, note; Psa_26:7, note. Doings or acts which were suited to attract attention; to awe the mind by their greatness; to inspire confidence by their wisdom.

CLARKE, "Thou hast taught me from my youth - I have had thee for my continual instructor: and thou didst begin to teach me thy fear and love from my tenderest infancy. Those are well taught whom God instructs; and when he teaches, there is no delay in learning.

GILL, "O God, thou hast taught me from my youth,.... The corruption of human nature; the weakness and impotence of it, to everything that is spiritually good; and the need of continual strength and grace from Christ, to go to him for righteousness and strength, life and salvation, and to walk by faith on him; the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ, and the insufficiency of his own; the will, ways, and worship of God; and all the duties of religion, prayer, praise, &c. and whoever were the instruments, or whatever were the means, of teaching David these things, he ascribes it to God. Whether his parents, or the priests and Levites, taught him the sacrifices and ordinances of the law, it was the Lord that blessed instructions to him; and that taught him by providences and precepts, and by his Holy Spirit. And a wonderful blessing it is to be taught of God, and not of men, things relating both to doctrine and practice; and it is an addition to it to be taught these things early, as David was from his youth; and therefore the Lord was so soon the object of his faith and trust, Psa_71:5; and, as Timothy, from a child, was acquainted with the holy Scriptures, and the things contained in them, which are able to make wise unto salvation, Isa_29:13;

and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works: not only of nature and

providence, but of grace; the treasuring up of all grace, and the blessings of it in Christ; the work of redemption by him; the work of regeneration and conversion by his Spirit; and the perseverance of the saints by his grace and strength; which are all wonderful and amazing. And as the psalmist saw his interest in these things, and had an experience of them, he declared them to others for their encouragement, and to the glory of all the three Persons; see Psa_66:16.

HE�RY, "What he hopes for.

(1.) He hopes that God will not leave him in his old age, but will be the same to him to the end that he had been all along, Psa_71:17, Psa_71:18. Observe here, [1.] What God had done for him when he was young: Thou hast taught me from my youth. The good education and good instructions which his parents gave him when he was young he owns himself obliged to give God thanks for as a great favour. It is a blessed thing to be taught of God from our youth, from our childhood to know the holy scriptures, and it is what we have reason to bless God for. [2.] What he had done for God when he was middle-aged: He had declared all God's wondrous works. Those that have not good when they are young must be doing good when they are grown up, and must continue to communicate what they have received. We must own that all the works of God's goodness to us are wondrous works, admiring he should do so much for us who are so undeserving, and we must make it our business to declare them, to the glory of God and the good of others. [3.] What he desired of God now that he was old: Now that I am old and gray-headed, dying to this world and hastening to another, O God! forsake me not.This is what he earnestly desires and confidently hopes for. Those that have been taught of God from their youth, and have made it the business of their lives to honour him, may be sure that he will not leave them when they are old and gray-headed, will not leave them helpless and comfortless, but will make the evil days of old age their best days, and such as they shall have occasion to say they have pleasure in. [4.] What he designed to do for God in his old age: “I will not only show thy strength, by my own experience of it, to this generation, but I will leave my observations upon record for the benefit of posterity, and so who it to every one that is to come.” As long as we live we should be endeavouring to glorify God and edify one another; and those that have had the largest and longest experience of the goodness of God to them should improve their experiences for the good of their friends. It is a debt which the old disciples of Christ owe to the succeeding generations to leave behind them a solemn testimony to the power, pleasure, and advantage of religion, and the truth of God's promises.

JAMISO�, "Past experience again encourages.

taught me, etc.— by providential dealings.

CALVI�, "17.O God! thou hast taught me from my youth. The Psalmist again declares the great obligations under which he lay to God for his goodness, not only with the view of encouraging himself to gratitude, but also of exciting himself to continue cherishing hope for the time to come: which will appear from the following verse. Besides, since God teaches us both by words and deeds, it is certain that the second species of teaching is here referred to, the idea conveyed being, that David

had learned by continual experience, even from his infancy, that nothing is better than to lean exclusively upon the true God. That he may never be deprived of this practical truth, he testifies that he had made great proficiency in it. When he promises to become a publisher of God’s wondrous works, his object in coming under this engagement is, that by his ingratitude he may not interrupt the course of the Divine beneficence.

Upon the truth here stated, he rests the prayer which he presents in the 18th verse, that he may not be forgotten in his old age. His reasoning is this: Since thou, O God! hast from the commencement of my existence given me such abundant proofs of thy goodness, wilt thou not stretch forth thy hand to succor me, when now thou seest me decaying through the influence of old age? And, indeed, the conclusion is altogether inevitable, that as God vouchsafed to love us when we were infants, and embraced us with his favor when we were children, and has continued without intermission to do us good during the whole course of our life, he cannot but persevere in acting toward us in the same way even to the end. Accordingly, the particle גם, gam, which we have translated still, here signifies therefore; it being David’s design, from the consideration that the goodness of God can never be exhausted, and that he is not mutable like men, to draw the inference that he will be the same towards his people in their old age, that he was towards them in their childhood. He next supports his prayer by another argument, which is, that if he should fail or faint in his old age, the grace of God, by which he had been hitherto sustained, would at the same time soon be lost sight of. If God were immediately to withdraw his grace from us after we have but just tasted it slightly, it would speedily vanish from our memory. In like manner, were he to forsake us at the close of our life, after having conferred upon us many benefits during the previous part of it, his liberality by this means would be divested of much of its interest and attraction. David therefore beseeches God to assist him even to the end, that he may be able to commend to posterity the unintermitted course of the Divine goodness, and to bear testimony, even at his very death, that God never disappoints the faithful who betake themselves to him. By the generation and those who are to come, he means the children and the children’s children to whom the memorial of the loving-kindness of God cannot be transmitted unless it be perfect in all respects, and has completed its course. He mentions strength and power as the effects of God’s righteousness. He is, however, to be understood by the way as eulogising by these titles the manner of his deliverance, in which he congratulates himself; as if he had said, that God, in the way in which it was accomplished, afforded a manifestation of matchless and all-sufficient power.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth. It was comfortable to the psalmist to remember that from his earliest days he had been the Lord's disciple. �one are too young to be taught of God, and they make the most proficient scholars who begin betimes.And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. He had learned to tell what he knew, he was a pupil teacher; he continued still learning and declaring, and did not renounce his first master; this, also, was his comfort, but it is one which those who have been seduced from the school of the gospel, into the various colleges of philosophy and scepticism, will not be able to enjoy. A sacred conservatism is much

needed in these days, when men are giving up old lights for new. We mean both to learn and to teach the wonders of redeeming love, till we can discover something nobler or more soul satisfying; for this reason we hope that our gray heads will be found in the same road as we have trodden, even from our beardless youth.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth. Whence was it that David understood "more than the ancients"? (Psalms 119:100.) He had a Father to teach him; God was his instructor. Many a child of God complains of ignorance and dulness; remember this, thy Father will be thy tutor; he hath promised to give "his Spirit to lead thee into all truth" (John 6:13); and God doth not only inform the understanding, but inclines the will; he doth not only teach us what we should do, but enables us to do it. (Ezekiel 36:27); "I will cause you to walk in my statutes." What a glorious privilege is this, to have the star of the word pointing us to Christ, and the loadstone of the Spirit drawing! Thomas Watson.Ver. 17. Thou hast taught me from my youth. If you ask me what were the ways by which David was taught, I might ask you what they were not... God taught him by his shepherd's crook; and by the rod and sceptre of a king he taught him. He taught him by the shouts of the multitude--"Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands; "and he taught him just as much, if not more, by the contempt he met in the court of the Philistines. He taught him by the arrows of Jonathan, levelled in friendship; and he taught him by the javelin of Saul levelled at his life. He taught him by the faithlessness of Abiathar, and the faithlessness of even his faithful Joab; and he taught him by the faithfulness of Abishai, and the faithfulness of Mephibosheth; and, let me add too, by the rebellion of Absalom, and the selfishness of Adonijah; they were all means, by which the Lord taught this his servant. And be assured, you that are under his teaching, there is nothing in your lives, but he can teach you by it: by comforts and crosses, by your wounds and your healings, by that which he gives and by what he takes away. He unteaches his child, that he may teach him; shows him his folly, that he may make him wise; strips him of his vain confidence, that he may give him strength; makes him know that he is nothing, that he may show him that he has all in the Lord--in Jesus his Beloved one. James Harrington Evans.Ver. 17. Thou hast taught me from my youth. Youth needs a teacher that it may embrace virtue. Seneca says, Virtue is a hard thing to youth, it needs a ruler and guide; vices are acquired without a master. How prone he was in his boyhood and youth to vices, we may see in Psalms 25:1-22. "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions." Jerome, in his Epistle to �epotianus, says: "As fire in green wood is stifled, so wisdom in youth, impeded by temptations and concupiscence, does not unfold its brightness, unless by hard work, and steady application and prayer, the incentives of youth are inwardly repelled." Hence it is that almost all nations have provided good and wise teachers of the young. Among the Spartans, one was chosen from the Magistrates and Senators to be paidonomos, rector of the boys... At Athens there were twelve men named Sophronistae, elected by the suffrages of all the tribes, to moderate the manners of youth... God is the teacher of his servants. Plato says, oiden einai yeioteron, that there is nothing more divine than the education of children. Of God the Father, or of the whole Trinity, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, says, 1 Samuel 2:3 : "The Lord is a God of knowledge;

"(Scientiarum, Vulg.) that is, as the Chaldee has it, he knows all things... Socrates says, that he is the mind of the universe. Without him, therefore, all are demented; but with him, and through him, in a single moment they become wise. Philo, in his treatise of the sacrifice of Cain and Abel, says, Masters cannot fill the mind of their pupils as if they were pouring water into a vessel; but when God, the fountain of wisdom, communicates knowledge to the human race, he does it without delay, in the twinkling of an eye... His anointing shall teach you of all things. 1 John 2:27. Thomas Le Blanc.Ver. 17. From my youth. Is it such "a crown of glory" to be found old in the ways of righteousness? Do you then begin to be godly betimes; that, if you live in this world you may have this crown set upon your heads when you are ancient; for is it not better for you to be plants of God's house, than weeds upon the dunghill? Those that are wicked are but as weeds upon a dunghill, but you that are godly are as plants in God's own orchard. In Romans 16:7, we find that Andronicus and Junia are commended because they were in Christ before Paul: "They were in Christ before me." It is an honourable thing to be in Christ before others; this is honourable when you are young; and then going on in the ways of godliness all your young time, and so in your middle age, and till you come to be old. Jeremiah Burroughs.Ver. 17. Wondrous works. Observe that he calls the blessing of divine aid so often received in affliction, wondrous works. By this expression, he shows us, with what grievous perils he was tossed; then how he had been snatched from them by the hand of God, contrary to the expectation of all men. Therefore, God is wonderful among his saints. To this end the adversities of the saints tend, that they may show forth in them the wonderful works of God. Musculus.Ver. 17-18. The integrity of our hearts and ways, in former walkings after God, and service for God, may by faith in Christ, as in all our justification, be pleaded. See also Isaiah 38:3 and Psalms 119:10. The Lord himself maketh it to himself a motive to show mercy to his people (Isaiah 63:8, Jeremiah 2:2); only we must use this plea more rarely and sparingly, in a self denying way, in faith in Christ's righteousness, as made ours. Thomas Cobbet.

