PSALMS

Multiple Faculty Contributors

The Hebrew title of the book of Psalms is Tehillim, literally "praises." However, the English title Psalms is adopted from the Septuagint (LXX) Greek Bible in the intertestamental period, which titled the book Psalmoi, meaning "songs to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument," or simply "songs of praise." The LXX Greek word translates the Hebrew word mizmor ("song") that occurs in the titles of 57 of the psalms as the title. The English translators transliterated the Greek Psalmoi, resulting in the title "Psalms" in English Bibles.

Author. There is a distinction between God as the author and originator of the ideas and intentions of the text (2Tm 3:16–17), and the individual human psalmists as the writers (2Pt 1:21). This is illustrated in the NT with respect to Psalms in Ac 1:16, where Peter cited Pss 69:25 and 109:8 as "Scripture … which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David" (see also Ac 4:24–25, cf. Pss 1–2; Heb 4:7, cf. Ps 95:8).

Certain psalms begin with a superscription/heading, which is part of the text indicating the author. King David is explicitly named in the headings of 73 psalms, as well as having his authorship identified in the NT for three other psalms (Pss 1–2 in Ac 4:25; Ps 95 in Heb 4:7). Asaph is the author of 12 psalms, predominantly with postexilic content (50; 73–83). He was one of three heads of the three families of Levitical singers in the time of David (see 1Ch 25) and was also a seer/prophet (2Ch 29:30).

The sons of Korah, a branch of the Levitical singers who led temple worship (2Ch 20:19), are identified in Pss 42; 44–49; 84–85, and 87–88. King Solomon wrote two psalms (72; 127). Ethan, a wise man, Levitical singer, and probably the same as Jeduthun (1Kg 4:31; 1Ch 2:6; 15:19; 2Ch 25:1) wrote one psalm (89). Heman who has co-attribution to the sons of Korah in one psalm (88), was a singer and wise man in Solomon’s court (1Kg 4:31; 1Ch 15:19). Moses wrote one psalm (90).

Of the 46 remaining psalms for which no headings are supplied perhaps three more (Pss 96; 105; and 106) were written by David on the testimony of 1Ch 16:7–36, which ascribes to David ("David first assigned") a psalm of thanksgiving selectively derived from those three (i.e., Pss 96; 105:1–15; and 106:1, 47–48). The remaining 43 psalms are anonymous, without headings, although tradition has attributed several of them to David.

Date. Historically the individual psalms were written over a period of about 1,000 years, from the time of Moses (c. 1400 BC) to the Israelites’ return from exile (c. 450 BC).

There is no definitive indication of the person or persons responsible for compiling and ordering the psalms in the form of the book, though it seems likely that the bulk of this work was undertaken by an editor after the return from Babylon.

The central implication of this distinction is that Psalms, particularly the royal psalms, must be read from this postexilic perspective when there was no Davidic king on the throne. As a result, the psalms are to be read not looking back at past kings of Israel but forward to the coming of the anticipated son of David, the messianic King.

Structure. In the Hebrew manuscripts, and as reflected in most translations, Psalms is subdivided into five distinct "books." Though the individual psalms were written by different people at different times (see "Date" above), they were, through divine guidance, eventually compiled and organized around this five-book framework in the postexilic period. Each of the books ends with a doxology (cf. Book One, 41:13; Book Two, 72:18–19; Book Three, 89:52; Book Four, 106:48; and Book Five, Ps 150, which is a doxology to the whole Psalter).

The most likely structure is an intentional paralleling of the five-book subdivision of the Torah. This is affirmed not only by early Jewish tradition but also by the thematic parallels in the content of the corresponding books of the Torah and Psalms, as illustrated in the chart below.

In addition to each of the five books of Psalms being explicitly indicated in the Hebrew text by the headings "Book One," "Book Two," etc., the ending of each book is indicated by a clear doxology, the first four of which are variations of the formula "Blessed be … the Lord/His name … forever/to everlasting" (Pss 41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48). The last of these is appropriately expressed by a grand doxology, the all-encompassing exhortation, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Ps 150:6). The individual unity of each of the five books is also underscored (often in quite subtle and sophisticated ways) by the use of similar literary forms and language.

A further structural parallel between Psalms and the Torah is evident in the way both compilations begin and end. Just as the first two chapters of Genesis focus on God’s intended ideal for man, both individually and collectively (i.e., "to worship and to obey"; see the commentary on Gn 2:15), so too do the first two chapters of Psalms focus on God’s intended ideal for man, both individually and collectively; i.e., to cultivate "delight … in the law" (Ps 1:2) suggests obedience, and to worship ("do homage," Ps 2:12). Also just as the last two chapters of Deuteronomy express praise for God’s overall concern for Israel (Dt 33:3: "Indeed, he loves the people"), His judgment of her enemies (Dt 33:29: the Lord is "the sword of your majesty! So your enemies shall cringe before you"), and His anticipated future, messianic redemption (Dt 34:10: "Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses"), so too do the last two psalms express praise for God’s overall concern for Israel (Ps 149:4: "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people"), His judgment of her enemies (149:6: "Let the high praises of God be … a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations"), and His anticipated future—and final—redemption (149:4: "He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation").

Place in the Canon. In modern Christian Bibles, Psalms is the second book in the books of Poetry section (following Job). This organization of Law (Genesis–Deuteronomy); History (Joshua–Esther); Poetry (Job–Song of Songs); and Prophets (Isaiah–Malachi) is derived from the tradition of categorizing the biblical books adopted by Hellenistic Jewry and reflected (with some differences) in the Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the OT).

In manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, Psalms is located in the section known as the Writings (or Hagiographa), the third and last division of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Scriptures are divided into three sections: Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy), the Prophets (Isaiah–Malachi) and Writings (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra–Nehemiah, Chronicles). Though the traditional place of Psalms in this third division varies between first (the modern Jewish consensus) and second (after Ruth or Chronicles), it is universally treated (as also in Christian tradition) as a distinct subgroup together with the two successive books of Proverbs and Job.

The prominent place of Psalms in the organization of the Hebrew canon is also evident in Luke 24:44, where, most likely because of its size, "the Psalms" is probably intended as a reference to the entire third division of the Writings (a figure of speech known as synecdoche, substituting a part for the whole). A similar reference—which is also highly significant as a testimony to the early canonization of the OT (earlier, at least, than many modern scholars have been prone to believe)—is also now known from a period more than 100 years before the previously cited reference by Luke, in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, where the Scriptures are referred to as "the book of Moses and the books of the Prophets and (the Psalms of) David" (4QMMT, C 10).

Purpose and Themes. Almost every biblical theme and theologically significant idea is to be found in Psalms. However, the overarching purpose of the book is indicated by Pss 1 and 2, which were intended to be read together as an introduction to the entire book of Psalms. These two psalms are joined by the literary device in the Hebrew Bible known as an inclusio (or "book ending"), whereby the identical term or expression is intended to highlight the main theme of the "framed" unit—in this case, "blessed" (lit., "O, the blessedness of"), denoting primarily a state of spiritual—and only secondarily material—well-being (not necessarily emotional happiness), equivalent to the blessedness indicated by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3–11).

As an introduction to the book, Ps 1 focuses on worship at the individual level and is grounded in God’s Word, whereas Ps 2 focuses on worship expressed at the corporate level and is grounded in submission to God’s Son, the Messiah King.

As a general introduction, therefore, these two psalms note that the book’s overarching purpose is to instruct believers in the ways of expressing both personal as well as collective worship, grounded in the study of God’s Word and directed toward the Anointed One, the Messiah. It is the Messiah who is the central theme of the book of Psalms, as the last words of David indicate (2Sm 23:1). The future Messiah was "the Delightful One of the songs of Israel," or David’s favorite subject in the psalms (cf. comments on 2Sm 23:1).

Genre. The book of Psalms is Hebrew poetry. However, Hebrew poetry is not recognized by rhyming patterns as in English language poetry. Instead, several other characteristics typify this poetry:

1. Poetic language. The beauty and power of the psalms are evident in their rich concise word choice, poetic language, and powerful word pictures—as seen in these examples: "the wicked are … like chaff" (1:4); "you have shattered the teeth of the wicked" (3:7); "the Lord is my shepherd" (23:1); "as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God" (42:1); "as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people" (125:2); and "He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes" (147:16).

2. Inclusio. This literary device serves as "book ending" or "bracketing" of ideas with identical or parallel phrases to create a poetic unit of thought. For example, "how blessed is the man …" (Ps 1:1) / "how blessed are all …" (Ps 2:12) and "hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence" / "Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God" (42:5, 11).

3. Parallelism. Another important feature of Psalms (and of all biblical Hebrew poetry) is parallelism, one idea presented in relation to another through parallel thoughts. Generally, parallelism is of three types:

(a) synonymous parallelism, in which consecutive lines (each of which is usually a half-verse) present the same or similar idea in different words—

(b) antithetical parallelism, in which consecutive lines present contrasting or opposite ideas, usually revolving around a shared point of contact—

(c) synthetic parallelism, in which consecutive lines present different, yet complementary ideas, which together provide a fuller and more specific idea than either line alone—

4. Acrostic Structure. In an acrostic, each verse in the psalm begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (e.g., Pss 9–10 together are an acrostic poem; so are Pss 25; 34; 37; 111–112; and 145). Psalm 119, the longest psalm, is an acrostic praise to the Lord and His Word. It has 22 stanzas of eight verses; each stanza begins with the same letter. Acrostic structure is a helpful memory device, and reflects God’s truth from A to Z.

5. Musical Instruction. The psalms were written to be sung, and 30 psalms are identified as "songs" (e.g., Pss 45, 48, 92). The musical connotation mizmor, often translated "psalm" in the heading, occurs 57 times and only in the headings of psalms. It probably indicates a psalm that was sung by the Levites in the temple to the accompaniment of musical instruments (e.g., Pss 3, 48). Fifty-five of the psalms include musical instructions in their heading; e.g., "For the choir director" (Ps 5); "with stringed instruments" (Ps 67); "A Song of Ascents" (Pss 120–134). These songs of ascents are arranged in poetic units to be sung as the worshipers approach the temple in Jerusalem.

Types of Psalms. Because the subject matter and content are so varied in the Psalter, a number of types or categories of psalms have been suggested. For an overview of the approaches to studying Psalms see Allen Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: Psalms 1–41, Kregel Exegetical Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2012), 65–80. Because of the complex content of the psalms, some may be categorized as more than one type. A helpful classification of the psalms is:

1. Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving. This is often thought of as the typical psalm, because these are frequently the most familiar; examples are Pss 21, 30, 32, 34, 40, 146, and 148.

These psalms often are related to specific incidences of personal deliverance. They include a proclamation of praise to God, a report of deliverance, a renewed determination to praise, and often instruction for corporate praise.

2. Hymnic Psalms. Some praise psalms are more specifically hymnic in structure, rather than related to personal deliverance. These have the common elements of: (1) call to praise; (2) cause for praise; and (3) concluding exhortation to praise. They often include a superscription regarding the choir or a musical notation. Examples are Pss 33, 36, 105, 111, 113, 117, 135.

3. Songs. The headings/superscriptions of 15 psalms specifically identify them as songs (18; 45–46; 48; 65–68; 75–76; 83; 87–88; 92; 108). These psalms were to be sung, and some include additional musical direction. These are all psalms of praise, except Pss 83 and 88. A specific group of songs are the songs of ascents (Pss 120–134).

4. Laments. The most numerous and common psalms are laments, making up about a third of the psalms. These psalms are cries or prayers of help in times of distress. The lament psalms include (1) an introductory plea to the Lord; (2) the specific lament describing the issue; (3) confession of trust in the Lord despite the circumstances; (4) petition for help; and (5) conclusion of a vow to praise the Lord despite circumstances and regardless of deliverance. Examples of personal laments are Pss 3, 4, 12, and 22.

There are a number of national lament psalms as well. These are focused more specifically on the circumstances faced by the nation of Israel as a whole and follow the same pattern. Examples are Pss 44, 60, and 83.

5. Imprecatory Psalms. Some of the lament psalms have an imprecatory element, calling for specific judgments to fall on the enemy. The verb "imprecate" means "to pray evil against" or "to invoke disaster upon." These prayers are the plea of God’s people for justice for atrocities committed against them personally or against the nation of Israel by the Lord’s enemies; examples include Pss 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, and 140. These psalms may seem unloving and contrary to a biblical perspective. However, they are truthful and transparent expressions by the righteous, asking God to act on behalf of His people and for His name’s sake. This is particularly true in times of warfare when destruction of the enemy was essential to the survival of the king and his people. Moreover, in these psalms, the psalmists do not take vengeance into their own hands but pray for God to execute just judgment. Imprecatory psalms were prayers for God to act according to the righteous requirements of His Word in its laws and covenants.

Some have thought that these prayers are contrary to a NT ethic. However, martyred believers in heaven offer an imprecation, asking how long before God will bring just retribution on their murderers (cf. Rv 6:10–11). Both OT and NT believers did not rejoice in the death of evil people. However, they did look forward to God’s justice, when God would bring judgment on the wicked in accordance with His word, and make the world right (2Th 1:6–10).

Background. As originally written, and in the oldest manuscripts, the psalms were not numbered, nor were there verse divisions (as is true for the whole Bible). The helpful divisions were added much later. When reading or comparing different versions of the Bible, there may be a slight discrepancy in the numbering (though not the content) of the psalms. The Septuagint—an early Greek translation of the Bible produced in the intertestamental period by and for Hellenistic Jewry—has a verse division slightly different from the Hebrew. The early church adopted the Septuagint divisions in the OT and this has been followed by Roman Catholic tradition. Later, during the Reformation, there was a return to the Hebrew enumeration of the Psalms (Geneva Bible, Luther’s German Bible, KJV), and this is the common division in Protestant Bibles.

In addition, the Christian English versions do not number the heading/superscriptions as the first verse, whereas the English translations of the Hebrew/Jewish Bible do, thus resulting in a one-verse difference in the psalms (e.g., in Ps 3 the Hebrew Bible has nine verses, whereas Christian Bibles have eight).

By recognizing Psalms as a coherent collection of writing, organized in the postexilic period, the message of the entire book becomes clearer. Certainly the later organization did not alter the original meaning of the individual psalms, but it deepened and clarified the focus to be on the coming messianic King of Israel. At the time of the final redaction, there was no Davidic king on the throne of Israel, so the psalms, especially those which speak of a King (with a capital K), are all looking forward to the future messianic King. Based on the postexilic compilation of Psalms, David C. Mitchell concludes, "the messianic theme is central to the purpose of the collection" (David C. Mitchell, The Message of the Psalter: An Eschatological Programme in the Book of Psalms [Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997], 87). This would explain the way the NT writers frequently see Jesus the Messiah as the fulfillment of the psalms. They understood that He was the eschatological Davidic King anticipated in the book of Psalms.

These two psalms are united by the use of the same phrase, "How blessed," at the beginning of the first (1:1) and at the end of the second (2:12). They serve as an introduction to the book of Psalms, introducing the theme of the importance of meditation on Scripture. As an introduction to the book, these two psalms orient the reader to the purpose of the Psalms generally, which is to model the various ways to express individual and collective worship of the Lord, and the resulting blessing the righteous will find from studying God’s Word.

Though not supplied with a heading, this psalm may be definitively identified as an utterance of David since it is thematically united with Ps 2, which is explicitly attributed to David in Ac 4:25–26.

1:1–2. The psalm (and the book of Psalms) begins by linking the blessings of God to those who walk by (i.e., live, indicating a daily practice of life) and meditate (think about in all circumstances) on His Word, the Scriptures, the law of the Lord … day and night. The phrase How blessed (lit., "O, the blessedness of"; Hb. ashre) is parallel to the expression used in the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3–11), both signifying not material or circumstantial blessing (i.e., wealth, position, happiness, etc.), but the deeper and enduring blessing of a dynamic relationship with God on a daily basis. The psalmist presents a contrast of the righteous man who does not associate with the wicked. This sequence of the verbs walk, stand, and sit moves from denoting activity to denoting a state of being and indicate a whole lifestyle. The word sinners is the same word found in Gn 13:13 for the sinners in Sodom, suggesting a hardened commitment to wicked behavior.

In bright contrast to the wicked, the godly individual has an overall course of life or habit: he delight[s] in and meditates on the law of the Lord. The word law (torah) is an elastic term, generally translated "law" or "instruction." It can refer to an individual law, the laws of Sinai, the Pentateuch, the Hebrew Bible, or spiritual instruction. Here it means all of God’s Word, not just the Pentateuch. His greatest joy in life is to think about, fill his mind with, and obey the Word of God. The verb meditates means "to mutter something under one’s breath," referring to the quiet recitation of Scripture to one’s self. It signifies the filling of the mind with the biblical text and careful consideration of both what the text means and how it applies. In the Bible, "meditation" is often equivalent to the term "study." This command was given to Joshua when he assumed leadership of Israel (Jos 1:6–9).

1:3. Meditation on the Word of God is thus presented, by virtue of its inclusion in this first introductory psalm, as a basic act of worship, or, more precisely, as the foundation on which all expressions of worship must be based. The blessing of obedience is metaphorically presented as a tree producing fruit. For the one who habitually meditates and delights in God’s Word, in whatever he does, he prospers. The word prospers primarily refers here, not to immediate material prosperity, but to success—that is, spiritual success in one’s life through applying and adhering to "the law of the Lord" (v. 2). The same word is used in Is 53:10 ("and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand") of the success of the Messiah in reconciling people to God, accomplished in the "crushing" and "putting to grief" of Messiah as the "guilt offering" (hardly a picture of immediate material prosperity or ease).

1:4–6. The fruitful life of the righteous is contrasted with the worthless life of the wicked, which is like chaff, the husk of grain blown away by the wind. The perspective (and motivation) for studying and living by God’s Word is ultimately eternal, not any immediate material prosperity. This is underscored by David’s reference to the wicked (lit., "wicked ones," parallel to sinners in the next line) not standing in the judgment, referring to God’s judgment of all the assembled unrepentant at the Day of Judgment (cf. Mt 12:41–42; Lk 10:14; 11:31–32; Rv 20:11–15).

The reward and blessing of the righteous, by contrast, consists not only in their being able to stand in the Day of Judgment—because of their faith they are not condemned (Rm 8:1)—but also that the Lord knows the way of the righteous. This is the reality of an intimate and loving relationship with the heavenly Father. The connotation of the Hebrew verb knows generally signifies the most thorough and/or intimate knowledge (often described as a thorough experiential knowledge) of what is known. This is the typical verb used to describe conjugal relations between a husband and wife (e.g., Gn 4:1). For God to know the way of the righteous indicates His loving concern for them.

This is identified as a psalm of David (cf. Ac 4:25). It is one of the several directly "messianic" utterances (as likewise applied in Ac 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; cf. 2Sm 23:1 comments) that readers, either out of carelessness in interpretation or specific apologetic concerns, have often taken as referring directly and only to David—and only indirectly (typologically) if at all to Jesus. While there are, to be sure, several parallels to David’s experiences as king in this psalm, what is stated far transcends what is ever said of David. This was already recognized long ago by the early rabbinic interpreters, who also understood this psalm as applying to the King Messiah, though for polemical purposes this view was later rejected in favor of the application to David—as exemplified in the following comment on this psalm by Rashi (Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac), who flourished in the second half of the 11th century and greatly influenced the course of subsequent Jewish interpretation of the Bible: "Our ancient sages expounded the theme of this psalm with reference to the King Messiah, yet … as a rebuttal to the Christians, it is proper to explain it as referring to David."

A significant interpretive presupposition for understanding Ps 110 as messianic is that David himself, in his last words (2Sm 23:1–5), identified the Messiah as his favorite subject in the Psalms. There David reveals, by his own authorial intent, that his psalms refer to the Messiah. This interpretation of David’s last words is not as evident in the Masoretic Text of 2Sm 23:1 as it is in the Septuagint (LXX). The LXX reading is a result of a variant vowel (cf. comments on 2Sm 23:1–7) and yields the following translation:

In his last words, David said that the Messiah was his favorite subject in the Psalms. This gives a crucial clue to reading Davidic psalms in general and Ps 2 in particular. David claimed that he had a messianic focus in writing the Psalms. This should guide the understanding of Ps 2. Moreover, the postexilic compilation of the book of Psalms, when there was no Davidic king, should emphasize that the Psalm is not looking back at David but forward to the messianic King (see Introduction: Background).

One of the thematic connections between Pss 1 and 2 is found in the recurrence of the word "blessed" in 1:1 and 2:12. Meditation on the law of the Lord (1:1–2) leads to blessing and leads one to apprehend the source of the greatest blessings—namely, the Messiah (see especially 2:12).

2:1–3. In the Hebrew Bible, opposition to God and His people typically proceeds from the nations (lit., "Gentiles"), designating the pagan nations, directed by their kings and rulers who consistently take their stand … against the Lord and against His Anointed. The citation of this passage by the nascent church in Ac 4:25–26 is significant, for it not only clarifies that the Anointed (Hb. mashiach, from which is derived the English word "messiah") in this passage is intended as a specific, predictive reference to Jesus Himself (the Hebrew term is also applied in the OT in a more general, nonpredictive sense to kings and priests; cf. Lv 4:3; 1Sm 24:10), but it also implies that opposition to God and Messiah Jesus are inseparable. The "chief priests and the elders" of the Jewish people to whom the early Jewish-Christian community applied this passage (Ac 4:23) would certainly not have claimed to reject the God of Israel whom they worshiped as their heavenly Father. Yet from God’s perspective one’s acceptance and worship of Him is bound up with one’s acceptance and worship of His Son, the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth (see comments on Ps 2:11–12a). "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also" (1 Jn 2:23; see also Lk 10:16; Jn 5:23).

The verb take their stand (v. 2) was used for Goliath’s haughty posture against the Jewish warriors in 1Sm 17:16. As the giant Philistine opposed David’s people, so also the godless nations will oppose David’s prominent Son, the Messiah.

2:4–5. The Lord is in complete control despite the rebellion of the nations. The Lord sits in the heavens ("is enthroned") and scoffs at them for their foolish behavior (cf. Ps 59:8). He will answer their uproar with His anger and fury in judgment for their wickedness and rebellion, an expression of God’s righteousness (cf. 7:11).

2:6. The Lord’s victory is certain because His Son, the King Messiah, will rule the earth from Jerusalem: I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. The location of My holy mountain is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (cf. 2Ch 33:15; Pss 15:1; 43:3; 99:9; Is 52:1; 56:7). It is strongly suggestive of the king’s priestly character, linking it to the Temple Mount (further affirming the application to Jesus, the only one in whom both offices unite). The verb installed (Hb. nasakhti, lit., "poured out," a synonym of "anointed" with a specifically Levitical connotation as in Ex 30:9; Hs 9:4) indicates the Lord’s setting up the messianic King.

2:7. The statement I have begotten You, which is directed from God the Father to God the Son, signifies not the production of Sonship (since all three persons of the Godhead are uncreated and eternal), but rather the Father’s declaration of the Messiah’s Sonship as announced later by Gabriel (Lk 1:32), reiterated at Jesus’ baptism (Lk 3:22), and confirmed by His resurrection (Ac 13:33; Rm 1:4). In the ancient near east, a king was considered "begotten" when he entered into kingship. This unique Person of the divine Son is the basis of the confidence of God’s people in the Lord’s victory.

2:8–9. Victory by the King (v. 6) is certain because ultimately the nations … and the very ends of the earth are His inheritance—something that is never ascribed to any Davidic king but only to the divine Messiah Himself (cf. Ps 110:6; Zch 14:9; Rv 21:22–24). He will judge the wicked and break them with a rod of iron … shatter them (cf. Gn 3:15; Nm 24:17; Ps 110:2, 5–6; Rv 2:27; 19:15).

The collective expressions of shared persecution (vv. 1–3) and shared confidence (vv. 4–9) are here counterbalanced and completed by the expression of what has always stood at the heart of God’s self-revelation to man: God’s empathetic and loving desire that everyone—both Jew and Gentile—come to know and worship Him as the one, true God (cf. Gn 12:3; Dt 4:6–8; Ps 22:27; Is 45:22–23; 49:6; 56:7; Zch 14:16). As in the previous two expressions, so too here David focuses this collective expression on the person of God in His Son.

2:10. The section opens with a challenge to the Gentile kings to recognize God’s truth and show discernment to obey Him. This is a warning to all the judges ("leaders") of the earth. The message is to those who had counseled together against the Lord (cf. 2:1–3) and for everyone who decides to rebel against His rulership (2:3).

2:11. The point of the inseparability of "the Lord" (God the Father) and "His Anointed" (God the Son) is here reiterated by David as an evangelistic challenge: to truly worship the Lord in a way acceptable to Him.

2:12. The commanded requirement is Do homage to the Son (lit., "kiss the Son"). Some suggest "kiss" be understood as a more affectionate synonym for the verb "worship" in the previous verse to which it clearly stands in parallel (another reason that the Son in this psalm can refer only to the divine messianic King). However, the use of the verb "to kiss" as a euphemism for "to worship" is also attested and would affirm the understanding of Do homage to the Son (cf. 1Kg 19:18; Jb 31:27; Hs 13:2). Some scholars contest this understanding, pointing out that the word translated "(the) son" (bar) is Aramaic, whereas the proper Hebrew word for "son" is ben. Since this psalm (like all the rest) is in Hebrew, it is sometimes argued that bar here should be understood as the Hebrew adverb "purely," giving the sense "kiss purely." However, two flaws oppose this view: (1) The Hebrew of David’s day had many Aramaic loan words (Abraham himself was an Aramean; Dt 26:5), one of which was indeed bar, "son," as employed thrice by Solomon in Pr 31:2, (2) every one of the remaining 31 OT occurrences of the Hebrew verb "to kiss" has an explicit direct or indirect object, which would be unaccountably missing from the present verse if bar is taken as the Hebrew adverbial expression "purely." It is better to see the phrase not as "kiss purely" but as "kiss the Son," that is, Do homage to the Son.

Psalm 2 deals with the promises God made to David in what is called the Davidic covenant regarding his future supreme Son, the Messiah (see comments on 2Sm 7:12–17). In Ps 3, David struggled with how that covenant could be fulfilled in light of the sinful rebellion of David’s son Absalom (for this connection, see John H. Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994], 315).

The heading/superscription identifies this as a Psalm of David. Of the 41 psalms in Book One (Pss 1–41), 37 are identified as a Psalm of David; Pss 1–2, 10, and 33 are the only exceptions. In total 73 are directly attributed to him in the superscriptions. Additionally, the NT identifies David as the author of Pss 2 and 95. The word for "psalm" in the heading is mizmor; the term occurs 57 times and only in the headings of psalms. It probably indicates a psalm that was sung by the Levites in the temple to the accompaniment of musical instruments. Furthermore, Ps 3 is one of 14 psalms linked in the superscription to a specific event in David’s life (3; 7; 18; 30; 34; 51; 52; 54; 56; 57; 59; 60; 63; 142). This psalm was written by David when he fled from Absalom his son (cf. 2Sm 15–19).

3:1–2. The adversaries to whom David referred were not Canaanites or other hostile Gentiles (e.g., the Arameans; see 2Sm 10), but his fellow Israelites, many of whom were rising up against him in rebellion under the leadership of his son, Absalom. These many were vividly described by Absalom’s advisor Hushai as "all Israel … from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in abundance" (2Sm 17:11). By their statement, There is no deliverance for him in God, these adversaries of David were not denying God’s power to save, but rather His will to deliver David from his circumstances (see 2Sm 16:8).

3:3–4. David affirmed, nonetheless, that God is his shield, the one who will protect him, and the One who lifts his head—that is, the one who will give him victory (on this sense of "lifting the head" see also Pss 27:6 and 110:7). For God’s answer to his cry of distress, David looked to His holy mountain, referring to Zion, and the Temple Mount in particular (see the comment on 2:6), which the Lord had chosen as His dwelling place. The source of David’s comfort was the Lord Himself (Ex 40:34; 2Sm 24:24–25; 1Kg 8:11).

3:5–6. By affirming that it was the Lord who sustains him—as opposed to David’s own ingenuity and ability—his mind was set at ease and he was able to sleep soundly, even though his adversaries numbered in the ten thousands (cf. 1Sm 18:7).

3:7. David’s petition, Arise, O Lord, could be translated "Rise up, O Lord," and is a word play on his opening cry, "Many are rising up." It sets in perspective the threat posed by David’s adversaries. The opposition that "rises up" against one, as long as that one is conducting himself according to the will of God, will be met and defeated by the "rising up" of God Himself. The concept of defeat is underscored by David’s reference to God having smitten all my enemies on the cheek—an act that is closely associated in Scripture with abasement and subjugation (cf. 1Kg 22:24).

3:8. David concluded his psalm in characteristic fashion on a theocentric (God-focused) rather than an egocentric (self-focused) note, declaring that salvation (lit., "deliverance," as in v. 2) ultimately belongs to the Lord. That is, God determines whether, when, and how to bestow deliverance (David does not presume this will always immediately and completely resolve his affliction). David’s concern is for his people (the very ones who are his adversaries!), that God’s blessing be upon them and that God be glorified as a result. In spite of Absalom’s rebellion, David continued to hold on to God’s faithfulness and His promises in the Davidic covenant to provide salvation and deliver His people even though it looked as if the covenant could not be fulfilled through Absalom (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 315).

Psalm 4 continues the theme of Ps 3, focusing on the David’s trust in the Lord. David continues his longing for the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant when David himself will be vindicated from his opponents, including Absalom (Ps 3) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 315).

The heading states that this is a Psalm of David (Hb. mizmor; see introduction to Ps 3) and intended for the choir director—a designation that occurs 55 times in the headings of the Psalms and once at the end of Habakkuk. It probably signifies the conductor of the entire company of priestly musicians and singers whose job it was to enhance worship for the Jewish people.

4:1. David began by emphasizing his spiritual dependency on God, employing the designation God of my righteousness (not, as in the NIV, "my righteous God"), which is meant to indicate that (1) God (as opposed to man) is the only true source of righteousness (cf. Ps 71:16; Ec 7:20; Jr 23:6; Rm 3:10), and (2) as true righteousness is found only in God, He "reckons" (i.e., "legally extends") it to whomsoever He chooses (whether David or anyone else) as a gift (cf. Gn 15:6; Rm 3:22; 4:3–6, 24). David trusted not only in who God is (His attributes of righteousness and grace), but also in what He does—specifically, what He already did for David when He relieved him in his past distress. The specific wording here is significant, for it indicates that based on his past experience David did not expect that God would fully remove the distress, but rather that He would extend relief to David in the midst of it (cf. 1Co 10:13; 1Th 1:6; 2Tm 1:8; 1Pt 4:19; 5:10). David’s request that God hear him refers not to the act of listening (for God knows what people need even before they ask; Mt 6:8), but rather the act of providing what is most needed by the petitioner.

4:2–5. David next addressed the sons of men (lit., "sons of man"), which may refer to men of status and wealth who were failing to trust God, but instead were loving what is worthless, and aiming at deception (counterfeit gods). Whatever their precise identity, these men are unquestionably Israelites, since David exhorted them to offer sacrifices of righteousness (v. 5)—that is, sacrifices consisting not only of the proper material elements but also offered with the proper heart attitude, without which the sacrifice is meaningless (cf. Ps 51:16–19; Is 29:13). David warned them to tremble [lit., "be angry"] and do not sin (v. 4). Anger, which can be an overpowering emotion, has the potential of strengthening the temptation to sin. God had cautioned Cain in his anger to be careful, for "sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is [to master] you, but you must master it" (Gn 4:7). The wise course for anyone who becomes angry is to meditate in one’s heart upon one’s bed (v. 4), but, as Paul wrote, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Eph 4:26).

