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Psalm Forty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 43
This
psalm is without a title; but may well enough be thought to be one of David's:
and the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
Ethiopic
and Syriac versions
call it a
psalm of David
and the latter adds
when Jonathan told him that Saul intended
to kill him; and certain it is
that it was wrote by the same person
at the
same time
and upon the same occasion as the preceding
seeing some of the same
expressions are used in it
see Psalm 42:1
title;
and some take this and the preceding to be but one psalm
and this might be
written with that on account of the rebellion of his son Absalom.
Psalm 43:1 Vindicate
me
O God
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh
deliver me from
the deceitful and unjust man!
YLT
1Judge me
O God
And plead
my cause against a nation not pious
From a man of deceit and perverseness Thou
dost deliver me
Judge me
O God
.... The Targum adds
with the judgment of
truth; see Romans 2:2;
and plead my cause; which was a righteous one; and therefore he
could commit it to God to be tried and judged by him
and could put it into his
hands to plead it for him; See Gill on Psalm 35:1;
against an ungodly nation; meaning either the
Philistines
among whom he was; or his own nation
when they joined his son
Absalom in rebellion against him: some understand it of the great numbers that
were with Saul
when he was persecuted by him;
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man; either
Absalom
who
under pretence of a vow he had vowed in Hebron
got leave of
David to go thither
and then engaged in a conspiracy against him; or
Ahithophel
who had been his friend and acquaintance
but now joined with
Absalom. It is true of Saul
who
under pretence of friendship
sought his
ruin
and to whom he expressed himself almost in the same words here used; see 1 Samuel 18:17.
Psalm 43:2 2 For You are the God
of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the
oppression of the enemy?
YLT
2For thou [art] the God of
my strength. Why hast Thou cast me off? Why mourning do I go up and down
In
the oppression of an enemy?
For thou art the God of my strength
.... Who being
the strong and mighty God was able to deliver and save him
as well as to plead
his cause; and was the author and giver of strength
natural and spiritual
to
him; and was the strength of his heart
life and salvation; and is a good
reason why he committed his cause unto him;
why doest thou cast me off? this is the language of
unbelief: it being what was not in reality
only in appearance: the psalmist
was ready to conclude he was cast off and rejected of God
because he was
afflicted and left in a desolate condition by him
and he did not immediately
arise to his help and deliverance
and had withdrawn the light of his
countenance from him; but God does not cast off or reject any of his people;
they always continue in his love
and in his covenant
and in the hands of his
Son; they are always in his sight and family
and shall never perish eternally;
and whoever casts them off
or casts them out
he will not;
why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? See Gill on Psalm 42:9.
Psalm 43:3 3 Oh
send out Your light
and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to
Your tabernacle.
YLT
3Send forth Thy light and
Thy truth
They -- they lead me
they bring me in
Unto Thy holy hill
and unto
Thy tabernacles.
O send out thy light and thy truth
.... By light is meant
not the law
as Arama; but rather
as some JewishF16Midrash Tillim
& Jarchi
in loc. interpreters understand it
the Messiah
the sun of
righteousness
and light of the world; who is the author of all light
natural
spiritual
and eternal; and whose coming into the world is often signified by
being sent into it. The Spirit of God also is the enlightener of men
both at
first conversion and afterwards
and is sent down into their hearts as a
comforter of them
by being the Spirit of adoption. The Gospel of Christ is a
great and glorious light
which
with the Holy Ghost
is sent down from heaven;
though perhaps here rather may be meant the light of God's countenance
the
discoveries of his favour and lovingkindness
which produce light
life
joy
peace
and comfort: and by "truth" may be meant
either Christ
himself
who is the truth; or the Gospel the word of truth; or rather the
faithfulness of God in the fulfilment of his promises; and so the words are a
petition that God would show forth his lovingkindness
and make good his word
which would be of the following use:
let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill
and to thy
tabernacles; that is
to the place of public worship
where the tabernacle
was
the "hill" where it was
which seems to be Mount Zion; and is
called "holy"; not that there was any real holiness in it; only
relative
because of the worship of God in it; and the "tabernacle"
is called "tabernacles"
because of the holy place and the most holy
place in it; the one being the first
the other the second tabernacle
as in Hebrews 9:2; and
this hill and tabernacles represented the church and ordinances of God
to
which such who are possessed of light and truth are led.
Psalm 43:4 4 Then I will go to the
altar of God
To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You
O
God
my God.
YLT
4And I go in unto the altar
of God
Unto God
the joy of my rejoicing. And I thank Thee with a harp
O God
my God.
Then will I go unto the altar of God
.... Which was
in the tabernacle
either of burnt offerings
or of incense
there to offer up
the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for mercies received. The altar under
the Gospel dispensation is Christ
on which such sacrifices being offered
are
acceptable to God
Hebrews 13:10;
unto God my exceeding joy; as over the mercy seat
upon a throne of grace
and as his covenant God; or this is exegetical of the
altar
which is Christ
God over all
blessed for ever; and who is the object
of the unspeakable joy of his people
in his person
righteousness
and
salvation;
yea
upon the harp will I praise thee
O God
my God: the harp is a
musical instrument
used in that part of public worship which concerned the
praise of God under the former dispensation
and was typical of that spiritual
melody made in the hearts of God's people when they sing his praise
see Revelation 5:8.
Psalm 43:5 5 Why are you cast down
O
my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet
praise Him
The help of my countenance and my God.
YLT
5What! bowest thou thyself
O my soul? And what! art thou troubled within me? Wait for God
for still I
confess Him
The salvation of my countenance
and my God!
Why art thou cast down
O my soul?.... See Gill on Psalm 42:5 and See
Gill on Psalm 42:11.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》