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Psalm Thirty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 31
To the chief Musician
a Psalm of David. This psalm
according to Arama
was composed by David when in Keilah; but
according to
Kimchi and others
when the Ziphites proposed to deliver him up into the hands
of Saul; and who
upon their solicitations
came down and surrounded him with
his army
from whom in haste he made his escape
and to which he is thought to
refer in Psalm 31:22.
Theodoret supposes it was written by David when he fled from Absalom
and that
it has some respect in it to his sin against Uriah
in that verse.
Psalm 31:1 In
You
O Lord
I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- A Psalm
of David. In Thee
O Jehovah
I have trusted
Let me not be ashamed to the age
In Thy righteousness deliver me.
In thee
O Lord
do I put my trust
.... Not in any creature
but in the Lord Jehovah; the Targum
"in thy Word"; the essential
Logos
or Word
which was in the beginning with God
and was God
and so an
equal object of faith
trust
and confidence
as Jehovah the Father: this act
includes a trusting all with God
body and soul
and the welfare of them
in
time
and to eternity; and a trusting him for all things
both of providence
and grace
and for both grace and glory
and is a continued act; for the
psalmist does not say
"I have trusted"
or "I will trust"
but "I do"; and this was a very consider able thing to do in this
time of his distress: the Lord is to be trusted in at all times;
let me never be ashamed; neither in this world
nor in that to come. The believer has no reason to be ashamed of anything in
this life but sin
and the imperfection of his own righteousness
and his trust
in it; not of the Lord
in whom he trusts; nor of his Word
or Son
the Lord
Jesus Christ
in whom he believes as his Saviour and Redeemer; nor of the
Spirit
and his work of grace upon him; nor of his faith
hope
trust
and
confidence in them; nor of the Gospel
the means of faith
and of the support
of it; nor of
the reproaches
afflictions
and sufferings
he endures for the
sake of Christ and his Gospel; nor of his ordinances and his people; nor will
he be ashamed hereafter at the coming of Christ
when he will appear in his
righteousness
be clothed with white robes
have palms in his hands
and shall
stand at his right hand
and be received into glory;
deliver me in thy righteousness; not in his own
by which
he knew there was no acceptance with God
no justification before him
nor any
deliverance and salvation from sin and death; but by the righteousness of God
which the Son of God has wrought out
God the Father accepts of and imputes
and the Spirit of God reveals and applies; by this there is deliverance from
sin
its guilt
and damning power
and from the curses and condemnation of the
law
and from wrath to come
and from the second death.
Psalm 31:2 2 Bow down Your ear to me
Deliver
me speedily; Be my rock of refuge
A fortress of defense to save me.
YLT
2Incline unto me Thine ear
hastily
deliver me
Be to me for a strong rock
For a house of bulwarks to
save me.
Bow down thine ear to me
.... Which is said after
the manner of men
who
when they give attention
and listen to anything
stoop
and incline the ear; and this for God to do
as he sometimes does
is
wonderful condescending grace!
deliver me speedily; which shows that he was
in great danger
and his case required haste: the Lord does help right early
and is sometimes a present help in time of need
and delivers at once
as soon
as the mercy is asked for;
be thou my strong rock: for shelter and security
from enemies
as well as to build his everlasting salvation on
and to stand
firmly upon
and out of danger;
for an house of defence to save me; both for an house to
dwell in
Lord being the dwelling place of his people in all generations
and a
strong habitation to which they may continually resort; and for protection and
safety
their place of defence in him being the munition of rocks
a strong
hold
and a strong tower from the enemy.
Psalm 31:3 3 For You are my rock
and my fortress; Therefore
for Your name’s sake
Lead me and guide me.
YLT
3For my rock and my bulwark
[art] Thou
For Thy name's sake lead me and tend me.