4:6–7. David here directed his address back to the Lord, expressing the desire on behalf of himself and the many, the "godly" of v. 3. Verse 6 is literally, "Oh that someone would provide us what is good." This understands the Hebrew clause as a hope (see the same expression in 1Sm 23:15), and is preferable to the more pessimistic interrogative translation of the NASB (Who will show us any good?). The godly, like David, know full well that God alone is the source of all good (Jms 1:17), though by phrasing their petition in this hopeful manner, they are expressing both respect and leaving room for God to respond how and when He deems best. This psalm emphasizes both the source and the blessing of trust in the Lord by adopting phraseology from the Aaronic and Mosaic benedictions (v. 1: "be gracious to me" [cf. Nm 6:25b]; v. 5: "offer the sacrifices of righteousness" [cf. Dt 33:19]; v. 6: Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us [cf. Nm 6:25a]; v. 7: when their grain and new wine abound … sleep [cf. Nm 6:26; Dt 33:28]).

4:8. David’s confidence that God, and God alone, will fully provide all that is necessary for his good enabled him to lie down and sleep even in the midst of his distress. This may well allude to David’s experience when God intervened to save his life by putting Saul and his army into a sound sleep (1Sm 26:12). In two other OT passages, God brought a deep sleep onto someone in connection with sovereignly meeting a great need (cf. Gn 2:21; 15:12).

Psalm 5 continues the theme of Ps 3, which is revisited in Ps 7 as well. In part, it is written against the rebellious (5:10), which may have included Absalom. But as in Ps 2:12, the righteous, like David, will be blessed as they continue their trust in God to fulfill the Davidic covenant when they will find refuge in the Anointed (5:11; see 2:2, 12) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 315). In its heading this psalm (Hb. mizmor) is directed to the choir director (see introduction to Ps 4) and is attributed to David. That it was sung in connection with the regular morning offering in the temple is suggested by the repeated reference in v. 3 to this prayer being uttered "in the morning." And, indeed, the phraseology of this psalm is employed in traditional Jewish morning prayers. The order of the thematic parts of this psalm is also significant in that it clearly establishes the precedence of praise to petition (focusing on God first, then one’s need). This principle is reflected not only in the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:9–13), but also in the early Jewish approach to prayer: "A man should always first express his praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, and only afterward express his petition" (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 39a).

5:1–3. David began by imploring God to give ear (i.e., "to attend carefully to someone or something" with the intent of responding for the petitioner’s benefit) to his words, and to consider his meditation (not groaning, as in the NASB). He followed this with reference to God as his King, underscoring that God is the true king of Israel, whereas David, like his son Solomon and all the human kings after him who "sat on the throne of the Lord" (1Ch 29:23; see also 28:5) were only custodians of God’s kingship. This opening sentiment is paralleled by the opening affirmation of God’s kingship in Jesus’ own model of prayer (Mt 6:9–10).

5:4–6. In his praise David here focused on two attributes of God: His holiness and His fatherly (i.e., relational) compassion. God’s holiness is indicated by David underscoring that God is the opposite of all that is unholy. He is not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells (resides, sojourns) with You. The Lord hates iniquity, falsehood, and deceit.

5:7. David emphasized that the only reason he can enter the Lord’s house and worship at His holy temple (lit., "temple of holiness," see the comment on Ps 2:6) is because of God’s abundant lovingkindness to him. The term lovingkindness is chesed, which specifically indicates God’s covenant love, His faithful and continual expression of what is best for those who are His own under the promise of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gn 12:1–3 and discussion of this term in the Introduction to the book of Ruth). The word may also reflect David’s understanding of God’s loving choice of him as the vehicle for the Davidic covenant that includes the future coming of David’s supreme son, the Messiah (see 2Sm 7:16), which will come about through God’s faithfulness in spite of Absalom’s rebellion (see the comments on the superscription of Ps 3).

5:8–10. In his petition David noted that righteousness is not found in himself or attainable on his own, but rather finds its source only in God and is attainable only by His leading (see also comment on Ps 4:1). This is a stark contrast to his wicked foes who are not reliable and whose throat is an open grave. This refers to the deceitfulness of David’s foes (see the parallelism with There is nothing reliable in what they say) who, according to several ancient Jewish sources, are sinners from among the Jewish people (in Midrash on Psalms, Ps 49:5, where Ps 5:9 is cited, referring to the "wicked" among the Jewish people, distinct from the "saints" and "the nations"; see William G. Braude, The Midrash on Psalms, [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959], 383–384). David’s petition therefore is not only that God would protect him from physical harm (as in his military campaigns against the Philistines), but also that God would lead him in righteousness, including the Lord’s restraining him from taking merciless retribution on Israelites outwardly opposed to him (like Nabal; 1Sm 25:26) as well as granting him discernment so as to avoid the counsel (see the same word in Jb 29:21; Pr 1:31, "devices") of ungodly allies and advisors (like Joab; see 2Sm 3:24–30, 39). David also prays that God’s judgment would fall on his foes because of their transgressions and rebellious behavior toward God (v. 10). God’s justice would be especially evident if they would fall by their own devices, being destroyed by the plots they laid for others (later in the Bible, Haman experienced this kind of justice, being hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai, cf. Est 7:9–10). See Introduction: Types of Psalms for discussion of imprecatory psalms.

5:11–12. David is confident of the good outcome of following the Lord. Those who take refuge in Him will be glad … sing for joy. The Lord will bless the righteous and surround him with favor.

In its heading this psalm is directed to the choir director (see introduction to Ps 4) and attributed to David. This psalm continues the theme of David’s patience with which he awaited God’s deliverance from his enemies (see 6:3), which may have included Absalom (Ps 3). David is confident of God’s unfailing covenant love (6:4), expressed to him in the Davidic covenant (see 2Sm 7:8–17) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 316).

6:1–3. David begins his petition for God’s mercy by fully and sincerely admitting his guilt. He asks for the Lord to be merciful and not rebuke and chasten him in the Lord’s anger or wrath (cf. Pr 3:11). David made this admission with the heartfelt conviction that he was confessing his sin not to a distant, wrathful God, but rather to the God who looks on him as a father looks on his son. This is the implication of the terms rebuke and chasten, which in the Bible are primarily the responsibility of the father to administer to his children (see, for example, Pr 3:12). David’s spiritual condition caused physical consequences so that his bones were dismayed. His soul, or his mental condition, is greatly dismayed because of his distress. Asking how long (or "when" or "why") is an expression of anguish asking for relief; it shows the psalmist’s intimate relationship with the Lord and the confidence the righteous can have in inquiring of the Lord for mercy, help, and understanding. (Asking how long is a common question, cf. 13:1–2; 35:17; 74:10; 79:5; 80:4; 89:46; asking "why" is common as well, cf. 10:1; 22:1; 42:9; 43:5.)

6:4–5. Indicative of his relationship is David’s appeal to Return, O Lord, rescue my soul based on God’s lovingkindness (see the comment on this word in 5:7). David makes fivefold use in this opening section of God’s covenant name Lord (Yahweh). He pleads for mercy in life, for there is no opportunity to mention the Lord in death. Regarding Sheol, see the comment on Ps 49:10–14, 15.

6:6–7. Though David’s distressing circumstances may have been a just expression of God’s loving chastisement for his sin(s), they were nonetheless a source of anxiety and—to a certain extent—even depression. These are natural human responses to ongoing and unfavorable circumstances, which can take a toll on both body and mind: I am weary … I dissolve my couch (bed) with my tears … he has become old because of all [his] adversaries. Such responses are not sinful, and, as modeled here by David, are an acceptable—even incumbent—part of worship to bare one’s turmoil and distress to God, who as a loving and sympathetic Father (cf. Heb 4:15) earnestly desires to hear His children (see the comments on Ps 142). This act of baring his heart to God serves as a balm to soothe David’s distress. Although God had not yet resolved the negative circumstances and removed David’s adversaries, David was beginning to experience the Lord’s comfort.

6:8–9. David separated himself from all … who do iniquity and was confident that God, because of His covenantal relationship with David, had heard his weeping and supplication (i.e., this specific supplication) and, in general (as indicated by the present/imperfect tense), receives his prayer.

6:10. Typical of David’s psalms of lament, complaint, and petition, he ended on a positive note, characterized not by a look back at what God had done to resolve his situation, but rather by a look forward to what God would do—if not in this life, then unquestionably in the next, when all my enemies will be ashamed. They will finally be judged and David, in the company of those who love God, will stand in the full light of His presence (cf. Pss 16:11; 142:7).

The heading identifies this psalm as A Shiggaion of David. The term Shiggaion occurs only here in the Bible and the meaning is unclear. It perhaps means "to be exhilarated," as a similar Hebrew word is used in Pr 5:19–20 and Hab 3:1. Thus it would designate a highly emotionally charged type of psalm. This psalm presents David’s emotional response to the news of Absalom’s death. The content of this psalm concerns a certain Benjamite named Cush, who is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. Yet he is almost certainly to be identified as one of Saul’s soldiers who was seeking, with his king, to kill David, since (1) the psalm deals with David’s enemies, individually (vv. 2–5, 12–16) as well as collectively (vv. 1, 6–9), and (2) there are several clear verbal parallels to the two situations in which David was cornered by Saul and his men in 1Sm 24 and 26. For example, for Ps 7:1, "Save me from all those who pursue me," see 1Sm 24:14; 26:24. For 7:3, "If there is injustice in my hands," see 2Sm 24:11; 26:18. For 7:8, "The Lord judges the peoples," see 1Sm 26:12, 15; and "Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness" (cf. 1Sm 26:23).

Another possibility is identifying Cush, a Benjamite with the Cushite who notified David of the death of Absalom in 2Sm 18:21–33. This forges a link with Ps 3 and here expresses David’s reaction to his son’s death (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 316).

7:1–4. David declares his trust in the Lord in dangerous times: O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge. After an initial appeal to God’s sovereign protection (Save me), David affirmed the possibility that his distressing circumstances were in fact a merited expression of God’s chastisement (if I have done this) for some injustice or evil that he had committed, and of which he was either unaware or unrepentant.

7:5. If such were the case, David was not only willing to submit to God’s chastisement, but he also earnestly encouraged it: Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it … and trample my life. For David, what was most important was that his situation bear out the righteousness of God (on which note he ended this psalm in v. 17), not David’s own comfort and political-military success. This sentiment is likewise evident in David’s words in 1Sm 26:19, where he suggested that Saul was "stirred" up against him by the Lord, in which case he asked that the Lord "accept an offering," David’s sin offering.

7:6–8. Recognizing that his adversaries, who may have included Absalom, were motivated by evil, David implored God to arise in His anger and lift Himself up against them. This phrase is used in the Pentateuch to describe Israel’s divinely championed military victory (cf. Nm 23:24; 24:9). David asked God to vindicate him completely, but only according to his righteousness and the integrity that is in him.

7:9–11. David also affirmed that God judges not only men’s actions, but also their hearts and minds, that is, the thoughts and motives that underlie actions, whether good or bad. He appeals to the Lord as the righteous judge. The Lord’s judgments are not reserved only for a future time, but He has indignation every day.

7:12–16. God is ready to act against a man who does not repent. He will prepare, sharpen His sword, and bend His bow to judge the wicked. His evil (wickedness, falsehood, v. 14) and mischief will return upon his own head when the Lord judges him.

7:17. Again David ended his petition by giving thanks to the Lord. He is expressing gratitude and praise for whatever God chooses to do; no matter what it is, it will be consistent with God’s perfect righteousness. God chose not to resolve David’s persecution by Saul for several years. Nevertheless, God kept His promises to David and vindicated him before his opponents and made him the king of Israel.

David concluded Ps 7 with praise for God’s righteousness exhibited in his vindication of David and the bringing down of David’s adversaries, whether Saul or Absalom. Psalm 8 continues praising God, including "the son of man" (v. 4), a concept linked to the Son in whom the righteous find refuge in 2:12. Psalm 8 is appropriately understood as a messianic psalm (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 316).

Psalm 8 is cited four times in the NT, where it is recognized as a prophecy of Messiah, three of which are in direct application to Messiah (1Co 15:27; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:6–10; additionally Mt 21:16 cites this psalm). The psalmist understood that this song would be fulfilled directly by the Messiah. "The son of man" is a direct link to the "Son" of Ps 2:7, 12, and appears to be associated with the "Son of Man" in Dn 7:10–14. As a royal figure, He is crowned with "glory and majesty," and rules over all creation (vv. 5–6). As a human being, He is "a little lower than God" (v. 5), not in His essence but in His human attributes (here the word "God" likely has its less common meaning, "angels" [LXX] or "the angels" [NIV], as it does in Ps 82:6 and 1Sm 28:13—hence the Son of Man in His incarnation is less powerful than angels although greater in His essence as God). As the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus fulfills humanity’s ideal (all that humanity was meant to be and do) and directly fulfills this Psalm. Only by being "united with Him" (Rm 6:5) through faith—and hence "in Christ" (one of Paul’s favorite expressions; cf. 1Co 1:30; 3:1; 4:10, 15, 17; 15:18–19, etc.)—are believers able to experience the application of this ideal as "fellow heirs with Christ" (Rm 8:17).

For the heading of this psalm, see the comments introducing Ps 3. A Gittith was a stringed musical instrument, mentioned here and in the heading of Pss 81 and 84.

8:1–2. The opening phrase, O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth is repeated at the end of the psalm (8:9) as a literary device (an inclusio; see Introduction: Genre) highlighting the main theme of the psalm, which is to praise God for His majesty as expressed in His creation of and interaction with humanity. In this opening clause, David affirmed God’s majestic name, which is indicative of His power and glory evident in all the earth. David also affirmed Israel’s submission to the one true God. This is indicated by the first Lord (Hb. Yahweh) that represents the unique covenant name of the true God, which is conjoined to the second Lord (Hb. adonenu), which represents the Hebrew term for "master" (one to whom the speaker is subject). Verse 2a is cited by Jesus in Mt 21:16 (see the comments there).

8:3–5. The heavens and all that is in them, including the moon and the stars, are described by David as the work of God’s fingers. God is declared and acknowledged as Creator. On the application of vv. 4–6 to Messiah in Heb 2, see above and the comments on Heb 2:6–10.

8:6–9. God gave the son of man to rule over what is described as the works of His hands, denoting products intended for use and enjoyment (cf. Gn 1:28). The second half of v. 6 is cited twice in the NT (1Co 15:27 and Eph 1:22), in both instances with direct reference to Christ and (redeemed) humanity’s fulfillment in Him of their ideal to rule over "all things" (see esp. Eph 1:22–23, "and [God] gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all"). The emphasis on man’s rule over the works of God’s hands also naturally indicates man’s precedence over all other parts of creation, that mankind was created as the pinnacle and crown of God’s creative work and the object for which all that work was intended (see the comments on Gn 1:26–27).

Regarding the heading of this psalm, see introduction to Ps 4. The word Muth-labben occurs only here. If taken as a literal Hebrew phrase, it means "on the death of a son" (perhaps Absalom, 2Sm 18:33). Or it could be a word for a musical instrument. The meaning is unclear. It is helpful to take the meaning of "death of the Son" when read in context with the exaltation of the Son of Man in Ps 8:5, and in fact the writer of Hebrews indicates that the death of the Son resulted in Him being crowned with glory and honor and providing salvation for His people (Heb 2:8–9). The theme of Ps 9 is God’s reign in Zion, the location of the kingdom of the messianic Son; thus, reading and understanding Pss 8 and 9 together is most helpful (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 316–317).

Pss 9 and 10 together are written as a modified acrostic, with the stanzas beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Moreover the two psalms share certain parallels in structure, phrasing, and themes that suggest both were composed as a unit. Structurally, the beginning of Ps 9 mirrors the ending of Ps 10 (an inclusio), with a declaration of confidence in God. Also, both psalms employ several of the same or closely parallel expressions.

9:1–2. David begins by expressing his determination (I will) to give thanks to the Lord … tell of His wonders … be glad and exult in Him and sing praise to His name. God’s wonders is a term in its various forms that denotes God’s powerful actions (i.e., miracles; see also, e.g., Ex 34:10). Because of His wonders (and wonderfulness) David affirmed that God is the Most High (preeminent over any other existing authority), which in turn established the basis of David’s ensuing appeal to God as the preeminent judicial authority and ultimate vindicator of the oppressed.

9:3–4. David proclaims his confidence in God as he sees his enemies turn back. The Lord is the preeminent vindicator who maintained my just cause. He affirms the Lord’s past and present record as a judge of righteousness (literally, as opposed to the NASB’s judging righteously; elsewhere this expression occurs only in Jr 11:20, again referring to God), as consistently and comprehensively borne out from the following three perspectives: first, God’s vindication of David personally (vv. 3–4), in which David’s words you have maintained my just cause "as a judge of righteousness," hearkens specifically to his words in 1Sm 24:15 ("The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me").

9:5–10. Second, God vindicates the oppressed generally. He has rebuked the nations (cf. 2:1–6) and His blotting out the name of the wicked recalls God’s judgment and annihilation of all the wicked among humanity during the flood (cf. Gn 6:7; 7:4, 23). God’s vindication is based on His eternality: the Lord abides forever, and He will judge the world in righteousness and equity.

Third, the Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble and He will never forsake those who know [His] name … trust [Him] and seek Him. Trusting in His name means to trust in His whole character and identity. God’s vindication of His people is implied by the expression those who know Your name, which is elsewhere applied to the nation of Israel, the ones to whom God’s name was "made known" (cf. Ex 3:13–15; 6:2–6; 1Ch 28:9; Ezk 20:5). The expression those who seek You is applied in the OT to Israelites and proselytes (cf. Ex 18:15; Ezr 4:2).

9:11–12. The response to God’s righteous judgment is the exhortation to sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. God’s heavenly throne (v. 7) has a counterpart in the place He has chosen as His earthly residence, Jerusalem (2:6; 3:4; 20:2; 132:13–14). The message is to declare among the peoples His deeds, which recalls the specific OT mission of Israel (cf. 1Ch 16:8; Ps 105:1 [with v. 6]; Is 12:4).

9:13–16. On the basis of his confidence in God and His proven record as the preeminent and perfectly righteous judge, David now made his appeal, imploring that God be gracious to him and see (in the sense of assessing and responding to David’s need; see the comments on Ps 4:6 and Gn 1:4–5) his affliction. David’s motivation, as always, is not his own ease or comfort, but rather that the glory of God might be manifest—that he might have yet one thing more to speak of when he tells of all God’s praises, both for His granting salvation to David as well as for executing judgment on the wicked.

9:17–20. The fate of the wicked and those who forget God is to return (more literally "turn") to Sheol. On David’s reference to Sheol (v. 17), which is not to be confused with the "hell" or "Hades" of the NT, see the comment on Ps 49:14–15. In contrast, the needy and afflicted have hope in the Lord, who will judge the wicked.

The omission of a heading from Ps 10 is probably because of its composition link to the previous psalm, with which it shares clear structural, verbal, and thematic parallels (see introduction to Ps 9). This psalm would also have been written by David.

10:1–4. The psalmist opens with a heartfelt expression of anguish and dismay, Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? It seems as if God is hidden in the face of the ongoing activity of the wicked. Yet the psalmist’s complaint is ultimately motivated not by the desire that the wicked be punished or the afflicted be relieved of their distress, but by the glory and honor of the Lord. God’s holding back punishment, even though the wicked man curses and spurns Him (v. 3), seems to encourage the thoughts of the wicked that there is no God (v. 4).

10:5–11. The wicked person sees that he prospers at all times and God’s judgments are out of his sight (v. 5). He does many wicked things such as killing the innocent and catching the afflicted, causing the unfortunate to fall into his clutches (vv. 8–10); yet he believes God will not judge him, for he believes either He has forgotten or He is unable to see it (v. 11; see the comments on Ps 142). The wicked in view here includes both Jew and Gentile (sin being a human, not an ethnic problem), as v. 7 is cited and applied in Rm 3:14.

10:12–15. The psalmist implores God to take action using the same phrase as the previous psalm (Arise, O Lord, cf. 9:19), pleading for God’s judgment, for "they are but men" (9:20). The psalmist followed up his appeal with an affirmation that God has seen the mischief of the wicked (contra their assertion in v. 11, "He will never see it") and has been the helper (from the same Hebrew root as "helper" in Gn 2:18, 20) to the unfortunate (lit., "dejected") and the orphan (v. 14). The question is not if, but when, God will break the arm (an idiom signifying the crushing of both power and glory; cf. Jb 22:8–9) of the wicked and seek out (lit., "requite") his wickedness (contra the assertion in v. 13: You will not require it).

10:16–18. The psalm concludes with a declaration of praise: The Lord is King forever and ever. He has a confident look at the final, future state, when everyone will recognize the Lord for who He is and always has been—the true King of all the earth (cf. 47:7)—and nations (lit., "Gentiles," i.e., those opposed to the true God and His people) will have perished from His land (i.e., all of the redeemed/recreated "new earth"; cf. Zch 14:9; Rv 21:1). The use of the past (i.e., perfect) tense verbal expression—in this case, have perished—is a common feature of prophetic-predictive statements in the OT and is intended to underscore the absolute certainty of a future event. Such events are described, as it were, from God’s timeless perspective, as if they had already happened. The Lord had heard the request of the humble and would vindicate the orphan and the oppressed. The man who is of the earth, the person who is not following God, will no longer cause terror because they will no longer be in power over the righteous and innocent (cf. 49:12, 20; 56:4, 11; 62:9; 118:6–9).

For the heading of this psalm, see introduction to Ps 4. Though no historical event is mentioned in the heading, the imagery of David’s words in v. 1 ("Flee as a bird to your mountain") bear a close similarity to his words in 1Sm 26:20 ("the king of Israel has come out … just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains"), suggesting the latter as a likely venue. As in Ps 10, the theme of trust in God when the wicked are powerful continues here. In 2:12 blessedness belongs to the one who seeks refuge in the Anointed. In Ps 11 the future deliverance from the Lord (vv. 4–7) also involves refuge (11:1), with such refuge coming from the Lord through the Anointed One here as well (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 317).

11:1–3. The psalm begins with a declaration of intent: In the Lord I take refuge. But the temptation not to trust God is represented by the apparent overpowering strength of the wicked. Their power is here underscored by the contrast between David as a bird (lit., "sparrow," the smallest of birds) set on by a multitude of wicked (the Hb. is plural). They have locked him in their sights, suggested by the figure of bowstrings pulled back and ready to shoot. In such a situation it seems that even the foundations—a figure of speech for societal order and authorities (cf. Pss 75:3; 82:5; Ezk 30:4; Gl 2:9)—are destroyed and there is nowhere the righteous can turn for true justice.

11:4–7a. However bleak the situation might seem, David found assurance and relief for his anxiety in the sure knowledge that the Lord is in His holy temple, that is, heaven, of which the earthly temple was only "a copy and shadow" (Heb 8:5). This point is further driven home by the parallel statement, the Lord’s throne is in heaven. This indicates God’s dual role, embodied and eternally fulfilled in the Anointed One, the Son of God as both king (His throne) and priest (His being in the holy temple), a combination of offices otherwise forbidden among the Israelites (see the comment on 2:6). David found relief from his distress, in other words, from the knowledge that just as God’s holy throne is beyond the realm of man, permanently established and untouchable, so too is His will (and hence His promises to David) beyond the ability of man to rescind. They are untouchable by those who oppose it.

While God tests (a verb used for refining metals to determine their quality) the righteous and the wicked, in the end He will bring just punishment in this life or the next on the wicked and the one who loves violence (a word always denoting wicked violence, as in Gn 6:11 and Is 53:9). He will rain snares (bird traps) upon them. The variant reading in Symmachus (author of an ancient Greek translation of the OT), "coals of fire," makes more sense in context. Yet this seems to be an attempt to harmonize this word with the phrases that follow. Therefore, it is best to stick with the Masoretic reading, which pictures the Lord hurling snares to trap the wicked—they will be caught like birds (in contrast to their telling David to flee like a bird, v. 1). God will also bring them judgment—Fire and brimstone and burning wind (v. 6).

11:7b. By contrast, the ultimate hope of the upright is to behold His face. This is a unique (and perhaps the greatest) hope for believers, looking forward not simply to worshiping an eternally transcendent God, but enjoying intimate fellowship with Him (see the comments on Gn 1:26; 2:7; 3:8). In seeing God’s face, His person and presence are revealed. Jesus Himself referred to this same idea in the sixth beatitude: "Blessed are the pure in heart (synonymous with the Hb. term here translated upright), for they shall see God" (Mt 5:8).

For the heading of this psalm, see introduction to Ps 4. This psalm expands on the theme of times of trouble and oppression for God’s people (vv. 1–4), and here God’s help is both a present one and will also come in the future when the kingdom is established on earth as it is in 11:4–7 (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 317).

12:1–2. David’s call for deliverance is prompted by the increasing scarcity of the godly man and faithful … from among the sons of men—which leaves a void inevitably filled by a corresponding increase of ungodliness. By virtue of the implied contrast between these two verses, the godly/faithful are not simply those who do what God requires, but those who strive to do so with their whole heart (i.e., devoted and sincerely "faith-filled"). As depicted in the OT, both one’s thoughts and one’s words proceed from the heart (i.e., the "heart" and the "mind" are synonymous in the OT), and hence one who thinks one thing and says or does another is described as having "two hearts," or a double heart. Those to whom David here refers may well have been saying and even doing what God required, yet their hearts were not motivated by commensurate faith and devotion, and therefore God wanted none of it (cf. Ps 51:16–17; Is 29:13; 64:6; and comment on Gn 4:3–5). The concept of deceit and double-mindedness is further underscored by the statement in v. 2, They speak falsehood to one another (lit., "a man toward his neighbor"), which recalls the ninth commandment in Dt 5:20: "You shall not bear false witness [lit., "a witness of falsehood"] against your neighbor."

12:3–5. By his appeal May the Lord, David was not addressing whether God would bring deliverance, but when. David wanted this deliverance to be nothing less than the final deliverance that will attend the establishing of God’s kingdom, as indicated by (1) the expression all flattering lips and (2) the verbatim repetition of the words "Now I will arise," says the Lord in Is 33:10, in a clearly eschatological context. This is also seen in God’s declaration, I will set him in the safety [lit., "I will establish him in the deliverance"] for which he longs, and in the description of His coming kingdom in Is 26:1: "In that day … He sets up walls and ramparts for security."

12:6–8. David’s eschatological perspective continues into this last section, but these verses also contain the promise of present comfort for the afflicted righteous (see v. 7). Here David focuses on (1) the purity of the words of the Lord (i.e., revelation) that are compared to silver … refined seven times, emphasizing their superlative quality (i.e., to the highest degree possible: the purest) and (2) the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises grounded in those pure words (cf., e.g., the promises of the Davidic covenant in 2Sm 7:12–17) that He will keep and preserve the one who loves Him, like David, from this wicked generation forever. This promise does not guarantee the preservation of the godly from affliction and oppression by the wicked in this life, but rather from the fate of the wicked (cf. Pss 37:28 and 97:10).

For an explanation of the heading of this psalm, see introductions to both Pss 3 and 4. The psalm is divided structurally into three parts, each part containing three components: first, David felt God had forgotten him (v. 1). David then realized God had not, and was considering David’s situation (v. 3a), resulting in David, once again, trusting in God (v. 5a). Second, David’s heart was grieved about his situation and that of the righteous (v. 2a), until God enlightened David (v. 3b) so that David’s heart rejoiced (v. 5b). Third, David’s enemies appeared to be exalted over him (v. 2b). David appealed to God lest his adversaries "overcome" him (v. 4). Finally, David sang to the Lord when he realized God would deliver him (v. 6).

13:1–2. David once again expressed a heartfelt lament to God, How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? It is spoken as a son to his father with whom he shared a deep emotional and psychological bond. David’s anguish, having sorrow in my heart all the day, comes from feeling forgotten by God—a figure of speech known as "anthropomorphism" (attributing a human quality or characteristic to God). Rather than being the victim of disinterest or fickleness on God’s part, this disruption is further characterized by David as an act of divine chastisement for (his) sin, as implied by his reference to God hiding (not removing) His face (i.e., "presence"). Just as this hiding of God’s presence is presented in Dt 31:17–18 as the culminating chastisement for the sins of God’s national son, Israel, so too does it apply to the individual son (or daughter) of God (cf. 1Co 10:11). And just as one of the ways by which God hid His presence was to abstain from communication with His sinning people—whether directly or indirectly through dreams, lots, and prophets (see the introduction to the book of Esther)—so too does He abstain from such communication with David, explaining why David referred to taking counsel in his soul (i.e., with himself).

13:3–4. David implored God to consider his situation and answer him. The verb consider is typically employed in the OT to indicate not just careful attention to something, but also a sense of affinity with, acceptance of, and pleasure in the object of that attention (as in Gn 19:26; Ps 119:6; Am 5:22—all of which are generally rendered by the verb "look"). Without God’s help, David knew there was no hope.

13:5–6. In this final section, as characteristically in his psalms, David concluded on a note of trust, gratitude, and praise of God: But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness. Despite God’s not yet having answered David’s appeal, indeed He is more than deserving of David’s praise and gratitude for (1) who He is (i.e., a God characterized by lovingkindness; cf. 5:7 comments), (2) what He has promised ultimately to do (i.e., bring full and final salvation, as in Ps 12:5), and (3) what He has already done (dealt bountifully with David [lit., brought David redemption]; for this word, see the comment on Ps 116:7).

This psalm is repeated, with minor variations, in Ps 53, the repetition being intended to emphasize the unchanging nature of human folly. For the heading of this psalm, see introduction to Ps 4. Though the focus of the psalm is on the lack of faith of the Gentile nations in and around Canaan and their opposition to the God of Israel and His people (see especially vv. 4–7), verbal parallels between vv. 1–3 and other OT passages, as well as the citation of these verses in Rm 3:10–12, indicate that the indictment for lack of faith (i.e., folly, biblically defined) applies in principle to all people, "both Jews and Greeks" (Rm 3:9).

14:1. This psalm begins with a key idea for life: The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." The word fool (Hb. nabal), biblically defined, refers to one who is morally deficient. He lives his life believing that there is no God—which may refer either to the denial of His existence (i.e., atheism), for which there is no excuse (cf. Ps 19:1; Rm 1:19–20), or to the denial of divine justice (cf. 10:4). A vivid biblical illustration of just such a fool is the man whom David solicited for help, Nabal, whose very name is the same word employed here, meaning "fool" (cf. 1Sm 25). Nabal’s rejection of the sovereignty of the Lord and His anointed—just like that of the fool depicted in this psalm—is ultimately, inevitably requited by God: "the Lord struck Nabal and he died" (1Sm 25:38). People with this attitude are corrupt and there is no one who does good.

14:2–3. Despite the foolish denial of God’s existence, He does indeed exist. David’s poetic description of God having looked down from heaven … to see refers not to the physical act of seeing from an upward location, but rather to His ongoing assessment of the heart of humanity. The unchanging conclusion of this assessment is that there are none who seek after God (cf. Jr 17:9–10). This is a universal reality of the sinfulness of the human condition: They have all turned aside … become corrupt (cf. Rm 3:23). The full truth of God’s Word, and the gospel in particular, will never be understood and accepted "unless the Father … draws him" (Jn 6:44).

14:4–6. The contrast here is between the workers of wickedness who do not call upon the Lord and the righteous who make the Lord their refuge.

14:7. Here is a hope and call for the salvation of Israel that will come out of Zion (cf. comments on 2:6; 9:11). Bearing out the statement that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for" (Heb 11:1), David focused on the object of faith for the righteous among his people (vv. 4–5), namely, the future and final salvation of Israel when God restores His captive people (lit., "restores the fortunes of His people"; cf. 126:1–3). To "restore His captive people" is often interpreted wrongly as a restoration from the Babylonian captivity several hundred years after this was written. To restore Israel’s fortunes refers to that time when the Lord Himself smelts away Israel’s remaining dross (cf. Is 1:25) and makes them what they were always intended to be: "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6), redeemed, righteous, and at rest (see the comment on Ps 95:11). At that time Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad (cf. Ps 53:6). These are two names for the nation of Israel, taken from the patriarch, and indicate all the people of Israel (Gn 32:28; e.g., Pss 20:1; 46:7, 11; 146:5; Is 46:13).

