17 Let me not be shamed, O Lord, for I have made my prayer to you; let the sinners be shamed, and let their mouths be shut in the underworld.
O my God, I have put my faith in you, let me not be shamed; let not my haters be glorying over me. Let no servant of yours be put to shame; may those be shamed who are false without cause.
Truly, all those who are angry with you will be made low and put to shame: those desiring to do you wrong will come to nothing and never again be seen. You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.
If the Lord had not been my helper, my soul would quickly have gone down into death.
My tongue will be talking of your righteousness all the day; for those whose purpose is to do me evil have been crushed and put to shame.
Let not those who have hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of armies: let not those who are waiting for you be made low because of me, O God of Israel. I have been wounded with sharp words because of you; my face has been covered with shame.
Let those who go after my soul for its destruction have shame and trouble together; let them be turned back and made foolish who take pleasure in my trouble. Let those who say to me, Aha, aha! be surprised because of their shame.
He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the evil-doers will come to their end in the dark night, for by strength no man will overcome.
And he says to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a guest's robe? And he had nothing to say. Then the king said to the servants, Put cords round his hands and feet and put him out into the dark; there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.
You will have food in full measure, and give praise to the name of the Lord your God, who has done wonders for you: And you will be certain that I am in Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other: and my people will never be shamed.
All those who have gone against him will be put to shame; the makers of images will be made low. But the Lord will make Israel free with an eternal salvation: you will not be put to shame or made low for ever and ever.
Let those who go after my soul have shame and trouble; let those who have evil designs against me be turned back and made foolish. Let those who say Aha, aha! be turned back as a reward of their shame.
Let them be overcome and put to shame who make attempts to take my soul; let those who would do me damage be turned back and made foolish.
Let your eyes be turned to him and you will have light, and your faces will not be shamed.
For this cause says the Lord God, My servants will have food, but you will be in need of food: my servants will have drink, but you will be dry: my servants will have joy, but you will be shamed: My servants will make songs in the joy of their hearts, but you will be crying for sorrow, and making sounds of grief from a broken spirit.
I was offering my back to those who gave me blows, and my face to those who were pulling out my hair: I did not keep my face covered from marks of shame. For the Lord God is my helper; I will not be put to shame: so I have made my face like a rock, and I am certain that he will give me my right.
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Commentary on Psalms 31 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 31
Ps 31:1-24. The prayer of a believer in time of deep distress. In the first part, cries for help are mingled with expressions of confidence. Then the detail of griefs engrosses his attention, till, in the assurance of strong but submissive faith, he rises to the language of unmingled joyful trust and exhorts others to like love and confidence towards God.
1. Expresses the general tone of feeling of the Psalm.
2-4. He seeks help in God's righteous government (Ps 5:8), and begs for an attentive hearing, and speedy and effectual aid. With no other help and no claim of merit, he relies solely on God's regard to His own perfections for a safe guidance and release from the snares of his enemies. On the terms "rock," &c., (compare Ps 17:2; 18:2, 50; 20:6; 23:3; 25:21).
5, 6. commit my spirit—my life, or myself. Our Saviour used the words on the Cross [Lu 23:46], not as prophetical, but, as many pious men have done, as expressive of His unshaken confidence in God. The Psalmist rests on God's faithfulness to His promises to His people, and hence avows himself one of them, detesting all who revere objects of idolatry (compare De 32:21; 1Co 8:4).
7. hast known my soul, &c.—had regard to me in trouble.
8. shut me up … enemy—abandon to (1Sa 23:11).
large room—place of safety (compare Ps 18:19).
9, 10. mine eye, &c.—denotes extreme weakness (compare Ps 6:7).
grief—mingled sorrow and indignation (Ps 6:7).
soul and … belly—the whole person.
10. Though the effects ascribed to grief are not mere figures of speech—
spent … consumed—must be taken in the modified sense of wasted and decayed.
iniquity—or, suffering by it (see on Ps 40:12).
11. among—or, literally, "from," or, "by" my enemies. The latter clauses describe the progress of his disgrace to the lowest degree, till,
12. he is forgotten as one dead, and contemned as a useless broken vessel.
13. For—introduces further reasons for his prayer, the unjust, deliberate, and murderous purposes of his foes.
14-18. In his profession of trust he includes the terms of the prayer expressing it.
15. times—course of life.
deliver … hand—opposed to "shut me up," &c., of Ps 31:8.
16. Make … shine—(Compare Nu 6:25; Ps 4:6). Deprecating from himself, he imprecates on the wicked God's displeasure, and prays that their virulent persecution of him may be stopped.
19-21. God displays openly His purposed goodness to His people.
20. the secret of thy presence—or, covering of Thy countenance; the protection He thus affords; compare Ps 27:5 for a similar figure; "dwelling" used there for "presence" here. The idea of security further presented by the figure of a tent and a fortified city [Ps 31:21].
22. For I said—literally, "And I said," in an adversative sense. I, thus favored, was despondent.
in my haste—in my terror.
cut off … eyes—from all the protection of Thy presence.
23, 24. the Lord … proud doer—literally, "the Lord is keeping faith," that is, with His people, and is repaying, &c. Then let none despair, but take courage; their hopes shall not be in vain.