Psalm 72 A Psalm Of Solomon.

 ¹Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.

²He will judge Your people with righteousness,

And Your poor with justice.

³The mountains will bring peace to the people,

And the little hills, by righteousness.

⁴He will bring justice to the poor of the people;

He will save the children of the needy,

And will break in pieces the oppressor.

⁵They shall fear You

As long as the sun and moon endure,

Throughout all generations.

⁶He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,

Like showers that water the earth.

⁷In His days the righteous shall flourish,

And abundance of peace,

Until the moon is no more.

⁸He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,

And from the River to the ends of the earth.

⁹Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,

And His enemies will lick the dust.

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the isles

Will bring presents;

The kings of Sheba and Seba

Will offer gifts.

¹¹Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;

All nations shall serve Him.

¹²For He will deliver the needy when he cries,

The poor also, and him who has no helper.

¹³He will spare the poor and needy,

And will save the souls of the needy.

¹⁴He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;

And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

¹⁵And He shall live;

And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;

Prayer also will be made for Him continually,

And daily He shall be praised.

¹⁶There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,

On the top of the mountains;

Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;

And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

¹⁷His name shall endure forever;

His name shall continue as long as the sun.

And men shall be blessed in Him;

All nations shall call Him blessed.

¹⁸Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,

Who only does wondrous things!

¹⁹And blessed be His glorious name forever!

And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

²⁰The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Preamble: This is the only Psalm that we have through Solomon. Nonetheless it is a Premiere Psalm, a most excellent Psalm as it foretells the Lord Jesus Christ’s Reign and Rule. Read it then and enjoy it, because His righteousness Reign and Rule on earth will bring the justice and peace that all of humanity longs for.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.”

Solomon begins this Psalm with a prayer that God would grant him His judgments, that He would also grant His Righteousness to the king’s son, in essence Solomon is asking for His understanding of what is just and right, so that he himself may be a just judge while awaiting upon the Most Just Judge’s Reign and Rule. And in asking for His Righteousness to the king’s son, as the son of David, whose throne was established for the Lord Jesus Christ’s Reign, Solomon wants to bear this immense responsibility well during his tenure while reigning as king on it. To know then the Word of God well is to have the ability to do both, and in this the Word of God Himself is Supreme.

Vs. 2 “He will judge Your people with righteousness,

And Your poor with justice.”

Solomon immediately moves away from himself and looks forward to Christ, prophesying now of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Reign and Rule, seeing Him judging God’s people with righteousness and God’s poor with justice will then be the foundation of His Throne. No longer then will God’s people be exploited or exploit each other, nor will they be corrupted by unjust and immoral verdicts and decrees given through those of this world. For God's poor will never again be exploited, used, neglected or abused by individuals or governments, for where they were once disdained, now they will be honored. 

Vs. 3 “The mountains will bring peace to the people,

And the little hills, by righteousness.”

Here a metaphor is being used to describe how all ruling authority on earth will be subject to the Lord Jesus Christ, for they will render His Righteous verdicts. Mountains then are a metaphor for the highest authorities in the land, while little hills would be the local authorities and magistrates. Therefore, they will no longer serve their own personal, political, or corporate and rich friends agendas. Nations will not then make war with other nations trying to satisfy their own ambitions, or self serving agendas, at the expense of their own peoples, or anyone else lives and blood. Nor will there be any more corruption, or bribes, or showing of partiality to anyone, for the Lord Jesus Christ shall oversee them all. Therefore, there will be peace on earth, for they will all be under His watchful eye when He Reigns.

Vs. 4 “He will bring justice to the poor of the people;

He will save the children of the needy,

And will break in pieces the oppressor.”

The Lord Jesus Christ then will bring justice to the poor of the people, He will save the children of the needy, and all those exploiters and oppressors who have made this world so unfairly tilted in their favor, whether by force of arms or otherwise, will all be broken. No more will the poor, whether individuals or nations be their victims. 

Vs. 5 “They shall fear You

As long as the sun and moon endure,

Throughout all generations.”

