1 {A Psalm of David: dedication-song of the house.} I will extol thee, Jehovah; for thou hast delivered me, and hast not made mine enemies to rejoice over me.
My God, I confide in thee; let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that hate me without cause.
{A Psalm of praise. Of David.} I will extol thee, my God, O King, and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance; and feed them, and lift them up for ever.
And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the lewd fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
All that pass by clap [their] hands at thee; they hiss and shake their head at the daughter of Jerusalem: Is this the city which they called, The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?
Grant not, O Jehovah, the desire of the wicked; further not his device: they would exalt themselves. Selah.
All that pass by the way plunder him; he is become a reproach to his neighbours. Thou hast exalted the right hand of his oppressors; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice: Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and hast not made him stand in the battle. Thou hast made his brightness to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground; The days of his youth hast thou shortened; thou hast covered him with shame. Selah. How long, Jehovah, wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy fury burn like fire?
By this I know that thou delightest in me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
Judge me, Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; and I will offer in his tent sacrifices of shouts of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing psalms unto Jehovah.
But Levi and Benjamin he did not count among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in a house of confinement and maintained them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
that the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedars, and the ark of God dwells under curtains.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 30
Commentary on Psalms 30 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 30
Ps 30:1-12. Literally, "A Psalm-Song"—a composition to be sung with musical instruments, or without them—or, "Song of the dedication," &c. specifying the particular character of the Psalm. Some suppose that of David should be connected with the name of the composition, and not with "house"; and refer for the occasion to the selection of a site for the temple (1Ch 21:26-30; 22:1). But "house" is never used absolutely for the temple, and "dedication" does not well apply to such an occasion. Though the phrase in the Hebrew, "dedication of the house of David," is an unusual form, yet it is equally unusual to disconnect the name of the author and the composition. As a "dedication of David's house" (as provided, De 20:5), the scope of the Psalm well corresponds with the state of repose and meditation on his past trials suited to such an occasion (2Sa 5:11; 7:2). For beginning with a celebration of God's delivering favor, in which he invites others to join, he relates his prayer in distress, and God's gracious and prompt answer.
1. lifted me up—as one is drawn from a well (Ps 40:2).
2. healed me—Affliction is often described as disease (Ps 6:2; 41:4; 107:20), and so relief by healing.
3. The terms describe extreme danger.
soul—or, "myself."
grave—literally, "hell," as in Ps 16:10.
hast kept me … pit—quickened or revived me from the state of dying (compare Ps 28:1).
4. remembrance—the thing remembered or memorial.
holiness—as the sum of God's perfections (compare Ps 22:3), used as name (Ex 3:15; Ps 135:13).
5. Relatively, the longest experience of divine anger by the pious is momentary. These precious words have consoled millions.
6, 7. What particular prosperity is meant we do not know; perhaps his accession to the throne. In his self-complacent elation he was checked by God's hiding His face (compare Ps 22:24; 27:9).
7. troubled—confounded with fear (Ps 2:5).
8-11. As in Ps 6:5; 88:10; Isa 38:18, the appeal for mercy is based on the destruction of his agency in praising God here, which death would produce. The terms expressing relief are poetical, and not to be pressed, though "dancing" is the translation of a word which means a lute, whose cheerful notes are contrasted with mourning, or (Am 5:16) wailing.
11. sackcloth—was used, even by kings, in distress (1Ch 21:16; Isa 37:1) but "gladness," used for a garment, shows the language to be figurative.
12. Though "my" is supplied before "glory" it is better as in Ps 16:9, to receive it as used for tongue, the organ of praise. The ultimate end of God's mercies to us is our praise to Him.