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Psalm Forty
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 40
To the chief Musician
a Psalm of David. Jarchi
interprets this psalm of the Israelites
and of their deliverance and song at
the Red sea. The title of it
in the Syriac version
is
"A
psalm of David according to the letter
when Shemaiah brought the names of
those who minister in the house of the Lord;'
see
1 Chronicles 24:6;
according to Kimchi
the subject of this psalm is the same with that of the two
preceding; and R. Obadiah thinks it was composed by David
when he was
recovered of a leprosy; but though it might be written by David
it was not
written concerning himself
or on his own account
but of another. The title of
this psalm is somewhat different from others in the order of the words; whereas
it is usually put "a psalm of"
or "for David"; here it is
"for David
a psalm"; and may be rendered
as Ainsworth observes
"a psalm concerning David"; not literally
but typically understood;
not concerning David himself
but concerning his antitype and son
who is
called by his name
Ezekiel 37:24; and
that it is to be interpreted of him is evident from the application of Psalm 39:6
unto
him by the apostle in Hebrews 10:5; and
the whole of it is applicable to him; some apply it to Jeremiah in the dungeon
and others to Daniel in the den
as Theodoret observes.
Psalm 40:1 I
waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me
And heard my cry.
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- A Psalm
of David. I have diligently expected Jehovah
And He inclineth to me
and
heareth my cry
I waited patiently for the Lord
.... Or "waiting I
waited"F9קוה קויתי
"expectando expectavi"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus Musculus
Rivetus
Gejerus
Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; which denotes continuance
constancy
and patience; and which Christ exercised in the garden
when he
submitted himself entirely to the will of God; and on the cross
when he
continued in sure hope and firm expectation of his help and assistance
though
he was for a while forsaken by him; see Isaiah 50:7;
and he inclined unto me
and heard my cry; both in the
garden
by delivering him from fear of death; and on the cross
by upholding
helping
and assisting him
by carrying him through his sufferings and death
and raising him from the dead; see Isaiah 49:8.
Psalm 40:2 2 He also brought me up out
of a horrible pit
Out of the miry clay
And set my feet upon a rock
And
established my steps.
YLT
2And He doth cause me to
come up From a pit of desolation -- from mire of mud
And He raiseth up on a
rock my feet
He is establishing my steps.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit
.... Which
with the following phrase
out of the miry clay
expresses the state and
condition Christ was in at the time of his bloody sweat
his crucifixion
and
his lying in "sheol"
the pit or grave
sometimes rendered hell
which these figurative phrases fitly signify; when it is observed
that he was
made sin
and had the sins of all his people on him; and
as the type of
Joshua
was clothed with their filthy garments; he might be truly said to be in
the miry clay; and also that he was made a curse for them
and bore the wrath
of God in their room and stead; and was forsaken by his God and Father
and so
endured both the punishment of loss and sense
and what was tantamount to the
sufferings of the damned in hell; see Psalm 69:1; to
which may be added the noisy insults of malignant men
and the infernal fiends
who surrounded him on the cross; when he was in an horrible
or "noisy
pit"
as the words may be renderedF11מבור
שאון "e cisterna sonitus"
Pagninus
Montanus; "strepitus"
Vatablus
the Targum & Kimchi; and to the
same purpose Musculus
Cocceius
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "out
of the pit of sounding calamity"
Ainsworth.
the allusion being to
subterraneous caverns or pits
in which the falls of water make so horrible a
noise as is intolerable; or to deep pits
into which anything cast makes a
great sound: and the issue of all this was
that he was laid in the pit of the
grave
and held under the power and with the cords of death; from all which he
was delivered when he was raised from the dead
justified in the Spirit
and
glorified in the human nature by his God and Father;
and set my feet upon a rock; on Mount Zion in heaven
whither he was carried up after his resurrection; where he will remain until
his second coming
being set down at the right hand of God
in a most stable
firm
and unalterable state
as well as an honourable one; for he will die no
more
and death shall no more have dominion over him;
and established my goings; in treading
the path of life
which was shown him at his resurrection; in passing through
the air
the territory of Satan
at his ascension; and in his entrance into his
glory
and making his way to his Father's right hand and throne.
Psalm 40:3 3 He has put a new song in
my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear
And will trust in
the Lord.