Therefore, they shall fear Him, the Lord Jesus Christ as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations, for His Reign and His Rule shall be in Righteousness. And as the prophet Isaiah foretells, He shall rule the world with a rod of iron, therefore even before the wicked and the unjust can begin to hatch their evil plot or their scheming scheme, He will strike them down!

Vs. 6 “He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,

Like showers that water the earth.”

His very Presence then will bring blessings to all the earth, people will be joy filled and prosper, no longer then will people labor in vain, for the Lord will make all the work of our hands to prosper!

Vs. 7 “In His days the righteous shall flourish,

And abundance of peace,

Until the moon is no more.”

In the Lord Jesus Christ’s reign the righteous will flourish, and people will no longer fear being victims of crime or war, for none shall exist! Therefore, the righteous shall flourish, and everlasting peace shall fill the earth when the Prince of Peace Reigns, until the moon is no more! 

Vs. 8 “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,

And from the River to the ends of the earth.”

The Lord Jesus Christ’s shall reign be over all nations, from sea to sea, from the great River Euphrates to the ends of the earth they shall all be subject to Him!

Vs. 9 “Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,

And His enemies will lick the dust.”

Even all those far off peoples who dwell in the wildernesses, in places uncivilized and undeveloped by man will bow before him, for they will all be subject to Him. And His enemies who will not submit to Him will be brought low, they will all lick the dust, their humiliation and defeat is assured.

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the isles

Will bring presents;

The kings of Sheba and Seba

Will offer gifts.

¹¹Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;

All nations shall serve Him.

Such will be the Lord’s honoring that from the ends of earth all kings will come bringing most precious gifts to Him, yes, all kings, all the rulers of this world, shall fall down before Him, for all nations shall serve Him! For the Lord Jesus Christ will be honored as no other has ever been!

Vs. 12-14 ¹²For He will deliver the needy when he cries,

The poor also, and him who has no helper.

¹³He will spare the poor and needy,

And will save the souls of the needy.

¹⁴He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;

And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

Now His being honored so highly is not just for His Person's Status, but for what He does as King. "For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. ¹³He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy. ¹⁴He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight." Throughout the Holy Scripture God’s defense of the poor and needy is proclaimed and commanded. And so here we see the Lord Himself putting God's Word into action. For He will be their Deliverer, their cries will be heard by Him and immediately He shall respond for them. Indeed, everyone who is oppressed or abused or mistreated or used will find a strong Savior in Him. Therefore, He will spare them all, they will never again be helpless against.... for their victimization, their suffering...,  will all end with Him! For their blood shall be precious in His sight. No one will ever again dare raise their hands against them, for all who do so will find themselves as the object of His everlasting wrath! This then is what true leadership looks like.

Vs. 15 “And He shall live;

And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;

Prayer also will be made for Him continually,

And daily He shall be praised.”

His life and tenure then shall be continually hallowed and honored, gifts of the finest gold shall be given Him. Prayer also shall be continually made for Him. And daily we shall praise Him, for He alone has proven Himself worthy of our praise!

Vs. 16 “There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,

On the top of the mountains;

Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;

And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.”

When the Lord Jesus Christ reigns, the earth will bring forth grain in abundance, even mountain tops shall yield a bountiful harvest; for droughts and floods and insects and all manner of natural disasters and diseases that destroy drops and harvests simply will not be, and such will be the earths bounty that the crops will wave in the breeze like Lebanon. Even those in the cities will flourish, dilapidated neighborhoods will not be seen, inner city poverty and crime will not be known by anyone.

Vs. 17 “His name shall endure forever;

His name shall continue as long as the sun.

And men shall be blessed in Him;

All nations shall call Him blessed.”

Jesus Christ’s Name shall endure forever, it shall continue as long as the sun. For all people shall be blessed in him, and every nation shall call Him blessed. There then will be no other Name so Honored as His! What a vision the Holy Spirt and God’s Word has given us through Solomon to look forward too!

