8 O Jehovah, lead me in Thy righteousness, Because of those observing me, Make straight before me Thy way,
Shew me, O Jehovah, Thy way, And lead me in a path of uprightness, For the sake of my beholders.
Thy ways, O Jehovah, cause me to know, Thy paths teach Thou me. Cause me to tread in Thy truth, and teach me, For Thou `art' the God of my salvation, Near Thee I have waited all the day.
Cause me to hear in the morning Thy kindness, For in Thee I have trusted, Cause me to know the way that I go, For unto Thee I have lifted up my soul. Deliver me from mine enemies, O Jehovah, Near Thee I am covered. Teach me to do Thy good pleasure, For Thou `art' my God -- Thy Spirit `is' good, Lead me into a land of uprightness.
only, because thou hast caused the enemies of Jehovah greatly to despise by this thing, also the son who is born to thee doth surely die.'
Turn back doth the evil thing to mine enemies, In Thy truth cut them off.
God doth go before me, He causeth me to look on mine enemies.
With all my heart I have sought Thee, Let me not err from Thy commands.
Of Thy kindness, O Jehovah, the earth is full, Thy statutes teach Thou me!
for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 5
Commentary on Psalms 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 5
The psalm is a prayer, a solemn address to God, at a time when the psalmist was brought into distress by the malice of his enemies. Many such times passed over David, nay, there was scarcely any time of his life to which this psalm may not be accommodated, for in this he was a type of Christ, that he was continually beset with enemies, and his powerful and prevalent appeals to God, when he was so beset, pointed at Christ's dependence on his Father and triumphs over the powers of darkness in the midst of his sufferings. In this psalm,
And this is all of great use to direct us in prayer.
To the chief musician upon Nehiloth. A psalm of David.
Psa 5:1-6
The title of this psalm has nothing in it peculiar but that it is said to be upon Nehiloth, a word nowhere else used. It is conjectured (and it is but a conjecture) that is signifies wind-instruments, with which this psalm was sung, as Neginoth was supposed to signify the stringed-instruments. In these verses David had an eye to God,
In singing these verses, and praying them over, we must engage and stir up ourselves to the duty of prayer, and encourage ourselves in it, because we shall not seek the Lord in vain; and must express our detestation of sin, and our awful expectation of that day of Christ's appearing which will be the day of the perdition of ungodly men.
Psa 5:7-12
In these verses David gives three characters-of himself, of his enemies, and of all the people of God, and subjoins a prayer to each of them.
In singing these verses, and praying them over, we must by faith put ourselves under God's guidance and care, and then please ourselves with his mercy and grace and with the prospect of God's triumphs at last over all his enemies and his people's triumphs in him and in his salvation.