For the heading of this psalm, see the comments on Ps 3. Thematically it serves as a link between the previous and the following psalms, presenting the counterpart of the fool (i.e., the unrighteous) described in Ps 14 while at the same time anticipating the specific content of faith described in Ps 16. The righteous whom God will rescue is mentioned in 14:5. In Ps 15, the characteristics of the righteous are presented (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 318).

15:1. David began this psalm with a question related to the note he introduced in Ps 14 regarding God’s relationship to the wicked and the righteous: Who may abide in Your tent.… dwell on Your holy hill? This asks who would be permitted in the tabernacle (tent) of God or have access to the temple mount (holy hill; see the comment on Ps 2:6). In sum, David is asking who can worship the Lord in His dwelling place.

15:2–3. A person who has access to God walks with integrity (cf. Ps 1) and practices righteousness, as well as speaks truth in his heart (cf. Ps 1:2)—that is, his thoughts and motivations are characterized by righteousness and love. This point of making God the priority of life and loving Him with a whole heart is a central theme throughout the Bible, and is emphasized just as much in the OT as in the NT (e.g., Gn 6:5; Dt 6:4–9; 30:6, 10; Ps 51:17; Pr 23:7; Is 29:13), and epitomized in both testaments by the two great commandments: to love God and one’s neighbor (Lv 19:18; Dt 6:5; Mt 22:36–40). The second of these is here intimated by the statement that the righteous does no evil to his neighbor.

15:4–5a. This section is somewhat of an illustration of Ps 1. The righteous man will despise a reprobate, but honors those who fear the Lord (cf. 111:10). Furthermore, he always keeps his word, even when difficult (swears to his own hurt) and is always ethical in money matters, consistently showing concern for the innocent.

15:5b. The hope of the truly faithful, whatever he may experience in this life, is that he will never be shaken, that is, he will never lose or be separated from his promised inheritance of life in the new creation in the presence of God (cf. Rm 8:38–39). Implicit in this affirmation, as highlighted in the following psalm where the same phraseology is employed, is that the faithful will never be shaken because the Lord Himself is at their right hand (Ps 16:8), referring to the believer’s reliance on God (including His Word and His character), the only unshakable foundation in this corrupt and crumbling world (the same phraseology is used in Pss 21:8; 112:6; 125:1; Pr 10:30; 12:3).

One of the characteristics of the righteous is confidence in God’s ability to resurrect, exhibited in David’s confidence that God would not abandon him, or his supreme Son, the Messiah, to the grave (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 318). Because David was a prophet he "looked ahead and spoke of … the Christ [the Messiah]" (Ac 2:31). In this messianic psalm, the emphasis is on the resurrection of Messiah (see Introduction: Background).

In its heading, this psalm, attributed to David, is identified as a Mikhtam, a designation that is also applied to Pss 56–60 (all also by David). Though the meaning of this term is not entirely clear, several of the ancient translations (LXX, the Targum, and the Vulgate) construe it as the designation for an engraving or inscription in stone, suggesting that this psalm played an especially prominent role in the liturgy and ritual culture of ancient Israel—as indeed it does play in later rabbinic Judaism, being appointed for recitation on various occasions and cited in connection with ritual and theological fundamentals in the writings of prominent rabbinic authorities (e.g., Maimonides, Moses Isserles).

16:1. At the outset, David gives a summary statement of his prayer to the Lord, that God would keep him safe. He is affirming not just the identity but also the exclusive sovereignty of the God (Hb. el) in whom He takes refuge. David’s confidence in the Lord rests on understanding of the promise of Messiah, as demonstrated in the following verses.

Although the English versions generally read "I said to the Lord" (v. 2), the Hebrew reads "You said to the Lord." The "You" of whom David spoke is the Messiah (see the comments on 2Sm 23:1, explaining how the Messiah was David’s favorite subject in the Psalms, as well as comments on Ps 2), indicating that the rest of the psalm contains the words of Messiah to the Lord. The Messiah’s prayer deals with two aspects of His life. First, He expresses His delight in the Lord in this life (16:2–8). Then He reveals His confidence in the Lord when facing death (16:9–11).

16:2. David is the author of this psalm but he is writing the prayer of the Messiah (see previous comments). Hence the Messiah gives several reasons He delights in the Lord in this life. First, He delights in the Lord’s goodness (I have no good besides You), indicating that God alone is the source of anything truly good (or "beneficial," as the term may also be translated) for Him, and hence for anyone.

16:3–4. Second, the Messiah expresses His delight in the Lord’s people. He speaks of the faithful who were His delight. They are identified as those who share his faith in the sovereignty of God and who demonstrated such through their obedience to His Word (cf. Nm 15:40; Pss 34:9; 89:5, 7). They are also called saints who are in the earth, that is, people who live their daily life focused on the Lord, set apart in their attitudes and actions to serve the Lord (cf. Lv 20:1–7; Ps 1); it does not mean individuals who have been canonized. These godly associates are further called majestic ones, or noble ones. In contrast to following the Lord, there are sorrows for those who have bartered (more correctly translated "hastened") to follow after another god. The messianic King rejected their evil idolatry, refusing their pagan worship.

16:5–6. Third, the Messiah explains His delight in the Lord’s portion. This is an allusion to the tribe of Levi, which did not receive a portion in the land for an inheritance. Instead, the Lord was their portion (Dt 10:9). Therefore, He rejoices that the (boundary) lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, meaning He, like the Levites, has received a spiritual inheritance and heritage.

16:7–8. Fourth, the Messiah finds His delight in the Lord’s presence. His Father is present with Him as a guide. As such, the Lord counseled Him and instructs Him. The Father is also present with Him as a guard—the Lord is at His right hand, guarding and protecting.

16:9–10. Besides the Messiah’s delight in the Lord in this life, He also affirms His confidence when facing death. First, He declares that God will protect Him, making His flesh … dwell securely, granting Him safety until death (v. 9). But, second, when He does die, the Messiah affirms that the Lord will deliver Him from death. He has confidence in God’s sovereign power that God will not allow His Holy One to undergo decay. Some interpreters say this statement refers only to David (i.e., the expectation of his own resurrection) and later symbolically or typologically is applied in the NT to Jesus. Yet, in light of this entire prayer reflecting the perspective of the Messiah, it is more likely directly messianic. Additionally, Walter C. Kaiser points out that the self-description Your Holy One (lit., "favored one") is "a messianic term … only surpassed by ‘Servant of the Lord’ and ‘Messiah’ in the OT" (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Old Testament in the New [Chicago: Moody, 1985], 330). Moreover, the expectation here was that the Holy One would not undergo decay, an expectation not true of or possible for David. Therefore, this statement was knowingly intended by David to refer directly and exclusively to the resurrection of the Messiah. The NT confirms this, for this is precisely what Peter said regarding this passage in Ac 2:30–31: "he [i.e., David] was a prophet and … he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ" (see also Ac 13:35–37). Also, Peter pointed out that the terminology employed by David in the psalm indicates that it could not apply to him, for David died and was buried, and his body would naturally have undergone substantial decay. Yet David declared that God’s Holy One would not undergo decay. David understood that it was essential for the Messiah to be raised from the dead first, as the "first fruits of those who are asleep" (1Co 15:20), and that in doing so he would serve as the model and guarantee for those who believe. For what the NT adds to the understanding of Ps 16:10, see the comments on Ac 2:24–32. On Sheol see the comments on Ps 49:14–15.

16:11. Not only would God preserve the Messiah until death and resurrect Him from death, the Lord assured Him of eternal life afterwards. Messiah looked forward confidently to what he knew God would do (not to what He hoped God might do). He stated in no uncertain terms, You will make known to me the path of life. Also, He was certain to experience full joy (lit., "the satisfaction of [all] joys") in God’s presence. This bliss would be at God’s right hand and would last forever.

This psalm of David (cf. introduction to Ps 3) is described as a Prayer. Four other psalms are designated as prayers: Pss 86 (also attributed to David), 90 (attributed to Moses), 102 (anonymous, though framed by Davidic psalms), and 142 (attributed to David). A comparison of these five psalms bears out certain similarities that serve to reinforce and clarify the content of each psalm individually. Especially prominent in each of these psalms is the combination of three themes: (1) an appeal that God "hear" or "give heed" (v. 1)—or, in the case of Ps 90, to "return" with a compassionate answer to the psalmist’s cry/supplication (17:1; 86:6; 90:13 [where "be sorry for" should be "show compassion on"]; 102:1; 142:6); (2) a description of the affliction, trouble, or distress of the psalmist or the people of Israel collectively (17:9; 86:1; 90:15; 102:2; 142:2); and (3) an appeal to God’s lovingkindess, compassion, and/or grace (17:7; 86:5; 90:14; 102:13; 142:1 [where "make supplication" means lit., "seek grace for myself"]). David knew his own resurrection was dependent upon that of the "Holy One" (16:10), and he expressed confidence that in his own resurrection he would awake to see God (17:15b) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 318).

17:1–2. David began by humbly asking God to Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry, that is, "Favorably answer my prayer" (not presuming that God will do so, for the presence of unconfessed or unrecognized sin on the part of the petitioner will ensure that God does not "hear" his petition; see Is 59:2; Jr 14:12). By saying that his prayer is not from deceitful lips David was not claiming that he was not a sinner (or had not sinned), but rather that he had confessed his sin(s) sincerely, without "a double heart" (see the comment on 12:2), and had humbly received and responded to his heavenly Father’s chastisement for those sins.

17:3–6. His point is emphatically indicated by the three-clause parallelism: You have tried … You have visited … You have tested, each expression employed elsewhere to denote divine chastisement (cf. Ex 32:34; Zch 13:9). As a result of this chastisement, David affirmed that God would find nothing in him that remained of unconfessed sin. There is therefore no apparent reason God should not favorably answer him and protect him from further chastisement.

17:7–12. David acknowledges the Lord’s character and power when he asks him to Wondrously show Your lovingkindness (v. 7; cf. 9:1; 5:7 comments). He identifies the Lord as Savior of those who take refuge in Him (v. 7). His request for God to keep me as the apple of the eye (as one protects the pupil of the eye) and hide me in the shadow of Your wings (as a mother bird protects her chicks, v. 8) are familiar biblical metaphors for protection (cf. Dt 32:10; Ru 2:12; 3:9; Pss 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:1; Pr 7:2). Although in danger of enemies who surround him (v. 9), David was seeking the Lord’s protection.

17:13–14. David referred to them as "the wicked, Your sword" (not, as in the NASB, with Your sword; there is no preposition in the Hb. text). That is, these enemies were the sword of God’s chastisement. He even saw this difficult circumstance within the hand of the Lord.

17:15. Despite any circumstances, David was confident in the Lord: As for me, I shall behold Your face. David concluded this psalm in characteristic fashion by looking beyond the present life to his guaranteed future state in eternity, a state characterized by perfect righteousness (sedeq). This bookends the psalm with the same term in v. 1, though there the NASB translates sedeq by just cause. He will then behold the face (or "presence") of God (see Pss 16:11; 142:7). Implicit in this conclusion is the recognition that God may choose not to protect him from further affliction by the wicked, but rather—as in the case of Job—to permit it for David’s further refinement (not necessarily chastisement), and in the end therefore for God’s greater glory.

This psalm repeats, with minor variations, David’s psalm in 2Sm 22. For the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading of Ps 3. David here is described as the servant of the Lord, a description elsewhere applied to him only in the heading of Ps 36. This description serves to identify David with a select group of others in the Bible who are similarly described. Those individuals include Moses and Joshua, to whom the identical phrase is applied (see Dt 34:5; Jos 24:29), Caleb, Zerubbabel, and Jonah (2Kg 14:25). The Messiah is also called "My servant" (see Nm 14:24; Hg 2:23; Zch 3:8). The heading also indicates that this psalm was spoken by David on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. This refers not to the day when Saul died (1Sm 31:6), nor even the day when David was finally enthroned king of all Israel (2Sm 5:3), but at that point much later in his reign after Saul’s death, as well as his many victorious wars with the Philistines and others and after the revolts of Absalom (2Sm 18) and Sheba (2Sm 20).

18:1–3. David began this psalm by affirming his devotion to God, I love You, O Lord, my strength (v. 1). Then he acknowledges God as his rock, fortress, and deliverer (v. 2).

Identifying God as my rock (cf. comments on 18:46) is a frequent poetic figure for God, indicating His unfailing strength as a refuge and defense (cf. 2Sm 23:3; Pss 19:14; 28:1; 31:2–3; Is 26:4; 30:29). David’s devotion is characterized not by a formal reverence, such as one might show toward a respected yet distant superior, but rather by love—as indicated by his opening words I love You (erhamekha), which is derived from the same root as the Hebrew word for "womb" (rehem), and denotes a deep and emotionally charged sense of personal attachment and commitment (hence the translation elsewhere of rahamim, the plural of rehem, as "mercies" [cf. Ps 145:9]). This expression recalls Dt 6:5: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (cf. Mt 22:36–38). The term horn in the expression horn of my salvation (v. 2) symbolizes strength and victorious power (see Dt 33:17; 1Kg 22:11).

18:4–6. In this section first-person forms predominate (me and my), with David emphasizing God’s deliverance and love for him personally. By stating that I called … to my God for help; He heard my voice, David was describing God’s favorable response to his petition (cf. comment on 17:1–6).

18:7–15. The phrases and figures of speech in this section highlight the awe-inspiring power of God’s deliverance: e.g., the earth … quaked (v. 7); The Lord also thundered (v. 13; cf. the same phraseology in Am 1:2); lightning flashes in abundance (v. 14). Other phrases highlight God’s speed: He rode upon a cherub (v. 10), hearkening to the imagery of the divine cloud of glory dwelling over the ark, which was crowned with cherubim (see Ps 99:1), and He sped upon the wings of the wind (v. 10). Still others focus on God’s thoroughness: the foundations of the mountains were trembling (v. 7, paralleled in v. 15), and the foundations of the world were laid bare (v. 15; cf. Ex 15:8; Jb 4:9; Ps 106:9; Nah 1:4).

18:16–19. The Lord’s powerful rescue is further described as He delivered me from my strong enemy (v. 17). The basic explanation of God’s actions in David’s defense is He rescued me, because He delighted in me (v. 19).

18:20–24. David presents a link between the Lord’s actions and his behavior. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness. David is not claiming sinlessness or perfect righteousness, but presents his devotion to the Lord and his desire to live with integrity as other OT figures have done (e.g., 1Sm 12:3; 2Kg 20:3; Jb 13:23; Pss 17:3–5; 19:14). He affirmed that God is interested not only in the improvement of his outward (i.e., physical-material) life (achieved by His deliverance of David from political-military distress), but also in the improvement of his inner (i.e., spiritual) life. This is emphatically indicated by David’s repeated assertion that the Lord has rewarded (v. 20) and recompensed (v. 24) him according to his righteousness and the cleanness of his hands … in His eyes. By this he meant that God delivered him according to his need for growth in righteousness, which only God could fully perceive and meet. The deliverance may not have come at the time or in the manner David would have preferred, yet in the end, as David affirmed, it was exactly what it should have been to supply David’s needs as aligned with the furtherance of God’s glory.

18:25–29. David presents the Lord’s reciprocal response to man. With the kind You show Yourself kind. Although God’s mercy is not limited to rewarding man’s righteousness, David points out a correlation between obedience and blessing: For You save an afflicted (humble) people, but haughty eyes You abase.

18:30–36. In this section, which mirrors the previous one, David affirmed God’s character, His way is blameless, and the depth of God’s concern for him, He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. The Lord not only girds him with strength, that is, grants him political-military deliverance (cf. Jb 38:3; 40:7), but He also makes his way blameless, that is, He intervenes to keep him from acting rashly or vindictively (and hence in less than blameless fashion) toward his enemies (see 1Sm 25:26, 32–34). David further affirmed God’s interest in his spiritual well-being by declaring that He has given him the shield of His salvation, which parallels the military-spiritual phraseology in Is 59:17 (cf. Eph 6:16–17). The Hebrew term for salvation (yeshah) is one that often signifies comprehensive deliverance (i.e., both internal-spiritual and ultimately external-physical; cf. David’s use of the term in 2Sm 23:5; 1Ch 16:35; Pss 24:5; 25:5). Not surprisingly, therefore, this term is employed (in verbal form) in the name of David’s seed, the Savior Himself, Jesus (His Hebrew name is Yeshuah, "he saves/will save"; cf. Mt 1:21).

18:37–42. Here David recounts his victory over his enemies. In this section, which mirrors the second section of the "first movement" above (vv. 4–19), David affirmed God’s role in granting him deliverance as manifested in the victories God gave him. He emphasized the power of these victories, You have girded me with strength … You have subdued under me, as well as their speed, I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and their thoroughness, until they were consumed.… I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise.… I beat them fine as the dust before the wind.

18:43–45. David acknowledges God as the source of his victory: You have delivered me … You have placed me as head of the nations.

18:46–50. As in the opening section of this psalm (vv. 1–3), David closed with an affirmation of his love and devotion to God: The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation. God is the One who delivers him (v. 48; cf. v. 2), both physically and spiritually. The permanence of this deliverance is underscored by David’s characterization of the Deliverer as his rock (v. 46; Hb. sur, as in v. 2, cf. 18:2). This common biblical designation of God signifies a massive rock formation that is humanly impossible to move, such as a cliff, quarry, or the side of a mountain (cf. Ex 33:22; 1Ch 11:15; Jb 18:4; Pss 31:3; 71:3; Is 2:10; 51:1). In loving response to God’s acts of deliverance—and affirming the central motivation for His election of Israel (cf. Gn 12:3; 1Kg 8:43)—David declared (v. 49) that he will give thanks … among the nations (lit., "Gentiles"). By this statement, in view of its citation in Rm 15:9, David meant specifically that he would proclaim among the Gentiles (1) God’s faithfulness in upholding "the promises given to the fathers," Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Gn 12:1–3; 15:8; 17:7–8), which includes God’s promise to David (see 2Sm 7:8–17), and (2) God’s "mercy"—both of which find their greatest expression in the person and work of Messiah, the Promised One.

For the heading of this Psalm of David see introduction to Ps 3. As in Ps 1, God’s Word is powerful (see 19:7–14) and points the way to salvation. God’s Word also leads one to seek refuge in the Son who brings that salvation (2:12; see the comments introducing Ps 2). In Pss 19 and 20 one finds a similar connection. God’s Word is powerful to save (19:7–14) and leads one to the Anointed (20:6) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 319).

19:1–6. This psalm focuses on the works and word of God. The terms heavens and expanse are synonyms, the joint use of which alludes back to their initial occurrence in Gn 1:7–8, where God created the expanse and called it "heaven." The point of this and the ensuing verses is that the heavens and all that with which God has filled them, like the entirety of creation, constitute ongoing testimony to the glory of God (v. 2: day to day and night to night) and to the existence of the Creator (cf. Ps 8:3). The created order testifies to the existence of God and His eternal power (i.e., omnipotence), and there is no place where the evidence of creation is not seen. The glory of all that is seen makes known His invisible attributes (see the comments on Rm 1:18–23).

19:7–11. Following the testimony of creation, God’s character, works, and will for humanity are further specified by His Word, which is perfect. The first and foundational part of God’s Word is the law (see the comment on 1:3–4), here described by the various other biblical synonyms including testimony, precepts, commandment, and judgments ("ordinances," as in Ex 21:1). Through this verbal/written revelation man is instructed in the fear (i.e., worship) of the Lord (cf. 111:10; 2Kg 17:28). Two key biblical concepts of worship and obedience (i.e., "keeping/obeying"), presented at the outset of the Torah, are reiterated here (see the comment on Gn 2:15; cf. also Ec 12:13). God’s words are a guide and a warning for how to live, and in keeping them there is great reward (cf. Ps 1).

19:12–14. Whether one’s errors are hidden or committed in open arrogance (presumptuous sins), God brings conviction because nothing is hidden from Him (Dt 29:28; Ec 12:14). David concludes with a request to be kept away from sin and that God not allow it to rule over me. Then he asks the Lord to Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. On the meaning of meditation (19:14) see the comment on Ps 1:2; on rock as a divine title see the comment on Ps 18:46.

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the heading of Ps 3. Just as one can find deliverance in God’s Word (19:7–14), one can find deliverance in the Anointed One, the Messiah, whom God will bless and preserve (20:6; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 319).

20:1–5. The thematic focus in this psalm is on victory in God, calling on the Lord/King to answer you/us (on this "framing" technique, known as inclusio, see Introduction: Purpose and Themes). The expression the name of the God of Jacob (v. 1) relates specifically to the association between God’s self-disclosed name (i.e., the Hebrew four-letter name for God, commonly written in English as Yahweh, usually translated "the Lord") and His provision of deliverance and victory (both physically and spiritually; cf. Ex 3:13–17). It also relates to the various names (i.e., titles, which in the OT are the same as names) applied to God by the beneficiaries of His gracious intervention (cf. Gn 16:13; 22:14; Ps 18:2; Is 9:6; etc.).

20:6–8. David expresses his confidence, I know that the Lord saves His anointed, referring to God’s anointed king (cf. 1Sm 16:13). David underscored his personal experience—and hence confident assurance—of God’s deliverance, since the verb in the expression I know denotes experiential knowledge (see the comment on Ps 1:6; for parallel phraseology and meaning see Gn 22:12; Ex 18:11; Jdg 17:13). Through God’s deliverance of David, David anticipates the Lord’s deliverance of the future Davidic Messiah. Though His cloud of glory may dwell in the tabernacle, David affirmed that God’s true habitation is His holy heaven (lit., "the heaven of His holiness," which is distinct from the created "heaven" of Gn 1:6–8; cf. Dt 26:15; 1Kg 8:39; Heb 8:5; 9:24). David contrasted his and his people’s complete reliance on God in military matters to the reliance of some (the Gentiles nations, especially those surrounding Israel, such as the Philistines, Amalekites, Moabites, and Ammonites) on their chariots and horses (i.e., the size and strength of their military). This wording hearkens specifically to God’s command that the king of Israel "not multiply horses" (cf. Dt 17:16).

20:9. David concluded by affirming the absolute dependence of God’s people not on their human king, David, but on their true King, God, crying out, Save, O Lord; may the King answer us in the day we call. That the King here refers to God is indicated by (1) the clear parallelism between this statement and the opening statement in v. 1, where the subject is "the Lord"; (2) God’s desire that He Himself be affirmed as Israel’s king (see 1Sm 8:7), a desire shared by David (cf. 1Sm 21:2, in which the "king" is implicitly God, not Saul, since only God "commissioned" David, in 1Sm 13:14); (3) David’s use of us, indicating that he was speaking for himself as well as his people; and (4) the expression we call (lit., "of our calling out") in the OT is typically directed to God, not man.

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. This psalm (v. 1) picks up where Ps 20:7 left off, describing the king’s trust in the Lord. Another link between Ps 21 and Ps 20 are the ideas of the prayer for God to "grant you your heart’s desire" (20:4) and the praise that God has "given him his heart’s desire" (21:2). David presents a picture of an elevated king, who enjoys God’s presence and eternal blessings (21:6). Moreover, the direct address to the king (v. 9ff.) depicts His coming in fiery judgment. Hence, this is not a presentation of a generic king but the Messiah, promised to David (cf. 2Sm 7:12–17; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 319). This depiction of the messianic King introduces the presentation of the suffering Messiah in the psalm that follows (Ps 22).

21:1–6. David began by affirming that it is only in God’s strength that a king will (i.e., can) be glad, that is, find true satisfaction in his royal office. And only in His salvation can he truly rejoice, both in this life and the next. This eternal-spiritual aspect of God’s salvation is emphatically affirmed by (1) the reference to blessings (vv. 3, 6), the biblical concept of blessing ultimately entailing the greatest possible qualitative enhancement of life in all its senses (see the comment on Gn 1:22); (2) the reference to God having given (the past tense indicates that the gift is irrevocably given) the king life … forever and ever (v. 4); and (3) the reference to being blessed forever … in God’s presence (v. 6), epitomizing the expectation of the eternal King and the hope that His followers will also experience it in the hereafter (see the comments on Pss 11:7b and 15:5b). His work of splendor and majesty are terms that are elsewhere associated with God’s saving work and priestly ministry (cf. Pss 21:5; 45:3; 96:6; 104:1; 145:5).

21:7. Because the king trusts in the Lord, therefore the lovingkindness (cf. comment on 5:7) of the Most High will be applied to him, and he will not be shaken, referring to the eternal state in God’s presence (Ps 15:5b).

21:8–12. Now addressing the king directly (Your hand … Your right hand, v. 8), the psalmist anticipates the messianic King coming in judgment. The concept of God’s sovereignty in maintaining His promised concern (chesed) toward His faithful is seen in the king’s judgment of his enemies who the Lord will swallow … up in His wrath. Although the wicked devised a plot, they will not succeed (cf. Is 54:17).

21:13. The psalm concludes with praise to God, Be exalted, O Lord. The expression in Your strength (applied to God in Is 12:2) here serves as a bookend (inclusio; see Introduction: Genre) with the same phrase at the beginning of this psalm, and underscores the true and only enduring source of strength of the godly messianic King (cf. 1Sm 2:10).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. The elliptical instruction upon Aijeleth Hashshahar (lit., "Hind/Doe of the Dawn"), though not entirely clear, probably refers to the psalm’s melody. It has also been suggested that it is the name of a musical instrument or an allegorical allusion to the subject of the psalm.

Since David is the author of this psalm, some commentators suggest that he was writing about his own experience of suffering, or about the suffering of the righteous generally. However, this psalm transcends the experiences of David or his contemporaries. David was never brought to the "dust of death" (v. 15), nor were his "hands" and "feet" ever pierced (v. 16). There is no record of his ever having had his "garments" divided or "lots" cast for them (v. 18). Moreover, his suffering did not bring universal righteousness (vv. 27–31). Therefore, Ps 22 is better understood as a messianic psalm, presenting the future suffering of the Messiah, fulfilled in the experience of Jesus—to whom portions of this psalm are directly applied in the NT (in Heb 2:11–12, v. 22 of this psalm is introduced as a direct utterance of Messiah). This application to the Messiah is even evident in the medieval rabbinic compilation of commentaries known as the Yalkut, which identifies the mockery of v. 7 ("all who see me sneer at me; they separate with the lip, they wag the head") as the sufferings and derision experienced by the Messiah (Yalkut Shimoni on Is 60, paragraph 499).

David, in his last words (2Sm 23:1–5), affirmed that he was a prophet and that his favorite subject in the Psalms was the Messiah (see comments at 2Sm 23:1–5 and the introduction to Ps 2). Likely David wrote from the perspective of his own significant experience of suffering, but he also referred beyond that to the far greater suffering of the Messiah. As such, the psalm is written in the first person, but expresses the words of Messiah in His greatest suffering. The overall structure of Ps 22 is twofold. It begins with the suffering Messiah’s prayer (vv. 1–21) and follows with the exalted Messiah’s praise (vv. 22–31)

The first section of the psalm is a lament or prayer. It begins with the suffering Messiah’s questioning of God (vv. 1–10) and is followed by His petition to God (vv. 11–21).

There are two stanzas in this section (vv. 1–5 and 6–10), each using the same pattern of a complaint followed by a statement of confidence.

22:1–5. This psalm begins with a complaint (vv. 1–2). David writes from the perspective of Messiah—or, more precisely, with the Spirit of Messiah (i.e., the Holy Spirit; see Rm 8:9) foretelling "by the mouth of David" (Ac 1:16; 4:25)—precisely the last words He would utter on the cross: My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34). In the two instances that the NT cites these words, they are given in their original Aramaic as well as in Greek translation (rather than only in Greek translation, like almost all Jesus’ other words recorded in the NT). The reason may be to highlight the special significance of this statement as the culminating expression of His first advent in which He became a sin offering (2Co 5:21).

The question asked regarding God’s forsaking of the Messiah (v. 1) is not literal but rhetorical, for certainly the Messiah would have understood the reason for His own suffering. Moreover, it is only an emotional expression, since God did not in reality abandon the Messiah. Some have suggested that God is "too pure to look upon evil" (Hab 1:13) and therefore He literally abandoned the Messiah when the sin of all the world fell upon Him at His crucifixion and the eternal fellowship of the Father and the Son was broken. This explanation is problematic in that the words in Habakkuk mean that God will not "look with approval" upon sin, not that God cannot look upon evil, else He could not look upon the world or people. Additionally, Messiah did not literally become sinful at the cross, but rather the elliptical phrase in 2Co 5:21 means that God made the sinless one to be "a sin offering," not literally sinful. The eternal fellowship of the Father and the Son was never broken.

Having expressed a complaint, the suffering Messiah next states His confidence (vv. 3–5). He looked back at the fathers (or ancestors) and affirmed that they trusted in the holy God, who is enthroned upon the praises of Israel (v. 3), and were delivered (vv. 4–5). The reference to the fathers should not be limited only to the patriarchs, but to the ancestors (a valid translation of the Hebrew) of Israel, whose walk of faith is recorded in Scripture (for a similar viewpoint of the "men of old" [Heb 11:2], see Heb 11:3–40).

22:6–10. The suffering Messiah continues His complaint, stating that He had been forsaken by men (vv. 6–8, in contrast to His complaint in vv. 1–2 that He was forsaken by God). He has experienced human reproach … sneer[ing] and derision (cf. Mt 27:38–44).

Having stated a complaint, the suffering Messiah once again gives His confidence. Previously He remembered the past experience of Israel’s fathers (vv. 3–5); now He bases His confidence on His own experience with the Lord (vv. 9–10). He can confidently expect God’s care because God has always cared for Him since His birth.

There are two stanzas in this petition, both pertaining to seeking God’s presence. The first is in vv. 11–18 and the second in vv. 19–21.

22:11. The first verse in this section functions as a summary, indicating that while trouble is near, help is far away. Therefore, the suffering Messiah petitions God to be not far from me. What follows is a description of the trouble that is surrounding Him.

22:12–13. In describing His troubles, the suffering Messiah first describes His enemies (vv. 12–13) and then depicts His suffering (vv. 14–18). In describing His enemies, He uses a figure of speech called zoomorphism, ascribing animal qualities to human beings. Hence, those who oppress Him are called bulls (v. 12), who gore or pierce those they attack. Their threats and verbal attacks are compared to a ravening and a roaring lion, circling for the kill.

22:14–18. Having described His enemies, the Messiah next depicts His suffering. His physical pain is great (all my bones are out of joint) as is His fear (my heart is like wax … melted within me, v. 14). His strength is as absent as moisture in a potsherd. In fact, He realizes that He is about to die (You lay me in the dust of death, v. 15).

The culminating statement of this suffering is they pierced my hands and my feet (v. 16), representing one of the most specific predictive references to Messiah’s crucifixion (paralleled only by Zch 12:10). Yet this is one of the most debated passages in the Bible. The debate centers on the key Hebrew word ka-aru, rendered they pierced, though in most (but not all) medieval Hebrew manuscripts this word is written ka-ariy, meaning "like a lion." The first reading, however, is to be preferred for five reasons. First, it is supported by three of the four ancient translations (LXX, the Peshitta, and the Vulgate; the fourth translation, the Targum to Psalms, was translated in the second century AD by non-Christian Jews). Second, even for Hebrew poetry, the phrase "like a lion" is far too elliptical and makes no sense without a verb—which supporters of this reading are forced to supply (e.g., "like a lion they bite my hands and my feet"). Third, were the symbol of a lion intended, it would have been employed in the plural, not the singular, in order to agree with the plural subject ("evildoers") in the verse (as in Jr 50:17 and Zph 3:3). Fourth, one of the leading medieval Jewish scribal authorities (Jacob ben Chayyim) himself affirms that the older and better manuscripts read ka-aru ("they pierced") rather than ka-ariy ("like a lion"). Fifth, the reading ka-aru ("they pierced") is attested in the earliest manuscript of this psalm (5/6 HevPs) from the Dead Sea Scrolls, which predates the medieval manuscripts by approximately one thousand years. Therefore, the suffering Messiah’s words predict His own death by crucifixion at a time when crucifixion was unknown.