WHEDO�, "17. From my youth—Again the psalmist reviews the divine care, as in vers. 5, 6.

Hitherto… I declared—His faithfulness in making known the goodness of God had been co-extensive with that goodness. But the Hebrew punctuation gives the sense,—

“O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and until this time;I will show forth thy wondrous works.”

BE�SO�, "Psalms 71:17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth — By the instruction of my parents, by thy word and Spirit enlightening and convincing me, and also by my own experience, namely, concerning thy righteousness last mentioned, the wondrous effects whereof I have received and declared from time to time. Observe here, reader, as it is a great blessing to be taught of God from our youth, from our childhood to know the Holy Scriptures, and the important truths

revealed, the privileges exhibited, and the duties inculcated therein; so those that have been favoured and received good in this way, when they were young, must be doing good when they are grown up, and must continue to communicate what they have received.

COFFMA�, "Verse 17PLEADI�G A LIFE SPE�T I� GOD'S SERVICE

"O God, thou hast taught me from my youth;

And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

Yea, even when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not,

Until I have declared thy strength to the next generation,

Thy might to every one that is to come.

Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high;

Thou hast done great things,

O God, who is like unto thee."

In these verses there is a dramatic shift to the past tense, thence to the present, and again into the future. The psalmist here makes a triple argument as the grounds upon which he pleads for God's help.

(1) Serving God is no new thing to David. God had instructed him from his youth; and he had heeded that instruction and had walked uprightly before God all of his life, "hitherto."

(2) "I am old and grayheaded" (Psalms 71:18). This argument is that the infirmities of age are encroaching upon him and that there is therefore "a special need" of God's help; hence the appeal, "Forsake me not."

"Among sensitive men and women of high culture and Christian feeling, there is a beautiful sacredness about the `hoary head,' that wins for the aged abundant honor and care,"[12] but even under the most favorable and sympathetic circumstances, the infirmities and incapacities of age are among the very saddest things that can happen to the human pilgrim; and in situations where Christian care and concern are not available, the wretched misery of the aged is pitiful beyond description.

(3) "Until I have declared thy strength to the next generation" (Psalms 71:18). The psalmist here is not thinking primarily of himself and his troubles, but of the coming generation who are in desperate need of instruction in the truth. He needs strength

and time in order to do this most necessary work for God; hence the appeal, "Forsake me not."

"To every one that is to come" (Psalms 71:19). Can a request like this be limited as applicable only to a single coming generation? �o! All the coming generations of the human family are to be taught by this psalmist provided God does not forsake him. Has it happened? Indeed it has! Almost three millenniums after these words were written, and this prayer was uttered by him whose Greater Son is the Christ of Glory, these immortal psalms are still being loved, studied, appreciated and honored in the lives of men and women.

The Psalter is the most beloved and popular part of the Old Testament.; and Christians of all generations have found its inspiring pages a never-failing source of encouragement, strength, and sacred motivation.

GUZIK, " (17-18) The strength of God from youth to old age.

O God, You have taught me from my youth;

And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

�ow also when I am old and grayheaded,

O God, do not forsake me,

Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to everyone who is to come.

a. You have taught me from my youth: The Psalmist had the blessed fortune to have followed God and learned of Him from his young years. It was something that benefited him to his older years, still declaring God's wonderful works.

i. To be taught from one's youth displays stability and consistency. There is no fluttering about from one fad to another, from one controversy to another.

ii. "He says, 'O God, thou hast taught me from my youth,' which implies that God had continued to teach him: and so indeed he had. The learner had not sought another school, nor had the Master turned off his pupil." (Spurgeon)

b. When I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation: He prayed for the continued presence of God so that he

could declare God's strength to a new generation.

i. "There is nothing more calculated to keep the heart of age young, than to stand by the young, sympathizing with their ambitions, heartening their endeavours, and stiffening their courage, by recounting the stories of the strength of God, the experiences of His might." (Morgan)

ii. "There is nothing more pitiful, or else more beautiful than old age. It is pitiful when its pessimism cools the ardours of youth. It is beautiful when its witness stimulated the visions and inspires the heroism of the young." (Morgan)

iii. To everyone who is to come: "To all succeeding generations, to whom I will leave a lasting monument of this glorious example of all-sufficiency, such as this Psalm is." (Poole)

18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

BAR�ES, "Now also when I am old and grey-headed -Margin, “unto old age and grey hairs.” This does not necessarily mean that he was then actually old and grey-headed, but it would imply that he was approaching that period, or that he had it in prospect. The time of youth was past, and he was approaching old age. The literal rendering would be, “And also unto old age and grey hairs, do not forsake me.” This is the prayer of one who had been favored in youth, and in all his former course of life, and who now asked that God would continue his mercy, and not forsake him when the infirmities of age drew on.

Forsake me not - Still keep me alive. Give me health, and strength, and ability to set forth thy praise, and to make known thy truth. See the notes at Psa_71:9.

Until I have showed thy strength -Margin, as in Hebrew, “thine arm.” The arm is the instrument by which we execute a purpose, and it thus becomes a symbol of strength.

Unto this generation - literally, “to a generation.” The reference is to the generation then living; that is, the generation which had come on the stage since he had reached

manhood - the generation - the new generation - which one who is approaching old age sees engaged in the active scenes of life, cultivating the fields, filling the offices, constructing the bridges and roads, manning the ships, occupying the dwellings, instead of those with whom he was formerly associated, and who are now in their graves. His own generation - the companions of his own early years - had passed away. He had lived to speak to a new generation, and he was desirous that they should start on the journey of life with the advantage of his experience, as of one that had gone before. Each generation “may” thus enter on life with all the accumulated wisdom of the past; that is, as wise as those had become who had themselves had the experience, and treasured up results from the observations, of a long life.

Society thus makes progress. One generation becomes wiser and better than the one which went before it, and the experience of all ages thus accumulates as the world advances, enabling a future age to act on the results of all the wisdom of the past. Man thus differs from the inferior creation. The animals, governed by instinct alone, make no progress. Compare the notes at Psa_49:13. They profit neither by the wisdom, nor the follies of the past. The first robin built its nest of the same materials, and with as much art, as the robin does now; the first stock of bees constructed their cells with as nice and accurate adaptations, with mathematical precision as complete, as a swarm of bees will do now. Neither the bird nor the bee has learned anything by experience, by study, or by observation - nor lays up, to transmit to future generations of birds or bees, the results of its own sagacity or observation.

Not so with man. The result of the experiences of one generation goes into the general experience of the world, and becomes its capital; a new thought, or a new invention struck out by some splendid genius, becomes the common property of the race; and society, as it rolls on, gathers up all these results, as the Ganges or the Mississippi, rolling on to the ocean, gathers into one mighty volume all the waters that flow in a thousand streams, and all that come from rivulets and fountains, however remote. It is this which makes the life of “a man” so valuable in this world; this which makes it so desirable for a man, even when approaching old age, yet to live a little longer, for, as the fruit of his experience, his observation, his ripe wisdom, his acquired knowledge, he may yet suggest something, by writing or otherwise, which may add to the intelligence of the world; some principle which may be elaborated and perfected by the coming age.

And thy power - Thy greatness; majesty; glory.

To every one that is to come - To all future generations. That I may state truths which may benefit future ages. He who suggests one truth which the world was not in possession of before, is a benefactor to mankind, and will not have lived in vain, for that truth will do something to set the race forward, and to make the world better and happier. It is not a vain thing, then, for a man to live; and every one should endeavor “so” to live that the world may not be the worse - or may not go backward - by his living in it, but that it may be the wiser and the better: not merely so that it may keep on the same level, but that it may rise to a higher level, and start off on a new career.

CLARKE, "Old and grey-headed - In the ninth verse he mentioned the circumstance of old age; here he repeats it, with the addition of hoary-headedness, which, humanly speaking, was calculated to make a deeper impression in his favor. Though all these things are well known to God, and he needs not our information, yet he is pleased to say, “Come now, and let us reason together.” And when his children plead

and reason with him, they are acting precisely as he has commanded.