Vs. 18-29 ¹⁸Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,

Who only does wondrous things!

¹⁹And blessed be His glorious name forever!

And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

Truly one cannot but bless the the Lord God of Israel, for what He has done, and now what we know He is going to do! For He alone does wondrous things! He alone makes all things new! Therefore, let us all bless His glorious Name forever, for it is by His Name, by faith in Him, that we have now become citizens of His Kingdom! Therefore, let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen

Vs. 20 “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”

This psalm ends with a note that the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. Now we know that there are more Psalm to come in the Book of Psalms that came through David. Therefore, as the believers Bible Commentary holds I too believe that this Psalm likely represents the fulfillment of David’s prayers for the Messiah’s Regin, for here we get to see them fulfilled!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 71

 ¹In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.

²Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;

Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

³Be 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.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,

Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

⁵For You are my hope, O Lord God;

You are my trust from my youth.

⁶By You I have been upheld from birth;

You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.

My praise shall be continually of You.

⁷I have become as a wonder to many,

But You are my strong refuge.

⁸Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

And with Your glory all the day.

⁹Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

¹⁰For my enemies speak against me;

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

¹¹Saying, “God has forsaken him;

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

¹²O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me!

¹³Let them be confounded and consumed

Who are adversaries of my life;

Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor

Who seek my hurt.

¹⁴But I will hope continually,

And will praise You yet more and more.

¹⁵My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness

And Your salvation all the day,

For I do not know their limits.

¹⁶I will go in the strength of the Lord God;

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

¹⁷O God, You have taught me from my youth;

And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

¹⁸Now 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.

¹⁹Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,

You who have done great things;

O God, who is like You?

²⁰You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,

Shall revive me again,

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

²¹You shall increase my greatness,

And comfort me on every side.

²²Also 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.

²³My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,

And my soul, which You have redeemed.

²⁴My 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.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.”

Trusting in the Lord means just that trusting in the Lord! Therefore, in life, in death and everything and every circumstance in between we can be confident that we will never be put to shame as we trust in Him (Psalm 34:22; Isaiah 28:16; 45:17-19; Jer. 17:7-8; Joel 2:26-27; Rom. 9:33, 10:9-13; 1 Peter 2:6-8 etc.).

Vs. 2-3 “Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;

Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

³Be 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.

David’s appeal here is given through words that God has inspired in him, words that are meant to guide and strengthen us as well, words for us all to take to heart.

For these are words that will connect us with His heart. Therefore, David’s appeal to God is based solely on God’s righteousness, that He would save him because of His Righteousness, for that is the only way to have salvation from God, that our God saves us by His Righteousness, not our own. And in this David wants more than just a deliverance from God, he wants God to continually be his strong refuge, the only one that he resorts to. Therefore, because he has placed his faith in Him, he is confident that the Lord has given the command to save him. Therefore, with his trust is in Him David declares to God that He alone is my rock and fortress.

Vs. 4 ⁴Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,

Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

David continues his appeal, which the humble and the meek know all to well. That God would deliver him out of the hand of the wicked, and out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For in this life those who live righteously will suffer persecution and wrath at the hands of the wicked. Just as those who have a heart of compassion for others, whose hearts are always moved by empathy, gentleness, and kindness will find themselves being objects of scorn, ridicule, and abuse at the hands of the unrighteousness and cruel. For their hearts are as hard as stone, and their “tender mercies” are always cruel.

Vs. 5-6 ⁵For You are my hope, O Lord God;

You are my trust from my youth.

⁶By You I have been upheld from birth;

You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.

My praise shall be continually of You.

The familiarity, the closeness, the intimacy, the safety that David feels with God our Father, our Lord God and Savior is known by all who likewise know Him. And yet even before David knew Him, he acknowledges that God knew him. That it was He who brought him into this world, and it has been Him who has upheld him in it. Therefore, from his youth David has trusted Him and now in his elder years his praise shall still be continually of Him.

Vs. 7-8 ⁷I have become as a wonder to many,

But You are my strong refuge.