There are other specific predictions here. Notable is the specific use of the verb stare (yir’u, meaning "to look at thoughtfully," v. 17)—here describing the people’s willful rejection of Messiah. This is the same verb used in Zch 12:10 (the only other specific OT crucifixion prophecy) to indicate the people’s willful acceptance of the pierced Messiah. Additionally, the suffering Messiah predicted that His tormentors would divide [His] garments and cast lots for His clothing (v. 18). This specific prediction was fulfilled by the Roman soldiers who cast lots for Jesus’ robe (cf. Jn 19:23–24).

The second stanza of the suffering Messiah’s petition is different from the first in that He previously stated there were no others to help, but here He notes that so dire are His circumstances that God alone can help Him.

22:19–21. As above (cf. v. 11), the suffering Messiah petitions God to be near (be not far off, v. 19). The petition then follows a similar pattern as above, but begins with a depiction of His suffering (v. 20) followed by a description of His enemies (v. 21). Only God can deliver Him from death (the sword … the power of the dog). His enemies are again described with zoomorphism (cf. vv. 12–13 above) as a lion, whose teeth would pierce, and as wild oxen (v. 21), whose horns would gore. The certainty of Messiah’s deliverance is underscored in v. 21 by the use of the past (perfect) tense verb, literally, "You have answered me" (as in the NET Bible, also see the comment on Ps 10:16 regarding the prophetic perfect).

There is a dramatic change in tone here from the plaintive cries of the previous verses to the exultant praise that follows. Although there is no specific reference to resurrection, in light of the references to death in the previous verses ("dust of death," v. 15; "they pierced my hands and my feet," v. 16), this seems to hint at a miraculous resurrection.

22:22–24. The exalted Messiah promises that He will praise God to my brethren, a reference to the people of Israel. God delivered the Messiah from death and as a response He praises God in … the assembly (v. 22). Besides His own praise, the exalted Messiah calls upon Israel to glorify God with Him (v. 23). The reason is that God has not despised nor abhorred nor hidden His face, but rather He has answered the Messiah’s petition. Thus, when he cried to Him for help, He heard (v. 24).

22:25–26. Recognizing that His exaltation comes from God (v. 25), the exalted Messiah calls all sufferers (the afflicted) to trust God even as He did. Thus, they too will experience deliverance and praise the Lord (v. 26).

22:27–31. There is an expectation of the messianic age here, when the ends of the earth will … turn to the Lord (v. 27), that is, when the Lord will rule over the nations (v. 28). At that time, all will worship the Lord, even the wealthy (v. 29a), the dead (who will be raised, v. 29b), and all posterity (vv. 30–31), who will recognize and serve the living God. These words fulfill the promise made to Abraham that "in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Gn 22:18).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. Here David metaphorically described God as a shepherd—a profession with which David was intimately familiar (see 1Sm 16:11, 19; 17:20). This metaphor of shepherd is frequently applied to God throughout the OT and to the Messiah Jesus in the NT (e.g., Gn 48:15; 49:24; Pss 28:9; 80:1; Ec 12:11; Is 40:11; Ezk 34:12, 23; 37:24; Mt 2:6; 26:31; Jn 10:1–16; Heb 13:20; 1Pt 2:25; 5:4; Rv 7:17). Identifying both the God in the OT and Jesus in the NT by this same title is another intimation of Messiah’s deity.

The Afflicted One of Ps 22 nevertheless has God’s ongoing attention and love, and is ultimately vindicated in that affliction as suggested by Ps 23. The one who is vindicated is the Anointed One (v. 5) who will someday return (not "dwell in," v. 6) to the house of the Lord forever. In context with Ps 22, Ps 23 is messianic as well (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 319).

23:1–3. This psalm begins with its subject, The Lord … my shepherd, then throughout the psalm describes His qualities and relationship with those under His care. Although speaking in terms of sheep, the actual subject of this psalm is the people of Israel (and by application all who love the Lord). This literary image is used in Ps 95:7 and Ps 100 as well.

David began by describing how God fully provides for the needs of His sheep: (1) I shall not want, because He will supply the needs of those under His care (cf. Ps 34:9; Mt 6:25–34); (2) makes me lie down in green pastures, providing a safe place to rest and eat (cf. Is 14:30; Jr 33:12–13; Zph 3:12–13); (3) leads me beside quiet (or "still") waters, which literally means "waters of rest," in which the Hebrew word for "rest" is what is used elsewhere to denote spiritual rest (i.e., salvation, one’s relationship with God, as in Ps 95:11; Heb 4:1–10); (4) He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness; that is, under His care my spiritual condition is constantly refreshed by following His instructions (cf. Ps 1; Mt 6:33) for His glory and consistent with His plan (cf. 1Kg 8:41–42; Ezr 10:9, 14, 22; Is 48:8; Jr 14:21). David was not asserting here that God always provides (in this lifetime, at least) for believers’ physical needs, but rather that He will always supply what is necessary for the believer’s spiritual well-being.

David is confident that the Lord will take action for His name’s sake. The name of the Lord is not distinct from Him, nor is it just a title or description; rather, His name is a manifestation of Himself and His character (cf. Ex 3:14–15; 34:6–7); His name is synonymous with Him. Thus, the Scriptures speak of "praising His name" (e.g., Pss 7:17; 18:49), "loving His name" (e.g., 69:36), "trusting in His name" (e.g., 20:7), and so on. Often the Lord is described as taking action "for Your name’s sake" or "for His name’s sake" (e.g., Pss 25:11; 31:3; cf. 1Kg 8:41–42; Jr 14:21; Ezk 20:9, 14, 22) in order to manifest His glory, power, and reputation in relation to Israel or among the nations.

23:4–5. That God will not necessarily deliver His sheep from all affliction and distress is underscored by the affirmation that I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (cf. 107:14). The shadow of death was described in the previous psalm, as the suffering Messiah stated that He had been placed in "the dust of death" (22:15). In those difficult circumstances of life, those under His care should not fear any evil because You are with me (cf. 27:1; 118:6). God’s care is described using the image of the shepherd’s tools: the rod (an instrument of authority, the thick wooden pole used to count and protect the sheep, cf. 2:9; 45:6) and the staff (the longer, often curved walking stick used for reaching and support, cf. Ex 21:19; Zch 8:4). God will always be available in such situations to comfort me by His care (cf. Pss 71:21; 86:17; Is 12:1; 40:1; 41:13). There is safety in the presence of the Lord because He is the one who will prepare a table (provide a meal) even in the presence of my enemies. To anoint my head with oil was a symbol of consecration, refreshment, and rejoicing (cf. Pss 45:7; 104:15; 133:2; cf. Ex 28:14; 30:30; 2Sm 16:3). This identifies the individual spoken of here as the Anointed One who had experienced suffering and death in the previous psalm.

23:6. David’s confidence in this future inheritance, guaranteed by God’s unshakable goodness and lovingkindness (cf. 5:7 comments), brings him comfort in this life, regardless of the situation. The fatherly aspect of the relationship between the divine Shepherd and His sheep is underscored by the verb follow (sometimes translated "pursue," elsewhere used to describe the active pursuit of one army by another; e.g., 1Sm 17:52). Under God’s care, His followers will be constantly pursued or faithfully followed after by His goodness and lovingkindness.

The closing verse has two interesting words in translation. Commentators frequently suggest the meaning here has to do with spending eternity in heaven. However, this idea does not originate in this text. Rather than to dwell (Hb. yashav), the Hebrew should be translated "return" (shuv), so this is likely an expectation of return to the house of the Lord, the usual name for the sanctuary (tabernacle or temple; e.g., Pss 15:1; 26:8; 27:4; 134:1; 135:2), for a lifetime (forever, lit., "for length of days") of worship and fellowship with God. This anticipates the time when the Anointed One will return to the temple in Jerusalem, a common messianic theme (cf. Zch 9:9). Not surprisingly, the next psalm will take up this theme, celebrating the return of the "King of glory" (cf. Ps 24:9–10) to the temple in Jerusalem.

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. This psalm connects with the previous in that Ps 24 describes the return of the King to the house of the Lord and His reception by His people at that time (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 320).

24:1–2. In the opening statement of praise David affirmed that The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains (its "fullness"), recalling God’s statement to Moses in Nm 14:21, "all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord" (see also Ps 72:19; Is 6:3; 1Co 10:26). The implication of this parallel phraseology is that, in addition to denoting the extent of the Lord’s dominion, the present statement also implies that the fullness (everything within) of that dominion attests to the glory of God (cf. Ps 19). Furthermore, it highlights God as the Creator, for He has founded it upon the seas.

24:3–5. This section closely parallels the entirety of Ps 15 and provides an excellent example of intertextual interpretation (i.e., juxtaposing parallel passages so as to derive a fuller understanding from both together that may not be evident from either alone). The question, Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?, the temple mount, corresponds to 15:1. Likewise the response, He who has clean hands, to 15:2–5. This depicts those who will welcome the Messiah, the King of glory, into Jerusalem. For more interpretive specifics see the comments on Ps 15.

24:6. The reference to Jacob specifies those who seek … Your face—i.e., the faithful remnant of Israel (the people), for which Jacob is a poetic description (see Ps 14:7). This is especially appropriate since the patriarch Jacob struggled with God and saw Him "face to face," and only afterwards was his name changed to "Israel" (see Gn 32:28–30 and the comments there).

24:7–9. The gates and ancient doors are parallel images of the king entering into Jerusalem, heading to the temple mount. David concluded by emphasizing the Anointed One of the previous psalm (23:5) as the King of glory (a title repeated in vv. 7, 8, 9). The focus is specifically on His military glory, as indicated by his repeated use of the word mighty (the Hb. term gibbor) which, though usually translated mighty, is in fact a noun specifically used to designate warriors characterized by highly distinguished military prowess (e.g., David himself [1Sm 16:18], Goliath [1Sm 17:51], Saul and Jonathan [2Sm 1:19, 25, 27], and David’s inner circle of 30 mighty men [1Ch 11:10]). This is no ordinary warrior—rather He is the divine messianic King, taking His seat in the temple after His military victories at the end of days.

24:10. The point is that God, the Lord of hosts (that is, Lord of the armies of heaven), is presented as the mighty warrior King returning victorious in battle (e.g., 1Sm 17:14). He is the mightiest warrior of all—as indicated both by the miraculous military victories He had already won for Israel (from the exodus [see Ex 15:3] up to David’s day [see 2Sm 5:24]) as well as by what He will one day do in the person of Jesus who will "strike down the nations, and … [tread] the wine press of the fierce wrath of God" (Rv 19:15).

This Psalm of David (cf. comments on the heading of Ps 3) is parallel to Ps 34 (also attributed to David) in theme (both focus on God’s providence), phraseology (both refer, e.g., to "fearing the Lord" [25:12, 14; 34:7, 9, 11], "taking refuge" in Him [25:20; 34:8], the Lord being "good" [25:7–8; 34:8], God "delivering" His own [25:20; 34:4, 17, 19], "the humble" [25:9; 34:2], "eyes" being "toward" [25:15; 34:15], and a concluding reference to God "redeeming" His people, employing the same specific Hebrew verb), and structure (both are acrostics, following the order of the Hebrew alphabet).

Plainly David is identified as the author of this psalm. However, its placement here reflects the postexilic perspective of the final compiler of the book of Psalms. At that time, a significant theme was that Israel and the nations would come to Jerusalem and be instructed by God (Zch 8:20–23; Is 2:2–4). Hence, this psalm follows the description of the King of glory and includes a prayer that God would "lead me in Your truth and teach me" (25:5). The final verse of the psalm anticipates the great hope of the psalmist, that God would redeem Israel through the coming of the Messiah (v. 22) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 320). Nevertheless, the psalm is a model prayer for believers, teaching how to ask God for one’s needs.

25:1. David’s opening simple statement, To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, is an idiom used elsewhere to express deep longing, desire, and need (cf. Dt 24:15; Jr 22:27). David did not begin by immediately presenting his need or focusing exclusively (and selfishly) on God’s interest in him, but instead he appealed to God on the basis of His merciful character.

25:2–3. David stated his trust in God as the basis for his request for deliverance from his enemies (vv. 2, 19). David is confident that all who wait for You will never be ashamed or disgraced (repeated here and again in v. 20).

25:4–7. Here David prays for guidance to know Your ways … teach me Your paths … lead me in Your truth. The basis of his request is his relationship with the Lord because You are the God of my salvation. David was depending on the Lord’s compassion and lovingkindness (chesed, in vv. 6, 7, 10; cf. 5:7 comments). At the same time, he asked for forgiveness of sins and transgressions. The basis of his request to remember me is God’s character. David’s motivation in making a request of the Lord was For Your goodness’ sake, on the basis of God’s character and for God’s honor.

25:8–9. Beginning with the key idea Good and upright is the Lord, these verses express confidence in God’s faithfulness to instruct sinners in the way (of following the teachings of the Lord).

25:10–11. The Lord leads those who trust in Him (v. 9). Specifically, All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth; even experiences that might seem like the "valley of the shadow of death" (23:4) are part of His good plan for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies by obeying Him and living according to His word.

25:12–15. Here is a profile of the rewards for the man who fears the Lord (cf. 111:10). The Lord will instruct him in the way he should choose. Instruction comes through the Scriptures (32:8; Pr 9:10). The focus is not material prosperity, but what is fundamentally good (i.e., the best) for man, namely, God Himself and/or the knowledge of Him (see Gn 2:9 and Ps 16:2). In this same way, a righteous man’s descendants will inherit the land, that is, retain their tribal/family inheritance (cf. Pss 37:9, 11, 18, 22, 29, 34; 69:36; Is 60:21); this further anticipates the promise of receiving a place in the future millennial kingdom on earth following the second coming, as directly cited by Messiah (Mt 5:5; see the comments there) from Ps 37:11 (see the comments there).

25:16–21. Here is a request for emotional relief: be gracious for I am lonely and afflicted and the troubles of his heart are enlarged. He requested God to forgive all my sins (cf. vv. 7, 11, 18) and to protect him from his enemies. But he primarily wants the Lord to guard his soul on the basis of his having taken refuge in [Him] (cf. 86:2) and having behaved righteously before God (with integrity and uprightness).

25:22. David began the psalm with a declaration of trust in God. He concludes with a prayer for the nation of Israel, that God would make His glory known by redeeming (rescuing and protecting) them out of all their troubles. Hence David implored God to redeem Israel, employing a verb that specifically denotes the paying of an outstanding debt, and which elsewhere denotes the work of complete spiritual and physical redemption that only God in His grace can supply (see Ps 49:7–8; Is 1:27; Jr 31:11). This anticipates the ultimate redemption of Israel by the Messiah.

This Psalm of David has a threefold approach and contains parallels to Ps 27 (see the outline for that psalm). Both psalms begin by focusing on God as the foundation (both the establisher and determiner) of the central concept of the respective psalms—one’s integrity in Ps 26, and one’s confidence in Ps 27, and then present God as its goal, and conclude by affirming God as its ongoing enabler and developer. This parallel approach serves to emphasize the relationship between the central theme of this psalm and that of the next. Additionally, the psalmist had confidence that God would redeem him (26:11).

26:1–2. David began by entrusting himself entirely to God’s perfect justice. He implores God to vindicate him, to take account of David’s moral integrity and judge him on that basis. David recognized his integrity was less than perfect by his use of the phrase my integrity, in which the possessive pronoun indicates his adherence to integrity as he understood it, yet which was still not unadulterated by sin; David is not claiming perfection but his best intentions to follow the Lord without wavering. God would examine (as in a court of law) and try (as precious metals are tried for the quality of the ore) not only his actions, but his mind (seat of knowledge/understanding) and heart (seat of emotions/affections and the active inner person).

26:3–7. David sought to order his life by the lovingkindness (God’s loyal love) of the Lord and referred to his having walked (i.e., "lived," cf. v. 11) in God’s truth. Moreover, he does not sit with deceitful (lit., "without spiritual worth"; see also v. 5b) men. He never descended to the point of "sitting" (i.e., identifying wholeheartedly) with them (on these concepts/verbs see the comment on Ps 1:1). The goal of his lifelong endeavor to walk in integrity and truth was not to promote his own merit or worth, but to express thanksgiving for what God had done (v. 7), namely, His wonders of deliverance both personally for David and for His people throughout history (cf. 9:1).

26:8–10. David proclaims I love the habitation of Your house, the temple of God, the place where Your glory dwells (Ex 24:16; 33:22; 40:35; 1Kg 8:11). He requests deliverance from men of bloodshed and wicked schemers so that he can continually "stand … in the congregations" and "bless the Lord" (v. 12).

26:11–12. While recognizing his imperfection and failings, David, rather than succumbing to despair, determined to continue to walk in my integrity and appealed to God’s mercy to redeem me, implying forgiveness, not requiting the full penalty that his sins merited (cf. Ezr 9:13), and asks God to be gracious to me (grant him the help he does not merit). Thus, he will be able to continue his attempt to walk in [his] integrity. In this respect it is important that he spend time in the congregations of the faithful (as opposed to "the assembly of evildoers" in v. 5) praising God with those who were of the same mind as he, who affirmed their need for God’s mercy and grace and would therefore encourage him along in his walk—no doubt often meeting at the tabernacle to do so (cf. v. 8).

This Psalm of David mirrors the expository structure of Ps 26 (see the introductory comments there). David once again alludes to the theme broached in 23:6 in which he anticipated being able to live in the house of the Lord with the Anointed One (see 27:4) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 320–21).

27:1–3. David’s confidence was based on the Lord (rather than man or a group of men) who was his light and … salvation. The word light here, as elsewhere in the OT, is a metaphor for comprehensive salvation, spiritual and physical, both present and eternal. This metaphor of God as light also includes the concept of God illumining David’s darkness (cf. 2Sm 22:29) and directing his life toward obedience to the Lord (e.g., Pss 18:28; 119:105). Furthermore salvation encompasses not just deliverance from enemies, but more significantly spiritual redemption as well (e.g., Pss 3:8; 9:14; 13:5; 18:2, 46; 27:9). David’s dependence on God as the defense of [his] life is further emphasized by his specific use of the two verbs fear and dread (v. 1). This recalls the uses of both verbs when God urged the Israelites to take confidence that they would succeed in possessing the land not because of any ability on their part, but because God Himself will "put the dread and fear" of them "upon the peoples everywhere" (cf. Dt 2:25; Est 8:17). No matter what happens (enemies, a host, or war), he shall be confident.

27:4–6. David has one request: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. His request is for never-ending fellowship with the Lord by worship in the temple. This is an allusion within the Psalms to 23:6. Just as the Anointed One anticipated returning to God’s house, so the psalmist looks forward to that time as well. David wanted greater intimacy with the Lord to behold the beauty of the Lord and offer … sacrifices and sing praises to the Lord. The verb to meditate (v. 4) refers to giving careful, close, and absorbed attention and consideration to something, in this case the Lord and His Word (cf. 77:12; 119:15, 48; Lv 13:36; 27:33; Pr 20:25; Ezk 34:11; 39:14).

27:7–10. David seeks God’s answer (Hear, O Lord) by pointing out his obedience to God’s command to seek My face. The face of God is a key word in this section, appearing three times (vv. 8–9); to seek His face indicates a determination for intimate fellowship with the Lord. On the basis of that behavior David again points to the God of my salvation (cf. 27:1). He uses the extreme example of rescue from abandonment, For (better translated "if") my father and my mother have forsaken me, but (better translated "then") the Lord will take me up.

27:11–14. To be taught the way of the Lord will lead me in a level path, a phrase associated with walking righteously (cf. 26:12; 143:10; Is 26:7). Just as God taught him, so too might he instruct and encourage others to be strong and take courage (v. 14; cf. Dt 31:7; Jos 1:7). To wait for the Lord means to depend on Him; it does not indicate passivity or inaction, but rather trust and confident anticipation that He will take action (e.g., Pss 25:3, 5, 21; 37:7, 9, 34; 59:9; 62:5; cf. Gn 48:18).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. Though a cursory reading might seem to suggest that his appeal for help is based on his own merit, a closer reading of how key phrases are used elsewhere in the OT reveals instead that his help is based on God’s mercy, grace, and covenant faithfulness—in short, on His love as it is expressed in His covenant promises (see 2Sm 7). In its overall structure this psalm parallels God’s own description in Mal 1:2–5 of the three ways in which His love for Israel is demonstrated (1) in His accomplished gift of unmerited intimacy (Ps 28:1–2; Mal 1:2), (2) in His ongoing judgment of their enemies (Ps 28:3–5; Mal 1:3–4), and (3) in His future restoration and blessing of the nation (Ps 28:6–9; Mal 1:5).

28:1–3. Rather than hold back his distress and anguish, David poured it out fully: To You, O Lord I call, not to anyone else (see the comments on Ps 142:1–6). He identified God as his rock (cf. 18:2 comments). David did not demand that God hear (meet his need) his cry … for help as if he merited such a hearing because of his righteousness. Instead he requested that God hear him on the basis of His mercy and grace—even though David did not merit God’s positive response. This is indicated by David’s admission of the real possibility that God might choose to be deaf and silent to his appeal (v. 1) as well as that He might drag David away with the wicked (signifying judgment, not chastisement).

The logical implication of this is that David is also wicked, for the Lord would never "sweep away the righteous with the wicked" (Gn 18:23; see the comments on David’s admission of wickedness in Pss 7:1–5 and 13:1–2). Also the Hebrew word usually translated supplications (tahanunim) in v. 2 (and again in v. 6) signifies "pleas for grace" (from the Hb. hen, "grace"), implying the granting to David of what he did not deserve. Yet, that David could appeal to God with the hope of being shown grace indicates a preexisting relationship (see the comments on Pss 6:1–5; 23:6; 51).

28:4–5. David further asks for judgment of his enemies, Requite them according to their work. Just as the love of a parent will prompt him to fight against those who seek to injure his child, so too David implored God to demonstrate His love by "requiting" (judging, both militarily and spiritually) his enemies. Those enemies were the Gentile nations around Israel, as indicated by (1) David’s description of them as those who do not regard [lit., "discern"] the works of the Lord nor the deeds of His hands (v. 5a), employing the same phraseology used to describe these nations in Dt 32:27, and (2) his expectation that the Lord will tear them down and not build them up (v. 5b), which parallels the phraseology of God’s declaration concerning Edom in (Mal 1:4). David’s reason for imploring God to requite his and Israel’s enemies is not that they are his and Israel’s enemies as such (or even that they are more depraved than the Israelites), but that, as reflected by their opposition to Israel, they are opposed to the person, standards, and work of God Himself (cf. Ps 83).

28:6–9. As a final demonstration of God’s love, David implored God to save Your people, the people of Israel, who are identified as His inheritance. Of all the nations and people groups on the earth, the people of Israel alone are identified as the inheritance of the Lord, indicating His unique relationship with them. The people of Israel are frequently identified as God’s inheritance (Dt 9:29; 32:9; Pss 33:12; 74:2; Is 63:17; Jr 10:16; 51:19). That this (v. 9) is intended as a reference to complete (material and spiritual) blessing is seen in the parallel reference to God as their shepherd who will carry them forever (cf. comments on Ps 23; Mal 1:5).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. According to early Jewish tradition, this psalm, which concerns God’s transcendent power and its ultimate application to the full restoration of His people, was recited by the Levites on the Feast of Booths (cf. Lv 23:33–44; Babylonian Talmud, Sukka 55a). This festival likewise commemorates God’s power and ability to supply His people’s needs in the desert wandering as well as His ultimate application of that power to fully restore Israel and establish His tabernacle over all creation (see Zch 14:16–18; Col 2:16–17; Rv 21:3; and see the comment on Ps 15:1). The theme of God’s strength in both 28:7 and 29:1, 11 suggests that Ps 29 may be the very song David wrote and sang in response to that strength (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 321).

29:1–2. This psalm is a call to praise God: Ascribe to the Lord (repeated 3 times for emphasis) … glory and strength … glory due to His name. David affirmed the absolute sovereignty and preeminence of God, in both glory and strength, not just over all men but also over all other gods. This is indicated by the phrase sons of the mighty (v. 1a), better translated "sons of gods." The term mighty (elim), which occurs only three times elsewhere (Ex 15:11; Ps 89:6; Dn 11:36), refers to pagan gods (see Ex 15:11). Scripture denies the existence of such divine beings (that is, there is no such supernatural being as "Dagon" or "Baal"), but sometimes posits them for the sake of the discussion and in dialogue with pagan practices (e.g., Gn 31:19; 35:2; Ex 23:32; Nm 33:4; Dt 6:14; Jos 24:16; Ru 1:15). The word "sons" in this expression does not denote descendancy but rather association or characterization (cf., e.g., 1Sm 25:17; Pr 31:5; Mk 3:17), the reference being here to anything (e.g., idols or concepts) associated with or characterized by pagan deities. The call is for even those who have followed paganism to acknowledge the Lord, and worship the Lord in holy array, in a proper manner.

29:3–9. These verses extol the manifestation of God’s glory and power in creation, (similar to Ps 19:1–6)—though in this case these verses allude to the deliverance, provision, and guidance of His fledgling people Israel at the exodus. Hence God’s voice (or "sound," as the word is often translated) "thundering" upon the waters (v. 3) alludes to His deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh’s army. In the exodus, He "rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up" (Ps 106:9; cf. Ex 15:8–10; Ps 114:3–5; Nah 1:4). His voice also is described as making Lebanon (i.e., the mountains of Lebanon) skip like a calf and Sirion (the Sidonian name of Mount Hermon; Dt 3:9) skip like a young wild ox (v. 6). This parallels the poetic depiction of creation’s reaction to God’s power revealed at the exodus in Ps 114:4–6. The reference to His voice hewing out flames of fire parallels the description of the seventh plague (fiery brimstone) in Ps 105:32: "He gave them … flaming fire in their land" (cf. Ex 9:23). And the reference to God "shaking" the wilderness of Kadesh (v. 8) alludes to God’s chastising of the exodus generation at Kadesh (Nm 14:1–45; 20:1–13). On everything in His temple saying Glory! (v. 9), see Is 6:1–4 (where even "the foundations of the thresholds" are said to respond to God’s glorious presence).

29:10–11. David concluded by affirming God’s glory and sovereign power: The Lord sits as King. He reigned even before the flood, the first historical event of divine deliverance and judgment. That the Lord sat (i.e., exercised full authority and control as judges in biblical times might; Ex 18:13; Ru 4:1; 1Kg 2:12; Jr 26:10) at that worldwide event (see the comments on Gn 6:13–20) assures that He has sat as King over all human affairs ever since then, and that God will continue to sit over all Creation as King forever. As such, He is certainly able to control all matters relating to the welfare of His people, ultimately fulfilling all He promised them by blessing His people—both the remnant of ethnic Israel and those joined to them by faith (cf. 28:6–9)—with peace (shalom, signifying "completeness" and the presence of restful well-being in every sense, both physically, circumstantially, and spiritually; cf. 2Sm 7:11; Pss 28:9; 95:11).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3.

Psalm 30 is described as a Song (see Introduction: Genre) for the Dedication of the House. Several of the psalms mention rejoicing in God’s presence in the temple (cf. 23:6; 27:4). In addition, the rescue David experienced that he described in this psalm (vv. 1–5) was apparently selected by the postexilic editor of Psalms to serve as a reassurance to the exiled community that God would be faithful to them and someday restore them and the temple in Jerusalem (for this, see Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 321). At issue is whether this psalm refers to the dedication of David’s palace (2Sm 7:1) or the Lord’s temple. The latter seems more likely since the vast majority (hundreds) of references to a specific "house" in the OT are to the temple, whether in the phrase "the house of God" (Ezr 2:68), "the house of the Lord" (2Kg 25:16), or, as here, "the House" (cf. 1Kg 8:13; Jr 26:18). That the intended reference is to the dedication of the temple is also supported by early Jewish tradition, according to which this psalm was recited in the temple on the eight days of Hanukkah (as it still is in many synagogues to this day), commemorating the (re)dedication of the temple in the intertestamental period after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks who sought to eradicate Jewish practices in Israel at that time.

Although David may have written this psalm in anticipation of the future dedication of the temple, it is more likely that this superscription was included by the postexilic editor of the Psalms, since there is no specific reference to the temple in it. His intention would have been to link David’s restoration after being disciplined to Israel’s return and rebuilding of the temple after the discipline of the exile.

30:1–3. David begins with praise for personal deliverance: I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up. David affirms God as the source of deliverance from his enemies and from Sheol (the general OT description of the place of the dead; see comments on 49:10–14, 15). He praised God because He kept me alive and did not let him go down to the pit (grave). At some point David was on the brink of death at the hands of his enemies, but the Lord rescued him.

30:4–5. David’s response to rescue is to encourage all His godly ones (corporately, the faithful of Israel) to join him and sing praise to the Lord. Specifically, they are to give thanks to His holy name (cf. 4:3). There is a sharp contrast between God’s anger (for correction and discipline) that is but for a moment, and His favor (of blessing after restoration) that is for a lifetime.

30:6–7. As a result of his prosperity David almost forgot God, considering himself invincible (I will never be moved, v. 6). As is so often the case, God’s blessings often divert a believer’s attention from Him and reduce reliance on Him, ultimately leading to the sin of self-dependence rather than relying on the Lord.

In fact this very self-reliance led David to take the census of fighting men in Israel, so that God chastised him (see 2Sm 24). David described that discipline by the expression You hid your face (v. 7; on this expression as the description of God’s discipline, not judgment, see the Introduction to Esther), so that he was dismayed or brought to a full realization of his sin.

30:8–9. Adverse circumstances prompted David to reset his focus from assessing his material circumstances to praising God (To You, O Lord, I called). David realized his own mortality, that he could not praise the Lord from the pit.

30:10–12. Having come to the full realization of his sin, David implored, Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me and begged God to be his helper (lit., "be a helper to me"). This phrase alludes to God’s promise and self-disclosure of His name to Moses in Ex 3:12 ("I will be with you"), which in turn implies that David, like Moses, was here affirming his own fundamental inability to undertake God’s charge to him of ruling Israel (cf. Ex 3:11, "Who am I … that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?") as well as his consequent dependence on God to help him do so. The goal of God’s chastisement of David was thus realized in that David recognized and affirmed his utter dependence on God, and in the process he would sing his praise to Him (v. 12 is lit., "Glory will sing to You," i.e., David’s song of glory would be lifted up to God. This reflects the same concept and wording in 29:9b: "And in His temple everything says, ‘Glory!’　").

On the heading of this Psalm of David see the comments on the headings to both Pss 3 and 4.

31:1–5. The declaration In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge (v. 1) is David’s affirmation that his trust is completely and solely in the God of Israel (1Sm 26:19). God is the only impenetrable refuge, as highlighted by the expressions rock (v. 2; see comment on Ps 18:46) of strength, a stronghold (a place of protection), and fortress (v. 3; a fortress on a cliff or mountain; cf. Ps 71:1–3 for similar terms). Another reason for David’s confidence is that God, in His righteousness, will do what is best to deliver (v. 1) David. David understood the faithful and just character of the Lord and remembered the covenant God had established with him (2Sm 7:16). David wanted the Lord to take action on his behalf for Your name’s sake (cf. Ps 23:3 comments). David employed the same phraseology, You will lead me and guide me, as in Ps 23:3. God’s best does not necessarily include immediate deliverance from physical distress or persecution as is evident in Jesus’ words on the cross, "Into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Lk 23:46).

31:6–8. Hating those who regard vain (empty, powerless) idols is a rejection of paganism. In contrast, David is determined to trust in the Lord, a life characterized by the attitude of I will rejoice in God’s lovingkindness (cf. 5:7) because the Lord had known his troubles (cf. comment on 1:6) and delivered him from the enemy.

31:9–13. The expression be gracious implies that David’s distress may have been intended as chastisement for his sins (cf. comment on 28:2), or just a cry for relief. David expressed his natural desire for immediate relief from his distress that is described as: grief, sorrow, sighing … like a broken vessel. The source of his trouble was his adversaries who schemed to take away his life.