For thou art my rock and my fortress
.... What he
prayed for he knew him to be
and to have been in times past
and could claim
his interest in him; and therefore entreats that he would appear to be to him
what he was in himself
and what he had been to him;
therefore for thy name's sake lead me
and guide me; either as a
shepherd does his flock
gently
as they are able to bear it; into the green
pastures of the word and ordinances
and beside the still waters of divine love
and to the overflowing fountain
and fulness of grace in himself; or as a
general leads and guides his army; Christ being a Leader and Commander of the
people
and the great Captain of their salvation
and who being at the head of
them
they fear no enemy; or as a guide leads and directs such as are ignorant
and out of the way. The psalmist desires the Lord would lead him in the way of
truth and paths of righteousness
according to his word; and guide him with his
counsel
and by his Spirit
that so he might walk in the way in which he should
go; and this he entreats he would do "for his name's sake";
not for any merit or worthiness in him; but for the glory of his own name
and
for the honour of his free grace and mercy
for which the Lord often does many
things; he defers his anger
he purges away the sins of his people
he forgives
their transgressions
and remembers their sins no more
for his name's sake.
Psalm 31:4 4 Pull me out of the net
which they have secretly laid for me
For You are my strength.
YLT
4Bring me out from the net
that they hid for me
For Thou [art] my strength.
Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me
.... The
Ziphites
and Saul
and his men; the former intending treacherously to betray
him
and the latter encompassing him about in order to take him; and such was
his danger and difficulty
that he saw none but God could deliver him; and he
it is that breaks the nets of men
and the snares of the devil
which they
secretly lay for the people of God
that they may stumble
and fall
and be
taken
and delivers them out of them;
for thou art my strength; the author
giver
and
maintainer
both of his natural and spiritual strength; and who was able
and
was only able
to pull him out of the net
and extricate him out of the
difficulties in which he was.
Psalm 31:5 5 Into Your hand I commit my
spirit; You have redeemed me
O Lord God of truth.
YLT
5Into Thy hand I commit my
spirit
Thou hast redeemed me
Jehovah God of truth.
Into thine hand I commit my spirit
.... Either his life
as
to a faithful Creator and Preserver
who was the God of his life
gave him it
and upheld his soul in it; or his soul
and the eternal salvation of it
which
he committed into the hand of the Lord his Redeemer
where he knew it would be
safe
and out of whose hands none can pluck; or this he might say
as
apprehensive of immediate death
through the danger he was in; and therefore
commits his spirit into the hands of God
to whom he knew it belonged
and to
whom it returns at death
and dies not with the body
but exists in a separate
state
and would be immediately with him. Our Lord Jesus Christ used the same
words when he was expiring on the cross
and seems to have taken them from
hence
or to refer to these
Luke 23:46;
thou hast redeemed me
O Lord God of truth; which may be
understood
either of the temporal redemption of his life from destruction in
times past
which encouraged him to commit his life into the hands of God now
who was the same
and changed not; or of spiritual and eternal redemption from
sin by the blood of Christ
and which the psalmist speaks of as if it was past
though it was to come
because of the certainty of it; just as Isaiah speaks of
the incarnation and sufferings of Christ
Isaiah 9:6; and of
which he was assured
because the Lord
who had provided
appointed
and promised
the Redeemer
was the God of truth
and was faithful to every word of promise;
and Christ
who had engaged to be the Redeemer
was faithful to him that
appointed him; and having an interest therefore in this plenteous redemption
by virtue of which he was the Lord's
he committed himself into his hands.
Psalm 31:6 6 I have hated those who
regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord.
YLT
6I have hated the observers
of lying vanities
And I toward Jehovah have been confident.
I have hated them that regard lying vanities
....
Soothsaying and divination
as Aben Ezra and others think; made use of by
kings
and generals of armies
to know when it was proper to go out to war
and
what success they should have; see Ezekiel 21:21; but
such men and their practices David abhorred; he took no such methods when in
distress
but applied to the Lord
and trusted in him; or rather idol gods
as
Jarchi
and others
who are vanity
and the work of errors
and are nothing in
the world; see Jonah 2:8; all will
worship and superstition may be included in this phrase
which being not
according to the will and word of God
is worshipping in vain
and carries off
from true spiritual worship; and so is a lying vanity
and to be detested
and
the abettors of it: as also all errors and heresies; these are great swelling
words of vanity
and are lies in hypocrisy; and likewise all immorality and
wickedness
which spring from the vanity of the mind
and promise much liberty
and pleasure
but deceive
and therefore lying; yea
all worldly enjoyments are
vanity and vexation of spirit
and are fallacious and deceitful when trusted
in; and indeed every false trust and confidence may come under this name; such
as trust in riches
in wisdom and knowledge
in carnal descent
and privileges
in a moral and legal righteousness
and even in a bare profession of true
religion
and a subjection to Gospel ordinances; for there is no true object of
trust
no Redeemer and Saviour
but the Lord: now such as regard those lying
vanities are they that look to them
love them
embrace them
and put their
confidence in them; and such are to be "hated"; not their persons
but their principles and practices
and they themselves are to be shunned and
abstained from;
but I trust in the Lord; the God of truth
that
cannot lie
deny himself
nor deceive; who is unchangeable
and without any
variableness
or shadow of turning.
