9 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.
My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my adversaries.
My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, Yahweh. I have spread out my hands to you.
He is chastened also with pain on his bed, With continual strife in his bones; So that his life abhors bread, And his soul dainty food. His flesh is so consumed away, that it can't be seen; His bones that were not seen stick out. Yes, his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to the destroyers.
> Yahweh, don't rebuke me in your anger, Neither discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint. Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
> Yahweh, don't rebuke me in your wrath, Neither chasten me in your hot displeasure. For your arrows have pierced me, Your hand presses hard on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation, Neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, Because of my foolishness. I am pained and bowed down greatly. I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning. There is no soundness in my flesh. I am faint and severely bruised. I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before you. My groaning is not hidden from you. My heart throbs. My strength fails me. As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body cleaves to the earth.
For all day long have I been plagued, And punished every morning.
My flesh and my heart fails, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help, Set apart among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand.
For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burned as a firebrand. My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, For I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, My bones stick to my skin.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 31
Commentary on Psalms 31 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 31
It is probable that David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul; some passages in it agree particularly to the narrow escapes he had, at Keilah (1 Sa. 23:13), then in the wilderness of Maon, when Saul marched on one side of the hill and he on the other, and, soon after, in the cave in the wilderness of En-gedi; but that it was penned upon any of those occasions we are not told. It is a mixture of prayers, and praises, and professions of confidence in God, all which do well together and are helpful to one another.
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
Psa 31:1-8
Faith and prayer must go together. He that believes, let his pray-I believe, therefore I have spoken: and he that prays, let him believe, for the prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer. We have both here.
Psa 31:9-18
In the foregoing verses David had appealed to God's righteousness, and pleaded his relation to him and dependence on him; here he appeals to his mercy, and pleads the greatness of his own misery, which made his case the proper object of that mercy. Observe,
Psa 31:19-24
We have three things in these verses:-
In singing this we should animate ourselves and one another to proceed and persevere in our Christian course, whatever threatens us, and whoever frowns upon us.