The Book of Psalms
Psalm 71
Psalm LXXI · Vol. II, pp. 1031–1032
1 David, in confidence of faith, and experience of God's favour, prayeth both for himself, and against the enemies of his soul. 14 He promiseth acts of praise. 17 He prayeth not to be abandoned in the decline of life. 19 He praiseth God, and promiseth to do it cheerfully.
2 Deliverb me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: cincline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3 Be thou my strong habitation,1 whereunto I may continually resort: dthou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4 Delivere me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For gthou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
g Je.17.7,17. Ps.13.5; 31.14; 42.11; 119.81,166; 130.5,7; 22.9,10. 1 Ti.1.1.
6 Byh thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: imy praise shall be continually of thee.
h Ps.22.9,10. Is.46.3,4. Je.31.3; 2.2. Pr.8.17.
i Ps.145.1,2.
11 Saying, pGod hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
p Ps.3.2; 41.8; 142.4. 2 Sa.17.1,2. Job 19.13-19; 30.1.
13 Letr them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul;4 let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
15 Myt mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for uI know not5 the numbers thereof.
16 Iv will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention xof thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17 O God, ythou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto zhave I declared thy wondrous works.6
y Ps.22.9,10; 18.34. ver.5. 2 Ti.3.15. Je.31.3. Pr.8.17. 1 Sa.17.23,34.
z Ps.40.9,10; 66.16; 105.1-5; 145.1-4,21; 26.7.
6 See note * in first column.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded,7 O God, forsake me not; until aI have showed thy strength8 unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.9
7 Heb. unto old age and gray hairs. See ver.9. Is.46.4.
a Ps.145.4; 78.4-6. Is.38.19. Phi.1.6. He.13.5.
8 Heb. thine arm, Is.51.9.
9 Surely none but Christ could ever expect to exemplify the power of God to all future generations. In any other it had been vanity and arrogance—in Christ it was humility and truth.—C.
19 Thyb righteousness also, O God, is very high, cwho hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee?
20 Thou, dwhich hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the 1earth.
d Ps.60.3; 42.8,11; 40.2; 88.6. 2 Sa.12.11. Is.38.17. Ho.6.1,2. De.32.36,39.
1 From the grave.—C.
21 Thoue shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
A.M. cir. 2983. B.C. cir. 1021.
e 2 Sa.3.1. Ps.92.10-15. Zec.2.5.
22 Ig will also praise thee with the psaltery,2 even hthy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou iHoly One of Israel.
23 Myj lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
j Ps.30.12; 145.21; 103.1,2; 104.33,34. Lu.1.46,47,64.
Notes
Ver. 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness. A sinner is to be delivered only in mercy—the sin-bearing Saviour alone in righteousness. By this mark it is evident, that if the speaker was guided by the Spirit of knowledge, a point not to be doubted, he must be the Christ. C.
Ver. 9. Old age. Inasmuch as our Lord died literally young, this verse is supposed necessarily to indicate another speaker. But old age is not absolute, but comparative. Thus it is common to speak of premature old age, a fact evidently true of our Lord, whom a little after thirty the Jews supposed fifty. The period referred to, when, as in old age, his strength failed, seems literally, that, when worn out with sleeplessness, buffetings, and scourgings, and, tottering under his cross, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry it, Jn. 19. 17; Lu. 23. 26. C.
Ver. 18. When I am old, &c. Better, as in the margin, 'Now also unto old age and gray hairs, O God, forsake me not.' That our Lord was, in the ordinary acceptation of the word, prematurely old—consumed by his zeal—both himself and the Jews testified. Nor is anything more probable, that his incessant sorrows had produced, what sorrow has often produced—premature gray hairs, the snows of an unnatural winter enshrouding the greenness of spring. C.
Ver. 21. This is surely not descriptive of David's expectations or experience. God had positively told him, 'the sword should never depart from his house,' 2 Sa. 12. 10, 11, and from that hour onwards his whole life was a succession of troubles. But of Jesus the description is true; for his declarative greatness is ever increasing, and 'the joy set before him' was his sun of comfort in the darkest hour of sorrows. C.
Reflections.—They who know God and his faithfulness and grace will with comfort and confidence be engaged to trust him in every time of need. The more we reflect on what God hath done for us, it will the more engage our trust and animate our praise. In the depth of our misery God delights to magnify his mercy. And they who confidently plead his faithfulness shall never be disappointed. In old age we must expect infirmities; but God can give an increase of faith and patience to bear them. His aged servants are never cast off by him; but when they experience most weakness, they shall most assuredly experience abundant support in time of need. He may afflict his people, but never rejects believers. Their enemies may boast in vain a while, but just ruin shall reward them at last. Happy they whose grand supports are the power and promise of God, and whose early and long-continued experience of his favours encourages them to maintain their hopes and increase in their holiness. And if we hope for eternal happiness, let us do what we can to spread the honour and good savour of Christ on earth! For how becoming is it for aged saints to be remarkable in cheerfully expecting good at the hand of God; and to have heart, and lips, and life all filled with his praise! How pleasant is it to step as it were into heaven, scarcely needing to change either our work or our song!