1 > In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed: Deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, A house of defense to save me.
3 For you are my rock and my fortress, Therefore for your name's sake lead me and guide me.
4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, For you are my stronghold.
5 Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.
6 I hate those who regard lying vanities, But I trust in Yahweh.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, For you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.
8 You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.
9 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow, My years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.
12 I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.
13 For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, While they conspire together against me, They plot to take away my life.
14 But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
16 Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.
17 Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute, Which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.
19 Oh how great is your goodness, Which you have laid up for those who fear you, Which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, Before the sons of men!
20 In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.
21 Praise be to Yahweh, For he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.
22 As for me, I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before your eyes." Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.
23 Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints! Yahweh preserves the faithful, And pays back him who deals proudly in full.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in Yahweh.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 31
Commentary on Psalms 31 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 31
Ps 31:1-24. The prayer of a believer in time of deep distress. In the first part, cries for help are mingled with expressions of confidence. Then the detail of griefs engrosses his attention, till, in the assurance of strong but submissive faith, he rises to the language of unmingled joyful trust and exhorts others to like love and confidence towards God.
1. Expresses the general tone of feeling of the Psalm.
2-4. He seeks help in God's righteous government (Ps 5:8), and begs for an attentive hearing, and speedy and effectual aid. With no other help and no claim of merit, he relies solely on God's regard to His own perfections for a safe guidance and release from the snares of his enemies. On the terms "rock," &c., (compare Ps 17:2; 18:2, 50; 20:6; 23:3; 25:21).
5, 6. commit my spirit—my life, or myself. Our Saviour used the words on the Cross [Lu 23:46], not as prophetical, but, as many pious men have done, as expressive of His unshaken confidence in God. The Psalmist rests on God's faithfulness to His promises to His people, and hence avows himself one of them, detesting all who revere objects of idolatry (compare De 32:21; 1Co 8:4).
7. hast known my soul, &c.—had regard to me in trouble.
8. shut me up … enemy—abandon to (1Sa 23:11).
large room—place of safety (compare Ps 18:19).
9, 10. mine eye, &c.—denotes extreme weakness (compare Ps 6:7).
grief—mingled sorrow and indignation (Ps 6:7).
soul and … belly—the whole person.
10. Though the effects ascribed to grief are not mere figures of speech—
spent … consumed—must be taken in the modified sense of wasted and decayed.
iniquity—or, suffering by it (see on Ps 40:12).
11. among—or, literally, "from," or, "by" my enemies. The latter clauses describe the progress of his disgrace to the lowest degree, till,
12. he is forgotten as one dead, and contemned as a useless broken vessel.
13. For—introduces further reasons for his prayer, the unjust, deliberate, and murderous purposes of his foes.
14-18. In his profession of trust he includes the terms of the prayer expressing it.
15. times—course of life.
deliver … hand—opposed to "shut me up," &c., of Ps 31:8.
16. Make … shine—(Compare Nu 6:25; Ps 4:6). Deprecating from himself, he imprecates on the wicked God's displeasure, and prays that their virulent persecution of him may be stopped.
19-21. God displays openly His purposed goodness to His people.
20. the secret of thy presence—or, covering of Thy countenance; the protection He thus affords; compare Ps 27:5 for a similar figure; "dwelling" used there for "presence" here. The idea of security further presented by the figure of a tent and a fortified city [Ps 31:21].
22. For I said—literally, "And I said," in an adversative sense. I, thus favored, was despondent.
in my haste—in my terror.
cut off … eyes—from all the protection of Thy presence.
23, 24. the Lord … proud doer—literally, "the Lord is keeping faith," that is, with His people, and is repaying, &c. Then let none despair, but take courage; their hopes shall not be in vain.