GILL, "Now also, when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not,.... A repetition of his request, Psa_71:9; with a reason annexed to it, suggested in the following words:

until I have showed thy strength unto this generation; or, "thine arm" (e); which sometimes the Messiah, Isa_53:1; who is the power of by whom he made the worlds, and in whom all things consist; and who has wrought out the salvation people; and is the arm on which they lean, and they are upheld. And the psalmist may be thought to desire that he might be continued a little longer, and be favoured with the presence of God, and the influences of his Spirit and grace; that he might show forth in prophecy, both by word and writing, to the men of the then present age, more things concerning the person, office, and grace of Christ; his sufferings, death, resurrection from the dead, and session at the right hand of God; things which are spoken of in the book of Psalms. Sometimes the arm of the Lord denotes his power and strength, Psa_44:3; and so it may be taken here; and the next clause seems to be an explanation of it:

and thy power; or "even thy power",

to everyone that is to come; that is, to come into the world, that is to be born into it; namely, the power of God, not only in creating all things out of nothing, and supporting what is made; but in the redemption of men, in the conversion of sinners, and in the preservation of the saints, and in enabling them to hold on and out unto the end: and which is shown forth by the psalmist in what he has committed to writing; and which continue, and will continue, to the end of the world, for the instruction of those that come into it; see Psa_22:31.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 18. �ow also when I am old and grey headed, O God, forsake me not. There is something touching in the sight of hair whitened with the snows of many a winter: the old and faithful soldier receives consideration from his king, the venerable servant is beloved by his master. When our infirmities multiply, we may, with confidence, expect enlarged privileges in the world of grace, to make up for our narrowing range in the field of nature. �othing shall make God forsake those who have not forsaken him. Our fear is lest he should do so; but his promise kisses that fear into silence.Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation. He desired to continue his testimony and complete it; he had respect to the young men and little children about him, and knowing the vast importance of training them in the fear of God, he longed to make them all acquainted with the power of God to support his people, that they also might be led to walk by faith. He had leaned on the almighty arm, and could speak experimentally of its all sufficiency, and longed to do so ere life came to a close.And thy power to every one that is to come. He would leave a record for unborn ages to read. He thought the Lord's power to be so worthy of praise, that he would

make the ages ring with it till time should be no more. For this cause believers live, and they should take care to labour zealously for the accomplishment of this their most proper and necessary work. Blessed are they who begin in youth to proclaim the name of the Lord, and cease not until their last hour brings their last word for their divine Master.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 17-18. See Psalms on "Psalms 71:17"Ver. 18. �ow also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not. God exalts pardoning grace to some more, and sanctifying grace to others; he is the God of grace. Those ships that have been in long voyages at sea, three or four years out, have gone through hot climates and cold, passed the equinoctial line again and again, and have run through many a difficulty, and great storms, and yet have been kept alive at sea, as they speak, when these shall meet one another at sea near the haven, how will they congratulate? And old disciples should do so, that God hath kept grace alive in their souls. And I would ask you how many thousand ships have you seen cast away before your eyes? How many that have made "shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, "as the apostle speaks? This and that profession, that has run into this and that error damnable, or false opinions and teaching, though all of smaller moment; others that have struck upon quicksands of worldly preferments, and many split upon rocks, and yet you have been kept. This should move you to bless this your God, the God of grace, the more. Come, let me knock at your hearts; are none of you old professors, like old hollow oaks, who stand in the woods among professors still, and keep their stand of profession still, and go to ordinances, etc.; but the "rain they drink in, "as the apostle's word is, serves to no other end but to rot them. "These are nigh unto cursing." Or, have you green fruits still growing on you, as quickly and lively affections to God and Christ, and faith and love, as at the first, and more abounding? O bless God you are so near the haven, and lift up your hearts, your redemption draws near; and, withal, raise your confidence, that that God of grace, who hath called you into his eternal glory, will keep you for it, and possess you of it shortly. Thomas Goodwin.Ver. 18. Forsake me not; until, etc. Apostasy in old age is fearful. He that climbs almost to the top of a tower, then slipping back, hath the greater fall. The patient almost recovered, is more deadly sick by a relapse. There were stars struck from heaven by the dragon's tail (Revelation 12:4); they had better never have perched so high. The place where the Israelites fell into that great folly with the daughters of Moab, was in the plain, within the prospect of the Holy Land; they saw their inheritance, and yet fell short of it. So wretched is it for old men to fall near to their very entry of heaven, as old Eli in his indulgence (1 Samuel 2:1-36); old Judah in his incest (Genesis 38:1-30); old David with Bathsheba; old Asa trusting in the physicians more than in God (2 Chronicles 16:12); and old Solomon built the high places. Some have walked like cherubs in the midst of the stones of fire, yet have been cast as profane out of God's mountain. Ezekiel 28:14; Ezekiel 28:16. Thus the seaman passeth all the main, and suffers wreck in the haven. The corn often promises a plenteous harvest in the blade, and shrinks in the ear. You have seen trees loaden with blossoms, yet, in the season of expectation, no fruit. A comedy that holds well many scenes, and goes lamely off in the last act, finds no applause. Remember Lot's wife (Lu 17:32): think on that pillar of salt, that it may season thee.

Thomas Adams.Ver. 18. Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, etc. Are there better preachers of the works of God to be found than hoary parents in the circle of their children; or grandparents in that of their grandchildren? Augustus F. Tholuck.Ver. 18.With years oppressed, with sorrows worn,Dejected, harassed, sick, forlorn,To thee, O God, I pray;To thee my withered hands arise,To thee I lift these failing eyes:Oh, cast me not away!Thy mercy heard my infant prayer;Thy love, with all a mother's care,Sustained my childish days:Thy goodness watched my ripening youth,And formed my heart to love thy truth,And filled my lips with praise.O Saviour! has thy grace declined?Can years affect the Eternal Mind,Or time its love destroy?A thousand ages pass thy sight,And all their long and weary flightIs gone like yesterday.Then, even in age and grief, thy nameShall still my languid heart inflame,And bow my faltering knee:Oh, yet this bosom feels the fire,This trembling hand and drooping lyre,Have yet a strain for thee!Yes, broken, tuneless still, O Lord,This voice, transported, shall recordThy goodness tried so long;Till, sinking slow, with calm decay,Its feeble murmurs melt away,Into a seraph's song. Sir Robert Grant.

WHEDO�, "18. �ow also when I am old—A beautifully touching appeal! With age come conscious helplessness and dependence; how precious are God’s mercies then! See on Psalms 71:9; also, Genesis 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:6; Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalms 37:25.

Until I have showed thy strength—Literally, showed thy arm, the symbol of executive strength. Psalms 98:1; Isaiah 52:10. The motive of all the writer’s desire for deliverance was, that he might glorify God by publishing his wonderful works. Compare, “Christ shall be magnified in my body.” Philippians 1:20.

This generation—Literally, a generation; but the next line determines it to mean the coming generation: “To all that shall come:” parallel to “they shall come,” that is, the seed, or generation of the righteous, (Psalms 22:30-31,) as if he should say, “the on-coming generation.” Psalms 22:30-31

BE�SO�, "Psalms 71:18. �ow also when I am old, &c., forsake me not — Do not abandon the care of me when I need it most: but continue the same kindness to me in my declining years which I experienced when I was a youth. Those that have been taught of God from their youth, and have made it the business of their lives to honour him, may be sure he will not leave them when they are old and gray-headed, will not leave them helpless and comfortless, but will make the evil days of old age their best days, and such as they shall have reason to say they have pleasure in. Until I have showed thy strength — By my own experience of its being exerted in fresh instances in my behalf; unto this generation — To which I owe peculiar duties, and which I desire to serve according to thy will, Acts 13:36; and thy power to every one that is to come — To all future generations, by leaving my observations upon it on record for their benefit. Thus, as David acknowledges that “it was the God of Israel who taught him, as a warrior, to conquer, and as a psalmist, to declare the wondrous works of his great benefactor; so he requests to be preserved in his old age, until, by completing his victories, and his Psalms composed to celebrate them, he had showed the strength and power of God,” not only to his cotemporaries, “but to all that should arise in after times, and chant those divine hymns in the assemblies of the faithful, throughout all ages.” In like manner, “if St. Paul wish to have his life continued on earth, it is only that he may edify the church and glorify God. Otherwise it is far better, says he, to depart and be with Christ.” — Horne. In imitation of these, and such like excellent examples, as long as we live we ought to be endeavouring to glorify God, and edify one another; and those that have had the largest and longest experience of the goodness of God to them, should improve their experience for the good of their friends. And it is a debt which the old disciples of Christ owe to the succeeding generations, to leave behind them a solemn testimony to the power, and pleasure, and advantage of religion, and the truth of God’s promises.

19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God?

BAR�ES, "Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high - See the notes at Psa_36:5. The purpose of the psalmist is to exalt that righteousness as much as possible, and he, therefore, compares it with that which is high - the heavens - the highest thing of all. The literal rendering would be, “even to the high,” or the height; that is, to the highest place. The passage is designed to express his confidence in God, in the infirmities and troubles which he must expect to come upon him with advancing years.

Who hast done great things - In his work of creation; in his providence; in his manifested mercy toward his people. He had done things so great as to show that he could protect those who put their trust in him.

O God, who is like unto thee! -Who can be compared to thee! See the notes at Psa_35:10. Compare the notes at Isa_40:18. See also Psa_89:8; Exo_15:11; 2Sa_7:22.

CLARKE, "Thy righteousness - is very high - ad עד מרוםmarom - is up to the

exalted place, reaches up to heaven. The mercy of God fills all space and place. It crowns in the heavens what it governed upon earth.

Who hast done great things - gedoloth. Thou hast worked miracles, and גדלות

displayed the greatest acts of power.

Who is like unto thee! - mi מי כמוךcamocha. God is alone, - who can resemble him?

He is eternal. He can have none before, and there can be none after; for in the infinite unity of his trinity he is that eternal, unlimited, impartible, incomprehensible, and uncompounded ineffable Being, whose essence is hidden from all created intelligences, and whose counsels cannot be fathomed by any creature that even his own hand can form. Who is Like Unto Thee! will excite the wonder, amazement, praise, and adoration of angels and men to all eternity.

GILL, "Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high,.... Or, "unto the place on high" (f); it reaches unto heaven, as the mercy, truth, and faithfulness of God, are said to do, Psa_36:5. The righteousness of Christ is accepted of with God the Father in heaven; it is in Christ, who is there at the right hand of God; and it is higher and infinitely above any righteousness of a creature, angel's or man's;

who hast done great things; in nature, in forming the world out of nothing, and in upholding all creatures in their beings; in providence, in governing the world, and ordering all things in it for the best, and to answer the wisest purposes; in grace, in the salvation of lost sinners by Christ; in the justification of them by his righteousness; and in the atonement and pardon of their sins, through his blood and sacrifice; in the regeneration of them by his grace; in making and performing exceeding great and precious promises, and in giving them eternal life;

O God, who is like unto thee? either for greatness or goodness; for power or for mercy; for justice, truth, and faithfulness; for the perfections of his nature, or the works of his hands; and to be praised, reverenced and adored, as he is; see Psa_89:6.