⁸Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

And with Your glory all the day.

Even though David had become a wonder to many, his faith was still in the Lord. Know then that when shallow people abandon you and cast you off, the Lord does not. Because of His faithfulness then David wanted his mouth to filled with His praise and His glory all the day. For neither his abuse and mistreatment, nor his neglect or abandonment by others would dictate what David felt in His heart towards God. That then is maturity, being able to see beyond ones present to one’s future!

Vs. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

In looking forward David still has to face his own fears here and now, and one of them was growing old, that time of life when we are most vulnerable, when we become more and more dependent. For having already experienced abandonment by others, David knows that people cannot be relied upon, therefore he prays that God would not cast him off in the time of old age, during that time of life when one’s strength fails, when one can no longer pick oneself up. His prayer here is deeping his trust in God.

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰For my enemies speak against me;

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

¹¹Saying, “God has forsaken him;

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

Even though David knew his future, David’s here and now was his reality as well. For his enemies were speaking against him, and those who were seeking his life were becoming more and more emboldened, for as their numbers multiplied, and people were turning against David, they began saying amongst themselves, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”

Vs. 12-13 ¹²O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me!

¹³Let them be confounded and consumed

Who are adversaries of my life;

Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor

Who seek my hurt.

Therefore, David turns to God and asks that He make haste and help him, that He be the One who confuses and confounds his enemies, so that they all be confounded and consumed together, that the Lord be the One to cover them all with reproach and dishonor who are seeking to hurt him.

Vs. 14-16 ¹⁴But I will hope continually,

And will praise You yet more and more.

¹⁵My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness

And Your salvation all the day,

For I do not know their limits.

¹⁶I will go in the strength of the Lord God;

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

With every declaration of distress and despair, with every request for deliverance from his enemies, David once again follows them up with words of faith. For I will hope continually and will praise You more and more, is not the declaration of one who stands at the edge of defeat, but of victory! Therefore, as he says:

“My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness

And Your salvation all the day,

For I do not know their limits.”

Therefore in encouraging himself, David now says that he will go in strength of the Lord God, that is he will face his circumstances head on by His Strength, and in doing so he will make mention of the Lord’s righteousness, of His only. This then is a theme throughout this Psalm (vs. 2, 15, 16, 19, 24) and David’s own life (Psalm 5:8; 31:1; 35:24, 28; 36:6, 10; 40:10; 51:14; 72:1; 88:12; 89:16; 119:140, 142; 143:1, 11; 145:7), of trusting and declaring the Lord’s own proven Character. For David knew his own shortfalls, he was well aware of his own sin, therefore he was fully dependent upon God, because only a fool has confidence in himself. No where then will you ever get a sense of self righteousness emanating from him in the Book of Psalms.

Vs. 17-18 ¹⁷O God, You have taught me from my youth;

And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

¹⁸Now 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.

David now recalls God’s faithfulness towards him, how from his youth He has taught him. Guiding him through childhood and his teen years into adulthood and now old age, David has much to reflect upon. Still the angst of being forsaken by God is something that we may never grow out of, and maybe in some ways that is good. David though is not just concerned for himself, but for the generation coming up after him, therefore he wants to declare God’s strength to them, His power to everyone who is to come.

Vs. 19 “Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,

You who have done great things;

O God, who is like You?”

Not only is God’s strength and power unending, but so is His righteousness, for it is by it all that He does great things, especially towards us who believe in Him! Therefore, who is like You, O God? For it is by Your Goodness alone that we are.

Vs. 20 “You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,

Shall revive me again,

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

Even though God had show David great and severe troubles, David was still confident in the Lord that He would revive Him again. That He would bring him up from the depths of earth speaks to his confidence in the Lord of His raising him from the dead with Himself.

Vs. 21-24 ²¹You shall increase my greatness,

And comfort me on every side.

²²Also 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.

²³My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,

And my soul, which You have redeemed.

²⁴My 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.

