10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength faileth through mine iniquity, and my bones are wasted.
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my groaning all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation; no peace in my bones, because of my sin.
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, with sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
When thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely, every man is vanity. Selah.
And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
I am afflicted and expiring from my youth up; I suffer thy terrors, [and] I am distracted.
For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a firebrand. My heart is smitten and withered like grass; yea, I have forgotten to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my flesh. I am become like the pelican of the wilderness, I am as an owl in desolate places; I watch, and am like a sparrow alone upon the housetop. Mine enemies reproach me all the day; they that are mad against me swear by me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, Because of thine indignation and thy wrath; for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a lengthened-out shadow, and I, I am withered like grass. But thou, Jehovah, abidest for ever, and thy memorial from generation to generation. *Thou* wilt rise up, thou wilt have mercy upon Zion: for it is the time to be gracious to her, for the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour her dust. And the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When Jehovah shall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute one, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come; and a people that shall be created shall praise Jah: For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from the heavens hath Jehovah beheld the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to die; That the name of Jehovah may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, When the peoples shall be gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah. He weakened my strength in the way, he shortened my days. I said, My ùGod, take me not away in the midst of my days! ... Thy years are from generation to generation. Of old hast thou founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands: *They* shall perish, but *thou* continuest; and all of them shall grow old as a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the Same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall abide, and their seed shall be established before thee.
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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.