19 And Thy righteousness, O God, `is' unto the heights, Because Thou hast done great things, O God, who `is' like Thee?
For great unto the heavens `is' Thy kindness, And unto the clouds Thy truth.
All my bones say, `Jehovah, who is like Thee, Delivering the poor from the stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.'
For high have the heavens been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts.
For who in the sky, Compareth himself to Jehovah? Is like to Jehovah among sons of the mighty? God is very terrible, In the secret counsel of His holy ones, And fearful over all surrounding Him. O Jehovah, God of Hosts, Who `is' like Thee -- a strong Jah? And Thy faithfulness `is' round about Thee.
For He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy `is' His name,
Who doth not fear Thee, king of the nations? For to Thee it is becoming, For among all the wise of the nations, And in all their kingdom there is none like Thee.
Who `is' like Thee among the gods, O Jehovah? Who `is' like Thee -- honourable in holiness -- Fearful in praises -- doing wonders?
And Jehovah of Hosts is high in judgment, And the Holy God sanctified in righteousness,
A path of life `is' on high for the wise, To turn aside from Sheol beneath.
Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.
There is none like Thee among the gods, O Lord, And like Thy works there are none.
Blessed is Jehovah God, God of Israel, He alone is doing wonders,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 71
Commentary on Psalms 71 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 71
David penned this psalm in his old age, as appears by several passages in it, which makes many think that it was penned at the time of Absalom's rebellion; for that was the great trouble of his later days. It might be occasioned by Sheba's insurrection, or some trouble that happened to him in that part of his life of which it was foretold that the sword should not depart from his house. But he is not over-particular in representing his case, because he intended it for the general use of God's people in their afflictions, especially those they meet with in their declining years; for this psalm, above any other, is fitted for the use of the old disciples of Jesus Christ.
He is in an ecstasy of joyful praise; and, in the singing of it, we too should have our faith in God encouraged and our hearts raised in blessing his holy name.
Psa 71:1-13
Two things in general David here prays for-that he might not be confounded and that his enemies and persecutors might be confounded.
Psa 71:14-24
David is here in a holy transport of joy and praise, arising from his faith and hope in God; we have both together v. 14, where there is a sudden and remarkable change of his voice; his fears are all silenced, his hopes raised, and his prayers turned into thanksgivings. "Let my enemies say what they will, to drive me to despair, I will hope continually, hope in all conditions, in the most cloudy and dark day; I will live upon hope and will hope to the end.' Since we hope in one that will never fail us, let not our hope in him fail us, and then we shall praise him yet more and more. "The more they reproach me the more closely will I cleave to thee; I will praise thee more and better than ever I have done yet.' The longer we live the more expert we should grow in praising God and the more we should abound in it. I will add over and above all thy praise, all the praise I have hitherto offered, for it is all too little. When we have said all we can, to the glory of God's grace, there is still more to be said; it is a subject that can never be exhausted, and therefore we should never grow weary of it. Now observe, in these verses,