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Psalm Sixty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT
To the Overseer
on stringed instruments. -- By David.
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 61
To the chief Musician upon Neginah
cf15I A Psalm of David.
"Neginah" is either the beginning of a song
as Aben Ezra; or the
musical note or tune of one: or rather the name of a musical instrument
which
was touched by the hand
or with a quill or bow. It is the singular of
"neginoth"
See Gill on Psalm 4:1. This
psalm was written by David
when at the end of the earth
or land of Judea
as
appears from Psalm 61:2; either
when he was fighting with the Syrians
as R. Obadiah
and so was composed about
the same time with the former; or when he was in the land of the Philistines
being
obliged to fly there from Saul
as Kimchi and others: or rather after he
himself was king
since mention is made of the king in it; and when he fled
from his son Absalom
and passed over to the other side of Jordan
and came to
Mahanaim
2 Samuel 17:22;
where very probably he wrote this psalm. In it respect is had to the Messiah
as in Psalm 61:2; though
Arama thinks it was composed after the prophecy came to Nathan that David
should not build the temple; see Psalm 61:4.
Psalm 61:1 Hear
my cry
O God; Attend to my prayer.
YLT
1Hear
O God
my loud cry
attend to my prayer.
Hear my cry
O God
.... Being in distress; and which was
vocally expressed with great fervency and importunity;
attend unto my prayer; which psalm was made by
him
and not for him; inwrought in his heart by the Spirit of God
and put up
by him with a true heart and full assurance of faith
and related to his own
case in particular. Aben Ezra thinks that the former word designs public
prayer
vocally and openly expressed; and that this intends prayer in the
heart
or mental prayer; both the Lord hears and attends unto
and is here
requested; which is marvellous grace and condescension in him.
Psalm 61:2 2 From the end of the earth
I will cry to You
When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is
higher than I.
YLT
2From the end of the land
unto Thee I call
In the feebleness of my heart
Into a rock higher than I Thou
dost lead me.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee
.... Where he
now was
as is observed on the title; see Gill on Psalm 61:1
though
he was distant from his own house
and from the house of God
he did not
restrain prayer before him
but continued to cry unto him
and determined to do
so; and as the people of God are sometimes forced to flee to distant parts
they have a God still to go to
who is a God afar off
as well as at hand. It
may be the psalmist may represent the church in Gospel times
throughout the
whole world
even at the further parts of it
in the isles afar off
where men
may and do lift up holy hands to God without wrath and doubting:
when my heart is overwhelmed; or "covered"F24בעטף "quum tegitur"
Michaelis. ; with grief and
sorrow for any trouble
outward or inward
and ready to sink
and fail and die.
Sometimes the saints are overwhelmed with a sense of sin
are pressed down with
the weight and burden of its guilt; their faces are covered with shame and
confusion; and their hearts are swallowed up and overwhelmed with overmuch
sorrow
both at the number of their sins
and at the aggravated circumstances
of them; and especially when they are without a view of pardoning grace and
mercy
Psalm 38:4
Lamentations 3:42;
and sometimes they are overwhelmed with afflictive providences; the Lord causes
all his waves and billows to go over them
and they are just ready to sink; and
did he not stay his hand
and stop contending with them
the spirit would fail
before him
and the souls that he has made
Psalm 42:6; and
sometimes with divine desertions
which cause a "deliquium" of soul
and throw them into fainting fits
Song of Solomon 5:6;
and sometimes through unbelieving frames; and did not the Lord appear to them
and strengthen their faith
and remove their unbelief
they would sink and die
away
Psalm 77:2. And at
all such times it is right to cry unto the Lord
and make the following request
to him:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I; not the land
of Israel
as Kimchi thinks
the psalmist being now in the low lands of the
Philistines; nor Jerusalem
and the fort and hill of Zion; he being now at the
extreme and lower parts of the land: this sense is too low. Some think that
some great difficulty is meant; which seemed insuperable
and like a rock
inaccessible
which he could not get up to
and upon
and get over; and
therefore desires the Lord would lead him up it
and over it
before whom every
rock
mountain
and hill
becomes a plain
Zechariah 4:7; but
rather Christ is meant
the Rock of Israel
the Rock of our salvation
and our
refuge. He is higher than David
and all the kings of the earth; higher than
the angels in heaven
and than the heavens themselves
Hebrews 7:26; and
who by his height is able to protect and defend his people from all their
enemies; and by the shade he casts to refresh and comfort them; and by the
sufficiency in him to supply all their wants; for he is as a rock impregnable
and well stored
Isaiah 33:16. And
here gracious souls desire to be led by the Spirit of God always
and
especially when in distressing circumstances; and he does lead them to his
blood for pardon and cleansing
and to his righteousness for justification and
acceptance with God
and to his fulness for fresh supplies.