Psalm 31:7 7 I will be glad and rejoice
in Your mercy
For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in
adversities
YLT
7I rejoice
and am glad in
Thy kindness
In that Thou hast seen mine affliction
Thou hast known in
adversities my soul.
I will be glad
and rejoice in thy mercy
.... Both
because of the nature of it
which is large and abundant
free and sovereign
from everlasting to everlasting
and is communicated in and through Christ
and
is a good ground of hope and trust; and because of the effects of it
or what
it has produced; for to it are owing the covenant of grace
and all the sure
mercies of it; the mission of Christ
and redemption by him; regeneration
and
the forgiveness of sins
and even eternal life and glory; besides a multitude
of blessings
deliverances
and salvations in Providence; on account of all
which there is great reason for joy and gladness; of which the following are
particulars;
for thou hast considered my trouble; inward
arising from
indwelling sin
doubts and fears
desertions and darkness
and Satan's
temptations; and outward
from the world
and the men of it
and by reason of
bodily afflictions: now the Lord looks upon the troubles of his people
and
upon them in them
with an eye of pity and compassion; he sympathizes with
them; he considers the nature of their trouble
their weakness to bear it
and
the best way
in tans
and time to deliver out of it; he working all things
after the counsel of his own will; see Exodus 3:7;
thou hast known my soul in adversities; that is
the
Lord had took notice of him
approved of him
loved him
had visited him
and
made known his love to him
and owned him for his own
and had chosen him in
the furnace of affliction; a time and season when oftentimes friends and
acquaintance are shy
and will not look upon men
know them
and own them; but
the Lord does otherwise
and which is another reason of joy and gladness in his
mercy.
Psalm 31:8 8 And have not shut me up
into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.
YLT
8And Thou hast not shut me
up
Into the hand of an enemy
Thou hast caused my feet to stand in a broad
place.
And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy
.... When in
Keilah
in the wilderness of Ziph
and Maon
and encompassed about by Saul and
his army
1 Samuel 23:7; nor
does the Lord suffer his people to be shut up under the power of sin and Satan
so that they cannot come forth in the exercise of grace
and the discharge of
duty: but he brings their souls out of prison
that they may praise his name;
thou hast set my feet in a large room; at full
liberty from his enemies; Saul and his army being called off from pursuing him
by tidings of an invasion by the Philistines
1 Samuel 23:27; and
this is the case of the saints when they are brought to Christ
to walk by
faith at large on him; when grace is drawn forth into exercise
and spiritual
knowledge is increased
and they are delivered from their enemies; or
however
can look upon them as conquered ones
and are sure of victory over them
and at
last of an entire deliverance from them; see Psalm 4:1.
Psalm 31:9 9 Have mercy on me
O Lord
for I am in
trouble; My eye wastes away with grief
Yes
my soul and my body!
YLT
9Favour me
O Jehovah
for
distress [is] to me
Mine eye
my soul
and my body Have become old by
provocation.
Have mercy upon me
O Lord
for I am in trouble
.... A sudden
change of case and frame this! and so it is with the people of God; as soon as
out of one trouble
they are in another; these are what are appointed for them
and lie in their pathway to heaven
and are necessary; and under them it is
quite right to betake themselves to the Lord
who is a merciful God; and it is
best to cast themselves upon his mercy
having no merit of their own to plead
with him; and they may freely tell him all their distresses
as the psalmist
here does
and hope for grace and mercy to help them in time of need;
mine eye
is consumed with grief; expressed by tears;
through the multitude of which
by reason of trouble
his sight was greatly
harmed; according to Jarchi
the word signifies
that his sight was so dim as
is a man's when he puts a glass before his eyes
to see what is beyond the
glass: this shows that the invention of spectacles was before the year 1105;
for in that year Jarchi died; and proves it more early than any other writer
has pretended toF1See Chambers's Dictionary on the word
"Spectacles". ; for the commonly received opinion is
that they were
invented at the latter end of the thirteenth or beginning of the fourteenth
century; but the apostle
as A-Lapide thinks
respects them
in 1 Corinthians 13:12;
and they are mentioned by PlautusF2Vid. Ainsworth's Lat. Dict. in
voce "Conspicill". & Panciroll. Rer. Memorab. par. 2. tit. 15.