JAMISO�, "is very high— distinguished (Psa_36:5; Isa_55:9).

CALVI�, "19.And thy righteousness, O God! is very high. (115) Some connect this verse with the preceding, and repeating the verb I will declare, as common to both verses, translate, And I will declare thy righteousness, O God! But this being a matter of small importance, I will not dwell upon it. David prosecutes at greater length the subject of which he had previously spoken. In the first place, he declares that the righteousness of God is very high; secondly, that it wrought mightily; and, finally, he exclaims in admiration, Who is like thee? It is worthy of notice, that the righteousness of God, the effects of which are near to us and conspicuous, is yet placed on high, inasmuch as it cannot be comprehended by our finite understanding. Whilst we measure it according to our own limited standard, we are overwhelmed and swallowed up by the smallest temptation. In order, therefore, to give it free course to save us, it behoves us to take a large and a comprehensive view — to look above and beneath, far and wide, that we may form some due conceptions of its amplitude. The same remarks apply to the second clause, which makes mention of the works of God: For thou hast done great things. If we attribute to his known power the praise which is due to it, we will never want ground for entertaining good hope. Finally, our sense of the goodness of God should extend so far as to ravish us with admiration; for thus it will come to pass that our minds, which are often distracted by an unholy disquietude, will repose upon God alone. If any temptation thrusts itself upon us, we immediately magnify a fly into an elephant; or rather, we rear very high mountains, which keep the hand of God from reaching us; and at the same time we basely limit the power of God. The exclamation of David, then, Who is like thee? tends to teach us the lesson, that we should force our way through every impediment by faith, and regard the power of God, which is well entitled to be so regarded, as superior to all obstacles. All men, indeed, confess with the mouth, that none is like God; but there is scarce one out of a hundred who is truly and fully persuaded that He alone is sufficient to save us.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 19. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high. Very sublime, unsearchable, exalted, and glorious is the holy character of God, and his way of making men righteous. His plan of righteousness uplifts men from the gates of hell to the mansions of heaven. It is a high doctrine gospel, gives a high experience, leads to high practice, and ends in high felicity.Who hast done great things. The exploits of others are mere child's play compared with thine, and are not worthy to be mentioned in the same age. Creation, providence, redemption, are all unique, and nothing can compare with them.O God, who is like unto thee. As thy works are so transcendent, so art thou. Thou art without compeer, or even second, and such are thy works, and such, especially, thy plan of justifying sinners by the righteousness which thou hast provided.

Adoration is a fit frame of mind for the believer. When he draws near to God, he enters into a region where everything is surpassingly sublime; miracles of love abound on every hand, and marvels of mingled justice and grace. A traveller among the high Alps often feels overwhelmed with awe, amid their amazing sublimities; much more is this the case when we survey the heights and depths of the mercy and holiness of the Lord.O God, who is like unto thee.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 19. O God, who is like unto thee? Either for greatness or goodness, for power or for mercy, for justice, truth, and faithfulness; for the perfections of his nature, or the works of his hands; and to be praised, reverenced, and adored, as he is. John Gill.Ver. 19. Who is like unto thee! Krmk ym, Mi camocha. God is alone: who can resemble him? He is eternal; he can have none before, and there can be none after; for, in the infinite unity of trinity, he is that eternal, unlimited, impartible, incomprehensible, and uncompounded, ineffable Being, whose essence is hidden from all created intelligences, and whose counsels cannot be fathomed by any creature that even his own hand can form. "WHO IS LIKE U�TO THEE!" will excite the wonder, amazement, praise, and adoration of angels and men to all eternity. Adam Clarke.

WHEDO�, "19. Thy righteousness—Five times in this psalm is the “righteousness” of God mentioned as the source of salvation and the theme of praise. Psalms 71:2; Psalms 71:15-16; Psalms 71:19; Psalms 71:24. It is a technical term for the rectoral justice of God. The Hebrews had no conception of any divine method of salvation, temporal or spiritual, which did not include justice as well as mercy; a vindication of regal rectitude as well as of fatherly pity. Psalms 85:10-11; Psalms 85:13; Romans 3:26. Hence, no acceptable praise can be given him which does not exalt his righteousness, and no salvation can be expected which bears not the seal of his justice. See on Romans 3:25-26. His acts are in harmony with all his attributes.

BE�SO�, "Psalms 71:19. Thy righteousness also is very high — Most eminent and evident, as high things are; and that which thou hast in righteousness done for thy people is very great. God’s righteousness, here intended, includes the rectitude of his nature; the equity of his providential dispensations; the righteous laws which he hath given us to be ruled by; the righteous promises he hath given us to depend upon; and the everlasting righteousness which his Son hath brought in, by his obedience unto death, for our justification.

CO�STABLE, "Verses 19-21The great things of which the writer testified included God"s salvation out of many personal troubles. The psalmist had been down before, but God had always lifted him up. [�ote: See C. J. Labuschagne, The Incomparability of Yahweh in the Old Testament.] He prayed that this would be his experience again. His greatness, or honor, came from trusting in God and having that trust rewarded with deliverance.

GUZIK, " (19-21) Revived by the God who does great things.

Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,

You who have done great things;

O God, who is like You?

You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,

Shall revive me again,

And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

You shall increase my greatness,

And comfort me on every side.

a. Your righteousness, O God, is very high: The Psalmist considered the greatness of God, first in that His righteousness was of a different order than that of men, very high above that of men. Then, that God is the one who has done great things, beyond what men can do. The surpassing righteousness and power of God made him ask, O God, who is like You?

i. Who is like You: "God is alone, -- who can resemble him? He is eternal. He can have none before, and there can be none after; for in the infinite unity of his trinity he is that eternal, unlimited, impartible, incomprehensible, and uncompounded ineffable Being, whose essence is hidden from all created intelligences, and whose counsels cannot be fathomed by any creature that even his own hand can form. Who is like unto Thee! will excite the wonder, amazement, praise, and adoration of angels and men to all eternity." (Clarke)

b. You who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again: He understood that all things were in God's hands and that if he had experienced great and severe troubles, that too was shown to him by God. That same God could also revive him, bringing him up again from the depths of the earth.

i. "�ever doubt God. �ever say that He has forsaken or forgotten. �ever think that He is unsympathetic. He will quicken again." (Meyer)

c. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side: More than a

prayer, this was a confident proclamation. Though he was older in years, he was still expected that God would increase his greatness and continue His comfort.

i. You shall increase my greatness: The idea is that as the years continued, the Psalmist would see more and more of the great things (Psalm 71:19) God does. "The word 'greatness' alludes to 'great things' (71:19), i.e., Yahweh's saving acts." (VanGemeren)

K&D 19-24, "The thought of this proclamation so thoroughly absorbs the poet that he even now enters upon the tone of it; and since to his faith the deliverance is already a thing of the past, the tender song with its uncomplaining prayer dies away into a loud song of praise, in which he pictures it all to himself. Without Psa_71:19-21 being

subordinate to עד־אגיד in Psa_71:18, וצדקתך is coupled by close connection with בגורתך.

Psa_71:19 is an independent clause; and עד־מרום takes the place of the predicate: the

righteousness of God exceeds all bounds, is infinite (Psa_36:6., Psa_57:11). The cry כמוך

as in Psa_35:10; Psa_69:9, Jer_10:6, refers back to Exo_15:11. According to the ,מי

Chethîb, the range of the poet's vision widens in Psa_71:20 from the proofs of the strength and righteousness of God which he has experienced in his own case to those which he has experienced in common with others in the history of his own nation. The Kerî (cf. on the other hand Psa_60:5; Psa_85:7; Deu_31:17) rests upon a failing to

discern how the experiences of the writer are interwoven with those of the nation. שוב� in

both instances supplies the corresponding adverbial notion to the principal verb, as in

Psa_85:7 (cf. Psa_51:4). הום�, prop. a rumbling, commonly used of a deep heaving of

waters, here signifies an abyss. “The abysses of the earth” (lxx 1κ τ5ν pβύσσων τ'ς γ'ς, just

as the old Syriac version renders the New Testament sβυσσος, e.g., in Luk_8:31, by Syr.

tehūmā') are, like the gates of death (Psa_9:14), a figure of extreme perils and dangers, in

the midst of which one is as it were half hidden in the abyss of Hades. The past and future are clearly distinguished in the sequence of the tenses. When God shall again raise

His people out of the depth of the present catastrophe, then will He also magnify the הOד;of the poet, i.e., in the dignity of his office, by most brilliantly vindicating him in the face

of his foes, and will once more (ובc�, fut. Niph. like שוב� ekil .h above) comfort him. He on

his part will also (cf. Job_40:14) be grateful for this national restoration and this personal vindication: he will praise God, will praise His truth, i.e., His fidelity to His

promises. נבל N sounds more circumstantial than in the old poetry. Theנבל N instead ofכלי

divine name “The Holy One of Israel” occurs here for the third time in the Psalter; the other passages are Psa_78:41; Psa_89:19, which are older in time, and older also than Isaiah, who uses it thirty times, and Habakkuk, who uses it once. Jeremiah has it twice (Jer_50:29; Jer_51:5), and that after the example of Isaiah. In Psa_71:23, Psa_71:24 the poet means to say that lips and tongue, song and speech, shall act in concert in the praise

of God. הjjר� with Dagesh also in the second Nun, after the form הjה ,�קונjZש�, side by

side with which we also find the reading הjjר�, and the reading נהjר�, which is in itself

admissible, after the form מנהw�, עגנה�, but is here unattested.

(Note: Heidenheim reads הjjר� with Segol, following the statement of Ibn-Bil'am in

his המקרא that Segol always precedes ,דרכי הנקוד and of Mose ha-Nakdan in his טעמי

the ending הj, with the exception only of הjה and הjהאז. Baer, on the other hand, reads

(.following Aben-Ezra and Kimchi (Michlol 66b) ,תוjjה

The cohortative after יZ (lxx xταν) is intended to convey this meaning: when I feel myself

impelled to harp unto Thee. In the perfects in the closing line that which is hoped for

stands before his soul as though it had already taken place. כי is repeated with

triumphant emphasis.