YLT
3And He putteth in my mouth
a new song
`Praise to our God.' Many do see and fear
and trust in Jehovah.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth
even praise to our
God
.... Sung by him in the midst of the great congregation of angels
and saints
upon his resurrection
ascension
and session at the right hand of
God; see Psalm 22:22; when
he went to his God and ours
to his Father and ours; and in which song he is
joined by all his people above and below
Revelation 5:9;
many shall see it
and fear
and shall trust in the Lord; even all the
elect of God
as many as are ordained to eternal life; the many whose sins
Christ bore
for whom he became a ransom
whom he justifies and brings to
glory: these all "see" him in the horrible pit and miry clay
in his
state of humiliation
as bearing their sins
and the punishment due unto them;
as wounded
bruised
and crucified; as rising again for their justification;
and as on Mount Zion crowned with glory and honour; and a multitude of harpers
with him
singing the new song; these see the salvation he has wrought out
the
glory
fulness
and suitableness of it
and their interest in it; and they
"fear" not with a fear of hell and damnation
which is inconsistent
with the trust after mentioned; but with a godly and filial fear
which arises
from and is encouraged by the grace and goodness of God
their faith in the
sufferings
death
and resurrection of Christ Jesus
and which render him a
proper object of trust and confidence; for he is so both as suffering
crucified
and slain
and as risen again
and exalted at the Father's right
hand
Galatians 2:20.
Psalm 40:4 4 Blessed is that man
who makes the Lord
his trust
And does not respect the proud
nor such as turn aside to lies.
YLT
4O the happiness of the man
Who hath made Jehovah his trust
And hath not turned unto the proud
And those
turning aside to lies.
Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust
.... For such
are safe and secure in him
are possessed of all blessings of grace through
him
have peace in their own souls now
and shall enjoy eternal happiness with
him hereafter;
and respecteth not the proud; such as the Pharisees
and all self-righteous persons
who trust in themselves and their own
righteousness
submit not to the righteousness of Christ
and despise others;
to these such who trust in Christ have no respect; they neither esteem them
nor imitate them;
nor such as turn aside to lies; to idols
the lying
vanities of the Gentiles; or to any doctrines injurious to the person
office
blood
righteousness
sacrifice
and grace of Christ; which are no other than
lies
and which those who believe in Christ have no respect to
but abhor both
them and the abettors of them.
Psalm 40:5 5 Many
O Lord my God
are
Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot
be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them
They
are more than can be numbered.
YLT
5Much hast Thou done
Jehovah my God; Thy wonders and Thy thoughts toward us
There is none to
arrange unto Thee
I declare and speak: They have been more than to be
numbered.
Many
O Lord my God
are thy wonderful works which
thou hast done
.... This is the "new song"
as Aben Ezra rightly
observes
which is said in Psalm 40:3
to be
put in the mouth of the Messiah; who sometimes speaks in the plural number
being the representative of his people
and sometimes in the singular; for it
is the same person that speaks here who is continued speaking in Psalm 40:6
and
following; and which are applied to Christ
Hebrews 10:5; the
"works" here said to be done
and to be "many" and
"wonderful"
are not the creation of the world
the dividing of the
sea
and feeding the people of Israel forty years in the wilderness
as Jarchi
interprets them; but the incarnation of Christ
redemption by him
the
resurrection of him from the dead; regeneration and conversion
and the
preservation of the saints from the evil of the world
safe to the kingdom and
glory of God; all which
as they are many and various
and display the manifold
wisdom and grace of God
so they are marvellous
and will be the subject of the
wonder of saints to all eternity;
and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; that is
the
decrees of God
as Aben Ezra truly explains them; the purposes
counsels
and
intentions of God; which
though mentioned last
are before his works
and are
the spring of them: these were in the mind of God from everlasting
were
unknown till revealed
were thoughts of peace
and not of evil
and are
unfrustrable
and ever fulfilled
and are manifold
precious
and amazing
Psalm 139:17; and
these were concerning all the elect of God as considered in Christ
and members
of his; and therefore he says to us-ward; and all the works before mentioned
were done to them
or for them
and on their account; and so Jarchi and Aben
Ezra interpret the phrase
"because of us"
or "for our
sakes"; even the incarnation
sufferings
death
and resurrection of
Christ
and the thoughts of them
were for them;
they cannot be reckoned up in order to thee; or
"there is none can order them unto thee"F12אין ערוך אליך
"non est qui ordinet apud te"
Pagninus; "none can count them in
order to thee"
Ainsworth. ; there is no power in man to do it
as Aben
Ezra observes; or "there is none like unto thee"
as Jarchi and the
Oriental versions; see Exodus 15:11;
though this sense seems to break in upon the account of the wonderful works and
thoughts of God
which are still designed in the following clause;
if I could declare and speak
of them
they are more than can be numbered; that is
by
men: from this general account of
the many and wonderful works and thoughts of
God
the Messiah passes on to take notice of one particular design and work of
the Lord
the redemption of his people by the sacrifice of himself.