David’s confidence and joy in the Lord now increases greatly as he now sees a very bright future for himself with the Lord. For the Lord shall increase his greatness (far beyond this earthily sphere), and He shall comfort him on every side. This then will be the legacy of all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, David will praise Him on the lute and the harp the musical instruments as in the days of his youth, and he shall sing songs to Him, greatly rejoicing in Him both now and then. For the Lord has redeemed his soul. Therefore, David will speak of the Lord’s righteousness all the day long, for they are confounded, they are brought to shame who seek my hurt, and your as well, amen. 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 70 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. To Bring to Remembrance.

 ¹Make haste, O God, to deliver me!

Make haste to help me, O Lord!

²Let them be ashamed and confounded

Who seek my life;

Let them be turned back and confused

Who desire my hurt.

³Let them be turned back because of their shame,

Who say, “Aha, aha!”

⁴Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually,

“Let God be magnified!”

⁵But I am poor and needy;

 Make haste to me, O God!

You are my help and my deliverer;

O Lord, do not delay.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Make haste, O God, to deliver me!

Make haste to help me, O Lord!”

David must have felt that his enemies were soon to close in on him, for urgency is at the heart of this psalm. This then is a psalm of imminent peril.

Vs. 2-3 ²Let them be ashamed and confounded

Who seek my life;

Let them be turned back and confused

Who desire my hurt.

³Let them be turned back because of their shame,

Who say, “Aha, aha!”

Because the enemies of the Lord had set themselves against David, he now asks that the Lord put them to shame for seeking a righteous man’s life and harm without a just cause, that He would confound all their plans and plots against him. For there were many desiring his hurt. Just as there were many onlookers who were watching him, wanting him to stumble so they could say “Aha, aha!” Therefore, David asks God to turn them all back, to expose their shame; their shameful lives and lies; which would cause them to turn away from him.

Vs. 4 “Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually,

“Let God be magnified!”

In asking for deliverance from them David also asks that Lord lift up all who seek Him, that He make us rejoice and be glad in Him, that all of us who love His salvation say, “Let God be magnified.”  

 Vs. 5 “But I am poor and needy;

Make haste to me, O God!

You are my help and my deliverer;

O Lord, do not delay.”

David now returns to himself, declaring himself to the Lord as poor and needy, not proud, and self-sufficient, but completely dependent upon the Lord. In then closing he once again asks our God to make haste to him. For He is his (our) help and deliverer, Therefore O Lord, do not delay.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 69 To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.

 ¹Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.

²I sink in deep mire,

Where there is no standing;

I have come into deep waters,

Where the floods overflow me.

³I am weary with my crying;

My throat is dry;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴Those who hate me without a cause

Are more than the hairs of my head;

They are mighty who would destroy me,

Being my enemies wrongfully;

Though I have stolen nothing,

I still must restore it.

⁵O God, You know my foolishness;

And my sins are not hidden from You.

⁶Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;

Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.

⁷Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;

Shame has covered my face.

⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers,

And an alien to my mother’s children;

⁹Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,

And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

¹⁰When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,

That became my reproach.

¹¹I also made sackcloth my garment;

I became a byword to them.

¹²Those who sit in the gate speak against me,

And I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time;

O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,

Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.

¹⁴Deliver me out of the mire,

And let me not sink;

Let me be delivered from those who hate me,

And out of the deep waters.

¹⁵Let not the floodwater overflow me,

Nor let the deep swallow me up;

And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

¹⁶Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;

Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.

¹⁷And do not hide Your face from Your servant,

For I am in trouble;

Hear me speedily.

¹⁸Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;

Deliver me because of my enemies.

¹⁹You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;

My adversaries are all before You.

²⁰Reproach has broken my heart,

And I am full of heaviness;

I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;

And for comforters, but I found none.

²¹They also gave me gall for my food,

And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

²²Let their table become a snare before them,

And their well-being a trap.

²³Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;

And make their loins shake continually.

²⁴Pour out Your indignation upon them,

And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.

