Psalms
Book Outhne
Key theme: Intimacy with God
Key verses: ;
I. Book One ()
II. Book Two ()
III. Book Three ()
IV. Book Four ()
V. Book Five ()
Book Overview
The Book of Psalms has been and still is the irreplaceable devotional guide, prayer book, and hymnal of the people of God. The Hebrew title is “the book of praises” (cepher tehillim). The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) used psalmos for tehillim; the word means “a song sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument.” The Vulgate followed the Septuagint and used psalmorum, from the Latin psalterium, “a stringed instrument.” The King James Version adopted the word, and thus we have the Book of Psalms.
The writers of about two-thirds of the psalms are identified in the superscriptions. David leads the way with seventy-three psalms. He was Israel’s “sweet psalmist” () and the man who organized the temple ministry, including the singers (; ; ). The sons of Korah, who served as musicians in the temple (.; .; ), provided eleven psalms (; ; ; ; ; ), Asaph twelve psalms (; ), King Solomon two (; ), Ethan gave us one (), and Moses one ().
The Book of Psalms is divided into five books (see Book Outhne), perhaps in imitation of the five books of Moses (Gen.–Deut.). Each of the first three books ends with a double “Amen,” the fourth ends with an “Amen” and a “Praise the LORD,” and the last book closes the entire collection with a double “Praise the LORD.” David wrote thirty-seven of the forty-one psalms in Book One, so this was the beginning of the collection. Books Two and Three may have been collected by “the advisers of King Hezekiah” (), a literary guild in King Hezekiah’s day that copied and preserved precious Old Testament manuscripts. Hezekiah himself was a writer of sacred poetry (). Books Four and Five were probably collected and added during the time of the scholar Ezra ().
As with our modern hymnals, there are “collections within the collection,” such as the songs for pilgrims (), the writings of Asaph (), the psalms of the descendants of Korah (; ), and the praise psalms (; ).
Some of the psalms are laments to the Lord, written by people in dire circumstances. There are also messianic psalms that point forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. There are psalms of praise and thanksgiving, royal psalms, wisdom psalms, psalms of affirmation and trust, penitential psalms, and even imprecatory psalms calling down God’s wrath on the enemy.
But primarily, the psalms are about God and His relationship to His creation, the nations of the world, Israel, and His believing people. He is seen as a powerful God as well as a tenderhearted Father, a God who keeps His promises and lovingly cares for His people. The psalms also reveal the hearts of those who follow Him, their faith and doubts, their victories and failures, and their hopes for the glorious future God has promised. In this book, you meet all kinds of people in a variety of circumstances, crying out to God, praising Him, confessing their sins, and seeking to worship Him in a deeper way. In the Book of Psalms, you meet the God of creation and learn spiritual truths from birds and beasts, mountains and deserts, sunshine and storms, wheat and chaff, trees and flowers. You learn from creatures of all sorts—horses, mules, dogs, snails, locusts, bees, lions, snakes, sheep, and even worms. The psalms teach us to seek God with a whole heart, to tell Him the truth and tell Him everything, and to worship Him, because of who He is, not just, because of what He gives. They show us how to accept trials and turn them into triumphs, and when we’ve failed, they show us how to repent and receive God’s gracious forgiveness. The God described in the Book of Psalms is both transcendent and immanent, far above us and yet personally with us in our pilgrim journey. He is God Most High and Immanuel—God with us.
“Be Transformed”
When we read and study the psalms, we meet with joys and sorrows, tears and trials, pains and pleasures, but the Book of Psalms closes on the highest note of praise! The collection opens with a certain kind of person (the godly) who delights in the law of the Lord, and closes with a challenge to “everything that has breath” to sing praise to God. Like the Book of Revelation that closes the New Testament, the first psalm says to God’s person, “Life is worth living for God,” and the final psalm says to God’s people, “Don’t worry—this is the way the story will end. We shall all be praising the Lord!”
Time in the Book of Psalms is one of the most effective ways to develop intimacy with God. A lifetime of reading, memorizing, and meditating on various psalms trains our hearts and souls to respond to God. This is experiential rather than factual learning. We are learning by doing. We are making God’s thoughts our thoughts. A daily devotional diet that includes the Psalms can help keep us spiritually healthy.
When faced with a particular difficulty or decision, one of the best ways to settle ourselves down and “trust in the LORD with all [our] heart” () is to begin scanning Psalms, asking God to give us not an answer but an attitude. People often find that a psalm they were already familiar with suddenly takes on a new significance when read in the atmosphere of life’s difficulties or tragedies. It’s an effective discipline to mark those psalms that God has used in special circumstances to speak into our lives. Psalms have a powerful way of calming us and reminding us that God has everything under control. We may have to make a hard decision or act with courage in a situation, but spending time in the Psalms will prepare us to recognize God no matter what circumstances we eventually face.
BOOK ONE
Psalms 1–41
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
And the people plot a vain thing?
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
The LORD Helps His Troubled People
A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
Many are they who rise up against me.
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4I cried to the LORD with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
7Arise, O LORD;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah
The Safety of the Faithful
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
You have relieved me in my distress;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
3But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The LORD will hear when I call to Him.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the LORD.
“Who will show us any good?”
LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
A Prayer for Guidance
To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David.
Consider my meditation.
2Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
2Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O LORD—how long?
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
In the grave who will give You thanks?
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
7My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication;
The LORD will receive my prayer.
10Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
A Meditation of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
2Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
If there is iniquity in my hands,
4If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!
7So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
8The LORD shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
10My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
The Glory of the LORD in Creation
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Prayer and Thanksgiving for the LORD’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
4For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
5You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
7But the LORD shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
A refuge in times of trouble.
10And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Declare His deeds among the people.
12When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.
13Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.
15The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
16The LORD is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation. Selah
17The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
19Arise, O LORD,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
20Put them in fear, O LORD,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah
A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
4The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
6He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
9He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
10So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
11He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
13Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
The nations have perished out of His land.
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
18To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
Faith in the LORD’s Righteousness
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
3If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
5The LORD tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.
Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy
To the Chief Musician. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
4Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”
Now I will arise,” says the LORD;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
6The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
8The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Trust in the Salvation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
How long will You hide Your face from me?
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the LORD?
5There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
But the LORD is his refuge.
When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the LORD
A Psalm of David.
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory
A Michtam of David.
2O my soul, you have said to the LORD,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
You maintain my lot.
6The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation
A Prayer of David.
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
2Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
3You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
5Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
7Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
8Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
9From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
With their mouths they speak proudly.
11They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
12As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
God the Sovereign Savior
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
14He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O LORD,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
He drew me out of many waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
19He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23I was also blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.
The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
So my feet did not slip.
37I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
42Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.
43You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
44As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners submit to me.
45The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
48He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
And sing praises to Your name.
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.
The Perfect Revelation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
The Assurance of God’s Saving Work
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
3May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
4May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
6Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
But we have risen and stand upright.
9Save, LORD!
May the King answer us when we call.
Joy in the Salvation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
5His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
6For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
7For the king trusts in the LORD,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
9You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
10Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
12Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.
We will sing and praise Your power.
The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8“He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
27All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
The LORD the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
I shall not want.
He leads me beside the still waters.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
The King of Glory and His Kingdom
A Psalm of David.
The world and those who dwell therein.
2For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
8Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah
A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness
A Psalm of David.
2O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
Teach me Your paths.
5Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
6Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12Who is the man that fears the LORD?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
18Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
19Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
20Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
For I wait for You.
Out of all their troubles!
A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption
A Psalm of David.
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the LORD;
I shall not slip.
Try my mind and my heart.
3For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
4I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
And will not sit with the wicked.
So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
And the place where Your glory dwells.
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the LORD.
An Exuberant Declaration of Faith
A Psalm of David.
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
9Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
Then the LORD will take care of me.
11Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Rejoicing in Answered Prayer
A Psalm of David.
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
And with the workers of iniquity,
Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.
5Because they do not regard the works of the LORD,
Nor the operation of His hands,
He shall destroy them
And not build them up.
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.
8The LORD is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.
Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty
A Psalm of David.
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The LORD is over many waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,
Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
And the LORD sits as King forever.
11The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
The Blessedness of Answered Prayer
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
3O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
“I shall never be moved.”
7LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
8I cried out to You, O LORD;
And to the LORD I made supplication:
9“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
10Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;
LORD, be my helper!”
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
The LORD a Fortress in Adversity
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
3For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
For You are my strength.
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
6I have hated those who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the LORD.
7I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have known my soul in adversities,
8And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a wide place.
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
10For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11I 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.
12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13For 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.
14But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17Do 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.
18Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
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!
20You 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.
21Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
22For 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.
23Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.
The Joy of Forgiveness
A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.
Whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
I will guide you with My eye.
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
10Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
The Sovereignty of the LORD in Creation and History
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deep in storehouses.
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
He sees all the sons of men.
14From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He considers all their works.
16No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God
A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
And delivered me from all my fears.
5They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
The LORD the Avenger of His People
A Psalm of David.
Fight against those who fight against me.
2Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for my help.
3Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
4Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.
5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.
7For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
8Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10All my bones shall say,
“LORD, who is like You,
Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”
They ask me things that I do not know.
12They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
13But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
14I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.
15But in my adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;
16With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
17Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.
18I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
20For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.
21They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it.”
22This You have seen, O LORD;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
25Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the LORD be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
And of Your praise all the day long.
Man’s Wickedness and God’s Perfections
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked
A Psalm of David.
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
14The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The LORD knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
21The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
22For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
25I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
26He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.
27Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.
28For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
31The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
And seeks to slay him.
33The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34Wait on the LORD,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
36Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
For the future of that man is peace.
38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
40And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.
Prayer in Time of Chastening
A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
2For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
3There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
4For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
6I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
12Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
You will hear, O Lord my God.
16For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
20Those also who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, be not far from me!
22Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
2I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah
6Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
My hope is in You.
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
9I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
Because it was You who did it.
I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
11When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah
12“Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
Before I go away and am no more.”
Faith Persevering in Trial
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
4Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5Many, 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.
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You Yourself know.
10I 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.
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
12For 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.
13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me!
14Let 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.
15Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”
Yet the LORD thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
3The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
4I said, “LORD, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
5My enemies speak evil of me:
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies;
His heart gathers iniquity to itself;
When he goes out, he tells it.
7All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt.
8“An evil disease,” they say, “clings to him.
And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”
9Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
That I may repay them.
Because my enemy does not triumph over me.
And set me before Your face forever.
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
BOOK TWO
Psalms 42–72
Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
So pants my soul for You, O God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
6O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11Why 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.
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
4Then 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.
5Why 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.
Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
2You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
3For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them.
4You are my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.
5Through You we will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
6For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
7But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
8In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah
And You do not go out with our armies.
10You make us turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
11You have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have scattered us among the nations.
12You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.
13You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
14You make us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
16Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the enemy and the avenger.
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18Our heart has not turned back,
Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
19But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
20If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god,
21Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
24Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
26Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.
The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
8All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.
13The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.
God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
A very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
He is a great King over all the earth.
3He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5God has gone up with a shout,
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.
God sits on His holy throne.
9The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.
The Glory of God in Zion
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
2Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
3God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.
They passed by together.
5They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6Fear took hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7As when You break the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah
9We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
13Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may tell it to the generation following.
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death.
The Confidence of the Foolish
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.
5Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
8For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.
10For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
12Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.
15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah
16Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
20A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.
God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
God will shine forth.
3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5“Gather My saints together to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6Let the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is Judge. Selah
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
I am God, your God!
8I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12“If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
And pay your vows to the Most High.
15Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers.
19You give your mouth to evil,
And your tongue frames deceit.
20You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”
A Prayer of Repentance
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
And cleanse me from my sin.
And my sin is always before me.
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”
The goodness of God endures continually.
2Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
4You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7“Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it is good.
Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A Contemplation of David.
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
2God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
Where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;
You have put them to shame,
Because God has despised them.
6Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah
The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
Cut them off in Your truth.
6I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.
Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David.
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
I would fly away and be at rest.
7Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah
8I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.”
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go around it on its walls;
Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11Destruction is in its midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
12For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
14We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.
15Let death seize them;
Let them go down alive into hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
And the LORD shall save me.
17Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.
20He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his covenant.
21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
23But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
I will trust in You.
4In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!
8You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
9When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.
10In God (I will praise His word),
In the LORD (I will praise His word),
11In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
I will render praises to You,
13For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?
Prayer for Safety from Enemies
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
To God who performs all things for me.
He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
4My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
My soul is bowed down;
They have dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah
7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
8Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
9I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
10For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
The Just Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
8Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”
The Assured Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
Defend me from those who rise up against me.
2Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
3For look, they lie in wait for my life;
The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.
4They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.
Awake to help me, and behold!
5You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips;
For they say, “Who hears?”
8But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the nations in derision.
For God is my defense.
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
11Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
12For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14And at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15They wander up and down for food,
And howl if they are not satisfied.
16But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.
Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
You have broken us down;
You have been displeased;
Oh, restore us again!
2You have made the earth tremble;
You have broken it;
Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.
3You have shown Your people hard things;
You have made us drink the wine of confusion.
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver.
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”
Who will lead me to Edom?
10Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
11Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
12Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection
To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
Attend to my prayer.
2From 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.
A strong tower from the enemy.
4I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
5For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
His years as many generations.
7He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!
8So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.
A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
From Him comes my salvation.
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.
3How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah
For my expectation is from Him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
7In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
8Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work.
Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
My lips shall praise You.
4Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.
11But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
4That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
5They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “Who will see them?”
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
8So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.
10The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.
Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
And to You the vow shall be performed.
2O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
3Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
7You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
8They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
11You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
Praise to God for His Awesome Works
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.
2Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah
5Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
7He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
11You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
I will pay You my vows,
14Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
And He was extolled with my tongue.
The Lord will not hear.
19But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
An Invocation and a Doxology
To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
Your salvation among all nations.
Let all the peoples praise You.
4Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah
5Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
God, our own God, shall bless us.
7God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.
5A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
12“Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
15A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the LORD will dwell in it forever.
17The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the LORD God might dwell there.
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20Our God is the God of salvation;
And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.
21But God will wound the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring presents to You.
30Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.
For the waters have come up to my neck.
2I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
3I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4Those who hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.
5O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
7Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
8I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;
9Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
11I also made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
12Those who sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.
O LORD, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
14Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
15Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
16Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
18Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.
My adversaries are all before You.
20Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
24Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
25Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
26For they persecute the ones You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
27Add iniquity to their iniquity,
And let them not come into Your righteousness.
And not be written with the righteous.
29But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
32The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
33For the LORD hears the poor,
And does not despise His prisoners.
34Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
35For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.
Prayer for Relief from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
Make haste to help me, O LORD!
2Let them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
3Let them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, “Aha, aha!”
4Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.
God the Rock of Salvation
Let me never be put to shame.
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
You are my trust from my youth.
6By You I have been upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.
7I have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.
8Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.
9Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10For my enemies speak against me;
And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,
11Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
12O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
13Let them be confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.
And will praise You yet more and more.
15My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.
19Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
20You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
Shall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.
And Your faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel.
23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.
Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm of Solomon.
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
2He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.
5They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
Like showers that water the earth.
And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
All nations shall serve Him.
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
16There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.
Who only does wondrous things!
19And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of Asaph.
To such as are pure in heart.
My steps had nearly slipped.
3For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
But their strength is firm.
5They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
7Their eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
9They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
18Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
You hold me by my right hand.
24You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
28But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.
A Plea for Relief from Oppressors
A Contemplation of Asaph.
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—
This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;
They set up their banners for signs.
5They seem like men who lift up
Axes among the thick trees.
6And now they break down its carved work, all at once,
With axes and hammers.
7They have set fire to Your sanctuary;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
“Let us destroy them altogether.”
They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9We do not see our signs;
There is no longer any prophet;
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10O God, how long will the adversary reproach?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces,
And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15You broke open the fountain and the flood;
You dried up mighty rivers.
16The day is Yours, the night also is Yours;
You have prepared the light and the sun.
17You have set all the borders of the earth;
You have made summer and winter.
And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!
Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!
Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;
The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
I will judge uprightly.
3The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn.
5Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ”
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another.
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”
The Majesty of God in Judgment
To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
His name is great in Israel.
2In Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
The shield and sword of battle. Selah
Than the mountains of prey.
5The stouthearted were plundered;
They have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
6At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
And who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
The earth feared and was still,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
11Make vows to the LORD your God, and pay them;
Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
12He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
4You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit makes diligent search.
7Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His promise failed forevermore?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11I will remember the works of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
Who is so great a God as our God?
14You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled.
17The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
A Contemplation of Asaph.
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
5For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Turned back in the day of battle.
10They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
11And forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
14In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17But they sinned even more against Him
By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18And they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
19Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”
21Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
22Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
23Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven,
24Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the bread of heaven.
25Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to the full.
26He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
29So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
30They were not deprived of their craving;
But while their food was still in their mouths,
31The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
32In spite of this they still sinned,
And did not believe in His wondrous works.
33Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
34When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
35Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.
36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
37For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath;
39For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.
And grieved Him in the desert!
41Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
44Turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
45He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And frogs, which destroyed them.
46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the locust.
47He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48He also gave up their cattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery lightning.
49He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
50He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave their life over to the plague,
51And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52But He made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
55He also drove out the nations before them,
Allotted them an inheritance by survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
61And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
63The fire consumed their young men,
And their maidens were not given in marriage.
64Their priests fell by the sword,
And their widows made no lamentation.
65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66And He beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loved.
69And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
70He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
A Dirge and a Prayer for Israel, Destroyed by Enemies
A Psalm of Asaph.
Your holy temple they have defiled;
They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
2The dead bodies of Your servants
They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them.
4We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and derision to those who are around us.
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
6Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You,
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.
7For they have devoured Jacob,
And laid waste his dwelling place.
8Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us!
Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
For Your name’s sake!
10Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight
The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
According to the greatness of Your power
Preserve those who are appointed to die;
Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
13So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations.
Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
2Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
6You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
9You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
10The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
11She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.
12Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
16It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
2Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
3Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
5This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
Where I heard a language I did not understand.
His hands were freed from the baskets.
7You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
9There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10I am the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
And Israel would have none of Me.
12So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
13“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him,
But their fate would endure forever.
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”
A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph.
He judges among the gods.
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are unstable.
And all of you are children of the Most High.
7But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
8Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.
Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
3They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
5For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. Selah
As with Sisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10Who perished at En Dor,
Who became as refuse on the earth.
11Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
Like the chaff before the wind!
14As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
15So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
17Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
O LORD of hosts!
2My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
4Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
8O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Prayer that the LORD Will Restore Favor to the Land
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah
3You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7Show us Your mercy, LORD,
And grant us Your salvation.
8I will hear what God the LORD will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly.
9Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12Yes, the LORD will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the LORD
A Prayer of David.
For I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
16Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
17Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
The Glories of the City of God
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
2The LORD loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
O city of God! Selah
4“I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me;
Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’ ”
5And of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
6The LORD will record,
When He registers the peoples:
“This one was born there.” Selah
“All my springs are in you.”
A Prayer for Help in Despondency
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite.
I have cried out day and night before You.
2Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
And my life draws near to the grave.
4I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man who has no strength,
5Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.
In darkness, in the depths.
7Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
8You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
9My eye wastes away because of affliction.
LORD, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
10Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah
11Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14LORD, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
16Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off.
17They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
18Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.
Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings
A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite.
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
3“I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
4‘Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
6For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.
24“But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
26He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.
30“If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41All who pass by the way plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame. Selah
46How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
48What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah
Which You swore to David in Your truth?
50Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.
Amen and Amen.
BOOK FOUR
Psalms 90–106
The Eternity of God, and Man’s Frailty
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
5You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
6In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
8You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
9For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
10The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
14Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
15Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
16Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
And show him My salvation.”
Praise to the LORD for His Love and Faithfulness
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
4For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
Your thoughts are very deep.
Nor does a fool understand this.
7When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.
8But You, LORD, are on high forevermore.
9For behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
The Eternal Reign of the LORD
The LORD is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
2Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.
4The LORD on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.
Holiness adorns Your house,
O LORD, forever.
God the Refuge of the Righteous
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
2Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Render punishment to the proud.
How long will the wicked triumph?
4They utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
5They break in pieces Your people, O LORD,
And afflict Your heritage.
6They slay the widow and the stranger,
And murder the fatherless.
7Yet they say, “The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob understand.”
And you fools, when will you be wise?
9He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
That they are futile.
And teach out of Your law,
13That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14For the LORD will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17Unless the LORD had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
18If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.
Your comforts delight my soul.
20Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?
21They gather together against the life of the righteous,
And condemn innocent blood.
22But the LORD has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23He has brought on them their own iniquity,
And shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
The LORD our God shall cut them off.
A Call to Worship and Obedience
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
And the great King above all gods.
4In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
6Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
8“Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
3Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
He is to be feared above all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
6Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Give to the LORD glory and strength.
8Give to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
9Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved;
He shall judge the peoples righteously.”
11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
12Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice
13before the LORD.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.
A Song of Praise to the Sovereign LORD
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
2Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
And burns up His enemies round about.
4His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
5The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory.
Who boast of idols.
Worship Him, all you gods.
8Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O LORD.
9For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
11Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
12Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
A Song of Praise to the LORD for His Salvation and Judgment
A Psalm.
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2The LORD has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
The world and those who dwell in it;
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
9before the LORD,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.
Praise to the LORD for His Holiness
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
2The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
3Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
He is holy.
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
7He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
8You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the LORD our God is holy.
A Song of Praise for the LORD’s Faithfulness to His People
A Psalm of Thanksgiving.
2Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Promised Faithfulness to the LORD
A Psalm of David.
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
2I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
I will not know wickedness.
5Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.
7He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.
The LORD’s Eternal Love
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD.
And let my cry come to You.
2Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
5Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my skin.
6I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
7I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
13You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
14For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
15So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16For the LORD shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.
17He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.
18This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
19For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,
20To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
21To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
He shortened my days.
24I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are throughout all generations.
25Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26They will perish, but You will endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
27But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
And their descendants will be established before You.”
Praise for the LORD’s Mercies
A Psalm of David.
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
And forget not all His benefits:
Who heals all your diseases,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
And justice for all who are oppressed.
7He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13As a father pities his children,
So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
14For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
And His kingdom rules over all.
20Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence
O LORD my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
So that it should not be moved forever,
6You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.
They flow among the hills.
11They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
15And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
The sun knows its going down.
20You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23Man goes out to his work
And to his labor until the evening.
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
25This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.
27These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
31May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD rejoice in His works.
32He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.
35May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!
The Eternal Faithfulness of the LORD
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
4Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
7He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
8He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
9The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
13When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
He destroyed all the provision of bread.
17He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
18They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
19Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the LORD tested him.
20The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
23Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
24He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27They performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
And they did not rebel against His word.
29He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
The first of all their strength.
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
40The people asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
And Abraham His servant.
43He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with gladness.
44He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,
And keep His laws.
Praise the LORD!
Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?
3Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
4Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
5That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly.
They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
That He might make His mighty power known.
9He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;
So He led them through the depths,
As through the wilderness.
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11The waters covered their enemies;
There was not one of them left.
12Then they believed His words;
They sang His praise.
They did not wait for His counsel,
14But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
15And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.
16When they envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the LORD,
17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
18A fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.
And worshiped the molded image.
20Thus they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.
23Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.
They did not believe His word,
25But complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the LORD.
26Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,
To overthrow them in the wilderness,
27To overthrow their descendants among the nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.
And ate sacrifices made to the dead.
29Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
And the plague was stopped.
31And that was accounted to him for righteousness
To all generations forevermore.
So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
33Because they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips.
Concerning whom the LORD had commanded them,
35But they mingled with the Gentiles
And learned their works;
36They served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
37They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to demons,
38And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.
39Thus they were defiled by their own works,
And played the harlot by their own deeds.
40Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred His own inheritance.
41And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.
44Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When He heard their cry;
45And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.
46He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.
48Blessed be the LORD God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the LORD!
BOOK FIVE
Psalms 107–150
Thanksgiving to the LORD for His Great Works of Deliverance
For His mercy endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
They found no city to dwell in.
5Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Bound in affliction and irons—
11Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
And delivered them from their destructions.
21Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.
Who do business on great waters,
24They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.
28Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
29He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
31Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.
And the watersprings into dry ground;
34A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
36There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.
39When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
40He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
41Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Assurance of God’s Victory over Enemies
A Song. A Psalm of David.
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
3I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth;
6That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
7God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver.
9Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Over Philistia I will triumph.”
10Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
12Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
13Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
Plea for Judgment of False Accusers
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
O God of my praise!
2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
Have opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without a cause.
But I give myself to prayer.
5Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.
And let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
And let his prayer become sin.
8Let his days be few,
And let another take his office.
And his wife a widow.
10Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;
Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.
11Let the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder his labor.
12Let there be none to extend mercy to him,
Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off,
And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,
And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be continually before the LORD,
That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
But persecuted the poor and needy man,
That he might even slay the broken in heart.
17As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,
And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
20Let this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers,
And to those who speak evil against my person.
Deal with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
22For I am poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
23I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak through fasting,
And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
25I also have become a reproach to them;
When they look at me, they shake their heads.
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
27That they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, LORD, have done it!
28Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice.
29Let my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.
30I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth;
Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
31For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those who condemn him.
Announcement of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm of David.
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
3Your people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power;
In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,
You have the dew of Your youth.
And will not relent,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
6He shall judge among the nations,
He shall fill the places with dead bodies,
He shall execute the heads of many countries.
Therefore He shall lift up the head.
Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice
1Praise the LORD!
I will praise the LORD with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
3His work is honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever.
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
6He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.
All His precepts are sure.
8They stand fast forever and ever,
And are done in truth and uprightness.
He has commanded His covenant forever:
Holy and awesome is His name.
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
The Blessed State of the Righteous
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
And his righteousness endures forever.
4Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
The Majesty and Condescension of God
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD!
2Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore!
3From the rising of the sun to its going down
The LORD’s name is to be praised.
His glory above the heavens.
5Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
With the princes of His people.
9He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!
The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
And Israel His dominion.
Jordan turned back.
4The mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like lambs.
5What ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
6O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
8Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
2Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”
3But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
The work of men’s hands.
5They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
6They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
7They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
8Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
He is their help and their shield.
10O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield.
11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield.
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13He will bless those who fear the LORD,
Both small and great.
14May the LORD give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
Who made heaven and earth.
16The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
Nor any who go down into silence.
18But we will bless the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
My voice and my supplications.
2Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
4Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
Yes, our God is merciful.
6The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
9I will walk before the LORD
In the land of the living.
10I believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11I said in my haste,
“All men are liars.”
12What shall I render to the LORD
For all His benefits toward me?
And call upon the name of the LORD.
Now in the presence of all His people.
Is the death of His saints.
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.
17I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the LORD.
18I will pay my vows to the LORD
Now in the presence of all His people,
19In the courts of the LORD’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
Let All Peoples Praise the LORD
Laud Him, all you peoples!
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy
For His mercy endures forever.
2Let Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
3Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
4Let those who fear the LORD now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
8It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
9It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.
10All nations surrounded me,
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
11They surrounded me,
Yes, they surrounded me;
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12They surrounded me like bees;
They were quenched like a fire of thorns;
For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13You pushed me violently, that I might fall,
But the LORD helped me.
14The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
17I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the LORD.
18The LORD has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
19Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
20This is the gate of the LORD,
Through which the righteous shall enter.
21I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
29Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God
א ALEPH
Who walk in the law of the LORD!
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
3They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
4You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
5Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
When I look into all Your commandments.
7I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
ב BETH
By taking heed according to Your word.
10With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
I will not forget Your word.
ג GIMEL
That I may live and keep Your word.
Wondrous things from Your law.
19I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
Who stray from Your commandments.
22Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
23Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
And my counselors.
ד DALETH
Revive me according to Your word.
Teach me Your statutes.
27Make me understand the way of Your precepts;
So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
Strengthen me according to Your word.
29Remove from me the way of lying,
And grant me Your law graciously.
30I have chosen the way of truth;
Your judgments I have laid before me.
O LORD, do not put me to shame!
32I will run the course of Your commandments,
For You shall enlarge my heart.
ה HE
33Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
38Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.
ו WAW
41Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD—
Your salvation according to Your word.
42So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
43And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
44So shall I keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.
45And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.
46I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
47And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
48My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.
ז ZAYIN
Upon which You have caused me to hope.
50This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.
51The proud have me in great derision,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.
And have comforted myself.
53Indignation has taken hold of me
Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law.
54Your statutes have been my songs
In the house of my pilgrimage.
And I keep Your law.
56This has become mine,
Because I kept Your precepts.
ח HETH
I have said that I would keep Your words.
58I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.
59I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
62At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
63I am a companion of all who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
64The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes.
ט TETH
O LORD, according to Your word.
66Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70Their heart is as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
71It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
י YOD
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
Because I have hoped in Your word.
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.
78Let the proud be ashamed,
For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
80Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed.
כ KAPH
But I hope in Your word.
82My eyes fail from searching Your word,
Saying, “When will You comfort me?”
83For I have become like a wineskin in smoke,
Yet I do not forget Your statutes.
84How many are the days of Your servant?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
85The proud have dug pits for me,
Which is not according to Your law.
They persecute me wrongfully;
Help me!
87They almost made an end of me on earth,
But I did not forsake Your precepts.
88Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
ל LAMED
Your word is settled in heaven.
90Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
91They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies.
96I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
מ MEM
It is my meditation all the day.
98You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
99I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
101I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
102I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
103How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
נ NUN
And a light to my path.
106I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
108Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Your judgments.
109My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
110The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.
ס SAMEK
But I love Your law.
114You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
115Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God!
116Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
And I shall observe Your statutes continually.
118You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceit is falsehood.
119You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.
And I am afraid of Your judgments.
ע AYIN
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122Be surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the proud oppress me.
And Your righteous word.
124Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.
125I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
126It is time for You to act, O LORD,
For they have regarded Your law as void.
127Therefore I love Your commandments
More than gold, yes, than fine gold!
128Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things
I consider to be right;
I hate every false way.
פ PE
Therefore my soul keeps them.
130The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
131I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
132Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
134Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
135Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
136Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law.
צ TSADDE
137Righteous are You, O LORD,
And upright are Your judgments.
138Your testimonies, which You have commanded,
Are righteous and very faithful.
139My zeal has consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
140Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
141I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
142Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
143Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
144The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
ק QOPH
Hear me, O LORD!
I will keep Your statutes.
146I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
147I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
148My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.
150They draw near who follow after wickedness;
They are far from Your law.
151You are near, O LORD,
And all Your commandments are truth.
152Concerning Your testimonies,
I have known of old that You have founded them forever.
ר RESH
For I do not forget Your law.
154Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.
155Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.
Revive me according to Your judgments.
157Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
158I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
Because they do not keep Your word.
159Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
160The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
ש SHIN
161Princes persecute me without a cause,
But my heart stands in awe of Your word.
162I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
But I love Your law.
164Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
165Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
And I do Your commandments.
167My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
168I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You.
ת TAU
Give me understanding according to Your word.
170Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
171My lips shall utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
172My tongue shall speak of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173Let Your hand become my help,
For I have chosen Your precepts.
174I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
And Your law is my delight.
175Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.
Plea for Relief from Bitter Foes
A Song of Ascents.
And He heard me.
2Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips
And from a deceitful tongue.
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
4Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
With one who hates peace.
7I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.
God the Help of Those Who Seek Him
A Song of Ascents.
From whence comes my help?
2My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
Nor the moon by night.
He shall preserve your soul.
8The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
The Joy of Going to the House of the LORD
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
As a city that is compact together,
4Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
The thrones of the house of David.
“May they prosper who love you.
7Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9Because of the house of the LORD our God
I will seek your good.
Prayer for Relief from Contempt
A Song of Ascents.
O You who dwell in the heavens.
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.
The LORD the Defense of His People
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Let Israel now say—
2“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
4Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have gone over our soul;
5Then the swollen waters
Would have gone over our soul.”
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
The LORD the Strength of His People
A Song of Ascents.
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
The LORD shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel!
A Joyful Return to Zion
A Song of Ascents.
We were like those who dream.
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
3The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
As the streams in the South.
5Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
Laboring and Prospering with the LORD
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Blessings of Those Who Fear the LORD
A Song of Ascents.
Who walks in His ways.
You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.
4Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the LORD.
5The LORD bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.
Peace be upon Israel!
Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies
A Song of Ascents.
Let Israel now say—
2“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
They made their furrows long.”
4The LORD is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
Be put to shame and turned back.
6Let them be as the grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,
7With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.
8Neither let those who pass by them say,
“The blessing of the LORD be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the LORD!”
Waiting for the Redemption of the LORD
A Song of Ascents.
2Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
O Lord, who could stand?
That You may be feared.
And in His word I do hope.
6My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.
For with the LORD there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
8And He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
Simple Trust in the LORD
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
From this time forth and forever.
The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
A Song of Ascents.
And all his afflictions;
2How he swore to the LORD,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3“Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
4I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5Until I find a place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
We found it in the fields of the woods.
7Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.
8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
And let Your saints shout for joy.
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.
11The LORD has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
“I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.
12If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”
He has desired it for His dwelling place:
14“This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”
Blessed Unity of the People of God
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
Praising the LORD in His House at Night
A Song of Ascents.
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
And bless the LORD.
Bless you from Zion!
Praise to God in Creation and Redemption
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
2You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,
3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
And our Lord is above all gods.
6Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
7He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
8He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
9He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—
11Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.
14For the LORD will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
The work of men’s hands.
16They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
19Bless the LORD, O house of Israel!
Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!
20Bless the LORD, O house of Levi!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the LORD!
Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy
For His mercy endures forever.
2Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
4To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
For His mercy endures forever—
8The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
For His mercy endures forever;
11And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
12With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
For His mercy endures forever;
14And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
15But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
16To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
For His mercy endures forever;
18And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
19Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
20And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—
21And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
22A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.
For His mercy endures forever;
24And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
25Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.
26Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.
Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.
2We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it.
3For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
And those who plundered us requested mirth,
Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
In a foreign land?
Let my right hand forget its skill!
6If I do not remember you,
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, “Raze it, raze it,
To its very foundation!”
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
9Happy the one who takes and dashes
Your little ones against the rock!
The LORD’s Goodness to the Faithful
A Psalm of David.
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
For great is the glory of the LORD.
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
2You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
Preserve me from violent men,
2Who plan evil things in their hearts;
They continually gather together for war.
3They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
4Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.
5The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah
Hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.
8Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further his wicked scheme,
Lest they be exalted. Selah
Let the evil of their lips cover them;
10Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.
13Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.
Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness
A Psalm of David.
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.
For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
7Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.
In You I take refuge;
Do not leave my soul destitute.
9Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.
A Plea for Relief from Persecutors
A Contemplation of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.
With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.
I declare before Him my trouble.
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.
4Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
6Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”
An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance
A Psalm of David.
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
2Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no one living is righteous.
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
6I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah
7Answer me speedily, O LORD;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
8Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
9Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.
10Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
11Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.
A Song to the LORD Who Preserves and Prospers His People
A Psalm of David.
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
2My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
4Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.
7Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
8Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9I will sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10The One who gives salvation to kings,
Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.
11Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
13That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
14That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!
A Song of God’s Majesty and Love
A Praise of David.
I WILL extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
4One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
6Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
7They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
10All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
And Your saints shall bless You.
11They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
12To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14The LORD upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.
15The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
16You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
18The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
19He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
20The LORD preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.
The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the LORD
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.
5Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.
8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.
9The LORD watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
The LORD shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Praise to God for His Word and Providence
Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
2The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
4He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
6The LORD lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
8Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
9He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens that cry.
10He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your children within you.
14He makes peace in your borders,
And fills you with the finest wheat.
15He sends out His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
16He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes;
17He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the LORD!
Praise to the LORD from Creation
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
2Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
3Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
4Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
5Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created.
6He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
8Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
9Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
11Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.
13Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
And He has exalted the horn of His people,
The praise of all His saints—
Of the children of Israel,
A people near to Him.
Praise the LORD!
Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment
Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
7To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
8To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the LORD!
Let All Things Praise the LORD
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
3Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!
Annotations for Psalms
This psalm begins with joys and ends with destruction. True believers are blessed in Christ (). They have received God’s blessing, and they ought to be a blessing to others, especially to the chaff that will one day be thrown into the fire. Let’s seek to win as many of them as we can.
, God’s covenant with Israel made it clear that He would bless their obedience and judge their disobedience (; ). The word for “blessed” is asher, the name of one of Jacob’s sons (). The person described here had joy because of meeting the stated conditions. If we want God’s blessings and joys, we, too, must meet the conditions.
Israel was a unique and separate people; they were among the other nations but not to be contaminated by them (, ; ; ; ). So it is with God’s people today: We are in the world but not of the world (). We must beware of friendship with the world () that leads to being corrupted by the world () and even loving the world ().
We move from the negative in verse to the positive. Delighting in the Word and meditating on the Word must go together (, , , , , , , ), for whatever we enjoy, we think about and pursue. “Meditate” in the Hebrew means “to mutter, to read in an undertone,” for orthodox Jews speak aloud as they read the Scriptures, meditate, and pray. God’s Word is on their lips ().
Like a tree, the godly person is alive, beautiful, fruitful, useful, and enduring. The most important part of a tree is the hidden root system that draws up water and nourishment, and the most important part of the believer’s life is the “spiritual root system” that draws on the hidden resources we have in Christ (; ). This is known as abiding, or remaining, in Christ (). It’s a tragedy when a believer ignores the “root system” and begins to wither. We must remember that the tree doesn’t eat the fruit; others eat it. We must also remember that fruit isn’t the same as “results,” because fruit has in it the seed for more fruit. Fruit comes from life, the life of God flowing in and through us.
The first half of the psalm describes the godly person, while the last half focuses on the ungodly, the people the godly must seek to reach with the gospel. How desperately these people need to know God and receive His blessings in Christ! The wicked are pictured in many ways in Scripture, but the image here is chaff. In contrast to the righteous, who are like fruitful trees, the ungodly are dead, rootless, blown about, and destined for the fire. Chaff is worth nothing.
There is a coming day of judgment, and the Lord, the righteous Judge, will separate the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats, and the trees from the chaff, and no unbeliever will be able to stand in the assembly of the righteous. The verb “knows” means that God has chosen and providentially watched over the godly and brought them finally to His glory.
David didn’t expect a reply when he asked these questions, because there really is no reply. It was an expression of astonishment: “After all that the Lord has done for the nations, they still want to rebel against Him!” God has provided for their basic needs (), guided them, kept them alive, and sent a Savior to bring forgiveness and eternal life (; see ). Yet, the Bible records humanity’s foolish and futile rebellions against the will of their Creator.
The nations’ rebellion isn’t against “God” in some abstract way; they defy the Messiah (the “anointed one”), Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The one thing the nations can agree on is, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (). The word “messiah” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to anoint”; the Greek equivalent is “Christ.”
Today, God is speaking to the nations in His grace and calling them to trust His Son, but the day will come when God will speak to them in His wrath and send terrible judgment to the world (). If people will not accept God’s judgment of sin at the cross and trust Christ, they will have to accept God’s judgment of themselves and their sins.
The enthroned King now speaks and announces what the Father said to him. That He “[declares] the decree” informs the rebels that God rules His creation on the basis of sovereign proclamation. He doesn’t ask for a consensus or take a vote. God’s decrees are just (), and He never makes a mistake.
, The Father has promised the Son complete victory over the nations, which means that one day He will reign over all the kingdoms of the world. Satan offered Him this honor in return for His worship, but Jesus refused (). Christ’s rule will be just but firm, and if the nations oppose Him, He will smash them like clay pots.
In view of the Father’s decree and promised judgment, and the Son’s victorious enthronement in heaven, the wise thing for people to do is to surrender to Christ and trust Him. Today, the Spirit of God speaks to mankind and pleads with sinners to repent and turn to the Savior. Once the Spirit has instructed the mind, He then appeals to the will and calls the rebels to serve the Lord and stop serving sin (v. ). True believers know what it means to have both fear and joy in their hearts. Love for the Lord casts out sinful fear () but perfects godly fear. We love our Father but still respect His authority. The third appeal is to the heart and calls for submissive love and devotion to the King.
, This is the first time we find the word “psalm” in the book. The Hebrew word is mizmor and means “to pluck strings.” This is also the first psalm attributed to David. All the psalms in Book One () are attributed to David except , , , and .
The prayer begins very abruptly with “LORD.” Like Peter sinking into the sea (), David didn’t have time to go through a long liturgy, for his own life was at stake and so was the future of the kingdom. David knew that God is “A very present help in [times of] trouble” ().
Why had God permitted this dangerous and disgraceful uprising? It was part of David’s chastening because of his sins of adultery and murder (). God in His grace forgave David when he confessed his sins (, ; see ; ), but God in His government allowed David to reap the bitter consequences of those sins.
This is the first use of Selah (Hebrew for “interlude”) in Scripture (vv. , , ); it is used seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in . Hebraists aren’t agreed whether it comes from words meaning “to lift up” or “to be silent.” If the first, then it might be a signal for louder voices or the lifting and blowing the trumpets, perhaps even the lifting of hands to the Lord. If the second, it could signal a pause, a moment of silence and meditation.
, Without ignoring his problems, David lifted his eyes from the threatening situation around him and looked by faith to the Lord. He knew he was in danger, but God was his shield (see ). Israel’s king was referred to as a “shield” because He protected the nation (; ), but David depended on God as his shield (; ; ; ; ; ).
The morning was the most important time of day for David, as it should be for us today. It was in the morning that he met with the Lord and worshiped Him. It was his time to pray (), to sing (, ; ), and to be satisfied by God’s mercy ().
David had no access to the tabernacle or the ministry of the priests, but he was spiritual enough to know that the love and obedience of his heart was what God wanted. He didn’t have the ark of God, but he had the God of the ark! He couldn’t offer animal sacrifices or incense, but he could lift his hand to worship God (). The glory of God was with him () and so was the blessing of God (v. ). Let the enemy arise (v. )! God will also arise and give victory!
“Hear me” is a passionate and concerned call to God. David had been praying for God’s help and was desperate to receive an answer (see ; ; ; ). “God of my righteousness” implies not only that God is righteous and will do what is best, but also that David’s righteousness came from God, and therefore God should vindicate him. Yes, David was being chastened because of his disobedience, but God had forgiven his sins. God had called David to be king, and God alone could vindicate him.
, David wasn’t at the scene of the revolt, but he spoke out to those who had turned against him and made Absalom king (). “You sons of men” refers to the leading men of rank whom Absalom had seduced to help him lead the people astray. David understood their thinking and how Absalom had deceived them. David had no glory of his own, for all his glory came from the Lord ().
, In these verses, David speaks to his own followers, some of whom were so overcome by their emotions that they were about to get out of hand. David gave them six instructions, all of which are useful to us today when we find ourselves getting angry. (1) Fear the Lord (see KJV v. ). Believers who fear the Lord need not fear anything else. Absalom’s followers neither trembled before the Lord nor before their rightful king. (2) Don’t sin (v. ). Sinful anger leads to sinful words and deeds, and even to murder (). Paul quoted this verse in , using the Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament). It reads, “Don’t sin by letting anger control your wrath,” which reminds us that not all anger is sinful. There is a holy anger against sin that ought to be in the heart of every believer (), but we must be careful not to be guilty of unholy, uncontrolled anger. (3) Think about it overnight (v. ). It’s easy to get angry about the sins of others and ignore our own sins (). In fact, David himself was guilty of doing this (). Instead of tossing and turning in bed because of the things others are doing, take inventory and see if there aren’t sins in your own heart that need to be confessed. (4) Remain silent (). The honest searching of the heart should lead us to confess our sins to the Lord and claim His gracious forgiveness (), giving us peace. (5) Offer sacrifices (). David’s men couldn’t offer sacrifices there in the wilderness, but they could promise the Lord they would do so when they returned to Jerusalem. (6) Trust the Lord (v. ). Absalom was trusting his leadership, his army, his clever strategy, and his popularity with the people, but he wasn’t trusting the Lord. His plans were destined to fail.
David was not only a great king and military strategist, but he was also a loving shepherd who cared for his people and wanted them to walk with the Lord. David knew that the spiritual condition of his people was far more important than their military skill, for the Lord gives victory to those who trust and obey ().
David was not only faithful in his praying each morning but he was also orderly and systematic. He wasn’t careless; he had everything arranged in order. The Hebrew word translated “look up” means to wait expectantly, and has a military connotation: a soldier presenting himself to his commander to receive orders, or an army set in battle array on the field.
God has no pleasure in wickedness, nor can He be neutral about sin; therefore, rebel sinners couldn’t enter into His presence (.; ). God delights in those who fear Him () and who offer sincere praise to Him (, ). To please God, we must have faith () and be identified with His Son in whom He is well pleased (). Evil is not an abstraction; it’s a terrible force in this world, wrecking lives and capturing people for hell. God’s hatred of evil isn’t emotional; it’s judicial, an expression of His holiness. If we want to fellowship with God at His holy altar, then we need to feel that same anguish (anger plus love) as we see the evil in this fallen world.
, Because he wasn’t a member of the tribe of Levi, David couldn’t actually enter the tabernacle as could the priests, but he used that phrase to describe his approach to the Lord. David was in the wilderness, but he came to the Lord with the kind of awe that the priests and Levites displayed in the tabernacle. In the worship of our great God, there’s no place for cuteness and flippancy.
, David didn’t issue orders to his officers to go out and slaughter his enemies; instead, he turned them over to the Lord. During that tragic battle in which Absalom was slain, “the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured” (). David’s prayer was answered: “Let them fall by their own counsels” (). But it was not because they rebelled against David; their great sin was that they had rebelled against God.
Because of the prayer in verse , is classified as one of the “imprecatory psalms” (see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ). In these psalms, the writers seem to describe a God of wrath who can hardly wait to destroy sinners. The writers also seem to picture themselves as people seeking terrible revenge against these enemies.
, David didn’t rejoice because some of God’s covenant people were judged evil by the Lord, but he rejoiced because Israel’s God had been glorified and God’s king was vindicated. The future of God’s great plan of salvation rested with Israel, and if the Davidic dynasty had been destroyed, what about God’s gracious messianic covenant with David ()? The outcome of our fellowship with the Lord should be joy in His character, His promises, and His gracious answers to prayer.
is the first of seven “penitential psalms” in which the writers are confessing sin, being disciplined by God, and experiencing suffering. The other psalms are , , , , , and , and all of these psalms are helpful to us when we need to confess our sins and draw closer to the Lord. In this psalm, David records the stages in his difficult experience of moving by faith from trial to triumph.
Eight times in the psalm David addresses God as “LORD”—Jehovah, the covenant name of God—and the address in is repeated in ; see also . When God deals with His children, usually He first rebukes and then chastens, just as parents first warn disobedient children and then discipline them (, ; , ). According to , chastening is not punishment meted out by an irate judge but discipline given by a loving Father to help His children mature (see ). Sometimes God chastens us in order to deal with our disobedience, but at other times, He chastens us to prepare us for what lies ahead.
, David felt that God had turned His back on him and deserted him, so he asked Him to return; and then he began to reason with Him. Every Jew knew that the Lord was “merciful and gracious” (, ), so David asked God to manifest that mercy to him and spare his life.
The word “grave” in Hebrew is Sheol, a word that can mean “the grave” or “the realm of the dead.” Here it means the latter. In Old Testament times, people didn’t have the clear revelation of the afterlife that was brought through Jesus (), although there were glimpses of what God had in store for His people (; ; , ; ). A body in the grave can’t praise or serve God, and David wasn’t certain what his spirit could do for the Lord in Sheol. Conclusion: It would be wiser for the Lord to deliver him and let him live. David still had work to do.
, If we turn to God, pray, remember His promises, and trust Him, we will find His grace sufficient for our needs (). The Lord may not do what we ask, when we want it, but He will do what needs to be done and help us glorify His name. The question we should ask isn’t “When will I get out of this?” but “What can I get out of this?”
At this point, there’s a sudden and surprising change from suffering to joy, an experience recorded in other psalms (; ; ). It doesn’t matter whether this change occurred later or immediately after David prayed, but he felt healing in his body and peace in his heart and mind. Perhaps word came to him that the enemy had retreated or, better yet, had been defeated, and he knew God had heard his cries.