20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

BAR�ES, "Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles - Or rather, who hast caused us to see or experience great trials. The psalmist here, by a change from the singular to the plural, connects himself with his friends and followers, meaning that he had suffered with them and through them. It was not merely a personal affliction, but others connected with him had been identified with him, and his personal sorrows had been increased by the trials which had come upon them also. Our severest trials often are those which affect our friends.

Shalt quicken me again - literally, “Shalt return and make us live.” The word “quicken” in the Scriptures has always this sense of “making to live again.” See the notes at Joh_5:21; compare Rom_4:17; 1Co_15:36; Eph_2:1. The plural form should have been retained here as in the former member of the sentence. The authors of the Masoretic punctuation have pointed this as if it were to be read in the singular, but the plural is undoubtedly the true reading. Alike in his affliction, and in his hope of the returning mercy of God, he connects himself here with those who had suffered with him. The language expresses firm confidence in the goodness of God - an assurance that these

troubles would pass away, and that he would see a brighter day.

And shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth - As if he had been sunk in the waters, or in the mire. See Psa_130:1. The word here used means commonly “wave, billow, surge;” then, a mass of waters, “a flood,” the deep; then, a gulf, an abyss. The idea here is, that, instead of being on the mountain top, in a place of security, he had sunk down to the lowest point; he had, as it were, sunk “into” the very earth. Yet from that low estate he felt assured that God would raise him up, and place him in a condition of happiness and safety. This is one of the many instances which we have in the Psalms, where the psalmist in great trouble expresses the most entire confidence that God would interpose in his behalf.

CLARKE, "Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles -Multiplied straits and difficulties. And thou hast only showed them.

Hadst thou permitted them to have fallen upon me with all their own energy and natural consequences, they would have destroyed me. As it was, I was nearly buried under them.

Shalt quicken me again - Shalt revive me - put new life in me. This has been applied to the passion of our Lord, and his resurrection; for it is added, Thou: -

Shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth - Death shall not prey upon my body; thy Holy One can see no corruption. As applicable to David, it might mean his being almost overwhelmed with afflictions; and his deliverance was like a life from the dead.

GILL, "Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles,.... Or, "made him to see" (g); that is, to experience. David had his troubles, and these were great, both as to quantity and quality; and very grievous and hard to be borne, and were very trying and afflictive: some outward, such as he endured when persecuted by Saul; and afterwards in his own family, though the incest of Ammon, the murder of him by Absalom, and Absalom's rebellion against him; the curses of Shimei, and the bickerings of the sons of Zeruiah; with many others: and some inward, arising from the corruptions of his heart, the hidings of God's face, and the temptations of Satan. His experience of all which he ascribes, not to instruments or second causes, but to God himself; who had either laid them upon him, or suffered them to befall him, for wise ends of his glory, and his servant's good. There is in this clause and the following, a "Keri" and a "Cetib"; according to the "Cetib", or writing in the text, it is, "who hast showed us"; and so the Targum renders it: but according to the "Keri" in the margin, and the points, it is as we read; so it is in the Septuagint and Oriental versions, and both may be retained; for David's troubles, and those of other saints, are much the same;

shalt quicken me again; either raise him from so great a death of afflictions, in which he seemed to be as a dead man, both by himself and others, to a more comfortable and happy state and condition, in which he might live more free from vexation and trouble: or, in a spiritual sense, quicken him, being dead and lifeless, in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; which is usually done by the word and ordinances, and to purpose, by the discoveries of the love of God, which excite grace, and animate to duty. And this is

God's work, and may be called a quickening again in distinction from the first quickening, when dead in trespasses and sins;

and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth; expressive of a very low estate, either of body or mind, into which he had been brought; see Psa_130:1. Could the psalm be understood of Christ, this and the preceding clause might be applied to his resurrection from the dead; see Eph_4:9; and to the resurrection of the saints; on which the faith of Christ and his people is exercised,

HE�RY, "(2.) He hopes that God would revive him and raise him up out of his present low and disconsolate condition (Psa_71:20): Thou who hast made me to see and feel great and sore troubles, above most men, shalt quicken me again. Note, [1.] The best of God's saints and servants are sometimes exercised with great and sore troubles in this world. [2.] God's hand is to be eyed in all the troubles of the saints, and that will help to extenuate them and make them seem light. He does not say, “Thou hast burdened me with those troubles,” but “shown them to me,” as the tender father shows the child the rod to keep him in awe. [3.] Though God's people be brought ever so low he can revive them and raise them up. Are they dead? he can quicken them again. See 2Co_1:9. Are they buried, as dead men out of mind? he can bring them up again from the depths of the earth, can cheer the most drooping spirit and raise the most sinking interest. [4.] If we have a due regard to the hand of God in our troubles, we may promise ourselves, in due time, a deliverance out of them. Our present troubles, though great and sore, shall be no hindrance to our joyful resurrection from the depths of the earth, witness our great Master, to whom this may have some reference; his Father showed him great and sore troubles, but quickened him and brought him up from the grave.

JAMISO�, "depths of the earth— debased, low condition.

CALVI�, "20.Thou hast made me to see great and sore troubles. The verb to see among the Hebrews, as is well known, is applied to the other senses also. Accordingly, when David complains that calamities had been shown to him, he means that he had suffered them. And as he attributes to God the praise of the deliverances which he had obtained, so he, on the other hand, acknowledges that whatever adversities he had endured were inflicted on him according to the counsel and will of God. But we must first consider the object which David has in view, which is to render by comparison the grace of God the more illustrious, in the way of recounting how hardly he had been dealt with. Had he always enjoyed a uniform course of prosperity, he would no doubt have had good reason to rejoice; but in that case he would not have experienced what it is to be delivered from destruction by the stupendous power of God. We must be brought down even to the gates of death before God can be seen to be our deliverer. As we are born without thought and understanding, our minds, during the earlier part of our life, are not sufficiently impressed with a sense of the Author of our existence; but when God comes to our help, as we are lying in a state of despair, this resurrection is to us a bright mirror

from which is seen reflected his grace. In this way David amplifies the goodness of God, declaring, that though plunged in a bottomless abyss, he was nevertheless drawn out by the divine hand, and restored to the light. And he boasts not only of having been preserved perfectly safe by the grace of God, but of having also been advanced to higher honor — a change which was, as it were, the crowning of his restoration, and was as if he had been lifted out of hell, even up to heaven. What he repeats the third time, with respect to God’s turning, goes to the commendation of Divine Providence; the idea which he intends to be conveyed being, that no adversity happened to him by chance, as was evident from the fact that his condition was reversed as soon as the favor of God shone upon him.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 20. Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again. Here is faith's inference from the infinite greatness of the Lord. He has been strong to smite; he will be also strong to save. He has shown me many heavy and severe trials, and he will also show me many and precious mercies. He has almost killed me, he will speedily revive me; and though I have been almost dead and buried, he will give me a resurrection, andbring me up again from the depths of the earth. However low the Lord may permit us to sink, he will fix a limit to the descent, and in due time will bring us up again. Even when we are laid low in the tomb, the mercy is that we can go no lower, but shall retrace our steps and mount to better lands; and all this, because the Lord is ever mighty to save. A little God would fail us, but not Jehovah the Omnipotent. It is safe to lean on him, since he bears up the pillars both of heaven and earth.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 20. Thou shalt quicken me again, etc. Here Jerome triumphs over the Jews, challenging them when this was ever verified in David, for he was never dead and quickened again; and, therefore, this must needs be expounded of him as that in Psalms 16:1-11 : "Thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave; "and to "the depths of the earth, "here, answer those words, Ephesians 4:9, "�ow that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" Yet, this may also be applied to David, being figuratively understood, as a like speech of Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:1-36. John Mayer.Ver. 20. And thou shalt bring me up, etc. This is an allusion to men who are unhappily fallen into a deep pit of water. The meaning is, Thou shalt draw me out of the extreme danger into which I am plunged, and wherein I shall perish without thy help. Thomas Fenton.

WHEDO�, "20. Thou… hast showed me—Literally, Caused me to see; that is, to experience. He stumbles not at secondary causes, but refers his sufferings, no less than his deliverances, to the will of God. The Keri (Hebrew marginal reading) gives a plural suffix to this pronoun, and to the verb rendered quicken. It would then read, Thou who hast caused us to see distresses… shalt quicken us again. This shows that David’s troubles are identical with those of his people, in whose name, and as whose representative, he speaks. But this also is implied in the use of the singular pronoun, and is to be commonly understood in the interpretation of the psalms.

Great and sore troubles—The descriptions following show that his distresses were such as to put deliverance completely beyond human power.

Depths of the earth—Hebrew, abysses of the earth, equal to the lowest grave. The word abyss, or depth, here, is the same as is translated deep, Genesis 1:2, where, as in other places, it means the unfathomed waters of the ocean. Similar are the figures “deep waters,” “lower parts of the earth,” (but on this see an exception, Psalms 63:9,) “gates of death,” etc., terms equivalent to the grave. Psalms 69:2; Psalms 69:14; Psalms 63:9; Psalms 9:13; also Ephesians 4:9. In all such imagery the difficulty of saving is supposed to be equal to a resurrection from the dead, the idea of which is implied and was familiar to the Hebrews. Comp. Genesis 22:9-12; Hebrews 11:19; Romans 4:17

BE�SO�, "Psalms 71:20-21. Thou, who hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again — I never was in such straits and distresses, (and yet I have been in such as were very great and sore,) but I found relief in thee; and therefore I doubt not but thou wilt now revive and restore me, though all men give me up for lost. And shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth — That is, from the grave; for I am like one dead and buried, and past all hope of deliverance, without thy almighty help. Or, rather, it is an allusion to men who are fallen into a deep pit of water; and the meaning is, Thou shalt draw me out of the extreme danger in which I am plunged, and wherein I should perish without thy aid. Thou shalt increase my greatness — �ay, thou wilt not only restore me to my former greatness, but much augment the splendour of it; and comfort me on every side — And though I now seem forsaken by thee, thou wilt return again, and so surround me by thy favour, that my future comforts shall far exceed my present troubles.

