17 O God, you have been my teacher from the time when I was young; and I have been talking of your works of wonder even till now.
Your servant has overcome lion and bear: and the fate of this Philistine, who is without circumcision, will be like theirs, seeing that he has put shame on the armies of the living God. And David said, The Lord, who kept me safe from the grip of the lion and the bear, will be my saviour from the hands of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go! and may the Lord be with you.
And David made a song to the Lord in these words, on the day when the Lord made him free from the hands of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour, even mine; My God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my safe place; my saviour, who keeps me safe from the violent man. I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me. For the waves of death came round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear; The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me. In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came to his ears. Then the earth was moved with a violent shock; the bases of heaven were moved and shaking, because he was angry. There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: coals were lighted by it. The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet. And he went through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind. And he made the dark his tent round him, a mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies. Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and coals of fire. The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out. And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled. Then the deep beds of the sea were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of the Lord's wrath, because of the breath of his mouth. He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters. He made me free from my strong hater, from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I. They came on me in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my support. He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me. The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God. For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me. And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin. Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes. On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright; He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge. For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but your eyes are on men of pride, to make them low. For you are my light, O Lord; and the Lord will make the dark bright for me. By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in: by the help of my God I have gone over a wall. As for God, his way is all good: the word of the Lord is tested; he is a safe cover for all those who put their faith in him. For who is God but the Lord? and who is a Rock but our God? God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way. He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places. He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms. You have given me the breastplate of your salvation, and your mercy has made me great. You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet make no slip. I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome. I have sent destruction on them and given them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet. For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who came out against me. By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off. They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer. Then they were crushed as small as the dust of the earth, stamped down under my feet like the waste of the streets. You have made me free from the fightings of my people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants. Men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority: from the time when my name comes to their ears, they will be ruled by me. They will be wasted away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear. The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured: It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule. He makes me free from my haters: I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man. Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name. Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.
And he put some of the Levites before the ark of the Lord as servants, to keep the acts of the Lord in memory, and to give worship and praise to the Lord, the God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Uzziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Mattithiah and Eliab and Benaiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel, with corded instruments of music; and Asaph, with brass instruments sounding loudly; And Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests, blowing horns all the time before the ark of the agreement of God. Then on that day David first made the giving of praise to the Lord the work of Asaph and his brothers. O give praise to the Lord; give honour to his name, talking of his doings among the peoples. Let your voice be sounded in songs and melody; let all your thoughts be of the wonder of his works. Have glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who are searching after the Lord be glad. Let your search be for the Lord and for his strength; let your hearts ever be turned to him. Keep in mind the great works which he has done; his wonders, and the decisions of his mouth; O you seed of Israel his servant, you children of Jacob, his loved ones. He is the Lord our God: he is judge of all the earth. He has kept his agreement in mind for ever, the word which he gave for a thousand generations; The agreement which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac; And he gave it to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an eternal agreement; Saying, To you will I give the land of Canaan, the measured line of your heritage: When you were still small in number, and strange in the land; When they went about from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people; He would not let anyone do them wrong; he even kept back kings because of them, Saying, Put not your hand on those who have been marked with my holy oil, and do my prophets no wrong. Make songs to the Lord, all the earth; give the good news of his salvation day by day. Make clear his glory to the nations, and his wonders to all the peoples. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; and he is more to be feared than all other gods. For all the gods of the nations are false gods; but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and glory are before him: strength and joy are in his holy place. Give to the Lord, O you families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory of his name; take with you an offering and come before him; give worship to the Lord in holy robes. Be in fear before him, all the earth: the world is ordered so that it may not be moved. Let the heavens have joy and let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, The Lord is King. Let the sea be thundering with all its waters; let the field be glad, and everything which is in it; Then let all the trees of the wood be sounding with joy before the Lord, for he is come to be the judge of the earth. O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever. And say, Be our saviour, O God of our salvation, and let us come back, and give us salvation from the nations, so that we may give honour to your holy name and have glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and for ever. And all the people said, So be it; and gave praise to the Lord.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 71
Commentary on Psalms 71 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 71
Ps 71:1-24. The Psalmist, probably in old age, appeals to God for help from his enemies, pleading his past favors, and stating his present need; and, in confidence of a hearing, he promises his grateful thanks and praise.
1-3. (Compare Ps 30:1-3).
3. given commandment—literally, "ordained," as in Ps 44:4; 68:28.
rock … fortress—(Ps 18:2).
4, 5. cruel man—corrupt and ill-natured—literally, "sour."
5. trust—place of trust.
6-9. His history from early infancy illustrated God's care, and his wonderful deliverances were at once occasions of praise and ground of confidence for the future.
my praise … of thee—literally, "in" or "by Thee" (Ps 22:25).
10, 11. The craft and malicious taunts of his enemies now led him to call for aid (compare the terms used, 2Sa 17:12; Ps 3:2; 7:2).
12. (Compare Ps 22:19; 40:4).
13. (Compare Ps 35:4; 40:14).
14-16. The ruin of his enemies, as illustrating God's faithfulness, is his deliverance, and a reason for future confidence.
15. for I know … thereof—innumerable, as he had not time to count them.
16. in the strength—or, relying on it.
thy righteousness—or, faithful performance of promises to the pious (Ps 7:17; 31:1).
17-21. Past experience again encourages.
taught me, &c.—by providential dealings.
19. is very high—distinguished (Ps 36:5; Isa 55:9).
20. depths of the earth—debased, low condition.
21. increase, &c.—that is, the great things done for me (Ps 71:19; compare Ps 40:5).
22-24. To the occasion of praise he now adds the promise to render it.
will … praise—literally, "will thank."
even thy truth—as to Thy truth or faithfulness.