David used this experience to glorify the Lord as he witnessed to his enemies. How this message was conveyed to them, we don’t know; but David was quick to honor the Lord for what had occurred.
, Cush the Benjaminite was among King Saul’s fawning flatterers. He was one of a group of evil men from Saul’s tribe who reported what they heard about David during those years when Saul was out to capture and destroy his rival. Saul played on the sympathy of his leaders and bribed them into serving as spies (; ; ; ). To earn the king’s approval and rewards, they even lied about David, and Saul believed them. We don’t know what lies Cush told Saul, but David was concerned enough to cry out to God for deliverance and vindication. When people today falsely accuse us and create problems for us, we should follow David’s example and find refuge in the Lord. But let’s be sure that we are suffering wrongfully and not because of our own foolishness or disobedience (, ; ).
David affirmed his integrity before the Lord and asked the Supreme Judge to vindicate him because his hands were clean. David wasn’t claiming to be sinless; he was stating that he was blameless in his motives and actions (v. ; see ; ). If indeed David was guilty of sin, he was willing to accept God’s discipline; but he knew that his hands were pure.
David didn’t take the situation into his own hands; rather, he turned Saul and his scheming men over to the Lord. Only God’s holy anger could truly vindicate David (). It’s during those times when God seems inactive that we get impatient and want to see things happen immediately. But God is more longsuffering than we are, and we must wait for Him to work in His time.
God expresses His anger at sin every day, so He doesn’t have to summon a special court to judge sinners. He allows sinners to reap the sad consequences of their sins day by day (v. ; see , , , ), but sometimes their persistent rebellion causes Him to send special judgment when His longsuffering has run its course (.). God’s love is a holy love, and if God loves righteousness, He must also hate wickedness.
The image of sin as pregnancy is frequently found in Scripture (; ; ). Sinners “conceive” sin that, like a monstrous child, eventually grows up and destroys them.
The trouble caused by sinners comes back on their own heads (). There is a work of divine retribution in this world, and nobody can escape it.
The psalm closes with David extolling the Lord, not for the fact that sinners have been judged, but because the righteousness of God has been magnified. The fact that people are ensnared by their own sins and ultimately judged brings no joy to the hearts of believers, but the fact that God is glorified and His righteousness exalted does cause us to praise Him.
The phrase “our Lord” is a threefold confession of faith: There is but one God, all people were created by God, and the Israelite people in particular are “His people and the sheep of His pasture” ().
Not only has the Lord set His glory “above the heavens” (beyond the earth’s atmosphere), but He has also deigned to share His glory with His creatures on earth. The glory of God dwelt with Israel in the tabernacle and temple, and it was especially revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ (). Wicked people crucified “the Lord of glory” (), but He was raised from the dead and has returned to heaven in honor and great glory ().
, The sun rules the day, and its blinding light usually blots out anything else we might see in the heavens. But at night, we are overwhelmed by the display of beauty from the moon, stars, planets, and galaxies. Our knowledge of light years and the reaches of outer space gives us even more reason for appreciating our insignificance in the solar system and God’s wonderful concern for us. In His great love, the Lord chose the earth for Himself () and created us in His own image.
Why does God pay attention to “frail creatures of dust”? Because He has made them in His own image, and they are special! Instead of humans being “a little higher than animals,” as science believes, they are actually “a little lower than the angels.” The word elohim can mean angelic creatures (see ), but is frequently translated as “God.” The Lord crowned Adam and Eve and gave them dominion over the other creatures (, ). We are co-regents of creation with the Lord! One day, all who have trusted Christ will be like Him (; ).
, God the Father created us to be kings, but the disobedience of our first parents robbed us of our crowns. God the Son came to earth and redeemed us to be kings (, ), and today the Holy Spirit of God can empower us to “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (). When you crown Jesus Christ Lord of all, you are a sovereign and not a slave, a victor and not a victim. “O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”
David offers wholehearted praise to the Lord () for delivering him and his army from the enemy nations that attacked Israel. His aim was to honor the Lord, not to glorify himself. His joy was in the Lord, not just in the great victory that he had been given (), and he wanted to tell everybody about God’s wonderful works.
The emphasis is on joyful praise (vv. , , , ), especially for God’s care of Israel and His righteous judgment on the nations that attacked His people. You find the theme of judgment and justice in verses , , , , and and , and note the mention of the throne of God (vv. , ).
In contrast to the wiping out of the nations, the Lord and His great name stand forever. His throne cannot be overthrown. In fact, in the victory God gave David, the king saw a picture of the final judgment and victory, when God will judge the world. Paul referred to verse in his address in Athens ().
, The word used to describe the Lord (refuge) means “a high safe place” and “a stronghold.” During his years of exile, David found the wilderness strongholds to be places of safety, but he knew that the Lord was the safest refuge ().
, David calls upon the suffering remnant to sing praises to God because He is on their side and fights their battles. He will not fail to hear their cries and execute justice on their behalf. Israel’s calling was to bear witness to the nations that Jehovah is the only true and living God.
The conqueror-God will not forget the poor and needy. “Arise, O LORD” reminds us of the cry of Moses (), asking God to go before His people to defeat their enemies. “Man” in verse is enosh, “weak, frail man,” a fact that sinners don’t want to admit. (This we will see in .) One day the Lord will put the rebels in their rightful place and they will discover their true essence—dust!
The problem in is the enemy invading from outside the nation, while the problem in is the enemy corrupting and destroying from within. There were wicked nations around Israel (), but there were also wicked people within the covenant community (, ), people who claimed to know God, but whose lives proved they did not know God ().
The psalmist wrestles with the age-old problem, “Why doesn’t God do something about the prosperity of the wicked (vv. , , , , , , ) and the misery of the afflicted?”
He describes these wicked people, what they do, and why they do it, giving statements that express what they believe, because what they believe determines how they behave.
“There is no God” (). Believing this lie frees the wicked to do whatever they please, for they become their own god.
This arrogant attitude comes from an ignorance of the laws of God, because unconverted people have no understanding of the Word of God or the ways of God (). Because God is longsuffering, they think they’re getting away with their sins (). Peace and prosperity give them a false sense of security that will end very suddenly.
Like ferocious lions, wicked people hide and watch for opportunities to pounce on the helpless prey, and like hunters or fishermen, they catch their prey in their nets. They are sure that the law won’t catch up with them and the Lord won’t notice what they do.
, At this point, the psalmist cries out to God for help, and he uses three different names for God: Yahweh (the God of the covenant), El, and Elohim (both meaning the God of power). The wicked boast that God will not investigate their sins or judge them, but God says, “Be sure that your sin will find you out” ().
As the psalm draws to a close, the writer expresses his full confidence that God is on His throne and has everything under His control. The Lord may not explain to us why some people seem to get away with their evil deeds, but He does assure us that He will judge sinners and ultimately defend His own people. In this paragraph, the Lord answers all of the statements of the wicked that are quoted in verses .
This verse answers the claim in verses that the Lord pays no attention to what the wicked are doing. Even more, God sees the trouble (outward circumstances) and grief (inward feelings) caused by the wicked as they persecute the helpless, and He will take the matter in hand.
God judges sin, and this answers the false claim in verse that “You will not require an account.” The psalmist prays that the Lord will carefully investigate each sinner’s life and works, until every evil deed is exposed and judged. But he asks that the sinners be judged in this life and their power removed (“break the arm”).
The wicked claim that God is dead (vv. ), but the truth is that God is alive, and He rules over all! (See ; ; ; ; , .) After their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites sang praises to their King: “The LORD shall reign forever and ever” ().
, The wicked boast that they will not be punished (vv. ), but God has other plans for them. He hears the prayers of the persecuted, He sees their plight, He strengthens their hearts for whatever trials He permits (), and He eventually judges those who abuse them. People of faith can depend on the God of heaven, but the self-confident and arrogant “[men] of the earth” have no future with the Lord. Life without the Lord is empty and vain (; ).
During the crisis described in this psalm, David did not flee his post but remained on duty, trusting the Lord to protect him, and He did. Whatever the crisis, the psalm teaches us that we must choose either fear (walking by sight) or trust (walking by faith), listening to human counsel or obeying the wisdom that comes from the Lord ().
When the crisis arose, David’s counselors immediately told him to leave Jerusalem and head for the safety of the mountains. They didn’t seem to have faith that the Lord could see him through. Beware of listening to unwise counsel. Put your faith in the Lord, and He will protect you and direct your paths.
This verse suggests that these counselors are walking by sight and evaluating the situation from the human perspective. (See .) It’s good to know the facts, but it’s better to look at those facts in the light of the presence and promises of God.
When you look around, you see the problems, but when you look up to the Lord by faith, you see the answer to the problems. When the outlook is grim, try the up-look! “I trust in the LORD,” said David, for he knew that God was on the throne in His holy temple in heaven (; ) and that He saw everything the enemy was doing.
What does God have planned for His own people? “His countenance beholds the upright” (see ; ). To “see the face” means to have access to a person, such as to a king or dignitary (). For God to turn His face away is to reject us, but for Him to look upon us with delight means He is going to bless us ().
In this psalm, David cries out for help (salvation, deliverance) because the godly remnant of faithful believers was getting smaller and smaller. This wasn’t the complaint of a crotchety old man longing for “the good old days.” It was the cry of a truly faithful servant of God who wanted to see His nation, Israel, fulfill her divine purposes on earth. The faithfulness of Israel involved bringing the Savior into the world and blessing all the nations ().
One mark of a Spirit-filled believer is the ability to detect lies and liars and avoid them (), and David knew that he was living in a society controlled by deception. It wasn’t that only a few people were telling lies; deception was a major characteristic of the whole generation. (See ; .)
Flattery plays on the ego and especially influences people who want to appear important (). You can flatter yourself (), others (; ), and even God (). Of course, what the lips speak comes from the heart (), and that’s why David accuses these liars of duplicity, which is a divided heart (in Hebrew “a heart and a heart”). This is the opposite of the “perfect heart,” total loyalty to God and His truth (; ; ; , ). Daniel (, ) and John (, ) both tell us that the Antichrist will speak arrogantly with a deceitful heart and rule the world. This kind of speech is motivated by pride and is used by people who think they’re in control and will never need to answer to anybody, including the Lord. They think their lips are their own, and they can speak just as they please.
When God comes to deliver His people, He will “cut off” those who practice flattery and deception (v. ), which means separation from the covenant community (), like the separation of the goats from the sheep (). His words can be trusted. Unlike the worthless words of the deceivers, the Word of the Lord is like precious gold (, ) that is heated seven times in the crucible before it is poured out into the mold. His Word is flawless and can be trusted; His Word is precious and must be valued.
, The final verses issue a call to action, for “The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.” Vileness (“cheapness”) is promoted and exalted in the media: immorality, brutality, murder, lies, drunkenness, nudity, the love of money, the abuse of authority. The things that God condemns are now a means of universal entertainment, and the entertainment industry gives awards to the people who produce these things. People boast about things they ought to be ashamed of (, ). As God’s people worship God, pray, and share the gospel with the lost, more people will trust Christ and increase the salt and light in the land. We must also share the truth of the Word with the next generation () and prepare them for the battles and opportunities to come (; ). The church is always one generation short of extinction, so we must be faithful to win the lost and teach the believers, or vileness will conquer the land.
This psalm was probably written during David’s difficult years of exile when King Saul was pursuing him. There were times when he confessed, “there is but a step between me and death” (). By the grace of God, David turned his sufferings into songs and left those songs behind to encourage us in our trials (). In this brief psalm, David deals with his feelings, his foes, and his faith.
, God had promised David the throne of Israel, yet that day of coronation seemed further and further away. Saul was doing evil things, and God wasn’t judging him. Yet David was doing good things and felt abandoned by the Lord. David was certainly disturbed by what the enemy was doing, but he was more concerned about what the Lord was not doing. “How long?” is a familiar question in Scripture (see ) and is a perfectly good question to ask if your heart is right with God.
We must not deny our feelings and pretend that everything is going well, and there is no sin in asking, “How long?” But at the same time, we must realize how deceptive our feelings are and that God is greater than our hearts (see ) and can lift us above the emotional storms of life. David eventually learned to replace the question “How long, O LORD?” with the affirmation “My times are in Your hands” (). This is a lesson that all believers must learn.
As much as David was concerned about his own needs, he was concerned even more with the glory of God. After all, God had chosen David and had commanded Samuel to anoint him king, and if David failed, God’s name would be ridiculed. For God not to let “those who trouble me rejoice” was his prayer.
, The little word “But” indicates a transition from fear to faith and from questioning to claiming God’s promises. Let the enemy rejoice in their false confidence, but David will rejoice in the Lord his God! David’s feelings had been on a roller coaster, but God was still on the throne, and His character had not changed. God’s mercy (unfailing love) was all that David needed, for it would never end (see ; ; , ). God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises, and those promises are as unchanging as the character of God. “According to your faith let it be to you” ().
Relying on the Lord leads to rejoicing in the Lord and His salvation (yeshua). The word “bountifully” focuses on the goodness of God and His generosity in dealing with His people in grace. (See ; ; ; .) David tells us he sings to the Lord because “He has dealt bountifully with me.” David’s circumstances haven’t changed, but the Lord has changed him, and that occurred when David stopped looking at his feelings and his foes and, by faith, started looking to the Lord.
The psalm deals with the character and conduct of the “practical atheist” and adds to the messages of and . The three psalms present a vivid picture of the ungodly—their proud attitude (), their deceitful words (), and now their corrupt deeds (). All that they are, say, and do comes from their arrogant (and ignorant) belief that “there is no God.”
Our English word “fool” comes from a Latin word that means “bellows,” suggesting that the fool is a person “full of hot air.” In the Hebrew language, there are three basic words for “fool”: kesyl, the dull, stupid fool; eviyl, the unreasonable and perverted fool; and nabal, the brutish person who is like a stubborn animal. Nabal is the word used in , and it was the name of a man who was brutish and refused to help David ().
By leaving God out of their lives, they cause their inner person to become more and more corrupt—the heart (v. ), the mind (vv. , ), and the will (v. ). The Hebrew word for “corrupt” means “rotten, putrid, and decayed,” and evokes an image of milk that has become rancid. It is used to describe Jeremiah’s useless sash (). When God looks down to investigate (, , ; ; ), He sees people who are filthy. They have turned their backs on God (, ) and refuse to fulfill the purpose for which they were created—to glorify God.
This indictment is universal: all people, individually or collectively, cannot do anything at all that is good enough to merit heaven—no one, not a single one. Paul quotes from this passage in as part of his proof that the whole world is guilty before God and can be saved only by the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ ().
Verse gives us two more indictments: These practical atheists take advantage of the weak and the poor, and they will not call upon the Lord. To “eat . . . people [like] bread” is a biblical metaphor for exploiting the helpless (; ).
There are various possible translations of the Hebrew here, but whatever the meaning, this much is clear: God is with the righteous generation, God is their refuge when the enemy attacks, and God will protect His own people.
God has promised that the Redeemer will one day come to Zion and deliver His people in mighty power (; , ), and Paul affirmed this at the close of his great discussion of the future redemption of the Jewish nation (). But what about the wicked? They have no future with the Lord, because they preferred not to know the Lord or live for Him. They lived according to the desires of their own heart, not to please the Lord and glorify Him. Those who reject Jesus Christ will spend eternity apart from the Lord and will honestly be able to say in hell, “There is no God—here!”
The phrase translated as “dwell in Your holy hill” in the Hebrew is shakan and gives us the word shekinah, referring to the presence (dwelling) of God’s glory in the sanctuary (; see also ; ; ; ; ). David’s great desire was to be with God in heaven and dwell in His house forever (; ), for God is our eternal home (). Believers today can enjoy intimate fellowship with God through Jesus Christ (; ).
Catalyst
The rabbis (Jewish Bible teachers) taught that there were 613 commandments for the Jewish people to obey if they wanted to be righteous, but brings that number down to eleven.
, gives six requirements (“He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: he will dwell on high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his water will be sure”), and lists three (“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”).
names but one—faith—for faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to have your sins forgiven and be welcomed into the Lord’s presence. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (; see also ; ).
It’s important to note that is not a prescription for being saved but a description of how saved people ought to live if they want to please God and fellowship with Him. The list contains both positive and negative qualities, and these qualities must be present in all of life at all times. Believers who would fellowship intimately with God must follow David’s example and meet these personal requirements.
Go to the
Three basic areas of life are named in verse —blameless character, righteous conduct, and truthful conversation—and then these are applied specifically and practically in verses . If we are right in these basic virtues, we will work them out in every area of life and be obedient to the Lord. “Walks,” “works,” and “speaks” are present tense verbs, indicating that the dedicated believer is constantly obeying the Lord and seeking to please Him.
Integrity—blameless character (vv. , , ). What we are largely determines what we do and say, so the first emphasis is on godly character. (See ; ; ; ; ; ; .) “Upright” doesn’t mean “sinless,” for nobody on earth is sinless. Blamelessness, or uprightness, has to do with soundness of character, integrity, and complete loyalty to God.
Honesty—righteous conduct (vv. , , ). People who “[work] righteousness” are honest in their own dealings and concerned that justice be done in the land. There can be no justice in a society where money tells the court what is right or wrong.
Sincerity—truthful conversation (vv. , , ). Truth is the cement that holds society together. If people can get away with lies, then every promise, agreement, oath, pledge, and contract is immediately destroyed. The false witness turns a trial into a travesty and causes the innocent to suffer. But we must speak truth in love () and use truth as a tool to build relationships as well as a weapon to fight deception.
The final phrase in this psalm means that the godly have security and stability in life and don’t have to be afraid of natural disasters or a sinful society. “Never be moved” comes from a Hebrew word that refers to a violent shaking (, ; ; ; ; ). God’s promise to the godly is that they are firmly grounded on His covenant promises and need not fear.
This is a very personal hymn of joy that focuses on the goodness of the Lord. The personal pronoun “my” is used over a half a dozen times (my Lord, my inheritance, my heart, etc.). David’s joy (vv. , ) is expressed in words like “delight” (v. ), “pleasant” and “pleasure” (vv. , ), and “glad” (v. ). David finds his delight only in the Lord and confesses that everything good in his life has come from God.
“Preserve me” (“Keep me safe”) doesn’t suggest that David was in trouble or danger, as in and . It simply means that he needed God’s constant care and oversight so that he might honor the Lord and enjoy all the good things that only God could give him. God alone is good (), and apart from Him, we have nothing good.
, The Lord is our highest good and greatest treasure (, ), the giver of every good and perfect gift (). To know Him through Jesus Christ is the highest privilege in life. We have a great relationship.
, We don’t live the Christian life alone, because we’re part of a great spiritual family and need each other. We enjoy good companionship.
, After Israel conquered the Promised Land, each tribe except Levi was assigned a special inheritance (). Because they served in the sanctuary and ate of the holy sacrifices, the priests and Levites had the Lord as their special inheritance (; , ; ; , ), and David saw himself in that privileged position. He wanted to be a good steward of all that the Lord had given him. We, too, can practice good stewardship.
, David’s personal fellowship with the Lord was his greatest joy. This was when God instructed and counseled David and told him what to do and how to do it. The word “instruct” carries with it the idea of discipline and chastening, for David learned many lessons when God’s loving hand chastened him (). In Christ, God offers us that same good fellowship.
, David confessed to a glad and rejoicing heart. To delight in the Lord and His goodness and then lose all these blessings at death would be a great tragedy. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (). But in His death and resurrection, Jesus has conquered death, and through faith in Him we have “a living hope” (.).
The pleasures of heaven will be far beyond any pleasures we have known here on earth, and as we enjoy the Lord and serve Him, we will not be restricted or encumbered by time, physical weakness, or the consequences of sin. So magnificent are the glories of heaven that the apostle John had to ransack human language to find words to describe it ().
This is one of five psalms identified as “prayers” (; ; ; ; ). The title is also used in and . Since most of the psalms contain prayers to the Lord, we wonder why these five were singled out for this special title. Except for , written by Moses, they describe the writer in dangerous situations and crying out to God for deliverance.
David’s declaration of righteousness was not evidence of pride or hypocrisy but of faithfulness to the Lord in difficult situations. You find similar language in (and see , ; ; ). David had a clear conscience toward God.
The enemy had surrounded him (vv. , ; and see ), and although David was a masterful military tactician, he knew that without the Lord’s help, he could not escape. God was not only the righteous Judge, but He was also the powerful defender who could shelter David and his men from the enemy.
The enemy had arrogant mouths and had “closed up their fat hearts,” a phrase that literally means “enclosed in fat.” They had hearts that were callous from repeated disobedience to the Lord. In Scripture, “fatness” is sometimes associated with a selfish and worldly lifestyle (; ; ; ; ). These people were morally and spiritually insensitive to what was right and weren’t upset when they did something wrong. Paul called their consciences “seared” ()—scarred, with loss of feeling.
David now sees the Lord as his gracious Redeemer, rescuing him and his men from the wicked hands of Saul. These verses contrast “men of the world who have their portion in this life” to those whom God fills “with Your hidden treasure,” who live for that which is eternal.
God would store up judgment for David’s enemies (; ), and their only reward would be in this life, not in the afterlife. The consequences of their sins would also be inherited by their descendants (; ), whereas the godly will leave an inheritance of blessing.
This is one of the few texts in the book of Psalms that touches on the future life (see ; ). “Awake” is a metaphor for the resurrection of the human body (, ; ; ). David seems to be saying, “Even when I die, the Lord won’t desert me; for I shall be awakened and given a glorified body. I shall see His face, and I shall be satisfied!”
This psalm of praise and victory was written and sung after the Lord made David king of all Israel and gave him victory over the nations that opposed his rule (; ; ). Another version of the psalm is found in , and quotations and allusions are found in . The psalm opens () and closes (vv. ) with a doxology. David the servant of God (; , , ; ; ) addressed the Lord in , , , , , , , and , and in the rest of the psalm, he told the people what God had done for him, so the song blends worship and witness. The focus of the psalm is on the Lord and what He graciously did for His servant, but it also tells us what He can do for us today if we will trust and obey.
When David expressed his love for the Lord, he used a special word that means “to love deeply, to have compassion” (see ). It’s related to the Hebrew word for “womb” and describes the kind of love a mother has for her baby (), a father has for his children (), and the Lord has for His chosen people Israel (; ; ). It’s a deep and fervent love, the kind of love all of us should have for the Lord ().
The seven metaphors he used in this verse certainly reflect the life of an outdoorsman and a soldier. Our relationship with God should be expressed in word pictures that fit who we are, because God knows us as we are.
After expressing his devotion, David described his distress and pictured himself as a man who had been hemmed in on every side, caught in a trap, bound with cords, and thrown into the water to drown.
When David called, God began to act on his behalf. The great deliverance is depicted as a storm. The Lord had been longsuffering with King Saul, but now His anger arose and began to shake things, like an earthquake and an erupting volcano (vv. , ; ; ). God came down in a storm, like a warrior in a chariot, carried along swiftly by a cherub. (See ; .)
At just the right time, God reached down and delivered David. Like Moses, he was drawn out of the water (). The enemy fell in defeat, but David stood firm, supported by the Lord (). He was now king of Israel. Ten years of exile were ended, his life had been spared, and his ministry lay before him.
God delighted in David the way parents delight in the maturing of their children in character, obedience, and service. David was faithful to the Lord (), so the Lord faithfully cared for David ().
David knew God’s law and obeyed it, in spite of the difficult circumstances of his exile. In the spirit of Samuel () and Hezekiah (), his affirmation of righteousness was an evidence of humility and honesty, not pride and deception. Note the use of the words “righteousness” and “cleanness” (see vv. , ), “blameless” (“having integrity,” vv. , ), and “pure” (v. ).
What was God accomplishing during those difficult years of Saul’s reign? For one thing, He was disciplining His people for running ahead of Him and making Saul king (, ). In His longsuffering, He was also giving Saul opportunities to repent. At the same time, He was equipping David for his years of service.
Because David trusted God, God enabled him to run, leap, fight, and defeat the enemy (vv. , , ). He could run through a troop, scale a wall, or leap like a deer up the mountains (see ).
Though David was a man of war, he recognized that it was God’s “gentleness” that made him what he was. The word means “condescension.” God condescended to look down and call David (), come down and answer David (), and reach down and save David (v. ); and then He lifted him up to the throne (vv. ). This reminds us of what Jesus, the Son of David, did when He “made Himself of no reputation” to come to earth as a servant and die for our sins (; see also ; ).
The word “distress” in verse means “to be in a tight place, in a corner, hemmed in,” but when the storm was over, David found that God had “enlarged [his] path” so that he could take large steps of faith in serving the Lord.
After looking back at God’s gracious ministry to him, what else could David do but praise Him? “He must increase, but I must decrease” (). David didn’t take things into his own hands but allowed the Lord to vindicate him when the time was right (; ; ).
Paul quoted verse in and applied it to the Jews praising God among the Gentiles. In , , the Jews and Gentiles rejoice together—the result of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles—and then announces Jesus Christ reigning over both Jews and Gentiles (see ).
Little children often use their own names when they ask for something (“Please give Tommy a cookie”), and David used his own name here, just like a little child. (See also .) David used the word “forevermore,” so he must have realized that it would be through the promised Messiah that the kingdom promises would be fulfilled. “And He shall reign forever and ever” ().
The existence of creation implied the existence of a Creator, and the nature of the creation implied that He was wise enough to plan it and powerful enough to execute His plan and maintain what He had made. So complex a universe demands a Creator who can do anything, who knows everything, and who is present everywhere.
In , Paul quoted as part of his explanation of why Israel rejected the gospel and what this rejection did to the nation. The Jewish people could never say that they had not heard God’s message, because verse says that the whole world has heard. Therefore, both Gentiles and Jews stand guilty before God and need to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ, and we must take the salvation message to them ().
David was an outdoorsman and often watched the sunrise and sunset, and what he saw day after day reminded him of a bridegroom leaving the marriage pavilion to claim his bride, and a vigorous athlete running a race. The first image speaks of glory (the groom was richly attired), love, and anticipation, while the second speaks of power and determination.
In spite of this universal message that pours out day and night to the entire world, most people ignore it and reject God because they want to live as they please ().
When he wrote about creation, David used Elohim (v. ), the name that speaks of God’s great power; but when he wrote about God’s Word, seven times he used the covenant name, “LORD” (Yahweh), for the God of creation is also the God of personal revelation to His people. Israel was a very special nation, chosen by God to receive His law, covenants, and promises ().
The revelation of God in creation is truly wonderful, but it is limited when it comes to manifesting the attributes of God and His purposes for creation. Following the fall of man, creation has been subjected to futility and bondage (; ), so we need something that reveals more clearly the character of God. That “something” is the inspired Word of God.
The words we speak begin with the thoughts in our heart (), so it’s important that we meditate on God’s Word and God’s works, the first two themes of . If we delight in God’s Word, we will naturally meditate on it and give expression of His truth with our lips, and this will help to keep us from sin (, , , , , , , ).
The way we treat the Bible is the way we treat the Lord, so it isn’t difficult to determine whether we are rightly related to God. Do we desire His Word because it’s precious to us, even more than wealth (v. ; , , , ) or tasty food (; )? Do we find satisfaction in “feeding on” God’s Word?
When you study God’s creation with a Bible in your hand, you can’t help but see Jesus! He is seen in the vine (), the sun (; see ), the stars (), the lambs (), the apple trees and lilies (, ; ), the seed planted in the ground (, ), and the bread on the table (). The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ (; , ).
Jesus is our Redeemer (; ; ; ; ), and He became our “kinsman” when He came in sinless human flesh to die for us on the cross. He is both Rock and Redeemer, for He not only paid the price to set us free, but He also keeps us safe.
Before the army went out to battle, the Israelite law of warfare required the officers and soldiers first to dedicate themselves to the Lord (), and this psalm speaks of such a dedication service.
David had brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to Jerusalem (), which meant that God was enthroned among His people and would help them (; ). His holy name was upon the sanctuary (; , ), and therefore His glory was at stake.
The people prayed that God would bless their plans, for petitions and plans must go together. The central verse in the psalm is verse , a confident affirmation of victory before the battle even started. Raising the banners and waving them was a sign of victory, and “the LORD is my banner” (Yahweh-nissi) was one of God’s special names (see , ). The theme of salvation is repeated in verses and .
Was the enemy coming with horses and chariots? There was no need to fear, for Israel’s faith was in the Lord. Israel’s kings were commanded not to acquire great numbers of horses and chariots (), a law that Solomon disobeyed ().
God’s people don’t boast in their human resources but in the God who alone can save them in every situation. Only this kind of faith will honor the strong name of the Lord. The enemy will go down in defeat, but Israel will stand upright as victors.
The people and their king address the Lord and thank Him for what He did for them in answer to their prayers. Compare with , with , and with .
The Lord met Joshua before the battle of Jericho (); Melchizedek (a type of Jesus Christ) met Abraham after the battle with the kings (); and God welcomed David back from the battlefield and the victory. That God goes before His obedient people is a great encouragement (; ; ; ).
The “crown” is probably symbolic of God’s special blessings upon David (; see ). To David, the victory God gave was like a second coronation, assuring him that he was indeed God’s anointed. The days of his life that stretch on forever () and the eternal blessings (v. ) remind us of God’s covenant with David that was ultimately fulfilled in Christ ().
The king trusted in the Lord and so did the people, and they affirmed their faith as they addressed these words to the king. The emphasis is now on the future victories God will give David and Israel because they have faith in the living God (see ). God’s right hand is more than a symbol of power; it actively works for His people and brings defeat to their enemies (; , ; ).
God did give David many victories, and David greatly extended Israel’s borders and brought peace to the kingdom. The nations might get together and plot against him, but David would still win the battle.
The psalm concludes with a statement addressed to the Lord and expressing praise for His greatness. David fought battles and won victories, not to exalt himself, but to magnify the Lord, and his people knew this. David showed this same spirit as a youth, when he killed the giant Goliath (, ). closes with the people and the king asking God to hear their prayers, and closes with the prayer that God would be exalted.
, , and form a trilogy on Christ the Shepherd. In , the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep (); in , the Great Shepherd lives for the sheep and cares for them (, ); and in , the Chief Shepherd returns in glory to reward His sheep for their service ().
We may not know how this psalm related to the author’s personal experience, but we do know that David was a prophet (), and in this psalm he wrote about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first part () focuses on prayer and suffering and takes us to the cross, while the second part (vv. ) announces the resurrection and expresses praise to the glory of God. An understanding of the Messiah’s suffering and glory is basic to grasping the message of the Bible (; ).
The speaker in this psalm was abandoned by the Lord. The opening words immediately transport us to Calvary, for Jesus quoted them at the close of a three-hour period of darkness (vv. , ; , ; ). Note that both David and Jesus called Him “my God,” making it clear that they still knew and trusted the Father.
David is the author, but we have a difficult time finding an occasion in his life that would call forth this kind of psalm. According to the record, the Lord never deserted him in his hour of need but always provided friends to help him and deliverance from his enemies. The intense suffering described here isn’t that of a sick man in bed or a soldier in battle.
The speaker was despised by the people. These words especially apply to our Savior. “I am a worm, and no man” is an overlooked “I am” statement that speaks of how little value the leaders of Israel and the Roman officials placed on Jesus of Nazareth. A worm is a creature of the ground, helpless, frail, and unwanted ().
This description is surely that of a man being crucified. He is stripped of his clothing, placed on a cross, and nails are driven through his hands and feet. As he hangs between heaven and earth, his body is dehydrated, intense thirst takes over, and the end of it all is to be laid in the dust and left for dead (v. ).
David looked up to the Lord and prayed one more time for the strength he needed. In verse , he mentioned that God was far from helping him; he repeated this in verse ; and in verse , he asks a third time for the Lord to come near and intervene.
We move now from suffering to glory, from prayer to praise (vv. , , , ). In verses , Jesus “endured the cross,” but now He enters into “the joy that was set before Him” (; see ). He had prayed to be delivered out of death (), and that prayer was answered. But praise precedes victory: Even though He knew He had to suffer, Jesus sang a Passover hymn before He went to the cross (; ).
The image here is that of a feast and was a familiar picture to the Jews of the anticipated messianic kingdom (; ; ). When an Israelite worshiper brought a peace offering to the Lord, he retained part of it to use for a feast for himself, his family, and any friends he wanted to invite (; .); and this tradition became a picture of the future glorious kingdom.
, The blessings of the atonement and the kingdom will not be temporary but perpetual, from one generation to another. Three generations are listed here: a seed (see ), a second generation, and those not yet born. This reminds us of . But the emphasis isn’t on what God’s children have done but on the fact that the Lord did it all: what “He has done” (). “It is finished” is what Jesus cried from the cross ().
Our Lord called believers “My sheep” because He died for them () and because the Father gave them to Him (, ). The emphasis in is that Jesus is adequate for every need the sheep may have as they are in the pasture.
The present tense verb “is” means “the Lord is shepherding me,” indicating an ongoing relationship. Eastern shepherds guarded their sheep; led them; provided food and water for them; took care of them when they were weary, bruised, cut or sick; rescued them when they strayed; knew their names; assisted in delivering the lambs; and in every way simply loved them.
“The LORD” is Jehovah God, Yahweh, the covenant-making God of Israel. The compound names of Yahweh in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm.
“I shall not want”—Yahweh-Yireh, “The-LORD-Will-Provide” ()
“still waters”—Yahweh-Shalom, “The-LORD-Is-Peace” ()
“restores my soul”—Yahweh-Rapha, “the LORD who heals” ()
“paths of righteousness”—Yahweh-Tsidqenu, “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” ()
“You are with me”—Yahweh-Shammah, “THE LORD IS THERE” ()
“in the presence of my enemies”—Yahweh-nissi, “The-LORD-Is-My-Banner” ()
“anoint my head”—Yahweh-M’Qadash, “the LORD who sanctifies you” ()
David’s sheep-view of God guides us into the most intimate relationship that a creature can have with his or her Creator.
Go to the
The word translated “leads” in verse means “to lead gently.” You cannot drive sheep. The sheep hear the shepherd’s voice and follow him, just as we listen to Christ in His Word and obey Him (, , ).
God cares for us because He loves us and wants us to glorify Him (“For His name’s sake”). The shepherd cares for the sheep because he loves them and wants to maintain his own good reputation as a faithful shepherd.
This is the central verse of the psalm, and the personal pronoun changes from “He” to “You.” David is not speaking about the shepherd but speaking to the shepherd. In the dark valley, God is not before us but beside us, leading the way and calming our fears. The “valley of the shadow of death” represents any difficult experience of life that makes us afraid, and that includes death.
Sheep lack good vision and are easily frightened in new circumstances, especially where it’s dark. The presence of the shepherd calms them.
The rod was a heavy cudgel with which the shepherd could stun or kill an attacking beast, and the staff was the shepherd’s crook, which he used to assist the individual sheep.
The word for “table” is sometimes translated “feast.” This table doesn’t necessarily refer to a piece of furniture used by humans, for the word simply means “something spread out.” Flat places in the hilly country were called “tables,” and sometimes the shepherd stopped the flock at these “tables” and allowed them to eat and rest as they headed for the fold.
The shepherd would examine the sheep as they entered the fold, to make sure none of them was bruised, injured, or sick from eating a poisonous plant. To the wounds, he applied the soothing oil, and for the thirsty, he had his large two-handled cup filled with water. He would also apply the oil to the heads and horns of the sheep to help keep the flies and other insects away. The sheep knew they were safe, and they could sleep without fear.
As the shepherd lay each night at the door of the sheepfold, he looked back over the day and gave thanks that the Lord had blessed them with goodness and unfailing love. As an old man, David looked back over his long life and came to the same conclusion. In spite of his sins and failures, he had been followed by goodness and unfailing love, which is the Old Testament equivalent of . Under the old covenant, the sheep died for the shepherd, but under the new covenant, the Shepherd has died for the sheep—and we shall meet our Shepherd in heaven! “For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (). As David looked ahead, he knew he would be in heaven—the Father’s house—forever.
This psalm appears to be an antiphonal psalm (a hymn or song with alternating voices between sections). The people (or a Levitical chorus) opened with verses and , a leader asked the questions in verses , , and , and the chorus or the people answered with verses , to , and . It was one of the daily psalms in Jewish liturgy, sung each Sunday, or the first day of the Jewish week. Because of this, some connect the psalm with our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.
, The divine name “LORD” is used six times in this psalm. “All the earth is Mine” (), says the Creator, but in His goodness He has shared it with us. He is “Possessor of heaven and earth” (, ), and we are guests on His planet, stewards of all that He gives us to enjoy () and to employ.
is a parallel text, and both psalms emphasize the fact that to worship God means ascending or climbing to a higher place. God’s Son sits on the throne in the heavenly Jerusalem mountain (), and the atonement cover on the ark was God’s throne in the earthly temple mountain (, ; ). The Levites carrying the ark had to be ceremonially clean, and God’s people must be clean if they wish to worship the King and please Him. “Clean hands” speak of righteous conduct (, , ) and a “pure heart” of godly character and motives (). Idol worship is defiling conduct, and lying reveals a corrupt heart. Lies here refer to all kinds of deception, especially false witness in court.
The Lord’s blessing is the gift of salvation, the righteousness of God (). However, nobody on God’s earth is able to meet these standards. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (). Good works or religious character cannot save us. The only way we can enter into God’s presence is through the merits of Jesus Christ, which means we must repent of our sins and put our faith in Him. Only Jesus Christ qualifies to enter the Father’s presence.
As children of God, we belong to three worlds: the world of creation around us, the world of the new creation within us (), and “the one to come” () in the wonderful, eternal, final creation ().
Other people may lift up their hearts to idols (), which are only manufactured substitutes for God, but David lifted his heart up to the Lord, for He is the only true source of encouragement. In one of the darkest hours of his life, when David had lost everything, he “strengthened himself in the LORD his God” ().
This psalm pictures life as a difficult journey that we can’t successfully make by ourselves. The word “path” is used twice (vv. , ) and “way” four times (vv. , , , ), and we find the psalmist crying out to God for wisdom as he makes decisions (vv. , ).
At this point, David paused to meditate on the character of the Lord his God. After all, why pray to the Lord if He can’t be trusted? But He can be trusted! To begin with, “Good and upright is the LORD.” If we submit ourselves to Him in meekness, He will teach us His ways, but if we are arrogant, He will be silent. Hebrew words translated “humble,” “lowly,” or “meek” describe a horse that has been broken, a soothing wind on a hot day, and a healing medicine. Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. God can be trusted to guide those who obey His Word (v. ), for a willingness to obey is the first step toward spiritual understanding ().
, God can be trusted to be merciful and gracious to those who repent, but we must walk in the fear of the Lord. God “shall . . . teach” us “in the way He chooses” (v. ). Knowing that the Lord has a plan for our lives, and that this plan is the very best for us, should give us great joy and confidence as we seek His will.
, The word “children” is used nearly fifty times in Deuteronomy, reminding us that our descendants can receive blessing from our obedience or sorrow because of our sins. If we love God, fear Him, and obey His Word, He will draw near to us and share His plans with us.
David once again turns to prayer and mentions to the Lord the special burdens that beset him, the dangerous enemies without, and the distressing emotions within. But he wouldn’t mention them to the Lord if he didn’t believe the Lord could help him! What were the enemies that God helped him to conquer?
, To lose hope is to surrender the future to the enemy, and that only destroys the meaning of the present. David was a man of integrity (; , ; ; ); he was wholehearted in his obedience to the Lord. Whatever lies the enemy was spreading about him, David knew that the Lord saw his heart and approved of his character.
The prayer in this verse may have been added so that the psalm could be used in public worship, but it expresses a basic truth: We are never alone in our trials, for as members of God’s believing community, we have encouragement from one another. Our brothers and sisters around the world are also suffering trials (), so we are not alone.
, , and reveal David’s love for God’s sanctuary (; ; ), which in David’s day was the tabernacle on Mount Zion. God didn’t permit David to build the temple (), but He did give him the plans for the temple and helped him accumulate from the spoils of battle great wealth to provide material for constructing the temple (; ).
The enemies who were slandering David are described in verses to and to . They were deceitful, hypocritical, and wicked evildoers, sinners who schemed to rob others and even accepted bribes (; ), murdering those who stood in their way. David the king was a godly man, but not every judge and official in the government was walking with the Lord.
The words translated “examine” and “try” refer to the testing of metals to determine their true value and also to remove the dross (; ). “My mind and my heart” is “kidneys and heart” in the original, the kidneys being considered the seat of the emotions and the heart the place of moral decision (see ; ).
Throughout the history of both Israel and the church, there were “[assemblies] of evildoers” (v. ; ) along with the congregation of true worshipers (), the tares among the wheat (, ), and wolves in sheep’s clothing (; ).
David went to the sanctuary to worship God and bear witness to His grace and mercy. His hands were clean (), his sacrifice was acceptable (see ), and his voice was clear as he praised the Lord. Cleansing comes from the blood of Christ (, ) and the water of the Word (; see ).
While the assembly of the wicked needs our witness, it’s with the congregation of the righteous that we share our worship (; , ; ; ; ). David was balanced: He hated sin, but he loved the things of God (, ). In living (translated here as walking a path; vv. , , ), standing (v. ), and associating (v. ), he kept himself from evil (see ).
David couldn’t stop the hypocrites from joining the worshiping congregation, but he could help from becoming like them; so he asked the Lord to deliver him from that sin. “Do not gather my soul with sinners.” The sheep and goats and the wheat and tares may be mixed today, but there is coming a day when God will separate them; on that day, the wicked will perish (; ; ).
David didn’t close his eyes to the circumstances around him; rather, he looked by faith to the Lord and examined his circumstances from heaven’s point of view (). The Lord was everything he needed, just as He is everything we need today. He is our light, so we need not fear darkness; He is our strength (or fortress; see ; , ), so we need not fear because of our weakness; He is our salvation, so the victory is sure.
The secret of David’s public confidence was his private obedience: He took time to fellowship with the Lord and get directions from Him. David knew that the most important part of his life was the part that only God could see, and this was one priority he would not negotiate.
, David was living in the wilderness of Judea, away from the sanctuary of the Lord, but he was still able to enter into fellowship with his God. God’s house was but a tent, for the temple had not yet been built, but it was referred to as “the tabernacle” (see ; ). The imagery in is the Old Testament equivalent of “abiding in Christ” ().
David took time to meditate and to contemplate the wonders of God’s grace. He came away from his times of worship feeling the rock under his feet and seeing above and beyond the enemy to the victory God had prepared. No wonder he vowed to God that, when he returned to Jerusalem, he would bring thank offerings to Him and joyfully worship Him.
When the Lord’s face smiles upon us (), it means He is pleased with us and will help us; when His face is turned from us, He is displeased (; ), and we must search our hearts and confess our sins.
His statement was a familiar proverb. God cares for us as a father and mother care for their children (; ); and though it’s unlikely that parents would abandon their children, it’s certain that God never forsakes His own (, ).
This admonition reminds us of the words of Moses to Joshua (, ), God’s words to Joshua (, , ), and the Israelite leaders’ encouragement to Joshua (). Stuart Hamblin wrote in one of his familiar songs, “I know not what the future holds / but I know who holds the future.” If Jesus is your Savior and Lord, then the future is your friend, and you have nothing to fear.
, Jehovah is the “living God” who sees His people, hears their cries, and speaks His Word to them (). But David felt like a dead man whose body was in the tomb and whose soul was in Sheol, the realm of the departed (; ; ; ).
He also felt like a criminal who was being dragged away with the wicked to be executed. They were hypocrites, but he was speaking the truth. They had no regard for the words and works of the Lord, but David was a servant of God who worshiped Him faithfully. According to God’s covenant with Israel, David’s idolatrous enemies should have been judged and condemned, but the Lord was doing nothing. How could God treat His anointed king like a criminal?
We should remind ourselves that the Father allowed His own Son to be unjustly treated like a common criminal (, , ; ). David’s prayer was not an expression of personal revenge but a call for God to fulfill His covenant and bring righteousness and peace into the land. “Let them reap what they have sown,” was his request.
, Suddenly, the scene changes and David is singing instead of sobbing! The reason is given in verse : “My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” Faith in Jehovah made all the difference. The hands of the enemy were busy doing evil (v. ), but when David believed God and lifted up his hands in prayer (v. ), then God’s hands went to work and met the need (v. ). Faith moves the hands of God, and God’s hands control the universe.
, David blessed the Lord for his deliverance and wasn’t ashamed to confess it. His testimony was clear: “God heard me and God helped me! I trusted Him and now I praise Him!” David now had the strength to obey God’s will, no matter what the enemy might do. He also had the Lord as his shield (; ; , ; ; ; ; ). David had God’s power and God’s protection. How wonderful that David turned a painful experience into a song of praise to the Lord and that he left behind a witness that has encouraged other believers for centuries.
David closed his song by encouraging his people with what he had learned from the Lord. Not only had God saved His anointed king, but He would also save His people Israel. “God save the king” included “God save the people,” so they must trust Him.
, Heaven is a place of worship (see ), and here the command is given for the angels (“mighty ones”; in Hebrew, “sons of the Mighty”) to ascribe (attribute, ) to God glory and strength, because these divine attributes magnify His name. The psalm begins and ends mentioning God’s “strength” (), and verses demonstrate that strength in the description of the storm.
During this demonstration of God’s great power, the angels were watching with amazement and shouting, “Glory!” (v. ). The angels learned about God’s grace, wisdom, and power by watching the Son of God when He served on earth (). They also learned during the week of creation (), and they are learning today as they behold the church on earth (; ).
, The Lord is King today and will sit as King forever! He can give strength to His people and see them through the storms of life. After the thunder, lightning, wind, and rain comes the calm when “The LORD will bless His people with peace” (v. ; and see ; ). Noah saw the rainbow of the covenant after the storm (), the apostle John saw it before the storm (), and Ezekiel saw the rainbow in the midst of the storm (). We always have God’s promise to encourage us.
Seeing the rain and the mounting streams of water, hearing the thunder and watching the lightning, David began to meditate on the flood that occurred in the days of Noah (). God sent the rain, He opened the fountains of the deep, He stopped the rain, He waited for the water to drain off and the land to dry, and then He brought Noah and his family out of the ark. In the midst of the storm, God reigns and cares for His people.
The emphasis is on praise to the Lord for rescuing David from a dangerous and difficult situation that included sickness (v. ), being near death (vv. , ), God’s anger (v. ), weeping (vv. , ), and emotional turmoil (v. ). But the trial also involved the nation, for David addressed them in verses and .
Because of his disobedience, David was in the depths, and the Lord had to lift him up (see ; , ). The “grave” or the “pit” refers to Sheol, the realm of the departed spirits (the Greek equivalent is Hades). But instead of allowing David to go down, God lifted him out and brought him up. God had done this for David before ().
, The psalm is not only David’s personal expression of praise and thanksgiving, but it was also used by the congregation in worship; and here David addressed them: “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together” (). Personal worship that doesn’t enrich our corporate worship may become selfish and lead to more pride!
Each morning, God’s mercies are new (, ), and God’s special help often arrives in the morning. “God shall help [the city], just at the break of dawn” (; see ; ). The resurrection of Jesus Christ brought the dawning of a new day for all who trust in Him ().
Weeping comes as a guest, but God’s gracious favor is with us for a lifetime. (See .) As Jesus explained to His disciples, God doesn’t replace sorrow with joy; He transforms sorrow into joy (). The same baby that causes the mother pain also brings the mother joy.
“Prosperity” means “careless ease, a carefree self-assurance because things are going so well.” This is frequently the attitude of the unconverted (; ; ), but it is a constant temptation to believers also (read ). One reason the Lord permits trials is so we might not get comfortable in our faith and stop growing.
, Apparently this was a national crisis that David had helped to precipitate because he disobeyed the will of God. It came at a time when he was enjoying ease and security and was proud of himself and his kingdom.