& Salmath. in ib. p. 268.
who lived almost two hundred years before the
birth of Christ: the same Jarchi observes on Psalm 6:7;
yea
my soul and my belly; perhaps he
could not eat his food
or digest it
which brought upon him internal
disorders
and even brought his soul or life into danger.
Psalm 31:10 10 For my life is spent with
grief
And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity
And
my bones waste away.
YLT
10For my life hath been
consumed in sorrow And my years in sighing. Feeble because of mine iniquity
hath been my strength
And my bones have become old.
For my life is spent with grief
and my years with sighing
.... Which
shows the continuance of his troubles
and that his whole life had been
as it
were
an uninterrupted series of sorrows;
my strength faileth because of mine iniquity; this opens
the source and spring of all his grief and trouble; his sin
and the sin of his
nature
in which he was conceived and born; indwelling sin
which remained and
worked in him; and it may be also the sin of unbelief
which beset him
and
prevailed in him
notwithstanding the instances of divine goodness
the
declarations of grace
the discoveries of love
and the exceeding great and
precious promises he had made to him; as also his daily sins and infirmities
and very likely some great backslidings
which had brought grief of soul upon
aim
and which grief affected the several parts of his body. Sin was the cause
of the failure of natural strength in Adam and his posterity; of diseases and
death
by which their strength is weakened in the way; and was the cause of
impairing moral strength in men to do that which is good
and has a very great
influence on the spiritual strength of the Lord's people
in the exercise of
grace;
and my bones are consumed; which are the firmest
and strongest parts of the human body
and the support of it.
Psalm 31:11 11 I am a reproach among all
my enemies
But especially among my neighbors
And am repulsive to my
acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me.
YLT
11Among all mine adversaries
I have been a reproach
And to my neighbours exceedingly
And a fear to mine
acquaintances
Those seeing me without -- fled from me.
I was a reproach among all mine enemies
.... This is a
common case of the people of God; and though it may be the least of their
afflictions
yet it is not grateful to the flesh; and it is as it is made:
under divine supports saints rejoice
and take pleasure in reproaches
that
they are counted worthy to bear them
and esteem them as great riches; at other
times they seize and feed upon their spirits
and are ready to break their
hearts;
but especially among my neighbours; who knew him
and knew he
did not deserve to be so treated; and who ought
as neighbours
to have loved
him
and done all good offices to him; so that this is an aggravation both of
their sin and his distress;
and a fear to mine acquaintance; not that they were
afraid that he should do them any mischief; but they were afraid to own him
and to do him any service; unless the sense is
that they were afraid that evil
would befall him
that he should not escape with his life; which
though it may
express the affectionate concern of his friends
yet shows the danger he was
exposed to;
they that did see me without fled from me; as if he had
something very pestilential and infectious about him.
Psalm 31:12 12 I am forgotten like a dead
man
out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
YLT
12I have been forgotten as
dead out of mind
I have been as a perishing vessel.
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind
.... Either by
his friends
being out of sight
out of mind; as even the nearest relations and
acquaintance are
in process of time
when dead
Ecclesiastes 9:5;
or by the Lord; which shows the weakness of his faith
the uncomfortable frame
he was in
through darkness and desertion; see Psalm 88:5;
I am like a broken vessel; or a "perishing
vessel"F3ככלי אבד
"sicut vas periens"
Montanus
Cocceius
Gejerus. ; or "a vessel
of perdition"F4So Ainsworth. : the Septuagint version renders
it "a lost vessel"F5V. L. Pagninus
Musculus
Piscator. ;
one entirely useless
wholly lost
and irrecoverably so; like a broken vessel
which can never be put together again
Isaiah 30:14; a
most sad apprehension he had of himself
as if his case was desperate
and he a
vessel of wrath; compare with this
Romans 9:22.
Psalm 31:13 13 For I hear the slander of
many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against
me
They scheme to take away my life.