Psalm 61:3 3 For You have been a
shelter for me
A strong tower from the enemy.
YLT
3For Thou hast been a refuge
for me
A tower of strength because of the enemy.
For thou hast been a shelter for me
.... Or
"refuge"F25מחסה
"asylum"
Tigurine version
Vatablus; "perfagium"
Cocceius; "refugium"
Michaelis.
from avenging justice; a hiding
place and covert from the storms and tempests of divine wrath; a shadow and a
screen from the heat of Satan's fiery darts
and the blast of his terrible
temptations
Isaiah 25:4;
and a strong tower from the
enemy: from Satan the devouring lion
from furious persecutors
and
every other enemy; see Proverbs 18:10; and
this experience the psalmist had of protection from the Rock in former times
made him desirous of being led to it now.
Psalm 61:4 4 I will abide in Your
tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
YLT
4I sojourn in Thy tent to
the ages
I trust in the secret place of Thy wings. Selah.
I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever
.... Under the
protection of the Lord
as in a shepherd's tent
or as in one belonging to a
general of an army
where are fulness and safety; See Gill on Psalm 27:5; or else
the tabernacle of the congregation is meant; the house of God
the place of
divine and public worship
where he desired and determined always to continue
Psalm 23:6; or else
the tabernacle which was prefigured by that below
where he knew he should
dwell to all eternity. Kimchi
by "for ever"
understands a long
time; and Jarchi explains it both of this world and of the world to come; which
is true
understanding the tabernacle of the church below
and the church
above;
I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Or
"in" or "into the secret of thy wings"F26בסתר "in abscondito"
Pagninus
Montanus;
"in occultum"
Junius & Tremellius. ; this he determined to make
his refuge for the present time
and while in this world; See Gill on Psalm 57:1.
Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 61:5 5 For You
O God
have heard
my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
YLT
5For Thou
O God
hast
hearkened to my vows
Thou hast appointed the inheritance Of those fearing Thy
name.
For thou
O God
hast heard my vows
.... Or "my
prayers"
as the Septuagint and other versions. Vows are so called
because it was usual to make vows in trouble
when prayer was made to the Lord
for help and deliverance
Psalm 66:13. This
is a reason why the psalmist was encouraged to put his trust in the Lord
because his prayers were heard by him; or he was sure they would be
as he had
entreated
Psalm 61:1. The
past is put for the future
as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; and it may be
because of the certainty of his prayers being heard; and which may be concluded
from the Lord's declaring himself a God hearing prayer
from the prevalent
mediation of Christ
from the assistance and intercession of the Spirit
and
from the exercise of faith in prayer
and the divine promises; or while he was
crying to God an answer was returned
and he was delivered out of his troubles
Isaiah 65:24.
Another reason follows:
thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name: not the land
of Israel
as Aben Ezra and Jarchi; which was given for an inheritance to the
posterity of Abraham
Psalm 105:11; and
which was never more fully in their possession than in the times of David: nor
the tabernacle or sanctuary of the Lord
as Kimchi; where he desired to dwell
Psalm 61:4; and now
had his request granted: but the heavenly glory
the incorruptible inheritance
the inheritance of the saints in light
prefigured by them both; which is the
gift of God their Father to them his children; comes to them through the death
of Christ the testator; is not of the law
and the works of it; is not acquired
nor purchased; but is owing to the free grace of God; to predestinating grace
as the source of it; to justifying grace
through the righteousness of Christ
as the right unto it; and to regenerating and sanctifying grace
as the
meetness for it. Wherefore it manifestly belongs to those that "fear the
name of the Lord"
himself
his perfections
particularly his goodness;
who adore and admire
serve and worship him
internally and externally; not
with a slavish fear
but with a filial godly fear. The Targum renders it
"thou
hast given an inheritance to them that fear thy name;'
that
in the King's Bible is
"an
inheritance in the world to come;'
so
the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and the Oriental versions; and which sense is
given by Aben Ezra. It may be understood of them that fear the Lord
being the
inheritance itself; as they are of Christ
David's son and antitype
and who is
designed in Psalm 61:6
see Deuteronomy 32:9
Psalm 2:8.