31:14–22. Despite his dire circumstances, David declares his faith and trust in God: But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord … You are my God. He recognizes My times are in Your hand, the Lord is in control of every aspect of his life. His request, Make Your face to shine upon Your servant recalls the Aaronic benediction (cf. Nm 6:25). He anticipates deliverance by saying He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.… You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You.

31:23–24. David characteristically concluded with devotion, praise, and exhortation to worship: O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The concept with which David began this psalm—God’s covenant faithfulness serving as the source of constant strength and deliverance for His people—is reiterated by David in the closing verse, Be strong and … take courage (cf. 27:14; Jos 1:9).

This Psalm of David (see the comments on Davidic authorship in the heading to Ps 3) is a Maskil (lit., "enlightenment" or "to impart wisdom"), a type of psalm focusing specifically on instruction in practical wisdom or contemplation. This term occurs as a specific designation in the headings of 12 other psalms (Pss 42, 44, 45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89, 142), and in Ps 47:7 as a general designation of this type of psalm ("Sing praises with a [maskil]"). On parallels between Pss 32 and 33 to Pss 1 and 2, see introductory comments on Ps 33.

32:1–2. David affirmed how blessed (see the comment on Ps 1:1) the man is whose transgression is forgiven. This verb, when used with any of the words denoting sin (e.g., transgression [rebellion against God], sin [missing the mark of God’s standard], iniquity [behavior that is bent or twisted]), represents the standard biblical idiom used to express the concept of forgiveness in the following. The parallel statement, whose sin is covered, likewise expresses confidence in forgiveness of sin. It is a figurative expression characteristic of Hebrew poetry, and should not be taken to mean that sin in the OT period was in reality only covered up but not forgiven. In the OT, forgiveness is expressed in terms of complete atonement and removal for those who offered their sacrifices in faith (e.g., 2Sm 12:13; Is 6:7). Romans 4:4–8 cites this passage regarding forgiveness of sin (see the comments there).

32:3–5. David not only learned of the happiness of forgiveness, but also the effects of unconfessed sin. It caused physical difficulties for him (my body wasted away, v. 3) and emotional strain (my vitality was drained away, v. 4). These difficulties persisted until he acknowledged his sin and confessed his transgressions (v. 5), so that God forgave the guilt of [his] sin.

32:6–7. On the basis of his experience, therefore, David called everyone who is godly to pray. The image of great waters depicts extreme distress (Ps 18:16; Is 8:7–8). More particular allusions to the flood are indicated by the surrounding statements: let everyone … pray to You in a time when You may be found, paralleling the clearly defined period of "evangelism" and potential repentance by the people alive during Noah’s building of the ark (cf. Heb 11:7 and comments on Gn 7:1–10), and You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble, paralleling the preservation of Noah and his family from—that is, through—the flood (cf. 1Pt 3:20 and the comments there).

32:8–11. The expression I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go indicates that God’s forgiveness fosters spiritual perception and moral clarity revealed by God in His Word. The phrase I will instruct signifies the imparting of wisdom as expressed by Joshua (Jos 1:8) in connection with the law of God. There must be a response to God’s instruction, however, so that the person is not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding. In other words, do not resist repentance and hold back confession. The challenge is to be wise and learn from the Lord, because many are the sorrows of the wicked, but God’s fatherly lovingkindness (chesed; cf. comments on Ps 5:7) surrounds the believer. The result for the person who trusts in the Lord will be experiencing God’s grace (lovingkindness). That person will be glad in the Lord … rejoice … and shout for joy.

The absence of a heading for this psalm is possibly because it was intended "as a piece" with the previous psalm—just as Ps 2 is intended to be read "as a piece" with Ps 1 (see comments there). Strengthening this possibility is the observation that this and the previous psalm attest clear parallels to Pss 1 and 2, both thematically (Ps 32, like Ps 1, focuses on personally expressed worship, whereas Ps 33, like Ps 2, focuses on collectively expressed worship) and in phraseology (e.g., "How blessed" [1:1; 32:1]; "day and night" [1:2; 32:4]; "streams of water" / "great waters" [1:3; 32:6]; closing comparison between the circumstances of "the wicked" and "the righteous" [1:5–6; 32:10–11]; "the nations … the peoples … take counsel together against the Lord" / "the Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations … the plans of the peoples" [2:1–2; 33:10]; "He who sits in the heavens laughs" / "the Lord looks from heaven … from His dwelling place" [2:4; 33:13–14]; "the very ends of the earth" / "all the earth" [2:8; 33:5, 8, 14]; and "blessed are all" / "… is the nation" [2:12; 33:12]).

33:1–3. The opening Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones is a closely linked idea to the close of the previous psalm (32:11). There is a reiteration of the call to collective praise and thanks (the theme of Ps 33) in the form of a new song (a song of worship that gives a fresh expression to the believer’s continued experiences with God). These songs celebrate God’s character and salvation (cf. 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1, Is 42:10; Rv 5:9; 14:3) and are offered by righteous ones to God for His gracious gift of personal forgiveness (the theme of Ps 32).

33:4–5. This is a song of praise to the Lord, the Creator, with seven distinct reasons for collectively praising God: (1) His attributes (vv. 4–5)—specifically His imitable attributes of being upright, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His justice, and His lovingkindness (cf. 5:7 comments); the terms righteousness and justice are often linked in Scripture regarding God’s character and obedience to His Word (e.g., Gn 18:19; 2Sm 8:15; 1Kg 10:9; 1Ch 18:14; Pss 89:14; 97:2; 99:4; Pr 1:3; 2:9; 21:3; Is 1:27).

33:6–19. Furthermore, (2) His power is exhibited in His creation of the world: He spoke, and it was done, by His word (vv. 6–9); (3) the sovereign permanence of His counsel (i.e., His will, vv. 10–11); (4) His election of Israel for His own inheritance (v. 12; see Ps 28:9); (5) His intimate understanding of the hearts of all people (vv. 13–15); (6) His superiority to any other basis of hope or deliverance (vv. 16–17); and (7) His special concern for those who fear (i.e., worship; cf. 111:10) Him (vv. 18–19; see Ps 40).

33:20–22. There is a resulting collective reliance on God, highlighted by plural pronouns: Our soul waits for the Lord knowing He is our help and our shield (cf. Jdg 5:8; 2Kg 19:32; Ps 35:2). There is a strengthening of collective trust in God’s holy name (cf. comments Ps 23:3) and the fostering of collective joy (our heart rejoices) among God’s people—whatever the circumstances might be.

This Psalm of David (see the comments on Davidic authorship in the heading to Ps 3) is parallel to Ps 25 in its theme, phraseology, and structure (for specifics see introduction on Ps 25). The heading also indicates that this psalm was written when David feigned madness before Abimelech—referring to the episode recorded in 1 Sm 21:10–15 (see comments there). This psalm should thus be understood not only as an expression of David’s thanksgiving and praise for God’s providence and faithful concern, but also as an implicit confession of guilt for fearing Achish (see 1Sm 21:12) more than he feared the Lord ("fear" of the Lord is a prominent motif in this psalm; see vv. 7, 9, 11; 111:10). With the exception of v. 22, this psalm is an acrostic (each line begins with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet). Verse 22 explicitly links the hope of the faithful to the messianic expectations fostered in Ps 2:12 ("Do homage to the Son … How blessed are all who take refuge in Him"; see the verbal parallels in 34:22: "and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned") (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 322).

34:1–3. David’s declaration I will bless the Lord at all times is especially significant when seen in response to his failure to trust God in the Abimelech situation. The depth of David’s praise is underscored by the fact that it will continually be in his mouth (v. 1); that is, in his everyday speech he will make a conscious effort to affirm God’s character and activity. He will make his boast in the Lord, not in anything he has accomplished (cf. Ps 44:8; Jr 9:23–24; 1Cor 1:31). As a result, when others hear it, they will rejoice. Then they will magnify the Lord and exalt His name with David.

34:4–7. David praises God because He delivered me from all my fears. The description poor man (v. 6; better translated "afflicted" or "oppressed" because it does not indicate financial circumstances but affliction) indicates David’s spiritual condition of neediness and distress. When he cried (called out), the Lord heard (responded to his prayer) and saved him out of all his troubles. David vividly underscored God’s personal role in rescuing him by the reference to the angel of the Lord, which often refers in the OT to the temporary manifestation in human form of God (known as a theophany)—often of the preincarnate Son of God and always for the purpose of meeting a personal or collective need (see the comments on Gn 16:7–12). This is not about guardian angels in the popular Hollywood sense. Encamps around speaks of the security the Lord provides His people collectively.

34:8–14. The invitation here, in poetic terms, is to experience the goodness of the Lord: O taste and see that the Lord is good. The expression typically translated taste may be more precisely understood to mean "acquire/derive discernment" (as also in Ps 119:66 and 1Sm 25:33). The sense of the verse is that one should derive discernment from the Lord’s work and word and consequently see (perceive or assess) that He is good, that is, the only true good, the best that man can ever have (see the comment on Ps 16:2). The best life, the most blessed life (cf. Ps 1), is available to the man who takes refuge in Him. Those who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. This is not a promise of prosperity, but the principle of God’s more enduring provision for the man who desires life and loves length of days in which "life" and "length of days" signify the quality and quantity of life with God. These principles of wise living, similar to those found in Proverbs, conclude with the general statement Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

34:15–18. Although both the righteous and the wicked have troubles, the outcome of their circumstances is different because of their different relationship with the Lord. God knows and sees everything, and is concerned for the good of those who love Him: The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous … His ears are open to their cry … He delivers them out of all their troubles. In contrast, the face of the Lord is against evildoers. Describing believers as the brokenhearted and the crushed [or "contrite"] in spirit does not indicate depression/despair in this context, but rather it is intended to describe their ongoing attitude of repentance and humility before God (cf. Ps 51:17).

34:19–22. Here bones represents the whole person (cf. Ps 6:2). At the crucifixion the phrase not one of them is broken was applied to Jesus (Jn 19:36) to emphasize Jesus was not only the Passover Lamb (cf. Ex 12:46; Jn 1:35) but also the righteous sufferer whom the Lord redeems.

This Psalm of David (see the comments on Davidic authorship in the heading to Ps 3) contains many verbal and conceptual parallels to Ps 34 (34:1 = 35:28; 34:2 = 35:9; 34:7 = 35:5–6; 34:20 = 35:10).

35:1–3. David’s appeal Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me has a specific legal connotation (as in Pss 43:1; 74:22; Pr 22:23; Is 3:13). David’s request is to God alone, since it is (1) according to God’s standards, not man’s, that everyone will be judged, and (2) God alone will ultimately sit as judge over everyone (cf. v. 24, as well as Pss 7:8; 9:8; 75:7; 96:10, 13; 110:6; Ec. 3:17; 12:14; Ac 17:31; Rv 20:13). The Lord, identified as your salvation, is portrayed as a warrior who will fight for the righteous with specific military images: buckler and shield, spear, and battle-axe.

35:4–8. The defeat of those who devise evil against me is that they should be ashamed, dishonored, and humiliated. They should be like chaff (cf. Ps 1:5–6). The angel of the Lord (cf. comments on 34:4–7) is the instrument of judgment pursuing them.

35:9–12. David is confident of justice: my soul shall rejoice in the Lord.… who delivers the afflicted … and the needy. Certainly David did not consider himself sinless (1Sm 25:32–33; 2Sm 12:1ff.), yet he affirmed his innocence in the face of malicious witnesses (a legal term) and those who repay him evil for good. Then David gives the example of his kind behavior toward his enemies when they were in trouble (vv. 13–14) in contrast to their evil behavior toward him in similar circumstances (vv. 15–16).

35:13–14. When his enemies were sick, he had concern for them, offering repeated prayers (as indicated by the phrase returning to my bosom) in sackcloth and fasting, a sign of deep concern for their condition. He cared for them as he would for those whom he loves, as if they were a friend or brother, as concerned as if in deep sorrows for a mother.

35:15–16. The psalmist’s enemies, in contrast, rejoiced at his stumbling. This is not moral failure, since this would not be an issue for the wicked, but being brought down by circumstances (e.g., 9:3; 27:2; 37:34).

35:17–18. Under these circumstances, David asks Lord, how long (see comments on 6:3). He asked for the Lord to rescue him, not for his own glory, but so that he could give thanks in the great congregation … among a mighty throng, that is, in communal worship with the people of Israel in the tabernacle/temple.

35:19–26. To underscore the wickedness of his foes, David further referred to them as those who hate me without cause (cf. 69:4). This is another appeal for judgment: You have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent (v. 22). The Lord is always near us (He is everywhere, omnipresent), but in difficulties God’s people may feel as if He is far away.

35:27–28. The motivation of David’s personal vindication was that the Lord would be magnified, not that he might be proven right.

On this Psalm of David see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. David is described here as the servant of the Lord (a description also applied to him only in the heading of Ps 18). The central theme of this psalm is God’s chesed, traditionally translated "lovingkindness"—God’s unshakable covenant love (cf. 5:7 comments).

36:1–4. The core/heart of the ungodly is rejection of the Lord. There is no fear of God before his eyes. To the ungodly, transgression serves as the authoritative guide in all aspects of life. Instead of fearing the Lord, he flatters himself to soothe his conscience, and thereby approves of all his own wickedness and deceit. Having no fear of God, he does not despise evil (cf. Pr 8:13).

36:5–9. In God, lovingkindness (chesed, loyal love) receives its fullest expression and stands as the enduring model for us to follow. David underscored (1) the endless supply of God’s lovingkindness that extends to the heavens … skies—it is inexhaustible (cf. Lm 3:22–23); (2) the unfathomable extent of God’s lovingkindness so that it even affects His judgments, rendering them as inscrutable as the great deep (oceans; Gn 1:2; 7:11). Further, God’s righteousness is like the mountains of God, like the mountains surrounding and protecting Jerusalem (cf. 125:2); (3) the consistent application of God’s lovingkindness—both generally, to preserve the physical lives of both man and beast (per the Noahic covenant of Gn 9:9–11; Mt 5:45), and specifically, in holding out the ongoing gift of spiritual life (per the greatest provision of the Abrahamic covenant; Gn 12:3 and its crystallization in the new covenant). This is implied by the reference to taking refuge in the shadow of Your wings (see the comment on Ps 17:8). For humanity, God is the only source of light, which in the Bible is employed as a symbol of life and/or salvation, whether physical or spiritual (cf. Ps 49:19; Is 9:2; Jn 1:4–9; Eph 5:8; Rv 21:22–23).

36:10–12. There is continuing need for the Lord’s lovingkindness to those who know You because believers are always longing to experience the Lord’s kindness. To know signifies an intimate relationship (see the comment on Ps 1:6). Further, David implored God not to let his oppressors hurt him with their arrogant feet (the foot of pride; this metaphor may derive from ancient military commanders placing their feet on the necks of those they had conquered; cf. Jos 10:24) nor with their wicked hands (the hand of the wicked). David anticipates God’s answer to his prayer, pointing to the place of victory where these doers of iniquity have fallen … been thrust down and cannot rise.

This Psalm of David (see the comments on Davidic authorship in the heading to Ps 3) is an acrostic. Its central theme is divine reward, with specific focus on (1) the nature of that reward as epitomized by the eternal inheritance of the land of Israel and (2) the character of those so rewarded, who represent only a portion (a remnant) of the people of Israel.

Both of these aspects of the reward motif punctuate the psalm at various points by synonymous descriptions of those who receive the reward—i.e., "those who wait for the Lord" (v. 9), "the humble" (v. 11), "those blessed by Him" (v. 22), "the righteous" (v. 25), those who "keep His way" (v. 34), followed by the repeated declaration that they will "inherit the land" (vv. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34); these themes reiterate those of Pss 1 and 2. Not surprisingly, Jesus quoted from this promise of future reward in His own exposition of the topic in the Beatitudes (Mt 5:5; see the comment on Mt 5:1–6). To facilitate memorization of this psalm, it is arranged as an acrostic.

37:1–15. David’s admonitions, do not fret (repeated vv. 1, 7, 8) and be not envious toward wrongdoers, addressed the problem of God’s justice—how can a good God allow good things to happen to bad people, and bad things to good people? The reasons for this admonition not to be distressed because of the prosperity of the wicked are presented in the following three parts of this psalm.

First, there is the certainty that as any good (e.g., wealth, position, power) enjoyed by evildoers in this world is only temporary—for they will wither quickly like the grass (v. 2; see also vv. 9, 10, 20). On the other hand, so too it is certain that those who delight … in the Lord (v. 4) … commit their way to the Lord, trust also in Him (v. 5) … rest in the Lord (v. 7) … will inherit the land (v. 9; cf. v. 3, 22; see comments on 25:15) and will delight themselves in an abundant prosperity (v. 4–5, 7, 9, 11). Prosperity (Heb., shalom) is better translated "peace," for it refers to spiritual (inner) as well as material-physical (outer) completeness (see the comment on Ps 29:11). Jesus included this text in His Sermon on the Mount message (see comment on Mt 5:5).

37:16–26. Having affirmed the abundant bestowal of peace upon the righteous and final depriving of the wicked, David next presented the second aspect of divine reward: that by comparison to the temporary prosperity of the wicked, God’s reward is better (Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked; v. 16; biblical Hebrew syntax denoting the comparative, i.e., "better," may semantically extend to the superlative, i.e., "best"). There can be nothing better than the relationship of the righteous with the Lord: He sustains them (v. 17) and … knows their days (v. 18) and knows that … their inheritance will be forever (v. 18). Specifically this future inheritance is best because it entails the complete fulfillment of all one’s physical needs (vv. 19, 25) and the complete fulfillment of all one’s spiritual needs (epitomized by the terms blessed and blessing (vv. 22, 26). God’s blessing also entails the complete fulfillment of one’s relational-emotional needs, as vividly indicated by the imagery in v. 24, where God is depicted as the believer’s Father who holds his hand with a gentle and unslackened grip even when he falls (v. 24).

37:27–40. The third and final aspect of divine reward regarding God’s justice is that of eternality: Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever (v. 27). Whatever one may experience in this life is minor in comparison to one’s experiences in the hereafter, which will endure eternally. The wicked will be cut off (vv. 28, 38)—a biblical idiom denoting death (perhaps here referring to "the second death"; Rv 20:14)—whereas the righteous (i.e., the remnant of Israel and Gentiles: those who put their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and ultimately the Messiah Jesus) will abide [live] forever (v. 27). No matter what circumstances arise the admonition and encouragement is to wait for the Lord and keep His way (v. 34) because the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble (v. 39).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. This psalm is also identified for a memorial (lit., "for bringing to remembrance"), which suggests that it may have been recited in connection with the Feast of Trumpets (known today as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year festival), which is specifically described as "a memorial" (Lv 23:24 KJV, ESV). This psalm may describe the kind of anxiety over evil people that David warned about in Ps 37:40, emphasizing how God "helps" them and His action "saves" the righteous, and Ps 38:22—it contains an earnest request for God’s "help" and "salvation" (37:40; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 322–23).

38:1–8. The opening plea to the Lord not to rebuke me … in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger is almost identical to that of Ps 6, with a petition for God’s mercy combined with a sincere admission of guilt, implied by the verbs rebuke and chasten (see comments on Ps 6:1). David affirmed that he had sinned: my iniquities … are as a heavy burden and they are too much for me (vv. 3–4).… I groan because of the agitation of my heart (v. 8) and hence deserved God’s discipline. The effects of his guilt for sin are described physically and emotionally as no health in my bones (v. 3; cf. Jb 33:19) and no soundness in my flesh (v. 7) along with emotional pain, I go mourning all day long (v. 6; cf. Ps 32:3–4).

38:9–12. David was transparent about his sin (Lord, all my desire is before You; v. 9), admitting his inability to resolve, on his own, the broad aftermath of his sin. He mentioned (1) his personal sense of distress and guilt (My heart throbs, my strength fails me; v. 10), (2) the distance his sin created between him and his friends (my loved ones and my friends stand aloof; v. 11), and (3) the opportunity that his sin had given to his opponents to attack him (Those who seek my life … devise treachery all day long; v. 12).

38:13–22. David, by saying he was like a deaf man … like a mute man, indicated that he will not listen to the attacks of his enemies nor reply to them (v. 13). Instead he will wait for the Lord. This affirmation of dependence on God is epitomized by David’s frequent statement for I hope in You, O Lord (v. 15; cf. 31:24; 33:18, 22; 69:3; 131:3; see also 42:5, 11; 43:5; 71:14; 130:5, 7; 147:11). On David’s concluding reference to the Lord as my salvation (33:22), see comments on Ps 3:8.

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4.

The choir director is Jeduthun, the father of one of the three families of Levitical singers (see 1Ch 16:41; 24:1). This psalm, especially v. 11, looks at David’s afflictions from the vista of eternity (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 323). This psalm also has thematic and verbal parallels both to the previous psalm (e.g., 38:13 = 39:2, 9; 38:11 = 39:10; 38:1= 39:11), as well as to the words of Job (e.g., 39:4 = Jb 6:11; 39:13 = Jb 10:20–21)

39:1–3. David reviewed his past when he said, I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue, and he was determined to guard his mouth … while the wicked were in his presence (v. 1). Knowing his own tendency to meet injustice with quick-tempered outbursts rather than more thoughtful and discerning responses, David determined to refrain from rash pronouncements that he might later regret as excessive and hence sinful (as in 1Sm 25:21–22, 33). While this determination was a good thing and consistent with biblical wisdom (see Pr 14:29; 17:27), David took it too far by remaining silent when he should have spoken and in so doing refrained even from good (therefore, his sorrow grew worse; v. 2; cf. Lv 19:17).

39:4–6. He prayed, Lord, make me to know my end … the extent of my days (v. 4). He desired to know how to use his time and his opportunities to speak or be silent. He realized that every man at his best is a mere breath (cf. Pss 49:10–12; 62:9; 89:47; 90:3–6; Ec 1:2–4; 6:12; Is 40:6–8). This does not, however, justify or exonerate David from the sin of remaining silent when he should have spoken.

39:7–13. David threw himself on God’s mercy for forgiveness of sin: And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you (v. 7). David acknowledged his transgressions (v. 8)—his "manner" of having kept silent when he should have spoken—and he affirmed the justness and necessity of God’s correction (v. 11, with reproofs You chasten; see comments on Ps 6:1). Significantly as part of his repentance, David affirmed both his relationship with and his desire for God, as indicated by his statement I am a stranger with You (v. 12). This psalm ends on a note of despair (turn Your gaze away from me; v. 13) because he felt so ashamed to be in God’s presence. However, Ps 40 contains the record of God’s answer to David’s prayer, which included His promise to send a Deliverer for him (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 323).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4.

This psalm divides in two sections. The first contains the psalmist’s thanksgiving for deliverance (vv. 1–10), and the second includes his prayer for deliverance (vv. 11–17). The prayer for deliverance is, for the most part (vv. 13–17), repeated in Ps 70. The structure of the psalm may seem inverted. Some have maintained that David should have first prayed for deliverance and then praised God for providing it. However, this psalm more likely begins with David remembering a past deliverance (vv. 1–10) as the basis for praying for the same in a present difficulty that still requires God’s help (vv. 11–17).

40:1–5. This psalm is a joyful description of David’s deliverance from the circumstances of Ps 39. The expression the Lord … heard my cry (v. 1) here signifies, as does every biblical reference to God "hearing" (or "seeing"), God’s compassionate attention to human need (see the comments on Ps 34:15–18). The description of the pit of destruction (v. 2) is likely figurative for the problems David faced, in much the same way that contemporary believers would use this expression in a song. God’s deliverance gave David a new song … of praise (v. 3; see comments on a new song at 33:1–3), which should motivate many to trust in the Lord (cf. 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1).

The song of praise then expresses a general principle: How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust (v. 4). Then David identified his own deliverance with those wonders God has done for His people in the past and will do in the future (v. 5).

40:6–8. Having mentioned the wonder of God’s deliverance, David remembered what was written in the scroll of the book about the future Deliverer (vv. 6–8). Quoting what that Deliverer would say, David used the first person, in the voice of the Deliverer, referring to the book of the Law (Torah). The message of the Torah was not to emphasize its many sacrifices but that God actually desired Israel’s service, as seen in the slave who had his own ear pierced to demonstrate his willing service to his master (Ex 21:6). Thus, the Hebrew text says, "ears you have dug out for me" (not opened as in the NASB, though the translator’s notes for Ps 40:6 indicate lit., "dug," or possibly "pierced").

The LXX of vv. 6–8, is cited in Heb 10:5–10 as the direct utterance of the Messiah ("when He comes into the world, He says …"; v. 5) with exclusive application to the culminating work of His first advent in the offering of Himself as "one sacrifice for sins for all time" (Heb 10:12). By saying that God has not desired a sacrifice or required a burnt offering and sin offering (v. 6), the Messiah was not repudiating the unchanging divine requirement of substitutionary (life-for-life) atonement. Instead He was affirming that (1) when sacrifice is offered, it must be accompanied by the right heart attitude (faith-filled contrition, delight, and gratitude) or else it means nothing (see Ps 51:16–19), and (2) the animal sacrifices never in fact satisfied God’s requirement for sin, "for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Heb 10:4). Only the one sacrifice that was qualified by the spiritual purity (i.e., a soul untainted by sin and depravity) to do so—that of Messiah Jesus Himself—was an acceptable sacrifice. Once this sacrifice was made—and vindicated through Jesus’ resurrection (Rm 1:4)—God required no other sacrifice from humans but their faith in His Son and spiritual service (Rm 12:1). Further, Heb 10:5 also quotes the LXX translation "a body You have prepared for Me." This is a paraphrastic translation of the Hebrew "my ears you have dug" (v. 6). The LXX’s wording is an acceptable translation in that both LXX and the Hebrew are speaking of the Messiah’s complete devotion to serving God.

40:9–10. Having anticipated the coming of the future Deliverer, the psalm returns to celebrating the glad tidings of God’s deliverance (v. 9; cf. 35:17–18). His message was about God’s lovingkindness and truth.

40:11–12. Here a shift occurs from praise to urgent supplication: You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me (v. 11). David’s need was great because of his own iniquities (v. 12; cf. 25:17–18; 38:2–14).

40:13–17. David implored God to intervene: Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; make haste … to help me (v. 13; cf. Ps 38:22). He then specified what he would like the Lord to do to his enemies, that they would be ashamed and humiliated … be turned back and dishonored … and be appalled in shame (vv. 14–15). On the other hand, for the righteous he asked God, Let all who seek You rejoice. Finally he expressed his overall goal in every circumstance: the Lord be magnified! (v. 16; cf. 35:27; 70:4).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. Ps 40 contains David’s plea for deliverance and help. In Ps 41 the ancient editor of the book of Psalms concludes the first "book" (the first major division of Psalms, Pss 1–41) with a psalm emphasizing David’s unfailing trust in God for deliverance. Because God is faithful to His Word, David could rely on Him (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 323).

41:1–3. With the opening words of v. 1, How blessed is he …, Book One of Psalms concludes in the same way it began—with explicit reference to individual blessing (see comments on Ps 1:1). The blessings of Ps 1 are also tied to Ps 2:12 and the theme of finding refuge in the Son. The intentional "bookending" of this key phrase both there and here serves not only to emphasize the motif of individual blessing, but also to clarify that the concept of worship that leads to individual blessing, as introduced in Ps 1, includes, among other things, the specific demonstration of compassion and grace (per 41:1, he who considers the helpless). In other words, the worship resulting in personal blessing (Ps 1) should include acts of compassion and grace (Ps 41). Worship should be expressed in obedience to the second greatest commandment ("You shall love your neighbor as yourself," Mt 22:39; cf. Lv 19:18), which follows the first commandment, to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Mt 22:37; cf. Dt 6:4–5).

41:4–9. David asked that God would show him grace: As for me, I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me … for I have sinned against You." To persist in expressing worship (and experiencing blessing) in showing compassion and grace toward others, believers must persist in affirming the expression of God’s compassion and grace toward them. The focus here is on the individual believer’s continuing need for God’s compassion and grace. Specifically this includes God’s grace in healing his soul when he has sinned (v. 4), that is, God’s responding to sin with fatherly correction intended to lead the believer to repentance and restoration to a healthy, growing walk (life) in godliness (see Pr 3:11–12; Heb 4:4–16, and comments there). God’s compassion and grace is also seen in relieving the believer of emotional distress when he is persecuted for living a godly life, whether by those who hate him (v. 7) or a close friend whom he trusted (v. 9). The Lord Jesus applied this passage to His own experience at His final Passover (the Last Supper) when he spoke of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal (Jn 13:18).

41:10–13. David asked for grace again: O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up (e.g., 4:1; 6:2; 25:16; 57:1). The experience of God’s grace brings with it an inseparable encouragement. In this case, being delivered from his enemy was evidence that God had upheld him in his integrity (vv. 11–12a). God set him (better translated, "have set," per the Hebrew verb in past tense) in His presence forever (v. 12b). The righteous will someday see God face to face and enjoy Him forever, but until that time fellowship with the Lord is possible on a daily basis through knowing the Scriptures and walking with Him in obedience. David began with a focus on the Lord’s gracious blessing on him, and concluded with a doxology by emphasizing the importance of a believer’s never-ending lifestyle of blessing God: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting (v. 13; cf. 106:48). The final words Amen and Amen ("so be it," "truly") conclude four of the books of the Psalms (cf. 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48).

Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one cohesive thought, as indicated by (1) their use of the same refrain (42:5, 11; 43:5); (2) their focus on the same theme (longing for God’s fatherly protection and nurturing); (3) their clear structural division, when taken together, into three parts (42:1–5; 42:6–11; 43:1–5) consistent with the typically attested psalmic structure; (4) their being treated together as a single unit in early rabbinic sources and presented as such in most Hebrew manuscripts and printed Hebrew editions of the psalms; and (5) their being recited as a single unit in long-standing eastern (Sephardic) Jewish tradition on the Feast of Booths (which likewise commemorates God’s nurturing of the Israelites). Consistent with its placement at the beginning of the second of the five "books" of Psalms, this psalm focuses on and hence introduces the main theme of Book Two: God’s fatherly care, both material and spiritual. This is parallel to the second book of the Pentateuch (Exodus) with the same theme.

This psalm is described as a Maskil (see introduction to Ps 32 and Introduction: Genre) and attributed to the sons of Korah (see Introduction: Author). They were the Levites who were faithful to the Lord and were not "swallowed up" by the earth for rebelling against Moses as their father was along with some 250 other men (Nm 26:10–11; see also Nm 16:1–40). From the days of David onward, they were among the Levitical singers in the temple (see 1Ch 6:22–28, 31; 2Ch 20:19).

42:1–5. The focus of this psalm is yearning for the Lord: As the deer pants (lit., "longs for") water … so my soul longs for You, O God. This image of a thirsty deer illustrates the urgency of the psalmist’s craving for God, which is essential to life, just as water is to the deer. The psalmist’s specific comparison of the deer to my soul (rather than the more general "to me") also indicates God’s nurture extends not merely to physical needs but more significantly to spiritual needs (cf. my soul vv. 2a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 11a). The phrase the living God links to Israel’s encounter with the Lord at the fiery mountain when God made Himself known in a powerful, personal way (Ex 19:16, 18; 20:18–21; cf. Dt. 5:5, 25–26). In his time of need, David recalled his struggle and said, My tears have been my food day and night, as he constantly prayed. The wording in v. 4 (procession, thanksgiving, keeping festival) is suggestive of the Feast of Booths, which was one of Israel’s three pilgrimage festivals (the other two being Passover and Pentecost) and was specifically intended as a time of thanksgiving for God’s protective care of the Israelites during their 40-year sojourn in the desert (Lv 23:34–43).