YLT
13For I have heard an evil
account of many
Fear [is] round about. In their being united against me
To
take my life they have devised
For I have heard the slander of many
.... Both
enemies and neighbours;
fear was on every side; his enemies were a
"Magormissabib" to him
Jeremiah 20:3;
encompassed him around
so that he was in fear from every quarter;
while they took counsel together against me; how to
apprehend him
and what to do with him;
they devised to take away my life; nothing short of that
would satisfy; but life is in the hand of God; men may devise
but God
disappoints
and his counsel stands; hence the psalmist was encouraged
after
all
to trust in him
in this time of imminent danger
as follows.
Psalm 31:14 14 But as for me
I trust in
You
O Lord;
I say
“You are my God.”
YLT
14And I on Thee -- I have
trusted
O Jehovah
I have said
`Thou [art] my God.'
But I trusted in thee
O Lord
.... His faith revived
again under all the discouraging views he had of things
and was exercised upon
the Lord; he committed himself to him
believing he was able to help him in his
time of trouble
and deliver him;
I said
thou art my God; he claimed his covenant
interest in him
and used it as an argument with him to have regard unto him
and as a support to his faith in his present distress; See Gill on Psalm 7:1.
Psalm 31:15 15 My times are in
Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies
And from those who persecute
me.
YLT
15In Thy hand [are] my times
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies
And from my pursuers.
My times are in thy
hand
.... And not in the hand of his enemies; as his time of life and
death
which was only by the direction and appointment of God
was in his
power
and fixed by him; nor could his enemies take away his life before his
time
and without the will of his covenant God: the time of his coming to the
throne
and what was gone over him during his reign hitherto
1 Chronicles 29:30;
and all his times of trouble in it; times of prosperity and of adversity; of
darkness
desertion
and temptation; and of joy
peace
and comfort; these were
all in the hands of the Lord
at his disposal
and ordered by him for the good
of his servant
and for the glory of his own name; and this was a quieting
consideration to the psalmist under his present trials and exercises; the
Targum is
"the times of my redemption"
deliver me from the hand of mine enemies
and from them that
persecute me; a good man has many enemies
and even his very goodness creates
him such; for wicked men are enemies to all that is good; and those are
persecuting ones
in one way or other; either by words or deeds; and
deliverance out of their hands is by the Lord
who sometimes gives his people
rest from adversity
and suffers not the rod of the wicked to continue on them;
and therefore it is best to apply to him for it.
Psalm 31:16 16 Make Your face shine upon
Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
YLT
16Cause Thy face to shine on
Thy servant
Save me in Thy kindness.
Make thy face to shine
upon thy servant
.... In which he prays for the gracious presence of God
the
manifestations of himself unto him
the discoveries of his love
the enjoyment
of him in Christ
communion with him
the comforts of his Spirit
and joys of
his salvation; see Numbers 6:25;
save me for thy mercies' sake; not for any merit and
righteousness of his own
but for the sake of the grace and goodness of the
Lord; which is putting salvation
whether temporal or spiritual
upon its right
foot and foundation; which is never wrought out by
or is for works of
righteousness done by men
but according to the grace and mercy of God.
Psalm 31:17 17 Do not let me be ashamed
O Lord
for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in
the grave.
YLT
17O Jehovah
let me not be
ashamed
For I have called Thee
let the wicked be ashamed
Let them become
silent to Sheol.
Let me not be ashamed
O
Lord
.... The same petition as in Psalm 31:1;
for I have called upon thee; who is nigh unto all
that call upon him in truth
and is rich unto them
and has promised to help
and save them; which should he not do
not only he would be made ashamed
but
the promise of God would seem to fail: for the psalmist does not plead any duty
of his
nor make a merit of his prayers; but has respect to the promise and
faithfulness of God;
let the wicked be ashamed; as they will be
sooner
or later
of their wickedness
and of their false trust and confidence; of
their being incensed against Christ
and their rage against his people
and persecution
of them;
and let them be silent in the
grave; as all are that are there; and the sense is
let them be brought
to the grave
where they will be silent
or ceaseF6"Verbum
est" דמם "quod significat cessare ab aliquo
opere
vel sermone"
Psal. iv. 5. Gejerus. ; that is
from their evil
words and works
and particularly from troubling the saints
Job 3:17.
Psalm 31:18 18 Let the lying lips be put
to silence
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the
righteous.