Psalm 40:6 6 Sacrifice and offering You
did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You
did not require.
YLT
6Sacrifice and present Thou
hast not desired
Ears Thou hast prepared for me
Burnt and sin-offering Thou
hast not asked.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire
.... These
were desired
willed
and appointed by God
and that very early
even from the
times of our first parents; and
when performed aright
were acceptable to God
quite down to the times of the Messiah: indeed
when offered without faith in
Christ
and with a wicked mind
to merit any thing at the hand of God
they
were always abominable to him; and he likewise ever preferred love to himself
and of the neighbour
obedience to the commands of the moral law
and works of
mercy to men
before all the sacrifices of the ceremonial law
1 Samuel 15:22; nor
were these ever in such esteem with him as the sacrifices of a broken and
contrite heart
or of praise and thanksgiving
Psalm 51:16; nor
were they ever regarded by him but as they respected Christ; nor were they ever
designed to cleanse from sin
and take it away
but to lead to the propitiatory
sacrifice of Christ: but none of these senses have place here: the meaning of
the words is
that it was not the will of God
at the time this passage refers
to
that legal sacrifices should continue any longer; and that they should not
be offered up
even by good men
in the best manner
and to the best ends and
purposes; the time being come that a better sacrifice should be offered
which
was the sum and substance of them
and was prefigured by them;
mine ears hast thou opened; or "dug"
or
"bored"F13כרית
"fodisti"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Gejerus
Michaelis;
"perfodisti"
Tigurine version
Musculus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "perforasti"
Cocceius. ; in allusion
as is thought by
many
to Exodus 21:6; though
the phrase rather signifies the formation and excavation of the ear; or the
preparing and fitting it for its use; that is
to hearken to the will of his
heavenly Father
to become man
offer himself a sacrifice
and suffer and die
in the room of his people; to which he became obedient
taking upon him the
form of a servant
when found in fashion as a man; and was obedient unto death
even the death of the cross; see Isaiah 50:4; in Hebrews 10:5
the
words are rendered as by the Septuagint
"but a body hast thou prepared
me"; and with it the Arabic and Ethiopic versions agree; and so
Apollinarius
"flesh
of mortal generation;'
a
part of the body being put for the whole; and which
indeed
is supposed: for
unless a body had been prepared for him
his ears could not have been opened;
and it was in the body
in human nature
that he was the obedient servant; and
this is to be understood
not only of a preparation of this body
in the
purposes
counsel
and covenant of God; but chiefly of the formation of it in
the womb of the virgin
where it was curiously wrought and prepared by the
Holy
Ghost
that he might have something to offer
and in it become
as he
did
an offering and a sacrifice to God
of a sweet smelling savour;
burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required; any longer;
this body being prepared for the Messiah to be offered up in.
Psalm 40:7 7 Then I said
“Behold
I
come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
YLT
7Then said I
`Lo
I have
come
' In the roll of the book it is written of me
Then said I
.... As in the council and covenant of peace
when and where he
declared his willingness to come into the world
and make satisfaction for the
sins of his people; so when the fulness of time was come for his appearance in
human nature he repeated the same; for of the time of his coming into the world
are these words interpreted
Hebrews 10:5; when
sacrifice and offering God would not have any longer continued
and when a body
was prepared him
then he said
Lo
I come; O Father; as Apollinarius
in his metaphrase
adds; that is
freely
and without compulsion; immediately
at once
without any delay; and he
himself
and not another; and this not by change of place
but by assumption of
nature; taking the body
or human nature
prepared for him
and uniting it to
himself; to which the word "lo" is prefixed as a note of attention
and admiration; the incarnation of Christ being a wonderful affair
and of the
utmost moment and importance;
in the volume of the book it is written of me; either in the
book of divine predestination
in the purposes and decrees of God
Psalm 139:16; or in
the book of the Scriptures; either in general
John 5:39
Luke 24:27; or
particularly in the book of the Psalms
Psalm 1:1; or
rather in the book of the law
the five books of Moses
since these were the
only books or volumes that were composed at the writing of this psalm; and it
has respect not to Deuteronomy 18:15;
nor Deuteronomy 17:18;
nor Exodus 21:6; but
rather Genesis 3:15; and
seeing the coming of Christ into the world was not only appointed of God
agreed unto by Christ
but was prophesied of
and penned down in the sacred
writings; therefore at the appointed time he came
freely and willingly. This
book is called a volume
or roll
alluding to the manner of writing formerly;
when what was written was finished
it was rolled about a stick in the manner
of a cylinder; and in this form is the book of the law with the Jews to this
day; See Gill on Luke 4:17.