COFFMA�, "A PROPHECY OF THE RESURRECTIO�

"Thou, who hast showed us many and sore troubles,

Will quicken us again,

And will bring us up again from the depths of the earth."

Some ancient manuscripts have plural pronouns for "us" as rendered in this verse, and this has been the basis upon which some interpreters have understood this verse as a metaphor of the depressed nation of Israel with a pledge of their future blessing.

However, the RSV has corrected the error, properly rendering the verse as follows:

"Thou who hast made me see many sore troubles wilt revive me again;

From the depths of the earth, thou wilt bring me up again."

This correction eliminates the application of the passage to some kind of a revival of

the downcast Israel and reveals the passage for what it is, a glorious promise of the resurrection of the dead.

As Taylor observed, "`Thou ... wilt revive me again'" (Psalms 71:20) means `thou wilt restore me to life.'"[13]

"From the depths of the earth" (Psalms 71:20). Rawlinson called this, "A metaphor for the extreme misery and depression of the nation of Israel,"[14] but we cannot accept this. "The depths of the earth" is a reference to Sheol, or to the grave; and Paul used exactly this same figure in speaking of the grave of Jesus (Ephesians 4:9). McCaw also noted that, "The meaning of the passage is `deliverance from the gates of death.'"[15]

EBC, "Psalms 71:20, with its sudden transition to the plural, may simply show that the singer passes out from individual contemplation to the consciousness of the multitude of fellow sufferers and fellow participants in God’s mercy. Such transition is natural; for the most private passages of a good man’s communion with God are swift to bring up the thought of others like minded and similarly blessed. "Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising." Every solo swells into a chorus. Again the song returns to "my" and "me," the confidence of the single soul being reinvigorated by the thought of sharers in blessing.

So all ends with the certainty of, and the vow of praise for; deliverances already realised in faith, though not in fact. But the imitative character of the psalm is maintained even in this last triumphant vow; for Psalms 71:24 a-is almost identical with Psalms 35:28; and b, as has been already pointed out, is copied from several other psalms. But imitative words are none the less sincere; and new thankfulness may be run into old moulds; without detriment to its acceptableness to God and preciousness to men.

21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

BAR�ES, "Thou shalt increase my greatness - Thou wilt not merely restore me to my former condition, but wilt enlarge my happiness, and wilt do still greater things

for me.

And comfort me on every side - literally, “Thou wilt turn thyself; thou wilt comfort me.” The word also means to surround; to encompass Gen_2:11, Gen_2:13; 1Ki_7:24; Psa_18:5; and the idea here may be that God would “go around him,” or encircle him, and would thus comfort him. This idea is expressed in our common version. It was the confident assurance of entire, or complete consolation.

CLARKE, "Thou shalt increase my greatness - Thou wilt restore me to my throne and kingdom; and it shall be done in such a way that all shall see it was the hand of God; and I shall have the more honor on the account.

Comfort me on every side - I shall have friends in all quarters; and the tribes on all sides will support me.

GILL, "Thou shalt increase my greatness,.... His temporal greatness, as he did, by crushing the rebellion of his son; returning him to his palace and family; and giving him rest from his enemies all around: and his spiritual greatness, by favouring him with his presence; by shedding abroad his love in his heart; by enlarging his experience; increasing his faith, causing his love to abound, and him to grow in every grace, and in the knowledge of Christ;

and comfort me on every side; by his Spirit, word, and ordinances; by his truths and promises; with his rod and staff; and with mercy, grace, and lovingkindness. The phrase denotes the abundance of comfort, which should come as it were from every quarter, and encompass him about.

HE�RY, " He hopes that God would not only deliver him out of his troubles, but would advance his honour and joy more than ever (Psa_71:21): “Thou shalt not only restore me to my greatness again, but shalt increase it, and give me a better interest, after this shock, than before; thou shalt not only comfort me, but comfort me on every side, so that I shall see nothing black or threatening on any side.” Note, Sometimes God makes his people's troubles contribute to the increase of their greatness, and their sun shines the brighter for having been under a cloud. If he make them contribute to the increase of their goodness, that will prove in the end the increase of their greatness, their glory; and if he comfort them on every side, according to the time and degree wherein he has afflicted them on every side, they will have no reason to complain. When our Lord Jesus was quickened again, and brought back from the depths of the earth, his greatness was increased, and he entered on the joy set before him.

JAMISO�, "increase, etc.— that is, the great things done for me (Psa_71:19; compare Psa_40:5).

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 21. Thou shalt increase my greatness. As a king, David grew in influence and power. God did great things for him, and by him, and this is all the greatness believers want. May we have faith in God, such as these words evince.And comfort me on every side. As we were surrounded with afflictions, so shall we be environed with consolations. From above, and from all around, light shall come to dispel our former gloom; the change shall be great, indeed, when the Lord returns to comfort us.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 21. Greatness increasing with comfort, and comfort increasing with greatness; very rarely united. George Rogers.

COFFMA�, "Verse 21A PLEDGE OF CO�TI�UAL PRAISE

"Increase thou my greatness,

And turn again and comfort me.

I will praise thee with the psaltery,

Even thy truth, O my God:

Unto thee will I bring praises with the harp,

O thou Holy One of Israel.

My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises unto thee;

And my soul which thou hast redeemed,

My tongue shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long;

For they are put to shame, for they are confounded, that

seek my hurt."

These verses, like all the others in the psalm, are loaded with the words and expressions frequently used by David. The "harp" and the "psaltery" of Psalms 71:22 are in Psalms 33:2; and the words "shame" and "confounded" used together in Psalms 71:24 regarding David's enemies are found in exactly the same context in Psalms 35:4; 40:14; 70:2.

"Increase thou my greatness" (Psalms 71:21). These words are far more appropriate as coming from David than from any other person in Hebrew history. �ote also that this psalmist played the harp. Where is any evidence of some other alleged author of this psalm being able to play on the harp? This was an

achievement for which David was especially noted.

All of the verses in this psalm have already received our comment in the places where they occur in other Davidic psalms to which this one bears such a close likeness. The Big Message here, of course, is that old age is not the time to quit, but the time to press on in full vigor of heart and mind that the aged might indeed receive the crown of life that never fades away.

(�ote: This commentary on Psalms 71 was written on April 29,1991, when the author was eighty-five years, eleven months, and five days of age.)

22 I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God;I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

BAR�ES, "I will also praise thee with the psaltery -Margin, as in Hebrew,

“with the instrument of psaltery.” The Hebrew word is נבל nebel. In Isa_5:12 it is

rendered “viol.” See the notes at that passage. It is rendered “psaltery” in 1Sa_10:5; 2Sa_6:5; 1Ki_10:12; and elsewhere. Compare the notes at Psa_33:2.

Even thy truth - I will make mention of thy truth and faithfulness in my songs of praise; or, I will celebrate these in connection with appropriate music.

Unto thee will I sing with the harp - Hebrew, כנור kinnôr. See the notes at Isa_

5:12. Compare the notes at Psa_33:2.

O thou Holy One of Israel - The God of Israel or the Hebrew people; the God regarded by them as most holy, and worshipped by them as their God. This is the first time that this title occurs in the Psalms, but it is common in the prophets, particularly in Isaiah. See Isa_1:4; Isa_5:19, Isa_5:24; Isa_10:20; Isa_12:6. It occurs also in Psa_78:41; Psa_89:18.

CLARKE, "I will also praise thee with the psaltery - bichli בכלי נבלnebel, with

the instrument nebel. Unto thee will I sing with the harp; בכנור bechinnor, with the

kinnor. Both were stringed instruments, and the principal used in the Jewish worship; and with which, or any thing like them, in Divine worship, we, as Christians, have

nothing to do.

GILL, "I will also praise thee with the psaltery,.... An instrument of music; See Gill on Psa_33:2;

even thy truth, O my God; that is, his faithfulness in fulfilling his promises, which is never suffered to fail;

unto thee will I sing with the harp; another instrument of music; and both typical of the spiritual melody in the heart, which believers make in praising the Lord, when they sing the Lamb's new song; see Rev_14:2;

O thou Holy One of Israel; the God of Israel, that dwells among them, and sanctifies them; and who is essentially and perfectly holy in himself, and in all his ways and works; the remembrance of which occasions praise and thankfulness, Psa_97:12.

JAMISO�, "To the occasion of praise he now adds the promise to render it.

will ... praise— literally, “will thank.”

even thy truth— as to Thy truth or faithfulness.

CALVI�, "22.I will also, O my God! praise thee. He again breaks forth into thanksgiving; for he was aware that the design of God, in so liberally succouring his servants, is, that his goodness may be celebrated. In speaking of employing the psaltery and the harp in this exercise, he alludes to the generally prevailing custom of that time. To sing the praises of God upon the harp and psaltery unquestionably formed a part of the training of the law, and of the service of God under that dispensation of shadows and figures; but they are not now to be used in public thanksgiving. We are not, indeed, forbidden to use, in private, musical instruments, but they are banished out of the churches by the plain command of the Holy Spirit, when Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:13, lays it down as an invariable rule, that we must praise God, and pray to him only in a known tongue. By the word truth, the Psalmist means that the hope which he reposed in God was rewarded, when God preserved him in the midst of dangers. The promises of God, and his truth in performing them, are inseparably joined together. Unless we depend upon the word of God, all the benefits which he confers upon us will be unsavoury or tasteless to us; nor will we ever be stirred up either to prayer or thanksgiving, if we are not previously illuminated by the Divine word. So much the more revolting, then, is the folly of that diabolical man, Servetus, who teaches that the rule of praying is perverted, if faith is fixed upon the promises; as if we could have any access into the presence of God, until he first invited us by his own voice to come to him.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 22. I will also praise thee with the psaltery. Love so amazing