²⁵Let their dwelling place be desolate;

Let no one live in their tents.

²⁶For they persecute the ones You have struck,

And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.

²⁷Add iniquity to their iniquity,

And let them not come into Your righteousness.

²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

And not be written with the righteous.

²⁹But I am poor and sorrowful; Let Your salvation,

O God, set me up on high.

³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song,

And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

³¹This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,

Which has horns and hooves.

³²The humble shall see this and be glad;

And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.

³³For the Lord hears the poor,

And does not despise His prisoners.

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise Him,

The seas and everything that moves in them.

³⁵For God will save Zion

And build the cities of Judah,

That they may dwell there and possess it.

³⁶Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,

And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

Commentary

¹Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.

²I sink in deep mire,

Where there is no standing;

I have come into deep waters,

Where the floods overflow me.

³I am weary with my crying;

My throat is dry;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴Those who hate me without a cause

Are more than the hairs of my head;

They are mighty who would destroy me,

Being my enemies wrongfully;

Though I have stolen nothing,

I still must restore it.

Preamble: Though this Psalm was written by David at times it epitomizes Christ’s own sufferings; thus when reading it as with some of David’s other Psalms, there is clearly an underlining Messianic theme.

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 ¹Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.

²I sink in deep mire,

Where there is no standing;

I have come into deep waters,

Where the floods overflow me.

Is this a reflection of Christ’s sufferings on the Cross? You be the judge. David’s words here though truly represent something far more overwhelming than he could then bear. That feeling then of utter helplessness, that one is about to drown in their own despair was not then a foreign feeling to David, nor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Vs. 3 “I am weary with my crying;

My throat is dry;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God.”

When tears no longer console (Ecc. 7:3), when one’s seeking prayers seemingly go unanswered, when ones sorrow and weariness makes lifting ones hands and head to God seem near impossible, this was the devastating state that David was then in.

Vs. 4 “Those who hate me without a cause

Are more than the hairs of my head;

They are mighty who would destroy me,

Being my enemies wrongfully;

Though I have stolen nothing,

I still must restore it.”

Not only was David being consumed by his own despair but this was happening when many had now begun to hate him. Indeed he describes their numbers as being more than the hairs of his head. And these were not just small folk, people of no means, no these were mighty individuals, people who exercised and wielded great power had now become his enemies, but not by his choice or will or sin or error. For they became his enemies because of who he was and what he stood for, and that became unbearable to them. Therefore though he had stolen nothing still he must restore. In other words their hatred of him would not, and could not be appeased. Thus this verse also parallels the Lord Jesus Christ's own life as He would become the object of all wrath and indignation of those who then ruled and reigned, of everyone who rejected God's salvation for them. Thus He bore as the Sinless Lamb of God all the wrath of man through no fault of His own (John 7:7). And yet this was then David’s own plight, and it just might be yours as well, if you have also been wrongly labelled, or tag, or targeted. For as our Lord and Savior suffered the unjust wrath and rejection of unbelieving mankind, so will you for your faith in Him (John 15:18-19; 1 John 3:13-15).

Vs. 5-7 ⁵O God, You know my foolishness;

And my sins are not hidden from You.

⁶Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;

Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.

⁷Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;

Shame has covered my face.

David now acknowledges that he is not sinless, that he is not above reproach, for he now confesses that God knows all his ( and our) foolishness, that none of his ( nor our) sins are hidden from Him. Therefore David is not trying to conceal his sin from God. Instead through his own introspection he sees himself as he truly is, and he acknowledges this all to God. For he is painfully aware that his (our) own actions has had negative effects on others that do not bear well on God’s Name (vs. 5). Therefore, he deeply feels for them, for he does not want to cause them to be ashamed of their faith because of him, or be confounded or confused in their faith because of him. And that is the shepherd’s heart when he has sinned, to care and think about the flocks well being above his own. Verse seven then seemingly moves to the place of the Cross, where it is Christ alone who has born in the most nobliest of ways reproach for God’s sake. For when shame covered His face, it was not for His wrongdoing, but for ours.