YLT
18Let lips of falsehood
become dumb
That are speaking against the righteous
Ancient sayings
in pride
and contempt.
Let the lying lips be put
to silence
.... Being convicted of the lies told by them
and so silenced
and confounded; or being cut off and destroyed
as all such will be in the
Lord's own time
Psalm 12:3. It is
very likely the psalmist may have respect either to Doeg the Edomite
who loved
lying rather than righteousness; or to others that were about Saul
who lying
said to him that David sought his harm
even to take away his kingdom and his
life
Psalm 52:3;
which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the
righteous; meaning himself; not that he thought himself righteous in the
sight of God by any righteousness of his own
but by the righteousness of
Christ imputed to him; see Psalm 143:2. Though
he may have regard here to the righteousness of his cause before men
and
assert himself righteous
as he might with respect to the "grievous
things"
the hard and lying speeches
which were spoken against him
in a
proud
haughty
and contemptuous manner. And it is no unusual thing for such
false charges to be brought against righteous men; nay
such hard speeches were
spoken by ungodly men against Jesus Christ the righteous himself
Judges 1:15. The
Targum interprets it of "reproaches".
Psalm 31:19 19 Oh
how great is
Your goodness
Which You have laid up for those who fear You
Which You
have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!
YLT
19How abundant is Thy
goodness
That Thou hast laid up for those fearing Thee
O how great is thy goodness
.... Not the natural and
essential goodness of God; for though that is large and abundant
yea
infinite
as every perfection of his is
yet it cannot with propriety be said
to be laid up and wrought out; but rather the effects of his goodness
and not
those which appear in Providence
for they
though very large and plenteous
are common to all
and are not restrained to them that fear the Lord
and trust
in him; but such as are displayed in a way of special grace and favour to his
own people
and which the psalmist saw his interest in and was affected with;
and which supported his faith under his present troubles
and appeared to be so
great
both for quality and quantity
that he could not well say how great the
blessings of his goodness were;
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; both grace
and glory; the blessings of grace were laid up in God's heart
in his thoughts
and purposes
from everlasting; and in Christ
in whom the fulness of all grace
dwells; he was loaded with the blessings of goodness
and his people were
blessed in him with all spiritual blessings
and had all grace given them in
him before the world was; and these were likewise laid up in the covenant of
grace
ordered in all things
and sure; eternal glory is the hope and crown of
righteousness laid up in heaven
where it is reserved for the saints
who are
heirs of it: and the laying up of all this goodness shows it to be a treasure
riches of grace
and riches of glory; and that it is an hidden treasure
and
riches of secret places
which are out of the view of carnal men
and not
perfectly seen and enjoyed by the people of God themselves as yet; and also
that it is safe and secure for them
and can never be lost; and it expresses
the paternal care of God
his great love and affection for them
to lay up so
early so much goodness for them: and this is said to be "for them that
fear him"; not naturally
but by his grace; for the fear of God is
not in man naturally
but is put there by the grace of God; and such who have
it are those who are brought to a true sight and sense of sin
so as to loathe
it and forsake it; for the fear of the Lord is to hate evil
and by it men
depart from it
and because of it cannot sin as others do; such have an humble
sense of themselves
their own insufficiency and weakness
and trust in the
grace of God and righteousness of Christ; they have a filial reverence of God
and worship him in spirit and in truth: but now this fear of the Lord is not
the cause of goodness being laid up for them
for that only is the will of God;
and besides the fear of God is a part of the goodness which is laid up in
promise in the covenant of grace
Jeremiah 32:39; and
it is the goodness of God displayed in the blessings of it
such as pardon of
sin
&c. which influences
promotes
and increases the fear of God
Hosea 3:5; but
goodness being manifested to and bestowed upon them that fear the Lord
it
appears eventually to be laid up for them;
which thou hast
wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! by which may
be meant the work of redemption
in which the goodness of God greatly appears;
in calling and appointing Christ unto it
in sending him to effect it
in
strengthening him as man and Mediator to do it; and in the work itself
in
which many things are wrought
the law is fulfilled
justice satisfied
a
righteousness brought in
peace made
pardon procured
and everlasting
salvation obtained. And whereas this is said to be "wrought for them that
trust in" the Lord
it is not to be understood as if trusting in the Lord was
the cause of this work being wrought out
which is the love of God and grace of
Christ; but inasmuch as those that trust in the Lord have openly an interest in
redemption
and they that believe in Christ shall be saved; therefore it
clearly appears in the issue of things to be wrought out for them. The phrase
"before the sons of men"
may be connected either with the goodness
wrought
and so signifies that the work of redemption was done in a most public
manner
openly before men
even the enemies of God's people; nor was it in the
power of men and devils to hinder it; or else with trusting in the Lord
and so
is expressive of a public profession of faith and confidence in the Lord before
men
which ought to be done: moreover this goodness wrought may include the
good work of grace upon the soul; and the Lord's fulfilling the good pleasure
of his goodness in the hearts of his people
and the work of faith with power
on them; and also the many deliverances of them out of afflictions and
temptations
and the many salvations from their enemies he works for them in
the earth
before the sons of men.