Psalm 40:8 8 I delight to do Your will
O my God
And Your law is within my heart.”
YLT
8To do Thy pleasure
my God
I have delighted
And Thy law [is] within my heart.
I delight to do thy will
O my God
.... This he came down
from heaven to do
and this he did do
by preaching the Gospel
and working
miracles; and above all by obtaining eternal redemption for his people
which
he effected by fulfilling the law
becoming a sacrifice
and suffering and
dying in their room; all which were the will of God
and grateful to him
and
in doing which Christ took the utmost delight and pleasure
John 4:34;
yea
thy law is within my heart; either the
whole moral law
under which he was
as man
and the surety of his people; and
which was written upon his heart
and which he perfectly obeyed; or that
particular law
injunction
and command laid upon him by his Father
to offer
himself a sacrifice
and lay down his life for men; which he agreed to
had it
in his mind
his heart was set upon it
and he cheerfully complied with it
John 10:18.
Psalm 40:9 9 I have proclaimed the good
news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed
I do not restrain my lips
O Lord
You Yourself know.
YLT
9I have proclaimed tidings
of righteousness In the great assembly
lo
my lips I restrain not
O Jehovah
Thou hast known.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation
.... Not the
righteousness which the law requires men to do; but the righteousness which
Christ himself wrought out
for the justification of them that believe; this he
was a preacher
as well as the author of
and is part of the glad tidings he
was anointed to preach
Isaiah 61:1; and
the wordF14בשרתי ευηγγελισαμην Sept. "evangelizavi"
Schmidt
Michaelis; "I have preached the glad tidings of justice"
Ainsworth.
here used signifies
for the most part
the publishing of good tidings; and
this our Lord did publicly
before all the people
in the synagogues of the
Jews
and in the temple
whither the people in great numbers resorted;
especially at the three great festivals in the year; the feasts of passover
pentecost
and tabernacles
when all the males were obliged to appear
and made
up a great congregation indeed; see John 2:23;
lo
I have not refrained my lips
O Lord
thou knowest; Christ
appeals to his divine Father
the searcher of hearts
and trier of reins
for
the truth of this; that he had not laid any restraint upon his lips
nor kept
back anything in his ministry that was profitable; but had taught the way of
God in great integrity and sincerity; had opened his mouth
and spoke freely
and fully
and used great plainness of speech.
Psalm 40:10 10 I have not hidden Your
righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your
salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the
great assembly.
YLT
10Thy righteousness I have
not concealed In the midst of my heart
Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation I
have told
I have not hidden Thy kindness and Thy truth
To the great assembly.