, David was singing to the Lord from the depths of his being. He realized that he would be singing praises to God forever (v. ), so he wanted to start getting ready now! Every difficult experience of life—and David had many of them—is an opportunity to either have a “pity party” or to attend a rehearsal for singing in the choirs of heaven! We have a lifetime of grace (v. ) to prepare us for an eternity of glory.
The first three verses are quoted in , an untitled psalm probably written by David. He affirms his trust in the Lord and asks Him to deliver him and defend him on the basis of divine righteousness. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (). How can the righteous Lord permit wicked people to prosper and overthrow His anointed king?
As he often did, David begged God to act speedily (; , ; ; ; ) and be to him a rock and a fortress (see ). Along with God’s protection, David needed God’s direction so he would avoid the traps the enemy had set for him.
David’s prayer of commitment in verse was quoted by our Lord from the cross ( and Stephen in ). Peter also borrowed the idea (); the word he used is sometimes translated “trust,” which implies “to deposit in trust, as money in a bank.”
David had prayed, “You are my rock and my fortress” (v. ), but now he said, “You are my God” (v. ) and asked God for the mercy he desperately needed (v. ). When you consider the vocabulary David used to describe his plight, you can well understand his need for mercy. He was filled with grief; he was sighing; his physical strength was failing; and his very bones were weakening. His soul and inner being were pained because of the troubles others were causing. He must have examined his heart and discovered sin there, so he confessed it to the Lord.
We would say, “All the affairs and details of my life are in the Lord’s hands.” This is the Old Testament version of . David trusted God to bring light into the darkness and truth into the sea of lies that was overwhelming the people. Instead of the king being ashamed, his enemies would be ashamed when the Lord exposed their wickedness and defeated them.
The face of the Lord did smile upon David (), and though he was severely chastened by the Lord, he was not abandoned. David knew that the Lord had laid up a supply of goodness and kindness for him (see ), and that His mercies would never fail. Throughout the tragedy of the insurrection, God had protected David from danger, and he was as safe as if he had hidden in the Most Holy Place.
David had written about his faith in the Lord (vv. , , , ), but now he encourages his people to love the Lord and put their hope in Him. Faith, hope, and love always go together (). The courage and strength we need in the trials of life are available from the Lord if we will put our faith in Him. Let’s be sure that we give Him the glory.
This Psalm is one of seven “penitential psalms,” in which the writers are being disciplined by God and experiencing suffering. The other penitential psalms are , , , , , and .
, Instead of starting with a catalog of his sins, David launched into the psalm with a song of praise for everybody in the assembly to hear. The first beatitude in the book of Psalms pronounces blessing on the obedient (), but this second beatitude pronounces blessing on the disobedient who have been forgiven. (For other beatitudes, see ; ; ; , ; ; .)
Transgression, or disobedience, is “crossing over the line” and rebelling against God. David knew the Ten Commandments and that adultery, murder, and deceit were forbidden. Sin means “to miss the mark” and not live up to the standards God has set. Iniquity (guilt) means “twisted” and describes what happens to the inner character of the sinner. David tried to cover his sins and pretend nothing had happened, but the Lord chastened him until he confessed that he had sinned. To forgive means to remove a burden; it’s pictured by the “scapegoat” in the Day of Atonement service, for symbolically the goat “carried” the sins of the people into the wilderness (; ; ). Having now entered into the freedom of forgiveness, David couldn’t wait to shout about it. If we have acceptance with God, it matters not what else may happen to us.
The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to confront him with his sins and bring him God’s word of forgiveness (). David’s confession “I have sinned against the LORD” was answered with, “The LORD also has put away your sin” (). The king didn’t have to do penance or go on probation; all he had to do was sincerely confess his sins, and the Lord forgave him (). The burden of transgression had been carried away, the debt was canceled, the twisted was made straight, and the Lord didn’t put David’s sins on the record.
David offered no excuses; he admitted that he had sinned and was guilty before God. Guilt is to the conscience what pain is to the body: it tells us that something is wrong and must be made right, or things will get worse.
The promise is for everybody (“godly” means the chosen ones, God’s people; ), and we must confess our sins immediately, when we find them out and while God may be found (; ; ). The waters of chastening will only get deeper and the storm increase, so don’t tempt the Lord!
God speaks to David in verses and , assuring him that the joy of salvation would be restored to him () if he obeyed the Lord and walked in His way. David’s wrong thinking got him into serious trouble, but the Lord would instruct him, guide him, and keep His loving eye on him (see ; ). David’s faith (, ) must now issue in obedience, for faith and works must go together. God doesn’t forgive us so that we can go back and sin! “But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” ().
When he gazed at Bathsheba, lusted after her, and then committed adultery, and when he plotted to kill her husband, David saw himself acting like a free man; but God saw him acting like an animal! We are made in God’s image, but when we choose to knowingly rebel against God’s law, we descend into what the older translations call acting “brutish” (see ; ; , , ) and modern translations “foolish.”
When he joined the assembly at the sanctuary of God (vv. , ), David began his song with the joyful announcement that God had forgiven him. Now he closed the psalm by exhorting the other worshipers to join him in celebrating the joy of the Lord. “Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Years later, his son Solomon would write, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” ().
The imperative verbs in this psalm are plural, which means it involved the worshiping community at the sanctuary. The leader called them to worship (vv. ), the choir led the assembly in praising the Lord, and all closed with the affirmation of faith in verses . It’s likely that their praise was occasioned by the nation’s victory over an enemy (vv. , , ). Except for the prayer in verse , the entire psalm is devoted only to praise and forms a helpful “primer on praise.”
This verse parallels and reminds us that only those who are righteous by faith and obedient in their walk (“godly”) can sincerely worship the Lord (; ). It’s a fitting and proper thing for those who have experienced the grace of God and His forgiveness (, ) to praise the Lord (). He is the Creator and cares for us. He is the Lord of all and watches over us. He has redeemed us and we belong to Him. No wonder the worship leader exhorted the people to rejoice, praise, play instruments, and sing to the Lord. A sinner who has been saved by God’s grace ought to have no problem praising the Lord.
Both voices and instruments were used in public worship at the sanctuary (see ). According to , the voices were to be enthusiastic (“with a shout of joy”) in the Spirit but not demonstrative in the flesh, and joyful in the Lord but not jovial and jolly. The instruments should be played with skill, and the players should give their very best to the Lord.
The Spirit of God can make an old song new to us as we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word and have new experiences. He can also open our hearts to a song that is completely new to us. Our growth in our appreciation of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” () is one indication of our development in the Christian life.
The mention of God’s Word in verse reminds us that by knowing the Word of God, we get better acquainted with the God of the Word. Creation reveals His existence, power, wisdom, and majesty, but the revelation in Scripture tells us about His mercy and grace and His wonderful plan of salvation. He is a faithful God, a God of truth, righteousness, justice, and goodness.
We worship the Creator and praise Him for His wonderful works. Out of nothing, He created everything by the power of His Word (vv. , ; ; , ; ; ; ). The Word that created the universe is also holding it together (; ; ).
The beauty of God’s character should elicit from His people songs of praise and thanksgiving. Unless our worship focuses on the character of God, we have ignored the Person who ought to be the center of true worship.
We worship the Lord because of the assurance of His divine care. Not only does He keep His eye on His individual saints (; ; ), but He watches “all the sons of men” and “considers all their works.” He knows what the saints are doing and what the sinners are doing to the saints! The word translated “looks on” in verse means “to gaze intently.”
As God watches, He sees not only the actions of the body but the “thoughts and intents of the heart” (). He made the human heart, He understands it better than we do (, ), and He knows our motives (; ; ).
, Worship should not only strengthen our inner peace and power, increase our hope, and give us greater confidence in the Lord, but it should also increase our joy. The psalm begins and ends with the theme of joy. Along with that blessing, we find our faith strengthened as we behold the beauty and glory of the Lord in our worship. It isn’t enough to leave the place of worship simply “feeling good,” because feelings are temporary and sometimes deceptive. If we find ourselves loving God and His people more, having greater faith and hope in the Lord, and going forth into the battle of life with greater confidence and joy, then our worship has accomplished what God wanted it to accomplish.
David gave thanks to the Lord by magnifying Him and exalting His name. See what He did for David: He answered prayer (vv. , ), provided his needs (vv. , ), delivered him from trouble (v. ), and protected him from danger (v. ). David didn’t boast about his own cleverness or skill; he boasted about the Lord—who He is and what He does.
David saw God’s people as nothing in themselves, for they were only the helpless and the desperate (vv. , ); but they had everything because they belonged to the Lord. They feared the Lord (vv. , ), were set apart (“saints”) as His righteous ones (vv. , , , ), and were the servants of the Lord God (v. ). Knowing who we are in Christ and who the Lord is ought to make us want to bless the Lord.
David gave a threefold witness of what the Lord does for His own: He saves (vv. , ), He keeps (“encamps all around” and “delivers” v. ), and He satisfies (v. ). He sought the Lord and was saved from the fears within him, and he cried to the Lord and was delivered from the troubles around him. To seek the Lord is the same as to look to the Lord; and when we look to Him by faith, He looks to us and His face shines upon us (; ). If we walk in unbelief, our faces will be ashamed; if we walk by faith, our faces will be aglow (; ).
Those who seek the Lord discover that He not only saves and keeps but that He also satisfies. “Taste” doesn’t suggest a sip or a nibble; it implies feeding on the Lord through His Word and experiencing all He has for us (, ; see ; ). It means knowing Him better and enjoying Him more.
Those who fear the Lord (vv. , , ) need fear nothing else, for this is the fear that drives out all fear (). When we fear the Lord, He provides all that we need when we need it. Verse is the Old Testament equivalent of . “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (). God promises to give us what is good for us and to cause all things to work together for good ().
Nowhere in this psalm does David suggest that the life of faith and obedience will exempt the child of God from trouble (see vv. , , , ). He does promise that, if we trust Him and call on Him, the Lord can see us through our troubles and make them a blessing to us and through us to others. (See ; ; .) He is also able to help us with our feelings (). The assurance is that God is near us when our hearts are broken and our spirits are crushed, whether we feel like it or not. This is not a promise with conditions attached to it; it is a fact (see ; ; ; ; ; ).
, The Lord will take care of our physical safety until our work is finished. The phrase “delivers him” means “exercises great care over,” as when Adam cared for the garden () or Jacob cared for his sheep (). The apostle John quoted in and applied it to Jesus, the Lamb of God (; ). The Lord is able to keep our enemies in check, and their own evil deeds will destroy them, for sin is its own executioner (; see ).
, The wicked are condemned, but the righteous face no condemnation, because they trust the Lord (, , ). God redeemed David, just as He had redeemed Israel from Egypt, and He is able to redeem us from our troubles.
David asked the Lord to block the way and stand between him and Saul and his army (v. ), just as He had done at the exodus (, ). Then he asked that the angel of the Lord () confuse the enemy, turn them around, and chase them (). This would lead to their disgrace, defeat, and eventual destruction (v. ).
, In this psalm, David followed each of his three requests with a song of praise to the Lord (vv. , , , , ), showing that his great desire was to magnify Him. David’s joy was in God’s salvation, for which only God could receive the glory. His whole being (“All my bones”; see ) would give thanks and praise to the Lord. “LORD, who is like You?” () reminds us of Israel’s triumph song after the exodus ().
Those who criticize David for his imprecatory (cursing) prayer in verses should remember that first he prayed for their help and healing. Saul’s men tore David apart with their wicked words (v. ). Like court jesters, at their meals they made him the butt of their vicious jokes (v. , and see ). On the question “How long?” () see ; , . David knew that God would eventually reward him for his faithfulness, but he didn’t know when. His first praise to God (, ) was personal, but the second expression of praise (v. ) is in the congregation with the saints.
David prayed that God would vindicate him, because David’s cause was God’s cause, and the Lord’s reputation was at stake (v. ). In verse , he repeated his request from verse and asked that the enemy be shamefully defeated. David’s desire was that the Lord be magnified in His own way and His own time.
In contrast to the shame of the enemy in their defeat are the joyful shouts of the righteous in David’s victory. Unlike Elijah, who felt he was fighting all alone (), David knew that many people in Israel supported him, those who were “the quiet ones in the land” (). Even in the darkest days of Israel’s history, there has always been a faithful remnant that stayed true to the Lord and prayed for His will to be done. David closed the psalm with a song of confidence and joy, witnessing to God’s righteousness and power.
David’s experience reminds us of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, who was also hated without a cause () and falsely accused and attacked by those for whom He had shown nothing but kindness and love. God delivered David from his enemies, but the Father “did not spare His own Son” () but willingly gave Him to die for the sins of the world.
Sin deceives us () and flatters us (; ), giving us the false assurance that our rebellion will go unpunished (). “Listen to your heart!” the world tells us, forgetting that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” ().
The sinner’s self-confident arrogance brings tragic consequences, starting with an absence of the fear of God. This is not the word for the reverential respect of God that all believers should cultivate, but rather the word that means the dread of God and of His judgment.
, When they lose the fear of God, they start to lose everything else that is important to good character and conduct. Out of a sinful heart come sinful words and sinful deeds (v. ; , ). Instead of acting wisely, they are determined to do evil. They don’t meditate on God’s truth while in bed (; ; ; ) but devise evil schemes (). They can’t relax and go to sleep until they’ve hatched a new plot (). The corrupt heart has produced a defiled conscience, a confused mind, and a perverted will.
David did a wise thing when he stopped contemplating the sinners and started focusing on the glories of the Lord. Knowing the character of God is essential to a balanced Christian life, and these five verses are a concise systematic theology.
What a privilege it is to be God’s children! We are resting safely under His wings, feasting joyfully at His table, drinking abundantly from His river, and walking confidently in His light! In response to these blessings David prayed that the Lord would continue His blessings on His people (v. ) and one day judge the wicked (vv. , ). God will continue to bless us if we love Him, get to know Him better, and walk in obedience to His will.
The word “pleasures” (also “delights”) comes from the same Hebrew root as “Eden” in and . Man sinned and was cast out of Eden, but through faith in Christ, we have access into God’s presence and can delight in His blessings.
, Like any mature believer who has been through suffering, David took the long view of the situation and evaluated the immediate and the transient in terms of the ultimate and the eternal. He encouraged Solomon and the people to believe God’s promises and wait on Him. In the psalm, he gave four encouraging assurances to believers who question how God is running His world. (See also and .)
David gave one negative instruction—“Do not fret” (vv. , )—in that serves as brackets around four positive instructions: Trust in the Lord (v. ), delight in the Lord (v. ), commit your way to the Lord (vv. , ), and rest in the Lord (v. ).
• Trust in the Lord (v. ). A fretful heart is not a trusting heart, because it lacks joy and peace (). Faith and works go together, so we should also do good as we wait on the Lord (; ; ). Some of God’s people were tempted to leave the land (see , ), which was tantamount to saying that God wasn’t faithful and couldn’t be trusted. But David urged them to stay in the land and trust God for what they needed ().
• Delight in the Lord (v. ). The word translated “delight” comes from a root that means “to be brought up in luxury, to be pampered.” It speaks of the abundance of the blessings we have in the Lord Himself, totally apart from what He gives us. To enjoy the blessings and ignore the Blesser is to practice idolatry. In Jesus Christ, we have all God’s treasures, and we need no other.
• Commit your way to the Lord (vv. , ). The verb “commit” means “to throw your burden” (). God doesn’t take our burdens so that we can become irresponsible, but so we can serve Him better. Sometimes less care means we become careless, and that leads to failure. One of the things God will bring to pass is the vindication of His servants who have been slandered by God’s enemies (, , , ).
• Rest in the Lord (v. ). The verb describes a calm surrender to the Lord (). Creative silence is a rare commodity today, even in church worship services. People cannot tolerate silence. A silent radio or TV screen invites listeners and viewers to switch to another station or channel. But unless we learn to wait silently before God, we will never experience His peace.
Go to the
Since God can be trusted, we should not fret, and since God understands our situation, we should not fear. The wicked plot against the poor and needy (v. ; and see vv. , ) and act like wild beasts about to devour them (they “gnash” at the godly “with [their] teeth”), but the Lord laughs at the wicked (v. ; see ), for He knows their judgment is coming. He also knows that their own weapons will turn against them (; .; , ). God upholds the righteous (, ) and sees to it they have what they need (; ).
Three images illustrate God’s judgment of those who reject Him and rebel against His law: the court trial (vv. ), the tree (vv. , ), and the rescue (vv. ). The wicked watched the godly and tried to find some reason for accusing them. In spite of David’s integrity and Solomon’s great wisdom, the judicial system in Israel was far from efficient, and it was easy for the rich to oppress the poor and take what little they possessed (; ). But the Lord is the highest judge, and He knows how to deliver the righteous from lying witnesses and judges who have been bribed.
Earlier in Psalms the godly were pictured as a fruitful tree (); yet here the ungodly are also pictured as a flourishing shrub or tree, planted in its native soil where its roots can go down deep (). Though it looks permanent and successful, however, it stands no chance against the judgment of the Lord (v. ). Not only did the tree die and fall, but there was no evidence left behind that there had ever been a tree there at all! So God will do to the wicked, who appear to be successful and permanent but are destined for judgment. God not only judges the wicked but He also rescues the righteous from their clutches (vv. , ).
Pain hurts, and David wasn’t ashamed to write about it, using a number of vivid images to convey to the Lord and to us the severity of his suffering. Like a loving Father, the Lord first rebuked David and then disciplined him, both of which are evidences of His love (, ; ). If we don’t listen to the words of His heart, we will have to feel the weight of His hand (; , ).
David opened the psalm with “LORD” (Yahweh), and now he addressed God once more, this time as “Lord” (Adonai, or “Master”). He will use both names in verses and through . For a brief moment, he took his eyes off his own sufferings and looked to the Lord, knowing that God saw his heart and knew all his longings. God knows what we want, but He also knows what we need. Then why pray? Because God has commanded us to pray, and “you do not have [what you want] because you do not ask” (). Furthermore, as we pray, God works in our hearts to give us a clearer understanding of ourselves and of His will for us. Prayer isn’t a theological concept to analyze and explain; it’s a privilege to cherish and a blessing to claim.
For the third time, David addressed the Lord, but this time he got down to business and dealt with his sins. He hoped in (sometimes also translated “waited for”) the Lord, knowing that God would hear his prayers. He wasn’t praying only for his own deliverance just so he could be comfortable; he wanted God to work so the enemy couldn’t use him as an excuse for sinning (vv. , , ; ; ). When they slandered David’s name, they also slandered the Lord (see ), and David wanted to honor the Lord. He felt like he was about to die (), and he confessed his sins to the Lord in true repentance and faith.
What did David mean when he described his enemies as “vigorous”? He was contrasting his own condition with their condition: He was weak, they were strong; he was about to die, they were very much alive. Confident that the Lord had forgiven him, he closed his prayer with three requests: “Do not forsake me” (Be with me, v. ) is answered by , , , and . “Be not far from me” (Be near me, ) finds its answer in , , and . “Make haste to help me” (Be for me and help me, ) leads us to , , and . These three requests cover just about everything!
Seeing the prosperity of the wicked and hearing their blasphemous words so angered David that he wanted to retaliate and say something to defend God, but he deemed it best to keep quiet. But this restraint only made his heart burn with intense pain (see ; ) until finally he had to speak out.
David didn’t even say good things; he just kept quiet as long as he could. There is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (), and wise is the person who knows the difference. David didn’t argue with God () or with those who reproached him, but he did pray to the Lord.
When we find ourselves burying our true feelings and creating physical and emotional pain for ourselves, then it’s time to talk to the Lord and seek His help. David knew that life was short and that the days would pass swiftly; he also knew that he was frail and that one day he would die. He began to measure his days (; ) and saw that they were but a handbreadth (four fingers) and his age nothing in God’s sight. If you measure the length of life, you may become despondent, and if you look around you and measure the depth of life, you may become appalled (). Life is swift, life is short, and for most people, life is futile.
Our main concern is not how long we live but how we live. Rather than the amount of material wealth, a rich life is measured by whether we have values that last and give hope. Are we living with eternity’s values in view? “He who does the will of God abides forever” (). In turning by faith to the Lord, David moved from hopelessness to hope and from paralysis to action. The next verses describe what he did to bring about change.
, We begin with David the sinner and listen to his prayer for forgiveness. Like every truly convicted sinner, he could come up with no excuses (), and he admitted his guilt before God (see , ; ). We don’t know the particular sins that had brought this stroke from the Lord, and we don’t have to know. We do know that God listens to the cry of the brokenhearted () and forgives us when we confess ().
, David the sufferer pleaded with God to stop striking him and heal his body (see ; ). He used three images of his suffering: the blow of God’s hand as the discipline of a loving parent; the slow decay of God’s blessings like a fine garment eaten away by moths; and the brevity of a breath, reminiscent of how close we all are to death.
His closing prayer was that God would turn away His discipline, give him strength to return to normal life, and then one day enable him to pass into eternity. The phrase “no more” doesn’t suggest annihilation or the absence of an afterlife, but it means David would “no more” be on his earthly pilgrimage, able to bring God’s glory to the nations ().
No matter what our trouble or trial, it’s always good to look back and recall the goodness of the Lord. David remembered how long he had waited before the Lord delivered him from his enemies and from Saul, but the day came when God inclined His ear (), heard his cries, and lifted him up from the pit. If David learned anything from his exile years, it was that ultimate success depends on faith in the Lord and patience during His providential working (; ).
We are not to take the description of the pit literally (slime, mud, mire), but figuratively, as a picture of those difficult years David endured. “The pit” is also a term for Sheol, the realm of the dead, and David’s life was certainly in danger.
David has moved from the pit to the rock, and now he goes to the sanctuary of God. After all God had done for David, how could the king express to the Lord his appreciation for His mercies? He could bring sacrifices to the altar, but that wasn’t God’s first desire. This doesn’t mean that such sacrifices were wrong, or that God didn’t want His people to offer them, but that God wanted their hearts first of all.
David was enthusiastic about telling others what the Lord had done for him, and he is a good example for us to follow (; ; ; ; ). Among the worshipers at the sanctuary, the king gave glory to the Lord. This reminds us of our Lord’s resurrection praises (; ).
When the worship service was ended and David had returned to his royal duties, he discovered that there were new battles to fight and fresh problems to solve, so he turned again to the Lord for help. Worship is not an escape from life but the opportunity to honor God and be equipped to face life and live for His glory.
David couldn’t see what lay ahead (v. ; ; ), but God knew the future and had everything under control. As he often did (, ; ; ; ), David prayed for speedy deliverance. “I am . . . you are” says it all. The great “I am” is adequate for every need.
“Poor” refers to the helpless, the miserable people whose lot was difficult and who depended on the help of others. To be kind to these pitiable people meant being attentive to their needs and assisting them. It also meant not judging and blaming them, as Job’s friends blamed him and the disciples blamed the blind man (). We have every reason to believe that David sought to care for the poor and needy in his kingdom and therefore was praying with integrity.
, David listed the blessings God would send because he helped the poor (v. ). God would protect him from his enemies and prolong his life in the land. That in itself would bear witness to his enemies that David was a man favored by God. God would also heal him of his sickness and raise him up from the sickbed.
God in His mercy doesn’t give us what we deserve, and God in His grace gives us what we don’t deserve. He does this because of Jesus Christ, His Son, who died for us on the cross. David prayed for mercy, because he knew he had sinned (v. ). He also affirmed his integrity (v. ), for he had walked before the Lord in humility and submission (; ; ; ). When confronted with his sins, he confessed them and sought the face of the Lord ().
More than anything else, David wanted to please God (; ; ). He had confidence that the Lord would heal him, restore him to the throne, and deal with those who opposed him. Even more, he was certain that one day he would be in the presence of the Lord and serve in His holy courts in heaven forever (; see ; ; ; ).
God answers prayer, not to make His people more comfortable, but to bring glory to His name. The Lord still had more work for David to do, particularly the preparation for the building of the temple, and His glory would one day move into that holy sanctuary ().
This verse was probably added later by an editor to mark the end of Book One of the Psalms. Each of the first four books ends with a similar doxology (; ; ), and Book Five ends with a praise psalm (). But the verse reminds us that the main thing in our lives must be the eternal praise and glory of the Lord.
During a drought, the writer saw a deer panting and struggling to reach water to quench her thirst (), and this reminded him that he thirsted for the Lord and wanted to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The living God was the God of his life (; see ), and he could not live without Him.
Note that essentials for physical life are mentioned here: water (v. ), and food (v. ), but without worship (v. ), life to the psalmist was meaningless. Hunger and thirst are familiar images of the quest for fellowship with God and the satisfaction it brings (, ; ; ; ; ; ; ).
Day and night the psalmist felt the pain caused by separation from God’s sanctuary and by the constant ridicule of the people around him. He “fed” on his grief (not a wise thing to do) as his tears became his bread. His weeping was as regular as his eating had been.
The writer poured out his soul in prayer (), pleading for the Lord to set him free and take him back to Jerusalem. But then he confronted himself () and admonished himself not to be downcast but to hope in the Lord and wait on Him. The repetition of this admonition (v. ; ) suggests that the writer was having his “ups and downs” as he struggled with his circumstances and himself. He would find his consolation and peace only in the Lord, and not in nature (, , ), memories (v. ), or nursing grief (v. ).
Here the writer used Yahweh (LORD) instead of Elohim (Lord), and this was a turning point in his difficult experience. The “LORD” is the God of the covenant, the faithful God who cares for His people. He is the God who showers His people with unfailing love, gives them promises they can claim when they pray, and hears them when they praise and worship. The writer didn’t have to go to Jerusalem to worship; he could worship God right where he was! The hand of God was with him in the daytime and the song of the Lord in the long hours of the night. Everything might be changing, but the Lord was still his Rock—stable, strong, and unchanging.
The psalmist’s strength was in the Lord alone, the Rock of his salvation (), and soon his despair would be replaced by joy. As they trust in the Lord, God’s people must remember that His goodness and mercy follow them (), and His light and truth lead them (; see ; ). God’s “holy hill” refers to Mount Zion (), where God’s sanctuary was located, the dwelling place of God.
The writer’s focus was no longer on himself, his disappointments, or his circumstances, but on the Lord his God, and that made all the difference. The refrain in verse must not be read with the same dejected voice as and , for faith in Jehovah has changed everything.
When by faith we see the face of God smiling upon us (), our own countenance brightens up and becomes spiritually healthy. We know God is for us, that God will set us free and guide us to His Holy City, where we shall worship Him and sing His praises. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” ().
God’s power gave the victory and His countenance smiled upon His people (; ; , , ). The psalmist affirmed that Jehovah was still their King (; see also ; ; ; ) and could easily command (decree) victories for His people. The nation wanted no glory for itself; they wanted the Lord to receive all the glory.
Reviewing Israel’s history since the exodus from Egypt, the writer glorified God for all He did to defeat the Canaanite nations and enable Israel to claim their inheritance (v. ). The Israelite parents were faithful to obey God and tell their children and grandchildren what the Lord had done (see ; , ; ).
The people were perplexed. If God gave them the land in His grace and enabled them to defeat their enemies, why was He now forsaking them and allowing the idolatrous nations to win the victories? For many years, the Lord had been the “invisible warrior” who went before the Israelite armies and led them to victory (; ; ; ), but now He seemed to have forsaken His people and abandoned His covenant.
Whenever there was trouble in Israel, the first explanation was usually, “Somebody has sinned.” Certainly this was true when Israel was defeated at Ai (), when there was a three-year famine in David’s time (), and when David numbered the people (). But as far as the psalmist knew, there was no sin to be confessed, because the people were faithful to the Lord. God could search their minds and hearts and not find any breach of the covenant. They were faithful to God, they had not turned to idols for help, and now they were giving their lives to protect the land that He had so graciously given them.
, Like the martyrdom of Stephen (), Israel’s defeat gave their enemies further opportunity to come to know the Lord. Saul of Tarsus was greatly moved by Stephen’s death (), and this undoubtedly helped to prepare him for his meeting with Christ on the Damascus Road. No matter how their lives may end, God’s servants never die like beasts, for “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” ().
Paul quoted verse in as part of his magnificent argument that nothing could separate God’s people from His love, not even defeat after a record of victories! The principle is the same for both God’s old covenant people and His new covenant people: Those who give their lives in His cause are conquerors, not victims, and God can be glorified even in what seems like defeat.
The psalmist came to the place where he knew he could trust God to handle the defeats of life and ultimately turn them into victories. We can’t always explain the so-called tragedies of life, especially those that happen to God’s people, but is still in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah gives us wise counsel in : “Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon his God.” We may look like sheep for the slaughter, but in God’s sight “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” ().
This is a song for the heart from the heart of an inspired and excited writer. His heart was bubbling over with beautiful words, for he was writing on the greatest theme in the universe: the glories of the Son of God. It’s clear that one “greater than Solomon” () is present in this beautiful psalm, and that one is Jesus Christ, the King of kings. If this were merely a secular love song, why would it be given to the choir director to be used in the worship of the Lord at His sanctuary?
We love Jesus even though we have never seen Him, but one day we shall behold the King in His beauty (see ), and we shall be like Him (). The writer also marveled at His gracious speech, but so did the people who heard Him preach and teach on earth (; ; ; , , ; ). Visitors from distant lands came to hear Solomon’s wisdom (), but the Father has hidden all the treasures of divine wisdom in Jesus Christ (). Solomon died, and except for what he wrote in Scripture, his wisdom died with him, but Jesus is blessed forever (), He has a throne forever (v. ), and His name will be praised forever (v. ).
Jesus is fighting on behalf of “truth, humility, and righteousness” (v. ), and it’s difficult to believe that anyone would want to oppose that kind of war. As God’s people share His love, serve others, and declare the Word, they are “waging peace” and seeking to reconcile men and women with God (). The Father has promised to give His Son the nations of the earth for His inheritance (, ), and He will keep that promise.
, The writer clearly affirmed the eternal reign of the eternal Son of God. His reign would also be righteous, and all evil would be removed. Jesus Christ is reigning now in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father (, ; ; ).
The anointing in verse is not His anointing as King but as the Bridegroom at the wedding feast. As the King prepares to meet the bride, the musicians play beautiful music. In ancient times, a Jewish bridegroom went to the bride’s house to claim her and then took her to his own home, and Jesus will do that when He returns to claim His church ().
Today, the church of Jesus Christ is spotted by the world and looking old and wrinkled because of inner decay, but one day it shall be a glorious bride, blameless, and without spot or wrinkle (). Though criticized today, the church in that day will be beautiful and bring great glory to Christ ().
, As the King and His queen leave, the writer pronounces a benediction, speaking especially to the King. (The pronouns are masculine.) We may paraphrase it: “No matter how great Your ancestors were, Your descendants will be even greater. They will be princes in all the earth, not just government officers in the kingdom. You will reign forever and ever, and Your name will never be forgotten. The people will praise You forever.”
The word translated “refuge” in verse means “a shelter, a rock of refuge,” while in verses and , the Hebrew word also translated “refuge” means “a stronghold, a high tower.” Both words declare that God is a dependable haven for His people when everything around them seems to be falling apart. (See ; , ; .)
The word “trouble” describes people in tight places, in a corner and unable to get out; and when that occurs, the admonition is, “Don’t be afraid!” When the Assyrian officials threatened Jerusalem, Isaiah told the king, “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me” (). The earth may change, the mountains may be hurled violently into the sea, there may come earthquakes and tidal waves, but all things are in the control of our sovereign Lord.
The “waters” in verse may also symbolize the unrest of the nations, mentioned in verse (, ; ; ; ). Circumstances may change, but God’s covenant with His people will never change (). He is our high tower and our refuge in the uncertainties of life.
The scene shifts into the city of Jerusalem, where the people are confined because of the Assyrian army camped around them. Water was a precious commodity in Palestine and especially in Jerusalem, one of the few ancient cities not built on a river.
The Commander of the armies of the Lord is always with us (), for He is “Immanuel . . . God with us” (; see ; ). No matter what the circumstances, we may drink at the river of His joy and blessing, and find the peace and strength we need.
These verses reflect the fields surrounding Jerusalem where the Assyrian soldiers lay dead, their weapons and equipment scattered and broken. There had been no battle, but the angel of the Lord left this evidence behind to encourage the faith of the people. “Come, behold the works of the LORD.” The Lord defeated and disarmed His enemies and destroyed their weapons, and they could attack no more.
“Be still” literally means “Take your hands off! Relax!” We like to be “hands-on” people and manage our own lives, but God is God, and we are but His servants. Because Hezekiah and his leaders allowed God to be God, He delivered them from their enemies. The Lord calls Himself “the God of Jacob,” (v. ), and we remember how often Jacob got into trouble because he got his hands on circumstances and tried to play God. There is a time to obey God and act, but until then, we had better take our hands off and allow Him to work in His own time and His own way. If we seize His promises by faith with both hands, we won’t be able to meddle!
We have moved from “Be still” () to shouting, clapping, and the blowing of trumpets. Israelite worship was enthusiastic, but they also knew how to be quiet before the Lord and wait upon Him (; ; ; ). Since the theme of the psalm is the kingship of the Lord, they worshiped Him the way they welcomed a new king (; , , ).
The early church patterned its worship after the synagogue and emphasized prayer, the reading and expounding of Scripture, and the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. When the Jewish people clapped their hands and shouted, it was to the Lord in response to His marvelous works. They did not do it to praise the people who participated in the worship service.
To know God is to know One who is awesome in all that He is, says, and does (; , ). Jerusalem’s deliverance from Sennacherib proved once more that the God of Israel was greater than all gods and deserved all the praise His people could bring to Him. He gave them victory over the nations in Canaan and gave them the land for their inheritance (; ; ; , , ; ).
A remarkable thing occurs: The rulers and peoples of the Gentile nations join Israel in praising the Lord Jehovah! He is not simply the God and King of Israel, but He is the “King over all the earth.” It was God’s plan when He called Abraham that Israel would be a blessing to all the earth (; ; ), for “salvation is of the Jews” ().
, The psalmist saw God’s defeat of the Assyrians as a sign of His eventual defeat of all the nations and the establishment of His glorious kingdom. The prophets announced that the Gentiles would turn to the Lord and share the kingdom with Israel (; ; ), and the psalmist looked down the ages and saw this fulfilled.
The image of God sitting upon His holy throne is used often in the book of Revelation (, , ; , , ; ; , ; ; ). For God’s people, every day is Ascension Day as we praise and worship the exalted and ascended Lord.
In this first section, the people of ancient Jerusalem speak about their city with pride and gratitude. The Jews saw Jerusalem as a beautiful city (), a safe fortress, and “the joy of the whole earth” (see ). Spiritually speaking today, the city has brought joy to all the earth, because outside its walls Jesus died for the sins of the world, and from Jerusalem first sounded out the gospel of Jesus Christ. One day in the future, Jerusalem will be the center of Christ’s glorious kingdom (.; .).
The citizens had been speaking about the Lord, but now they speak to the Lord about what He did to the Assyrians. Sennacherib and his huge army, plus the vassal kings of his empire (v. ), surrounded Jerusalem and hoped to capture it, but godly King Hezekiah, with the help of Isaiah the prophet (), turned to the Lord for help, and He came to their rescue (). The Lord fought for Israel just as He had fought against the Egyptians.
The speakers in this section appear to be a group of pilgrims going to Jerusalem after the great victory. They had heard about Assyria’s defeat, but now they could see with their own eyes the great things that the Lord had done for His people. (It’s likely that also fits into this event.) The pilgrims immediately went to the temple to worship the Lord, to meditate on His faithfulness, and to joyfully praise Him. Worship is the proper human response to divine mercies.
After the worship was completed, perhaps one of the sons of Korah (see title) became “tour guide” for the pilgrims and led them around the city. He showed them the towers and the outer walls (ramparts), but he was careful to remind them that the city’s protection was the Lord Jehovah and not stone and mortar.
The guide told the visiting Israelites that it was their responsibility to teach the coming generation about the Lord, lest the nation abandon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The greatest danger a nation faces is not the invading enemy on the outside but the eroding enemy on the inside—a people gradually turning away from the faith of their fathers.
The psalmist had a message for everybody in the world, the important people and the nobodies, the rich and the poor (vv. , ). The word “world” is the translation of an unusual Hebrew word that means “the total human scene, the whole sphere of passing life,” not unlike “world” in .
Catalyst
The enigma for the psalmist was life itself and its puzzling relationship to the distribution of wealth and the power that wealth brings. How should believers respond when they see the rich get richer? Should they be afraid that the wealthy will abuse the poor? Should they be impressed by the wealth that others possess and seek to imitate them? The writer gives us three reminders to help us keep our perspective in a world obsessed with wealth and the power it brings.
Wealth cannot prevent death (). It isn’t a sin to be wealthy if we acknowledge God as the Giver and use what He gives to help others and glorify His name (; ). But an increase in wealth often leads to an increase in evil. It’s good to have things that money can buy, if we don’t lose the things money can’t buy. It’s sad when people start to confuse prices with values.
Wealth will not determine your destiny (). When Jesus told His disciples that it was hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, they were astonished; most Jews believed that the possession of wealth was a mark of God’s blessing (). If wealthy people have a hard time getting into the kingdom, what hope is there for the rest of us? But people with wealth tend to trust themselves and their money and to believe the nice things people say about them. The writer pictured wealthy lost people as dumb sheep being led to the slaughterhouse by Death, the shepherd, who would devour them. (See , .)
Wealth must not increase your desires (). Don’t be impressed and “overawed” when you see others getting wealthy and buying bigger houses and cars. All their wealth will be left behind when they die and ultimately lose its value. They won’t be able to praise themselves, nor will they be able to hear others praise them. We take nothing with us when we die (; ). If we have been faithful stewards of what God has given us, we possess eternal riches that will never fade (). We can’t take wealth with us, but we can send it ahead.
Go to the
Human judges are called “the Honorable . . . ,” but this Judge is called “the Mighty One” (El), “God” (Elohim, v. ), “the LORD” (Jehovah), “the Most High” (Elyon, v. ), and “God” (Eloah, v. ). He is Judge (vv. , ), Prosecutor, and Jury—and He knows all about those who are on trial! He calls heaven and earth to witness the proceedings (vv. , , ; see , ; ).
When we forget the transcendence of God, we find it easier to sin. The ark was with the people on Mount Zion (“Immanuel, God with us”), but the nation must not forget Mount Sinai, where their God revealed His holiness and greatness. The psalmist praised Zion for its beauty (v. ; ; ), but he also wanted us to remember “the beauty of holiness” ().
God is Judge (vv. , , ) and judgment begins with His own people (). They are “My saints,” God’s faithful people—that is, a people set apart exclusively for the Lord because of the holy covenant (, ; see ; ). Some of His people had sinned, and He had been longsuffering with them and silent about the matter (, ). They had interpreted His silence as consent (; ; ), but now the time had come for the Holy God to speak. The purpose of this “trial” was not to judge and condemn the sinners but to expose their sins and give them opportunity to repent and return to the Lord.
“Hear, O My people, and I will speak,” has a majestic ring to it (; ; , ; ; ; ). The Lord speaks first to those who are indeed His people, but their hearts are not in their worship. Their devotion is faithful but only routine. Like the church at Ephesus, they had “left [their] first love” (see ) and were worshiping the Lord out of habit and not from the heart. Outwardly, they were doing what the Lord commanded and honoring the daily sacrifices (), but inwardly they lacked love and fellowship with God.
, What the Lord wanted from His people was thanksgiving from their hearts, obedience to His Word, prayer, and a desire to honor Him in everything. God hasn’t changed. Today, as long ago, the Lord doesn’t want ritualism or formalism. He wants our worship to come from the heart.
This message was addressed to “the wicked,” the Israelites in the covenant community who were reciting the creed with their lips but deliberately disobeying God’s law. After breaking God’s law, they would go to the sanctuary and act very religious so they could cover up their sins. They helped to make the sanctuary a “den of thieves”—the place where thieves go to hide after they have committed their wicked deeds (; ). They had no respect for God’s Word () and not only consented to the sins of others but participated in them and enjoyed doing so (vv. ).
, In the two closing verses, the writer succinctly summarizes the characteristics of the kind of worshiper God is seeking (, ). The true worshiper has a proper fear of the Lord and seeks only to honor Him in his worship. He obeys God’s will (“orders his conduct aright”), and God allows him to experience (“I will show”) the salvation of the Lord. When you combine these characteristics with verses and —gratitude to God, obedience, prayer, and a desire to glorify God—you have a description of worshipers who bring joy to the heart of God.
During his lifetime, King David did what had pleased the Lord, “except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (). This is the fourth of the penitential psalms (see ; ; ) and it is David’s prayer of confession after Nathan the prophet confronted him with his sins (see ; see also ). This is also the first of fifteen consecutive psalms in Book Two attributed to David. In his prayer, David expressed three major requests: Cleanse me (), restore me (vv. ), and use me (vv. ).
“Blot out” refers to a debt that must be paid (; ), and “cleanse” refers to purification from a defilement that was caused by touching something unclean () or that came from disease (). “Wash” (, ) refers to the cleansing of dirty clothing (; ). In the society of that day, to wash and change clothes marked a new beginning in life (; ; ; , ), and David made such a new start ().
What dirt is to the body, sin is to the inner person, so it was right for David to feel defiled because of what he had done. By committing adultery and murder, he had crossed over the line God had drawn in His law; he had missed the mark God had set for him (“sin”) and had yielded to his twisted sinful nature (“iniquity,” sometimes translated “guilt”). He had willfully rebelled against God, and no atonement was provided in the law for such deliberate sins (; , ). David could appeal only to God’s mercy, grace, and love (see , ; ).
David’s sins had affected his whole person: his eyes (v. ), mind (v. ), ears and bones (v. ; see , ; , ; ), heart and spirit (v. ), hands (v. ), and lips (vv. ). Such is the high cost of committing sin. David knew this, so he asked for more than cleansing, as important as that is; he wanted his entire being to be restored so he could serve the Lord acceptably. He wanted the joy of the Lord within him (see v. ) and the face of the Lord smiling upon him (; ; ; ).
David had certainly sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, but his greatest responsibility was to the Lord who had given the law to His people (; see , ). Godly Israelites saw all sins primarily as offenses against the Lord (). David openly acknowledged his sins and vindicated the Lord (; , ). Paul quoted in as part of his argument that the whole world is guilty before God. David also confessed that he was not only a sinner by choice but also by nature (; ).
David knew the truth of God’s Word and loved it (), but he had deliberately lied to himself (“I can get away with this”) and to the people, and he had tried to lie to God. For nearly a year he attempted to cover up his sins, but God does not allow His children to sin successfully. Now David asked God for truth and wisdom in his innermost being.
“Purge me with hyssop” refers to the use of hyssop, a shrub with hairy stems that could be dipped into liquid and used by the priests to sprinkle blood or water on people needing ceremonial cleansing (, ; , ; see ). Today’s believers find their cleansing in the work Jesus accomplished on the cross (; see ).
This is the central verse of the psalm and it expresses the heart of David’s concern. David knew that the inner person—the heart—was the source of his trouble as well as the seat of his joy and blessing, and he was incapable of changing his own heart. Only God could work this miracle (; ; ).
Today the Spirit abides with believers forever (), but God’s children can lose the Spirit’s effective ministry by grieving Him (), lying to Him (), and quenching Him by deliberate disobedience (). The phrase “uphold me” in refers to David’s own spirit, as in verse . A “steadfast spirit” (v. ) is one that is not in bondage but is free and yielded to the Spirit of God, who ministers to and through our own spirit ().
, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (). David wanted to witness to the lost and wandering and bring them back to the Lord (), and he wanted to sing the Lord’s praises.
, David was wealthy enough to bring many sacrifices to the Lord, but he knew that this would not please the Lord (; see ) and that their blood could not wash away his sins. David wasn’t denying the importance or the validity of the sacrificial system; he was affirming the importance of a repentant heart and a spirit yielded to the Lord (). God could not receive broken animals as sacrifices (), but He would receive a broken heart!
When David wrote this psalm, he was angry, and rightly so. (For the reason, see ; .) Doeg was one of many men around Saul who catered to the king’s whims and inflated his ego in order to gain power and wealth. He typifies all who promote themselves at the expense of truth and justice. Doeg was an Edomite, which means he was descended from Esau, the enemy of Jacob (; , ).
The phrase “mighty man” (v.) is the equivalent of our “big shot” and was spoken derisively. Doeg and Saul were mighty in their own eyes but insignificant in God’s eyes; David was insignificant in their eyes but important to God. David depended on the mercy of the Lord (vv. , ), while Saul and his men depended on themselves and their own resources.
David was confident that God would one day judge Saul, Doeg, and all who follow their evil philosophy of life. The righteous would only see but not experience this devastation (), and they would stand in awe of the holy wrath of God (). Then they would laugh in derision at the humiliating fall of these pompous leaders (). What Saul and Doeg did to the priestly community at Nob (.), the Lord would do to them, for sinners ultimately fall into the pits they dig for others (; ; ).
, The contrast is clear: The wicked are like uprooted trees, but the godly are like flourishing olive trees that are fruitful and beautiful. Saul and Doeg would perish, rejected by the Lord, but David and his dynasty would be safe in the house of the Lord!
The psalm ends with David vowing to praise the Lord in the congregation as soon as God established him in his kingdom. The private victories God gives us should be announced publicly for the encouragement of God’s people. Meanwhile, though evil may seem to triumph, we must continue to obey and serve the Lord and not get discouraged. The “last laugh” belongs to the Lord’s people.
and are almost identical, with some minor revisions and the addition of the last two lines in . One of the sanctuary musicians revised the original psalm to fit a new occasion, perhaps the defeat of the Assyrian army in the days of King Hezekiah (v. ; ). It’s a good thing to adapt older songs to celebrate new experiences with the Lord.
The third line of this verse describes the scattered corpses of a defeated army after God’s great victory. For a body to remain unburied was a great disgrace in the ancient Near East; even an executed criminal was supposed to have a decent burial (; see ; ). The Lord despised the arrogance of the Assyrians and put them to open shame. So will He do to the armies of the world that oppose Him ().
David’s life was in danger (v. ; see ), and he called on God to save him and vindicate his cause (). David was the rightful king of Israel, and the future of the nation and the dynasty lay with him. This included the promise of Messiah, who would come from David’s line ().
“Strangers” doesn’t suggest that his enemies were Gentiles, for the Ziphites belonged to the tribe of Judah, David’s own tribe. The word is used in to describe Job’s family and friends, and David used it in a similar way in . It can describe anybody who has turned his or her back on someone, which the Ziphites certainly did to David, their king.
David’s words revealed his faith, for he spoke of his deliverance as already completed as he looked calmly at his enemies (; ; ; ). David had more suffering and peril to experience before he would ascend the throne, but he was confident that the Lord would see him through—and He did!
This central verse of the psalm records the turning point in David’s experience. The word translated “help” or “helper” is related to “Ebenezer” in and it means “Up to this point the LORD has helped us!” It is a word David often used in his prayers (; ; ). The Lord doesn’t always send angels to encourage us; sometimes He uses other believers to minister to us (see ; ). Every Christian ought to be a Barnabas, a “Son of Encouragement.”
Twice David had an opportunity to slay Saul but refrained from doing so, for he knew that God would one day deal with the rebellious king (see ).
David opened with a plea to the Lord that He would not hide His face from his prayers: “Do not hide Yourself from my supplication” (see ; ; ; ; ; ).
What David heard and saw in the city distressed him greatly (vv. , ), and he realized that his own life was in danger. David’s concern was for the safety of his people and the future of the Lord’s promises to His own dynasty (). He felt like everything was falling apart and there was no hope. It’s natural to look at our feelings and express our fears, but that isn’t the way to solve the problems.
When we find ourselves in the midst of trouble, our first thought is: “How can I get out of this?” But the dedicated believer needs to ask, “What can I get out of this?” David had learned some strategic lessons while hiding in the wilderness from Saul, but in his later years, he had some more important lessons to learn. The human heart longs for a safe and peaceful refuge, far from the problems and burdens of life.