Psalm 61:6 6 You will prolong the
king’s life
His years as many generations.
YLT
6Days to the days of the
king Thou addest
His years as generation and generation.
Thou wilt prolong the King's life
.... Or "add days to
the days of the King"F1ימים על ימי מלך
תוסיף "dies super dies regis adjicieo"
V.
L. Pagninus
Montanus
&c. . Meaning either himself
who
though his life
was in danger by fighting with the Syrians and Edomites
or rather through the
conspiracy of his son; yet was assured that he should yet live many years more
and especially in his posterity; and that his kingdom would be established for
ever
as was promised him
2 Samuel 7:12. Or
rather the King Messiah
so the Targum: and Kimchi observes
that if this psalm
respects the captivity
the King is the King Messiah: it may be understood of
his life as man; who
though he died
rose again
and lives for evermore; and
that
as to the glory of God the Father
so to the good of his people
for whom
he makes intercession; and of the continuance of his spiritual seed
in whom he
may be said to live
and his days be prolonged
Isaiah 53:10; and
of the duration of his kingdom
of which there will be no end. For it is an
everlasting one
as follows:
and his years as many
generations; he living
and his posterity and kingdom continuing
age after
age. The Targum is
"his
years as the generations of this world
and the generations of the world to
come.'
Psalm 61:7 7 He shall abide before God
forever. Oh
prepare mercy and truth
which may preserve him!
YLT
7He dwelleth to the age
before God
Kindness and truth appoint -- they keep him.
He shall abide before God for ever
.... Or "sit"F2ישב "sedebit"
Tigurine version
Vatablus
Musculus
Cocceius
Michaelis; so Ainsworth; "vel sedeat"
Vatablus
Gejerus
Amama. ; or "may he sit". Being raised from the dead he was
received up to heaven into the presence of God
and sat down at his right hand;
where he abides for ever
a Priest upon his throne
having an unchangeable
priesthood
Hebrews 7:24;
and prepare mercy and truth
which may preserve him; which
if
literally understood of David
is a prayer that the Lord would show him favour
and kindness
and perform his promises to him
whereby his life would be
preserved from the plots and
conspiracies of his enemies
and his kingdom be
established; or that he might be exalted to exercise mercy towards his
subjects
and administer justice
or execute the judgment of truth among them;
which would make for the preservation of his person
and the support of his
throne and government
Proverbs 20:28. But
as the words may be applied to the Messiah
they are to be understood
not of
the preservation of his corporeal life while here on earth; but either of the
preservation of his people
in whom he lives
through the mercy and truth of
God
expressed in the exertion of his power
by which they are preserved unto
the heavenly kingdom and glory; or of the security of his kingdom
which not
being of this world
is not supported by worldly power and policy
but in a
spiritual manner
and by spiritual means; such as mercy
or "grace and
truth"; that is
the doctrines of grace and truth
which came by Christ
and are preached by his ministers
and are the means of continuing
promoting
and preserving his kingdom and interest in the world
Or the words may be
rendered
"may mercy and the truth of manna keep thee"; the true
manna
Christ; see John 6:32; or
"mercy and truth
as the manna
keep thee"F3Vid. Hackman.
Praecidan. Sacr. tom. 1. p. 71. ; as that was kept in the golden pot
Exodus 16:33; or
rather as that kept and sustained the Israelites in the wilderness.
Psalm 61:8 8 So I will sing praise to
Your name forever
That I may daily perform my vows.
YLT
8So do I praise Thy name for
ever
When I pay my vows day by day!
So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever
.... Or
constantly; and not only in this world
but in that to come
for the favours
before mentioned; for hearing his prayers; giving him a goodly heritage;
prolonging the King's life; and preparing mercy and truth to preserve him;
that I may daily perform vows; which is done by
praising the Lord
giving him the glory of all mercies
as vowed and promised;
see Psalm 50:14. The
Targum adds
"in
the day of the redemption of Israel
and in the day that the King Messiah shall
be anointed
that he may reign.'
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)