I have not not hid thy righteousness within my heart
.... Meaning
not the essential righteousness of God
though that was abundantly declared in
the wounds
sufferings
and death of Christ; and which was the end indeed of
his being a propitiation for sin
Romans 3:25; but
his own righteousness
as before
which he wrought out
and brought in; and
which is called the righteousness of God his Father
because it is approved of
by him
and accepted with him
and which he imputes to all his people;
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: trial is
the
"faithfulness" of God in executing all his purposes
counsels
and
decrees
which are said to be faithfulness and truth; and in fulfilling his
covenant and promises
relating to the redemption and salvation of men by
Christ; and in the mission of Christ into this world on that account; and in
the accomplishment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning him;
and in making good all the particular promises of support
help
and strength
made to the Messiah himself: and by his "salvation" is meant
that
which is of God the Father's appointing
continuing
and settling
in the
council and covenant of grace; which he sent his Son to be the author of
and
which he has obtained; and is the great doctrine of the Gospel preached by
himself
and his faithful ministers
Luke 19:9;
I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the
great congregation; or "in the great congregation"
as the Targum. By the
"lovingkindness" of God is designed both his love to Christ
which
was before the foundation of the world
and continued in his lowest state of
humiliation
and which our Lord was far from concealing
but gave openly
instances of it
John 17:24; and
this love to his people; and which he declared to be the same with that which
he is loved with
and instances in the gift of himself to them by his Father
as the great evidence of it
John 17:23; and by
"truth" is intended the Gospel in general
which came by Christ
was
preached by him
which he bore witness to
to do which was one end of his
coming into the world; and this was not concealed by him
who is truth itself;
but was fully and plainly declared by him
as it had not been before
John 1:17.
Psalm 40:11 11 Do not withhold Your
tender mercies from me
O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness
and Your truth continually preserve me.
YLT
11Thou
O Jehovah
restrainest not Thy mercies from me
Thy kindness and Thy truth do continually
keep me.
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me
O Lord
.... this is a
petition of Christ to his Father
when in the midst of his sorrows and
sufferings
before related; and particularly when he hid his face from him
and
withheld the discoveries of his tender and affectionate love;
let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me; as he had
promised; of which promise some notice is given
Isaiah 49:8
in the
fulfilment of which the lovingkindness
truth
and faithfulness of God
would
appear. Some read these words as expressive of faith in these things
"thou wilt not withhold"
&c. "thy lovingkindness and thy
truth shall continually preserve me"F15לא
תכלא "non cohibebis"
Gejerus
Michaelis; יצרוני "custodient me"
Vatablus
Gejerus
Michaelis. .
Psalm 40:12 12 For innumerable evils have
surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me
so that I am not able to look
up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me.
YLT
12For compassed me have evils
innumerable
Overtaken me have mine iniquities
And I have not been able to
see; They have been more than the hairs of my head
And my heart hath forsaken
me.
For innumerable evils have compassed me about
.... Like
floods of water all around him; see Psalm 18:4; these
are the evils of punishment inflicted on him
as the surety and Saviour of his
people; such as the sorrows and griefs he bore all his days; the cruel mockings
and scourges he endured; his being buffeted and spit upon; his head crowned
with thorns
and his hands and feet pierced with nails; insulted by men and
devils; crucified between two thieves
and so died the shameful and painful
death of the cross;
mine iniquities have taken hold upon me; not any
committed by him; he was conceived
born
and lived without sin
knew none
nor
did he any; but the sins of his people
which were imputed to him
laid upon
him
and which he voluntarily took and bore; and which he reckoned as his own
and was responsible for them; these
when he hung upon the cross
came upon him
from all quarters
and he bore them in his own body upon the tree;
so that I am not able to look up; or "cannot
see"F16לראות לא
יכלתי "non potai videre"
Pagninus
Montanus
Musculus; "cernere"
Cocceius; "intueri"
Gejerus. ; either the end of these iniquities
they being so numerous
as is
after related; or he could not bear to look upon them
they were so filthy and
nauseous
and he so pure and holy; or he could not behold his Father's
countenance
which these sins that were upon him separated him from
and caused
to be hid from him; or
like one pressed down with the guilt of sin
as the
poor publican was
could not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven
Luke 18:13;
they are more than the hairs of mine head; as they must
needs be
since they were the iniquities of all the elect of God
of the whole
general assembly ad church of the firstborn
written in heaven
Isaiah 53:6;
therefore my heart faileth me; as man; see Psalm 22:14; though
being supported by his divine nature
and by his divine Father and eternal
Spirit
he failed not
nor was he discouraged
Isaiah 42:4; this
is said to show the truth of the human nature
the greatness of men's sins
the
strictness of divine justice
and what strength was necessary to accomplish
man's salvation.
Psalm 40:13 13 Be pleased
O Lord
to deliver
me; O Lord
make haste to help me!
YLT
13Be pleased
O Jehovah
to
deliver me
O Jehovah
for my help make haste.