, Doves can fly long distances, and they seek for safe refuges in the high rocks (). But we don’t need wings like a dove so we can fly away from the storm. We need wings like an eagle so we can fly above the storm (, ). More than once David had prayed that the Lord would “hide him,” and God answered his prayers (; ; ). David did flee from Jerusalem (.) and lodged in the wilderness across the Jordan River at Mahanaim.
David wasn’t living in denial; he knew what was going on around him, and he directed operations in a masterful manner, worthy of his reputation. But he also prayed that God would bring confusion to Absalom’s ranks (v. ; ), and that’s just what happened. The Lord used Hushai to influence Absalom to reject Ahithophel’s counsel, and this led to the defeat of Absalom’s forces ().
While it’s normal for us to hope for a quick way of escape, and important for us to understand our feelings and circumstances, it’s far more important to look up to God and ask for His help. David could no longer lead an army into battle, but he was able to pray that God would defeat the rebel forces, and God answered his prayers. David used Jehovah, the covenant name of God, when he said, “The LORD shall save me” (v. ).
During his difficult years of preparation, David had experienced many changes, and this taught him to trust the God who never changes (; ). Absalom and his friends had lived in luxury and ease and knew very little about the challenge of changing circumstances, so they had no faith in God or fear of God. A prosperous life is an easy life until you find yourself in the midst of the storm, and then you discover how ill-prepared you are; for what life does to us depends on what life finds in us.
, David closed the psalm by speaking to the Lord and affirming his faith (; ), confident that God would judge his enemies. Was he anticipating the suicide of Ahithophel ()? We must remind ourselves that our Lord Jesus Christ also was betrayed by a man who hanged himself (), that Jesus also crossed the Kidron Valley (; ), and that He wept on the Mount of Olives (; ; ). Rejected by His own people, today He is enthroned in heaven and will one day return to Jerusalem to establish His kingdom (.).
“All day” David was harassed by the Philistines, who remembered that Israel sang his praises as a great military leader. They pursued him like hungry panting animals, and David cried out for mercy (see ; ). The account in 1 Samuel doesn’t record any physical attacks on David, but he heard a great deal of slander and his life was in danger. David manifested both fear and faith as he cried out to God (; ; ).
, The refrain in verses and is repeated in verses and , as David affirms that God alone gives him the power to praise Him and trust Him. Faith and praise cannot be “manufactured”; they must be received as God’s gift.
David had to watch his step in Gath, not only in what he did but also in what he said, because he was a man under suspicion and was being watched. He had a target on his back, and only the Lord could protect him. David chose Gath because he thought it was the last place Saul would expect to find him, but when he made that choice, he was walking by sight and not by faith.
, David’s greatest desire was to glorify the Lord, and this is why he wrote this psalm. He had vowed to serve the Lord, and he meant to keep his vow. He had also vowed to present thank offerings to the Lord when his days of wandering were ended. Part of the thank offering was retained by the worshiper so he could enjoy a fellowship meal with his family and friends, and David looked forward to that blessing. According to verse , God answered David’s prayers. He delivered him from death; He kept him from stumbling; and He enabled him to walk in a godly way and praise the Lord. “Light of the living” can also be translated “light of life,” as the phrase used by Jesus in . As we follow the Lord Jesus today, we enjoy fullness of life and the glorious light of His presence. We walk in the light.
This psalm covers one day in David’s life as a fugitive, for verse records his lying down, and verse his waking up to greet the dawn. God quieted his heart and gave him the sleep he needed (see ; ). Note the repetition of the words “merciful” (), “my heart is steadfast” (v. ), and “awake” (v. ), and the refrain in verses and . From his difficult experience in Gath, David shares with us some responsibilities (and privileges) believers have every day.
David depended on the grace of God to see him through his trials. His worship and prayer turned the cave into a Most Holy Place where he could hide under the wings of the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark (). This image is found frequently in Scripture and must not be confused with the wings of the bird as in ; .
, Saul and his men were like panting animals pursuing their prey (vv. , ; see ; ; ; ; ; ), but God would protect David with His love and faithfulness. If David lay down in the cave to sleep, perhaps Saul’s men would find him. But David’s God is “God Most High” (; ; ) and “Possessor of heaven and earth” (), and He would fulfill His great purposes for David ().
In verses , the order is prayer (v. ), witness (vv. , ), and a description of the enemy (v. ), followed by the refrain, but in this section the order is the enemy (v. ), witness to the Lord (vv. , ), and praise (vv. ), with praise as the emphasis. David wanted his victory in the Lord to be a witness to the other nations, for as king, he knew that Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles. His psalms bear witness today of the great things God did for him. In verse , God sent His mercy and truth down from heaven, but in verse , mercy and truth reach up to the clouds! There is plenty for everybody!
“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!” This refrain (and its counterpart in v. ) calls upon the Lord to manifest His greatness in such a way that people had to say, “This was the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (). In his other psalm from Gath, David called on people to exalt the Lord (; and see ; ; ; ; ; , ; ; ; ; ). If we are praying, trusting, and praising the Lord, we should have no problem exalting His name in all that we say, do, and suffer.
David addressed the lawless leaders and asked them whether their words were just, their decisions legal, their sentences fair, and their silences honest. Were they upholding the law and defending the righteous or twisting the law and benefiting the wicked? He knew the answer, and so do we. When they should have spoken, they were silent, and when they spoke, they ignored God’s law. The problem? They had evil hearts, for they were born in sin just like the rest of us (; ). However, they made no effort to seek God’s help in controlling that sinful nature but gave in to its evil impulses. It’s because humans are sinners that God established government and law, for without law, society would be in chaos. It’s from the heart that evil words come out of our mouths and evil deeds are done by our hands.
These unjust judges were liars. Their words were like venom that poisoned society instead of like medicine that brought health (; ). David compared them to snakes (, ) and lions (v. ), both of which are images of the devil (; ; ). Like the cobra, they obeyed the charmer only when they got something out of it, but they had a mind of their own.
Seeing innocent people suffer because of unjust judges made David angry, and rightly so. There is a righteous anger that ought to show itself whenever innocent people are condemned or helpless people are abused. David didn’t do any of the things he mentioned but instead asked the Lord to do them. He knew that vengeance belongs to the Lord (; ; ).
David added a sixth image to describe the ultimate judgment of the unjust judges, which would happen suddenly and without warning. A desperate traveler in the wilderness could cook a meal over a fire of thorns, but the fire might suddenly go out because the fuel burned quickly—or a whirlwind might come up and scatter fuel, fire, and cooking pots. To use a modern colloquial expression, these godless leaders are only “a flash in the pan.” There is coming a day of judgment and they will not escape (; ).
, David’s seventh picture comes from the battlefield and is even more vivid (v. ). When victorious soldiers walked around the field and picked up the spoils of battle, their feet were stained by the blood of their enemies. Walking in cream and oil was a picture of wealth (), and walking in blood was a picture of great victory (see ; ; ). The fact that the righteous rejoice at this is no more sinful than that prisoners of war rejoice at their release from a death camp or that downtrodden citizens are set free from a cruel dictator. After all, heaven rejoices at the fall of Babylon (). God vindicates Himself, His law, and His people, and He does it justly.
God’s people can always turn to the Lord in times of danger and testing, because He hears our prayers (vv. , ). The Lord also knows our hearts (vv. , ). The Lord sees and hears our enemies (vv. ) and knows what they are saying and doing. Finally, as our great Deliverer. the Lord defends our cause (vv. , ). In times of great danger, we sometimes feel that God needs to start acting on our behalf and doing it very soon!
, David’s graphic description of Saul’s men (vv. , , ) reveals how much he held them in disdain. They were nothing but prowhng, snarling dogs, frothing at the mouth, spewing evil words, and rummaging in the garbage dumps of the city. The Jews usually referred to the Gentiles as dogs! The “dogs” were prowhng and growhng, but the Lord was laughing (see ; ). The spies were watching David, but David was “on watch” looking for the Lord to act (, ; see , , ). God was his strength and fortress (), and he had no reason to be afraid.
, God would not only take care of David, but He would also confront David’s enemies and deal with them. If David’s requests seem brutal and not in the spirit of Christ, keep in mind that Israel’s future and the future of David’s chosen dynasty were both at stake. This was not a personal crusade on David’s part, for he asked God to fight the enemy for him ().
When it comes to facing and fighting the enemy, the Lord goes before us (v. ). The mercy (also translated as “unfailing love”) of the Lord would go before David and prepare the way for victory. The Lord also fights for us (vv. ) by scattering the enemy, causing them to wander, and bringing their attack to a halt. The Lord is our Shield who can protect us in any battle (; ; ; ). God’s victories glorify His great name () and magnify the name of the Lord to the ends of the earth (; , ; , ). Finally, the Lord gives us a song (, ) and even before the victory, we praise Him for who He is and what He does! The night of danger is never enjoyable, but we have His “mercy in the morning” (v. ) because His love and compassion are “new every morning” (see , ).
The plural pronouns indicate that David was speaking to the Lord for the Israelites who felt themselves abandoned by God. The initial victory of Edom hit Israel like water bursting through a broken dam (v. ; ) or an earthquake shaking the entire country (). The people acted like they were drunk on wine, staggering in bewilderment from place to place (v. ; ; , ).
However, being a man of faith, David didn’t give up but rallied the people around the Lord’s banner (v. ; ). Israel’s God is Jehovah-nissi—“the LORD is my banner” (see ). David knew that Israel was God’s own people, His beloved people (“David” means “beloved”) who feared Him, and that God had covenanted to give them success against their enemies (). In David’s heart, faith was conquering fear.
How David received this message from the Lord isn’t explained to us, but he was quick to believe it and pass it along to the people. The message describes Jehovah as a Warrior who defeated the nations in Canaan and divided the land among His people (vv. , ; see , ; ).
In God’s eyes, Moab was nothing but a basin used for washing dirty feet, and Edom was a servant who cleaned dirty shoes! (David was related to the Moabites; see .) As for Israel’s perpetual enemies, the Philistines, over them God would “shout in triumph.” David claimed these promises by faith, sent part of the army led by Joab and Abishai to the south to fight Moab, and later joined them for a great victory. Fighting on two fronts isn’t easy, but God gave the victory.
David earnestly prayed that the Lord would honor His Word and give His beloved people victory over their enemies, and the Lord answered. David made it clear that he wasn’t looking back at the defeat (vv. , ). He was the kind of leader who looked to the future and trusted the Lord. David didn’t interpret one setback as the sign of total defeat. He was making a great name for himself by his many victories, so perhaps he needed this one defeat to humble him and drive him closer to the Lord. David didn’t trust in himself or in his capable officers or his valiant soldiers (v. ). He trusted fully in the Lord, and the Lord honored his faith. The enemy would be completely defeated—trampled into the dirt—and Israel would triumph.
There was an urgency in David’s cry, because he was overwhelmed by what was happening and fainting under the pressure (see ). He was obviously not at “the end of the earth,” but he felt that way, for he was away from home and away from the sanctuary of God. He was describing “spiritual geography” and his need to know the presence of God in what was going on.
, David was unable to “climb” higher by himself; he needed the Lord to help him and sustain him (see , , ). We are never so far away—or, as in the case of Jonah, so far down ()—that we can’t pray to God. David looked back at his life and was encouraged to remember that God had never failed him in any crisis (), and He would not fail him now. To David, God’s home was the tabernacle, the place where His glory dwelt; and David longed to be back in Jerusalem to worship and adore his Lord (v. ).
, David’s requests in verses and relate to God’s gracious covenant with him (). The Lord promised David a throne forever and a dynasty forever (), and this has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ (; ). David’s concern was not for his own name or family but for the future of Israel and God’s great plan of redemption. His own throne was in jeopardy at that time, but he had confidence that God would keep His promises.
David wants us to know that his faith isn’t in God plus something else, but in God alone. Yes, God uses means to accomplish His work, and the same God who ordains the end also ordains the means, but our faith is in Him and not in the means. David didn’t argue with the enemy or try to tell God what to do; he simply prayed, trusted, and waited, knowing that God would give him the kingdom in His good time.
God was David’s strong tower, his fortress! The enemy could threaten him, lie about him, and even assault him, and he would not lose the peace God put in his heart. To wait in silence before the Lord is not idleness or inactivity. It is calm worship and faith, resting in His greatness and submitted to His will. It is preparation for the time when God gives the orders to act ().
David’s words in verse , “I shall not be greatly moved” are nearly duplicated in verse , “I shall not be moved.” The greater the realization that God was his fortress, the greater the calmness in his heart. He was not depending on himself or his own resources but on the Lord God Almighty. His throne, his reputation, and his very life depended only on the faithfulness of the Lord. Times of waiting can be difficult if we don’t depend wholly on the Lord. God’s delays are not God’s denials, but our impatience can be used by the devil to lead us on dangerous and destructive detours.
David’s enemies had acquired their power and wealth by oppressing and abusing others, and David warned his own people not to adopt their philosophy of life. How tragic when God’s people today put their trust in their wealth, positions, and human abilities and not in the God who alone can give blessing.
The words “once, twice” are a Hebrew way of saying “frequently, repeatedly” (; , , , , ). David had often heard these words, and the lesson they carried was written on his heart: God is powerful and God is merciful. God’s strength and lovingkindness are sufficient for every crisis of life, for we are in the hands of a God whose omnipotent love can never fail. No matter what people may say about us or do to us, God keeps the books and one day will give sinners and saints the rewards they deserve.
, To be able to say “my God” by faith transformed David’s wilderness experience into a worship experience. There in the desert, he was hungry and thirsty, but his deepest desires were spiritual, not physical. With his whole being, body and soul, he yearned for God’s satisfying presence (v. ; , ). Just as we have physical senses that are satisfied by God’s creation, so we have spiritual senses () that can be satisfied only by Christ. He is the bread of life (), and He gives us the water of life by His Spirit (; ; ). Those who hunger and thirst for spiritual food and drink shall be filled ().
How did David acquire this wonderful spiritual appetite? By worshiping God at the sanctuary (; see ; , ). He had erected the tent on Mount Zion and returned the ark to its rightful place, and he had found great delight in going there and contemplating God (, ; ).
David looked beyond material objects and saw spiritual realities. He had no priest or altar there, but he could lift his hands like the priests and bless the Lord and His people (). His uplifted hands, though holding no sacrifice, signified his prayers and the love of his uplifted heart. There in the wilderness, he had no sacrificial meal to enjoy, but his soul feasted on spiritual delicacies that even the priests were not permitted to eat (; , ). Instead of complaining, as we are prone to do when things go wrong, David sang praises to the Lord.
David wasn’t passive in his devotion, for he continued to cling to the Lord and rest in the safety of God’s right hand (; ; ). Faith without works is dead. Believers are safe in the hands of the Father and the Son (), but that doesn’t give us license to do foolish things that would endanger us. “My soul follows close behind You” includes both submissive faith in God and active pursuit of God. Jesus described this experience in .
Some people criticize David for wanting his enemies destroyed and their bodies left for the scavengers to devour. But they should remember that these rebels were the enemies of God and God’s purposes for Israel, and that those purposes included the coming of Messiah into the world. (See .) David didn’t execute the enemy himself but asked God to deal with them, and He did (). David didn’t rejoice in the destruction of his enemies; he rejoiced in the God of Israel. Furthermore, he encouraged all the people to praise God with him. Often David’s personal praise became communal praise as he publicly glorified the Lord for His mercies, and so it should be with us today.
, Frequently David addressed the Lord by saying, “Listen to me” or “Hear me when I call,” not because God wasn’t paying attention but because David was in earnest (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ). David didn’t ask God to change the circumstances but to fortify his own heart and deliver him from fear. The fear of the Lord mobilizes us, but the fear of man paralyzes us.
David knew exactly what the enemy was saying and doing, and we need to know the strategy of Satan when he attacks us (). As a lion, he comes to devour (), and as a serpent, he comes to deceive (), and one of his chief weapons is accusation (; see ). David compared his enemies’ tongues to swords (; ; ) and their words to poisoned arrows (; ).
David knew that the human heart is “deep” (see ), and that there are always new dangers to avoid, so he constantly sought the Lord’s wisdom as he made decisions. is a great promise to claim!
, By depending on the Lord and obeying His directions, David was confident that God would defeat his enemies. “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (). David’s enemies shot arrows at him suddenly (, ), so the Lord suddenly shot arrows at them (v. ). They tried to trip him and trap him (v. ), so the Lord caused David’s enemies to stumble and fall (v. ). God would use their own sword-like tongues to fight against them, and they would end up in shame and disgrace (v. ). The very weapons that the enemy uses against us, the Lord uses to defeat them.
, As the nation watched the defeat of David’s enemies and his exaltation as king, it all brought great glory to the Lord. Some people stood and shook their heads in disbelief (v. ). The people praised the Lord for what He had done, and as they worshiped, they meditated on His character and His purposes. It isn’t enough to know the works of the Lord; we must also seek to understand His way and learn how to please Him (, ). David’s great concern was that the Lord be glorified, and that was why God blessed him. Rejoice!
This is the first of four psalms () that focus on praising the Lord for His manifold blessings in nature and for His gracious dealings with His people. He is the God of creation and the God of the covenant. The psalm acknowledges our total dependence on the Lord to provide both our spiritual and material needs.
Silence is a part of worship, and we must learn to wait quietly before the Lord (). Israel has no sanctuary today, but one day the temple will be rebuilt (; ), and the Gentile nations will come and worship the true and living God (; ; ; ).
The priests were chosen by God to serve in the sanctuary (), but God wanted all of His “chosen people” to live like priests (; ; ). Believers today are “a royal priesthood” (, ; , ), chosen by the Lord, offering Him their praise and worship. What the Jewish worshipers had in their sanctuary, believers today have in Jesus Christ, and we find our complete satisfaction in Him. We have all these blessings only because of the grace of God, for He chose us ().
Day and night, God’s creation witnesses to the nations, and they are without excuse (; ; ). Jesus Christ is the only hope of the world. The “noise of the seas” are a symbol of the nations in tumult and confusion (; , ; ; , ; ; ). From the east to the west (sunrise to sunset, “the outgoings of the morning and evening”), His name will be reverenced. What a missionary text! The nations of the earth need to know the gospel of Jesus Christ so they can sings songs of joy to the Lord.
The psalm opened in the tiny land of Israel (God’s grace) and moved from there to the nations of the earth (God’s government). Now the entire universe comes into the picture, for the Creator of the universe provides the sunshine and rain in their times and seasons so that people can plow the earth, plant seeds, and eventually harvest food (see ; ). The emphasis is on God’s goodness and generosity to His people. The rains come in abundance; the rivers and streams overflow; the harvest is plenteous; the grain wagons are full; and the grain spills into the wagon ruts. Why? Because God covenanted to care for the land of Israel and visit it with His blessing, if His people honored and obeyed Him (; see ).
Catalyst
For those who may have wondered exactly what means by “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork,” the final verses in fill in the picture.
The “pastures of the wilderness” (uncultivated land) would produce vegetation and the hills would blossom with joy. The meadows would feed the flocks and herds, and the valleys would produce the grain. All of them would unite as one voiceless choir shouting for joy to the God of the universe, the Creator of every good and perfect gift.
We can’t read these verses without expressing appreciation and adoration to our God for His goodness in the creation. We must commit not to waste food () or misuse the precious land and resources He has given us. One day God will destroy those who destroy the earth (). We are all stewards of His precious gifts.
Go to the
The psalmist invited all the Gentile nations to praise God for what He had done for Israel (vv. )! Why? Because through Israel, the Lord brought truth and salvation to the Gentiles. “Salvation is of the Jews” (). This is a missionary psalm showing the importance of taking the good news of Jesus Christ into all the world. God’s purpose is that all the nations shall praise Him (; ; ), but they can’t do that until they trust Him (.).
If any nation has reason to praise the Lord, it is Israel; for He rescued them from slavery, guided them through the wilderness, took them into their land, and enabled them to defeat their enemies and claim their inheritance. He gave them His law, His sanctuary, and His priests and prophets, and He blessed them with all they needed. When they disobeyed, He disciplined them. Like a careful craftsman, He put them through the furnace and removed the impurities. When they turned to the Lord, He transformed their sufferings into blessings and brought them to a place of great abundance (v. ; see ; , ; ). So it has been with the church. When the Lord has permitted persecution, this has invariably led to growth and blessing. We can go through fire and water and be the better for it ().
The change from “we/our” to “I/my” is significant, for corporate worship is the ministry of many individuals, and God sees each heart. During his times of trial, the psalmist had made vows to God, and now he hastened to fulfill them. He brought many burnt offerings to the altar, the very best he had, and they symbolized his total dedication to the Lord. We today obey and present ourselves as living sacrifices. When the Lord does something wonderful for us, we ought to share this with other believers and help to strengthen their faith.
The entire Bible is a record of God’s gracious dealings with His people, and while our words are not inspired, our witness can bring glory to the Lord. Prayer and praise naturally go together in expressing ourselves to God.
When we recognize sin in our hearts, we must immediately judge it, confess it, and forsake it (); otherwise, the Lord can’t work on our behalf (, ). To cover sin is to invite trouble and discipline (; see ).
, The glory of God was an important part of Israel’s heritage (), for God’s glory led Israel through the wilderness and rested over the tabernacle wherever the nation camped. To have the light of God’s countenance smile upon them was the height of Israel’s blessing, and to lose that glory meant judgment (, especially vv. , ). The prophet Ezekiel watched the glory depart before the temple was destroyed (; ; , ; , ).
God’s people today have God’s glory within (, ; ), and in our good works, godly character, and loving ministry we should reveal that glory to the world (; ). In the same manner, Israel was to be a light and a blessing to the nations (; , ; ). Israel gave us the knowledge of the true and living God, the Word of God, and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
These three verses form the heart of the psalm and focus on the Gentile nations worshiping and praising the God of Israel. Today, the nations have conspired to dethrone the Lord () and they want nothing of His ways, but the day will come when all the nations will come to the mountain of the Lord and worship the God of Jacob ().
, Why would “all the ends of the earth” fear a God who didn’t provide food for His own people? The application to the church today is obvious: As we obey the Lord, pray, and trust Him, He provides what we need; and the unsaved around us see that He cares for us. This gives us opportunity to tell them about Jesus. While verse speaks of literal harvests, it also reminds us of the “spiritual harvest” that comes as we witness for the Lord (). God blesses the nations through His people Israel and through His church, and all the nations should trust Him, obey Him, and fear Him.
Verse is a quotation from , Israel’s “marching cry” whenever they set out on their journeys. The quotation is fitting, because the psalm pictures the Lord “on the march” on behalf of His people. He fights their battles, leads them into the land of their inheritance, and takes up residence in the sanctuary on Mount Zion. The enemies of Israel are blown away like smoke () and melted like wax (), while the righteous (Israel) rejoice at God’s works and sing His praises.
David reviewed the triumphant march of Israel, beginning with their exodus from Egypt and the journey to Sinai (vv. , ; and see , especially , ). The rain can be taken literally, but it might also refer to the manna that came down six days a week (, ; ; ). Then Israel entered the land and conquered it () because the Lord spoke the Word of victory (v. ; see ). He had promised Israel they would take the land, and they did (; ).
, There appears to be a reference to the “Song of Deborah” in , where she shamed Reuben for staying home and not fighting the enemy but praised Benjamin, Zebulun, and Naphtali for joining in the battle. These three tribes are commended in , but we don’t know of any tribes that failed to participate in the conquering of Canaan.
This is a picture of an Eastern monarch and his entourage approaching a town; the citizens clear away the obstacles on the road (; ; ; ). The coming of the King encourages the helpless people, especially the orphans and widows, the lonely, and those imprisoned unjustly (, ; see , ; ; ). But the rebels had better be careful ()! They might be cast out of the Promised Land that flows with milk and honey!
David saw the Lord’s presence on Zion as a blessing first of all to those who were burdened and in danger. Jehovah our King bears our burdens and defeats our enemies. Certainly David saw the Lord win great victories for Israel so that the borders of the kingdom were greatly enlarged.
The picture in verse isn’t a pretty one, but dogs licking blood was a common image for the most complete kind of judgment and humiliation (; ; ).
The King now receives the homage of His people, who gladly say, “my God, my King.” Both men and women, laypeople and priests, join in praising the Lord. Zion was situated at the border of Judah and Benjamin; David came from Judah and King Saul from Benjamin.
This closing section has prophetic overtones as it describes the Gentile nations submitting to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and bringing Him their worship (; ). Until the Lord reigns in Jerusalem, there can be no peace on earth (, ; ). God will defeat Israel’s old enemy Egypt, along with her allies (see ), and they will send envoys to Jerusalem with tribute. The Gentile nations will join Israel in singing praises to the Lord and extolling His majesty and power. Perhaps the sanctuary of is the one described in . It certainly is awesome!
This is a messianic psalm as well as an imprecatory psalm, and after and , it is the most frequently quoted psalm in the New Testament. It is attributed to David and has definite affinities with , , and , which are also Davidic psalms.
David had prayed to the Lord, but the Lord had not yet answered (v. ), and he wanted an answer now (v. )! Though he was not sinless (v. ), he was innocent of the charges his enemies were making, and yet he was being treated as though he were guilty (v. ). This reminds us of our Savior, who was sinless yet treated like a transgressor (, , , ; see also ; ; ; , , .) Jesus quoted in the Upper Room discourse ().
The psalmist begins by asking for deliverance for his own sake and describes his dangerous situation using the metaphor of a drowning man (see ; ).
David’s second reason for praying for deliverance was for the Lord’s sake, because those who lied about David were blaspheming the name of the Lord. David did not want God’s people to suffer shame because of him (v. ; see ; , ).
David’s third argument for deliverance is based on the character of God. What the Lord said to Moses in is reflected here. In and , David repeats the metaphor from verses and , but he sees hope in God’s unfailing love and compassion, for the Lord is merciful and gracious. His truth endures, and He will always keep His promises.
David prayed that some of the basic blessings of life would be taken away from his enemies—eating, seeing, walking, and having descendants—and then that life itself would be snatched from them (vv. , )! In , Peter applied verse to Judas.
The enemy had put poison and sour wine on David’s table, so he prayed that their tables would turn into traps. This meant that judgment would catch them unprepared in their careless hours of feasting (). It could also apply to the feasts associated with the sacrifices. While rejoicing after worship, they would experience God’s judgment.
David asked that his enemies be slain, erased from the Book of Life. Even more, he didn’t want them identified with the righteous after they died, which meant they were destined for eternal judgment. While this kind of prayer is hardly an example for God’s people today (; ), we can understand David’s hatred of their sins and his desire to protect Israel and its mission in the world.
Perhaps this is a promise David made to the Lord, and no doubt he fulfilled it. He wanted the Lord to be glorified in his worship (vv. , ), in his witness to the needy (vv. , ), in all of creation (v. ), and in all of Israel (vv. , ). He asked the Lord to protect and provide for the poor whom the sinners were abusing and exploiting. He saw a day coming when the land would be united and healed and the cities populated again.
With a few minor changes, this psalm is a duplicate of . Once again, David prays for God to come quickly to his aid (, ; ; ; ).
David contrasts his great needs with the praise of his savior: “I am—You are.” The great “I AM” (see ) is adequate for every need.
The first three verses are adapted from , a perfectly legitimate practice among psalmists. This writer also borrowed from , , , and , to name just a few of his sources. On , see ; ; ; ; , ; and . (On the image of the rock, see .) If the author was a temple musician, his mind and heart were no doubt filled with the psalms that he had sung day after day.
Our expressions to God, like our language itself, need not be original with us. Borrowed words and phrases, spoken from the heart, will certainly please God.
The psalmist says to God, “Deliver me in Your righteousness.” This concept of God’s righteousness (His doing what is right) is mentioned five times in the psalm (vv. , , , , ) and refers not only to one of God’s attributes but also to His faithfulness in keeping His word. A righteous God is active in helping His people in their times of need. He issues the command and the deed is done (v. ; ; ; ). His people can always come to Him (; ), always praise Him (, , , ), and always hope in Him (v. ). He never fails.
, During the decadent years of the kingdom of Judah, some of the rulers promoted worshiping idols along with the worship of Jehovah and pressured the Levites to compromise. The writer didn’t want to run away and hide from life; he wanted to receive the strength needed to face life with its challenges. The Lord was his habitation () and his help.
When you are discouraged and worried, look back and count your blessings. Remind yourself of the faithfulness of the Lord. Like Samuel, erect your own “Ebenezer” and say, “Thus far the LORD has helped us” (). From conception to birth, and from birth to young manhood, the Lord had been with the psalmist, and God was not about to abandon him now or in his old age (, ; ; ; ). Hope doesn’t end with retirement (, ).
The psalmist looked to the future and moved from “You are my hope” (v. ) to “I will hope continually” (v. ; see ; ). The future is secure when Jesus is your Lord. The word translated “hope continually” in means a long and patient waiting in spite of delays and disappointments. If we trust God, then the trials of life will work for us and not against us and will lead to glory (; see ).
The writer was a poet, a singer, and an instrumentalist, and he used all his gifts to praise the Lord. The divine name “Holy One of Israel” is used almost thirty times in Isaiah but only three times in the Psalms (; ; ). The name connects with the emphasis in the psalm on God’s righteousness.
The psalmist had looked back at a life of trials and blessings from the Lord; he had looked around at his enemies; he had looked ahead at old age and its problems; and he had even looked down into the depths of the earth (v. ). But it was when he looked up and realized that God’s righteousness “is very high” (v. ; see ; ; ) that he grew in confidence and left his worries with the Lord. No matter where we find ourselves in life, this is a good example for us to follow.
The Lord was King over His people, and the man on the throne in Jerusalem was His representative, obligated to lead the people according to the law of God (). He had to be impartial in his dealings (, ; ; ) and make sure that his throne was founded on righteousness and justice (; ).
Solomon’s prayer for himself as king foreshadows the ultimate King, the Son of David who would reign permanently on the throne. The Messiah will one day reign in righteousness and execute justice throughout the world (; , ; , ; ). In the whole land of Israel, from the mountains to the hills, Solomon’s reign would bring peace and prosperity, for both of these blessings depend on righteousness (). It is because Jesus fulfilled God’s righteousness in His life and death that sinners can be forgiven and have peace with God ().
, The image of the rain causing the earth to flourish is used to remind us that a righteous king would encourage righteousness in the people, and a righteous people would receive God’s promised blessings, according to His covenant (; ; ). David used a similar metaphor in . Godly leaders are like the refreshing rain that makes the land fruitful and beautiful, so that even the newly mown fields will produce a second crop.
Solomon’s name is related to the Hebrew word shalom, which means “peace, prosperity, well-being.” The king’s ministry to the poor and afflicted reminds us of the ministry of Jesus (vv. , , ; ). Early in his reign, Solomon had that kind of concern, but in his later life, his values changed, and he burdened the people with heavy taxes (; ; ).
God promised Abraham that He would give his descendants all the land from the River of Egypt in the south to the Euphrates in the north (), and He reaffirmed this promise through Moses (). Both David and Solomon ruled over great kingdoms (, ; ), but neither of them ruled “from the River to the ends of the earth” (). This privilege is reserved for Jesus Christ.
The one King of kings, before whom all kings will bow, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God (; , ; ; ). There can be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace is reigning and the nations have submitted to Him.
The king of Israel was looked upon as God’s shepherd who lovingly cared for God’s flock (; ; ). Any citizen had access to the king to get help in solving legal problems, and the king was to make certain that the local judges were being fair and honest in their decisions.
Because of the promise of the coming Savior, it was important that the Davidic dynasty continue. But in the case of Jesus, He reigns “according to the power of an endless life” (). He is the life (), and He is alive forever (). He is King forever!
Israel’s prosperity would be not only political (the king), but also economic (gold), spiritual (prayer), and commercial (thriving crops). In fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham (), God would bless all the nations through Israel, as He has done in sending Jesus Christ (). The prophets wrote of this glorious kingdom, and their prophecies will be fulfilled.
, The closing benediction is not a part of the psalm proper but forms the conclusion to Book Two of the book of Psalms (see also ; ; ). A fitting conclusion it is, for it focuses on the glory of the Lord. Solomon’s kingdom had its share of glory, but the glory did not last. When Jesus reigns on earth, the glory of God will be revealed as never before.
The struggles and doubts that Asaph expressed in this psalm are similar to those we find in the book of Job. Asaph’s problems were with God. He affirmed that “God is” (v. ), so he was not an atheist or an agnostic, and he was certain that the God he worshiped was good. Furthermore, he knew that the Lord had made a covenant with Israel that promised blessings if the people obeyed Him (; ). But it was these foundational beliefs that created the problem for him, because he observed that unbelievers don’t face problems like everyone else: “They are not in trouble as other men” (). If the Lord was good and kept His covenant promises, why were His people suffering and the godless prospering?
, The more Asaph measured his situation against that of the ungodly, the more he began to slip from his firm foundation. There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt comes from a struggling mind, while unbelief comes from a stubborn will that refuses surrender to God (v. ). The unbelieving person will not believe, while the doubting person struggles to believe.
Based on the evidence he could see around him, Asaph came to the wrong conclusion: that he has wasted his time and energy maintaining clean hands and a pure heart (v. ; see v. ; ; ). If he had ever read the book of Job, then he had missed its message, for we serve God, not for what we get out of it, but because He is worthy of our worship and service regardless of what He allows to come to our lives. Satan has a commercial view of the life of faith and encourages us to serve God for what we can get from Him (), and Asaph almost bought into that philosophy (see also ).
Before going public with his unbelief and resigning his office, Asaph paused to consider the consequences. How would the younger believers in the land respond if one of the three sanctuary worship leaders turned his back on Jehovah, the covenants, and the faith? To abandon the faith would mean undermining all that he had taught and sung at the sanctuary! The more he pondered the problem, the more his heart was pained (see vv. , ), So he decided to go to the sanctuary and spend time with the Lord in worship.
Asaph got a new perspective on the problem when he considered, not the circumstances around him, but the destiny before him. He realized that what he saw in the lives of the prosperous, ungodly people was not a true picture but only pretense.
The contrast is striking here between Asaph’s picture of the godly life and the godless life earlier (vv. ). The ungodly impress each other and attract admirers, but they don’t have God’s presence with them. The Lord upholds the righteous but casts down the wicked (v. ). The righteous are guided by God’s truth (v. ), but the ungodly are deluded by their own fantasies. The destiny of the true believers is glory (v. ), but the destiny of the unbelievers is destruction (vv. , ).
, The possessions of the ungodly are but idols that take the place of the Lord, and idolatry is harlotry (, ; ). Even death cannot separate God’s people from His blessing, for the spirit goes to heaven to be with the Lord, and the body waits in the earth for resurrection (, ; ; ).
The word “remember” (v. ) doesn’t mean “call to mind,” because it’s impossible for God to forget anything. It means “to go to work on behalf of someone.” Why did God permit a pagan nation to defeat the Jews and destroy their Holy City and sacred temple, and why was He doing nothing about it? Even though the prophets had warned that judgment was coming (), the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple were catastrophic events that shook the people’s faith. As he surveyed the situation, Asaph moved from despair to confidence and in the end affirmed that all was not lost.
The people of Judah thought that the presence of the temple was their guarantee of security no matter how they lived, but the prophet Jeremiah refuted that lie (). “The perpetual desolations” were prophesied by Jeremiah () as he warned that the temple would be destroyed and the nation taken into captivity.
“All the meeting places” is significant, for there were no synagogues until after the Jews returned to their land following the captivity. There was only one temple and one altar for sacrifices, but there must have been other places where the people met to be taught the Scriptures and to pray.
Verse signals the turning point in Asaph’s experience. He lifted his eyes by faith from the burning ruins to the holy throne of God in the heavens and received a new perspective on the situation. Confidence in God always flows from attention to God.
Since righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne (), it was logical for Asaph to move in his thoughts from God’s throne to God’s covenant with Israel (; ). Asaph knew the terms of the covenant: If Israel obeyed the Lord, He would bless them; if they disobeyed, He would chasten them; if they confessed their sins, He would forgive them.
, Asaph saw the nation as a defenseless dove that had no way of escape. Had the kings and leaders listened to their prophets and led the nation back to the Lord, all this carnage and destruction would have been averted. But the Lord was paying attention to His covenant! That was why He was chastening His people. Asaph was concerned about the glory of God’s name and the survival of God’s people. It was God’s cause that was uppermost in his mind.
The nation had been ravaged, the city of Jerusalem had been wrecked, and the temple had been destroyed and burned—but the essentials had not been touched by the enemy! The nation still had Jehovah God as their God, His Word and His covenant had not been changed, and Jehovah was at work in the world! God is at work in our world today, and we need not despair.
True worship centers on the Lord and not on us, our personal problems, or our “felt needs.” We praise God for who He is—His glorious attributes—and for His wonderful works (see ; ; , ). God’s name is a synonym for God’s person and presence (; ). He is indeed “A very present help in trouble” (), and when God’s people call on the Lord, they know He will hear them. We thank the Lord for all He has done, and we tell others about His wonderful works. Though God wants us to bring our burdens to Him and seek His help, worship begins with getting our eyes of faith off the circumstances of life and focusing them on the Lord God Almighty.
If we expect the Lord to receive our words of praise, we must pay attention to His Word of truth as it is read, sung, and preached. The message delivered here was twofold: a word of encouragement for believers (vv. , ) and a word of warning to the godless (vv. , ).
, The message for the godless warns them not to be arrogant and disobedient to the will of God. Before it lowers its head and attacks, a horned beast proudly lifts its head high and challenges its opponent, and the ungodly were following this example. The Hebrew word translated “lift up” or “exalt” is used five times in this psalm (vv. , ), and in verses it is associated with arrogance that leads to trouble. These verses describe an insolent and rebellious person, not one who is bowed down in submission to the Lord.
How easy it is to hear God’s message, leave the meeting, and then forget to obey what we heard! The blessing doesn’t come in the hearing but in the doing of God’s Word (). “He puts down one, and exalts another” (v. ), and the fact that “the horns of the righteous shall be exalted” (v. ) has to do with God delivering His people from trouble and setting them free.
The “cup” is a familiar image of judgment (; , ; .; ; ). The Jews usually drank wine diluted with water, but this cup contained wine mixed with strong spices, what they called a “mixed wine” (, ). If the believers went home from the worship service trusting the Lord to deliver them and judge their enemies, the ungodly should have gone home concerned about future judgment. The Lord Jesus Christ drank the cup of suffering for us (), but those who refuse to trust Him will drink the cup of judgment down to the last dregs.
Jacob was not always a great man of faith, and yet God deigns to be called by Jacob’s name! What an encouragement to us! “I will” indicates decision on the part of the psalmist. Asaph had participated in the sanctuary worship and helped lead the music, but he, too, had to make a decision to obey the Lord and tell others about Him.
The fact that God says “the horns of the wicked I will also cut off” ought to motivate us to share the gospel with them, and the fact that God will exalt “the horns of the righteous” ought to humble us and give us faith and courage in the difficult hours of life.
The background of this psalm is probably God’s judgment of the Assyrian army, as recorded in and . Other “Zion” psalms include , , , , , and . The emphasis in this psalm is on the God who accomplished the victory, and not on the miracle itself. God’s mighty works reveal the greatness of His character and His power ().
When the northern kingdom of Israel was taken by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., many godly people moved into Judah, where a descendant of David was on the throne and true priests ministered in God’s appointed temple (; ). Asaph named both Israel and Judah, for though the kingdoms had been divided politically, there was still only one covenant people in the sight of the Lord. God’s name was great in Judah and Jerusalem (, ; , ; ), but it needed to be magnified among the neighboring nations, for that was Israel’s calling ().
Jehovah had chosen Judah to be the ruling tribe () and Jerusalem to be the site of His holy sanctuary (; ). When the Assyrian army camped near Jerusalem and threatened to attack, the angel of the Lord visited the camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. All their abandoned implements of war were but silent monuments to the power of the God of Israel.
The God of Jacob (v. ; see ) not only put an end to those soldiers and their chariot horses, but He took the weapons () and put the fear of the Lord into their leaders (v. ). Why? Because King Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah, and the elders of Judah in Jerusalem all listened to God’s Word and put their faith in the Lord.
Faced with overwhelming obstacles in our lives, we can follow their example and throw off despair and hopelessness and dare to trust in God. When there is little or nothing we can do, we can see more clearly what God can do.
The fear of the Lord is a major theme in this psalm (vv. , , , ). It means, of course, the reverential awe, the respect and veneration that belong to God alone. God’s people love Him and rejoice in Him, but they also “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” ().
From His throne in heaven, the Lord announced the verdict, and the trial was over. There could be no appeal, because God’s court is the very highest and His judgment leaves the defendants speechless (). “The earth feared and was still.” According to and , God’s judgments accomplish at least three purposes: They bring glory to God as they reveal His justice and holiness; they punish the wicked for their evil deeds; and they bring salvation to those who trust the Lord ().
Instead of resisting the Lord—a losing battle—we should be grateful to Him for rescuing us and saving us from our sins. Asaph spoke to the Jewish believers and told them to keep the promises they made to the Lord when Jerusalem was in danger. How easy it is to make vows and not keep them ()! The Lord’s great victory should also have witnessed to the neighboring nations and motivated them to go to Jerusalem with gifts to worship Him (see ).
Scholars have wrestled with the translation of the second line of verse , and some translations append a note stating that “the meaning is uncertain” or “the Hebrew is obscure.” The idea expressed seems to be that the Lord isn’t agitated about man’s wrath but wears it like a sword (or a garment) and will use it against His enemies at the right time.
This appears to be a companion psalm to , which also lamented the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel. Both deal with the Lord’s apparent rejection of His people (; ), and both look back to the exodus for renewed hope (; ).
Unable to sleep, Asaph began by praying (vv. , ), then moved into remembering (vv. ), and finally found himself questioning (vv. ). In times of crisis and pain, prayer is the believer’s natural response, and Asaph reached out his hands in the darkness and cried out to the Lord. He was God’s servant and had led the people in worship in the temple, yet he found no comfort for his own heart. When he remembered the Lord and pondered the matter (v. ; see vv. , , ), he only groaned, for it seemed that the Lord had failed His people. But had He?
During the crisis experiences of life, there comes a time when we must get ourselves by the nape of the neck and shake ourselves out of pity into reality, and that’s what Asaph did here. Israel’s very chastening was proof of God’s love (see , ). Asaph remembered the former years, when Israel enjoyed God’s blessing, and he also recalled the songs he had sung at the temple, even when on duty at night (; see ; ; ). He had lifted his hands in the sanctuary and received the Lord’s blessing, but now he lifted his hands and received nothing.
The pronouns suddenly change from “I” and “my” to “you” and “your,” referring to the Lord. When we look at our circumstances, we focus on ourselves and see no hope, but when we look by faith to the Lord, our circumstances may not change but we do. Asaph didn’t completely solve his problems, but he did move out of the shadows of doubt into the sunshine of communion with the Lord and confidence in Him.
First (vv., ), Asaph looked up by faith and rejoiced in the greatness of God. He realized that God’s ways are always holy, that He is a great God, and that His purposes are always right (see , , , ).
Then (vv. ), Asaph looked back to Israel’s exodus from Egypt () for proof of the grace and power of the Lord. As believers, we look back to Calvary, where the Lamb of God gave His life for us. If God the Father did not spare His own Son for us, will He not give us everything else that we need ()? There is a wonderful future for the people of God!
Finally (v. ), Asaph realized afresh that the Lord was the Shepherd of Israel (see also ; , ; ; ). Just as he called Moses and Aaron () and David () to lead His flock, so He would appoint other shepherds in the years to come. One day, the Good Shepherd would come and give His life for the sheep (). Asaph had some struggles during this difficult period in his life, but in the end, he knew he could trust the Lord to work out everything for good, and like an obedient sheep, he submitted to the Shepherd. That is what we must do.
One thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history. If you study the Bible and church history, you discover that Israel made that same mistake. As Asaph reviewed the history of his people, he saw a sad record of forgetfulness, faithlessness, foolishness, and failure, and he sought to understand what it all meant. These things were written for the profit of believers today (, ).
, It was God’s law that each generation of Jewish people pass on God’s Word to the next generation (; ; ; ; see ; , ; , ; ; , ), and this law applies to His church today (). In retelling the “dark sayings of old,” Asaph helped his readers understand an enigma in their history.
, Future generations needed to understand their history so they would obey the Lord and do His will. Asaph did not want the people to imitate the “exodus generation” that died in the wilderness, or the third generation in Canaan that turned to idols, or the ten tribes that forsook the Lord and established a new kingdom and a false religion. The nation had been stubborn and rebellious (vv. , ; ) and had suffered because of their disobedience. On the positive side, Asaph wanted the future generations to trust God, to learn from the past, and to obey God’s Word (). Only then could they be sure of the blessing of the Lord. That principle still applies today.
This passage refers to the northern kingdom of Israel. When the ten tribes broke away from Judah and Benjamin, they informally adopted the name of their strongest and largest tribe, Ephraim. Willful and militant, the tribe created problems for both Joshua () and Gideon ().
These verses recount the nation’s sins in the wilderness. Asaph now returned to the sins of the whole nation, before the political division after Solomon’s death. The Jews forgot what the Lord did for them in Egypt when He sent the plagues to Egypt and delivered the Jewish people at the exodus. The people saw one miracle after another as the Lord exposed the futility of the Egyptian gods and goddesses (; ), but the memory soon faded.
The people did not remember the demonstrations of God’s power in sending the plagues to Egypt (; ) and in opening the Red Sea to set the nation free (). Asaph listed six of the ten plagues but did not mention the lice (), the killing of the livestock (), the boils (), and the three days of darkness before the death of the firstborn (). After this great display of divine power, the people should have been able to trust the Lord in any situation, knowing that He was in control, but they grieved Him, provoked Him, and tempted Him to display His anger against them! Human nature has not changed.
After caring for the nation in the wilderness for thirty-eight years, the Lord brought them again to Kadesh Barnea (, ). There Moses reviewed their history and taught them God’s law as he prepared the new generation to enter the land and conquer the enemy. They were a new generation, making a new beginning with a new leader (Joshua) and a new opportunity to trust God. Under Joshua’s able leadership, they conquered the land and claimed their inheritance, and for two generations obeyed the Lord. But the third generation repeated the sins of their ancestors and forgot what the Lord had said and done.
It has well been said that a change in circumstances does not overcome a flaw in character, and the history of the Jewish nation illustrates the truth of that statement. Whether living in Egypt, journeying in the wilderness, or dwelling in their own land, the people of Israel were prone to want their own way and rebel against the Lord. When chastened, they feigned repentance, experienced God’s help, and were forgiven, but before long, they were back in trouble again. But is any people or individual free from this malady? At least the Jewish writers who gave us the Bible were honest to record their sins as well as their achievements! The church today can learn from both ().
, Kings were called “shepherds” (; ) because God’s chosen people were the sheep of His pasture, and no one was better qualified than David to hold that title (). He loved his “sheep” () and often risked his life for them on the battlefield. His hands were skillful, whether holding a sword, a harp, a pen, or a scepter, and, unlike his predecessor Saul, his heart was wholly devoted to the Lord. Integrity and skill need each other, for no amount of ability can compensate for a sinful heart, and no amount of devotion to God can overcome lack of ability.
God gave His people victory over Egypt () and helped them march through the wilderness and then conquer Canaan (). He also gave them King David, who defeated their enemies and expanded their kingdom. But now God’s people are captive, the city and temple are ruined, and the heathen nations are triumphant. We see Asaph playing four different roles (see italics in following sections) as he contemplates the defeat of Judah by the Babylonians. Each division of the psalm opens with an address to Jehovah: “O God” (v. ); “LORD” (v. ); “O God of our salvation” (v. ); and “O Lord” (v. ).
The Mourner: Beholding God’s Judgment. Babylon was the leading nation in the conquest of Judah, but the neighboring nations (Ammon, Moab, Edom) were delighted to see the Jews defeated. The Israelites could live in the land and enjoy its blessings as long as they obeyed the covenant (; ), but repeated rebellion would only bring painful discipline to them, including expulsion from the land.