Vs. 8-9 ⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers,

And an alien to my mother’s children;

⁹Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,

And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

David now describes his own abandonment; and that horrible sinking feeling that sets in when one realizes they have now been abandoned by those one loves. Left alone then to now face whatever it is one must now face then is the source of David’s words here (vs. 8). Only in the Book of Job do we also see such an abandonment of an individual (Job 19:13-20), before the Lord Jesus Christ’s own abandonment which exceedingly surpasses them all so that God would not have to abandon us all (Psalm 22:1; Isaiah 53). Verse nine then picks up the theme of the Cross once again when it say’s, “…zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” This verse then is cited in John 2:17 after Jesus cleansed the Temple and all its leaders took great offense at Him for doing so, for trying to cleanse God's house of the thieves and profiteering that had overtaken and defiled it. In another sense the Apostle Paul also cites it in Romans 15:13 to remind us to seek out each others edification above our own. David’s declaration here then is both prophetic, as well as applicable to himself and ourselves. For as a loyal follower of God he also bore reproach for his own zeal for God all which foreshadowed Christ's, for as people hate God so they hate the Son of God and those who believe and obey Him.

Vs. 10-11 “When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,

That became my reproach.

¹¹I also made sackcloth my garment;

I became a byword to them.”

Even when David humbled himself and chastened his soul with fasting, bearing sackcloth as a mark of contriteness before God, his enemies when they saw this (or more likely) heard about his doing so then made that his reproach, that is they used even this against him, saying all of kinds of defamatory things about his motives for doing so, thus people didn’t see this as contrition and repentance before God on his part, instead David's humbling himself became to be seen by them as just an act. David then became a byword to them, someone to not take notice of anymore. 

Vs. 12 “Those who sit in the gate speak against me,

And I am the song of the drunkards.”

Having his name and reputation then completely ruined and shattered by those who hated him, David now finds himself being openly spoken against by those who sit in the gate, that is the people’s elders and leaders. Indeed, such was his shame and reproach that he even became the taunting song of the drunkards. No one then befriended him, or helped him, or had compassion on him in his time of need.

Vs. 13 “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time;

O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,

Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.”

David though does not lose his faith or hope in one of darkest moments of his life. Instead, he turns to God with vehement cries and passionate pleas for help and justice. For it is God alone who knows our heart and who judges us justly. Verse 13 till about verse twenty 28 then is his prayer towards God. Therefore, David’s asks God to move on his behalf in His timing, to hear him in the multitude of His mercies, and by the truth of his salvation come and rescue him. David then as a humble servant of God will wait on Him for His time when He will do this, though while waiting on Him his pleas will be no less intense to Him.

Vs. 14-15 ¹⁴Deliver me out of the mire,

And let me not sink;

Let me be delivered from those who hate me,

And out of the deep waters.

¹⁵Let not the floodwater overflow me,

Nor let the deep swallow me up;

And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

David’s cries for deliverance now intensify, even though he knows that it is God who upholds him, his own circumstances make him feel like he is sinking into the mire, that his enemies might soon overtake him, that he might drown in the deep waters of despair, that the flood waters are going to overflow him, that the pit, death, is now even opening its mouth to swallow him up.

Vs. 16-18 ¹⁶Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;

Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.

¹⁷And do not hide Your face from Your servant,

For I am in trouble;

Hear me speedily.

¹⁸Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;

Deliver me because of my enemies.

David's continues by appealing to the Lord according to His lovingkindness which are from of old, and are always good towards those who seek his face. For He always dispenses a multitude of tender mercies to the repentant sinner and those who seek His face. Therefore, on that basis of God’s Character, David asks Him not hide to His face from him, but rather see him in his despair and have mercy upon him. For by his own acknowledgement, he is in trouble, trouble which he cannot save himself from. Therefore, he asks God to speedily hear him, to draw near to his soul and redeem it, to deliver him because of his enemies, who are seeking his destruction and forwarding his harm by whatever means they can.

