13 Be pleased, H7521 O LORD, H3068 to deliver H5337 me: O LORD, H3068 make haste H2363 to help H5833 me.
14 Let them be ashamed H954 and confounded H2659 together H3162 that seek H1245 after my soul H5315 to destroy H5595 it; let them be driven H5472 backward H268 and put to shame H3637 that wish H2655 me evil. H7451
15 Let them be desolate H8074 for a reward H6118 of their shame H1322 that say H559 unto me, Aha, H1889 aha. H1889
16 Let all those that seek H1245 thee rejoice H7797 and be glad H8055 in thee: let such as love H157 thy salvation H8668 say H559 continually, H8548 The LORD H3068 be magnified. H1431
17 But I am poor H6041 and needy; H34 yet the Lord H136 thinketh H2803 upon me: thou art my help H5833 and my deliverer; H6403 make no tarrying, H309 O my God. H430
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 40
Commentary on Psalms 40 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 40
It should seem David penned this psalm upon occasion of his deliverance, by the power and goodness of God, from some great and pressing trouble, by which he was in danger of being overwhelmed; probably it was some trouble of mind arising from a sense of sin and of God's displeasure against him for it; whatever it was, the same Spirit that indited his praises for that deliverance was in him, at the same time, a Spirit of prophecy, testifying of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow; or, ere he was aware, he was led to speak of his undertaking, and the discharge of his undertaking, in words that must be applied to Christ only; and therefore how far the praises that here go before that illustrious prophecy, and the prayers that follow, may safely and profitably be applied to him it will be worth while to consider. In this psalm,
If, in singing this psalm, we mix faith with the prophecy of Christ, and join in sincerity with the praises and prayers here offered up, we make melody wit our hearts to the Lord.
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
Psa 40:1-5
In these verses we have,
Psa 40:6-10
The psalmist, being struck with amazement at the wonderful works that God had done for his people, is strangely carried out here to foretel that work of wonder which excels all the rest and is the foundation and fountain of all, that of our redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. God's thoughts, which were to us-ward concerning that work, were the most curious, the most copious, the most gracious, and therefore to be most admired. This paragraph is quoted by the apostle (Heb. 10:5, etc.) and applied to Christ and his undertaking for us. As in the institutions, so in the devotions, of the Old Testament saints were aware of; and, when the apostle would show us the Redeemer's voluntary undertaking of his work, he does not fetch his account out of the book of God's secret counsels, which belong not to us, but from the things revealed. Observe,
Psa 40:11-17
The psalmist, having meditated upon the work of redemption, and spoken of it in the person of the Messiah, now comes to make improvement of the doctrine of his mediation between us and God, and therefore speaks in his own person. Christ having done his Father's will, and finished his work, and given orders for the preaching of the gospel to every creature, we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace, for mercy and grace.