42:6–7. The psalmist portrayed the depth of his need for and trust in God’s nurture by asking "Why are you in despair?" (v. 5) rather than trusting in the Lord. He reminded himself, "Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him" (v. 5). No matter where he was in Israel—whether at its eastern border in the land of the Jordan or in its northern reaches among the peaks of Hermon (a mountain containing three peaks, one of which is Mount Mizar)—he would remember (i.e., "call to mind," or "invoke") the Lord (v. 6). The psalmist noted that deep calls to deep at the sound of God’s waterfalls … and His waves ha[d] rolled over him, expressions that carry through the theme of the Lord quenching the psalmist’s spiritual thirst through His abundant water supply (v. 7). This image captures the waterfalls from the Hermon mountain range, as well as the waves of the Jordan River.

42:8. The psalmist was confident of God’s fatherly protection and care. His statement that the Lord will command (send forth His love, like a military messenger to do His will) His lovingkindness to care for him indicates the psalmist’s confidence (see comments on Ps 5:7). Furthermore, the Lord’s care is continual, in the daytime … in the night.

42:9–11. Despite his expression of confidence in God, David openly admitted his struggles and asked: Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? David realized his circumstances were causing his enemies (those who do not know the Lord) to mock: Where is your God? (see comments on Ps 6). Ultimately the psalm ends with David’s admonition/encouragement to himself: Hope in God, despite any circumstances, for I shall yet praise Him. He identified the Lord as the help of his countenance and his God.

For evidence that Ps 43 should be read as part of a single unit with Ps 42, see the introductory comments to Ps 42. There is an implicit allusion to personal guilt in David that caused God to seemingly but not actually reject him (43:2).

43:1–2. After expressing his hope in the Lord (42:11), the psalmist opened this psalm with an appeal to God’s protective care in order to vindicate him and plead his case (as in Ps 35:1; see the comment there). The request was that he be delivered from an ungodly nation … the deceitful and unjust man (v. 1). David’s enem[ies] here are the Gentile nations and their people who are oppress[ing] him (v. 2).

43:3–5. The further appeal to God to send out His light and His truth underscores the comprehensive vitality of God’s care (v. 3). Light is what God created first for humanity’s specific benefit and is a symbol of God’s overall redemptive provision (see Pss 27:1; 36:9; Gn 1:3–4; also see comments there), whereas truth refers specifically to God’s moral provision and absolute holiness (the necessary revelation for godly living). These provisions, of following the Lord’s light and truth, will bring the psalmist and those of like mind to God’s holy hill (i.e., the Temple Mount, see comment on Ps 2:6), which is the dwelling place of God’s glory (v. 3; cf. 1Kg 8:27–30; Ezk 43:7). The goal of God’s provision is to lead believers permanently into His presence and to the joy[ful] praise of their God (v. 4). The concluding verse is a refrain of Ps 42:11 (see comments there).

On the heading of this Maskil of the sons of Korah, see comments on the headings to Pss 3, 32, and 42.

In the previous psalm, there is an implicit allusion to personal guilt in David that caused God to seemingly but not actually reject him (43:2). Psalm 44 deals with guilt and its consequences, even when it is not clearly visible (see especially vv. 9–19; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 324).

44:1–3. The psalmist’s words are directed to the Lord, but they remind his readers of Israel’s history: O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us the work that You did in their days, in the days of old (v. 1). The psalmist affirmed that the fathers of his generation have told them (their children) about the work that God did throughout the history of the nation of Israel (e.g., Ex 10:2; 12:14–27; 42; Dt 32:7; Est 9:23–32). The subsequent verses review God’s past victories and miracles by which God delivered Israel, provided for them, and established them in the land of Canaan. God drove out the nations and then planted his people there instead. He spread them throughout the promised land (v. 2). This was not accomplished by the might of the people of Israel, not by their own sword, but by God’s right hand and His arm and the light of His presence—phrases closely linked to Israel’s exodus from Egypt (v. 3; cf. Ex 6:6; 3:20; 7:5; Jos 24:13). God did deliver Israel by (1) His right hand and His arm (synonyms denoting His majestic and redemptive power; cf. Ps 77:15; Ex 15:6, 16; Is 53:1), (2) the light of His presence (signifying privileged position, i.e., relationship, as the recipient of God’s salvation and love; cf. Jn 1:4–13; 3:19–21; 1Jn 2:8; and comments on Pss 11:7b; 13:1; 41:12), and (3) God’s favor (i.e., His unconditional, love-motivated, and merciful blessing, as in, e.g., Ps 85:1; cf. Dt 7:8; 33:11a, 23–24).

44:4–8. The declaration of God as King is followed by a request for victories for Jacob (the people of Israel; v. 4; cf. 14:7 and comments there). The psalmist declared that Israel will succeed (push back our adversaries) only through God’s work in and through them (v. 5). Therefore, he said, I will not trust in my bow, nor will my sword save me (v. 6; cf. 20:7), as God alone will grant victory. He affirmed that God had saved them; the Lord had answered his request, so in God they had boasted all day long (vv. 7–8; cf. 5:11).

44:9–10. The statement You have rejected us (v. 9; 60:1), expresses the psalmist’s feelings at that time, in the midst of Israel’s distressing situation, and is not a statement of actual fact (which would contradict a host of other biblical passages; cf. Lv 26:44; Is 49:15; Jr 31:35–37).

44:11–16. God had scattered his people among the nations (v. 11). This is the same wording in the Pentateuch (see Lv 26:33), where God warned the Israelites of the correction He would bring on them for their disobedience (cf. Lv 26:22; Dt 28:36–37). This statement suggests a situation in which Israel had begun to be taken into exile—though not completely, since they were still struggling to push back their adversaries (Ps 44:5). The conquest and deportation of the people in the northern kingdom of Israel took place under the Assyrian king Sargon II, and this threatened the southern kingdom of Judah under Sargon’s successor Sennacherib. That this is the situation of which the psalmist here lamented is further suggested by the parallel wording in v. 16a (because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles) and God’s description of Sennacherib (cf. Is 37:23).

44:17–19. The psalmist affirmed but we have not forgotten; the people were faithful to God’s covenant (the Mosaic covenant; v. 17). Therefore he considered the alternate possibility that the distressing situation facing His people was not intended as correction, but rather as an occasion for testing, or refinement, as in the case of Job. Saying our steps have not deviated from Your way (v. 18) is closely parallel to that of Job in defending his own integrity (cf. Jb 31:5–7)

44:20–22. This perspective of refinement rather than correction is underscored: But for Your sake we are killed all day long (v. 22). They were suffering, although they had not forgotten the name of their God (v. 20; cf. 23:3 and comments there). This is applied elsewhere in Scripture to the believer’s temporal (i.e., this-worldly) experience of "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword" (Rm 8:35–36) and counterbalanced by the eternally grounded belief that "in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Rm 8:37).

44:23–26. Just as the idea of God "rejecting" His people (v. 9) is an emotional question, here is a clearly figurative expression: why do You sleep, O Lord? (v. 23)—for the Lord who keeps Israel "will neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps 121:4; cf. Is 27:3). Whether the distress experienced by the psalmist and his people is intended as correction or refinement—or a mixture of both—their relationship with God is a reality, grounded not in Israel’s obedience but in the Lord’s faithful love, or lovingkindness (cf. comments on Ps 5:7). Hence the psalmist appealed for the sake of (i.e., to maintain the integrity of) the Lord’s lovingkindness, and not his or his people’s own comfort or reputation (v. 26; cf. 3:7; 6:4; 25:22). This call for deliverance is answered in Ps 45 with the promise of a coming divine King who will bring about this salvation (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 324).

On the heading of this Maskil of the sons of Korah, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3, 4, 32, and 42. The concise instruction according to the Shoshannim ("Lilies") likely designates the melody of this psalm (see introductory comments to Ps 60; cf. headings of Pss 69 and 80). It is A Song of Love in celebration of the king’s marriage. This and other psalms indicated as songs were to be sung, and some included additional musical direction (see the comments on songs under Introduction: Types of Psalms). Some have proposed that the psalm describes David’s marriage, perhaps to Michal, or Maacah of Geshur, or even to Bathsheba. But David was not king when he married Michal nor was he over all Israel when he married Maacah; and Bathsheba was not of a royal family (as v. 9 requires). Others have proposed Solomon as the kingly groom at his marriage to an Egyptian princess. But this is unlikely for three reasons: (1) this king was a warrior (vv. 3, 5) and Solomon was not; (2) none of Solomon’s sons were made princes over the whole earth (v. 16); and (3) Solomon’s marriages to pagan princesses would not have found the approval that this wedding does (cf. 1Kg 11:1–13).

It is far better to take the wedding described in the psalm as symbolic. The wedding is not that of the Davidic king but rather that of the Son of God (the "bridegroom") and His people (the "bride"). According to Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., there are four reasons that this psalm refers to the Messiah: (1) this is a divine ruler, addressed directly as "O God" (v. 6); (2) the king has an eternal kingdom (v. 6); (3) the king is a divinely anointed ruler (v. 7); and (4) the king is a righteous ruler (v. 6) (Walter C. Kaiser Jr., The Messiah in the Old Testament [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995], 128–29).

45:1–2. This psalm indicates its subject: I address my verses to the King (v. 1). Although some suggest this is addressed to David or Solomon, the identity of the king as shown above can only refer to the divine King, the Son of God, as seen in the content of the psalm.

45:3–5. The description of the king as Mighty One, riding in splendor and majesty (v. 3; cf. 21:5 comments) for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness and doing awesome things (v. 4) are all terms often used to describe the Lord. The psalmist affirmed that the divine King is "fairer" than anyone else (v. 2; cf. Ps 27:4 and see comment there). He will one day be affirmed by all (Is 33:17), in marked contrast to the initial assessment of His people (Is 53:2). "Grace is poured upon [lit., "by"] Your lips" (v. 2), that is, His speech is imbued with grace and purity throughout (see the similar wording in Pr 22:11, as well as the clear application of this concept in Lk 4:22 to Jesus and His speech).

Calling the king the Mighty One (lit., "hero," "valiant warrior") ascribes to Him an important divine messianic title, also employed in Ps 24:8 (see comment there) and Is 9:6. And He is clothed in splendor and majesty (see Ps 110:3 and comment there). He is further qualified by the messianic combination of truth (cf. Jn 1:14), meekness (i.e., nonarrogance; cf. Zch 9:9), and righteousness (v. 4; cf. Is 9:7). Also attributed to Him are the exclusively messianic attributes of receiving the obedience of the peoples (v. 5; i.e., all human ethnic groups, as in Gn 49:10, an allusion strengthened by the reference to the royal scepter in v. 6b) and reigning forever (v. 6a; see 2Sm 7:13; Lk 1:33; cf. Rev. 5:9–10).

45:6–7. This previous section accordingly focused on the preeminence of the divine King to all others—whether men or angels—which is precisely the intended point in Heb 1:8–9, where the culminating thought of this section, in Ps 45:6–7, is cited. The phrase Your throne, O God is the key and indicates that the King who is being addressed is God. While it might be possible to understand v. 6 in the sense "Your throne is divine" or "God is your throne," the traditional understanding (Your throne, O God) is best for several reasons. Both in the verses before and after v. 6, the second person "you" predominates, and those uses refer to the King (see v. 1). When the King is referred to in v. 6 as being upon His throne, He is then called "God," suggesting that this King is divine. Then, in v. 7b, when God is clearly referred to, the psalmist uses the third person (Your God [He], has anointed You), thus distinguishing God from the (divine) King. In v. 7, the phrase God, Your God is instructive after the use of God in v. 6. While the King may be divine, He must not forget that God is still His God. Implicit here is a distinction between the divine King Messiah and the divine Father.

One might object that no monotheistic Jewish poet would ever use "God" in the full sense of the word for a king of Israel. But the psalmist could speak of this King’s "splendor" and "majesty" (45:3) as well as God’s magnificence and grandeur (96:6; the same words are used in both passages). Likewise, the psalmist could speak of the King’s proclivity to support "truth" and "righteousness" (45:4, 6) as well as God’s same activity (33:5; 99:4; Is 61:8); the King’s ability to judge uprightly (Ps 45:6b) as well as God’s ability to do the same (67:4; 99:4); and this King has a throne that is eternal (45:6), just as God does (10:16; 93:2; 145:13). It seems reasonable that the king who is extolled in Ps 45 might be the Davidic King, presented in Ps 45 as divine.

45:8–9. The king is symbolically depicted as experiencing a glorious wedding day, attended by noble ladies and a queen in gold at His right hand. This is not the wedding of Solomon but a symbolic picture of the greater Son of David, the Messiah, when He unites with His faithful people, as a groom with a bride, at the future messianic banquet (cf. Is 25:6–8; 54:4–5).

45:10–15. If the king in this psalm is the Son of God, the Messiah, then the bride described in this section can only be His people, redeemed Israel. It finds a parallel with the depiction elsewhere in the OT of national Israel as the wife of the Lord (see Hs 2:19–20; Is 54:5). This is a royal bride, dressed in gold, as a royal priesthood (Ex 19:5–6). She must cut ties with her past (v. 10) and bow down to her King, the Lord. She will then be privileged to enter into the King’s palace (v. 15, the word typically designating the sanctuary—the place of God’s eternal throne; see Ezk 43:7 and comments on Ps 11:4–7a).

45:16–17. Continuing (and slightly mixing) the metaphor, the psalmist concluded by focusing on the eternal testimony to God’s redemptive glory, namely, the sons, or "children" of the messianic King (i.e., His people, believers). As a result of the King’s sacrificial-atoning work, they will be brought into relationship with Him (cf. Is 53:10; Rm 8:16) and partake of His royal status as princes (as well as priests; see 1Pt 2:9 and comment on Ps 110:4). The psalmist then affirmed that the peoples will give You thanks [lit., "praise You"] forever (v. 17). This employs the same phraseology Jacob gave in his messianic blessing on Judah and his seed (Gn 49:8–12): "Your brothers shall praise You … and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (vv. 8, 10). When Israel comes to know the divine King, so also will the nations share in the messianic blessing (Gn 12:3b; 22:18).

On the heading of this Psalm of the sons of Korah … A Song, see comments on the headings to Pss 3, 4, and 42. This and other psalms indicated as songs were to be sung and some included additional musical direction (see comments on songs under Introduction: Types of Psalms). The musical instruction, set to Alamoth (lit., "maidens"), likely refers to the melody of the psalm (cf. 1Ch 15:20). The description of the divine King who will rescue Israel (Ps 45) is followed by this psalm that describes the King’s city, Jerusalem, when He comes (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 325).

46:1–3. The depth of God’s concern as the refuge and strength of Israel is stressed by the description of Him as being a very present [i.e., always available] help in trouble. The permanence and inviolability of God as Israel’s help is certain (v. 1). Nothing can happen, though the earth should change—due to earthquakes, avalanches, raging waters, quak[ing] mountains, or any other natural disaster, with all the chaos and emotional turmoil brought about by such disasters, that will ever keep the Lord from being the refuge of Israel (vv. 2–3).

46:4–7. The imagery in this section turns to the hope of intimate accessibility to God’s presence in the future, when the Messiah reigns from Jerusalem, the city of God, when He establishes His throne in Zion (Ezk 43:7) and ultimately remakes all creation in purity and at rest in Him (Rv 21:1–5) The river whose streams [or "divisions"] make glad … the holy dwelling places (i.e., the temple compound and all its compartments, as in Ps 43:3) of the Most High (Ps 46:4) parallels both the phraseology and specific concepts surrounding, first, the garden of Eden. Eden is described as having "a river" that "flowed out" of it and was "divided" where there was communion with God’s "presence" (Gn 2:10; 3:8). Second, also similar to Eden is the reestablishment of God’s presence through the divine King in the most holy place (v. 5), where He will dwell among the sons of Israel and at which time a river will open up just below the altar and bring the gladness of life and healing to all along its course making alive even the Dead Sea (Ezk 43:1–12; cf. Is 35:1). And third, when creation is renewed it will be God’s holy tabernacle where people will commune with the God of Jacob. (v. 7; cf. Rv 21:3, 22; 22:1–2).

46:8–11. The psalmist closed this psalm with words of encouragement to behold the works of the Lord (v. 8), referring specifically to His works of redemption on behalf of Israel (66:5–6). In these closing words of comfort God also included a challenge: to cease striving [lit., "cease," "relax"] and know that I am God (v. 10). Here the verb know signifies experiential knowledge (see the comment on Ps 1:6). The believer is commanded to cease worrying when faced with problems, persecution, and circumstances; instead the command is to remember that the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold (v. 11; also v. 7).

On the heading of this Psalm of the sons of Korah, see comments on the headings to Pss 3, 4, and 42. Thematically and structurally Pss 47 and 48 are closely linked. Both psalms concern divine kingship, already introduced in Pss 45 and 46, with Ps 47 focusing on the person of the divine King, and Ps 48 focusing on the city of the divine King. In both psalms the same three aspects of the person (Ps. 47) and the city (Ps. 48) are considered, reinforcing each other by their chiastic organization: challenge—praise—preeminence; preeminence—praise—challenge.

47:1–4. The psalmist began by addressing all the peoples, so that the nations of the earth are called to joy[ful] worship (the plural peoples signifying distinct religio-ethnic groups; v. 1; see comments on Ps 45:17) with the challenge of affirming the sovereign reign of the true "God of Abraham" (cf. v. 9). Clapping the hands and the verb translated shout in v. 1 are elsewhere employed in Scripture in connection with the crowning and recognition of a king (1Sm 10:24; 2Kg 11:12). The expression Most High is one of the many biblical titles of God and underscores His supreme greatness and transcendence over all creation (v. 2; cf. Dt 28:1; Ps 83:18). Hence this affirms His prerogative to (1) choose Israel’s inheritance—i.e., the promised land of Canaan (see Gn 13:15; 17:8; Pss 105:11; 135:12), despite the claims of anyone else there, and (2) bestow His irrevocable love by sovereign grace on Jacob (Israel, the Jewish people; v. 4; cf. Ps 105:8–10; Rm 9:11–13; 11:29).

47:5–7. In his exuberance of praise, the psalmist described God as having ascended with a shout (the same root as in v. 1, specifically affirming God’s kingship; v. 5; cf. 1Kg 10:19; 1Ch 28:5). On the expression skillful psalm (maskil), see introduction to Ps 32.

47:8–9. In this concluding section the psalmist looked forward to that future time when the whole world will recognize God reigns over the nations (v. 8; cf. comments 10:16). The willing submission of all humanity to God’s preeminent kingship is underscored by the princes of the people; the Hebrew term translated princes literally signifies "willing ones" or "volunteers" and derives from the same root as the term "freewill offerings" used to describe Messiah’s people (i.e., the same group as here) in Ps 110:3. All will worship the God of Abraham (v. 9; cf. Gn 12:2–3; Ex 3:6; Mt 22:32).

On the heading of this Song … a Psalm of the sons of Korah, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 42, and 46. Thematically and structurally it is closely linked to Ps 47 (see introduction there). During the period of the second temple (c. 530 BC–AD 70) this psalm was recited by the Levites in the temple during the daylight hours of the Sabbath (m. Tamid 7.4).

48:1–8. The preeminence of Zion (another name for Jerusalem) among all places in creation is tied to its being the city of our God, who is the preeminent King. More precisely, the preeminence of Zion derives from His [God’s] holy mountain (vv. 1–2). This mountain is Mount Moriah, the temple mount (see 2Ch 3:1), where God’s tangible presence dwelt historically and where the throne of His physical presence will once again be established for all eternity (see comments on Pss 2:6; 46:4–7). Here on Mount Moriah, the earthly focal point of His gracious provision, God has made Himself known (v. 3; see comments on 1:6 and 46:10). As in the last section of the previous psalm, the psalmist concluded this parallel section with a look forward to that time when God will establish Zion forever (v. 8) as the universally recognized seat of His rule over creation.

48:9–11. Those who worship God have thought on (or "pondered," "contemplated") [His] lovingkindness (Hb. chesed; see comment on Ps 5:7), on Mount Zion, in the midst of [His] temple (v. 9). The reference to the name of God concerns His reputation. As His reputation is known throughout the whole earth, so His praise will be to the ends of the earth (v. 10). The idea of Zion be glad, described here, is the praise of the residents of Zion directed to their divine King. Specifically, as described by the psalmist, this is the praise expressed by all (v. 11).

48:12–14. The psalm concludes with a command to walk about Zion … count her towers and consider her ramparts. This would involve a worship procession, reflecting on the actual structures of Jerusalem as God’s chosen beloved city (v. 2; Pss 14; 87:2–3; 102; 1Kg 11:13, 32–36; Is 24:23). They are to consider how this city was established by a fledgling people as the capital of their fledgling nation (under Joshua and later David); how it was maintained intact against much larger and more powerful forces (such as the Arameans and Assyrians; cf. Is 7:1–2; 37:36); and how, after the dramatic exile of its inhabitants as an expression of divine chastisement, it was again reestablished as Israel’s capital city against overwhelming odds (Neh 6:15–16). This observation of Jerusalem should not be limited to personal worship and reflection, but it should be told to the next generation (v. 13). Each generation is to do this and pass their knowledge of the Lord on to the next generation, for such is God, our God forever and ever. Because of His faithful love He will guide us until death (lit., "over death"; v. 14).

On the heading of this Psalm of the sons of Korah, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4; and 42. Psalm 48 concluded with God’s care for His own even to the point of death. This psalm extends that care beyond death (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 325).

49:1–4. This beginning exhortation of the opening words hear this emphasized the importance of paying attention to what was to follow (vv. 1–2), described by the overlapping terms wisdom, meditation, proverb, and riddle (vv. 3–4; cf. Pr 1:6).

49:5–9. This section is one of the most concise biblical declarations of the human dilemma: Why should I fear in days of adversity? God alone is eternal and sovereign, whereas even those with abundance of their riches cannot live on eternally (vv. 5–6, 9). Everyone needs to be redeemed from eternal and spiritual death (cf. Ec 7:20; Ezk 18:4; Dn 12:2; Rm 3:23; 6:23), but also no one is able to pay his own soul’s redemption (v. 8; or "redemption price," elsewhere used only in Ex 21:30 and in parallel to "ransom") much less that of someone else (v. 7). Since this dilemma is universal, then the solution must be divine.

49:10–14. Not only are riches useless, even wise men die, along with the stupid and the senseless (v. 10). The bleakness of the human dilemma is here highlighted by focusing on the way of those who are foolish (v. 13), that is, those who believe that all the real property they amass in this life (i.e., houses … dwelling places … and lands) will enable their own names (signifying "reputation") to endure forever (v. 11; cf. Gn 11:1–9, esp. v. 4). In the end, their form (i.e., their souls / spiritual essence), and any reputation they may have, are appointed for Sheol (OT designation for the place to which all people, righteous or wicked, go after death; v. 14; cf. Gn 37:35; 44:29; Nm 16:30–31; Pss 9:17; 16:10; 55:15; Pr 23:14; Ezk 31:16).

49:15. On the other hand, the psalmist commenced this last section of the psalm with the affirmation that God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol (v. 15). The concept conveyed by the term she’ol in the OT is a complicated one, partly because both the righteous (see Jacob, Gn 37:35) and unrighteous (such as Korah and Dathan, Nm 16:30–31) go there as mentioned above. This led some early Church fathers to invent an improbable "two compartment" view of Sheol in which the wicked suffer, but the righteous reside in Abraham’s bosom until Christ’s resurrection when the righteous are led by Him into heaven. This unlikely view is also fueled by a misunderstanding of Lk 16:19–31; Eph 4:9–10; and 1Pt 3:19 (see comments there). The evidence is that the biblical term she’ol refers to the grave, where the bodies (not the souls) of all people, righteous and wicked alike, go at death. She’ol appears to be a synonym for another Hebrew word, qeber, used 71 times for "grave" (see the parallels between she’ol and qeber in Ezk 32:21–27). In Jb 17:13–16, the word she’ol denotes a downward place that is dusty, infested with worms, typified by decay—what one expects from a description of the grave (although disembodied souls notably are not eaten by worms nor do they rot). See also Jb 21:13. For this understanding of the term she’ol, see the helpful article by R. Laird Harris, "she’ol," in vol. 2, TWOT, ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody, 1980), 2:892–93.

Complicating this understanding of she’ol is the psalmist’s confidence that God would redeem his soul from the power of Sheol (v. 15). Often when nephesh (the word wrongly translated in this verse as soul) is used as the object of a verb (here it is the object of the verb redeem), it refers not to one’s immaterial nature (soul) but to a person’s life or to the entire individual himself, soul and body (see Jos 2:13; 1Sm 19:11; 2Sm 19:6; Pss 6:4; 72:13). On this Bruce K. Waltke wrote, "Here too belongs Lev 17:11, one of the most decidedly theological and distinctively meaningful passages where the word nephesh is of major significance, and one which certainly defines the term as meaning life [sic] ‘for the life (nephesh) of the flesh (basar) is in the blood’　" ("nephesh," in TWOT, 2:589–90). In addition, in the advancing parallelism between v. 15a and 15b, me corresponds to my soul (nephesh), suggesting that soul refers to the psalmist’s entire personhood and life, who he was both in body and soul. It is better to translate v. 15: "But God will rescue my life [or me (nephesh)] from the power of the grave [she’ol]." In contrast to the righteous person, who will finally be delivered from the grave at the resurrection of the righteous (see comments on 1Co 15:50–57), the wicked "will never see the light" (v. 19).

49:16–20. This section is a reminder never to worry about anyone else’s better situation: Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, this should not threaten or concern you, but instead trust in the Lord (cf. Pss 37 and 73; see comments there).

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see comments on the heading to Ps 3. This psalm is attributed to Asaph (see Introduction: Author), who was as prophet (2Ch 29:30), as demonstrated in the many first person utterances of the Lord in this psalm (e.g., vv. 5–23).

50:1–6. This psalm begins like an oracle, a prophetic utterance: The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken (cf. Jos 22:22). His credentials are presented in several ways. He is the Creator: He summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting and summons the heavens above (vv. 1, 4). Also, He rules out of Zion in magnificent power (v. 2; cf. 48:2). He is so powerful that fire devours before Him (v. 3), a frequent description of God’s manifest power and judgment (e.g., 18:12–13; 97:3; Is 6:6–7, 13; 66:24; Zch 3:2).

50:7–15. This is another prophetic call: Hear, O My people, and I will speak (v. 7; cf. Dt 6:5). The pronouns in the phrases My people … your God (v. 7) reflect the relationship between God and His people (cf., e.g., Ex 19:3–6; Lv 19:2–4, 10, 25, 31, 34; 23:22). However, God does testify against (better translated "warns"; v. 7) His people Israel to be alert not only to their outward obedience, as epitomized by their sacrifices and burnt offerings (vv. 8–13), but also to their motives: offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving (v. 14a) that express gratitude and display righteousness in various areas of life (e.g., in fulfilling their vows, v. 14b). Especially prominent here is the need for His people to rely on Him (call upon Me in the day of trouble) and, with that attitude of utter reliance, to worship Him (you will honor Me; v. 15). These points are taken up again in Ps 51:13–19.

50:16–17. These words of judgment, but to the wicked God says, "What right have you …?" (v. 16), are directed to Israelites not Gentile nations, because pagan Gentiles would not be worshipping the God of Israel. These wicked presumed to tell of God’s statutes (a term applied elsewhere in Scripture to the law of Moses; cf. Lv 10:11; Dt 4:6) or to take His covenant in their mouth (i.e., to appeal to the Abrahamic covenant as granting them a special relationship with the Lord; Gn 12:1–3; cf. Mt 8:10–12; Lk 3:8), but they had no right.

Rather than loving God’s instruction, they hate discipline and cast God’s words behind them; they might give verbal assent and rote obedience to worshipping the Lord, but in actuality they reject His Word and rule (v. 17; see Ps 1:2; cf. Pr 5:12).

50:18–21. The wicked interpersonal behavior of God’s wayward people demonstrates their inner moral corruption. They (1) approve of the behavior of a thief; (2) associate with adulterers; (3) speak evil and deceit; and (4) slander their own brother. At the same time, the wicked wrongly thought the Lord was just like them, making God into their image—a common error (cf. 10:3–6, 11). Instead the Lord will reprove them and will begin by stating the case in order right before their eyes, in the form of a legal indictment.

50:22–23. In concluding His "ruling," God addressed both groups, asking them to consider His message, which combines warning, exhortation, and promise. First, there is a warning to those who forget God (i.e., who ignore His statutes and offer Him no true worship), or He will tear them in pieces, an image of judgment (cf. Ps 7:1–2, this may indicate eternal condemnation; cf. Dn 12:2). The conjunction or (lit., "lest") signals God’s grace by giving them the possibility of escaping this fate through repentance and worship. Second, an exhortation that He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors God; to go through the actions of worship and sacrifice with the right motives is to offer sacrifices truly expressive of thanksgiving to the Lord and sparked by trust in God and the recognition of His deliverance (as in Ps 50:15). Worshiping the Lord with a pure heart will result in one who orders his way aright, lives a godly life. Finally, God promises to the one who does sincerely worship the Lord and lives according to His Word that He shall show him the salvation of God (cf. 1:1–3). The verb show (lit., "cause to see") here has the sense of "provide." It is often translated this way elsewhere, and when applied to God it always refers to His active interaction with people (or a person) to give them what is best (see comments on Ps 4:6, where the same verb is used).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. The occasion for this psalm was when Nathan the prophet came to David to reprove him and prompt him to repent after [David] had gone in to Bathsheba, which is related in 2Sm 12.

51:1. David’s plea for God to be gracious to him is based on the Lord’s character: according to Your lovingkindness and the greatness of Your compassion (cf. 6:4). One thing that undoubtedly qualified David as "a man after [God’s] own heart" (1Sm 13:14) was not that he was sinless, but that when confronted with his sin, he sincerely confessed and repented of it, rather than excusing, diminishing, or ignoring it. Such was exactly his response when called out by Nathan on his sins of murder and adultery. His request to blot out my transgressions pictures forgiveness with the image of writing being removed from a papyrus scroll (cf. v. 9; 9:5; Is 43:25; Jr 18:23).

51:2–3. David’s request for forgiveness is further illustrated with the images of wash me in terms of the removal of filth and cleanse me in terms of ritual purification for participation in temple worship (v. 2). Once David was confronted by Nathan, he recognized reality: my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me (v. 3).

51:4. The depth of David’s spiritual sensitivity is clear: Against You, You only [Hb. "You alone"], I have sinned. That is to say, "Against You, who alone (i.e., set apart, unparalleled) is the eternal and holy God, I have sinned." He was not denying that he sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba; he knew he had committed the sin of adultery and murder. Instead he is affirming the grievous nature of his sin against the Lord, as did Joseph when he refused the offer made by Potiphar’s wife to sin sexually with her. Joseph asked, "How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" (Gn 39:9). David recognized that in addition to the people against whom he had sinned, his primary sin was against the Lord, who alone is the source and standard of righteousness (cf. Ps 71:16; Ec 7:20; Jr 23:6; Rm 3:10) and who alone is the judge of all human sin (see Ps 50 and comments there).

51:5–6. By saying I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me (v. 5; see also Gn 8:21; Ps 58:3; Is 48:8), David did not indicate that he was conceived during some sinful act by his mother. Rather, the better understanding is that David bemoaned the possession of a sin nature, which came to him through natural generation at the moment of his conception. David contrasted his sinful nature with the Lord, who desires truth in the innermost being. Therefore David desired in the hidden part for God to make him know wisdom (v. 6; cf. 37:30–31; 139:13–16).

51:7–9. Following his confession of sin, David returned to his plea for forgiveness. David implored God’s mercy, which meant not giving him the death penalty he deserved for both murder and adultery (cf. Gn 9:6; Ex 21:12; Lv 20:10). David recognized that God in His justice cannot simply ignore sin, and that the penalty it requires (i.e., life) must still somehow be paid (Lv 17:11; Ps 49:7–8). So he implored God to forgive him and to purify him with hyssop (v. 7). Hyssop is an important shrub mentioned in the Bible. Jewish slaves dipped a bunch of hyssop in the blood of a slain lamb and applied some on both the lintel and doorposts of their houses prior to the Passover (Ex 12:22). Hyssop was also used in ceremonial cleansing from skin disease (Lv 14:4–7) and in making the red heifer offering (Nm 19:6). Thus, the symbolism of hyssop portrayed spiritual cleansing. The request to wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow is for complete purity (v. 7; cf. Is 1:18). To hide Your face from my sins is parallel to blot out all my iniquities (v. 9; cf. v. 1), or in other words, remove my sins from before You.