Vs. 19 “You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;

My adversaries are all before You.”

In seeking God’s mercies David asks Him to remember his reproach, shame, and dishonor which his enemies have brought to bear down on him. Nonetheless his adversaries (our adversaries) are before Him, even though the live and feel like what they do to us is with utter impunity from any accountability or judgment. Nonetheless our God judges in heaven and in earth and He will deal with them all. All their lies and schemes and plots to reproach and harm us, to set others against us, by their backbiting slander and evil words spoken about us, will be fully exposed and dealt with by Him!

Vs. 20-21 “Reproach has broken my heart,

And I am full of heaviness;

I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;

And for comforters, but I found none.”

²¹They also gave me gall for my food,

And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

One of the saddest statements in this Psalm foretells what they would do to Christ when He was suffering and dying on the Cross. For as David in his most desperate time of need found none to comfort him (vs. 20), neither did our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. David's mistreatment and abandonment then will serve as a prophetic backdrop to what would be literally done to the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Vs. 22-28 ²²Let their table become a snare before them,

And their well-being a trap.

²²Let their table become a snare before them,

And their well-being a trap.

²³Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;

And make their loins shake continually.

²⁴Pour out Your indignation upon them,

And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.

²⁵Let their dwelling place be desolate;

Let no one live in their tents.

²⁶For they persecute the ones You have struck,

And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.

²⁷Add iniquity to their iniquity,

And let them not come into Your righteousness.

²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

And not be written with the righteous.

At this point the Psalm takes a radical turn, a turn which some imply may be the Lord’s own wishes for the unbelieving people and nation which betrayed Him to death. In this there is support as verses 22 and 23 are cited by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:9-10 as David himself is asking for the unbelieving nations punishment. And yet God’s judgment on His nation for what they did to His Son must never be seen as His abonnement of them, for though He judges them (as He has done throughout history) He still has a plan to redeem them. Therefore, never use such passages against Israel, for all who do so, only do so to their own peril (Rom. 11:11-36). Again, verse twenty-five is prophetic as it is cited by the Apostles as the Scriptural grounds for replacing Judas Iscariot with Matthias (see Acts 1:15-26). These verses then as a whole have applications beyond what David then desired on his enemies.

Vs. 29 “But I am poor and sorrowful; Let Your salvation,

O God, set me up on high.”

David’s desires for justice and judgment upon those who so terribly wronged him now give way to his own desires to be restored to God as God would have him be. 

 Vs. 30-32 ³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song,

And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

³¹This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,

Which has horns and hooves.

³²The humble shall see this and be glad;

And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.

Because of the Lord’s Great Goodness, His proven Character, David feels compelled to praise and worship Him with a song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. For in this world where His Person and Name is being continually assailed and blasphemed what better way to magnify God then with thanksgiving and a song! Therefore the Lord loves it when we praise Him from our hearts, which is far more real and genuine than just religious ritual and sacrifice devoid of love for Him. The humble then will see this and be glad because God is being given His just due, and those who seek God their hearts shall live, because it is He whom they seek and though Him, they (we) have new and everlasting life!

Vs. 33 “For the Lord hears the poor,

And does not despise His prisoners.”

Truly it is Lord who always hears the poor, (Matt. 5:3), nor does He despise His prisoners, all those who have born shame and reproach for His glorious Name. God then does not forget anyone who is loyal to Him, who humbles themself before Him.

Vs. 34-36 ³⁴Let heaven and earth praise Him,

The seas and everything that moves in them.

³⁵For God will save Zion

And build the cities of Judah,

That they may dwell there and possess it.

³⁶Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,

And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

The Psalm now closes with a strong declaration to let all of creation praise Him, which will happen in the new heavens and new earth! For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, the tribe He has chosen to place His Throne there. Thus, those who love Him will dwell there. and all the descendants of His servants shall inherit it. These things then are pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ’s Millennial Reign, when Israel is fully restored to Him, and David will be a prince with Him!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.