The Sufferer: Feeling God’s Anger. The question “How long?” is found often in Scripture (see ). God is not jealous of anyone or anything, for He is wholly self-sufficient and needs nothing, but He is jealous over His land and His people (see ; ; ; , ; ). He is jealous for His name (), His land (), and His inheritance (). The sins of the fathers accumulated until God could hold back His wrath no longer. We are guilty before God for only our own sins (; , ; ), but we may suffer because of the sins of our ancestors.
The Intercessor: Pleading for God’s Help. His concern was for the glory of God’s name, and he felt that a miraculous deliverance for Judah would accomplish that, but no deliverance came. Asaph was quick to confess his own sins and the sins of his contemporaries, for it was not only their ancestors who had disobeyed the Lord (v. ).
Asaph was also concerned about the justice of God. Here, he prayed on the basis of the Lord’s great compassion, perhaps remembering Jehovah’s words to Moses (; see ). God had felt the burdens of the Jews when He called Moses to lead them out of Egypt, so surely He would have pity on the prisoners and those ready to die.
, The Worshiper: Promising to Praise God. The people of Judah were but sheep (; ; ; ; ), but they had been ruthlessly slaughtered by their enemies, and God’s name had been slandered. God had called His people to praise Him and to bear witness to the heathen nations (), and this is what Asaph promised to do if God would only deliver the people. There were sons of Asaph who left Babylon for Judah when the captivity ended, so Asaph’s promise to the Lord was fulfilled (; ; ; ).
In both the Old Testament and the New, a flock of sheep is a familiar image of the people of God (; ). The request here is that the Lord might lead His people through this crisis as He led them safely through the wilderness.
The request to God to “Cause Your face to shine” reminds us of the priestly benediction (; and see ; ; ; .) When God hides His face, there is trouble (; ; ; ; ; ). “Restore us” means “return us to our former state of blessing and fellowship with the Lord.”
The shepherd image blends in with the image of Israel as God’s people: “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (). But the Lord was now angry with His people, and His anger smoldered like a fire about to erupt and consume them.
The image now changes to that of Israel the vine. Jesus used this image to describe Himself and His followers (), and in , John pictured the corrupt Gentile nations in the end times as “clusters [of grapes] from the vine of the earth” that would be destroyed. The Lord transplanted Israel from Egypt to Canaan, uprooted the nations in Canaan, and planted His people in the land of their inheritance. As long as the people obeyed the Lord, the vine grew and covered more and more of the land.
But the luxurious “vine” disobeyed the Lord, produced “worthless fruit” (), and felt the chastening hand of the Lord. He withdrew His protection and permitted the enemy to enter the land and ruin the vineyard. Asaph prayed that the Lord might forgive and once again bless His people.
, While there may be messianic overtones in these verses (see , ), the main idea is that Israel is God’s own people, His vine, and His chosen son. He planted the nation in Canaan, and He alone can protect and deliver them. He had treated the people like a favored son, just as Jacob had laid his right hand of blessing on Ephraim rather than the firstborn Manasseh (). They did not deserve His blessing, but in His grace He bestowed it.
, The final refrain introduces a third name for God, borrowed from verse : “O LORD God of hosts.” “LORD” is the name “Jehovah,” which is the covenant name of God. The psalmist appealed to the covenant and asked God to be faithful to forgive His people as they called upon Him and confessed their sins (; ). This is the Old Testament version of .
The leader called together the people (v. ), the musicians (v. ), and the priests to blow the trumpets (v. ). In the Old Testament law, we find stated times of worship (the weekly Sabbath, the annual festivals, etc.) as well as spontaneous times of worship (at the defeat of the enemy, for example). Both are essential to balanced worship, and both should focus on the goodness of the Lord. If all worship were personal and spontaneous, there would be diversity but no unity; but if all worship only followed a schedule, there would be uniformity and no diversity.
At some point in the festal celebration, a priest received God’s message and declared it to the people. The emphasis in this psalm is on hearing the Word of God (vv. , , ; see ; ). Every seventh year at the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests read the book of Deuteronomy to the people, and perhaps this was one of those special sabbatical years (see ). Note the emphasis in Deuteronomy on “hearing God” (, , ; ; , ; ). It is delightful to sing praises to God and to pray, but if we want Him to listen to us, we must listen to Him.
Frequently the Lord reminded His people of their miraculous deliverance from Egypt (v. ), the power of God that accomplished it, and the love of God that motivated it. He also reminded them of the covenant they accepted at Sinai (v. ; see , ). The people hearing this message were not at Sinai, but the decision of their ancestors was binding on them and their descendants.
Worship and service go together (; ), and this means we must obey what the Lord commands. But the nation did not obey God’s Word, and He had to destroy all the people twenty years and older (.). But this attitude of spiritual “deafness” and willful disobedience persisted even after Israel entered the Promised Land, as recorded in the book of Judges (see , , , , ). The greatest judgment God can send is to let people have their own way (see , , ).
When we disobey the Lord, not only do we feel the pain of His chastening, but we also miss out on the blessings He so desires to give us. The Lord gave Israel water out of the rock, but He was prepared to give them honey out of the rock (). He sent manna from heaven, but He would have given them the finest of wheat.
Since God is the Lawgiver, He is also the Judge (), and the Judge of all the earth does what is right (). He presides over the congregation of Israel and over the judges of the nation. The Lord is not sitting at a bench, patiently listening to the presentation of the case, because God is Judge and jury and needs nobody to tell Him the facts. He knows what people are doing on the earth and will execute judgment righteously (). In His court, there is no “defense” or “appeal.” He is omniscient, and His verdict is final. It is an awesome occasion: He is standing and about to announce His decision ().
These judges did not act justly (v. ) or love mercy (vv. , ), and they walked in defiance of God’s will (v. ); see . The pronoun “you” in verse is plural, for the Lord is addressing all the guilty judges. They championed the causes of the guilty because they were bribed, and they failed to care for the orphans and widows.
It’s possible that the pronoun “they” in verse refers back to the weak and needy people described in verse . The priests and Levites did not always do their jobs well, and the common people did not know the law well enough to defend themselves. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (). When the law of God is ignored or disobeyed, this shakes and threatens the very foundations of society, for God’s moral law is the standard by which man’s laws must be judged.
Though these people held high offices and were called “gods” (), they were only humans and would be judged for their sins. Privilege brings responsibility, and responsibility brings accountability. Asaph added his prayer that God would bring justice to all the earth and not just to Israel (; , ). When the Lord comes to judge the earth, no one will escape, and His sentence will be just. Asaph’s prayer echoes the church’s prayer: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” ().
The “gods” (also translated as “heavenly beings,” v. ) are not the false gods of the heathen, for such nonexistent gods are not Jehovah’s judicial representatives on earth. Nor are they the holy angels, for angels cannot die (v. ). These “gods” (elohim) are people who have been given the awesome responsibility of representing the Lord on earth and interpreting and applying His law (; ). It is a great responsibility to represent the Lord on earth (; ; ) and seek to execute justice by applying the law correctly. Civil servants are “God’s servants” and will answer to Him for what they have done ().
Asaph was troubled because the Lord had said nothing through His prophets and done nothing through His providential workings to stop the huge confederacy from advancing. Literally he prayed, “Let there be no rest to You” (see , ; , ). These were God’s enemies, attacking God’s people, and threatening God’s protected ones (see ; ), so it was time for God to take notice and act!
Asaph recalled some of Jehovah’s great victories in Israel’s past history, especially Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (vv. , ; ) and the victory of Deborah and Barak against Sisera and Jabin (; ). Endor () is not mentioned in , but it was a city near Taanach (). The phrase “who became as refuse on the earth” () describes the unburied bodies of enemy soldiers rotting on the ground. The enemy was defeated and disgraced.
Asaph closed his prayer by asking God to send such a victory to Israel that the enemy soldiers would flee in panic and look like tumbleweeds and chaff blowing before the wind. Like a forest burning on the mountainside, their armies would be consumed. The image of God’s judgment as a storm is found in ; ; and . If Asaph’s prayer seems vindictive, remember that he was asking God to protect His special people, who had a special work to see on earth. (See also ; , other imprecatory psalms).
Before asking for their destruction, Asaph prayed that the enemy would be “confounded and dismayed” and would turn to the true and living God. King Hezekiah prayed a similar prayer for the invading Assyrians (). The armies of the ten nations depended on many gods to give them success, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob defeated the armies and their gods! Part of obeying God’s instruction to pray for our enemies () may include turning them over to God.
We can worship God anytime and anywhere, but special places and stated rituals are important in structuring our worship experience. The important thing is that we have a heart devoted to the Lord, a spiritual “appetite” that cries out for nourishing fellowship with the Lord (; ). The psalmist cried out for God with his entire being. He envied the birds that were permitted to nest in the temple courts, near the altar, as well as the priests and Levites who lived and worked in the sacred precincts (). How easy it is for us to take for granted the privilege of worshiping the living God (see ), a privilege purchased for us on the cross.
Though he had to remain at home, the psalmist’s heart was set on pilgrimage, and the very map to Jerusalem was written on that heart. His love for God and His house helped him make right decisions in life so that he did not go astray.
It’s wonderful to receive a blessing, but it’s even greater to be a blessing and transform a desert into a garden. True pilgrims “go from strength to strength” (v. ; ; ; ) and trust God to enable them to walk a step at a time and work a day at a time. They are people of prayer who keep in communion with the Lord, no matter what their circumstances may be.
“The Valley of Baca” is also translated as “the Valley of Weeping.” Baca is a Hebrew word meaning “balsam tree,” and the sap of this tree oozes like tears. The term can apply to any difficult and painful place in life, where everything seems hopeless and you feel helpless, like you are in a “horrible pit” (). The people who love God expect to pass through this valley and not remain there. They get a blessing from the experience, and they leave a blessing behind.
From pleading “Hear my prayer” (v. ), the psalmist then lifted his petitions to the Lord, beginning with a prayer for the king (v. ). A “shield” is a symbol of both the Lord (; ; , ; ) and Israel’s anointed king (; see ). But why pray for the king? Because the future of the messianic promise rested with the line of King David (), and the psalmist wanted the Messiah to come. Believers today should pray faithfully for those in authority ().
The psalmist didn’t aspire to a high office (“doorkeeper” here is not the same as “gatekeeper” in ) but was willing to sit at the threshold of the temple, just to be close to the Lord.
If we walk by faith, then whatever begins with grace will ultimately end with glory. God does not give us everything we want, but He bestows upon us all that is good for us, all that we need (see ).
Although times of solitude and spiritual retreat can be very beneficial to us spiritually, believers today have constant open access into the presence of God because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His constant intercession for us in heaven (; ). Do we delight in the Lord and seek Him? Do we depend on His strength? Do we walk and work by faith? Are we among those who walk uprightly?
It should have been no surprise to the people of Judah that the Babylonians would invade their land, destroy their city and temple, and take them captive. After all, they knew the terms of the covenant (; ), and time after time, the Lord had sent His prophets to warn them, but they would not listen (). How often are we surprised when the uncomfortable consequences of ignoring God’s Word complicate our lives?
Jeremiah had told the people that their captivity would last seventy years and then the Lord would restore a remnant to the land (). God protected the people as they made the long journey home. He forgave their sins and gave them a new beginning, and for this they thanked the Lord (, ). The Hebrew word shuv basically means “to turn or return,” and it is used in verses and (“brought back”; “restore”), verse (“again”), and verse (“turn back”). When we turn back to God, repent, and confess our sins, He turns back to us and restores us.
It is one thing for the nation collectively to have a new birth of freedom, but there must also be changes in individuals. The praise begun in verses (possibly by a choir) now becomes prayer from the hearts of the people. Note that the word “us” is used six times, for it is the people who are praying, not the choir or worship leader. “Restore us” is the burden of their prayer.
Establishing the nation, rebuilding the temple, and restoring the liturgy would not guarantee God’s blessing on His people. They desperately needed His life at work within them. While in Babylon, had they heard or read Ezekiel’s message about the dry bones (), and did they long for the wind of the Spirit to blow upon their own lives and homes? New life is not something that we manufacture ourselves; new life can come only from the Holy Spirit of God. God gave a special message about this to Haggai () and also to Zechariah ().
The Lord announced future blessings that He would send if His people continued to walk with Him. Righteousness and peace—attributes of God—are personified and would “kiss” each other, for the warfare would be over. (See ; ; .) Surely there is a glimpse here of the person and work of Jesus Christ, for only in Him can mercy and truth become friends, for even if you tell the truth, you may not receive mercy! But the blessing changes the people, for truth springs up from the earth! God’s people are faithful and walk in the truth.
The psalmist described a world of holiness and harmony, a picture of the coming kingdom over which Christ shall reign. And what a harvest there will be, not only of food necessary for survival () but of heaven-sent blessings that will bring joy to the land. As people walk through the land, God’s righteousness will go before them and their way will be prepared. God’s will shall be done on earth just as it is now done in heaven.
David’s statement “I am holy” (i.e., “I am godly, devoted to You”) was not an egotistical statement but rather the declaration that David was a son of the covenant and belonged wholly to the Lord. It is the translation of the Hebrew word hesed (; ) and is the equivalent of “saints” in the New Testament, those set apart by and for the Lord. The word is related to hasid, which means “mercy, kindness, unfailing love” (, , ). As he began his prayer, David pleaded for help on the basis of his covenant relationship with the Lord, just as believers today pray in the name of Jesus and on the basis of His covenant of grace.
The psalm has many connections with the Davidic covenant (). We get the impression that David had the covenant text before him and wrote verses for his psalm to parallel what the Lord had said to him and he had said to the Lord. On the basis of God’s covenant promises, David could lift “supplications” to the Lord and plead his case. In verses , the word “for” usually signals one of David’s persuasive reasons why the Lord should help him.
David praises God’s unchanging character. Verse is the confession of a man who truly knows God and remembered Israel’s confession at the exodus (). During ten years of exile in the wilderness of Judea, David had learned much about God’s character and the way He works in the lives of His people. God is great in who He is and what He does, and the false gods of all the nations are nothing.
In these verses, David focused on his own walk with the Lord. After he was delivered from danger, he wanted to walk so as to please and honor the Lord. “Unite my heart” means “I want to have an undivided heart, wholly fixed on the Lord.” A perfect heart is a sincere heart that loves God alone and is true to Him.
David knows God’s glory shall prevail. His enemies were proud of themselves and their abilities; they were violent, and totally ignorant of and indifferent to the God of Israel. But David looked away from them to the Lord who had saved and guided him all his life. His confession in v. is based on .
Since David was the Lord’s faithful servant, it was his Master’s duty to protect and deliver him (, ). But David wanted that deliverance to bring glory to the Lord and to demonstrate to the nations that Jehovah alone was God. It wasn’t just warfare; it was witness, a “sign” of the goodness of the Lord to David. It was his way of praying, “Hallowed be Your name” (). When our requests are in God’s will and glorify His name, we can be sure He will answer.
This is another psalm that extols the glory of Mount Zion (see ; ; ; ; ). The writer was not indulging in arrogant nationalism but only seeking to glorify the God of Israel and the blessings He bestows. The psalm must be read on two levels. It is a prophecy of the future kingdom, when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship (; ), and it is also a picture of the heavenly Zion, where the children of God have their spiritual citizenship ().
David chose Jerusalem for his capital city (), and the Lord validated that choice by putting His temple there. The nation of Israel was to be separate from the other nations both politically () and geographically. That is why God called Jerusalem “My city” () and “the holy city” (; ) and Zion “My holy mountain” (). David writes of Jerusalem, “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (). God founded it, and through it He has carried out His great work of redemption.
The psalmist knows God has a special attachment to Jerusalem, a city He loves above all cities in the Holy Land. (See ; , ; , ; .) In Jerusalem was not only the temple of the true God but also the throne of David, and it would be the Davidic line that would give us the Savior, Jesus Christ. In the end times, Jerusalem will be a center of controversy and conflict, but the Lord will rescue His beloved city.
Catalyst
Although God clearly chose Israel as His special people, even the Old Testament offers frequent reminders that God’s purpose was to reach the world through His people. God wasn’t a “national” god but Lord of the universe and all nations!
In , the Lord is described as a king taking a royal census and registering cities as citizens, but the remarkable thing is that these cities are Gentile populations and that God is making them His own children and citizens of His Holy City! Even more, the nations named are the avowed enemies of the Jews! The emphasis in all three verses is on birth, indicating that the people who enter the future glorious kingdom will experience a “new birth” and belong to the family of God.
Egypt (; ) is Israel’s enemy in the south, and the name Rahab means “arrogant, boisterous.” Egypt enslaved the Israelites and yet will share with them citizenship in the city of God and membership in the family of God (). Philistia and Tyre on the west were always a threat to Israel, but they will be included. Ethiopia is “Cush,” a nation in Africa. Of course, of all these nations, only Egypt is still on the map, but the message is clear: When the Lord establishes His glorious kingdom, and Messiah reigns from Jerusalem, Israel’s enemies will be transformed into fellow citizens.
This picture reminds us of Pentecost in the New Testament, when the people who gathered to hear Peter said, “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God” (). By extension, God includes us as citizens of His kingdom through Christ.
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All blessings, especially spiritual blessings, will flow from the Lord who reigns in the City of David, just as today we draw upon the wealth found only in our exalted Lord.
, Heman’s life had not been an easy one (v. ) and now it had grown even more difficult, and he felt that death was very near (vv. , , ). But he did not give up! He still trusted in God, whom he addressed as “LORD”—Jehovah—four times in this prayer (vv. , , , ). He was fervent in his praying. He believed in a God who could hear his prayers and do wonders (vv. , ), a God who loved him and was faithful to His people (v. ). All of this is evidence of faith in Heman’s heart, even though he spoke as though he was ready to give up. He prayed day and night (vv. , ) and trusted that no obstacle would come between his prayers and the Lord.
There is no place for hypocrisy in personal prayer. One of the first steps toward revival is to be completely transparent when we pray and not tell the Lord anything that is not true or that we do not really mean. Heman confessed that he was “full of troubles” and felt that he was “counted with those who go down to the pit,” the dead in their graves. He was without strength and felt forgotten by the Lord. Old Testament believers did not have the full light of revelation concerning death and the afterlife, so we must not be shocked at his description of Sheol, the world of the dead. The Lord does not forget His people when they die, nor does He cease to care.
, Heman also told the Lord that He was responsible for his troubles! God’s hand put him into the pit (Sheol, the grave), and God’s anger was flowing over him like breakers from the sea (see ). Whatever sickness he had was caused by the Lord and made him so repulsive that his friends avoided him (see ). He was without health, without light, and without friends—and he felt like he was without God! He was a prisoner, and there was no way to escape. Like Job, Heman wanted to know why all this suffering had come to him.
, But he continued to pray and to look to God for help! “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (). “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (, ). The Lord always has the last word, and it will not be “darkness.” We should never doubt in the darkness what God has taught us in the light.
We do not know what this affliction was that came to the psalmist early in life, but it is painful to think that he suffered all his life long and all day long (vv. , ). He could not even look back to a time in his life when he enjoyed good health. The billows that had almost drowned him (v. ) now became fiery waves of torment (v. ) as God’s “fierce wrath” went over him (see ). The flood was rising and he felt he was about to drown (see ), and there was nobody near enough to rescue him.
The psalm opens on a joyful note of worship with praise to God from the psalmist (vv. ), in heaven (vv. ), and on earth (vv. ), and especially from the people of Israel (vv. ), who rejoice in the Lord all day long (v. ). The psalmist sings (v. ), the angels praise (v. ), and even the mountains sing for joy (v. ). Ethan praised the faithfulness of God’s character (vv. , ) and His covenant (vv. , ), about which he has much to say.
Heaven is a place of worship, and the angels praise the Lord for His glorious attributes (vv. ; see ; ), for there is no god like Him (). But the earth joins the hymn and even the mighty waves of the sea obey Him and praise Him. The tumultuous sea is an image of the nations (; , ; ; ), so Ethan mentioned God’s victory over Egypt (Rahab, ; ).
If any people on earth have a right to praise God, it is the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. They had a holy land, given to them by God, a royal dynasty chosen by God, and the light of the holy law that guided their steps in the ways of the Lord. They had a holy priesthood to serve them and bless them (v. ; see ), men who would blow the trumpets to signal the special holy days and feasts.
How often do we devalue the gift of eternal life and our relationship with Christ by not allowing those incomparable privileges to affect the way we live each day? Have you humbly thanked God for His gifts today?
, In a sovereign act of grace, the Lord selected David to be king of Israel. Their first king, Saul of Benjamin, was never supposed to establish a dynasty, because he was not from the royal tribe of Judah ().
The Lord who selected David also equipped him to fight battles, lead the army, and build the kingdom (vv. ). Even as a youth, he was known for his military prowess. The Lord extended David’s rule, because David was a humble man who would not promote himself (vv. ). Finally, the Lord established David and promised him a throne and a dynasty forever (v. ; , , , , 31), a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The Lord was angry with the kings because of their sins, especially idolatry (v. ), so He permitted the Babylonians to come and ravage the land, destroy Jerusalem, and burn the temple (vv. , ). To Ethan, the Lord was actually aiding the enemy (vv. , )! But the glory had departed from the temple because the leaders had turned their backs on the Lord and turned to idols.
Ethan looked back and asked what had happened to the great unfailing love the Lord had shown to David. God’s love had not changed; it was Judah’s love for the Lord that had waned. Like any good parent, God shows His love to Hs children either by blessing their obedience or chastening them for their disobedience, but in either situation, He is manifesting His love.
This verse is not a part of the original psalm but forms the conclusion of Book Three of the Psalms (see also ; , ). It expresses a great truth: No matter how much we suffer because of the sins of others, and no matter how perplexed we may be at the providential workings of the Lord, we should still be able to say by faith, “Blessed be the LORD forevermore!” And our fellow sufferers ought to respond with, “Amen and Amen!” That’s the way of trust—faith in the faithfulness of the Lord.
This is the oldest psalm in the Psalter, and it was written by Moses, the man of God (; ). It deals with themes that began with the fall of our first parents and will continue to be important and puzzling until the return of our Savior: themes of an eternal God and frail humans, a holy God and sinful man, life and death, and the meaning of life in a confused and difficult world.
Moses addressed God as Elohim, the God of power and the God of creation. He described God “bringing forth”—that is, giving birth to—the mountains (v. ; ; , , ) and the earth. To people in the ancient world, mountains symbolized that which was lasting and dependable, and to the Jews, mountains spoke of the everlasting God of Israel (, ).
Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, but the lessons he learned walking with God were far more important. The older we get, the better we understand that life is brief and moves past very swiftly. God dwells in eternity () and is not limited by time. He can cram many years of experience and work into one person’s lifetime or make the centuries flash past like the days of the week (). Compared with eternity, even a long life is like yesterday when it is past, or like the changing of the guards while we are sleeping (a “watch” was four hours). Only God is eternal, and we humans are like objects suddenly swept away by a flash flood or grass that comes and goes.
Here Moses reflected on Israel’s sad experience at Kadesh Barnea (), when the nation refused to obey God and enter the Promised Land. This foolish decision led to four decades of trials and testings in the wilderness, until the older generation (except for Joshua and Caleb) died off. God is “longsuffering” (also translated “slow to anger”; ), but the repeated complaints and rebellions of His people tested even His patience.
Sin takes its toll on the human race, and we no longer see life spans recorded like those in . We don’t like to think about the wrath of God, but every obituary in the newspaper is a reminder that “the wages of sin is death” (). We finish our years and marvel that it all went by so fast! So, now is the time to ask God for wisdom to become better students and stewards of our time and opportunities (). We number our years, not our days, but all of us have to live a day at a time, and we do not know how many days we have left. A successful life is composed of successful days that honor the Lord.
God disciplines us if we fail to learn our lessons and submit to His will, but there is more to the story. In spite of the “black border” around this psalm, the emphasis is on life and not death. The past and present experiences of life prepare us for the future, and all of life prepares us for eternity. When you contrast verses with verses , you can see the difference. This closing prayer emphasizes God’s compassion and unfailing love, His desire to give us joy and satisfaction even in the midst of life’s troubles, and His ability to make life count for eternity.
At times, Moses must have felt that his work was futile, temporary, and not worth doing. Many times the people broke his heart and grieved his spirit. He sacrificed to serve them, and they rarely appreciated him. But no work done for the Lord will ever go unrewarded, and those who do the will of God abide forever (). Even a cup of cold water given in Jesus’ name will receive its reward (; ). The favor of the Lord does not desert us in our old age, in times of affliction, or when we come to die, and the blessings of our work and witness will go on. In , Moses addressed God as Jehovah, the God of the covenant who will never break His promises, and that is the God we love, worship, and serve.
, The manna sustained life for the Jewish people for nearly forty years, but Jesus gives life to the whole world for all eternity! When we begin the day with the Lord and feed on His Word (; ), then we walk with Him throughout the day and enjoy His blessing. The nourishment of the Word enables us to be faithful pilgrims and successful learners.
Life is brief, so Moses had prayed, “Teach us” (v. ). Life is difficult, so he prayed, “Satisfy us” (v. ). His work at times seemed futile, so here he prayed (twice), “Establish the work of our hands”—that is, “Make our efforts successful.” God answered those prayers for Moses, and He will answer them for us. The future is your friend when Jesus is your Savior and Lord.
The anonymous author of this psalm (though some think Moses wrote it) warns about hidden traps, deadly plagues, terrors at night and arrows by day, stumbling over rocks, and facing lions and snakes! However, in view of terrorist attacks, snipers, reckless drivers, exotic new diseases, and Saturday night handgun specials, the contemporary scene may be as dangerous as the one described in the psalm. The saints who abide in Christ (vv. , ) cannot avoid confronting unknown perils, but they can escape the evil consequences.
The names of God used in these verses encourage us to trust Him. He is the Most High (Elyon, vv. , ), a name found first in . He is higher than the kings of the earth and the false gods of the nations. He is also the Almighty (Shaddai), the all-sufficient God who is adequate for every situation. He is “LORD” (vv. , ), Jehovah, the covenant-making God who is faithful to His promises. He is God (Elohim, v. ), the powerful God whose greatness and glory surpass anything we can imagine. This is the God who invites us to fellowship with Him in the Most Holy Place!
The most important part of a believer’s life is the part that only God sees, the “hidden life” of communion and worship that is symbolized by the Most Holy Place in the Jewish sanctuary (; ). God is our refuge and strength (). He hides us that He might help us and then send us back to serve Him in the struggles of life.
Jesus pictured salvation by describing chicks hiding under the wings of the mother hen (; ), and the psalmist pictured communion as believers resting under the wings of the cherubim in the tabernacle.
When we “[dwell] in the secret place of the Most High” (v. ) we are not alone, for God is with us and compensates for our inadequacies. This stanza emphasizes that we need not be afraid, because the Lord and His angels watch over us. “Terror by night” (v. ) could mean simply the fear of the dark and of what can happen in the darkness. Contaminated water and food, plus an absence of sound health measures, made it easy to contract diseases by day or by night, although “the destruction that lays waste at noonday” (v. ) could refer to the effects of the burning rays of the sun.
The Lord spoke and announced what He would do for those of His people who truly loved Him and acknowledged Him with obedient lives. The word here translated “love” is not the usual one; it means “to cling to, to cleave, to be passionate.” It is used in and for the love Jehovah has for His people Israel (see ). Among His blessings will be deliverance and protection, answered prayer, companionship in times of trouble, honor, satisfaction, and a long life (see ; ; ).
The salvation mentioned at the end of the psalm may mean help and deliverance during life, as in , or the joy of beholding the glory of God after a long and satisfied life. To the Jewish people, living a long life and seeing one’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren was the ultimate blessing in this life. Like Abraham, they wanted to die “in a good old age, an old man and full of years” (). It’s one thing for doctors to add years to our life, but God adds life to our years and makes that life fulfilling and worthwhile.
The major theme is the sovereign rule of God, as stated in verse , which is the central verse of the psalm. It proclaims that God is the Most High. The covenant name Jehovah (“LORD”) is used seven times; Elyon (“Most High”) is found in verse and Elohim in verse .
A part of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord was their honoring of the weekly Sabbath. It was a special sign between Israel and the Lord (; ; ) and reminded them that God had delivered them from Egypt (). But the Sabbath also reminded them of God the Creator (; ), and seven times in we are told that what God made was “good.” Believers today can praise the Lord for His generous creation gifts, His salvation through the blood of the Lamb, and His gracious covenant with us because of what Jesus did on the cross. Worship ought to be the natural outflow of a heart that loves the Lord and appreciates who He is and what He has done for His people.
Whether we use voices alone or voices accompanied by instruments, we can express our praises to God and focus on His wonderful attributes. We can worship all day long, from morning to evening. We can begin the day assured of His love and end the day looking back on His faithfulness. We can look around and marvel at His works, including His providential care and leading in our own lives, and we can look into His Word and probe the depths of His great thoughts.
The psalmist shifts our attention to the enemies of the Lord who make life difficult for God’s people. God’s faithful people, however, are like palm trees and cedars (v. ). The anonymous psalmist rejoiced because the Lord had anointed him with fresh oil. He may also have been speaking for all Israel and praising God for a special victory He had given them. God wants His people to be overcomers (; , ; ; , ; , , , ; , , ; ), and this comes when first we are worshipers.
The senseless, brutish evildoers are like weeds (“grass,” v. ), but the righteous are like trees (see ; ). The wicked may look like sturdy trees, but they don’t last (, ; ). The word “flourish” in verse means “to be conspicuous, to shine,” while the word in verses and means “to be vigorous, to flourish richly.” The stately date palm and cedar were highly valued by people in the Near East, the palm for its fruit and the cedar for its wood. Both were appreciated for their beauty, and both trees can survive for many years.
To stay “fresh and flourishing” in old age and not spend one’s life complaining and demanding is a mark of God’s special blessing. See for a description of an older saint who is fresh, fruitful, and flourishing. We change as we grow older, but the Lord never changes. He is our Rock (, , , , ), and what He wills for us is perfect, so we will not complain.
and emphasize the sovereign rule of Jehovah, the King of Israel, in the affairs of the nations. ( focuses on God the Judge, which is an important aspect of His righteous rule.) was perhaps written by one of the Levites who returned to Judah with the Jewish remnant after the Babylonian captivity. The Medes and Persians defeated Babylon in 539 B.C., and the next year Cyrus, the new king, gave the Jews permission to return to their own land, rebuild their temple, and restore their nation.
, “The LORD [Jehovah] reigns!” He is King, enthroned in heaven, robed in the majestic robes of glory, and armed with all the power He needs to humble puny rulers. His eternal throne is majestic, strong, and firmly established (; ), and the world He created is also firmly fixed (; ; ). No matter what happens to human rulers on earth, the throne in heaven is safe and secure.
, The raging seas and the pounding waves are often used as symbols of the rise and fall of the nations and the great noise that rulers make as they try to impress people. God used the Euphrates River to illustrate the Assyrians (, ), and He connected Egypt with the Nile River (, ). No matter how stormy the nations on earth may become, God is still on His throne and is not frustrated by the foolish words and deeds of “great leaders” who are only made of clay. Do not focus on the threats around you; focus on the throne above you.
When the tempest is around us, we look by faith to the throne of grace above us and the Word of God before us. The truth about what is going on in this world is not in the newspapers but in the Scriptures. The false prophets among the Jews in Babylon gave a message different from that of Jeremiah, the true prophet of the Lord (), but it was the messages of God’s servants that finally proved true. False prophets, false teachers, and scoffers abound (), but God’s promises will all be fulfilled in their time, and God’s children live by His promises.
The word “vengeance” is often misinterpreted to mean “revenge” or “being vindictive,” as though God were having a temper tantrum, but “to avenge” means to uphold the law and give justice to those who have been wronged. Since the Lord is omniscient, He is able to judge motives as well as actions and deal with situations and people justly.
We want the Lord to act immediately (v. ; see ), but He is gracious and longsuffering (, ), and we must walk by faith (). The proud and arrogant belch out evil words and commit evil deeds (), and the godly can do nothing to stop them.
After praying to the Lord, we must confront the wicked with the truth, as the Lord gives us opportunity. The psalmist speaks here to the offenders and calls them “fools,” the word that combines the idea of “brutish” and “simpleton.” The word is also used in ; . These people were behaving like animals and not like humans made in the image of God. They had such a low view of God () that they were unable to think logically.
The word translated “thoughts” means “inventions, schemes, plans.” The subversive plans and plots of these evil leaders cannot be hidden from the Lord, nor will they go unpunished. Paul quoted this verse in , to warn church leaders in Corinth not to try to guide the church using the world’s wisdom but to rely only on the wisdom of God found in Scripture—the gold, silver, and precious stones.
The psalmist recognized the fact that the difficulties of life could help him mature in his faith. If God immediately rescued His people from their personal difficulties, they would become “spoiled brats” and never grow in faith or character. “For whom the LORD loves He chastens” (). God uses personal difficulties to teach us new truths from His Word (, , ).
Even in Solomon’s day, people who were abused and exploited had no redress and found no one to execute justice on their behalf (see ), so it must have been much worse in the days of Manasseh, just before the fall of Jerusalem. The question in is rhetorical, and the writer answered it himself in verse —“the LORD.” The psalmist was experiencing the devious plots of the evil leaders and cried out to God for help. He knew that the judges were twisting the law to exploit the poor (v. ), and he was slipping into a deep and dangerous situation. His heart was anxious within him, but the Lord held him up, pulled him out, and gave him peace within.
, In evil days, we give thanks that we have the Lord as our refuge and fortress. But we hide in Him, not that we may escape responsibility, but that we might be equipped to go forth and fight the enemy. As the salt of the earth and the light of the world (), God’s people should do all they can to encourage justice in this world.
The psalmist tells us how we should praise the Lord (vv. , ) and why we should praise Him (vv. ). This is communal praise, not individual, although both are important. Our praise should be joyful and enthusiastic—he even commands us to sing and shout (v. )—and wholly focused on the Lord. The verb “come” in verse means “to go to meet God face-to-face, to be in His presence.”
Catalyst
Praise means looking up, but worship means bowing down. Alas, some people who enjoy lifting their hands and shouting do not enjoy bowing their knees and submitting. True worship is much deeper than communal praise, for worship involves realizing the awesomeness of God and experiencing the fear of the Lord and a deeper love for Him.
Too often Christian “praise” is nothing but religious entertainment, and it never moves into spiritual enrichment in the presence of the Lord. Our singing must give way to silence as we bow before the Lord. He alone is Jehovah, the Lord, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is our Maker and our Shepherd (see ; ). Jubilation has its place only if it becomes adoration and we are prostrate before the Lord in total submission, “lost in wonder, love, and praise.”
The Word of God is a vital part of Christian worship, especially in this age when inventing clever new worship forms is a common practice and novelty is replacing theology. Hearing and heeding God’s Word must be central if our worship, private or corporate, is to be truly Christian. It isn’t enough for God to hear my voice; I must hear His voice as the Word of God is read, preached, and taught. The Scriptures written centuries ago have authority today, and we have no right to ignore them, change them, or disobey them. We are to respond to God’s Word now, when we hear it, and not just later in the week when we review our sermon notes or listen to the recorded message.
can be applied to the church today, warning us not to harden our hearts against the Lord. The way we treat the Word of God is the way we treat the God of the Word. Jesus admonishes us to take heed that we hear (), take heed what we hear (), and take heed how we hear (). God’s Word informs our praise with truth. So praise goes far beyond what we say or sing in a formal worship service and becomes real when it is expressed throughout our lives.
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Why should we praise Him? Because He is great and above the false gods of this world, and nothing can separate us from His love (). He is our “great God and Savior” () and we should delight in praising Him. But our God is also the Creator of the universe and controls all things (, ). The depths of the sea and the earth, and the heights of the mountains all belong to Him, and He knows what is going on in the waters as well as on the earth.
Because Israel as a nation refused to hear His Word but hardened their hearts instead, God was disgusted with His people. This verse refers to the forty years after the exodus from Egypt when all the people twenty years old and older died during the wilderness journey (see ). We harden our hearts when we see what God can do but refuse to trust Him so He can do it for us. We fail to cultivate a godly heart that fears and honors the Lord. It is a grievous sin to ask for the gifts (food, water, etc.) but ignore the Giver, and the consequences are painful.
In Moses’ day, God’s “rest” was the land of Canaan, where the Jews would do no more wandering (; , ; , ). But broadens the meaning of “rest” to include the salvation rest and inheritance we have in Christ (; , , ) and the future eternal “Sabbath rest” in glory (; ).
Three times in these verses we are commanded to sing to the Lord, and this parallels the three times in verses and that the psalmist commands us to “give” glory to God—recognize His glory. A new experience of God’s blessing, a new truth discovered in the Word, a new beginning after a crisis, a new open door for service—all of these can make an old song new or give us a new song from the Lord.
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, “proclaim” is the word used in the New Testament for “preaching the good news” and gives us the English word “evangelize.” The good news of the victory of Jesus Christ gives us something to sing about, for He is the only Savior and will save all who trust Him (; see ; ; ).
The gods of the nations were “no gods,” for the word translated “idols” in verse means “things that are nothing, things that are weak and worthless.” Both in His sanctuary in heaven and His sanctuary on earth, God was enthroned in glory and power. How we ought to praise Him!
Just as the Jewish priests had to dress in the garments required by the Lord (), so God’s people must worship with “clean hands and a pure heart” () and experience cleansing from the Lord before they worship Him (). The only beauty that God accepts is “the beauty of holiness” (), the righteousness of Christ imputed to us by faith () and the righteousness we live as we obey Him in the power of the Spirit (). We approach God only through Christ’s righteousness, but we please God when we are obedient children.
“The LORD reigns” (v. ; see ) can also be translated “The LORD has become King” (see ), referring to the day Jesus will sit on David’s throne and rule over the nations (; ). Only then will there be true justice on the earth (, ; , ; ). Today, creation is in bondage to corruption and futility because of Adam’s sin, but when the children of God are fully redeemed at Christ’s return, creation will also be set free (). No wonder the psalmist described the joy of heaven and earth, the seas and the dry land, and even the trees of the earth, as they welcome their Creator, and then there will be justice on the earth.
, The Lord is exalted on His throne. No matter what the circumstances around us or the feelings within us, the Lord reigns as king (; ; ; ), and He reigns over all the earth. His sovereign authority reaches beyond the land of Israel to the farthest islands and coastlands, places that the Jews had never visited.
Knowing that “the Lord God Omnipotent reigns” () ought to bring joy to our hearts and our worship (, , , ; see ). Though His throne is surrounded by clouds and darkness, and we do not fully understand the mysteries of His providence, we know that His throne rests on righteousness and justice and that “the Judge of all the earth [shall] do right” (). The psalm begins with darkness () but ends with light for the righteous (v. ).
The picture is that of a storm sweeping across the land and destroying everything in its path (see ; ; ). The image of the storm takes us back to the exodus of Israel from Egypt (, ; ), as well as Israel’s meeting with God at Sinai. The storm also speaks of the future “day of the Lord,” when God will judge the nations of the world. The fire and lightning remind us that God is a consuming fire (; ; ). His judgments bring Him glory and manifest His holiness to a godless world.
In the ancient Near East, when one nation conquered another, people interpreted the victory to mean that the gods of the conquering nation were greater than those of the defeated nation. But the Jews were taught that Jehovah was the God of all the earth and that the idols were nothing (see ; ). God’s victories over the idolatrous nations put the idols and their worshipers to shame. No wonder the people of Israel rejoiced, for God’s victories were evidence that He alone is “most high above all the earth” (; ). People may not bow down before ugly man-made idols today, but there are certainly plenty of false gods for them to worship—money, power, possessions, sex, pleasures, recognition—for whatever people serve and sacrifice for, that is what they worship ().
In this paragraph, God’s people are called “righteous” or “the upright in heart,” and these titles speak of a life devoted to God. We should love Him, obey Him (“hate evil”), rejoice in Him, and give thanks to Him for all His mercies. After all, He protects His people, delivers them, gives them light for their path, and puts gladness into their hearts. What more could they want?
The focus in this section is on the Jewish people and the wonderful new demonstration of God’s power they had seen. It was so great it demanded a new song from His people (see ; ). The picture of God as warrior disturbs those who seem to forget that a holy God cannot compromise with sin. (See ; ; , .) The cross declares not only that God loves sinners (), but also that God hates and opposes sin.
Since God is Spirit (), He does not have a body, so the references to His hand and arm are metaphorical.
The command went out to all nations of the earth to shout joyfully in praise to the Lord for what He had done for Israel, and the emphasis is on the King (v. ). Again we are reminded of what the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning the Jewish “exodus” from Babylon (; ). But the shout was only the beginning, for singing and the playing of instruments followed.
The psalmist has written of the Lord as Deliverer and King, and now he presents Him as the Judge who will one day come and deal with the world as He once dealt with the kingdom of Babylon. He had seen Israel delivered from bondage (vv. ), and he had heard the nations of the world praising the Lord (vv. ). Now he heard all creation eagerly anticipating the Lord’s return, for the second advent of Jesus sets creation free from the bondage of sin caused by Adam’s fall ().
, The lapping of the waves of the sea on the shore sounds to him like a prayer to the Lord and the flowing of the rivers like applause in response to the announcement, “The LORD is coming!” The play of the wind on the mountains sounded like a song of praise. (See .) All nature combined to sing, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (). There will come a day when all wrongs will be righted and all sins will be judged, and the Judge will bring justice and equity to the earth.
Jehovah sits upon the throne in heaven (; ; ), but in the psalmist’s day, He was also enthroned on the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary on Mount Zion. When the Gentiles beheld what God did for Israel, they should have trembled with awe and put their trust in Him (; ). God’s throne is awesome because He is holy (, ; , ). “The Holy One of Israel” is a name found thirty times in the book of Isaiah. The word “holy” means “separate, set apart, totally different.” God’s nature is “wholly other,” yet He was willing to dwell with His people and meet their needs.
, The Lord ruled His people of Israel through the kings in the Davidic dynasty (). The Lord is perfectly righteous in His character and just in His actions, and He wanted the throne of Israel to be just. A leader who loves justice will have the strength to obey God’s Word and will seek to please Him.
You could not approach the throne of the king of Persia unless he held out his scepter and gave you permission (, ), but access to God’s throne is available to His children through Jesus Christ (). Under the old covenant, God provided priests who ministered at the altar and were mediators between His needy people and their Lord, but today Jesus Christ is the Mediator () who constantly intercedes for us (; ). To the lost sinner, God’s throne is a throne of judgment, but to the believer, it is a throne of grace (), and we can come to Him with our worship and praise as well as our burdens and needs.
God’s gracious ministry to His old covenant people is still available to His new covenant family: He speaks to us from His Word (; , ; ), hears our prayers and answers, disciplines us when we sin, and forgives us when we confess (). How many times the Lord forgave Israel and gave them another opportunity to serve Him ()! The throne and the altar were not far apart in the sanctuary (see ). How should we respond to this kind of a God who sits on this kind of a throne? We must worship Him (, ), praise and exalt Him (vv. , , ), and remember that He is holy (vv. , , ). We must pray to Him and seek to glorify His name by our obedience and service. The next psalm describes all of this and climaxes the “royal psalm” series.
This psalm is a fitting climax to the collection of “royal psalms” (; ) and sums up their emphasis on God’s sovereign rule, His goodness to His people, the responsibility of all nations to acknowledge Him, and the importance of God’s people exalting and worshiping Him (see , , , ). We are admonished in to be filled with the Spirit of God, and the evidence of this fullness is that we are joyful (), thankful (), and submissive (). In , we are instructed to be filled with the Word of God, and when we are, we will be joyful (), thankful (), and submissive (). These three characteristics of the believer controlled by God’s Spirit and God’s Word—and they go together—are presented in this wonderful psalm of thanksgiving.
, We can easily understand the people of Israel shouting joyfully in praise to their great God (vv. , ), but the psalmist calls for all the nations of the earth to praise Him. This is a recurring theme in the “royal psalms” (, ; , ; , ), for it was Israel’s responsibility to introduce the Gentiles to the true and living God. Worship leads to service, and true service is worship. If we sing in the Spirit and with understanding, our songs are received in heaven as sacrifices to the Lord ().
Catalyst
describes the process of preparation, anticipation, and participation in worship. The procession of worshipers has reached the gates of the sanctuary in verses , , and they burst out in songs of praise. Why? Because of the Lord’s goodness, unfailing love, and faithfulness. Find parallels to this teaching in ; ; ; ; and see also ; . “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (), and God gives that which is good (; ).
The word “truth” is a form of the Hebrew word “amen” and refers to God’s faithfulness and reliability. If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and the holy Word of God, we will reveal it in the way we worship God. Instead of imitating the world, we will be led by the Word and the Spirit to be joyful in the Lord, submissive to the Lord, and thankful to the Lord, and the world will see the difference.
Finally, note that a spirit of thanksgiving helps us overcome some of the “sins in good standing” that too often invade our lives: complaining (), idolatry (v. ), pride (v. ), and ingratitude (v. ). Without an awareness of who God is and who we are, we are not likely to enter into worship with a whole heart.
Go to the
What we have experienced in our hearts we openly confess to others and bear witness of our glorious God. (See .) The phrase “made us” means much more than “created us,” for He also created the nations that do not know Him. It means Jehovah constituted us as a nation, His chosen people. This verse is a simple statement of faith: Jehovah is God, Creator, Redeemer, and Shepherd, and we are submitted to Him. If the sheep do not submit to their shepherd, they will stray into danger.
The emphasis here is on the heart, for the heart of leadership is the leader’s devotion to the Lord. This devotion results in a life lived blamelessly to the glory of the Lord. David was determined to be that kind of leader, and he opened the psalm with “I will” and repeated this promise eight more times. He made it clear that there must be no separation between the leader’s personal life and his or her official life, the private and the public. David wanted his reign to be characterized by love and justice, for this is the way God rules the world (; ).
David moved from the heart of the leader to the hearts of the sinners (vv. , ) and turned the emphasis to the leader’s eyes and what he saw or chose not to look at. The heart and the eyes work together, for what the heart loves, the eyes will seek and find (; ). This section parallels , where David described the ideal worshiper whom God welcomes to His dwelling. David did not want anyone in his official family who was not walking with the Lord.
Leaders must set the best goals, guided by God’s will, for outlook determines outcome. The spiritual leader not only sets the best goals, but he or she also uses the best methods for achieving those goals (v. ).
In his quest for good examples, David had his eyes on the faithful, not the faithless (v. ). A “perverse” or twisted heart is one that does not conform to God’s will (; ; ), and a twisted heart produces a deceitful tongue (; , ; see ). The word translated “proud” in verse means “wide, expanded” and describes people who are inflated with their own importance. It is important that leaders cultivate humility and lead by being servants, not dictators.
The repeated “I will” statements in this psalm give evidence of David’s determination to serve God and God’s people successfully and be a man of decision. He would not make excuses, and he would not delay making decisions. But some of those decisions would be difficult to make and perhaps more difficult to implement. He wanted associates who were not defiled by sin, whose walk was blameless, and who would treat people with fairness.
Was David successful in maintaining the high standard of this declaration? No, not completely; but what leader besides Jesus Christ has ever maintained an unblemished record? David reigned for forty years, during which time he expanded the borders of the kingdom, defeated Israel’s enemies, gathered the wealth used to build the temple, wrote the psalms, and established the dynasty that eventually brought Jesus Christ into the world. Like us, he had his weaknesses and failings, but overall, he sought to honor the Lord and be a good leader. Jerusalem is known as “the city of David” and Jesus as “the Son of David.”
This is both a penitential psalm (see v. ) and a messianic psalm (vv. ; ). The anonymous author probably wrote it long after the destruction of Jerusalem (, , ), about the time he thought Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy-year captivity was about to be fulfilled.