calls for sweetest praise. David would give his best music, both vocal and instrumental, to the Best of Masters. His harp should not be silent, nor his voice.Even thy truth, O my God. This is ever a most enchanting attribute--viz., the truth or faithfulness of our covenant God. On this we rest, and from it we draw streams of richest consolation. His promises are sure, his love unalterable, his veracity indisputable. What saint will not praise him as he remembers this?Unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. Here is a new name, and, as it were, a new song. The Holy One of Israel is at once a lofty and an endearing name, full of teaching. Let us resolve, by all means within our power, to honour him.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 22. With the psaltery... with the harp. There was a typical signification in them; and upon this account they are not only rejected and condemned by the whole army of Protestant divines, as for instance, by Zuinglius, Calvin, Peter Martyr, Zepperus, Paraeus, Willet, Ainsworth, Ames, Calderwood, and Cotton; who do, with one mouth, testify against them, most of them expressly affirming that they are a part of the abrogated legal pedagogy; so that we might as well recall the incense, tapers, sacrifices, new moons, circumcision, and all the other shadows of the law into use again. But Aquinas himself also, though a Popish schoolman, pleads against them upon the same account, quia aliquid figurabant, and saith, the Church in his time did not use them, ne videatur judaizare, lest they should seem to judaize. Samuel Mather, on The Types.Ver. 22. Psaltery... harp. Suppose singing with instruments were not typical, but only an external solemnity of worship, fitted to the solace of the outward senses of children under age, such as the Israelites were in the Old Testament (Galatians 4:1-3); yet now, in the grown age of the heirs of the �ew Testament, such external pompous solemnities are ceased, and no external worship reserved, but such as holdeth forth simplicity and gravity; nor is any voice now to be heard in the church of Christ, but such as is significant and edifying by signification (1 Corinthians 14:10-11; 1 Corinthians 14:26), which the voice of instruments is not. John Cotton, 1585-1652.Ver. 22. Holy One of Israel. This name of God occurs in the Psalms only in two other places, Ps 71:78,41 89:18 these last two being, according to Delitzsch, older Psalms than this. In Isaiah, this name of God occurs thirty times; in Habakkuk once; in Jeremiah (who may have adopted it from Isaiah) twice (Jer 50:29 51:5). J. J. Stewart Perowne.

BE�SO�, "Psalms 71:22-24. I will also praise thee, &c. — And then surely I shall be no less forward to bless thee than thou art to bestow thy benefits on me. My lips shall greatly rejoice, and my soul, &c. — It is not possible to express the joy wherewith, not merely my lips, but my heart and soul shall sing triumphant songs for the extraordinary deliverance which I expect from thee. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long — Which shall not only be the subject of my solemn songs, but of my constant discourse; wherein I will perpetually magnify thy goodness and truth toward me, and thy just vengeance upon mine enemies. How much more is “the truth of God, in accomplishing his promises, by the redemption of our souls, and the confusion of our spiritual enemies, a subject which demands a

never ceasing tribute of gratitude and love, of praise and thanksgiving. To celebrate it aright, with the melody of voices and affections, all in perfect concord, is the duty and delight of the church militant; which, when thus employed, affords the best resemblance of the church triumphant.” — Horne.

COKE, "Verse 22Psalms 71:22. I will also praise thee— Therefore will I praise thee.

REFLECTIO�S.—1st, The longer the faithful soul has been found in the good ways of God, the stronger it grows. Instaurabit iter vires—the powers will be renovated by the journey. Thus David here appears.

1. He professes his confidence in God, amid the sharp trials with which he was now exercised. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; delighting to repeat the pleasing subject, and dwelling upon the glorious foundation on which his hope was built; a rock, no tempest could shake; a fortress, no foe could scale; a strong refuge, where he was safe from danger; a strong habitation, where he rested in comfort. �ote; They who know God, his faithfulness and grace, will with comfort and confidence be engaged to trust him in every time of need.

2. He remembers to the glory of God, and for his own present encouragement, the past deliverances that he had experienced. From the womb he had been holden up, protected amidst the dangers of infancy and the perils of youth; and therefore now he has a divine confidence that God will not fail to save him, and resolves never to cease from praising him. �ote; The more we reflect on what God hath done for us, it will the more engage our trust in him, and awaken our praises for him.

2nd, Filled with hope and joy, the Psalmist is happy in the midst of all his sorrows, and the greatest of his troubles cannot silence his incessant praise.

1. He expresses his lively hope in a variety of instances; I will hope continually, at all times, and in all situations; when others despair of my recovery, my heart shall not fear. (1.) God's power and promise are his grand supports; I will go in the strength of the Lord God, disclaiming all self-sufficiency, and strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; for duty I shall be enabled, and in danger be secure. I will make mention of thy righteousness only, his fidelity to his word. �ote; Though we have neither strength nor righteousness in ourselves by nature, there is such fulness of both in the Redeemer, that we may be always most confident in him, when most despairing of ourselves. (2.) His past experience encourages his present hopes. God had been the guide of his youth, and he had hitherto acknowledged his wonderous preservation; therefore in his old age, he trusts, God will not forsake him, but enable him to leave with the rising generation, a testimony of God's faithfulness and care, as a grateful acknowledgement to his glory, and an engagement to them to make him their hope and trust. �ote; [1.] Early impressions of divine grace are a singular mercy, and demand suitable improvement. [2.] The longer we live under the Divine protection and favour, the more earnest should we be in commending these good ways of God in which we have walked, to the generations to come. (3.) In

many great and sore troubles he had been supported, therefore in the present he trusts he shall not faint; thou shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth; though he seemed as one dead and buried in his grave, he was assured that his case was not beyond the Divine power, nor his circumstances so desperate, but God could retrieve them. �ote, [1.] Great and sore troubles are here often the portion of the righteous; but he who permits them to fall into these difficulties can and will safely extricate them out of them. [2.] Though the faithful go down at death into the grave, and the earth closes upon them, they have a hope still full of immortality, a resurrection-day shall quicken their dust, and bring them from these depths of the earth again. (4.) He not only expects deliverance from his troubles, but an increase of his greatness and consolations. Thus the darkness of our troubles, like the cloud which covers the sun, serves but to heighten our joys; where at God's word the cloud vanishes, the sun of divine grace shines with double lustre, and the trial of our faith contributes to the increase of our honour and glory. (5.) His enemies, who sought his hurt, must with shame retire, and find it vain to contend with him whom God protects. �ote; All the spiritual enemies of the faithful shall at last gnash in despair, when they see them set above their malice, and receive the eternal desert of their deeds.

2. He exults in joyful praises. All the day would he be shewing forth God's righteousness and his salvation; His justice in the destruction of the wicked, his enemies; his faithfulness and mercy in his own preservation; and, above all, the great redemption wrought out by Christ through his death on the cross, on account of the merit of which alone salvation is offered to sinners: these deserved continual thanks; therefore he resolves, I will praise thee more and more, or add to all thy praise; since every day afforded some new occasions, called for increasing acknowledgments, and left him far behind, unable to keep pace even in gratitude with the mercies continually showered upon him, the number of which surpassed his comprehension. They were like the God who bestowed them, very high, above all blessing and praise, and without parallel; for in heaven or earth none can compare with him, or do as he doth. With joy therefore, surpassing great, his soul within, redeemed by divine grace and truth, shall swell with gratitude too big for utterance; his voice be heard aloud in praise; and, calling in the sacred aid of music to assist the expressions of his enraptured spirit, the psaltery and harp should pour forth a flood of harmony, and raise his song high as heaven's arch, and rival the angelic choir above. �ote; (1.) Praise is the natural expression of the grateful heart, the bounden duty of every believer, and an acceptable sacrifice to a gracious God. (2.) When we sing with our lips, let us be careful to make melody with our hearts, and not forget the sense in the sound. They sacrifice profanely who merely love to hear their own voices; and music is not harmonious to God, which draws off our attention from the divine object of our praises, to the manner and performance of it. (3.) It is the joyful hope of every faithful believer, however feeble now his efforts, that shortly he shall be enabled to offer more worthy praises, when, with his golden harp before the throne, he shall have learnt the song of Moses and the Lamb, and shall join those heavenly hosts, whose ceaseless songs fill God's eternal temple with seraphic harmony.

CO�STABLE, "Verses 22-24In anticipation of God"s help, the writer promised to praise Him with stringed instruments, as well as vocally. The title "Holy One of Israel" ( Psalm 71:22) is common in Isaiah but rare in the Psalm , occurring only three times (cf. Psalm 78:41; Psalm 89:18). In conclusion, the psalmist spoke of his accusers" humiliation as already present, even though that is what he was requesting. This is probably another instance of expressing confidence that something would happen by describing it as having already taken place.

When people have trusted in God over a lifetime and have seen Him deliver them from many trials, it becomes easier for them to trust Him in the present. Just as continual unbelief makes faith more difficult, continual trust makes unbelief more difficult.

GUZIK, " (22-24) The music of praise.

Also with the lute I will praise You—

And Your faithfulness, O my God!

To You I will sing with the harp,

O Holy One of Israel.

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,

And my soul, which You have redeemed.

My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;

For they are confounded,

For they are brought to shame

Who seek my hurt.

a. With the lute I will praise You.To You I will sing with the harp: The Psalmist promised to praise God not only with his voice, but also with his musical instruments. It would be a song celebrating God for what He has done (Your faithfulness) and for who He is (O Holy One of Israel).

i. The Psalmist was concerned to properly celebrate God's person and work. "To celebrate it aright, with the melody of instruments, voices, and affections, all in perfect concord, is the duty and delight of the church militant; which, when thus employed, affords the best resemblance of the church triumphant." (Horne)

ii. O Holy One of Israel: Kidner notes that this title for God is uncommon outside of the Book of Isaiah and that it describes God as "One in which 'unapproachable light' and covenant-love meet together." (Kidner)

b. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long: His lips and soul were already given to praise God in song. �ow he added the talk of his tongue to speak of God's righteousness, especially as it was seen in triumph over his enemies (they are brought to shame who seek my hurt).

i. "This is vindication, not vindictiveness. It will be part of the joy of heaven (cf. Revelation 15:3; 18:20)." (Kidner)

23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered.

BAR�ES, "My lips shall greatly rejoice ... -My lips will seem to be happy in the privilege of celebrating the praises of God.

And my soul, which thou hast redeemed - Compare Psa_34:22. The word soul here seems to be employed to denote “the soul” properly, as we understand the word -the immortal part. The usual meaning of the word, in the Psalms, however, is “life,” and it is possible that the psalmist meant merely to say here that the “life” which had been spared should find pleasure in celebrating the praises of God; but there is no impropriety in supposing that he has reference to his higher - his immortal - nature.