51:10–11. Along with his request for the forgiveness and removal of sin, David asked that God renew a steadfast [lit., a "right-thinking"] spirit within him (v. 10; cf. v. 6). His request that God not take His Holy Spirit from him (v. 11) has often been explained as a petition by David that God not revoke his salvation. This is a misunderstanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the OT. Under the old covenant, the Spirit would come upon individuals to enable them to do remarkable work (see, e.g., Ex 31:3; 35:31; 1Sm 11:6), but He could also depart from them (as in the case of Saul in 1Sm 16:14, after which Saul’s decisions as king were consistently unwise, even though he himself was still "saved"; cf. 1Sm 28:19). Nowhere is the Spirit promised such that He might take up permanent residence in the rank-and-file OT believer. In David’s case, the Spirit came upon him so he could function skillfully as Israel’s king (1Sm 16:13–14). There is every reason to believe that David was saved in an OT sense before the coming of the Spirit upon him. What David was therefore requesting was that God not take away His special empowerment through the Spirit to function wisely in the role of Israel’s king. Under the new covenant after the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit permanently comes upon and resides in believers, never to be taken away (see Jesus’ promise of this to the disciples in Jn 14:16–17; Rm 8:9, 37–39).

51:12–13. After being forgiven and restored to fellowship with the Lord, David asked to have the joy of [God’s] salvation returned (v. 12). People identified as transgressors and sinners were Israelites who had stopped following the Lord. David wanted to teach [them God’s] ways (cf. 25:4). For the sinner to be converted (lit., "turned back" or "turned around," the most frequently used OT term for turning to the Lord) to You does not mean a change in ethnic identity, but to turn away from sin and toward the Lord; to have a change of heart/mind about one’s behavior and henceforth to follow the Lord.

51:14–17. In response, David promised that if God would deliver [Him] from bloodguiltiness, then he would joyfully sing of God’s righteousness (v. 14) and declare God’s praise (v. 15). He would also bring Him "righteous sacrifices" (v. 19). David’s assertion You do not delight in sacrifice (v. 16) does not negate the sacrificial system, but rather indicates the Lord’s rejection of sacrifice offered without a proper heartfelt attitude and foundation of sincere faith (cf. 40:6). Once that foundation of right attitude is laid, the sacrifice becomes acceptable to God. But God finds the offering of sacrifices without a broken spirit and a broken and a contrite heart (v. 17) repugnant to Him (see Is 1:13–15).

51:18–19. This prayer for Zion, requesting to build the walls of Jerusalem … so then young bulls will be offered on Your altar is probably a postexilic addition to this psalm from the time of Nehemiah.

On the heading of this Maskil of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 32. The occasion of the psalm is when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul … "David has come to the house of Ahimelech" (see 1Sm 22:9, 22; see also 1Sm 21:7).

On the concept of theodicy, which concerns the vindication of God’s justice in the face of what would seem to be His allowance and on occasion even enacting of injustice, see comments on Ps 37 (as well as Rm 9:14–29, which addresses this topic in an especially pointed fashion). In this case the seeming injustice in view is what occurred when (1) God ordained that Doeg communicate David’s whereabouts, thereby placing David in greater danger and distress, followed by (2) Doeg’s massacre of the priests at Nob, underscoring the seeming folly of God’s withdrawing from Saul the ability to lead effectively.

On this psalm, John Sailhamer commented, "The note about Doeg is probably intended to bring David’s words into the larger messianic picture of the fall of the house of Edom at the hands of the house of David (cf. Nm 24:18). It had long been an important part of the messianic hope of Israel that the Messiah’s coming would be marked by the destruction of Israel’s enemies, principally, the Edomites (e.g., Am 9:12; Ob 18). Edom was particularly singled out, not because its people were excessively evil, but for what was in fact a literary reason: ‘Edom,’ similar to the Hebrew word for humankind (‘Adam’), was used in order to form a wordplay. Hence, in speaking of the defeat of Edom (v. 5), the psalmist naturally calls to mind God’s judgment of all humanity" (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 326). While the reference is to Doeg the Edomite, he serves as an example of what will happen in the future to all humanity under the hand of David’s supreme Son.

52:1–4. The mighty man in view here is Doeg the Edomite, whose character and actions David immediately contrasted with God’s own. Whereas Doeg boasted in evil … the lovingkindness of God endures all day long (i.e., even when man is sleeping, since God never does; v. 1; cf. Ps 121:4; Is 27:3; on lovingkindness, see comments on 5:7). David focused his description of Doeg on imagery connected with speech (v. 2, your tongue; v. 3, speaking; v. 4, words that devour … deceitful tongue) since the injustice Doeg committed was instigated by his report about David (1Sm 22:9–10). David therefore condemned what Doeg said as being evil (v. 3), whereas doing good sometimes requires saying nothing at all.

52:5–7. God’s justice is ultimately vindicated in that He will one day, inevitably, break … down the wicked and uproot them from the land of the living, plus this will be their state forever (v. 5), that is, eternal condemnation and separation from the presence of God (see Dn 12:2; Mt 25:46). The latter (eternal separation from God)—which is unquestionably the essence of the final torment of the wicked—is signaled by David’s assertion that God will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent (v. 5). Though some translations, including the NASB, insert the pronoun your (which is not in the Hb. text) before tent here, more likely David was referring here to God’s tent. God does not always "tear away" the wicked from their "tent," though He will ultimately tear down their "house," that is, their dynasty (as in Pr 15:25). Also the use of "tent" in this context parallels David’s use of the same word in Ps 27:5, where it clearly refers to God’s "tent" (the tabernacle), and, as in the present psalm, is paralleled by reference to God’s "house" (the temple; see v. 8 and Ps 27:4).

52:8–9. Just as God’s justice is ultimately vindicated by the eternal separation of the wicked from His presence, so too is it vindicated by the establishment of the righteous in His presence. Here the righteous are pictured like a green olive tree in the house of God (referring to the "tabernacle" of the new creation; see comments on Ps 15:1), where David will rest in the lovingkindness of God forever (v. 8), and give Him thanks forever in the company of His godly ones (i.e., the righteous, like him; cf. Ps 142:7 and see comment there).

This Maskil of David repeats, with minor variations, Ps 14, apparently to emphasize the unchanging anatomy of human folly (its essence and pervasiveness). On the heading of this Maskil of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 32. The concise instruction according to Mahalath probably designates the melody to which the psalm was to be sung, though the meaning of the term Mahalath is uncertain (suggestions include "sickness," "entreaty," or "pardon"). If Doeg the Edomite in Ps 52 stands for all humanity apart from and contrary to God and facing His judgment, this psalm continues the theme of God’s universal judgment of humanity (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 326).

53:1a. See the comments on Ps 14:1a.

53:1b–4. See the comments on Ps 14:1b–6a.

53:5. The main variation from Ps 14 complements the emphasis on God’s sympathy and proximity to the righteous in the structurally parallel passage in Ps 14:5–6. Both in 14:5–6 and 53:4–6, the psalmist emphasizes God’s judgment and rejection of those (i.e., the Gentile nations, who in the OT are generally identified with the enemies of the true God; see the comment on Ps 2:1) who encamped against David’s people (v. 5).

53:6. See the comments on Ps 14:7.

On the heading of this Maskil of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 32. This psalm was to be sung with the accompaniment of stringed instruments. The occasion for this psalm was when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Is not David hiding himself among us?" This refers to the situation introduced in 1Sm 23:19, in which the wording is identical to that in the heading of this psalm (hence not the situation introduced in 1Sm 26:1). The Ziphites were Israelite residents of Ziph (identified with the modern site of Tel Zif), a city situated in the tribal region of Judah about 25 miles south of Jerusalem (see Jos 15:55). The Ziphites are thus to be numbered among the fools mentioned in Ps 53 (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 326).

54:1–3. David implored God, Save me … by You name, in which the term name signifies not merely the collection of labels by which God is known, but His reputation as revealed in who He is and what He does (see Gn 11:4; 12:2; Ex 3:13–16; see also comments on Pss 20:5; 23:3). David was asking God to act on His covenant love (Hb. chesed; see Ps 5:7) as previously affirmed and demonstrated toward him. David’s motivation was driven by God’s reputation ("by Your name," i.e., for His name’s sake; cf. Pss 23:3; 25:11; 143:11) and not his own. David’s enemies (v. 3, violent men … have not set God before them) had not sought to live their lives in the fear of God (cf. 111:10), in contrast to the righteous who "set the Lord continually before" them (Ps 16:8). By vindicating David (v. 1) God would ultimately be vindicating Himself.

54:4–5. David’s confidence—as he affirmed so frequently throughout his psalms—was his relationship with God. Based on God’s own words and promises to him David was convinced that whatever may transpire in his role as Israel’s king, God was his helper. The personal intimacy of this relationship is indicated by the use here of a variant form of the same word used for Eve as Adam’s wife (i.e., "a helper suitable to him"; Gn 2:18, 20) and by the additional descriptive phrase sustainer of my soul (v. 4; cf.Pss 37:17, 24; 145:14). Against his foes David also had confidence in God’s faithfulness to bring recompense on them for their evil deeds and ultimately to destroy them (v. 5).

54:6–7. In closing, David reiterated his Godcentered perspective. He ended this psalm (as he did so many others; e.g., Pss 7:17; 13:6; 26:11–12; 41:13) by affirming what he will do: I will sacrifice … I will give thanks to the Lord (v. 6), regardless of how and when God might resolve his present trouble. Despite any circumstances, ultimately God will deliver David, and he will look back upon his enemies with the knowledge that God’s name has been eternally vindicated (v. 7).

On the heading of this Maskil of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 32. This psalm was to be sung with the accompaniment of stringed instruments. Whereas Ps 54 expresses David’s confidence that God would vindicate him, Ps 55 embodies a prayer for sustenance against the pressures that his opponents brought while David waited for God to act (see esp. 55:1–3).

55:1–5. The severity of David’s situation and the depth of his desire that God resolve it is immediately evident in his four-phrase parallelism (i.e., repetition of the same thought) in vv. 1–2: (1) give ear, (2) do not hide, (3) give heed, and (4) answer me. In the ensuing verses David then described in detail the emotional and psychological torment that he was experiencing (knowing that God, his heavenly Father, the Almighty, could help him—and, indeed, that He wanted to hear his child express his need for Him), so much so that even his heart was in anguish (v. 4, lit., "trembling," as in Ps 114:7, here denoting the tremors brought on by anxiety).

55:6–8. Though the situation underlying this psalm is unspecified, a clue as to what it may have been is indicated by David’s wish that he had wings like a dove that he might fly away and be at rest (v. 6; doves are prone to fly about and dwell in places inaccessible to hunters). This idea of escape recalls David’s words in 1Sm 26:20, when he was cornered by Saul in the wilderness of Ziph (see the comments immediately below).

55:9–11. Further suggesting that this psalm reflects the situation narrated in 1Sm 26, when Saul with his 3,000 men closed in on David with his 600 (1Sm 23:13), is the phrase Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues (i.e., their ability to communicate and act efficiently against David; v. 9). Saul and his army could be stopped only by God’s direct intervention (cf. 1Sm 26:12).

55:12–15. David’s adversary was not an enemy who reproaches me (v. 12), but instead the attacks came from his companion and his familiar friend (v. 13), terms that sometimes described Saul’s attitude toward David (cf. 1Sm 16:21; 18:27). On Sheol (v. 15), see comment on Ps 49:14–15.

55:16–23. Ultimately, typical of his psalms of lament and complaint, David affirmed his confidence in the Lord: As for me, I shall call upon God, and the Lord will save me. His confidence in speaking of his situation to the Lord, even if he had to complain and murmur, was continual—evening, morning, and at noon as well. He found solace despite his situation by affirming what he knew God would do. David did not presume on God with what he wanted Him to do, but rather relied upon what God Himself had said He will do: He will hear my voice. Because God is faithful to His Word, His children have every right to expect Him to do what He said He will do. And what He has promised is to deliver His children from all the distress and persecution of this world (Is 25:8; Rv 21:4), in the hereafter if not before. And until He chooses to do so, his children, like David, can cast their burdens upon the Lord, knowing that He will sustain them throughout and never allow them to be shaken (see comment on 15:5b, cf. 1Pt 5:7).

On the heading of this Mikhtam of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3, 4, and 16. It is accompanied by the instruction, according to Jonath elem rehokim (lit., "The Dove of the throng [or "silent one"; cf. Ps 38:11] of the distant ones"). This most likely refers to the melody by which it was to be sung. Also the occasion for this psalm was when the Philistines seized David in Gath, (cf. 1Sm 21:11–15). David concluded Ps 55 by urging others to follow his example in relying on the Lord. Here he recounts an experience when he had to do this very thing (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 326).

56:1–2. David implored God to be gracious to him, an expression found frequently in psalms of entreaty (e.g., Pss 4:1; 6:2; 9:13; 26:11; 30:10; 31:9; 41:4; 51:1). This request embodies those foundational convictions on which all his entreaties to God are based, including (1) the conviction of an existing relationship between him and God, (2) the conviction that he did not merit God’s favor, and (3) the conviction that because of their existing relationship (and despite the lack of merit), God desired to be gracious to David, his child. The psalm uses poetic repetition to emphasize David’s serious circumstances: man had trampled upon him, and he was under attack all day long (v. 1); his enemies trampled upon him all day long (v. 2).

56:3–7. Despite his circumstances, David said, When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You (v. 3; afraid is repeated for emphasis in vv. 4, 11). David’s trust in God is based on His word (v. 4a). With the Lord on his side, no matter what his enemies do (distort his words, plan evil, attack, lurk, wait for his life; vv. 5–6) David is still able to ask, what can mere man do to me? (v. 4b).

56:8–12. God was concerned not only with what was happening around David but also, and more important, with what was happening within David. Hence he affirmed that God had taken account of [lit., "counted"] his wanderings, that is, David’s wanderings about Israel as he "fled … from Saul, and went to … Gath" (1Sm 21:10). And in one of the most poignant and picturesque examples of such in the Bible, he appealed to God’s intimate concern and empathy: Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? (v. 8). This is an image of God collecting David’s tears in a wineskin, indicating that God remembered his suffering. Not one tear of His child is ever shed without evoking the most heartfelt empathy and compassion of God. Jesus likewise endured sufferings and tears (Lk 19:41; Jn 11:35) so that He might sympathize with humanity in every respect and pioneer our way to "to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:1–16).

56:13. Characteristic of David at the end of his psalms of entreaty and complaint, he looked ahead not to the hoped-for resolution of his immediate situation, but beyond it to that for which his heart truly longed: that time when he and all God’s children will do what man was meant to do in Eden—to walk [lit., "walk about," "stroll;" the same verb as in Gn 3:8; see comments there] before God in the light of the living (or "life"; cf. Ps 116:9). This signifies qualitative ideal life, for which the tree of life was meant to seal man forever (see comments on Gn 3:22) and one day will (Rv 22:2). On the symbolism of light here, see comments on Ps 27:1.

On the heading of this Mikhtam of David, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 16. This psalm is to be set to Al-tashheth (lit., "Do not destroy"; likewise Pss 58; 59; 75) and probably refers to the now unknown melody to which it was to be sung. The occasion for this psalm’s composition was when [David] fled from Saul in the cave, referring to either or both of the events recorded in 1Sm 22:1 and 24:3 (cf. Ps 142). As in the previous psalm, David found deliverance from the hand of Saul on this occasion as well and celebrated that deliverance with this song (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 327).

57:1–3. David’s opening entreaty, be gracious to me, is repeated for emphasis here as in a number of other psalms (cf. comment Ps 56:1). This entreaty is balanced by his subsequent assertion that, despite his present situation (and whether or not it was soon resolved), his soul takes refuge in God. This underscored the point David employed in a favorite familial expression: in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge (v. 1; cf. Pss 17:8; 36:7; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4). This poignant poetic imagery was first employed by Moses (Dt 32:11) and then by David’s own great-grandparents Ruth and Boaz (Ru 2:12; 3:9), and it suggests unreserved submission, reliance, and selfless devotion, grounded in a warm relationship. David also affirmed that God will send forth His lovingkindness (cf. comment on Ps 5:7) and His truth (v. 3; cf. comment on Ps 43:3), as if they were angels sent ahead of David to prepare his way.

57:4–6. Again despite his distressing circumstances as a fugitive from Saul’s wrath, the focus of David’s heart was the glory of God, whom he declared to be exalted above the heavens (v. 5). Implicit in this declaration—and also a source of encouragement to David—is the idea that God, being in the heavens and hence above all nations, will do as He pleases despite the will and opposition of man (cf. Pss 113:4; 115:3). So too, all that happens—regardless of when and how God resolves David’s situation—will ultimately contribute to the manifestation of God’s glory … above all the earth.

57:7–11. See comments on Ps 108:1–5, which repeats, with minor variations, these five verses.

On the heading of this Mikhtam of David, see comments on the headings of Pss 3; 4 and 16. The psalm is to be set to Al-tashheth (see comment on heading to Ps 57).

58:1–5. This does not begin by addressing God "the Lord" (Yahweh). Rather, the words O gods are occasionally applied to human authorities (judges and leaders) serving as intermediaries for God (see Ex 22:8–9; Ps 82:6). But the term used here is "aggregate/throng" (Hb. ’elem, as in Gn 37:7, where it is usually translated "sheaf," i.e., a collection of stalks). Therefore, the sense of David’s opening words is, Do you indeed speak righteousness, O throng? (a throng of people, parallel to sons of men in the next line; v. 1). Hence the need for divine justice is immediately introduced—and further emphasized by David’s subsequent reference to violence (v. 2, signifying "wicked violence"; see the comment on Gn 6:11) and the wicked being estranged from the womb and going astray from birth (v. 3; i.e., depraved from birth, as in Ps 51:5; see comment there). This is a poetic passage and does not mean that week-old infants sin. The idea is that because of human depravity, from early on people do that which is wicked.

58:6–8. David thus urged God to manifest his justice (for His glory, as is made clear in the next section), using a number of figures of speech for destroying the enemy. David prayed that God will (1) shatter their teeth and break out the fangs of the young lions, actions that would render both the serpent (mentioned in v. 4) and attacking lions powerless (v. 6); (2) let them flow away like water that runs off and is absorbed in the ground; (3) make their attacks miss their aim like headless arrow shafts (v. 7); (4) let them be as powerless as a snail; and (5) let them be as fruitless as miscarriages (v. 8). See comments on imprecatory psalms under Introduction: Types of Psalms.

58:9. God’s judgment will be fast: before your pots can feel the fire of thorns (the kindling to start the fire), God will quickly and ultimately manifest His justice and sweep them away as a whirlwind that carries everything away in its path.

58:10–11. The response to God’s justice that the righteous will rejoice (v. 10), not because the wicked have been destroyed as such (for in the death of the wicked God takes no delight, and so neither should His people; Ezk 18:23, 32; 33:11), but rather because God Himself has been vindicated (see comments on Pss 52:8; 54:7). Even more the sovereignty of God who judges all the earth (v. 11; cf. Gn 12:3; 18:15; 1Sm 17:46; see comments on Pss 2:10–12; 18:46–50; 22:27; 36:5–9; 45:16–17; 48:9–11).

On the heading of this Mikhtam of David, see comments on the headings of Pss 3; 4 and 16. The psalm is to be set to Al-tashheth (see the comment on heading to Ps 57). The occasion for this psalm was when Saul sent men to watch the house in which David lived with his first wife, Michal, in order to kill him, recounted in 1Sm 19:11–17.

59:1–8. David earnestly implored God to deliver him from his enemies (v. 1), referring not to Saul’s soldiers in general but to those among Saul’s followers whose desire for social and political favor by supporting the king was greater than their desire for righteousness. Hence David described them as those who do iniquity (v. 2) and who are treacherous in iniquity (v. 5). The futility of their schemes is underscored by his use of the same words as in Ps 2:4 (v. 8, namely, laugh and scoff), implying that in their opposition to David, God’s newly anointed king (1Sm 16:13), they are ultimately opposed to God Himself.

59:9–15. David was unjustly hunted by Saul and vastly outnumbered, yet he trusted in the Lord: because of his strength I will watch [anticipate/expect] for You (v. 9). David was motivated not by his own glory (that he might be recognized and respected for who he is, God’s newly anointed king), but rather by the advancement of God’s glory, that He might be recognized and respected for who the Lord is: (1) a God who is characterized by lovingkindness (Hb. chesed, loyal covenant love), by which He will meet him (lit., "go before Him," as vividly illustrated in 2Sm 5:24) as one who is under His covenant (v. 10); (2) the Lord who is our shield (v. 11); and (3) a God who is characterized by justice, for He will never let the wicked (unrepentant) go unpunished (Ex 34:7; Pr 11:21), but will destroy them in wrath (v. 13, again hearkening to the wording of Ps 2, in this case 2:12). The result will be that believers will worship and unbelievers will fear. And it is hoped unbelievers will submit and turn to Him as the only true God (as in Est 8:17), know[ing] that He rules in Jacob, the people of Israel, to the ends of the earth (v. 13).

59:16–17. David concluded in typical fashion with unconditional praise. As for him, regardless of how and when God answers him, he shall joyfully sing of God’s lovingkindness [chesed, cf. v. 10 above] in the morning (v. 16, for every morning they "are renewed"; see Lm 3:22–23 and comments on Ps 36:5–9) and sing praises to God, his strength (v. 17).

On the heading of this Mikhtam of David, see comments on the headings of Pss 3; 4 and 16. The choir director is instructed that the psalm is according to Shushan Eduth (lit., "Lily of Testimony"), an expression also occurring (though in the plural) in the heading of Ps 80 (cf. headings of Pss 45 and 69). In both cases it probably designates the melody according to which the psalm was to be sung. In this unusually lengthy heading, the psalm’s purpose is to teach, used only here in the headings of the psalms, but true of all of Scripture (2Tm 3:16–17). In light of how the same expression is used in the preface to David’s funeral song for Saul and Jonathan (2Sm 1:18), this psalm was probably meant to be taught to the sons of Judah in commemoration of the many Israelites who fell in the difficult battle (when he struggled) with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah (referring to the events of 2Sm 8 and 1Ch 18). David had a decisive victory over Edom during that time (see 2Sm 8:12–13), and the defeat of Edom has important messianic implications (see introductory comments to Ps 52).

60:1–4. Since this psalm, according to a natural reading of the heading, was composed in the course of Israel’s ongoing battle with the Arameans at a point when the former was struggling against the latter, David uttered a gut-wrenching cry of despair, O God, You have rejected us (v. 1). This is an expression of the depth of David’s despair in response to the horrific circumstances. It is not a contradicting theological truth, however, for the Lord will never reject His people or break his covenant with them (cf. comments 44:23). Because of God’s unique relationship with Israel, as His people, he will correct them, not abandon them. The difference is a crucial one: the concept of rejection (or abandonment), which in the Bible is synonymous with condemnation (cf. Ps 37:33; Rm 8:1, 38–39), takes place only in the absence of a relationship with God, whereas correction takes place only within the existence of a relationship (even if the existence of the a relationship is not felt by the one being corrected; cf. Heb 12:5–11 and comments on Ps 23:6 and Ps 30).

60:5. That a relationship indeed exists between Israel and God is indicated by the relational expressions "Your people" (v. 3) and Your beloved (v. 5, the name David means "beloved"; this is the plural from the same root as David’s name). For comments on this verse, see 108:6.

60:6–8. These verses are parallel to Ps 108:7–9; see comments there.

60:9–12. The question Who will bring me …? (v. 9) is rhetorical, and the implied answer is the Lord, who will go forth with our armies (v. 10). The Lord will give the deliverance (v. 11) and by His might He … will tread down our adversaries and deliver His people (v. 12; cf. Ps 20:7; Nm 24:18; Is 14:19, 25; Jr 12:10; Zch 10:5).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. This psalm was to be sung with the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. In Ps 60, David expressed confidence in God’s final victory over his enemies (60:12). Here he prayed that God would prosper the divine King who will bring about this final victory (61:5–8) and who will provide the refuge David and the righteous seek (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 327; cf. 61:4 with 2:12).

61:1–3. This is an earnest prayer: Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer (v. 1). The images underscore David’s vulnerability; he is calling out to God as if from a distant land, from the end of the earth … when his heart is faint (v. 2a). He therefore looks to God for the most intimate familiarity (his internal emotional needs) and the most impenetrable security (his external physical needs). For security he implored God and said, Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, that is, to God Himself (v. 2b). A rock is a common biblical image of the Lord and a place of safety (cf. 18:2; 31:2; 62:2, 6–7; 71:3; 94:22). The Lord is specifically called "the Rock of Israel" (2Sm 23:3; Is 30:29). David knew that God was a refuge (cf. 2:12) and a tower of strength (v. 3; cf. 18:1–3).

61:4. He implored God to let him dwell in His tent forever (v. 4a), that is, to have intimate fellowship with Him in the tabernacle (cf. 15:1; 23:6; 27:4). David then asked God to let him take refuge in the shelter of His wings (v. 4b; see comments 57:1). Both of David’s petitions envision worship and joyful intimacy in the presence of God.

61:5–7. Notwithstanding his opening appeal that God "hear" him, David affirmed that God had already heard, that is, He had already provided what was best for David (see comments on Ps 34:15; cf. Gn 16:11). This "best," as David affirmed, entailed the inheritance of those who fear God’s name (v. 5; cf. 111:10). Inheritance usually refers to land but is used here metaphorically to refer to the spiritual rewards given to those who fear (have appropriate awe) for God’s reputation. He also prayed for God’s eternal King to come forth and be established, based on the promises God had made to David of an eternal King and kingdom described in 2Sm 7:11–17. David expected a descendant whose reign God will prolong, a reign in which the King’s years will be as many generations (v. 6), a poetic idiom for "forever" paralleled in v. 7a: the King will abide before God forever (cf. Dt 32:7). The prospect of this eternal King made it possible for David to anticipate eternal life with God (to "dwell in Your tent forever"; v. 4a) and to "take refuge" under God’s "wings" (v. 4b).

61:8. David affirmed the essential motivation for his petition as well as the goal for which he earnestly yearned: to sing praise to [God’s] name forever (on the significance of God’s name, see comments on Ps 20:5; see also Gn 11:4; 12:2).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. This psalm’s heading also includes the phrase according to Jeduthun, referring to a certain melody or a musical instrument, or that the psalm was somehow under the direction of one of the three families of Levitical singers (see the introductory comments to Ps 39). Though there is no explicit mention of the Messiah in this psalm, there is hope for a future salvation and of finding refuge in God, which according to Ps 2:12 is a refuge found in "the Son." This taken in connection with the context of Pss 60 and 61, which are messianic, indicates the messianic hope of this psalm as well (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 328).

62:1–4. David asserted confidently that his soul "finds its tranquility" (a preferable translation to the NASB’s waits in silence) when he directed his thoughts toward God. Not only was his salvation (a word that, as in Ps 13:5, denotes full and final salvation) from God (v. 1), but in fact it is God—and He only (v. 2). Because God was David’s rock (see the comment on 61:2), he could declare with confidence that he shall not be greatly shaken. Whatever might befall him in this life would never be severe enough to dislodge the promises of future glory that God had given him, especially about his supreme Son (see comments on the parallel phraseology in Ps 15:5b). This initial assertion set David’s situation—oppression by those who delight in falsehood (v. 4)—in proper perspective and diminished the emotional sway it might otherwise have held over him.

62:5–8. David began this second section by reiterating (in vv. 5–6) the comforting confidence with which he began the psalm, the only difference being that here he substituted hope for "salvation." He thus affirmed that the "salvation" of which he spoke in v. 2 was still unrealized (and hence a reference to future and final salvation), just as hope, by definition, pertains to what is yet unaccomplished and unseen (cf. Heb 11:1, where "things hoped for" is parallel to "things not seen"; cf. also Rm 8:24–25). Nonetheless, on the basis of his confidence in God who is the unshakable source of his hope, David exhorted his people to trust in Him at all times (v. 8a)—not just as an unshatterable rock of … strength (v. 7), but also with a compassionate and ever-attentive ear, eager for His children to pour out their heart before Him, who is their refuge (v. 8b). This word refuge (Hb. machseh) is from the same root as the verb "to take refuge" (Hb. chasah), as in Pss 17:7–8; 36:7; 52:1; 61:4; 91:4, and employs the imagery of a fledgling bird finding refuge in the shadow and security of its parent’s wings (cf. 63:7).

62:9–12. David exhorted his people (those he addressed in v. 8) to look beyond the apparent prosperity of the wicked (v. 9, men of low degree), because power (v. 11) and lovingkindness (Hb. chesed; v. 12) belongs to God (i.e., they are His to the utmost degree), and by them He will eventually recompense every man according to his work (culminating at that time when Jesus returns in glory and wrath; see Mt 16:27 and Rm 2:6).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. The background of this psalm is the time when David was in the wilderness of Judah, which refers to either or both of the periods when he was a fugitive from Saul (1Sm 23:14, 24; 24:1; 25:1) or his son Absalom (see 2Sm 15:28). David’s being in the wilderness sets the stage both for his thirst for God (v. 1) and for drawing a parallel to Israel’s wilderness wandering with the hope of entering and subduing Canaan. The mention of the king at the conclusion of the psalm (v. 11) puts this psalm in the context of the Torah’s (Pentateuch’s) anticipation of the deliverance brought by the great King who will arise from Judah and rescue God’s people (see Gn 49:8–12; Nm 24:7, 17) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 328).

63:1. In the expression You are my God in Hebrew is arranged grammatically as "My God You are," by which he underscored not simply the deity of the Lord but also the comforting and joy-giving truth that the Lord, who is the only real deity, was his God, personally and intimately. His longing for God is deep: my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns [lit., "faints"] for You. The description is heightened by the image of desperate thirst in a dry and weary land where there is no water (cf. 42:1).

63:2–5. Although when David was in the wilderness removed from God’s presence (i.e., His cloud of glory; cf. Ex 40:34), he had seen Him in the sanctuary and knew of God’s power and His glory (v. 2). By the statement Your lovingkindness is better than life (v. 3), David meant that God’s chesed (cf. comment on 5:7), which will bring him into the glory and complete joy of the next life, is better than anything that the present life has to offer (cf. 84:10). In this hope his soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness (v. 5), that is, highly valued and nourishing food sources (see Gn 4:4; Ps 36:8).

63:6–8. David said he will remember God on his bed and meditate on God in the night watches (v. 6), emphasizing the importance (and benefit) of meditating in all wakeful hours of the night, i.e., filling one’s mind with the Word of God (see comments on Ps 1:2; Dt. 6:5–9; Jos 1:8). In the shadow of Your wings (v. 7, cf. comments on 17:8) is one of David’s favorite phrases, since it so beautifully and concisely expresses his sense of relationship with, security in, and submission to the Lord. This sense of personal intimacy is poignantly emphasized by the statement my soul clings to You (v. 8)—in which the verb clings is the same one used to express the bond between husband and wife (see Gn 2:24 and comments there).

63:9–11. Ultimately, David is confident that those who seek his life will be defeated by the Lord (v. 9). His hope is evident in the sudden reference to the King, reminding of the Torah’s mention of this king, who would come from Judah and rule the nations (Gn 49:8–12; Nm 24:7, 17). Everyone who swears by (i.e., places their confidence in) this future King will glory (lit., "boast," as in Ps 105:3; cf. 1Kg 20:11), for He will fulfill all that He has promised, and so the mouths of those who speak lies [i.e., who contradict what God has said] will be stopped (v. 11).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. As with the preceding psalms, in Ps 64 David anticipated a future salvation, yet here it is a salvation that incorporates people from every ethnic group (v. 9), but still involves finding refuge in Him, that is, in the divine messianic King (see "take refuge" in 2:12; cf. comments on 62:8) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 328).

