1 In Thee, O Jehovah, I have trusted, Let me not be ashamed to the age.
2 In Thy righteousness Thou dost deliver me, And dost cause me to escape, Incline unto me Thine ear, and save me.
3 Be to me for a rock -- a habitation, To go in continually, Thou hast given command to save me, For my rock and my bulwark `art' Thou.
4 O my God, cause me to escape From the hand of the wicked, From the hand of the perverse and violent.
5 For Thou `art' my hope, O Lord Jehovah, My trust from my youth.
6 By Thee I have been supported from the womb, From my mother's bowels Thou dost cut me out, In Thee `is' my praise continually.
7 As a wonder I have been to many, And Thou `art' my strong refuge.
8 Filled is my mouth `with' Thy praise, All the day `with' Thy beauty.
9 Cast me not off at the time of old age, According to the consumption of my power forsake me not.
10 For mine enemies have spoken against me, And those watching my soul have taken counsel together,
11 Saying, `God hath forsaken him, Pursue and catch him, for there is no deliverer.'
12 O God, be not far from me, O my God, for my help make haste.
13 They are ashamed, they are consumed, Who are opposing my soul, They are covered `with' reproach and blushing, Who are seeking my evil,
14 And I continually do wait with hope, And have added unto all Thy praise.
15 My mouth recounteth Thy righteousness, All the day Thy salvation, For I have not known the numbers.
16 I come in the might of the Lord Jehovah, I mention Thy righteousness -- Thine only.
17 God, Thou hast taught me from my youth, And hitherto I declare Thy wonders.
18 And also unto old age and grey hairs, O God, forsake me not, Till I declare Thy strength to a generation, To every one that cometh Thy might.
19 And Thy righteousness, O God, `is' unto the heights, Because Thou hast done great things, O God, who `is' like Thee?
20 Because Thou hast showed me many and sad distresses, Thou turnest back -- Thou revivest me, And from the depths of the earth, Thou turnest back -- Thou bringest me up.
21 Thou dost increase my greatness, And Thou surroundest -- Thou comfortest me,
22 I also thank Thee with a vessel of psaltery, Thy truth, O my God, I sing to Thee with a harp, O Holy One of Israel,
23 My lips cry aloud when I sing praise to Thee, And my soul that Thou hast redeemed,
24 My tongue also all the day uttereth Thy righteousness, Because ashamed -- because confounded, Have been those seeking my evil!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 71
Commentary on Psalms 71 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 71
David penned this psalm in his old age, as appears by several passages in it, which makes many think that it was penned at the time of Absalom's rebellion; for that was the great trouble of his later days. It might be occasioned by Sheba's insurrection, or some trouble that happened to him in that part of his life of which it was foretold that the sword should not depart from his house. But he is not over-particular in representing his case, because he intended it for the general use of God's people in their afflictions, especially those they meet with in their declining years; for this psalm, above any other, is fitted for the use of the old disciples of Jesus Christ.
He is in an ecstasy of joyful praise; and, in the singing of it, we too should have our faith in God encouraged and our hearts raised in blessing his holy name.
Psa 71:1-13
Two things in general David here prays for-that he might not be confounded and that his enemies and persecutors might be confounded.
Psa 71:14-24
David is here in a holy transport of joy and praise, arising from his faith and hope in God; we have both together v. 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,