Psalm 31:20 20 You shall hide them in the
secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them
secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.
YLT
20Thou hast wrought for those
trusting in Thee
Before sons of men. Thou hidest them in the secret place of
Thy presence
From artifices of man
Thou concealest them in a tabernacle
From
the strife of tongues.
Thou shall hide them in
the secret of thy presence
.... That is
those that fear the Lord and
trust in him; and therefore they are called his "hidden ones"
Psalm 83:3; these
the Lord preserves in times of trouble and danger
and when his indignation is
out against others; and so the Targum is
"in the time of thine
anger"; see Isaiah 26:20; the
presence of God is their protection
he himself is a wall of fire round about
them
his favour compasses them as a shield
and they are kept as in a garrison
by his power; see Psalm 91:1; and
that "from the pride of man"
which otherwise would at once oppress
bear them down
and destroy them
Psalm 124:1;
thou shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of
tongues; which areas a sharp sword
and from whence proceed devouring
words
such contradiction of sinners as Christ endured; not that the saints are
kept free from the reproaches of men
from the lash of their tongues
but from
being harmed by them; and sometimes
through the strivings and contentions of
men with one another
they privately escape and are preserved
as the Apostle
Paul was
Acts 23:9.
Psalm 31:21 21 Blessed be the Lord
For He has
shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
YLT
21Blessed [is] Jehovah
For
He hath made marvellous His kindness To me in a city of bulwarks.
Blessed be the Lord
.... A form of
thanksgiving
in which the psalmist calls upon himself and others to bless and
praise the Lord for the singular mercy granted him
expressed in the next
clause; See Gill on Psalm 18:46;
for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city; either in the
city Keilah
so Jarchi; a city which had gates and bars
where Saul thought he
had David safe
and he could not escape his hands; but notwithstanding that
and though the inhabitants of that place intended to deliver him up
yet he was
marvellously saved; as he also was from the Ziphites; and when Saul and his
army had encompassed him about
by a surprising incident
a messenger coming to
Saul just as he was about to seize him
informing him that the Philistines had
invaded the land
1 Samuel 23:7. Or
the city of Jerusalem
which was fortified both by nature and art
whither he
was brought and placed as king
and enjoyed rest from all his enemies round
about him
2 Samuel 5:6. Or
this may spiritually design the church of God
which is called a strong city
being built on Christ the Rock
and having salvation for walls and bulwarks
Isaiah 26:1
where
the Lord displays his banner of love
makes discoveries of his marvellous
kindness
and commands his blessing for evermore. Some render it "as in a
strong city"F7בעיר מצור "ut in civitate munita"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator; Michaelis.
and take the sense to be
that he was safe
through the kindness of God showed to him in the salvation of him
as if he was
in a fortified cityF8Aben Ezra
Kimchi
& Ben Melech in loc.
and this was marvellous in his eyes
as every instance of providential goodness
is to the people of God; especially his lovingkindness showed in spiritual
things
in choosing them in Christ
saving them by him
regenerating them by
his Spirit
and taking them into his family; which love is free and sovereign
distinguishing
unchangeable
from everlasting to everlasting; and so wonderful
and astonishing; and which was hid in God until revealed; and sometimes the
manifestations of it are withdrawn
and then it is showed again
and fresh
discoveries of it are made
and effects of it applied
and the blessings of it
bestowed
which occasion thankfulness.
Psalm 31:22 22 For I said in my haste
“I
am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my
supplications When I cried out to You.