The longer we live, the more evidence we see that things will change. There are the normal changes of life, from birth to maturity to death, but there are also providential changes that God sends for our good and His glory. Many Jewish leaders in the days of Jeremiah the prophet thought that God would never allow Judah to be captured and Jerusalem and the temple destroyed (), but the Babylonian army did all three. They also took prisoners to Babylon and left only the poorest of the people to care for the land. Because of their rebellion against the law of God, Israel was left without a king, priesthood, temple, or sacrifice.
Whether we are suffering because of our sins, or because we stand up for the Lord, or simply because we need to be better equipped for service, these changes are not pleasant. The psalmist recorded his personal plight in a series of vivid pictures. One of the first steps toward personal peace and victory is to accept the fact that there will be changes in life, and how we respond will determine what these changes do to us and for us. The psalmist responded by turning to the Lord for help.
The throne of David was gone and would not be claimed until the Son of David came to earth (), but the throne of God in heaven was secure. Judah and Jerusalem were experiencing shame, but God’s “memorial name” of great renown would not change. One day the nations would respect that name () and praise that name in a new Jerusalem (v. ). From generation to generation, His people had known and revered that name and the Lord had not failed them, but they failed the Lord. He had made a wonderful covenant with His people (, ; ) and had not changed it.
The psalmist was afraid he would die in midlife and never see the restoration of Judah, Jerusalem, and the temple. (See .) The eternal God would remain forever, but frail humans have only a brief time on earth (). This passage () is quoted in and applied to Jesus Christ, which reminds us that it is in Him that these promises will be fulfilled. He is God, and He is the same from generation to generation (). Leaders come and go, cities and buildings appear and vanish, but the Lord is the same and never abdicates His throne. God’s eternality reminds us of our own frailty and the transitory nature of our lives, but it also reminds us that His promises and purposes will be fulfilled.
The psalmist closed his prayer by remembering the future generations, for though he did not see his prayer answered in his day, he knew that the answer would come. May we today be concerned about God’s work on earth and the future generations who will serve Him after we are gone! May the future not weep because we have not been faithful!
The four psalms that close Book Four of the book of Psalms emphasize praise to the Lord for several reasons: His benefits to His people (), His care of His creation (), His wonderful acts on behalf of Israel (), and His longsuffering with His people’s rebellion ().
There are no requests in this psalm; it is only praise to the Lord. The psalm also admonishes us not to forget the blessings after we have received them and enjoyed them. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (). David started with individual and personal praise (), then moved to national praise (vv. ), and concluded with universal praise (vv. ).
To “bless the LORD” (v. ) means to delight His heart by expressing love and gratitude for all He is and all He does. Parents are pleased when their children simply thank them and love them, without asking for anything. True praise comes from a grateful heart that sincerely wants to glorify and please the Lord. “All that is within me” means that all of our inner being is focused on the Lord—heart, soul, mind, and strength (). It also means that we are prepared to obey His will after our praise has ended.
We give thanks to the Lord before we receive our food, and this is right, but the Jewish people were also to give thanks after they had eaten and to remember that the Lord had given them their food (). Anytime is a good time for thanksgiving!
In these verses David listed six special blessings from the hand of the Lord: forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, satisfaction, and renewal. The word translated “forgives” is used in Scripture only of God’s forgiveness of sinners (see vv. ). The word for “iniquities” pictures the idea of something twisted and distorted. Those who have trusted Christ have experienced God’s forgiveness (; ; ).
The word “redeems” would remind the Jewish people of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt at the exodus (). The statement describes God rescuing someone about to fall into a deadly pit, and “the pit” is a symbol of Sheol (; ; ), the world of the dead. David himself was often very near to death, so perhaps he had premature death in mind.
Being a holy God, He did get angry at sin, and the Israelites were prone to rebel against Him, but in His compassion, He forgave them. This was possible because one day His Son would die for those sins on a cross. (See ; .) The picture in is that of a courtroom in which God is both judge and prosecuting attorney. He has all the evidence He needs to condemn us, but He does not prolong the trial. When the judge is your Father, and when Jesus has died for your sins, there is full and free forgiveness available to all who will ask for it. If God gave us the punishment we deserved, we would be without hope (). The punishment that we deserve was given to Jesus ().
Were it not for the death of Christ on the cross, there could be no forgiveness of our sins. Yes, God is like a tender Father, but His pity is not a shallow sentimental feeling. A holy God demands that His law be satisfied, and only His perfect Son could provide that satisfaction ().
When we worship the Lord God, we worship the King of the universe. The Lord is sovereign over all things He has created, including the stars and planets (; ) and the angels (; ), who are servants to the saints ().
Nobody in hell blesses the Lord, but every creature in heaven does nothing else but bless the Lord. We who are in this world can enjoy “heaven on earth” as we join them in expressing thanksgiving and blessing to our great God. “Bless the LORD, O my soul!”
This magnificent hymn celebrates the glory of the Creator and the incredible greatness of His creation. Paul may have had this psalm in mind when he spoke to the Athenian philosophers (, especially ), for it presents a God who created and now sustains a beautiful and bountiful world that reflects His glory (). In spite of the fact that creation is in bondage to sin since the fall of man (), we still live in an amazing universe run by divinely ordained laws that are so remarkable we can send people to the moon and bring them back! Whether the scientist uses the telescope, the microscope, or the x-ray, he beholds the wonders of God’s creation.
The psalm opens with the description of a King so great (; ) that He wears light for a robe (; ; ; ) and has a palace in heaven above the waters (). He uses the clouds for His chariot and the winds to move them (; ; ). His servants (the angels, ; ) serve as quickly and invisibly as the wind and possess awesome power like flames of fire.
In all this creative activity, the Lord has revealed Himself in His power and glory. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (). Day and night, the visible things of creation shout aloud to the inhabitants of the earth that there is a God, that He is powerful and wise, and that all people are accountable to Him (). Are the people paying attention?
God did not wind up the clock of creation and then let it run down, for the tenses of the verbs indicate that God is constantly at work, meeting the needs of His creatures.
, Wine, oil, and bread were basics in the life of the people in biblical days. The wine was diluted with water, and drunkenness was not acceptable (; ). Wine, oil, and water are symbols of the Holy Spirit (; ; ), and bread speaks of the nourishing Word of God (). God has written spiritual truths into the very world of nature.
On the first day of creation, the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters (, ), and that same Spirit gives new life to creation when the winter season ends (). The Spirit also provides life and power to the church, God’s “new creation.” Mankind has learned to control a great deal of nature, but the issues of life and death are still in the hands of God. How generous He is to a world that ignores Him, rebels against Him, and rarely gives thanks for His generous gifts!
Whether we study invisible microscopic life, visible plant and animal life, human life, or the myriad of things that have no life, the diversity in creation is amazing. God could have made a drab colorless world, one season everywhere, only one variety of each plant and animal, cookie-cutter humans, no musical sounds, and a few minimal kinds of food—but He did not, and how grateful we are! Only a wise God could have planned so many different things, and only a powerful God could have brought them into being.
Catalyst
As we read about God and His creation, we realize we have some serious responsibilities to fulfill. The first is that we must glorify the Lord (, ). Beginning with our own bodies and minds, our abilities and possessions, we must gratefully accept all He has graciously given us and use those gifts to glorify Him, not to please ourselves (, ; ). We are part of creation, yet we are given the special task of being its stewards.
Second, we must praise the Lord, the Creator (). What a marvelous gift is His creation! We need to get back to singing the great hymns and paraphrases of the psalms that exalt God the Creator. The more we thank God, the less we will exploit His gifts.
Third, we should think about His creation and rejoice in it (). The study of natural science is but “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” If earth and sky are declaring the glory of God (), we who have been saved by His grace ought to be glorifying Him even more!
Finally, we must pray for Christ’s return (), for only then will the curse of sin be lifted from creation (). We must share the gospel with sinners so that they might be able to sing with us, “This is my Father’s world.”
Go to the
In His sovereign grace, the Lord chose Abraham (vv. , , ) and made His covenant with him (; ; ), a covenant that would apply to all of Abraham’s physical descendants, as well as to believers today, as Abraham’s spiritual children (; , ). One of the covenant promises was the gift of the land of Canaan to the people of Israel (, ), and this promise was repeated to Abraham’s son Isaac () and to his grandson Jacob ().
This covenant was an act of grace on the part of the Lord, for none of the patriarchs had any claim upon God, nor did He owe them anything. They were homeless nomads—pilgrims and strangers ()—who depended on the Lord to protect and guide them (; ; ). Even when they erred, the Lord protected them and even reproved kings on their behalf.
Once Jacob joined Joseph, God in His grace turned his family of seventy persons into a nation so large and powerful that it threatened the security of Egypt. No matter how dark the day, God always sends His servant ahead to prepare the way. God permitted the Egyptians to persecute His people, for suffering is one of the secrets of fruitfulness. God did not force the Egyptians to hate the Jews, nor did He force Pharaoh to harden his heart. The Lord arranged the circumstances so that Pharaoh and his officers could either obey or disobey His Word, and their repeated disobedience hardened their hearts more.
The Egyptians worshiped over eighty different gods and goddesses, all of whom were helpless to deliver the land from the onslaught of the plagues, the judgments that God pronounced (v. ). Jehovah proved that they were false gods who could do nothing.
The psalmist began his list with the plague of darkness, which was actually the ninth plague. After mentioning this plague, the writer stayed with the original sequence: water turned to blood, and the invasions of frogs, flies, and lice. He omits the fifth and six plagues—the death of the livestock and the boils—and moves on to the hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn on Passover night. What a demonstration of the awesome power of Jehovah!
But the Lord did not abandon His people after He delivered them, for He had brought them out that He might bring them into the Promised Land (, ). He led them in the wilderness, sheltered them from the sun, fed them bread (manna) and meat, and provided water to drink. (See ; ; .)
The psalmist moved immediately from the exodus to the conquest of Canaan. He wrote nothing about Israel’s failures at Sinai (the golden calf), in the wilderness (repeated complaining), and at Kadesh Barnea (refusing to enter the land). After all, the purpose of the psalm was to magnify God’s great works, not to expose man’s great failures. God kept the promise He made to Abraham and gave his descendants the land, helping Joshua and his army defeat the enemy on every side.
God’s keeping His promise meant much more for Israel than victory over the enemy and the acquisition of riches. It meant accepting the responsibility of obeying the God who had been so faithful to them. Before his death, Joshua reminded the people what the Lord had done for them and admonished them to serve the Lord and not turn to idols (). When we consider all that the Lord has done for us, we find we have the same obligation.
This psalm begins on a high note of worship and praise. Before he looked back on the failures of his people, or looked around at the ruins of the kingdom, the psalmist looked up and gave thanks to God for His goodness and mercy (vv. ). Jehovah had been merciful in all that He had done, and the writer accepted God’s will as just and right. Then the psalmist turned from praise to prayer and asked God to include him in the blessings of the promised restoration of the nation (vv. , ).
The psalmist claimed the promise that King Solomon asked God to honor when he dedicated the temple (). As we study this psalm, it may be like witnessing an autopsy, but we will benefit from it if, like the psalmist, we keep our eyes on the Lord of glory and see His kindness and faithfulness to His sinful people.
The reference here is to Israel’s fear and unbelief at the exodus, when they were caught between the Egyptian army behind them and the Red Sea before them (). They had witnessed the mighty power of God as He had devastated Egypt with plagues, but Israel did not believe that the Lord could successfully deliver them from the Egyptians. They were looking back instead of looking forward.
Israel preferred the security of slavery to the challenges of liberty. “Let us go back to Egypt!” was frequently their response when they found themselves in a situation that demanded faith. In that desperate hour, they did not remember God’s kindness or His promises, and they panicked. But God led them through the sea on dry land and utterly destroyed the enemy army that tried to follow them.
The seeds of unbelief buried in the hearts of the Jewish people took root and bore bitter fruit in the years to come. The people were slow to remember God’s past deeds but quick to rush ahead and ignore His desires. However, they did not hesitate to make known their own desires, for they craved water (), food (), and meat. God provided daily manna (“angels’ food”; ), water at an oasis and then from the rock (), and enough fowl to give meat to the whole nation. People who grumble and complain are people not walking by faith in the promises of God (, ). We must resist the temptation to yield to our fleshly cravings ().
Pride and selfish ambition have always brought trouble to God’s people (; ). These rebels were opposing the will of God, for it was the Lord who chose Moses and Aaron to lead the nation, and so the Lord destroyed Korah and his followers. Respect for God’s leaders is important to the success of the Lord’s work (, ).
The first failure involved the lusts of the flesh, and the second involved the pride of life (see ). The third failure, the worship of the golden calf (; ), involved the lust of the eyes. The details may be different in our lives, but the underlying temptations and failures remain timeless. We cannot afford to treat lightly our human waywardness.
Instead of trusting God to give them the land, the people asked Moses to appoint a committee to survey the land. (God had already done this for them; .) But Israel did not need more facts; they needed more faith. The people reverted to their usual crisis mode of weeping, complaining, and planning to return to Egypt (). The Lord announced that the generation twenty years and older would all die in the wilderness during the next thirty-eight years, and then He sent a plague that killed the ten unbelieving spies. What should have been a triumphant victory march became a tragic funeral march. That is what happens when we want our own way and refuse to trust the Lord and obey Him.
These two events occurred toward the end of Israel’s march through the wilderness, and both of them illustrate the high cost of willful disobedience to the Lord. Their worship of Baal at Peor is described in .
, The second demonstration of carnality was seen in Moses—not a sin of the flesh but of the spirit: He became proud and angry and took for himself the glory that belonged only to the Lord (). Provoked by the people, the “pride of life” possessed Moses, and he lost his temper and spoke rash words that offended the Lord.
God in His grace took His people into Canaan and gave them victory over the nations living there. The twelve tribes claimed their inheritance and settled down to enjoy the land and serve the Lord. They were faithful all during the leadership of Joshua and the elders that he selected and trained, but when the third generation came along, they compromised and began to serve the false gods of their defeated enemies. When they cried out to God for mercy, He heard them and raised up judges to deliver them from their enemies; but then the nation lapsed into idolatry again, and the cycle was repeated. In His mercy, the Lord heard their cries and forgave them (, ; ; , ; ; see ), but this could not go on forever.
In His covenant, the Lord warned that if Israel continued to resist and disobey, even after experiencing His chastening, He would take them out of their land and scatter them (; ). The psalmist closed with a prayer that the scattered children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would one day be gathered together so that they might worship Jehovah and give glory to His name. The last verse, written by an ancient editor, brings to a close Book Four of the Psalms.
This psalm focuses on the Lord’s redemption of the nation from captivity in Babylon (vv. , ). While the circumstances described in the psalm could be experienced by almost anyone, they especially apply to what Israel had to endure while in captivity. The people described in this psalm needed God’s help, either because of their own folly or because of circumstances beyond their control, and they called on the Lord and He delivered them. Five specific situations are described involving people who lose something valuable: wandering in the wilderness (v. ff.), imprisonment (v. .), facing death (v. .), distress at sea (v. .), and impoverishment (v. .).
It was a long way from Babylon to Judah, and the dangers were many, but the Lord brought His people safely home (; ; ). In their need, they cried out to Him (, , , ) and He brought them out, led them through the wilderness, and brought them to their own land where they found cities to live in.
These people were in prison (vv. , , ) because they had rebelled against the Lord, a good description of the Jewish people exiled in Babylon (). They violated their covenant with the Lord, and He had to discipline them ().
Again we meet rebellious fools who deliberately disobeyed God’s law and suffered for their folly. “The gates of death” (v. ) led into Sheol, the land of the dead (; ; ; ). The Lord heard their cries and stopped them at the very gates and permitted them to live. They did not deserve this blessing, but such is the mercy of the Lord. In Scripture, sickness is often used as a picture of sin and its painful consequences, but not all sickness is the result of sin (; ).
Here the Word of God is compared to medicine that God sends for their healing. This reminds us of the three people Jesus healed from a distance: the centurion’s servant (), the demonized girl (), and the nobleman’s son ().
This wonderful deliverance should motivate the sailors to give thanks to the Lord personally, to exalt Him in the sanctuary worship, and to bear witness to the leaders of the people. The thanksgiving continues to expand! There are no hopeless situations in God’s sight, for He can do the impossible. Nobody but the crew and the Lord saw the miracle, so it was up to the grateful crew to spread the word and give glory to the Lord.
The approach changes, and the focus of attention is no longer on the people in trouble but on the Lord. He can turn the garden into a desert and the desert into a garden (; ; see ). God can judge the land because of the wickedness of the people who live there (; see ), and He can also heal the land and bless it because of the faith and obedience of the people.
What should we learn from the five pictures in this psalm that depict God’s power and mercy in action? To be wise and heed the Word of God (v. ; ). Yes, God shows His love and mercy to the disobedient who repent and call on His name, but our Father would rather share that love with obedient children who would enjoy it more ().
The worship leader took the first five verses from and the last eight from and made a new psalm. God’s truth is adaptable to new situations, and old songs become “new songs” when new challenges are matched with changeless theology. The writer opened with praise to the Lord (vv. ) and then reminded God of His promises to conquer Israel’s enemies and give them the land (vv. ). He closed with prayer for God’s help and an expression of confidence in the power of the Lord (vv. ). Praise, prayer, and promises form a combination found often in the Psalms, a pattern that we ought to imitate in our own daily lives.
This psalm is ascribed to David and is written about his accusers. They hated David (vv. , ) and falsely accused him (vv. , , ; see ; ) and cursed him (). David’s attempts to return good for evil failed (vv. , ), and the wicked showed him no mercy (v. ).
The silence of God indicated that the Lord was not answering prayer and working on David’s behalf (; ; ; ). Often we cry out to Him but nothing seems to happen. David reminded the Lord that he did not pray only when he needed help, for he praised the Lord often and thanked Him for His mercies.
God was silent but the enemy was vocal, speaking hateful, lying words and accusing David of crimes he had never committed. The word translated “accusers” (vv. , , ), or sometimes “adversaries,” gives us the English word “Satan,” one of the names of the Devil (see ; ; ; ). Satan is the accuser () and the adversary of believers (), and he uses people to accomplish this work.
David described the curses his enemies were working to heap on him. (See .) They were unfairly asking God to crush David. He simply asked God to settle the issue and turn his enemies’ curses and plans back on their own heads. Years later, the prophet Jeremiah prayed a similar prayer against the enemies that wanted to kill him (), and the Lord did not rebuke him.
David prayed that God’s judgment would be thorough and would include the family of his enemy (vv. ). Certainly he knew what the law said about this (), so the family must have participated in the father’s sins. Every Jewish man wanted many descendants so that his name would be perpetuated, along with much wealth and a long life, but David prayed that none of these blessings would come to his enemy. Even more, he asked that his enemy’s parents’ sins would never be forgiven.
David focused on his enemy’s sins of omission: He did not show kindness to the poor, and he did not seek to be a blessing to others (see ; ; ; ; ). All of this would come right back on his own head and penetrate his very being, for sinners hurt themselves far more than they hurt their victims.
As a faithful son of the covenant, David had a right to ask God for the help he needed. His desire was that God might be glorified by showing mercy to His servant (vv. , ). He wanted God to do some wonderful thing that only He could do, and this would tell his enemies that Jehovah was fighting David’s battles. Like David, we can cry out to God for help.
David asked the Lord to send him a blessing every time his enemy cursed him and to bring shame to the enemy but joy to His servant. Finally, David promised to praise the Lord and give glory to Him when all these trials were ended, and he did. After David had been made king over all Israel, he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and sought to honor the Lord (). God did help David, in His own time and His own way, and so He will do for us.
This psalm is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament more than any other psalm. Verse is referenced at least twenty-five times and verse another five times. Ten of these quotations or allusions are in the book of Hebrews alone. Jesus used verse to prove His deity and silence the Pharisees () and also to answer the high priest during His trial (). The psalm presents two pictures of Messiah from the past—His exaltation as King () and His consecration as Priest (v. )—and a third picture from the future: His victory over the enemies of God (vv. ).
“The LORD [Jehovah] said to my Lord [Adonai]” is the way the psalm opens, and since David was the highest ruler in the kingdom, his Adonai had to be the Lord Himself. It was this fact that Jesus presented to the Pharisees (), asking them how David’s Lord could also be David’s son (Messiah). The only answer is by incarnation: The eternal Son of God had to come to earth as a human, born into the family of David ().
When the Son was exalted and enthroned at His ascension, the Father made three promises to Him: that He would defeat His enemies (v. ), extend His kingdom (v. ), and give Him a victorious army (v. ).
Catalyst
and , along with , are “Praise the Lord (Hallelujah)” psalms that either begin or end with “Praise the LORD!” If we cannot rejoice in our circumstances, we can always rejoice in the Lord (). The psalmist does not stay at home and worship in private, as important as that is; he goes to the sanctuary and joins in with others, for we encourage one another as we praise God together ().
All of us have people in church who are very special to us, and as long as we do not form an exclusive clique, there is nothing wrong with worshiping God with your close friends. The “growth group” movement in the church today has proven very helpful, especially in larger congregations. But the important thing is that we are wholehearted in our worship, giving God our very best.
Go to the
David and Solomon extended the borders of the kingdom of Israel, but when the Messiah establishes His kingdom, with Jerusalem as the center (), the whole earth will share in the glory and the blessing (; ; ). Today, the Lord has enemies who oppose Him, but He is sovereign and rules from His throne even though they refuse to submit.
This central verse of the psalm announces that Messiah will be both King and Priest, something unheard of in Old Testament history. This verse is important to the message of the book of Hebrews (, ; ; , ; see ) because the present high priestly ministry of Christ in heaven is described in that book. If Jesus were on earth, He could not minister as a priest, because He was from the tribe of Judah and not from Levi. But because His priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek, who was both a king and priest (), He can minister in heaven today.
No Aaronic priest was “a priest forever,” because each high priest died and was replaced by his eldest son. Being a mere human, Melchizedek died, but there is no record in the Scriptures of either his birth or his death. This makes him a type of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and the High Priest forever.
Today is the Lord’s “day of salvation” (, ), when He is calling sinners to be reconciled to God (). But there will come a day of wrath, “the day of the Lord,” when the anger of Jesus the Lamb of God will begin to “erupt” (NLT) like the Lion of the tribe of Judah (, ), and judgment will fall on the world. This is the victory the Father promised in verse .
Jesus Christ is exalted and enthroned in heaven! One day He will come and conquer the devil and his armies and establish His kingdom on earth! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
God’s people do not live in the past, but they know how to use the past to give them encouragement in the present and hope for the future. The celebrating of special days and weeks as commanded in was one way the Lord helped His people recall His great deeds on their behalf. But even more, His works reveal His attributes, for like Him His works are amazing (), glorious, majestic and righteous (v. ), wonderful, gracious and compassionate (v. ), powerful and generous (v. ), faithful, just and trustworthy (v. ), and holy and awesome (v. ). Who could not trust a God with that kind of character?
The Jewish nation left “memorial stones” after they entered Canaan () and during their passage through the land. Jewish parents were commanded to teach their children the meaning of the special days and the memorial stones (; ; ). There are today no “sacred places” where God dwells in some unique way, but there are special places where God can bring edifying memories to mind that will help us remember His greatness and grace.
From the works of God it was an easy transition to the Word of God, for it is God’s Word that brought all things into being and that keeps things together (). God gave His law to His people so that they might enjoy His blessings. His righteousness is forever (), but so are His covenants (vv. , ) and His precepts (v. ). God’s Word is trustworthy, and we can rely on it. His precepts are given in love, and His promises never fail.
To the Jewish people, God’s name was so awesome that they would not speak the name “Jehovah” but substituted “Adonai,” lest they would inadvertently blaspheme His holy name. Would that God’s people today had such reverence for the name of the Lord!
The awesomeness of God’s name leads to the importance of fearing the Lord and obeying His will. The fear of the Lord is a topic mentioned frequently in Scripture, especially in the book of Proverbs. It is not the slavish fear of a criminal before a judge but the loving and reverential fear of a child for his or her parents. If we want to understand God’s works and God’s Word, we must maintain this reverential fear of the Lord, for this attitude is the basis for receiving spiritual wisdom and understanding.
The word “beginning” means “the principal part,” and without this we are unprepared to learn God’s truth. But fearing the Lord leads to obeying the Lord, and obedience is important to spiritual understanding ().
We who live under the new covenant have in Jesus Christ every spiritual blessing that we will ever need (; , ), and we have the promise that our God will meet our needs (). The attributes of God given in become the character qualities of the godly believer in , for becoming more and more like Jesus Christ is the greatest reward of a faithful life of obedience (; ). We want more than the blessing; we want to be like the One who gives the blessing. The psalmist describes the faithful believer in various relationships of life.
The psalmist wrote about fear of bad news (v. ) and fear of the enemy (v. ), but the first and most important fear is the fear of the Lord. This verse takes us back to , for if we fear God, we need fear nothing else. Solomon came to the same conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” ().
The person described in this psalm praises the Lord in worship, stands in awe of the Lord, delights in fellowship with the Lord, and seeks to obey the Lord. This kind of life brings blessing to the entire family (; ; ; ). If our life doesn’t make an impact at home, among people we know and love, it is not going to make much of a difference out in the marketplace, where people blaspheme the name of the Lord.
, Under the old covenant, material wealth was one of the evidences of the Lord’s blessing on His people as they moved into the Promised Land (.; ). This explains why the apostles were shocked when Jesus said that it was difficult for rich people to enter God’s kingdom (). If rich people could not be saved, then who could?
A believing heart is a steadfast heart, one that is not easily shaken by bad news or difficult circumstances. The person described was confident that the Lord could handle any problem that might come to him. A double-minded person has no stability (; ) and therefore, no ability to face the demands of life (see ). Believers with a confident heart and a clear conscience have nothing to fear when they receive bad news, because they know the Lord is in control. If there is darkness around them, they wait for the Lord to send the light ().
God rewards the delight of the righteous (v. ) but ignores the desires of the wicked (v. ; see ; ). Those who walk with the Lord and live godly lives are opposed and hated by the wicked, because the good works of the godly are like lights that reveal the evil in the world (; ). The fact that the wicked oppose the godly is a good sign that the godly are living as they should. The witness of one dedicated life is a witness in the darkness of this world. Having seen and heard the witness of the godly, the wicked will have no excuse when they face the Lord ().
It was traditional for the Jewish people to sing and before they ate their Passover meal, and they closed the meal by singing to (see ; ). These psalms were also sung in celebration of the Feast of Weeks (also called Pentecost), the Feast of Tabernacles, the new moon festivals, and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). Because of the emphasis in , this small collection of psalms was called “The Egyptian Hallel.” opens and closes with “Hallelujah” (“Praise the LORD [Jehovah]”).
The word “name” is used three times in these verses and refers to the character of God and the revelation of who He is and what He does. God has a “good name” and that name should be magnified among those who have never trusted Him. To “glorify” or “praise” God means to make God look good to those who ignore Him, oppose Him, or do not know Him. This kind of praise pays no attention to time (“from this time forth and forevermore”) or space (“From the rising of the sun to its going down”—that is, from east to west). God’s name is attached to His covenant with Israel (see , especially ), and both His name and His covenant can be trusted.
Earthly kings are concerned about the splendor and prominence of their thrones (), but the Lord’s throne is exalted above the nations and even above the heavens (, ; ). Jesus Christ, the King of Kings (), is today exalted “far above all the heavens” (; ).
It is not our Lord’s transcendence that captivates the psalmist but His willingness to humble Himself and pay attention to mere mortals who do not always honor Him. Most ancient kings were inaccessible to their people, but our God sees us and knows our every need (; ). For the believer, God’s throne is not only a throne of glory and authority, but it is also a throne of grace, a topic the psalmist explained in the next three verses.
The Lord, in His grace, not only sees us but cares for us and helps us. He humbles Himself and condescends to work on our behalf (). The picture in verses parallels verses of the song of Hannah (:), part of which was borrowed by Mary in her song of praise to God ().
The smoldering garbage dump was the gathering place of the outcasts of the city, the unwanted poor, and the diseased (). The sun would warm the ashes during the day, and the ashes would keep the people warm at night. It was the one place that people avoided going near, but our God visits rejected people and changes their lives!
The love of God and the grace of God made Him stoop to our level, especially when He sent Jesus Christ to become one of us and die for us on the cross (). In and and , Jesus stooped to forgive a sinful woman and to wash His disciples’ feet. But His greatest demonstration of grace was when He died for us on the cross. He condescended to become like us, that we might become like Him (; ). There can be no greater love (). Only Jesus Christ can lift sinners out of the ash heap and put them on the throne ()!
The exodus is mentioned frequently in the Psalms (; ; , , ; ; ), because Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was their “national birthday.” The people were set free to serve God and accomplish the important tasks He had assigned to them: bearing witness of the true and living God, writing the Scriptures, and bringing the Savior into the world.
It was the blood of the lamb applied to the doors that protected the Jewish firstborn from death, just as the blood of Christ, God’s Lamb, saves us from sin and death. God’s power in opening the Red Sea liberated Israel and separated them from their cruel taskmasters. This is a picture of the resurrection of Christ and the believer’s participation in it (; .).
The Lord not only separated Israel from Egypt, but He also separated Israel unto Himself. They were His people, His treasure and His inheritance. Today, God does not dwell in man-made houses (), but He does dwell with His people, for our bodies are His temple, and the congregation is His sanctuary.
Not only was God’s sanctuary in Judah but so was His throne (). David and his descendants were God’s chosen rulers, but they represented the Lord God and had to obey His law. God made a covenant with David in which He promised him a throne forever and an heir forever on that throne (). David’s throne is gone (, ), but that covenant is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Most of this psalm is devoted to describing the miracles God performed for Israel as they left Egypt and headed for Canaan. The key thought is that God went before His people, and everything in nature trembled at His presence and obeyed His will (v. ). The God who allows us to know Him is not a little, insignificant God but the Maker of heaven and earth!
Remember that the Jews used this psalm in those difficult post-exilic days when the work was hard and the dangers were many. This vivid picture of God going before His people must have helped them grow in their faith and trust Him for their needs. It can also help us today. “If God is for us”—and with us, and over us, and before us—“who can be against us?” (see ).
This psalm was written as a litany, with the leader opening in verse . The people then responded in verses , the choir in verses , and the people again in verses . The priests or the choir spoke in verses , and the people closed the litany in verses . The psalm may have been used at the dedication of the second temple (). It not only tells where the God of Israel is but what kind of a God He is.
Where is the God of Israel? In heaven on His glorious throne, reigning as the sovereign God of the universe! His throne is founded on mercy and truth (love and faithfulness), which reminds us of His covenant with Israel. Because He loved them, He chose them () and gave them His covenant, which He faithfully kept.
God is a Spirit and does not have a body (), so when writers in Scripture speak about His eyes, ears, hands, feet, and so on, they are using what theologians call “anthropomorphisms” (anthropo = human; morphos = form, shape). This is a literary device which uses human characteristics to describe divine attributes. God uses the known to teach us the unknown and the unknowable.
Catalyst
is repeated in . Because the dead idols lacked the attributes of the living God, they were unable to do either good or evil, yet the people worshiped them!
No mouths—They cannot speak to their people, make covenants, or give promises, guidance, or encouragement. Our God speaks to us!
No eyes—They offer their followers no protection or oversight. Our God’s eyes are upon us (; ), and we can trust Him.
No ears—No matter how much the idolaters pray, their gods cannot hear them! Remember Elijah on Mount Carmel (.). Our God’s eyes are upon us and His ears open to our cries ().
No noses—This speaks of God receiving our worship () and being pleased with what we bring Him. (See ; ; .)
No hands—The workers whose hands made the idols have more power than the idols they call “gods.” Our God is able to work for us as we seek to serve Him. His fingers made the universe (), and His arm brought salvation (). (See also and .)
No feet—The people had to carry their idols (; ), but our God carries us and walks with us (see , ).
But the greatest tragedy is not what the idols cannot do but what they can do to the people who worship them. We become like the god we worship. As we worship the true and living God, He transforms our ears to hear His truth and the cries of those in need. He gives us eyes to see His Word and His world and the path He wants us to walk. Our “spiritual senses” develop and we become more mature in Jesus Christ (). Those who worship false gods lose the use of their spiritual senses and become blind to God’s light and deaf to God’s voice.
Go to the
“Trust the Lord and He will give His blessing” is the theme of this section, and how the discouraged remnant needed that assurance! They needed His blessing on their crops, and they wanted their number to increase (v. ). Of course, the Lord had stated this in His covenant with Israel (; ), and all they needed was His reminder.
The word “bless” is used five times in this section, and we cannot live without God’s blessing. But it is also good for us to bless (praise) the Lord (v. ). This means to ascribe all glory and praise to Him, to delight His heart with our joyful and willing thanksgiving and obedience.
Because Jehovah God is the One “who made heaven and earth” (v. ; ; ; ; ; ; ), we should worship Him and not what He has created or what we manufacture ourselves.
He made the earth and gave it to men and women to meet their needs and give them work to do, cooperating with Him in the development of His abundant resources (). The people who worship dead idols are also dead, but we are alive in Jesus Christ and ought to extol the Lord! After all, if we expect to praise Him forevermore, we had better start now and be ready when we see Him!
The psalmist could not trust in himself for deliverance (v. ), nor could he trust the people around him, some of whom were liars (v. ), but he knew he could trust in the Lord and call on Him for help (vv. , , ). God “humbles Himself” (also translated “bends down”) to pay attention and concentrate on what was being said to Him (, ; ). Only a God as great as Jehovah can hear the voices of millions of His children who are praying to Him at the same time.
This writer was in deep trouble and sorrow, like a man drowning who is so entangled in a net that death seems inevitable (vv. , , ; see ). He shows us that the name of the Lord represents all that God is and does, and to call on His name is to trust Him to work on our behalf (see , , ). Peter, sinking in the sea during the storm, prayed, “Lord, save me!” () and the Lord rescued him. When through no fault of our own we find ourselves in great danger, we can call on the Lord for His help.
God is merciful and gracious. God’s name represents God’s character, and He is gracious, righteous, compassionate, and powerful. The Lord loved the psalmist and saved him, and the psalmist then loved Him even more (vv. , ; see ). Note the phrase “our God” in , which indicates that the writer was giving his testimony to a group of people, probably at the sanctuary (vv. , , ).
, God wiped away his tears, He held him up and prevented him from stumbling (), and He walked with him to protect him from his enemies. And He did all of this in spite of the ambivalence of the psalmist’s faith, one minute dismayed at the lies of so-called friends, the next minute affirming his faith in the Lord (, ). In the pressure of danger and pain, we often say things we really do not mean, but the Lord sees our hearts and knows what we really believe. The psalmist held to his faith even though he said what he did, and the Lord ignored what he said with his lips and responded to what he was saying in his heart.
As part of the offering of sacrifices, the priest would pour out a portion of wine on the altar as a symbol of the worshiper’s life poured out to serve the Lord. This was indeed a “cup of salvation” for the psalmist, whose life could have been destroyed by the enemy.
Following the ceremony and feast, the psalmist began to keep the promises he had made to the Lord during his time of great suffering and danger (vv. , ). We must not consider these vows to be “holy bribes” given in payment for God’s help, for the psalmist surely knew that God’s will cannot be influenced by man’s gifts.
The Father loves us so much that He gave Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place (). If our Father loves us that much, then He must be concerned not only with how we live but also how and when we die. For believers, death is not an accident but an appointment. If the Father pays attention to the death of every sparrow, surely He will be concerned about the death of His saints.
Believers today belong to God’s new covenant family in Christ, but this does not guarantee protection from pain and trials. However, it does mean that God is in control and will work all things for our good and His glory, even our death (; see ; ). Even our Lord lived on a divine timetable and they could not crucify Him until the chosen hour had come. May the Lord help us to end well and be faithful to Him.
This shortest of psalms opens and closes with “Praise the LORD,” for praising the Lord ought to be a mark of every believer today as it was of the new Christians in the early church (). The first “praise” in v. translates the familiar Hebrew word hallel, which gives us “hallelujah—praise the Lord.” The second “praise” is shavah, which means “to boast, to extol and laud.” When we praise the Lord, we not only tell Him of His greatness, but we also “brag on Him” to those who hear our songs. Worship and praise are the highest occupations to which we can dedicate our voices, the activities that will occupy us for all eternity!
The word translated “Gentiles” refers to all people who are not of Semitic origin. The Hebrew word translated “peoples” refers to the diverse nationalities in the world (). You find the phrases “all the earth” and “all peoples,” as well as similar phrases, frequently in the book of Psalms (; ; ; , ; ). The Jewish people were supposed to be separated from the Gentiles but not isolated from them, for God called Abraham to found a nation that would bring blessing to all the earth (; , ; ).
The church today needs to carry the light of the gospel to the whole world (). Paul quoted this verse in as part of his explanation of the relationship of the church to Israel. The apostles and other early Jewish Christians praised the Lord among both Jews and Gentiles (), as recorded in the book of Acts. Through this expanding witness, many Gentiles trusted Christ and praised God with the Jewish believers (), for believing Jews and Gentiles are one body in Christ ().
We have been saved by grace, not by our good works (, ), and were it not for God’s merciful lovingkindness, we would still be in darkness and death. How unfortunate that some of the Jewish leaders became proud of being God’s chosen people and began to look down upon others. They even called the Gentiles “dogs.” But God’s people today can be guilty of the same sin.
God’s people are saved by faith and live by faith, but our faith would mean nothing were it not for His faithfulness that “endures forever.” The word translated “truth” or “faithfulness” means in Hebrew “to be firm, to be unshakable.” God’s character cannot change and His promises will not change, so we do not need to fret about the feelings within us and the circumstances around us. We need not hesitate to obey Him when He abounds in faithfulness.
This psalm is bracketed by thanksgiving (vv. , and ), for this is one of the purposes of the “hallelujah” psalms, and we have met the threefold address before (). It is very possible that was sung at the dedication of the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem (). The human situation may change many times, but God’s faithful love endures forever. The nation of Israel certainly ought to praise God for all the blessings and privileges God has bestowed on her (). God’s people today have every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ () and certainly ought to praise His name.
Jesus Christ is seen in —His triumphal entry (vv. , ), His rejection (v. ), His death and resurrection (v. ), and His exaltation as God’s chosen Stone (vv. , ). Perhaps verse hints at the Lord’s Day, the day of resurrection, as “the new day” of the new creation made possible by His atoning work. It is important that we see Jesus Christ in every experience of life, for then these experiences will help us grow in grace and become more like the Savior.
“The LORD” is mentioned in every verse in this stanza because He was the one who protected Israel from their enemies and enabled the people to complete the work in difficult times (, ). Knowing that the nation of Israel was God’s chosen instrument for bringing blessing to the world, Satan opposed the work and sought to destroy both the people and their city, but faith and courage carried Israel through to victory (; ).
When the wall was dedicated, the joyful shouts of the people were heard afar off (), and the psalmist mentions this (, ). The people were careful to give the Lord all the glory for what Israel had done in the restoring of the city. Israel has been sorely chastened, but Israel will not die (vv. , ). One of the best ways to “seal” God’s blessing to our hearts and make sure He gets the glory is to publicly praise Him—and keep on praising Him!
Under Zerubbabel and Ezra, the Jewish people rebuilt the temple, and under the leadership of Nehemiah, they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and restored the gates. During these activities, did they find among the ruins a large stone that they rejected, only to discover it was the most important stone of all? The Gentile nations had despised and rejected Israel (; .), but God had spared them to finish the work He gave them to do. In His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ has become the chief cornerstone of the church, God’s temple, binding Jews and Gentiles together in one sanctuary (). One day Jesus will return as the Stone of judgment and crush the arrogant kingdoms of this world (, , ).
Possibly refers to the Feast of Tabernacles. On each of the seven days of the festival, the priests led a procession once around the altar and then offered one burnt offering, but on the eighth day, the procession marched seven times around the altar and seven sacrifices were offered. Each sacrifice was a picture of the death of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
The emphasis in this, the longest psalm, is on the vital ministry of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith. The psalm is an acrostic with eight lines in each section, and the successive sections follow the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight lines of verses begins with the Hebrew letter aleph, the lines in verses begin with beth, in verses with gimel, and so on. The writer had an intense hunger for holiness and a passionate desire to understand God’s Word in a deeper way. In all but fourteen verses, he addresses his words to the Lord personally, so this psalm is basically a combination of worship, prayer, praise, and admonition.
“The undefiled” does not mean sinless but people with wholehearted devotion to the Lord, sincerity, and integrity. Only Jesus Christ was totally blameless in His relationship to God and His law, but because believers are “in Christ,” we are “holy and without blame before Him” (). His love is in our hearts () and His Spirit enables us (), so His law is not a heavy yoke that crushes us.
How can we receive God’s blessing? By being blameless before the Lord, obedient to His law, and wholehearted in our relationship to Him. The law is not a weapon in the hands of an angry judge but a tool in the hands of a loving Father, used by the Spirit to make us more like Jesus Christ. The Word enables us to know God better and draw closer to Him.
As we cultivate an appetite for the Word (vv. , , , , ) and feed upon it, we give the Spirit something to work with in our hearts, and He enables us to walk in God’s paths. If we feel ashamed when we read the Word (v. ; see v. ), then we have to stop and find out why and then confess it to the Lord. If we are ashamed because of our disobedience, then we cannot witness to others (v. ) and we will be ashamed of our hope (v. ). Better to be ashamed now and confess it than to be ashamed when we meet the Lord ().
We need a heart that seeks God, for if our heart is seeking God, our feet will not stray from God (v. ; ). Such a heart will see Him in all of life, learn more about Him, fellowship with Him, and glorify Him in all that is said and done. Again, the Holy Spirit enables us to do this as we yield to Him. But we must also spend time in the Word and treasure it in our hearts (; ; ; ). It is not our promises to the Lord but His promises to us that will give us victory over sin. We also need a thankful heart and a teachable spirit that will enable us to learn from the Lord (, , ).
The blessing comes, not in hearing the Word but in doing it (). We should also speak with others about the Word and seek to enrich them with spiritual treasures. The heart is a treasury from which we draw spiritual wealth to encourage and help ourselves and others (; , ). The Scriptures as riches is a repeated theme in (vv. , , , ; see ). To treasure any possession above the Word of God is idolatry and leads to trouble.
Whatever delights us will capture our attention, and we will think about it and meditate on it. This is true of God’s Word. In this psalm, delighting in the Word, loving the Word, and meditating on the Word are found together (vv. , , , , , , , , ), and they should be found together in our hearts and lives. We must take time to be holy.
We need God’s Word! If ever we feel we can ignore our daily time with God in His Word, then this is the Scripture to read. We need the Word because we are servants (vv. , , ), and in His Word our Master gives us direction for the work He wants us to do.
The eyes have an appetite (vv. , ; ) and we must be careful where we focus them (). Eyes that feast on the vanities of this world will never see the wonders in God’s Word.
Not only are we servants, but we are also students (v. ), and our basic manual is the Word of God. However, unless God opens our eyes, we will never see the wonderful things hidden in its pages (, ). God’s Word is wonderful (), His works are wonderful (, , , , ), and His love is full of wonders (). We have the privilege to meditate on the wonder of His Person, His truth, and His mighty works.
Because we serve a different Master, obey a different set of laws, and have our citizenship in a different country (), we are different from the lost people whom Jesus called “the sons of this world” (). We will not copy (conform to) the world (), and the world will oppose and persecute us because of this. Therefore, we are sufferers who bear reproach for Jesus Christ, even as the psalmist faced scorn and insults for his obedience to God’s laws.
The writer needed wisdom to know how to handle these difficult situations, and he found counsel in God’s Word. Instead of listening to the enemy’s slander, he meditated on God’s truth. That is a good way to keep your mind clean and confident ().
The previous section ended with the psalmist delighting in God’s Word, and this one opens with him down in the dust! The enemy attacks us the hardest when we are enjoying the blessings of God, and we must expect it. When things are going well and we “feel good,” it is dangerous to relax and lay aside the armor (). When he found himself down, the psalmist knew what to do—he prayed!
, Too often we ask, “How can I get out of this trouble?” when we should be asking, “What can I get out of this experience?” In times of trouble, we need God’s wisdom lest we waste our suffering (). The psalmist knew there were still lessons to learn in the school of life, and he did not want to miss them.
When we find ourselves pressured by the enemy, our first response is usually to pray that God will change them, when perhaps our best response would be that God would change us and enable us to overcome.
, The writer did not want to bring shame to the name of the Lord (vv. , , , ), so he turned the situation over to Him by faith. If we think up clever schemes to defend ourselves and slander others, then the Lord will not be able to defend us. As we hold to His Word and trust His promises, the Lord is able to work in His way and in His time. Faith delivers us from the confinement of the enemy’s plots and sets us free to enjoy a larger place.
Catalyst
When Paul () and Jesus () came to the ends of their lives, they both “ended well,” to the glory of God, but not every believer achieves that coveted goal. A good beginning ought to lead to a good ending, but that is not always the case. Lot, Samson, King Saul, Ahithophel, and Demas all made good beginnings, but their lives ended in tragedy. The psalmist wanted to end well (), but ending well is the consequence of living well. What are the essentials for a consistent life that ends well?
Learning. We must pray for spiritual enlightenment, so we may learn God’s Word and the way of His Word. It is not enough to read the Bible, outhne the books, get answers to questions, and be able to discuss theology. We must come to understand the character of God and the workings of His providence.
Obeying. What we learn with our mind and apprehend with our heart must motivate the will to do what God commands. But our obedience cannot be that of a slave obeying a master in order to avoid discipline. It must be the obedience of a grateful child who delights to please his or her parents.
Walking and Talking. When we are confronted by the enemy, the Lord will not give us words we have never pondered from the Scriptures, but His Spirit can remind us of what we have read and learned (, ). The writer connected God’s Word with his mouth, because the word “meditate” in the Hebrew means “to mutter.” The ancient Israelites spoke the Word audibly as they meditated and prayed ().
Our lives speak for the Lord, if our “walk” agrees with our “talk.” The best defense of the faith is a transformed life that is compassionate toward others. Our obedience to the Lord and our loving ministry to others () demonstrate the reality of our faith far better than anything else. Because we know and obey “the word of truth” (), we are able to enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin (v. ), for it is the truth that makes us free (; ; ).
Go to the
Deuteronomy records Moses’ “farewell speech” that he gave to prepare the new generation of Israelites for the conquest of Canaan. After forty years of wandering, the nation would stop being nomads and would become settlers, but new generations would come along and be prone to forget the lessons of the past. In Deuteronomy, we find the word “remember” fifteen times and the word “forget” thirteen times. Some things in the past we must forget (), but some things we must never forget.
God remembers His people. When applied to the Lord, the word “remember” means “to pay attention to, to work on behalf of.” Being omniscient, God cannot forget anything. He “remembers” to do us good and give us His blessing.
His people remember God’s Word. The nation had preserved the Word () and taught it to each new generation (), and this is the obligation of the church today (). Unless the Word of God is honored, taught, and obeyed in a church, that congregation is one generation short of extinction.
, God’s people remember His name. The name of God—Jehovah, Yahweh—is full of meaning and power. To translate it only as “I AM” is to miss much of the dynamic that it contains. To remember His name is to encourage our hearts to trust Him, obey Him, and not be afraid. “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You” (). To remember God’s name is to ask Him to remember us and work on our behalf. We must do this when we are in the darkness and afraid (), or when we are lonely and discouraged ().
Whenever the people of Israel failed God and turned to idols for help, it was evident that they did not really believe Jehovah was adequate to meet their needs. In the time of Elijah, Israel tried to remedy the drought by turning to Baal, the Canaanite storm god, but it was the Lord who sent the rain in answer to the prophet’s prayer. When the enemy threatened to invade their land, the leaders of Israel often ran to Egypt for help, as though Jehovah was unconcerned and unable to deliver them. The psalmist in this section makes it clear that the Lord God Almighty is all we need.