Be pleased
O Lord
to deliver me
.... From the innumerable
evils which compassed him about; from sinful men
and from devils
signified by
the sword
dog
and lion
Psalm 22:20; and
from the power and dominion of death and the grave; all which was done when he
was raised from the dead
and as the fruit and effect of God's well pleasedness
in him
and with what he did and suffered; see Psalm 22:8;
O Lord
make haste to help me; See Gill on Psalm 22:19.
Psalm 40:14 14 Let them be ashamed and
brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven
backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil.
YLT
14They are ashamed and
confounded together
Who are seeking my soul to destroy it
They are turned
backward
And are ashamed
who are desiring my evil.
Let them be ashamed and confounded together
.... As they
will be at the last day
when they shall see him whom they have pierced come in
the clouds of heaven
in his own and his Father's glory
and in the glory of
the holy angels;
that seek after my soul to destroy it; that is
his
life
as did Herod in his infancy
and the Scribes and Pharisees
chief priests
and elders of the people of the Jews
frequently
and at last accomplished what
they sought after;
let them be driven backward; as those were who came
with Judas into the garden to apprehend him
John 18:6;
and put to shame that wish me evil: as did the Jews
who
sought all opportunities to ensnare him
and that they might have to accuse him
to the Roman governor; and who earnestly desired his crucifixion
and
vehemently wished his death; see Psalm 41:5.
Psalm 40:15 15 Let them be confounded
because of their shame
Who say to me
“Aha
aha!”
YLT
15They are desolate because
of their shame
Who are saying to me
`Aha
aha.'
Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame
.... Of their
shameful wishes
words
and actions
as they were: their habitations in
Jerusalem were desolate
and so was their house or temple there
and their
whole land
and they themselves were stripped of everything
when Jerusalem was
taken and destroyed; see Matthew 23:38
Acts 1:20;
that say unto me
Aha
aha; words expressive of joy
Psalm 35:21
exulting at his miseries and sufferings on the cross
Matthew 27:39; so
the Targum
"we
have rejoiced at his destruction
with joy at his affliction.'
Psalm 40:16 16 Let all those who seek You
rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually
“The
Lord be magnified!”
YLT
16All seeking Thee rejoice
and are glad in Thee
Those loving Thy salvation say continually
`Jehovah is
magnified.'
Let all those that seek thee
.... In the first place
with their whole hearts
earnestly and diligently
in Christ
and under the
influences of his Spirit
for pardon
righteousness
communion
larger measures
of grace
and for honour
glory
immortality
and eternal life;
rejoice and be glad in thee: as their covenant God
the Father of their mercies
the God of all comfort and salvation
who pardons
their sins
clothes them with the robes of righteousness and garments of salvation
and accepts their persons in Christ; all which is matter of joy and gladness:
Christ is concerned for the joy of his people
John 15:11; the
Targum is
"they shall"
or "let them rejoice
and be glad in
thy word": in himself
the essential Word
in whom there is always ground
and reason of joy and gladness; because of his person
blood
righteousness
and sacrifice;
let such as love thy salvation; either Christ
who is
God's salvation
Genesis 49:18; and
who is loved by his people
universally
superlatively
and sincerely; or the
salvation of him
his deliverance from the grave
resurrection from the dead
and exaltation; the benefits of which believers share in
and so have reason to
love it: or the salvation he is the author of
which is loved by those that
know it; partly because agreeable to the divine perfections
the glory of God
is great in it; and partly because it is so full and complete in itself
and so
suitable to them;
say continually
the Lord be magnified; let this be
their constant employment in this world
as it will be for ever in the next
to
ascribe greatness to God; or greatly to praise him
because of the great
salvation wrought out for them.
Psalm 40:17 17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord
thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay
O my
God.
YLT
17And I [am] poor and needy
The Lord doth devise for me. My help and my deliverer [art] Thou
O my God
tarry Thou not.
But I am poor and needy
.... As Christ was
literally
2 Corinthians 8:9;
and in a spiritual sense
when deserted by his Father
forsaken by his
disciples
and surrounded by his enemies; and had the sins of his people
the
curse of the law
and the wrath of God upon him;
yet the Lord thinketh upon me; thinketh good
for me
as the Targum; or thinks highly of me; has me in great esteem though
despised of men
and in such a suffering state;
thou art my help and my deliverer; he believed
he should have what he prayed for
Psalm 40:13; see Isaiah 50:7;
make no tarrying
O my God; which is a repetition of
the request in Psalm 40:13.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》