3 Compassed me have cords of death, And straits of Sheol have found me, Distress and sorrow I find.
Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid. Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.
When I have kept silence, become old have my bones, Through my roaring all the day. When by day and by night Thy hand is heavy upon me, My moisture hath been changed Into the droughts of summer. Selah.
He is despised, and left of men, A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness, And as one hiding the face from us, He is despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains -- he hath carried them, And we -- we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
And he saith: I called, because of my distress, to Jehovah, And He doth answer me, From the belly of sheol I have cried, Thou hast heard my voice. When Thou dost cast me `into' the deep, Into the heart of the seas, Then the flood doth compass me, All Thy breakers and Thy billows have passed over me.
and he taketh Peter, and James, and John with him, and began to be amazed, and to be very heavy, and he saith to them, `Exceeding sorrowful is my soul -- to death; remain here, and watch.' And having gone forward a little, he fell upon the earth, and was praying, that, if it be possible the hour may pass from him, and he said, `Abba, Father; all things are possible to Thee; make this cup pass from me; but, not what I will, but what Thou.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 116
Commentary on Psalms 116 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 116
Ps 116:1-19. The writer celebrates the deliverance from extreme perils by which he was favored, and pledges grateful and pious public acknowledgments.
1, 2. A truly grateful love will be evinced by acts of worship, which calling on God expresses (Ps 116:13; Ps 55:16; 86:7; compare Ps 17:6; 31:2).
3, 4. For similar figures for distress see Ps 18:4, 5.
gat hold upon me—Another sense ("found") of the same word follows, as we speak of disease finding us, and of our finding or catching disease.
5-8. The relief which he asked is the result not of his merit, but of God's known pity and tenderness, which is acknowledged in assuring himself (his "soul," Ps 11:1; 16:10) of rest and peace. All calamities [Ps 116:8] are represented by death, tears, and falling of the feet (Ps 56:13).
9. walk before the Lord—act, or live under His favor and guidance (Ge 17:1; Ps 61:7).
land of the living—(Ps 27:13).
10, 11. Confidence in God opposed to distrust of men, as not reliable (Ps 68:8, 9). He speaks from an experience of the result of his faith.
11. in my haste—literally, "terror," or "agitation," produced by his affliction (compare Ps 31:22).
12-14. These are modes of expressing acts of worship (compare Ps 116:4; Ps 50:14; Jon 2:9).
13. the cup of salvation—the drink offering which was part of the thank offering (Nu 15:3-5).
14. now—(compare Ps 115:2). "Oh, that (I may do it)" in the presence, &c.
15, 16. By the plea of being a homeborn servant, he intimates his claim on God's covenant love to His people.
17-19. An ampler declaration of his purpose, designating the place, the Lord's house, or earthly residence in Jerusalem.