The emphasis in this section of the psalm is on what is good in the life of the believer. The Hebrew word tob is used six times in these eight verses and can be translated “good, pleasant, beneficial, precious, delightful, and right.” God does what is good because God is good and because what He does is “according to [His] word” (v. ) and His Word is good (v. ). Neither His character nor His Word will ever change, so we can say: God is good all the time. God does what is good (vv. , ). God overrules evil and from it brings good (vv. ). God uses the Word to show us good (v. ).
Led by God’s Spirit, the author wrote this long psalm to convince us to make knowing and obeying the Word of God the most important activities in our lives. In the previous section, he reminded us how necessary God’s Word is when we are experiencing difficulties, but it does not stop there. We need God’s Word for all of life. This section includes several ministries of the Word that are necessary in the life of the faithful child of God.
When you purchase a new appliance, you take time to read the owner’s manual. The Bible is the owner’s manual for God’s people. It is the only book that tells the truth about where we came from, why we are here, what we must do to succeed in life, and where we are going. God made us () and knows us better than we know ourselves, and He shares this knowledge in His Word.
, When we hope in God’s Word, we have joy in life, and this helps us to encourage others. Are people happy to see us arrive, or are they happier when we leave? When our friends and acquaintances have burdens, do they turn to us for help, or do we add to their burdens? We are commanded to bear our own burdens courageously and to help others bear their burdens (, ).
Life is difficult and we must accept from the hand of God both the pleasant experiences and the unpleasant (; ). In the dark hours of life, the Word is a light that shows us the way (), and we do not go stumbling down the wrong paths. We have the love of God to comfort us and the promises of God to encourage us. We may not delight in our circumstances, but we pray that God will use them to spread the gospel and glorify His name.
The focus is on the responses of the believer while he waited for the Lord to judge his enemies and deliver him from persecution and danger. His oppressors were also the enemies of the Lord and of Israel, so his concern was more than personal. Satan has been seeking to exterminate the Jews (v. ) since the time the nation was in Egypt, and he will continue until the end times (). The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and we must expect tribulation ().
Rest on His promises and rely on His love. When the Father allows His children to go into the furnace of affliction, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much. To walk by sight will bring unrest and weakness, but to meditate on the Word will bring peace and power. Once again, the psalmist prayed for new life (see v. ) and the Lord revived him.
We like to relax in our comfort zone and resist the dramatic changes going on around us and within us. But if we do, we fail to grow spiritually and we miss the opportunities God gives us to reach others with the gospel. The psalmist made some wonderful affirmations, which if heeded, will anchor us to the eternal and enable us to be used of God during these turbulent times.
We do not go to the Bible to escape the realities of life but to be strengthened to face life and serve God effectively. We may not be able to delight in what is going on in the world, but we can delight in what God says in His Word. The Word equips us to deal with the changes of life and the crises that come. The verb translated “sought” in verse means “to consult, to inquire, to beat a path, to read repeatedly.” Here is a believer who beat a path to the Bible, read it over and over, studied it, and when he had to make a decision, consulted the Word carefully. Philosophies change, political expedients fail, promises and contracts are broken, but the Word of God still stands.
Never have there been so many tools available for serious Bible study, and we are grateful for them. However, the Word of God is unlike any other book: We must be on good terms with the Author if we are to learn from what He has written. Our relationship to the Lord is determined by our relationship to His will, and that is determined by how we relate to His Word. Too many believers have only academic head knowledge of the Word, but they do not know how to put this knowledge into practice in the decisions of daily life. What we all need is a heart knowledge of the Word, and this means being taught by God (v. ).
It has well been said that the greatest ability is dependability, and this especially applies to the Christian life. We want God to be faithful to us, so is it wrong for God to expect us to be faithful to Him? Faithfulness is evidence of faith, and faith comes from hearing and receiving the Word of God ().
Two familiar biblical images combine in this verse: Life is a path (vv. , ) and God’s Word is the light that helps us follow the right path (v. ; ; ). The ancient world did not have lights such as we have today; the people carried little clay dishes containing oil, and the light illuminated the path only one step ahead. We do not see the whole route at one time, for we walk by faith when we follow the Word. Each act of obedience shows us the next step, and eventually we arrive at the appointed destination.
, What a precious treasure is the Word of God (vv. , , )! It is like a deep mine filled with gold, silver, and precious gems, and we must take time to “dig” for these treasures (; ). A mere surface reading of Scripture will not put spiritual treasure into our hearts. Mining treasure is hard work, but it is joyful work when we “mine” the Bible, as the Spirit guides us into truth.
If the life of faith consisted only of meditating on the Word and loving God, life would be easy, but people of faith have enemies, and life in this world is not easy. God’s Word is also a source of direction and strength. God’s Word will “uphold” us.
If we love the Word, we will hate lies and oppose liars. The psalmist knew that his shelter and shield was the Lord alone, and he trusted in Him. He is not hiding in the Lord from fear of facing the enemy, because he addresses the enemy in verse . Only in the Lord could he find the help he needed. The Lord protects us that He might equip us to face the enemy and fight the battle.
God alone should be feared. (See v. .) The fear of the Lord is the fear that conquers every fear. If we fear the Lord, we depart from evil (v. ; ). This takes us back to ; if we are single-minded, we will fear only the Lord and trust Him.
For the first time, the word “oppress” appears in this psalm (vv. , ; and see v. ). The root word describes the abuse of power and authority, taking advantage of the underprivileged by either violence or deceit. The word includes the ideas of accusation and slander. The Jews were commanded not to oppress one another (, ; ), and this included the strangers in the land (; ). Often, God’s people suffer oppression, while the guilty go free. When that happens, we need to remember the Lord and what He does for us.
Whenever people attack us, they also attack the Lord, for we belong to Him. God cares for His servants. He does not always prevent us from being oppressed, but He always has a good reason for permitting it to happen. He is a loving Master who teaches us His will and gives us the discernment we need to handle the problems of life. Even more, He gives us promises that we can claim and thereby find the strength and wisdom we need. God’s servants do not live by explanations; they live by promises.
This section begins with the wonder of God’s Word and ends with the weeping of the writer because the arrogant disobey the Word. Just as love and hate (vv. , ) and suffering and delight can exist in the same heart (vv. , ), so can awe and anguish. In fact, when we begin to see the beauty and wonder of the Scriptures, we also begin to understand the ugliness of sin and the cheapness of what the world has to offer. This section describes a “spiritual chain reaction” in the life of the psalmist, one that can occur in our lives if we ponder the wonder of God’s Word.
, God’s love leads to guidance and freedom. When we experience the love of God in our hearts, we keep His commandments (), and obedience to His commandments sets us free from the slavery of sin (). The word “dominion” means “autocratic rule”; sin is not supposed to rule over us (). But there is more: We are also set free from the oppression of people and the enslavement they can bring (). When you are the servant of Jesus Christ, you are free from slavery to people.
God’s Word is trustworthy:
No matter what people do (vv. ).
No matter what people say (vv. , ).
Regardless of how you feel (vv. , ).
No matter how long you live (v. ).
God’s Word is and always will be the last word, because it lasts, like God Himself.
Go to the
, We must seek God with all our heart (vv. , , ) and obey Him with all our heart (vv. , ). Devotion of the heart is what “ignites” our prayers and enables us to present our requests to the Lord. The psalmist was not bargaining with God but dedicating himself to God to obey Him no matter how He answered his prayers. Before we can pray as we ought, we must pray for ourselves, that God will give us a heart ignited by the fire of the Spirit.
This verse combines both love and law, for if we love the Lord, we will keep His commandments. Too often we think of prayer as an emergency measure, as we rush into God’s presence and cry for help. But what would you think of children who spoke to their parents only when they needed something? Prayer is more than asking; prayer expresses love. If we love the Word of God, we must also love the God of the Word and express that love to Him. To tell Him we love Him only because we want to receive something is to practice prayer on a juvenile level. When we share our love with the Lord, we receive new life from Him.
Have you noticed that the writer became more urgent as he drew near the end of the psalm? The Hebrew alphabet was about to end, but his trials would continue, and he needed the help of the Lord. The last three stanzas all speak of persecution and trials, yet the writer still trusted the Lord.
In His incarnation, Jesus entered the human family and became our kinsman, and in the crucifixion, He paid the price to redeem us from sin, death, and hell. Jesus is our family redeemer and also our “surety” (v. ), Mediator, and Advocate, who represents us before the throne of God (, ). In our affliction, it is comforting to know that the Son of God intercedes for us, hears our prayers, and meets our needs.
If we prayed on the basis of our own merit, God could never answer, but we come to the Father in the name of the Son (; ) and with the help of the Spirit (; see , ). God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we do deserve. His throne is a throne of grace where grace and mercy are abundantly available to us ().
“You who love the LORD, hate evil!” (). The writer loved God’s law but hated every false way (, , , ). He loved God’s law but hated people with divided loyalties (v. ). Here he declared that he loved God’s law but hated falsehood. Whoever loves and practices a lie will not enter the heavenly city and will be banished from God’s presence forever (; ).
Like the psalmist, we are waiting for the Lord’s “salvation,” when He will come and set His creation and His people free. As we wait and hope, we must walk and work, for we want to be found faithful when Jesus comes (). When we love His Word, we will also love His appearing () and live like those who are ready to meet their Lord ().
We never outgrow our need for God’s Word, no matter how long we have been walking with Him. There is always something new to learn, and we often see new applications of old truths. Believers who boast that they “know the Bible from cover to cover” are only revealing how little they know about God’s Word, for we shall spend eternity learning from His Word. The psalmist asked for understanding and deliverance, for he knew that the truth would set him free ().
The psalmist did not say that he had greatly sinned against the Lord or that he was rebelling against God’s will. At this point, he felt his own weakness and ignorance and expressed it in terms that were meaningful to him. In verse he affirmed that he had not strayed away, but now he realized the danger of feeling overconfident (). During the spiritual journey recorded in this psalm, the psalmist had experienced his ups and downs, but he had always stayed himself on the Word of God, and he did this to the very end.
, The verbs in verse can be translated in either the past or the present tense, because the past and the present are combined in the Hebrew tense of the verb. The writer had prayed in a previous time of trouble, and the Lord had answered him, so now he had confidence to pray again. Instead of complaining about his situation, he shared it with the Lord and, in this psalm, shared it with us.
, It is not likely that the psalmist was actually addressing his enemies, but this is the message God gave him in answer to his prayers. The writer did not need to attack the enemy, because the Lord would do it for him. Arrows and fire are images of their evil lying words, images that occur frequently in Scripture.
There is so much godless speech in our world today that believers must be careful what they hear and how it affects them. We must not only turn away our eyes from worthless things () but also turn away our ears from hearing foolishness. “Take heed what you hear” (). When we are slandered and lied about, we must leave the matter with the Lord and trust Him to work.
Both peoples mentioned lived a great distance from Israel and were considered enemies of the Jews. The writer was not actually dwelling with these people, because he could not live in two places at once, especially places thousands of miles apart. He was dwelling with Jewish people who were behaving like people who lived outside the covenant blessings of God. Any Jew who feared God and respected the Ten Commandments would not bear false witness against another Jew or seek to slander his or her name. It would be difficult to dwell with these foreign peoples, but it would be even more difficult to dwell with Jewish people who acted like foreigners.
, Believers today must not only live with unbelievers but also with professed believers who live like unbelievers. Paul sometimes shamed the believers to whom he wrote by comparing them to the Gentiles, meaning “the outsiders, the unsaved” (; ). The psalmist was a peacemaker and tried to encourage his godless Jewish neighbors to be peaceable, but they were more intent on making war. His loving words only made them more and more angry. Many problems in families and churches are caused by professed Christians who do not have a real and vital relationship to Jesus Christ. They are not humble peacemakers but arrogant troublemakers. Until God changes them or they decide to go elsewhere, the dedicated believers must be patient and prayerful.
, If Jehovah created the heavens and the earth, then He is a God of power, wisdom, and glory, and we have nothing to fear. Satan and his demonic army may be at work opposing the saints, but this is still our Father’s world. When the travelers caught sight of Jerusalem, situated on the mountains (; , ; ), they knew that God dwelt there in His sanctuary and provided the help they needed (; ; ; ; ; ). Everything in the heavens and on the earth bears witness to the great Creator who is also our heavenly Father, so why should we fear?
, The word translated “to be moved” means “to slip and slide, to stagger, to be shaken.” How easy it would be to sprain an ankle or even fall and break a bone while walking on uneven rocky paths. The Lord is concerned about our feet and our walk—our lives.
The Lord “keeps” us. He is not only on the throne looking down on us, but He is at our side to shield us from all harm. This does not mean that obedient believers never find themselves in difficulty or danger, or that they will never feel physical and emotional pain. The things that God permits to happen to us in His will may hurt us, but they will not harm us. David had many experiences that brought heartache and even threatened his life, but the Lord enabled him to turn those seeming tragedies into beautiful psalms that encourage us today. The Lord stands beside us, providing the “shade” that we need.
The psalmist did not believe the superstition that the phases of the moon affected the minds and bodies of people. Whether by day or by night, in heat or cold, whatever the changes might be, the Father’s presence provides all that we need. We need not be afraid of sudden attacks that can come in the day or the night, for “the shadow of the Almighty” covers us (see ).
, “All evil” means anything that could harm us, but in God’s grace, He turns into good the things we think are evil. Joseph had to endure the slander and hatred of his brothers, thirteen years of separation from his father, the false accusations of his employer’s wife, and years in prison, all because of his brothers’ sins. But in the end, Joseph was able to say, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” ()—and Paul said the same thing in .
Orthodox Jews take and literally and affix small metal boxes containing Scripture portions to the right-hand doorpost of the house, and they touch the box reverently each time they go in and out of the house. These boxes are called mezuzas; the word means “doorpost.” Some Jewish people also attach mezuzas to the right-hand doorposts of individual rooms in the house. What a delight it is to know that, as we go in and out of the house, to and fro in the city, and even fly from city to city and country to country, the Father is with us and cares for our every need.
, “Let us go” sounds tame, like an invitation to a tea. “We will go” is the better translation. Whether this was an invitation to someone living far from Jerusalem, or to David living in Jerusalem, the statement expressed determination and dedication. He rejoiced at an opportunity to go with other worshipers to praise the Lord.
The Lord had told His people that one day there would be a central place where they would worship (; ), and that place was Jerusalem. When the psalmist looked at the city, he thought of unity and security. Just as the stones of the walls and houses were “compact,” or bound firmly together, so the people were bound together in their worship of the Lord and their respect for the throne.
Paul makes it clear that the Lord established the governmental authority that we have, and we must respect the offices even if we cannot always respect the officers. Though there is a separation of church and state in modern democracies, there must never be a separation of God and country. Regardless of our political affiliation, our most important civic duty is to pray for those in authority ().
The name “Jerusalem” means “foundation of peace,” and yet the city has been a center of conflict for centuries. If we understand biblical prophecy correctly, there can be no peace in Jerusalem or on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns on David’s throne (, ; ). So, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are actually praying, “Your kingdom come” ().
, We are God’s people, citizens of the heavenly country, and we must pray for one another and for the ministry of the churches. We can echo the psalmist’s prayer with our prayers. We belong to each other, we need each other, and we must help each other. We must pray for peace within and among the churches. We must pray for the needs of our “brethren and companions”—that is, our family and friends—and surely we must pray for the lost. A heart for God will surely be a heart filled with praise and prayer.
To “lift up my eyes” to the Lord means to trust Him and turn my problems over to Him by faith. We do this by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (). God’s throne is mentioned often in the book of Psalms (, ; ; ; ; ; ; ), and to believers today, His throne is a throne of grace (). The life of faith begins by looking to the Lord by faith and trusting Him for salvation (). The life of faith continues as we keep our eyes of faith on Jesus (), and it will climax with faith becoming sight and we will see Jesus in His glory (, ).
In Eastern countries, masters often commanded their servants by means of hand signals, so the servants kept their eyes on the master’s hand. This is what gave them direction for their work. But the master’s hand was also the source of their provision, what they needed for their daily sustenance. Finally, the master’s hand protected them in times of danger. So it is with God’s people today: Our direction, provision, and protection all come from our Master’s hand, and His hand never fails. Even the heart of a king is in the hands of the Lord (), so God’s feeble remnant in Jerusalem did not have to fear the nations around them.
, We are not only subjects of the King (v. ) and servants of the Master (vv. , ), we are also the children of a gracious Father who hears the cries of His children and comes to their aid. He has grace and mercy for each situation. If you find yourself laughed at and criticized because you belong to Jesus Christ, you are part of a very elite group, and you do not have to be embarrassed or start looking for a place to hide! There is grace available at the throne of grace from the God of all grace, so lift your eyes of faith to Him.
, Our enemy Satan does not give advance warning of his attacks; therefore, we must be sober and vigilant (), put on the whole armor of God (), and be alert in our praying. God promised His chosen people that He would curse those who cursed them (), and He has kept that promise. If we are walking with the Lord, we need not feel unprepared for the enemy’s sudden attacks.
Here is a situation where we stand helpless as the problem gets worse and worse. During the rainy season, and when the mountain snow melts, the dry riverbeds in Israel quickly become filled with water, and flash floods threaten houses and people. Jeremiah compared the enemy invasions to sudden floods (), and uses the same image on a personal level.
A sudden attack by a wild beast is a biblical picture of persecution (; ; ; ). There are twelve words in the Hebrew language for lions, which indicates that the Jewish people in that day took wild beasts seriously. Jeremiah compared Babylon to a lion (; ), and Peter compared Satan to a prowhng lion (). Like a cunning animal, Satan stalks us and waits until we have relaxed our guard, and then he pounces. But the Lord is stronger than Satan, and if we are abiding in Him, we can win the victory.
, The picture is that of a helpless bird who heedlessly walked into the trap in order to eat the food. Satan always has fascinating bait to offer. The Lord may allow us to fall into a trap, but nobody can keep us there when He wants us to be free. The Lord not only opened the trap but broke it so it cannot be used again! The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has broken the dominion of sin and death, and we can walk in freedom through Jesus Christ.
, Spiritual security and stability belong to those who walk by faith. The city of Jerusalem was firmly established and could not be shaken. For one thing, it was built on a solid foundation of rock that went deep into the earth. The city was surrounded by a number of hills and probably two sets of walls. Even more, Jerusalem was home to the holy temple of Jehovah and the throne of David. God’s glory and God’s authority dwelt among His people.
The writer did not say that God’s people should be like Mount Zion but that they are like Mount Zion. We are built upon the solid Rock, Jesus Christ (; ). He dwells within us, and He surrounds us with His protection and mercy. As people of faith, we shall not be moved.
We have a marvelous standing, for we stand in God’s grace. It is God who enables us to stand (, ), and because He does, we are able to accomplish the work He wants us to do (). When we begin to trust ourselves or other people, and we bypass the Lord, then we begin to waver, stumble, and fall.
The prevalence of evil makes it easier for everybody to sin (), but the Lord will not permit this to go on forever. The people who trust God will obey His Word no matter what others may do, and they will not succumb to temptation.
Jesus taught us to keep on praying and not become discouraged if the answer is long in coming (). The times may be bad, but there are always good people in bad times, people who trust God and obey His will. No matter how depressing the times may be, people of faith pray and receive good things from the hand of their Father.
People of faith know that God will one day judge the disobedient, no matter how much they seem to get away with as they resist God and abuse others. It is not easy to walk on the narrow way, but it leads to life, while the broad way leads to destruction (). They may be enjoying the pleasures of sin now, but their end will be separation from God forever.
When Israel’s rebellion became so great that the land itself was being defiled, God took them out of the land and sent them to Babylon for seventy years. Now they had been set free, and they could not believe what was happening. Yes, they knew that both Isaiah and Jeremiah had promised this “second exodus,” but it was too good to be true. During long years of waiting, they had dreamed of returning home, and now the dream had become reality. God in His grace had forgiven them (, ; , ) and they could make a new beginning.
, The surrounding nations, some of whom hated Israel, were utterly astonished at this event and openly confessed that the God of Israel had done great things for them. The Jews replied that indeed He had done great things for them, and they gave God the glory. This ought to be the confession of every Christian and of every local church.
In His covenant, God gave the promise of adequate food for the people (), and the people who were planting seeds were claiming that promise. It pleases the Lord when we water with our tears the seed of the Word that we sow. We cannot reap if we do not first sow the seed, and the seed must be watered with our tears and our prayers.
Some blessings God sends suddenly (), some come in the course of time (v. ), and some come as we patiently sow and weep (). But His promise is secure: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” ().
If the Lord did not keep His covenant and send the early and latter rains, there would be no crops and their labors would have been in vain. Each raindrop was but a tiny thing, but when dropped on the earth, it was the promise of life. How gracious of the Lord to send “showers of blessing” () to His people! How important it is that God’s people pray for His blessing and prepare themselves to receive it.
A wrecking crew or a demolition team can destroy in a few hours or days what it took engineers and builders months to plan and construct. Even a weak little child can heedlessly destroy something valuable, and some adults go through life just tearing things down. God has called us to build—our lives, our homes, our churches, and the kingdom of God around the world.
If verse warns against overconfidence (“We can do it without God’s help!”), verse warns against overwork and anxious toil (“I have to do it all right now!”). This verse does not say it is wrong for people to get up early, work hard, and make sacrifices (see ). It only warns us that our work must be a blessing we enjoy and not a burden we endure. Yes, both physical and mental toil are a part of this fallen world (), but doing God’s will is nourishment, not punishment.
Even as we sleep, God works for us in different ways, for He never slumbers or sleeps (see ). As we go to bed at night, we may look back at the day and wish we had worked better and harder, accomplished more and had fewer interruptions, but we can commit the day’s work to the Lord and not fret. After a hard day’s ministry, Jesus was able to go to sleep in a boat on the sea in a terrible storm ()!
Children are precious—a heritage—and make the home a treasury. But they are also useful—like fruit and arrows—and make the home a garden and an armory. If we do not raise our children to know and love the truth, who will plant the seeds of truth and fight the battles against lies and evil in the years to come? It is in the family that we preserve the best of the past and invest it in the future. Every baby born is God’s vote for the future of humankind and our opportunity to help make some new beginnings.
In the ancient Near East, marriages were arranged primarily by the parents, but the stories of Jacob () and Ruth indicate that love was not entirely lacking in these marriages. Here we have a Jewish couple who truly feared the Lord and wanted to establish a home that Jehovah could bless. To “fear” the Lord means to reverence Him and to seek to please Him by obeying His Word. It takes three to form a happy marriage: a man and woman who love the Lord and each other, and the Lord who performed the first wedding back in the garden of Eden.
How easy it is for us to think that our planning, skill, and hard work accomplished it all, but such is not the case. As we saw in the previous psalm, without the blessing of the Lord, all our labor is in vain. Each Jew was required to give tithes to the Lord, but the Lord wanted the workers to share the fruit of their labor. If the nation turned to other gods, one of the first places the Lord would send judgment was in the home and field (.; ).
, Both the vine and the olive tree were important to the economy of Israel, the vine providing wine and the olive tree supplying fruit and oil (, ). The olive shoots around the base of the parent tree, fresh and vigorous, picture the children around the family table. It takes patience to care for them as they grow, but the efforts are rewarding. How shocked those ancient families would be if they visited a modern home and watched parents and children scattering in all directions and rarely eating a leisurely meal together.
From bride and groom to grandparents in just six verses! How time flies! Three generations are represented in the psalm, and all of them walking with the Lord. We are so prone to remember that God judges the succeeding generations if they imitate the sins of their ancestors, but we must remember that He also passes along the blessings when the ancestors have been godly (, ; , ; , ). It is often the third generation that abandons the faith (), so we must pray much for our children and grandchildren, that the Lord will keep His good hand of blessing on their lives for His glory.
, Persecution is not something “strange” in the life of either Israel or the church (). To ask, “Why, Lord?” is to confess our ignorance of the place of God’s people in this present evil world. Israel’s “youth” was spent in Egypt, as land of persecution. However, the more they were persecuted, the more they increased (), and in Egypt the family of Jacob was molded into the nation of Israel. Israel has suffered more than any nation in history, yet Israel has not been destroyed! The church of Jesus Christ has experienced persecution, but it still stands and will stand until Jesus returns (). Every true believer can identify with Paul’s testimony in . When it comes to suffering for the sake of the Lord, we must first of all accept it.
, The plowing image is a good one for believers today, for it reminds us that there can be a glorious harvest, but it depends on the seeds that we plant. Of itself, suffering does not produce blessing. If we plant seeds of hatred and resentment, then suffering will produce bitterness. But if we plant faith, hope, love, and the precious promises of the Word, then the harvest will bless us and help others, and it will bring glory to God (see ). If God permits people to treat us like dirt, we must accept it, but we have the privilege of being transformed, by the grace of God, into a person whose character honors the Lord.
Instead of returning evil for evil, the Jews committed the conflict to the Lord and trusted Him to vindicate His own people (). Jewish harvesters often blessed one another as they worked in the fields (), but no blessing would be given to Israel’s enemies, for they were rebelling against the God of Israel. First, these enemies would be turned back in disgrace because they could not eradicate Israel; then they would wither away; and finally they would be mowed down and used for fuel. But the people of Israel can always say to the world, “We bless you in the name of the LORD,” because Israel has brought to the world the knowledge of the true and living God.
, The picture is that of a person drowning and unable to stand on the bottom or swim to safety (see ; , ; ; ). The tense of the verb “cried” indicates that the writer had been calling in the past and was continuing to call out as he wrote the psalm, because without God’s merciful intervention, he would die.
, The psalmist moved from the sea to the courtroom, but there the sinner could not stand because of guilt. The only way we can get rid of the sin record is to come to God for His gracious forgiveness, and this forgiveness is made possible because of the work of Christ on the cross (, ; ).
God casts our sins behind His back and blots them out of His book (; ; ). He carries them away as far as the east is from the west (, ), casts them into the sea (), and holds them against us no more (; ). But forgiveness is not a blessing to be taken lightly, for it cost God His Son; therefore, we ought to love and fear God (). If you take seriously the guilt of sin, you will take seriously the grace of forgiveness. Salvation is a serious and costly transaction.
, When the Lord forgives sinners, it is for them the dawning of a new day as they move out of darkness into God’s marvelous light (; ; see ). The forgiven sinner is content to wait on the Lord for whatever He has planned for that day. This is not the waiting of hopeless resignation but of hopeful anticipation, for each new day brings new blessings from His hand (, , ; ). If you find yourself forgiven but still in the darkness, wait on the Lord and trust His Word, but do not try to manufacture your own light (, ).
, Israel knew a great deal about God’s redemption, for at the exodus, God’s power had set them free from Egyptian tyranny (). They had no hope and could not free themselves, but the Lord did it for them. He gave His people “abundant redemption” that included freedom from slavery, victory over their enemies, and a Promised Land for their home. The slave has no hope, but the child in the family looks forward to receiving an inheritance. All who trust Jesus Christ are children in God’s family and not slaves, and their future is secure ().
We move toward maturity when we honestly accept who we are, understand what we can do, and live for God’s glory. Rejecting or hating ourselves, fantasizing about ourselves, and envying others are marks of immaturity. When you accept yourself and your lot and thank God for the way He made you, you do not need to impress people. They will see your worth and love you for who you are.
The simile of the weaned child is a beautiful picture of the meaning of humility and maturity. Hebrew children were weaned at age three or four, and this experience marked the end of their infancy. But most children do not want to be deprived of their mother’s loving arms and satisfying breasts, and they feel rejected and unwanted. But after the crisis of birth, each child must eventually be weaned and learn the first lesson in the school of life: Growing up involves painful losses that can lead to wonderful gains.
God’s goal for us is emotional and spiritual maturity (; ; ), and God sometimes has to wean us away from good things in order to give us better things. Abraham had to leave his family and city, send Ishmael away, separate from Lot, and put Isaac on the altar. To accept God’s will in the losses and gains of life is to experience that inner calm that is so necessary if we are to be mature people.
In the Christian vocabulary, hope is not “hope so.” It is joyful anticipation of what the Lord will do in the future, based on His changeless promises. Like the child being weaned, we may fret at our present circumstances, but we know that our fretting is wrong. Our present circumstances are the womb out of which new blessings and opportunities will be born ().
The ark of the covenant represented God’s throne on earth (; ) and its rightful place was in the Most Holy Place of God’s sanctuary. Unless God is on the throne of our lives, no enterprise we attempt can be really successful.
Since the ark was back in Jerusalem, the people felt drawn to go on pilgrimage to the city. When Solomon put the ark into the Most Holy Place, the glory of God moved in, just as when Moses dedicated the tabernacle.
The prayer for the priests in verse is answered in verse . A holy priesthood was important to the prosperity of Israel, but so was a nation dedicated to the Lord. The Lord could now “rest” (v. ) in His house after many years of wandering from place to place (; ; , ; ).
The psalmist reminded the Lord of His covenant, because he wanted someone from the Davidic dynasty to sit on the throne of Israel. Ultimately, this promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose throne and kingdom are forever (; ). Believers today are united with the Lord in a new covenant that Jesus made in His own blood, and He will never break that covenant. The psalmist used David’s name when he prayed to the Lord, but we pray in the name of Jesus. The Father is faithful to His Son, and the Son is faithful to the covenant He made in His own blood.
God not only chose Israel to be His people and David and his descendants to be His kings, but He chose Zion to be the site of His temple and His throne (the ark).
The psalm concerns itself with David and God’s covenant with him, but it points to David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ, and His covenant with His church. The psalmist was concerned about the ark of the covenant, but the ark points to Jesus Christ who today is enthroned in the Most Holy Place in heaven. We see not the earthly Zion but the heavenly Zion (), and we rejoice that we are “a royal priesthood” because of the grace of God (; , ). Let us give God His rightful place, worship Him joyfully, rest on His faithful covenant, and trust Him for the promised blessings for those who willingly obey His will.
When you read the Scriptures, you cannot help but discover that brothers and other family members did not always “dwell together in unity.” Cain killed Abel (), Lot quarreled with his uncle Abraham (), Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him for a slave (), and his brothers did not even get along among themselves ()! Christians today have been born spiritually into the same family, worship the same God, declare the same gospel message, preach from the same Scriptures, and are headed for the same heavenly city, but, alas, there is often more division among us than unity! Yet all of us know that spiritual oneness in Christ (; ) is both “good and pleasant.” There is an artificial “unity” that is based on “least common denominator” theology and is more organizational uniformity than the kind of spiritual unity for which Jesus prayed (, ). This we must avoid. Those who have truly been “born of God” (; ; ; , , ) belong to the same family and need to love one another.
When the high priest was anointed, the oil ran down his beard to the front of his body and over his collar. This suggests that the oil “bathed” the twelve precious stones that he wore on the chestpiece over his heart, and this “bathing” is a picture of spiritual unity. When God’s people walk in the Spirit, they forget about the externals and major on the eternal things of the Spirit. Externals divide us—gender, wealth, appearance, ethnic prejudices, social or political standing—while the Spirit brings us together and we glorify Christ.
The Jews were basically an agricultural people, and they depended on the early and latter rains and the dew to water their crops (). In Scripture, dew symbolizes the life-giving Word of God (), the blessing of God that brings fruitfulness (, ; , ), and God’s special refreshing on His people (; ). How often we need the refreshment of the Holy Spirit that comes silently but bountifully, like the dew upon the grass!
This last psalm of the “Songs for the Pilgrims” series is quite brief, but it deals with a vast subject: worshiping the Lord and sharing His blessings with others. It is a short psalm—though is the shortest—but it deals with a subject that could fill volumes. The psalm closes the collection with a benediction and leads into a series of psalms that emphasize praising the Lord. The inferences we draw from this psalm ought to encourage us in our own pilgrim journey and make us a blessing to others.
Directed by the high priest, the temple priests and Levites were responsible to make sure everything was in order for the next day’s ministry. They also checked the building to see that nothing dangerous or defiling had gotten past the doorkeepers and was hidden in the sacred precincts. The pilgrims heard a temple choir singing the praises of Jehovah, and their ministry would continue all night. Pagan temples were silent at night, because their gods had to rest (), but “He who keeps you will not slumber” (). The Lord gives sleep to His beloved people, but He stays awake and guards the city and watches over the family (, ). He also hears the praises of His people.
As the choir in the temple lifted their hands to heaven (see ), they were pointing to the Source of all good things and praising Him for His mercy and grace. True worshipers lift clean hands and a pure heart to the Lord (see ; ), for the Lord looks on the heart. We will worship God for all eternity ().
God has blessed the nations because of the Jewish people, for they have given us the knowledge of the true and living God as well as the gifts of the Word of God and the Savior. If God never sleeps and our worship never ends, then the blessing will not stop. Like the precious gift that Mary of Bethany gave to Jesus, the fragrance of the blessing will reach around the world ().
It was God’s election of Israel that set them apart from the rest of the nations, for they are “His people” (vv. , ; ; , , , ). Israel is His special treasure (; ; ; ) and He gave them their land (). His temple stood in Jerusalem and His priests offered Him praise and sacrifices. The Jewish people were set apart to honor the name of the Lord and to bear witness to other nations that Jehovah is the one true God. Why did God choose Israel? Because “the LORD is good” (v. ). The church today is an elect people, saved by the grace of God (; ; ) and called to glorify God. All believers are priests of the Lord, and we must worship Him as He has instructed in His Word.
The Lord is great (; ; ), greater than the false gods of the nations. Their gods can do nothing (), but Jehovah can do anything He wants to do! God showed His power over the gods of Egypt and Canaan by defeating their armies and giving Israel their possessions. The Lord is ruler over all creation, from the heights of the heavens to the depths of the sea. Even the weather is under His control.
, The name of Jehovah is glorious and renowned; it is everlasting. Few people today think or speak about the gods of the past, but the name of the Lord God is still revered. One poet wrote, “The great god Ra whose shrines once covered acres / Is filler now for crossword puzzle makers.” People who take comparative religions courses in school recognize the names of the ancient gods and goddesses, but one does not have to go to university to know the name of Jehovah God or of Jesus.
With minor changes, these verses are quoted from . Dead idols cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe, and they cannot give life to their worshipers. Because Jehovah is the living God, He speaks to us in His Word, sees us in our every circumstance, hears our prayers, and comes to us when we need the help that only He can give.
What other nation had the glory of God dwelling in their midst (; )? The Lord is not a distant God; He is “a very present help in trouble” (). Jesus is Immanuel—“God with us” (; ). “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (; see ; ; , ). Praise the Lord!
This is an antiphonal psalm, prepared to be used by a worship leader and a choir, or a worship leader and the congregation, or perhaps two choirs. The rabbis called it “The Great Hallel” (praise). The psalm reviews God’s dealings with His people and turns history into theology and theology into worship. If our worship is not based on history—what God has done in this world—then it lacks a theological message and is not true worship at all.
The God of Israel is Jehovah, the God of the covenant, and He is good and merciful. The nations had their gods and lords (, ), but Jehovah alone is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. The dead gods of the nations () could never do the wonders that the Lord did, nor were they good and full of mercy (sometimes translated “faithful love”—covenant love, steadfast love).
In the day or the night, whether we look up at the heavens or down at the earth and waters, we should see evidence of the hand of God and realize that a Creator brought it forth from nothing. In this creation is all that we need for life and work, so let us thank Him!
God is the Redeemer—He brings us out. The psalmist wrote nothing about Israel’s years of suffering in Egypt, or the Lord’s judgments against the gods of Egypt (), but focused on the exodus. “Brought out” is a phrase the Jewish people used to describe their deliverance (; , ; ; ).
God is the Shepherd—He brings us through. The Lord brought Israel through the sea (vv. ) and through the wilderness (v. ). A pillar of cloud guided them by day and a pillar of fire by night (, ). He led them to Sinai, where they remained for over a year while Moses received and taught the divine law and supervised the construction of the tabernacle. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Shepherd in this life and throughout eternity ().
God is the Conqueror—He brings us in. As the forty years drew to a close, Moses led the people back to the gateway into the Promised Land, and on the way, Israel defeated great and mighty kings and took their lands. The land belonged to the Lord, but He gave it to Israel as their inheritance, and they would enjoy its blessings as long as they obeyed the covenant. Believers today have been delivered from sin through faith in Christ and are now in the “kingdom of the Son of His love” ().
God is the Deliverer—He brings us back. These verses summarize Israel’s failure to serve God and how the Lord brought seven nations into the land to punish them. The record is in the book of Judges. The people would turn to idols and the Lord would chasten them, as He promised He would. Then the situation would become so unbearable that the people would repent and cry out for mercy, and the Lord would “remember them” (see ) and rescue them (). If we are truly thankful for our food, and acknowledge that God provides it, then we are not likely to turn away from Him and worship other gods. The creatures of the earth look to God for what they need and thank the Lord by obeying His will and bringing Him glory.
Sitting was the official position for mourning, and the Jewish exiles felt and acted like mourners at a funeral. The two major rivers were the Tigris and the Euphrates. Whatever else they may have left back in Judah, they brought their harps with them, for music was important to their worship of the Lord (). Music was also one way of expressing their grief and seeking the help of the Lord “who gives songs in the night” (). These former exiles remembered the times their guards demanded that they entertain them by singing one of the “songs of Zion.”
Memories can bring pain, and the pain does not go away when we try to “bury” the memories. Denial usually makes things worse. But the fact that the exiles could talk about these painful things indicates that they were facing them honestly and learning how to process this pain in a mature way. It takes time for broken hearts to heal, and Jesus can heal them if we give Him all the pieces (; ).
, Sometimes we have to lose things to really appreciate them. Here were the exiles in Babylon, mourning the loss of everything that was important to them, and asking themselves, “Did we really appreciate what the Lord gave us—our land, our city, the temple, our home, our children?” As we look back on life and evaluate our experiences, it is important that we learn our lessons and grow in godly character.
These three verses have been a serious problem for the unlearned and a target for the unbelieving who are at war with God and the Bible. However, once this passage is understood, it should encourage the faith of God’s people in times of upheaval when the Lord seems to be shaking everything (). First, the law God gave to Israel is based on the lex talionis—the law of retaliation—and retaliation is not revenge. It simply means, “to pay back in kind.” In short, the punishment must fit the crime, and our courts still follow that principle. Second, the psalmist knew from the prophets that God would judge Edom and Babylon, so he prayed for the Lord to keep His promises.
, The word “happy” in verses and does not mean “joy” in the sense of , or even “favored by God” as in . It carries the meaning of “morally justified,” as in —“Blessed are those who keep justice.” It was not the Jewish people individually who punished Babylon but the God of Israel who answered their prayers and vindicated His people (). One day, He will vindicate His church and punish those who have persecuted and slain His servants ().
“The gods” are the false gods of the nations that attacked David (). His victories over their armies were God’s victories, and David wanted Jehovah to have the praise and glory (, ). God gave David boldness to face his enemies and the strength to defeat them. God answered prayer, and this brought glory to His name.
, Jehovah is not only higher than the gods of the enemy, He is also greater than their rulers. The messianic hope of Israel is their only hope and the only hope of the world. Jesus has come; He is “the ruler over the kings of the earth” () and the King of kings and Lord of lords (). What a great day that will be when the rulers of the earth join together with God’s people in praising the Lord!
Answered prayer accomplishes God’s purposes in our lives. Jehovah is the Highest of the high and the Greatest of the great, but He is also willing to become the Lowest of the low and stoop down to meet our needs. To “regard the lowly” means to pay attention to them and show them favor. The ultimate proof of this is the incarnation of Jesus Christ, for He became poor that we might become rich () and became a servant that we might be set free ().
In His covenant with David (), God revealed that He had a great purpose to fulfill through David’s life, and He would not allow the enemy to thwart that purpose. This is true of believers today (; ; ; ; ), and He will not forsake us. It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven but to get God’s will done on earth, and this was demonstrated in David’s life.
What we think about God and our relationship to Him determines what we think about everything else that makes up our busy world—other people, the universe, God’s Word, God’s will, sin, faith, and obedience. Wrong ideas about God will ultimately lead to wrong ideas about who we are and what we should do, and this leads to a wrong life on the wrong path toward the wrong destiny. In other words, theology—the right knowledge of God—is essential to a fulfilled life in this world. David contemplated God and wrote for us a psalm whose message can only encourage us to be in a right relationship with Him.
The verb “search” means “to examine with pain and care.” The Jewish people used this word to describe digging deep into a mine, exploring a land, and investigating a legal case. Our friends see the outside, but God sees the heart, and we cannot deceive Him. He knows what is best for us and does all He can to guide us that way. He hems us in behind and before and puts His hand on us to steady us and direct us. God’s knowledge and guidance are for our protection. What should be our response to this? We should be overwhelmed by the height and depth of God’s knowledge and be thankful that He knows us perfectly.
If God knows so much about us, perhaps the wisest thing is to run away and hide, but all “escape routes” are futile. If we go up to heaven or down to Sheol, the realm of the dead, God is there; if we travel the speed of light to the east or west (the Mediterranean Sea is west of Israel), His hand will catch us and tenderly lead us. God wants to walk with us and guide us, because His plan for us is the very best. Why should we want to run away and hide? We need God’s presence with us if we want to enjoy His love and fulfill His purposes.
The Lord did more than design and form our bodies; He also planned and determined our days (v. ). This probably includes the length of life () and the tasks He wants us to perform (; , ). This is not some form of fatalism or heartless determinism, for what we are and what He plans for us come from God’s loving heart () and are His very best for us (). Life is not a prison, it is an exciting pilgrimage, and the Lord has prepared us for what He prepared for us. Our responsibility is to yield ourselves to Him daily, ponder His thoughts found in His Word (; , ), and walk in the Spirit. God thinks of us ().
If we cannot deceive God, escape God, or ignore God, is it not sensible to obey God? Yes, it is reasonable, but there are those who prefer to oppose God and dispute what He says about them in His Word. David called these people wicked, violent, liars, blasphemers, and rebels, and he grieved because of them. God also grieves over sinners—the Father does (), the Son does (; ), and so does the Spirit ().
, David closed with a prayer for God to search his heart, know his anxieties and concerns, forgive him, and lead him. We must be cautious as we examine ourselves, because we do not even know our own hearts (). It is best to open the Word and let the Spirit search us and speak to us, for then we discover the truth. We must never dispute with God, for He loves us and wants only the very best for us.
David’s presence among Saul’s leaders was like light in darkness (.) and health in a hospital. When confronted by a godly man like David, Saul and his leaders either had to change their ways or get rid of him, and they chose the latter course. They were evil people (), who planned evil (v. ), spoke evil (v. ), and practiced evil (vv. , ). What David needed from the Lord was wisdom to avoid their traps and protection from their violent plans. As God’s people in an evil world, we must expect the opposition of the enemy and trust the Lord to enable us to overcome ().
We must affirm our faith in the Lord and not be ashamed to confess it openly. We must humbly ask Him for the help we need to live and work among difficult people who hate us and want to see us fail. He also prayed for his enemies, that their evil desires would change and their evil plans not succeed. If they succeeded, they would only become proud and go on to do greater evil. Our prayers for godless people must focus on changing their character, and not just stopping their persecution of believers.
Our enemies think they are hurting us, but they are really hurting themselves. The trouble they cause us will come right back on their own heads, for it is an inexorable law of God that people reap what they sow. They dropped burning coals on David’s head, but God would return the same to them (see ; ).
, We have read the whole story, so we know that God did maintain David’s cause, defeat his enemies, and keep His promise to put him on the throne of Israel. David would establish a dynasty that would eventually bring the Savior into the world. He would write nearly half of the Psalms, he would expand and defend the borders of the kingdom, and he would make the preparations necessary for the building of the temple. What a great man he was because he trusted in the Lord! David was grateful to God for His intervention, and he determined to live to glorify the God of Israel.
, Whenever the enemy caused trouble, David’s first response was to pray. He was a man with spiritual insight who understood that he could pray and worship God even if he was away from the sanctuary and had no priest to assist him.
Each evening, the Jewish priest would offer a burnt offering on the brazen altar and also burn incense on the golden altar, but God accepted David’s prayer and uplifted hands as his offerings. Frankincense was usually included with the burnt offering. (See , ; .) Incense is a picture of prayer going up to the Lord (; ). David’s hands were empty, but his heart was full of love for the Lord and faith in His promises.
, David faced a great temptation to compromise with the enemy, and he knew this was wrong. But they were slandering him, so why should he not slander them? But the problem was with his heart, not his mouth, and he prayed for a heart that would not be inclined to approve of their sins and imitate them ().
When we yield to God’s will, the difficulties of life are tools that God uses to bring maturity to our lives. Often the Lord sends people to speak to us, and their words hurt us, but they do not harm us (; ; ; ). King Saul did not listen to rebuke and went from bad to worse.
, These two verses have puzzled translators and expositors, but the general message seems clear. David continued to pray for his enemies, and he saw a day coming when God would judge them and vindicate His own cause (; ). To throw people from a cliff was a terrible form of execution (; ), but David seems to be speaking in metaphorical language, as in .
Fixing one’s eyes on the invisible Lord means living by faith in His Word (; , ). God had anointed David to be king of Israel, and nothing but David’s own disobedience could frustrate that plan. Unlike Peter when he walked on the water in the storm, David did not take his eyes of faith off the Lord (). God was David’s refuge, and he was immortal until his work was done.
, David not only cried aloud with his voice, but he cried earnestly from his heart. He was a godly young man who had faithfully served the Lord and his king, and yet there he was in a cave, hiding like a guilty criminal. Later in life, David would understand more fully that during those fugitive years in the wilderness, God was equipping him for the work he would do the rest of his life, but at the time, his situation was miserable. His feelings were so pent up within him that he “poured out” his troubles (; ; title) and his inner turmoil (“complaint”). God knew David’s difficult situation better than David himself did, but the Lord has ordained that our prayers play an important part in His providential answers.
The word “trouble” pictures being “in a tight place, in narrow straits” (; ; ). David would learn that those dangerous narrow places usually led to wider places and greater opportunities (, ; ; ).
, David had no bodyguard, and nobody seemed to care whether he lived or died, but the Lord cared for him. No matter the circumstances around us or the feelings within us, God cares for us (). We can be confident that He is working all things together for His glory and our good ().
God is our “refuge and strength” (), so we have all the protection we need. The cave may have been David’s temporary home, but he knew that the Lord was his Rock and his fortress (; , ). But the Lord was also his “strength” (; ), so his desperate situation really deprived him of nothing. In the Lord, we always have all that we need. The Lord was his deliverer, and time after time, often in the nick of time, David would behold the hand of God rescuing him from the hands of the enemy. As David prayed, he realized that it was the name and purposes of the Lord that were really important and not his personal safety, comfort, or promised kingship. He prayed to be delivered so that he might praise God and glorify Him. He looked forward to the day when prayer would give way to praise, and the people would gather around him and welcome him as their king. It would be a long and difficult journey, but the Lord would perfect what He had planned for him ().
Eventually, David was delivered, and the nation surrounded him and received him as God’s chosen ruler. The Lord gives bountifully to His children (; ; ; ). When He gave us Jesus Christ, He gave us all that we will ever need.
The basis for David’s prayer was the character of God, His faithfulness and righteousness—attributes that are mentioned again in verse . God is righteous in all that He does because He is holy, and He is faithful to His covenant and His promises. We plead these same attributes when we confess our sins to the Lord and claim His forgiveness (). By calling himself God’s “servant” (, ), David affirmed that he was a son of the covenant and could plead on the basis of God’s Word. He also affirmed his own sinfulness.
After focusing on God’s character and his own needs, David told the Lord what he was enduring because of his enemies. The reference is probably to King Saul’s relentless persecution during David’s years in exile. His vivid description almost helps us to feel the pain that David and his men were experiencing. They were crushed to the ground, lying in a dark grave like a corpse, discouraged by a fainting heart that wants to give up, and wrapped up in a depressed spirit that is appalled and devastated. Those who believe that God’s people never have their dark days and difficult weeks need to ponder this passage carefully.