CLARKE, "My lips shall greatly rejoice and my soul -My lips shall use words expressive of my soul’s happiness and gratitude. Thou hast redeemed me; and thou shalt have the eternal praise.

GILL, "Psalms 71:23

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee,.... Both with vocal and

instrumental music; this is praising the Lord with joyful lips, Psa_63:5;

and my soul, which thou hast redeemed; signifying that it would not be lip labour, or bodily service, only that he should perform; but that his heart would go along with his lips in praise; and that under a sense of redeeming love, than which nothing can more strongly engage in such work, Psa_103:1. For the redemption of the soul is exceeding precious; being the contrivance of infinite wisdom, the fruit of divine grace, and owing to the blood and sacrifice of Christ.

CALVI�, "23.My lips shall rejoice (118) when I sing to thee. In this verse David expresses more distinctly his resolution not to give thanks to God hypocritically, nor in a superficial manner, but to engage with unfeigned earnestness in this religious exercise. By the figures which he introduces, he briefly teaches us, that to praise God would be the source of his greatest pleasure; and thus he indirectly censures the profane mirth of those who, forgetting God, confine their congratulations to themselves in their prosperity. The scope of the last verse is to the same effect, implying that no joy would be sweet and desirable to him, but such as was connected with the praises of God, and that to celebrate his Redeemer’s praises would afford him the greatest satisfaction and delight.

“My lips shall move briskly, when I sing unto thee, And my soul shall rejoice, which thou, etc.”

— Horsley.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 23. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee. It shall be no weariness to me to praise thee. It shall be a delightful recreation, a solace, a joy. The essence of song lies in the holy joy of the singer.And my soul, which thou hast redeemed. Soul singing is the soul of singing. Till men are redeemed, they are like instruments out of tune; but when once the precious blood has set them at liberty, then are they fitted to magnify the Lord who bought them. Our being bought with a price is a more than sufficient reason for our dedicating ourselves to the earnest worship of God our Saviour.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GSVer. 23. My lips; my soul. Hypocrites praise God with the lips only; but David joins the soul to the lips. William �icholson.Ver. 23. Greatly. See how the word great is repeated. Great things done, Psalms 71:19; great troubles shown, Psalms 71:20; greatness increased, Psalms 71:21; and great rejoicing consequent thereon, in Psalms 71:23. In a great God, doing great things, it is meet greatly to rejoice. C. H. S.

WHEDO�, "23. My lips shall greatly rejoice—�o common joy could express the feelings due to such wonderful deliverance. Bishop Mant versifies it, taking the word rendered “greatly rejoice” as indicating “a brisk, vibratory motion, like that of the lips in singing a lively air;” the lips keeping time with the emotions of the soul:—

“Quick with delight my lips shall move,My soul an answering rapture prove,To sing thy guardian name.”

ELLICOTT, "(23) My lips shall . . .—Rather, my lips shall sing while I play to thee, i.e., a hymn should accompany the harp. There is, therefore, no thought of the union of the bodily and spiritual powers in praise of God, though it is natural the verse should have suggested such an interpretation to the Fathers; and indeed the thought of the poet, if we read the whole psalm, with its retrospect of life, is a wish—

“That mind and soul according well,

May make one music as before,

But vaster.”

24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long,for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

BAR�ES, "My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness - Thy righteous character; the truthfulness, the goodness, the fidelity which thou hast manifested in delivering me. The word rendered “talk” means properly to meditate; then, to think aloud, to talk to oneself; and the idea may be, that his mind would be so full of the subject that he would give utterance to his thoughts in audible expressions when alone. It denotes fullness of heart, and language naturally flowing out from a full soul.

All the day long - Continually. This shall occupy my mind at all times. See the notes at Psa_1:2.

For they are confounded ... - That is, they are put to confusion; they are disappointed in their hopes; they are defeated in their plans. The psalmist sees this to be so certain that he speaks of it as if it were already done. The Psalms often conclude in this way. They begin in trouble, they end in joy; they begin in darkness, they end in light; they begin with a desponding mind, they end with a triumphant spirit; they begin with prayer, they end in praise. On the “language” used here, see the notes at Psa_71:13. On

such a “close” of the Psalms, see Psa_3:7-8; Psa_6:9-10; Psa_7:17; Psa_17:15; Psa_22:30-31; Psa_26:12; Psa_42:11; Psa_43:5; Psa_52:8-9.

CLARKE, "Talk of thy righteousness - The righteousness of God is frequently used in this Psalm, and in other places, to signify his justice, judgments, faithfulness, truth, mercy, etc. There are few words of more general import in the Bible.

They are confounded - The counsel of Ahithophel is confounded, and turned to foolishness, and he was so ashamed that he went and hanged himself. As to the vain and wicked Absalom, he met with the fate that he had meditated against his father. Though not yet done, David sees all these things as actually accomplished; for he had got a Divine assurance that God would bring them to pass.

GILL, "My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long,.... See Gill on Psa_71:16;

for they are confounded; his adversaries, for whose confusion he prayed, Psa_71:13;

for they are brought unto shame that seek my hurt; as Absalom and Ahithophel, being both brought to a shameful end.

HE�RY, " He hopes that all his enemies would be put to confusion, Psa_71:24. He speaks of it with the greatest assurance as a thing done, and triumphs in it accordingly: They are confounded, they are brought to shame, that seek my hurt. His honour would be their disgrace and his comfort their vexation.

II. Let us now see how his heart is enlarged in joy and praises, how he rejoices in hope, and sings in hope for we are saved by hope.

1. He will speak of God's righteousness and his salvation, as great things, things which he was well acquainted with, and much affected with, which he desired God might have the glory of and others might have the comfortable knowledge of (Psa_71:15): My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation; and again (Psa_71:24), My tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, and this all the day. God's righteousness, which David seems here to be in a particular manner affected with, includes a great deal: the rectitude of his nature, the equity of his providential disposals, the righteous laws he has given us to be ruled by, the righteous promises he has given us to depend upon, and the everlasting righteousness which his Son has brought in for our justification. God's righteousness and his salvation are here joined together; let no man think to put them asunder, nor expect salvation without righteousness, Psa_50:23. If these two are made the objects of our desire, let them be made the subjects of our discourse all the day, for they are subjects that can never be exhausted.

2. He will speak of them with wonder and admiration, as one astonished at the dimensions of divine love and grace, the height and depth, the length and breadth, of it: “I know not the numbers thereof, Psa_71:15. Though I cannot give a particular account of thy favours to me, they are so many, so great (if I would count them, they are more in

number than the sand, Psa_40:5), yet, knowing them to be numberless, I will be still speaking of them, for in them I shall find new matter,” Psa_71:19. The righteousness that is in God is very high; that which is done by him for his people is very great: put both together, and we shall say, O God! who is like unto thee? This is praising God, acknowledging his perfections and performances to be, (1.) Above our conception; they are very high and great, so high that we cannot apprehend them, so great that we cannot comprehend them. (2.) Without any parallel; no being like him, no works like his: O God! who is like unto thee? None in heaven, none on earth, no angel, no king. God is a non-such; we do not rightly praise him if we do not own him to be so.

3. He will speak of them with all the expressions of joy and exultation, Psa_71:22, Psa_71:23. Observe,

(1.) How he would eye God in praising him. [1.] As a faithful God: I will praise thee, even thy truth. God is made known by his word; if we praise that, and the truth of that, we praise him. By faith we set to our seal that God is true; and so we praise his truth. [2.] As a God in covenant with him: “O my God! whom I have consented to and avouched for mine.” As in our prayers, so in our praises, we must look up to God as our God, and give him the glory of our interest in him and relation to him. [3.] As the Holy One of Israel,Israel's God in a peculiar manner, glorious in his holiness among that people and faithful to his covenant with them. It is God's honour that he is a Holy One; it is his people's honour that he is the Holy One of Israel.

(2.) How he will express his joy and exultation. [1.] With his hand, in sacred music -with the psaltery, with the harp; at these David excelled, and the best of his skill shall be employed in setting forth God's praises to such advantage as might affect others. [2.] With his lips, in sacred songs: “Unto thee will I sing, to thy honour, and with a desire to be accepted of thee. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee, knowing they cannot be better employed.” [3.] In both with his heart: “My soul shall rejoice which thou hast redeemed.” Note, First, Holy joy is the very heart and life of thankful praise. Secondly, We do not make melody to the Lord, in singing his praises, if we do not do it with our hearts. My lips shall rejoice, but that is nothing; lip-labour, though ever so well laboured, if that be all, is but lost labour in serving God; the soul must be at work, and with all that is within us we must bless his holy name, else all about us is worth little. Thirdly, Redeemed souls ought to be joyful thankful souls. The work of redemption ought, above all God's works, to be celebrated by us in our praises. The Lamb that was slain, and has redeemed us to God, must therefore be counted worthy of all blessing and praise.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 24. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long. I will talk to myself, and to thee, my God, and to my fellow men: my theme shall be thy way of justifying sinners, the glorious display of thy righteousness and grace in thy dear Son; and this most fresh and never to be exhausted subject shall be ever with me, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. Others talk of their beloveds, and they shall be made to hear of mine. I will become an incessant talker, while this matter lies on my heart, for in all company this subject will be in season.For they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt. As in many other Psalms, the concluding stanzas speak of that as an accomplished fact, which was only requested in former verses. Faith believes that she has her request, and she has it. She is the substance of things hoped for--a substance so real and

tangible, that it sets the glad soul singing. Already sin, Satan, and the world are vanquished, and the victory is ours."Sin, Satan, Death appearTo harass and appal:Yet since the gracious Lord is near,Backward they go, and fall.""We meet them face to face,Through Jesus' conquest blest;March in the triumph of his grace,Right onward to our rest."

WHEDON, "24. For they are confounded—The preterit tense of the verb contemplates the act as past—have been ashamed, have been confounded, which illustrates the vigour of his faith, and, like its author, “calleth those things which be not as though they were,” (Romans 4:17;) or, possibly the tidings of victory had even now reached him. See introductions to this and the two preceding psalms. It is true, however, that David often uses the historic sense to express the lively assurance of his faith, in events yet to come, or the evidence that his prayer is answered.