YLT
22And I -- I have said in my
haste
`I have been cut off from before Thine eyes
' But Thou hast heard the
voice of my supplications
In my crying unto Thee.
For I said in my haste
.... When he
made haste to get away for fear of Saul
1 Samuel 23:26; and
so the Targum renders it
"I said when I sought to flee away"; or
else he said this hastily and rashly
in the hurry of his mind
being in the
utmost confusion and distress
as in Psalm 116:11;
I am cut off from before thine eyes; his case was very bad
he was reduced to the utmost extremity
and his faith was as low; he thought it
was all over with him
and there was no way of escape
nor hope of it; and that
he was like a branch cut off
ready to be cast into the fire; that he was cut
off from the house of God
and from communion with him; that he would never
look upon him more
and he should never enjoy his presence: this instance of
weakness and unbelief is mentioned to illustrate the goodness of God
and to
make his kindness appear to be the more marvellous in the salvation of him; so
sometimes the Lord suffers his people to be in the utmost distress
and their
faith to be at the lowest ebb
when he appears to their help
and makes it
manifest that their salvation is by his own arm
and of his own good will
and
not by them
or for any goodness of theirs;
nevertheless
thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I
cried unto thee; for though faith was very low
and unbelief strongly prevailed
yet he was not so far gone as to stop praying; for though he saw no rational
way of escape
and feared the Lord would take no notice of him; yet he knew
that nothing was impossible with him
and therefore he still looked up to him
as Jonah did when he thought himself in a like condition
Jonah 2:4; and such
was the grace and goodness of God
that he did not despise but regard his
prayer
though attended with so much weakness and unbelief.
Psalm 31:23 23 Oh
love the Lord
all you His
saints! For the Lord
preserves the faithful
And fully repays the proud person.
YLT
23Love Jehovah
all ye His
saints
Jehovah is keeping the faithful
And recompensing abundantly a proud
doer.
O love the Lord
all ye
his saints
.... To whom his goodness extends; who are favoured with the
blessings of his grace
as pardon
peace
and righteousness; and who
particularly are sanctified by his Spirit
and have principles of grace and
holiness wrought in their hearts: these
even all of them
are called upon to
love the Lord
having that grace implanted in their souls; that is
to express
it
not by words
but by deeds
under a sense of the love and kindness of God
to them; and to join with the psalmist in an affectionate reverence of him
trust
in him
and thankfulness to him
on account of his marvellous kindness showed
him;
for the Lord preserveth the
faithful; such as trust in him
believe in Christ
and are faithful to his
word and ordinances
abide by them
and stays near his people; these he not
only preserves in a providential way
but he preserves them in a way of special
grace; he keeps them "from evil"
as the Targum; from the evil of
sin; from a total and final falling away by it; from the evil of the world
so
as not to be drawn off from Christ and his ways
either by its frowns or
flatteries; and from the evil one
Satan
from being destroyed by him and his
temptations; and these are preserved safe to the kingdom and glory of Christ
by the mighty power of God: some render the words
"the Lord keepeth
faithfulness"F9אמונים
"fidelitatem"
Gejerus; or "fidelitles"
Ainsworth. ; he
will never suffer his own faithfulness to fail; he is a covenant keeping God
and is always true to his word and promise;
and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer; such as all
self-righteous persons are
and all that speak grievous things proudly and
contemptuously against the truly righteous
Psalm 31:18; who bear
hard upon them
and oppress them; and such as antichrist and his party
who
exalts himself above all that is called God; but in what those deal proudly
God is above them
an more than a match for them
and he sets himself against
them; he resists them
and will reward them according to their works.
Psalm 31:24 24 Be of good courage
And He
shall strengthen your heart
All you who hope in the Lord.
YLT
24Be strong
and He
strengtheneth your heart
All ye who are waiting for Jehovah!
Be of good courage
and he
shall strengthen your heart
.... See Gill on Psalm 27:14; by
this instance of God's wonderful kindness to the psalmist
he would have the
saints take heart
and be of good cheer
even in the greatest distresses
since
their case cannot be worse than his was; and yet he had deliverance out of it;
all ye that hope in the Lord; for the eye of the Lord
is on such
and he takes delight in them
Psalm 33:18. The
Targum is
"who hope for"
or "trust in the word of the
Lord"; the essential Word
the promised Messiah.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》