David remembered the great works of God recorded in the Scriptures—the creation (“the work of Your hands”), the call of Abraham, the pilgrimage of Jacob, the life of Joseph (from suffering to glory), the exodus from Egypt, and the conquest of Canaan. David had his own “” to encourage his faith. He stood in the cave and made it into a Most Holy Place as he lifted his hands expectantly to the Lord in praise and prayer.
Catalyst
“Answer me speedily, O Lord.” What were the answers for which David was waiting anxiously? The same answers we want to receive today:
We want to see God’s face (v. ). David had often heard the priestly benediction declare that God’s face would shine upon His people in gracious blessing (), but if He was displeased, He would hide His face from them. To know the shining of His face means to walk in the light of His countenance and enjoy the smile of God upon our lives, but the absence of that blessing was like a living death ().
We want to hear God’s Word (v. ). To see His smile and hear His voice gives us the strength we need to overcome the enemy. David moved from the darkness (v. ) to the morning and the dawning of a new day (; ; ; ; ; ). The Word reminded him of God’s unfailing love, and the Word strengthened his faith () and gave him guidance on the dangerous path he had to take from the cave to the crown.
We want the blessing of experiencing the protection of God (v. ). Jehovah was David’s “Rock” (, , ; ), and he hid himself in “the cleft of the Rock” () and was safe from the enemy.
We want to receive from the Lord a knowledge of the will of God (v.). His good Spirit () teaches us from the Word and shows us the path we should take (). A knowledge of God’s will gives us confidence in the difficulties of life; it keeps us going when the going gets tough.
Finally, when God answers prayer, we want to bring glory to His great name (vv. , ). “For Your name’s sake” was the great motivation of David’s life and ministry (see , , ). “Hallowed be Your name” is the first request in the Lord’s Prayer, and it ought to be the motivation of all our prayers. David knew that he had a great work to do for the Lord, and he depended on the Lord to help him accomplish it and bring honor to His name.
Go to the
David had been a fugitive for perhaps ten years, and then he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months. By the time he became king of all the tribes and made Jerusalem his capital, he had seen many battles and would fight many more. But God prepares and equips His leaders, and David had no fear of the future.
, David’s position and reputation did not go to his head, for he asked, “Who am I that God should do this for me?” (see ). The statements in and remind us of , and this is a reminder that we need, especially when we think we can handle life without trusting God.
The Jewish people did not forget God’s dramatic appearance at Mount Sinai, but here the mountains and “great waters” seem to stand for the enemies of Israel (; ; ). They tried to get into the nation and cause trouble (). They told lies and took oaths they never meant to keep. When they lifted their right hand in an oath, it was only deception.
David never engaged in war just for the sake of conquest. His goal was to defend the land so the people could live peaceful and profitable lives. The people of Israel were God’s people, and they had a work to accomplish on the earth. Therefore, they had to have children (v. ), the necessities of life (v. ), and peace in the land (v. ). All of these blessings were promised to them in God’s covenant () if the people and their rulers obeyed the laws of the Lord.
In His covenant with Israel, God promised the people victory over their enemies, peace, prosperity, and a happy life. It is unfortunate that the nation rebelled against Jehovah and lost all those blessings in Babylonian captivity. “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD,” for He cares for us personally, delivers us victoriously, and blesses us bountifully.
This is the last psalm in the book attributed to David, and it is also an acrostic. This is the only psalm called “A Praise.”
, In heaven, we shall praise the Lord forever and forever, but now is the time to get prepared as we praise Him from day to day. No matter how dark and difficult the day may be, there is always something for which we can praise the Lord—even if it is only that the situation is not always this bad! Our universe operates a day at a time as the heavenly bodies move in orbit around the sun, and we are foolish to try to live two days at a time.
One of the important obligations of the older generation is to pass on to the younger generation the truth about the Lord. Whether we admit it or not, every local church is one generation short of extinction, and we must obey . God is so great that the human mind cannot fathom Him, but the human heart can love Him and tell others how great He is. God’s character and God’s awesome works furnish us with more material than we could ever exhaust, and we will have all of eternity to keep learning more!
David knew his basic theology (v. ; ; ; ), but he also knew that these wonderful truths must be shared with others. The Israelites were obligated to share the truth about the Lord with their Gentile neighbors and let their light shine (). begins with “I will extol You” but ends with “all flesh shall bless His holy name.” The church today has a similar obligation and privilege. All of God’s works in creation praise Him around the world, but for some reason, His own people do not follow this example. God has compassion on all—God loves a lost world ()—and we keep it to ourselves! The glory and wonder of God’s spiritual kingdom must be proclaimed from nation to nation as well as from house to house.
Our great God is not an “absentee landlord” who collects rent but never repairs the roof. He knows our every need and He is there to help those who call on Him—those who fall, those carrying back-breaking burdens, those who hunger, and certainly those who want to be saved from their sins (). We toil for our daily bread, but all God has to do is open His hand when He hears our cries and meet whatever needs we have. When He supplies one need, we must praise Him, and we must praise Him when He supplies the next need.
God is righteous, so we want to come with clean hands and a pure heart (), but God is also loving, so we should love Him and obey Him. Prayer is not just a creature coming to the Creator, or a servant coming to the Master; it is a child coming to the heavenly Father, knowing that He will meet the need (). He hears us, watches over us, and supplies our every need (). When He answers prayer, we must praise Him, and when He answers another prayer, we must praise Him again.
The last five psalms are the “hallelujah psalms” that focus our attention on praising the Lord. begins with a vow to praise God throughout life. The next psalm tells us it is “good and pleasant” to praise the Lord, and reminds us that when we praise God, we join with all creation, for heaven and earth praise Him. In , God’s people are admonished to worship joyfully, and the last psalm tells us where and why and how “everything that has breath” should praise the Lord.
, God gives us life and breath (), so it is only right that we use that life and breath to praise Him (). To receive the gifts and ignore the Giver is the essence of idolatry. The writer promised God he would praise Him all of his life, and certainly this is wise preparation for praising Him for eternity (). To live a life of praise is to overcome criticism and complaining, to stop competing against others and comparing ourselves with them. It means to be grateful in and for everything (; ) and to really believe that God is working all things together for our good (). A life of praise is free from constant anxiety and discouragement as we focus on the Lord, who is mentioned eleven times in this psalm.
Most people trust in themselves and others, instead of trusting the Lord to use “[sons] of man” to accomplish His will (; see ). What nobody else can do, God can do for us and through us. These verses suggest that the psalmist was concerned that Israel’s leaders not enter into ungodly alliances, but that they turn to God for help. To trust in human wisdom and strength is to depend on that which cannot last, for all people die, and the brilliant ideas of one leader are replaced by the not-so-brilliant ideas of a new leader.
When we pray, we come to the throne of the universe to ask our Father for what we need. He is the God who keeps faith forever (v. ). Israel knows Him as the God of the covenant, and Christian believers today know Him as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who initiated a new covenant by giving His life on the cross. Jehovah is a God who can be trusted to keep His Word.
This list of God’s gracious ministries to needy people has at its heart “The LORD loves” (v. ). He loves the church (), a lost world (), and His people Israel (), and the greatest proof of that love is the cross ().
We “reign” in life as, by faith, we draw upon our spiritual resources in Christ and together with Him make decisions and exercise ministry. We do not need to wait for the kingdom to come to start reigning with Christ (; ), for God’s grace is reigning now (, ), and we can reign with Christ today (). Then we can have a life of praising God, trusting God, and loving God, a life that will glorify God.
The Medes and Persians captured Babylon in 539 B.C., and in 537 B.C. Cyrus issued a decree permitting the Jews to return to their land. Led by Zerubbabel, a large band of exiles went back to Judah the next year and the temple was rebuilt. Nehemiah came in 444 B.C. to restore the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted the captivity of the Jews, as well as their release and return, and God’s prophetic Word proved true, as it always does. But the psalmist did not simply notice the event; he also noticed the way the Lord tenderly cared for His people.
Many lost loved ones in the invasion and during the time in Babylon, and all returned to a devastated land and ruined houses. No wonder they were brokenhearted (; ). The “wounds” were in their hearts, not their bodies, for many had repented and confessed their sins to the Lord, and through the Word, the Lord gave them the comfort they needed (; ).
Our God is so great that He knows each person and each need. The God of the galaxies, who knows the name of every star, is also the God who heals the broken hearts of His people (). He builds up Jerusalem and lifts up His people, for nothing is too hard for Him.
The exiles returned to a land that had been left a war zone for seven decades, and they needed the early and latter rains in order to get a harvest. The Lord gathered the clouds over the land and emptied their life-giving rain on the newly planted seed. He even caused grass to grow on the mountains where nobody had planted any seed! He gave food to the wild beasts so they would not attack the humans, and He even sent food for the noisy young ravens.
God’s prophetic Word made possible the rebuilding of Jerusalem (, , ; ; ), and then the Lord added His blessing to the city and its people. In the Hebrew language, “peace” (shalom) is much more than the absence of war. It describes total well-being, including material prosperity and physical and spiritual health. Peace at the borders means peace in the nation, for invaders have to cross the borders before they can attack. Peaceful borders, strong walls, locked gates—it adds up to safety and security.
The church today is blessed by having the Word of God, but we must obey it and share with a lost world. The Jewish nation took great care to protect the manuscripts of God’s Word, and their scholars carefully counted the letters and words, but they did not look beyond the text into the truth being taught (). When their Messiah came, they did not recognize Him (; ). How easy it is for us to respect the Word of God, bind it in expensive leather, and explain it with exhaustive notes, and yet not obey what it tells us to do!
We do not praise a god who was manufactured on earth; we praise the one true and living God who reigns from the highest heavens, the God who created all things. Why should the hosts of heaven praise the Lord? Simply because He made them and gave them the privilege of serving Him and His people and bringing glory to His name. We have many more reasons for praising Him, and yet too often, we do not do it.
If any of God’s creation has good reason to praise the Lord, it is mankind, because we have the privilege of knowing God more intimately, and we have the promise of one day being like Christ. Angels rejoice when sinners are saved, but they cannot experience the grace of God (, ). We wonder how many world leaders take time to thank and praise God. Whether we are male or female, young or old, famous or unknown, we can all know the Lord and praise the Lord. We know His name! What a privilege to be a child of the King!
“He has exalted the horn of His people” means that He has made His people strong. In Scripture, a “horn” is a symbol of power and dignity, a king or a kingdom, and is often translated “strength.” To “take away the horn” means to deprive a nation or person of authority and prestige (; see also , ; ; ). When the Lord brought His people back from exile in Babylon, He “raised up a horn” for them. applies this image to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the only person qualified to sit on David’s throne.
, Worship is something that we must learn to do, and we will be learning about it all of our lives. In times of corporate worship, the saints do minister to one another (; ), but the primary focus must be on the Lord, glorifying and extolling Him. Yes, we may worship the Lord in solitude, and we should (), but we must not forsake the assembly of the saints ().
As members of the body of Christ (, , ), we belong to each other, affect each other, and need each other. We need both the old songs and the new songs (see ), which suggests an intelligent balance in worship. The church family has young and old, new believers, and seasoned saints (, ; ; ), and nobody should be ignored. The old songs bear witness to our steadfastness in keeping the faith, but the new songs give evidence that we are maturing in the faith as we grow in the knowledge of His Word and His grace ().
The church today can join with Israel in saying, “God is our Maker and our King” (; ; ; ; ; ; ). How He has made us is His gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift to Him. We must remind ourselves that we came from the dust, but because of God’s grace, we are destined for glory.
, A very expressive people, the Jews used musical instruments, songs, and dances in their worship of the Lord. These dances, of course, were not modern ballroom or club dances but rather interpretive dances that pointed to the Lord and not to a person’s talent (see ; ).
, Our purpose is not to please ourselves or to demonstrate how “spiritual” we are. Our purpose is to delight the Lord (), and humility is one virtue that brings Him great joy (, ). The Lord gives spiritual beauty to those whose worship brings Him delight. Worship ought to be beautiful, for we are beholding the beauty of the Lord (; ; ; ) and becoming more like the Lord (). Worship must focus on God, not on us, and it must be for enrichment, not entertainment. The experience of true worship can help us experience deliverance from the bondage of sin and the world.
When the believer’s private worship or the church’s corporate worship become routine, the Spirit is grieved and the blessing is gone. Worship ought to mean so much to us that we sing even on our beds! The word is also translated “couches” and could refer to someone reclining at the table or resting in bed. Singing at the table or in our bed can bring joy to the Lord.
Whether we like it or not, the church is an army, this world is a battlefield, and there is a struggle going on for the souls of lost sinners (, ; ; .; , ). Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace () is also the Conquering Warrior (; ), and like the workers in Nehemiah’s day, we must have both tools for building and swords for batthng (, ). Our weapons are prayer, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (; ), and hymns of praise to the Lord.
God has declared in writing that “the day of the Lord” will come when He will send judgment to a world that has rejected Christ and chosen to worship Satan (). God’s people will appear to be the losers, but in the end, they will conquer the enemy and reign with Christ (.). Until then, the church must take worship very seriously and realize that worship is a part of the believer’s spiritual warfare. To ignore worship, trivialize it, turn it into entertainment, or make it a routine activity is to play right into the hands of the enemy.
This final psalm opens with Hallelu Yah—hallelujah—“Praise the LORD!” Jehovah (or Yah, for Yahweh) is the covenant name of the Lord. It reminds us that He loves us and has covenanted to save us, keep us, care for us, and eventually glorify us, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross.
The early church met in the temple, in upper rooms, in private homes, and even in synagogues, and when persecution began, they met in caves and underground burial chambers. People who excuse themselves from public worship because they “worship God in nature” need to be reminded that the God of nature has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and commanded us to gather together with other believers (). We can lift our hearts to the Lord from any geographic location, for our God fills heaven and earth.
The acts of God reveal the character of God, His holiness, love, wisdom, power, grace, and so on—what the psalmist called “His excellent greatness.” The nation of Israel had a calendar of special festivals to help them remember who God is and what God had done (), and there is nothing wrong with the church having a similar calendar for the great events in the ministry of Christ. However, we must beware lest the routine use of the calendar becomes more important than the meaning of the days, or that the observing of these days is a means of salvation.
The final verse sums it up. Whether you can play an instrument or not, no matter where you live or what your ethnic origin, male or female, young or old—“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” After all, that breath comes from the Lord (), and even things that do not have breath can praise the Lord (, ). Praise the Lord!
Psalm 1
1:1
1:1
1:2 , ,
1:2 []
1:3
1:3 , ,
1:4
1:6
Psalm 2
2:1 ,
2:2 [; , , ; , ; ; ];
2:2 []
2:3
2:4
2:7 [; ]
2:9 ; ,
2:9 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read rule (compare ).
2:12 [, ]
2:12 [; ]
2:12 Septuagint and Vulgate read Embrace discipline; Targum reads Receive instruction.
2:12 Septuagint reads the LORD.
Psalm 3
3:title
3:3 ;
3:3 ;
3:4 ;
3:4 ; ;
3:5
3:6 ;
3:7
3:8 []
Psalm 4
4:3 []
4:3 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read made wonderful.
4:4 []
4:4
4:5
4:5 , ;
4:6
4:7
4:8
4:8 []
Psalm 5
5:title Hebrew nehiloth
5:1
5:3 ;
5:5 []
5:5
5:6
5:8 , ; ;
5:9
Psalm 6
6:title
6:title Hebrew sheminith
6:1 ;
6:2 []
6:3
6:5 []
6:7
6:8 []
6:8 ;
Psalm 7
7:title
7:title
7:title Hebrew Shiggaion
7:1
7:2
7:2
7:3
7:3
7:4 ;
7:6
7:6 ;
7:6 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads O LORD my God.
7:8 ; ;
7:8 ;
7:9 []
7:10 , ;
7:12
7:14
7:15 []
7:16
Psalm 8
8:title Hebrew Al Gittith
8:1
8:1
8:2 []
8:2
8:3
8:4 ,
8:4 []
8:5 Hebrew Elohim, God; Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Jewish tradition translate as angels.
8:6 [, ]
8:6 []
8:9
Psalm 9
9:title Hebrew Muth Labben
9:2 ;
9:2 [; ]
9:5
9:6 []
9:7
9:8 [; ]
9:9 ; ;
9:10
9:11 ;
9:12 []
9:14 ; ;
9:15 ,
9:16
9:16
9:16 Hebrew Higgaion
9:17
9:18 ;
9:18
Psalm 10
10:2 ;
10:3 ; ,
10:3
10:4 ;
10:6 []
10:6
10:7 []
10:7 ,
10:12
10:12
10:14 []
10:14 []
10:14
10:16
Psalm 11
11:1
11:2 ,
11:3 ; ;
11:4 []
11:4 [; , ]
11:5
11:6
11:7 ;
11:7 Or The upright beholds His countenance
Psalm 12
12:title
12:title Hebrew sheminith
12:1 []
12:2 ;
12:6 ; ;
Psalm 13
13:1
13:3
13:3
Psalm 14
14:1 ;
14:2 , ;
14:3
14:4
14:6 ; ; ;
14:7
14:7
Psalm 15
15:1
15:2 []
15:3 []
15:3
15:4
15:4
15:5
Psalm 16
16:title
16:2
16:3
16:4 ,
16:4 []
16:8 []
16:10 ;
16:11 []
Psalm 17
17:3
17:3
17:5 ;
17:6 ;
17:10
17:10 []
17:15 []
17:15 , ;
17:15 []
Psalm 18
18:title
18:title
18:1
18:2
18:3
18:4
18:7
18:9
18:10 ;
18:10 []
18:11
18:12 ;
18:13 [; ]
18:13 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint omit Hailstones and coals of fire.
18:14
18:16
18:19 ; ;
18:20
18:24
18:25 []
18:26 []
18:27 []
18:28
18:30
18:30 ;
18:30 []
18:31 []
18:32 []
18:33
18:33 ;
18:34
18:36
18:41
18:42
18:43
18:43
18:45
18:47
18:48 ;
18:49
18:50 ;
Psalm 19
19:1
19:1 ,
19:4
19:4 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read sound; Targum reads business.
19:5
19:7
19:7
19:10 ,
19:12 [, ]
19:13
19:13
19:14
19:14
Psalm 20
20:4
20:7 ,
Psalm 21
21:2
21:4 , ;
21:6 ;
21:11
Psalm 22
22:title Hebrew Aijeleth Hashahar
22:1 []
22:3
22:5
22:6
22:6 []
22:7
22:8
22:8
22:8 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read hoped; Targum reads praised.
22:9 [, ]
22:10 [; ]
22:12 ;
22:12
22:13
22:14
22:15
22:15
22:16
22:16 Following some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads Like a lion.
22:17 ,
22:18
22:20
22:21
22:21
22:22
22:22 []
22:23 ,
22:24
22:25 ; ,
22:25
22:27 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Targum; Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate read Him.
22:28
22:29 ;
22:29 []
Psalm 23
23:1 []
23:1 []
23:2
23:2 []
23:3 ;
23:4 ; , ;
23:4 [; ]
23:4 []
23:5
23:5
23:6 Following Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads return.
Psalm 24
24:1 ,
24:2
24:3
24:4 []
24:4 []
24:4
24:6 ,
24:7
24:7 , ;
24:8
Psalm 25
25:1 ;
25:2
25:2 ;
25:4
25:6 ;
25:7 []
25:7
25:11 ; ; ;
25:12 [; ]
25:12 Or he
25:13 []
25:13
25:14 []
25:15 [; ]
25:16
25:18
25:22 []
Psalm 26
26:1
26:1
26:1 [; ]
26:2 ;
26:3
26:4
26:5 ;
26:8 ; ,
26:9
26:10
26:12
Psalm 27
27:1 []
27:1 ;
27:2
27:3
27:4 ;
27:4
27:5 ;
27:5
27:6
27:9 ;
27:10
27:11 ; ;
27:12
27:13
27:14
Psalm 28
28:1 ; ;
28:1 ;
28:2
28:2
28:3 ; ;
28:4 [; ]
28:5
28:7 ;
28:7 ;
28:8
28:8 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read the strength of His people.
28:9 [; ]
28:9
Psalm 29
29:1 ,
29:2
29:3 [, ]
29:5 ;
29:6
29:6
29:8
29:9
29:10
29:10
29:11 ;
Psalm 30
30:title
30:1
30:1
30:2 ;
30:3
30:3 Following Qere and Targum; Kethib, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read from those who descend to the pit.
30:4
30:4 Or His holiness
30:5
30:5
30:7 [; ]
30:9 []
30:11
Psalm 31
31:1
31:2 ; ; ;
31:3 []
31:3 ;
31:5
31:5 []
31:6
31:7 []
31:8 []
31:8 [; ]
31:9
31:11 []
31:11
31:11
31:12 ,
31:13
31:13
31:13
31:15 [; ]
31:16 ;
31:17 ,
31:17 ;
31:18 ;
31:18
31:19 [; ]
31:20 [; ]
31:20
31:21 []
31:24 []
Psalm 32
32:title Hebrew Maschil
32:1 [; ]
32:2 []
32:2
32:4
32:5 []
32:6 []
32:6
32:7
32:7
32:9
32:10 []
32:10
32:11 ; ;
Psalm 33
33:1 ;
33:6 []
33:6
33:6 []
33:7 ;
33:7 Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read in a vessel.
33:9
33:10 ;
33:11 []
33:12 []
33:13
33:15 []
33:16 ;
33:17 []
33:18 []
33:19
Psalm 34
34:title
34:1 []
34:4 []
34:7
34:7
34:7 Or Angel
34:8
34:8
34:10 []
34:11
34:12 []
34:13 []
34:14
34:14 []
34:15
34:16
34:16 []
34:17 ;
34:18 []
34:18 []
34:19
34:19 , ,
34:20 ,
34:21 ;
34:22
Psalm 35
35:4 , ; ,
35:4
35:5
35:5 Or Angel
35:6
35:7
35:8 []
35:10
35:10 []
35:12
35:13
35:17 []
35:19 ;
35:26
35:27
Psalm 36
36:1
36:3
36:4
36:4
36:4 []
36:6 []
36:7 ; ;
36:8 ;
36:8
36:9 []
36:9 []
Psalm 37
37:1
37:2 , ;
37:4
37:4 ;
37:5 []
37:6
37:7 []
37:7 []
37:8 []
37:8
37:9 [; ]
37:10 []
37:10
37:11 []
37:12
37:13 ;
37:13
37:16 ;
37:21 ,
37:22 []
37:23 []
37:24
37:26 []
37:29
37:30 []
37:32 ;
37:33 []
37:34 ;
37:36 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Targum; Syriac and Vulgate read I passed by.
37:38 [; , ]
37:39 ;
37:40
37:40
Psalm 38
38:title
38:1
38:11 ;
38:15 []
38:17
38:18
38:18 [, ]
38:20
38:21 ;
Psalm 39
39:1 []
39:2
39:4 ;
39:5
39:7
39:8 ; ;
39:9
39:9
39:10 ;
39:11
39:12
39:13 ; , ;
39:13 []
Psalm 40
40:1 ; ;
40:2 ,
40:2
40:3 ;
40:4 ;
40:5
40:5 []
40:6 []
40:8 [; ]
40:8 []
40:9 ,
40:9
40:10 ,
40:11
40:12 ;
40:13
40:14 , ; ;
40:15
40:16
40:16
40:17 ; ;
40:17
Psalm 41
41:2
41:4 ; ;
41:9
41:9 ,
41:12 []
41:13 , ; ; ;
Psalm 42
42:title Hebrew Maschil
42:2 ; ;
42:2
42:2 Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum read I see the face of God.
42:3 ;
42:3 ;
42:4
42:4
42:5 ;
42:5
42:5 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read The help of my countenance, my God.
42:6 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate put my God at the end of verse .
42:7 , ;
42:8
42:8
42:9
42:10
42:11
Psalm 43
43:1 [; ]
43:1
43:2
43:3 []
43:3
43:5 ,
Psalm 44
44:title
44:title Hebrew Maschil
44:1 [, ]
44:2
44:3 [, ]
44:3 [; , ]
44:4 []
44:4 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate read and my God.
44:4 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read Who commands.
44:5 []
44:6
44:8
44:9
44:10
44:11
44:11 ;
44:12 ,
44:13
44:14
44:14
44:16
44:17
44:18
44:19
44:19 []
44:20 []
44:21 [, ]
44:22
44:23
44:24
44:25
Psalm 45
45:title
45:title Hebrew Shoshannim
45:title Hebrew Maschil
45:2
45:3 []
45:3 []
45:3
45:4
45:6 []
45:6 []
45:7
45:7
45:8 ,
45:9
45:9
45:10
45:11 []
45:12
45:14
45:16 []
45:17
Psalm 46
46:title
46:1 ,
46:1 []
46:3 [, ]
46:4 []
46:4
46:5 []
46:6 ,
46:7
46:9
46:9
46:9
46:10 [, ]
Psalm 47
47:2
47:3
47:4 []
47:5 ,
47:7
47:7
47:8
47:8
47:8
47:9 [, ]
47:9 []
Psalm 48
48:1 ;
48:2
48:4 ,
48:6
48:7
48:8 []
48:9
48:10
48:13 []
48:14
48:14 Following Masoretic Text and Syriac; Septuagint and Vulgate read Forever.
Psalm 49
49:6 [, ]
49:7 ,
49:8 []
49:9
49:11
49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read Their graves shall be their houses forever.
49:12 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read understand (compare verse ).
49:13 []
49:14 []
49:14
49:15 []
49:15
49:18
49:19
49:20
Psalm 50
50:1
50:2
50:3 []
50:4
50:5
50:5
50:6 []
50:6
50:7
50:8
50:8 []
50:9
50:12
50:13 []
50:14
50:14
50:15 []
50:17
50:18 []
50:18
50:18 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read ran.
50:19
50:21 []
50:21 []
50:22 []
50:23
Psalm 51
51:title
51:1 [; ]
51:2 []
51:4
51:4 []
51:4
51:4 Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read in Your words.
51:5 []
51:7
51:7 []
51:8 []
51:10 []
51:11 []
51:12 []
51:16 []
51:17
51:19
Psalm 52
52:title
52:title
52:title Hebrew Maschil
52:8
Psalm 53
53:title Hebrew Maschil
53:1
53:1
53:2 []
53:4
53:5
53:6
Psalm 54
54:title
54:title Hebrew neginoth
54:title Hebrew Maschil
54:7
Psalm 55
55:title Hebrew neginoth
55:title Hebrew Maschil
55:2 ;
55:3 ,
55:4
55:9
55:10
55:11
55:12
55:12 ;
55:13
55:14
55:15 ,
55:17
55:18 ,
55:19 []
55:20
55:20
55:21 ;
55:22 []
55:22
55:23
55:23
Psalm 56
56:title
56:title Hebrew Jonath Elem Rechokim
56:1
56:2
56:4
56:8 []
56:9 []
56:13 ,
56:13
Psalm 57
57:title
57:title Hebrew Al Tashcheth
57:1 ;
57:1
57:2 []
57:3 ,
57:3
57:4
57:5
57:6
57:7
57:8
57:9
57:10
57:11
Psalm 58
58:title Hebrew Al Tashcheth
58:3 []
58:4
58:5
58:6
58:7 ;
58:8
58:9
58:9
58:10
58:10
58:11
58:11 ;
Psalm 59
59:title
59:title Hebrew Al Tashcheth
59:3
59:4
59:6
59:7
59:7
59:8
59:9 []
59:9 Following Masoretic Text and Syriac; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read my Strength.
59:10
59:10
59:10 Following Qere; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, and Vulgate read My God, His mercy; Kethib, some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum read O God, my mercy; Syriac reads O God, Your mercy.
59:12
59:13
59:13
59:14
59:15
59:15 Following Septuagint and Vulgate; Masoretic Text, Syriac, and Targum read spend the night.
59:17
Psalm 60
60:title
60:title ,
60:title Hebrew Shushan Eduth
60:1
60:2 []
60:3
60:3
60:4
60:5
60:6
60:6
60:6
60:6
60:7
60:7 []
60:8
60:8
60:8
60:10
60:10
60:11 ;
60:12
60:12 Compare verses with
Psalm 61
61:title Hebrew neginah
61:3
61:4
61:7
Psalm 62
62:title
62:1
62:2
62:3
62:4
62:7 []
62:8
62:9
62:10 []
62:12 []
Psalm 63
63:title
63:1
63:2
63:3
63:4 ;
63:6
63:11
Psalm 64
64:3
64:5 ;
64:8
64:9 ;
64:10
Psalm 65
65:2 []
65:3 []
65:4
65:4
65:4
65:6
65:7
65:7 ,
65:9
65:9 ; ;
65:13 ;
Psalm 66
66:1
66:3
66:3
66:4
66:6
66:6
66:10
66:10 []
66:11
66:12
66:12
66:13 ; ,
66:13 []
66:18
66:19 ,
Psalm 67
67:title Hebrew neginoth
67:1
67:2
67:2
67:4 [, ; ]
67:6
Psalm 68
68:1
68:2 []
68:2
68:3
68:4
68:4 []
68:4 Masoretic Text reads deserts; Targum reads heavens (compare verse and ).
68:5 [, ; ]
68:6
68:6
68:6
68:7
68:9
68:10
68:12
68:13
68:13
68:14
68:16 []
68:17
68:18
68:18
68:18 , ;
68:18 []
68:18
68:20 []
68:21
68:21
68:22
68:22
68:23
68:23
68:23 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read you may dip your foot.
68:25
68:26
68:27
68:28
68:28 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read Command, O God.
68:29 ;
68:30
68:30
68:31
68:31
68:31
68:32 [, ]
68:33
68:33
68:34
68:35
Psalm 69
69:title Hebrew Shoshannim
69:1
69:2
69:3
69:3 ,
69:4
69:8
69:9
69:9
69:12
69:19 ,
69:20
69:20
69:21 ,
69:22 ,
69:23 ,
69:24 []
69:25
69:26 []
69:27 []
69:27 []
69:28 []
69:28
69:30 []
69:31 , , ;
69:32
69:32
69:33
69:34
69:34
69:35
69:36
Psalm 70
70:title
70:1
70:2 ,
70:2 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac read be appalled (compare ).
70:3
70:5 ,
70:5
Psalm 71
71:1 ,
71:2
71:2
71:3 ,
71:3
71:4 ,
71:5 ; , , ;
71:6 ,
71:7
71:8
71:10
71:12
71:12
71:17 ;
71:18 []
71:19
71:19
71:20
71:20 ,
71:22
71:22
71:23
Psalm 72
72:title
72:2 [; ; ]
72:3
72:4
72:5 , ;
72:5 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate read They shall continue.
72:6
72:7
72:8
72:9
72:9
72:10
72:11
72:12
72:14 []
72:15
72:16
72:17 []
72:17 []
72:17
72:18
72:18
72:19 []
72:19
Psalm 73
73:title
73:2
73:3 ,
73:3
73:5
73:6
73:7
73:7 Targum reads face bulges; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read iniquity bulges.
73:8
73:8
73:9
73:10 []
73:11
73:13 ;
73:17 [; ]
73:18
73:22
73:24 ;
73:25 []
73:26
73:26
73:27 []
73:28 []
73:28
Psalm 74
74:title Hebrew Maschil
74:4
74:4
74:8
74:9
74:11
74:12
74:13
74:15 ,
74:15 ;
74:16
74:16
74:17
74:17
74:20 ,
Psalm 75
75:title
75:title Hebrew Al Tashcheth
75:4 []
75:7
75:7
75:8
75:10
75:10 ;
75:10
Psalm 76
76:title Hebrew neginoth
76:1 ,
76:2 That is, Jerusalem
76:4
76:5 ;
76:5
76:6
76:7 []
76:8
76:8
76:9 []
76:10
76:11 []
76:11 ,
76:12
Psalm 77
77:title
77:8 [, ]
77:13
77:16
Psalm 78
78:title
78:title Hebrew Maschil
78:2 ,
78:4 ;
78:4 ,
78:5
78:5 ;
78:6
78:8
78:8
78:8
78:10
78:11
78:12
78:12
78:13
78:13
78:14
78:15
78:16 , ,
78:17
78:18
78:19 ; ;
78:20
78:21
78:22 []
78:23 []
78:24
78:24
78:26
78:29 ,
78:30
78:32 ,
78:32
78:33 ,
78:34 []
78:35 [, ]
78:35 ; ;
78:36
78:38 []
78:38
78:38 []
78:38
78:39
78:39
78:39 [, ]
78:40
78:41
78:44
78:45
78:45
78:46
78:47
78:48
78:51 ,
78:52
78:53 ,
78:53 ,
78:54
78:54
78:55
78:55 ; ;
78:56
78:57 ,
78:57
78:58
78:58
78:60
78:61
78:62
78:63 ; ;
78:64 ;
78:64 ;
78:65
78:66
78:68 []
78:69
78:70 ,
78:71 []
78:71
78:72
Psalm 79
79:1
79:1
79:2 ; ;
79:4
79:5 ,
79:5 []
79:6
79:6 ,
79:6
79:8
79:9 ,
79:10
79:11
79:12
79:12 , ,
79:13 ;
79:13
Psalm 80
80:title
80:title Hebrew Shoshannim
80:title Hebrew Eduth
80:1 []
80:1
80:1
80:2 ,
80:3
80:3
80:4
80:5
80:8 [, ]
80:8
80:10
80:11 That is, the Mediterranean
80:11 That is, the Euphrates
80:12
80:14
80:15 []
80:16 []
80:17
Psalm 81
81:title
81:title Hebrew Al Gittith
81:4
81:5
81:7 ;
81:7 ;
81:7 ,
81:8 []
81:9 []
81:10
81:10
81:11
81:12 []
81:13 []
81:15
81:16
81:16
Psalm 82
82:1 []
82:1
82:1 Hebrew elohim, mighty ones; that is, the judges
82:2 []
82:3 []
82:5
82:6
82:6 Hebrew elohim, mighty ones; that is, the judges
82:8 []
Psalm 83
83:1
83:2
83:3 []
83:4 ;
83:6 , ,
83:9
83:9 ; ,
83:10
83:11
83:11
83:13
83:13
83:14
83:18
83:18
83:18 []
Psalm 84
84:title
84:title Hebrew Al Gittith
84:1 ; ,
84:2 ,
84:4 []
84:6
84:7
84:7
84:7 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read The God of gods shall be seen.
84:9
84:11 ,
84:11
84:11 ,
84:12 [; ]
Psalm 85
85:title
85:1
85:4 ,
85:5
85:6
85:9
85:9
85:10
85:12 []
Psalm 86
86:4 ;
86:5 []
86:8 []
86:10 []
86:10
86:11 ;
86:15
Psalm 87
87:2 ,
87:3
87:6
Psalm 88
88:title
88:title Hebrew Maschil
88:1
88:3
88:4 []
88:4
88:7
88:8 ,
88:8
88:9
88:18 ;
Psalm 89
89:title
89:title Hebrew Maschil
89:2 [, ]
89:3
89:3
89:4 []
89:5 []
89:6 ;
89:7 ,
89:9 ; , ;
89:10
89:11 []
89:12
89:12 ;
89:15
89:17 ; ;
89:19
89:19 Following many Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read holy ones.
89:20 ;
89:21
89:25
89:26 []
89:26
89:27 [, ]
89:27
89:28
89:29
89:29
89:30 []
89:30
89:33 ,
89:34
89:35
89:36 []
89:36
89:38 []
89:38
89:39
89:41
89:47
89:47
89:48 []
89:49 []
89:49
89:50 ,
89:51 , ,
89:52
Psalm 90
90:title
90:1 []
90:1 Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read refuge.
90:2 [, ]
90:3
90:4
90:5
90:5
90:8
90:8
90:12
90:13
90:14
90:16
90:17
90:17
Psalm 91
91:1 ; ;
91:1
91:2
91:3
91:3 That is, one who catches birds in a trap or snare
91:4
91:5 []
91:8
91:9
91:9
91:10 []
91:11 []
91:12
91:14 []
91:15
91:15
Psalm 92
92:1
92:2
92:3
92:5
92:5 []
92:6
92:7
92:8 []
92:9
92:10
92:10
92:11
92:12
92:15 []
92:15 []
Psalm 93
93:1
93:1
93:2
93:4
Psalm 94
94:1 []
94:2 []
94:3 []
94:4
94:7
94:9 []
94:11
94:12 [, ]
94:20
94:21 []
Psalm 95
95:2
95:3 []
95:5 ,
95:6 []
95:7
95:7 , ;
95:8
95:8 Or Meribah
95:8 Or Massah
95:9
95:9
95:10 ,
95:11 ,
Psalm 96
96:1
96:4
96:4
96:4
96:5 []
96:5
96:6
96:7 ,
96:9
96:10 ;
96:10
96:11
96:11
96:13 []
Psalm 97
97:1 []
97:2
97:2 []
97:3
97:4
97:5
97:6
97:7 []
97:7 []
97:9
97:9
97:10 []
97:10
97:10
97:11
97:12
97:12
97:12 Or His holiness
Psalm 98
98:1
98:1
98:2
98:2
98:3
98:9 [, ]
Psalm 99
99:1
99:6 ;
Psalm 100
100:title
100:1
100:3 []
100:3 ,
100:3 Following Kethib, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Qere, many Hebrew manuscripts, and Targum read we are His.
100:4 ;
100:5
Psalm 101
101:2
101:3
101:3
101:4 []
101:5
101:8
101:8 ,
Psalm 102
102:title
102:2 ;
102:3
102:15
102:16 [, ]
102:17
102:18 []
102:18
102:19
102:20
102:21
102:22 [, ; , ; ]
102:23
102:24
102:24 []
102:25 []
102:26 ;
102:27 []
102:28
Psalm 103
103:1 ,
103:3
103:3 []
103:4 []
103:5 []
103:7
103:8 [, ]
103:9 []
103:10 []
103:12 [; ]
103:13
103:15
103:16 []
103:16
103:16 Compare
103:18 []
103:19 [, ]
103:20
103:20 []
103:21 []
Psalm 104
104:1
104:3 []
104:6
104:9 []
104:9
104:13
104:13
104:14
104:14
104:15
104:18
104:18 Or rock hyrax (compare )
104:19
104:19
104:20 []
104:21
104:23
104:24
104:24
104:26
104:27
104:29
104:30
104:31
104:32
104:32
104:33
104:34
104:35
Psalm 105
105:1
105:1
105:2
105:4
105:5
105:7 []
105:8
105:9
105:11 ;
105:12 []
105:12
105:14
105:14
105:16
105:16
105:17 []
105:17 ,
105:18
105:19 ; , ,
105:20
105:21
105:23
105:23
105:24 ,
105:25 ;
105:26 ;
105:27
105:29 ,
105:30
105:31 ,
105:32
105:33
105:34
105:36 ;
105:36
105:37 ,
105:38
105:39
105:40
105:40
105:41
105:42 ,
105:44 ;
105:45 [, ]
Psalm 106
106:1 ,
106:3
106:3 []
106:3 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read those who do.
106:4
106:6 []
106:7 ,
106:8
106:9
106:9
106:10
106:11 , ;
106:12
106:13 ; ;
106:14
106:15
106:15
106:16
106:17
106:18 ,
106:19
106:20
106:23
106:23
106:24
106:24 [, ]
106:25 ,
106:26 ,
106:26
106:27
106:28
106:30 ,
106:31
106:32
106:32 ;
106:32 Or Meribah
106:33 ,
106:34
106:34 [, ]
106:35 ,
106:36
106:36
106:37 ;
106:37 []
106:38 []
106:39
106:39 []
106:40
106:40 [; ]
106:41
106:43
106:44 ; ;
106:45 [, ]
106:45
106:45
106:46
106:47 ,
106:48
Psalm 107
107:1
107:3 ,
107:4 [; ]
107:6
107:7
107:8 ,
107:9 []
107:10 []
107:10
107:11
107:11 []
107:12
107:14
107:16 ,
107:17
107:18
107:18
107:20
107:20
107:20 ,
107:22
107:22
107:25
107:26
107:29
107:31 , ,
107:32 ,
107:33 ,
107:34
107:35
107:38 ; ,
107:38 []
107:39
107:40 ,
107:41
107:41
107:42 ,
107:42 []
107:43
Psalm 108
108:1
108:2
108:5 ,
108:6
108:8 []
108:10
108:13
108:13 Compare verses with
Psalm 109
109:1
109:2
109:3
109:5 , ;
109:6
109:6 Hebrew satan
109:7 []
109:8 []
109:8
109:9
109:10 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate read be cast out.
109:11 ;
109:13
109:13
109:14 []
109:14
109:15
109:16 []
109:17
109:18
109:23
109:24
109:25
109:25
109:27
109:28 ,
109:28
109:29
109:30 ;
109:31 []
Psalm 110
110:1
110:1 []
110:2 [, ]
110:2 [, ]
110:3
110:3
110:4 []
110:4 []
110:4 [, ; ]
110:5 []
110:5 ,
110:6
110:7 []
Psalm 111
111:1
111:2
111:2
111:3 ,
111:4 []
111:7 []
111:8
111:8 []
111:9
111:9
111:10
Psalm 112
112:1
112:2 []
112:3 []
112:4
112:5 []
112:5 []
112:6
112:7 []
112:8
112:8 ;
112:8
Psalm 113
113:1
113:2 []
113:3
113:4 ;
113:4 []
113:5 []
113:6 []
113:7
113:7
113:8 []
113:9
Psalm 114
114:1 ;
114:1
114:2 ; ; ; ,
114:3
114:3
114:4
114:5
114:8
Psalm 115
115:1 []
115:2 ,
115:3 []
115:4
115:8
115:9 ,
115:9
115:13 ,
115:15 []
115:15
115:17 []
115:18
Psalm 116
116:1
116:3
116:5 []
116:5 []
116:7 []
116:7
116:8
116:9
116:10
116:11
116:11
116:14
116:15
116:16 ;
116:16
116:17
116:19
Psalm 117
117:1
117:2 []
Psalm 118
118:1 ,
118:1 []
118:2 []
118:5
118:5
118:6 ;
118:7
118:7
118:8
118:9
118:11
118:12
118:12
118:14
118:14 Compare
118:16
118:17
118:17
118:18
118:19
118:20
118:20
118:21
118:22
118:26
118:27 []
118:28
Psalm 119
119:1
119:2 ; ; ;
119:3 [; ]
119:6
119:10
119:11
119:13
119:16
119:17
119:19
119:20 , ; ;
119:22
119:25
119:25
119:26 ; ;
119:27 ,
119:28
119:32
119:33 []
119:34 []
119:36
119:37
119:37
119:37 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Targum reads Your words.
119:38
119:45
119:46
119:50 []
119:53
119:55
119:57
119:59
119:62
119:64
119:66
119:67 []
119:68 []
119:69
119:70
119:72
119:73 ;
119:74
119:75 []
119:78
119:81 ;
119:83
119:84
119:84
119:85
119:86
119:89
119:91
119:96
119:97
119:98
119:99 []
119:100 []
119:103
119:105
119:106
119:108
119:109
119:110
119:111
119:114 []
119:115
119:116 [; ; ]
119:119 ,
119:120
119:122
119:125
119:127
119:130
119:130 []
119:131
119:132
119:132 []
119:133
119:133 []
119:134
119:135
119:136 , ;
119:137
119:138 []
119:139
119:140
119:142 []
119:147
119:148 ,
119:151 []
119:152
119:153
119:154
119:157
119:158
119:161 ;
119:165
119:166
119:168
119:169 ,
119:171
119:173
119:174
119:174 ,
119:176 []
Psalm 120
120:1
120:5
120:5
Psalm 121
121:1 []
121:2 []
121:3
121:3
121:5
121:5
121:6
121:7
121:8
Psalm 122
122:1 []
122:3
122:4
122:4
122:5
122:6
122:9
Psalm 123
123:1 ;
123:1 ; ;
123:2
Psalm 124
124:1 []
124:1
124:3
124:7
124:7
124:7 That is, persons who catch birds in a trap or snare
124:8 []
124:8
Psalm 125
125:3
125:5
125:5 []
Psalm 126
126:1
126:1
126:2
126:5
126:6
Psalm 127
127:1 []
127:2 [, ]
127:3 [, ]
127:3 ;
127:3 []
127:5 ,
127:5
Psalm 128
128:1
128:2
128:2
128:3
128:3
128:3 ;
128:5
128:6
128:6
Psalm 129
129:1 [; ]
129:1
129:1
129:6
129:8
Psalm 130
130:1
130:3 []
130:3 []
130:4 []
130:4 [, ]
130:5 []
130:5
130:6
130:7
130:7 []
130:8 [, ]
Psalm 131
131:1 []
131:2 []
131:3 []
Psalm 132
132:2
132:2
132:4
132:5
132:6
132:6
132:6
132:6 Hebrew Jaar
132:7 ;
132:8
132:8
132:9
132:11 [, , ; ]
132:11
132:13 [, ]
132:14
132:15
132:16
132:16
132:17
132:17 ;
132:18
Psalm 133
133:1
133:3
133:3
Psalm 134
134:2 []
Psalm 135
135:1
135:2
135:2
135:3 []
135:3
135:4 []
135:5 ;
135:6
135:7
135:7 , ;
135:7
135:8
135:9
135:9
135:10
135:11
135:12 ; ,
135:13 []
135:14
135:15 []
135:19 []
135:21
Psalm 136
136:1
136:1
136:2 []
136:4
136:5
136:6
136:7
136:8
136:10
136:11 ; ,
136:12
136:13
136:15
136:16 ;
136:17
136:18
136:19
136:20
136:21
136:23
136:24
136:25 ;
Psalm 137
137:3
137:6
137:7
137:8 ;
137:8
137:9
Psalm 138
138:1
138:2
138:2
138:2
138:4
138:6 []
138:6 []
138:7 [, ]
138:8
138:8 ,
Psalm 139
139:1
139:2
139:2
139:3 ;
139:4 []
139:6
139:7 []
139:8 []
139:8 []
139:11 Vulgate and Symmachus read cover.
139:12 ;
139:14 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read You are fearfully wonderful.
139:15 ,
139:17 []
139:19 []
139:19
139:20
139:20 Septuagint and Vulgate read They take Your cities in vain.
139:21
139:23
139:24 ;
Psalm 140
140:2
140:3
140:4
140:5
140:8
140:10
140:12
Psalm 141
141:2 [; , ]
141:2 []
141:2 ,
141:3 [; ]
141:4
141:5 []
141:8
141:9
141:10
Psalm 142
142:title
142:title
142:title Hebrew Maschil
142:3
142:3
142:7 ,
Psalm 143
143:2 []
143:4
143:5 , ,
143:6
143:7
143:8
143:8
143:8
143:9 Septuagint and Vulgate read To You I flee.
143:10 ,
143:10
143:10
143:11
143:12
Psalm 144
144:1
144:2 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Syriac and Targum read the peoples (compare ).
144:3
144:4
144:4 ;
144:5
144:5
144:6 ,
144:8
144:9 , ;
144:10
144:12
144:15 []
Psalm 145
145:title
145:3 []
145:3 []
145:4
145:5 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read They.
145:5 Literally on the words of Your wondrous works
145:8 []
145:9
145:10
145:13 []
145:13 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate add The LORD is faithful in all His words, And holy in all His works.
145:14
145:15
145:15
145:16 ,
145:18 []
145:18 []
145:20 []
Psalm 146
146:1
146:2
146:3 []
146:4 []
146:4 []
146:5
146:6
146:7
146:7
146:7
146:8
146:8
146:9
146:9
146:10
Psalm 147
147:1
147:1
147:1
147:2
147:2
147:3 []
147:4
147:5
147:5
147:5
147:6 ,
147:8
147:9
147:9 []
147:10 ,
147:14 ; ,
147:14
147:15 []
147:16
147:18
147:19
147:19
147:20 [, ]
Psalm 148
148:4
148:4
148:5 ,
148:6
148:7
148:9 ;
148:13
148:14
148:14
148:14
Psalm 149
149:1
149:2
149:3
149:4
149:4
149:5
149:6
149:9 ,
149:9
Psalm 150
150:1 ,
150:2