64:1–6. To express a complaint (v. 1) to God, provided one does so in the manner modeled by Scripture, is not only an acceptable part of worship (see comments on Pss 10:1–11; 28:1–2; 142) but is also an essential part. In doing so the child of God finds healthy release for the concerns that inevitably attend living in an ungodly world (cf. Mk 4:19; Jn 16:33; Ac 14:22; 2Tm 3:12), and in the process it strengthens the bonds of intimacy and dependence on one’s heavenly Father. David affirmed that the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep (v. 6), too deep for David to discover (and so take up his guard against), but never too deep for God who knows the innermost secrets of all men’s hearts (see Pss 17:3; 44:21; 139:1–4; Ac 15:8).

64:7–8. Because God knows the heart and because He is just and all-powerful, David will say with confidence that God will shoot at his enemies and suddenly they will be wounded (lit., "smitten down"; v. 7). The words of this verse recall what David had said to Goliath: "This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike [lit., "smite"] you down and remove your head from you" (1Sm 17:46). The battle indeed was the Lord’s, and He quickly gave the giant into Israel’s hands (vv. 47–51).

64:9–10. David had also said to Goliath that he will be defeated so "that all the earth may know … and that all this assembly may know" that God alone is supreme (1Sm 17:46–47). Here too in Ps 64 David affirmed the consequent manifestation of God’s glory, which was cause for fear among unbelievers (v. 9, then all men will fear) and cause for gladness and a sense of solace among believers (v. 10, the righteous man will be glad … and will take refuge in Him). That solace, of course, is found ultimately for those who "do homage to the Son" and "take refuge in Him" (Ps 2:12) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 328–29).

On the heading of this Psalm of David … A Song, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 46. This psalm reiterates the theme of God’s universal rule expressed in Ps 64 (especially 64:9) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 329). One of the reasons "all men will fear," declare God’s works, and glory in Him (64:9–10) is because God will make available the forgiveness of sins to the ends of the earth (65:3–5).

65:1–4. This song of praise is set in Zion, the temple (v. 1). It is arranged into three sections, each expressing God’s grace toward humanity. First, the greatest of all, His forgiveness of sin: God will hear prayer, and as for our transgressions, He forgive[s] the sin of all men (lit., "all flesh," meaning any human being, whether Jew or Gentile; cf. Gn 6:19; Is 49:26; Jr 32:27; Jl 2:28) who come to Him (v. 2). This wording parallels Solomon’s prayer (following in his father’s footsteps!) at the dedication of the temple (see 1Kg 8:41–43). How blessed (see comment on Ps 1:1) is the one whom God thus choose[s] (v. 4) to forgive (v. 3). And if such forgiveness comes about by God’s choice, then it cannot come about through the striving or merit of man; it is simply and magnificently a gift of God (Eph 2:8–9).

65:5–8. Second, God’s grace is expressed in His awesome deeds (v. 5), that is, the awe-inspiring miracles He performed to deliver His people Israel (v. 8), as recalled in Ps 106:22, where the same term is applied to all He did "by the Red Sea" (i.e., halting Pharaoh’s army with a pillar of fire, splitting the sea in half, bringing Israel across on dry land [Ex 14:10, 19–20, 22; 15:19; Ps 66:6], and then drowning Pharaoh’s army). Just as Israel affirmed in their song of response that God "has become my salvation" (Ex 15:2), so too did David affirm in this song (as the psalm is called in its heading) that the Lord is the God of our salvation (Ps 65:5; cf. 27:1; 85:4; Is 12:2).

65:9–13. Finally, God’s grace is seen in His providential care. David said that God visit[ed] the earth (v. 9), recalling the wording in Ru 1:6 that "the Lord had visited His people in giving them food." He gives them grain, ensuring that seed is available and that it grows, and He brings water (i.e., rain) on the earth’s furrows (v. 10). And He does so in His grace, for both the righteous as well as the unrighteous (Mt 5:45), and in response the land and everything on it shout for joy (v. 13). Here David focused on God’s grace as expressed in His ongoing provisions for His people—and for humankind in general—by upholding the natural order (cf. Col 1:17).

On the heading of this Song … A Psalm, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 46. The vast salvation God makes available for all flesh (65:4–6) calls for every human being who receives it to sing praises to Him (66:1–4) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 329).

66:1–7. The psalmist exhorted all the earth to shout joyfully (that is, in praise) to God (v. 1) for His awesome … works (v. 3), referring to His works of redemption (see comment on the same expression in Ps 65:5). In particular the psalmist specified God’s awe-inspiring miracle of turn[ing] the sea into dry land (v. 6; see 22)—a miracle performed on such a grand scale that it set fear and trembling into the hearts of the peoples all around (Ex 15:14; cf. Jos 5:1) and serves through all Scripture as a symbol of the salvation God provides (see, e.g., 1Co 10:1–10). Yet though these people, the enemies of God and Israel, then feigned obedience to God out of fear of His great power (v. 3), the psalmist affirmed that one day all the earth will truly worship God (v. 4), a goal no force of history can preempt (cf. Is 11:10; Zch 14:9, 16; Rv 22:3–4).

66:8–15. The psalmist next praised God for having tried and refined His people (v. 10)—a process that is like an oppressive burden upon our loins (v. 11), yet those who have been trained by it come into a place of abundance (v. 12). Abundance more precisely signifies "satisfaction" and "rest" (of waiting on the Lord and finding one’s strength in Him). All these points are developed in Heb 12:4–13, which explicitly adds, citing Pr 3:11–12, that divine correction in the end is a cause for rejoicing, for it is evidence of God’s fatherly love.

66:16–20. The psalmist praised God for hearing him when He had every reason not to listen. Regarding the wickedness in his heart, he correctly determined that the Lord will not hear (v. 18, cf. Is 59:2). Yet for those who have repented and submitted in faith to God’s Word, God will give heed to the voice of their prayer (v. 19) and not turn away His lovingkindness (Hb. chesed) from them (v. 20).

On the heading of this Psalm … A Song, see comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4. This psalm was to be sung with the accompaniment of stringed instruments. Structurally and thematically this psalm is organized in a beautifully chiastic fashion:

In chiastic structures, the central element(s) is emphatic, here the sovereignty of God over the world expressed as His right to judge them. This structure underscores that this is not only a picture of what the nations should ideally do (taking up this theme from the contrasting description of what the nations say and do in Ps 2:1–6, 10–12), but also what they will one day really do when God establishes His kingdom on earth.

67:1–2. The psalmist adopted the wording of the priestly (or "Aaronic") benediction (Nm 6:24–26) in which the key expressions be gracious, bless, and cause His face to shine upon (v. 1) all specifically signify both physical and spiritual provision regardless of outer circumstances, "rest" in the salvific sense (see Gn 2:15 and comments there), and intimacy with God (see comments on Pss 1:1; 2:12; 36:9; 44:3; 56:1, 13). God’s covenant faithfulness in spiritually redeeming Israel is intended that His way may be known on the earth, that is, His salvation among all nations (v. 2), in fulfillment of God’s greatest promise to Abraham (in Gn 22) to bless the world through his Seed, the promised Messiah (see comments on Gn 22:18). And indeed God’s ongoing salvation of individual Jewish people—as His future salvation of the entire nation—stands as one of the greatest testimonies in this world that "the word of God has [not] failed" (Rm 9:6; see 11:1–32 and comments there).

67:3–5. The result of the Lord’s "salvation" being "known on the earth" (v. 2) will inevitably culminate in all the peoples of the earth offering their praise to God (vv. 3, 5; on the universal and spiritual significance of the term peoples in the plural; see comment on Ps 45:17). This will happen when, in the person of His Son, God will establish His kingdom permanently and physically on earth, judg[ing] the peoples with uprightness (reminding of the messianic imagery of Is 11:3–4; cf. Jn 7:24), and He will guide with compassion and concern as a shepherd guides his sheep and a father his children (on this specific sense of guide see, e.g., Ex 15:13; Pss 27:11; 43:3; 77:20; 107:30; 139:24) the nations on the earth, indicating God’s love for all mankind (Ps 67:4; cf. Is 9:6; 56:7; Lk 2:32).

67:6–7. The psalmist affirmed God’s material concern for Israel, including both (1) His provision of food, since it is by His will that the earth has yielded its produce (v. 6a; cf. Ps 85:12), and (2) His protection, since an inseparable part of the blessing by which God blesses the psalmist and his people Israel (v. 6b) is not only by giving them food (see Ps 132:15) but also by ensuring that they never cease from being a people before Him (see Jr 31:37, reiterating His eternal promise to Abram in Gn 12:2–3; see also Gn 17:7–8; Ps 105:8–10). God’s protection and preservation of Israel will in turn serve as a worldwide testimony to His sovereign power, causing people in all the ends of the earth to fear Him (v. 7)—as the Egyptians did at Israel’s redemption from Pharaoh (Ex 12:33), as many of the people did at Israel’s redemption from Haman (Est 8:17), and as we should do in the face of Israel’s miraculous existence (as both a nation and a people) to this day. These are promises made to the nation and people of Israel. They require a fulfillment that includes the Jewish people’s presence in the land as a national entity. Promises such as this cannot be fulfilled by a "new Israel" or a "spiritual Israel," i.e., the Church consisting of many nations, as it is sometimes argued. Only when Israel as a restored nation among other nations exhibits God’s sovereignty and grace can such promises as those here in Ps 67 be fulfilled. At that time, Israel as a nation will mediate God’s blessings to other nations of the world, and thus the families of earth’s nations will be able to receive the same salvation (cf. Gn 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; Is 42:6; 49:6; Gl 3:8; Ac 26:23).

On the heading of this Psalm of David. A Song, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3; 4, and 46. This psalm is linked to the previous one (with which it also shares several similar wordings) by continuing the same theme of God’s worldwide praise (both from Israel His people [vv. 7–8] as well as from the all the kingdoms of the earth [v. 32]). This psalm focuses on the processional expression of that praise while also introducing the focus of the following psalm, with which it shares a specific and direct messianic application (see the citation of v. 18 in Eph 4:8).

68:1–6. This psalm opening, Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (v. 1), is an indirect quotation/adaptation of Moses’ exhortation to Israel to move on from Mount Sinai, following "the cloud of the Lord" (Nm 10:35; cf. 9:16). This is similar to how Ps 67 begins by employing the wording of Aaron when he blessed Israel (Nm 6:24–26). These are excellent examples of intertextuality, how later writers of Scripture employed earlier texts of Scripture.

68:7–14. So this psalm continues the theme of the previous one, that God will lead His people triumphantly through their present distress just as He led their ancestors through the wilderness (v. 7). And not just those distant ancestors were blessed. The successive generations were blessed, to whom He confirmed (i.e., gave) His inheritance, that is, the land of Canaan that He gave to the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance (Gn 17:8; Ps 105:10–11), in which He brought them plentiful rain (v. 9) and caused the armies of their enemies to flee (v. 12). Resting under the wings of a dove covered with silver … pinions with glistening gold (v. 13) is a poetic image of Israel under God’s bountiful and beautiful protection (cf. 17:8; 57:1; 91:4).

68:15–18. From imploring (vv. 1–3) and then affirming (vv. 4–14) God’s provision of temporal blessings, David moved on to affirming God’s provision of spiritual triumph to Israel. This is introduced in v. 18 with the observation that God crushed the enemies of Israel during the conquest of the land of Canaan. In turn, this supports the concept that He also has the power to save his people (vv. 19–20). In vv. 15–18, the psalmist describes the victory God provided over the opponents of the Jewish people in Canaan during the conquest. God gained the victory for them then, and likewise had been victorious over Zion on behalf of David in his time (see 2Sm 5:6–10). God, who had been present at Sinai (v. 17), subdued Zion (the mountain of God’s abode) and will reside there forever (v. 16). But doing so required taking many captives (v. 18) from those who were the enemies of Israel defeated in the conquest. You have received gifts among men should be understood as God, and His people, receiving the spoils of war or tributes from the vanquished kings of Canaan in the land that came to be called Israel (similarly, see v. 29). In Eph 4:8, the apostle Paul adjusts You have received gifts among men to "He gave gifts to men." On this adjustment, Harold W. Hoehner wrote, "Although the two renderings seem to be opposites, they are not incompatible. If God receives the spoils of war from the enemies in Ps 68, it is not beyond understanding that he would give gifts to those who are on his side as a provision from him as is portrayed in Eph 4:8. Furthermore, if this is considered only an indirect quotation summarizing the whole psalm, then there is no need to harmonize completely the specific verse but rather to show that it is consistent with the content of the whole psalm. Thus, the essence is that God is the one who gives gifts to his children" (Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2002], 529).

68:19–23. All of this serves to substantiate the promise of God’s spiritual and physical deliverance that He will bring to His people as forecast in vv. 19–23: Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden (cf. 55:22; 1Pt 5:7), the God who is our salvation (v. 19; cf. Ps 27:1) … He is to us a God of deliverances (v. 20; cf. 18:50; 32:7).

68:24–35. As a result of God’s triumph over all distress, both material and spiritual, as seen in His victory procession … into His sanctuary (v. 24). God’s victory will be recognized by all, both people from all Israel, indicated by the sample of the tribes Benjamin, Judah, Zebulun, and Naphtali (vv. 24–28), as well as the Gentile kings (vv. 29–35). Regarding the Gentiles, David looked forward to that culminating procession of praise when, in fulfillment of his exhortation in Ps 2:10, the nations are led in example by their kings (v. 29) to sing praises to the Lord (v. 32) and to ascribe strength to God (v. 34), who rules from His sanctuary (v. 35) in Jerusalem (see Rv 21:24–26; cf. Ezk 43:7; Zch 14:9–21).

On the heading of this Psalm of David, see comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 4. The psalm is accompanied by the instruction according to Shoshannim ("Lilies") (see introductory comments to Ps 45; cf. headings of Pss 60 and 80).

Psalm 69 is among those psalms more frequently referenced in the NT (directly in five instances and indirectly in at least seven more; for specific citations, see comments below) with application to the Messiah and His circumstances—concerning which David, being a prophet, could "look ahead" with clarity and speak of in detail (see Ac 2:30–31; see also Introduction: Background). Although David likely was writing about the Messiah, he was using some circumstance in his own life to describe or make allusions to Him. This may be called "symbolic realism" in which the real David becomes a symbol of the Messiah. Hence, David used his own flawed experience as the symbol of the Messiah and therefore included his own confession of guilt (Ps 69:5). Nevertheless, after David wrote this psalm, it was likely applied to every Davidic descendant as a possible fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (cf. comments on 2Sm 7:11–17). However, they all failed in the end, and Israel went into captivity without the messianic Seed of David ever taking His throne.

As a result, at the return from exile, when there was no Davidic king, a great hope and expectation for His coming emerged and began to grow. So when the psalms were redacted into a book (after the exile), these Davidic psalms (like Ps 69) were viewed as referring to the future Son of David, the Messiah. The NT goes even further, making explicit reference to Ps 69 in a variety of ways, each time showing that Jesus the Messiah was the referent who literally fulfilled these words (see Bruce K. Waltke, "A Canonical Process Approach to the Psalms" in Tradition and Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg, ed. John S. and Paul D. Feinberg [Chicago: Moody, 1981], 3–18). This explains the specific citations of this psalm in the NT as referring to Jesus.

As in Ps 68, the psalmist looks forward in Ps 69 to God’s deliverance of Zion and the establishment of God’s kingdom (vv. 34–36), both of which are contingent upon the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (cf. 2Sm 7). This psalm, however, concentrates on the lamentable spiritual conditions among the people while awaiting the kingdom of God (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 330).

69:1–3. This psalm begins with a cry: Save me, O God (v. 1a). Poetically it then describes David’s situation: waters, mire and deep waters (vv. 1b–2), all of which indicated great distress. He was weary with his crying. Despite his sadness and distress he was still waiting for God to act (v. 3).

69:4. David was innocent, and yet he was hate[d] … without a cause (cf. 35:19) by a multitude of enemies, more than the hairs of his head. The Lord Jesus applied the first part of v. 4 to Himself when he taught the disciples on the night he was betrayed (cf. Jn 15:25).

69:5–7. Although he had not done the things his enemies were persecuting him for (vv. 4), David recognized his sin: my wrongs are not hidden from You (v. 5). His prayer was that his circumstances and the mockery of his enemies would not cause the Lord to be dishonored through him (vv. 6–7; cf. 22:6–8; 42:3; 79:10; 115:2).

69:8–12. Because of his innocent behavior, although attacked by his enemies, David had become estranged from my brothers—even his family avoided him (v. 8; cf. Mk 3:21; cf. vv. 31–35). A primary catalyst for this rejection was that his zeal for God’s house consumed him (Ps 69:9). This is not limited to the literal temple but encompasses obedience to the Lord as epitomized by the temple, where the presence of God dwelt. For example, David’s commitment to honor Saul as the Lord’s king, prevented him from rebellion against Saul, to the consternation of David’s family and followers (see, e.g., 1Sm 24; 26; 2Sm 1). This zeal for the Lord was even truer of Jesus, and this text was applied to Him (cf. Jn 2:17). Jesus’ zeal led Him to do and say things that, unless perceived in light of zeal for God, were highly divisive and offensive to His contemporaries: for example, cleansing the temple (Jn 2:13–22) and calling religious leaders a brood of vipers (Mt 3:7).

Furthermore, the statement the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me (Ps 69:9) was also applied to Jesus (cf. Rm 15:3 and see comments there) and refers to those who implicitly reject God the Father (despite their outward obedience) by offering Him only rote worship while inwardly rejecting the claims on their heart of His Word and now of His Son (Is 29:13; Mt 5:20; Jn 8:18–19; Heb 1:1–2).

69:13–19. This prayer repeats many of the images of distress from the opening prayer (vv. 1–3). David depended on the greatness of God’s lovingkindness (vv. 13, 16) to deliver him (cf. 5:7; 6:4; see comments on 5:7).

69:20–21. The reproach of those who hate him without cause (v. 1–4) had broken his heart, and there was no sympathy from anyone, nor any comforters (v. 20). When he was hungry and thirsty, it would have been better to have been given nothing than given gall ("bitter" or "poisonous") for his food and … vinegar ("sour wine") to drink (v. 21). These are metaphors of the scorn and opposition he faced. This experience of suffering and mistreatment is used in all four Gospels to illustrate the culmination of the Messiah’s rejection on the cross (Mt 27:34, 48; Mk 15:23, 36; Lk 23:36; Jn 19:28).

See comments on imprecatory psalms under Introduction: Types of Psalms.

69:22–23. The table before them may be a reference to meals. In any case, the wicked behavior of David’s enemies was a mockery of worship. So David prayed that even their peace may become a snare and a trap to them in their sin (v. 22). The passage may their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see is cited in the NT (from the LXX) by the apostle Paul to explain the reason the majority of his fellow Jewish people had rejected Jesus as the Messiah (v. 23; cf. comments on Rm 11:9–10). Yet Paul had further explained that the blindness was partial and that there was and always would be a remnant of Jewish people who believed in Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Rm 11:5, 23–25).

69:24–28. The references here to God’s indignation and His burning anger are phrases often associated with judgment (v. 24; cf. 79:6; Jr 10:25; Ezk 20:8). David’s imprecation calls for the homes/communities, camp[s], and tents to become desolate as the result of God removing the wicked (v. 25). This image of divine judgment is applied to Judas Iscariot (cf. Ac 1:16–20). It is important to understand, however, that the reference to being blotted out of the book of life (v. 28a; cf. Rv 3:5) does not mean that one can lose his salvation. Rather, as indicated by the parallelism in the second line of the verse, the petition may they not be recorded with the righteous is intended to emphasize that such individuals were never recorded in the book of life with the righteous in the first place (v. 28b).

69:29–33. God’s deliverance of His servant (see vv. 17, 36) would serve not only as another occasion for the servant Himself to offer the Father praise and thanksgiving (v. 30), but it would also cause the humble who have seen it (i.e., accepted it) to be glad (v. 32). On the basis of the servant’s deliverance, the heart of these humble ones (i.e., those who seek God) will revive (lit., "be made alive"; v. 32), language that anticipates the promise and blessings of the new covenant (Jr 31:33; Ezk 11:19; 36:26–27).

69:34–36. The exhortation to let heaven and earth praise Him … for God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah looks forward to the time when God’s kingdom will finally be established and the divine King, Messiah Jesus, will reign forever (see Pss 9:11; 20:5; Is 56:6; Rv 21:1–8; 22:1–5; see also comments there).

On the heading of this Psalm of David see the comments on the heading to Ps 3. This psalm is for a memorial (see introduction to Ps 38, the only other psalm for which this instructional note is given). Psalm 70 appears to be an introduction, and Pss 71 and 72 (like Pss 42 and 43) seem to constitute a single cohesive unit of thought. Psalm 70 repeats with minor variations Ps 40:13–17.

Psalm 70 is a fitting follow-up to the prayer of David for God to deliver Israel and establish His kingdom. In this psalm, David asks that God would answer the prayer of Ps 69 quickly. In its context between Pss 69 and 71–72, Ps 70 reiterates the plea for God’s swift return to establish His worldwide reign and establish the divine King upon His throne (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 330).

70:1–3. See the comments on Ps 40:13–15, the parallel passage.

70:4–5. See the comments on Ps 40:16–17.

Psalm 71 has no superscription, but may have been viewed by the redactors of the Psalms as ascribed to David, since the contents of the psalm are clearly Davidic. It is David’s final prayer in this section of the book. Here he is an old man (cf. vv. 9, 18), still trusting in God’s promises, many of which David had seen fulfilled, and still looking forward to the salvation God would bring in fulfillment of the promises He made to him decades before (cf. 2Sm 7) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 330).

71:1–5. David began by asserting unconditionally his confidence in God. In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge. For this section see the comments on Ps 31:1–5.

71:6–16. Just as God had sustained him with life and strength from his birth, even from [his] mother’s womb (v. 6, indicating life begins in the womb, so David asked for God to continue sustaining him even now that he had arrived at old age (v. 9, and was "old and gray," v. 18). David’s enemies (v. 10) were seeking to take advantage of his physical weakness. Old age, like "youth" (vv. 5, 17), is a blessed time of life in which one is inclined to greater dependence on God (cf. 92:14; Pr 16:31). No matter what happened, David kept the Lord uppermost in his thoughts and speech: But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more … I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone (vv. 14, 16; cf. vv. 2, 5, 8).

71:17–24. David’s goal in life was to declare Your strength to this generation and to all who are to come (v. 18). In typically Davidic fashion, this psalm of entreaty concludes with an unconditional declaration of thanksgiving and praise (vv. 14, 22; praises, v. 22, 23), both for who God is (i.e., characterized by perfect righteousness; vv. 15–16, 19, 24) and for how He delivered David in the past and would revive [him] again (v. 20, cf. 9:1 comments). David was determined to praise You … Your truth … O Holy One of Israel (v. 22; this is a powerful name of God used 25 times by Isaiah [e.g., Is 1:4; 5:19; 41:14, 16, 20; 60:9, 14] and elsewhere only by Jeremiah [Jr 50:29; 51:5] and in 2Kg 19:22 as well as in Pss 78:41; 89:18). David would shout for joy and sing praises to God from his soul, which God had redeemed (v. 23; see comments on Pss 25:22 and 26:11).

This is the first Psalm of Solomon (the other being Ps 127). It was probably composed at his ascension to the throne, perhaps in connection with the prayer he offered when God appeared to him in a dream (cf. comments on 1Kg 3:6–9). Psalm 72 has several parallels to 1Kg 3 (Ps 72:1a//1Kg 3:9a; Ps 72:1b//1Kg 3:6; Ps 72:2a//1Kg 3:9). Just as Ps 2 looked forward to the fulfillment of the messianic promises, Ps 72 reiterates many of the same themes. And this psalm was written by Solomon, a son of David. His authorship would have evoked messianic hopes in those who read it (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 330–31). This final psalm in Book Two is a royal psalm. It is not primarily about David or Solomon, but is a description of the Messiah, with extravagant descriptions that go far beyond either of those kings. It was understood as messianic by early Jewish tradition, but is not cited in the NT.

72:1–4. Solomon requested that God would Give the king Your judgments (better "justice") and righteousness, evoking memories of Solomon’s request for himself (v. 1; cf. 1Kg 3:9). The prayer is that the righteous king would judge the people with righteousness and justice, bring peace to the people, vindicate and save the people, and crush the oppressor (vv. 2–4). These are all descriptions of a messianic reign and bring to mind the depiction of the King in Is 11:1–16.

72:5–7. The prayer for the messianic King continues, but the NASB reading of v. 5 based on the Masoretic Text (Let them fear You while the sun endures) is likely incorrect. It is preferred to follow the LXX (LXX), as does the HCSB: "May he continue while the sun endures and as long as the moon throughout all generations." There are several reasons to follow the LXX reading. (1) There is no clear reason for the MT to change the pronoun from the surrounding verses, where there is a consistent reference to the king ("let him"); only in this verse is there an unexpected change to the second person ("let them fear you"). (2) There is no clear antecedent to the pronoun "them" in the MT. (3) The LXX verb "continue" makes more sense than the MT "fear," because of all the temporal allusions in vv. 5–7. Some might argue that the MT is the harder reading and therefore to be preferred. However, it would be necessary to show a literary basis in the context for the MT reading, but there is none. Thus, v. 5 is calling for the establishment of an eternal King, whose reign would last as long as the sun and moon. And with His reign, He would bring abundance of peace till the moon is no more (v. 7).

72:8–11. The petition for this King is not that He would reign over all Israel alone, but that He would rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth (v. 8). This King’s enemies will lick the dust (v. 9), alluding to the promise of the victorious Messiah in Gn 3:15 (see comments there). Kings and nations will worship Him (vv. 10–11).

72:12–14. The Messiah’s worldwide reign will be characterized by justice for the needy and the afflicted (v. 12). Those who oppressed the weak and defenseless will have to face a righteous King who will rescue the downtrodden from oppression and violence (v. 14).

72:15–17. This section begins with another prayer for the messianic King to have abundance (the gold of Sheba and abundance of grain). The Messiah’s kingdom will not only be righteous but exceptionally prosperous, with a population that will flourish like vegetation of the earth (v. 16). This King will be so glorious that His name will endure forever … as long as the sun shines. All humanity will bless themselves by Him, a clear allusion to the messianic promises in Gn 12:3; 22:18; and 26:4. This King is the one through whom all nations of the earth will be blessed.

72:18–20. Though enumerated as the last verses of 72, these are an epilogue to Book Two (42–72). Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel is a similar doxology to the end of Book One (cf. 41:13). It includes a forward look to the end of days when the whole earth [will] be filled with His glory (cf. 85:9; Is 11:9; Hab 2:14). Even though several of the psalms in Books One and Two were written by others, they are all collectively identified here as the prayers of David since he wrote the majority of them.

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see Pss 3 and 50. Consistent with its placement at the beginning of the third of the five "books" of Psalms, this psalm focuses on and introduces the main theme of Book Three, which parallels the third book of the Pentateuch (Leviticus): the importance and obligations of holiness (see Introduction: Structure).

73:1–2. The psalmist began by affirming what he knew to be true: God is good to Israel, and especially to those who are pure in heart! Yet at the same time he confessed a theological dilemma (vv. 2–14) that brought his feet … close to stumbling (failing to follow the Lord).

73:3–12. The dilemma was that the arrogant and the wicked appeared to prosper (v. 3). They enjoyed good health into old age (no pains in their death, v. 4); were not in trouble (v. 5), and increased in wealth (v. 12; cf. v. 7), even while ignoring the Lord and asking, How does God know? (v. 11).

73:13–14. Seeing the easy life of the wicked caused the psalmist to think that keeping his heart pure (i.e., holy, unstained by sin; cf. Pr 20:9) was a vain exercise (v. 13; the classic problem of the justice of God and the existence of evil; see the comments on Pss 37 and 52). The wicked were enjoying a prosperous easy life while the psalmist had been stricken all day long.

73:15–20. The psalmist’s perspective changed when he came into the sanctuary of God (v. 17, lit., "holy places," referring to the temple, cf. 68:35) and was confronted with the holy presence of God. Then he perceived the end of the wicked, that ultimately the Lord would judge their wickedness, despise their form (v. 20), and they would be cut off from Him. What was obscuring the psalmist’s spiritual perspective was quickly burned away by the blinding holiness of God. As Franz Delitzsch aptly summarizes, "[H]is eyes [were] opened to the holy plans and ways of God [and] the sad end of the evil-doers was presented to him" (Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on Psalms, in Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes by C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Trans. James Martin [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1980], 318).

73:21–28. God’s holiness was impressed on the psalmist even in the midst of his affliction. He realized he was continually with God (v. 23; cf. v. 28) and afterward (i.e., after he died) God would receive him to glory (v. 24). This is a great contrast to the sudden terrors (v. 19) of the fate of the wicked. The psalmist was able to reconcile his adversity—his loss of station, possessions, and perhaps even his health (as suggested by vv. 14, 26)—because, when compared to what he already had in God (i.e., a present relationship and the hope of glory), all their value evaporated. Thus, with redoubled yearning he affirmed that, besides God, he desire[d] nothing on earth (v. 25; cf. 16:2). No matter what might happen to him, or what he might observe around him, as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge (v. 28; cf. 14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7–8; 71:7; 91:2, 9).

On the heading of this Maskil of Asaph see the comments on Pss 32; 50. The content of this psalm concerning the perpetual ruins of Jerusalem and the damage to the sanctuary (vv. 3–11) indicates that it was written sometime after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC).

74:1–2. By the opening expression, why have You rejected us? (cf. v. 11), the psalmist did not mean that God had forsaken His people. Rather, he was describing his feelings in the midst of Israel’s affliction at the hands of their enemies (cf. comments on 44:9, 60:1). Despite his emotions, the psalmist had an unshakable conviction that Israel, the sheep of Your pasture (cf. 23:1; 100:3), were always God’s people. Asaph prayed, Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, Which You have redeemed (v. 2). This is the same terminology used by Moses at the time of the exodus (cf. Ex 15:13–18) to describe God’s relationship with Israel, His inheritance (cf. comment on Ps 28:9). He also asked the Lord to remember Mount Zion, where You have dwelt in the temple (cf. 2:6; 9:11).

74:3–11. The Lord’s footsteps is poetic personification calling for God to Turn and help Jerusalem. The city was in ruins, because the enemy ha[d] damaged everything … burned Your sanctuary and defiled the dwelling place of Your name (vv. 3, 7). The destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon is detailed in 2Kg 25:1–21; Jr 52. The enemies said, Let us completely subdue them, oppressing the people of Israel (v. 8). Plus, there was no prophet … among us who knew how long these terrible events would last (vv. 9–10).

74:12–17. Despite this worst of all events, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, God is my king from of old, Who works deeds of deliverance (v. 12). This section focuses on God’s absolute sovereignty on Israel’s behalf at the exodus from Egypt (You divided the sea by Your strength, vv. 12–15; cf., Ex 14–15), and on behalf of humanity in general at creation (You have prepared the light and the sun … established all the boundaries of the earth, and made summer and winter (vv. 16–17; cf. Gn 1:1–31). The reference to the heads of Leviathan in v. 14 is a figurative description of the manifold forces (Pharaoh and his military units) that came against Israel at the exodus, just as Leviathan is also used as a figurative label for all the world’s forces that will one day array themselves against Israel before God’s final judgment (cf. Is 27:1).

74:18–23. It is not ultimately Israel whom the enemy has reviled, but the God of Israel, whose name they had spurned (v. 18; cf. 83:2–3; 1Sm 17:45). The psalmist affirmed that his motivation for imploring God’s deliverance of His people was God’s glory and honor (cf. comments on Ps 23:3). God’s enemies are called foolish because they refuse to believe God (vv. 18, 22; cf. comment on 14:1). The psalmist prayed, Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause (v. 22), that is, defend Your reputation against those who rise against You (v. 23; cf. 2:1–3) by acting on Your covenant with Abraham, which entailed the survival and blessing of Israel. The answer to this prayer request is in the next psalm.

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see the comments on the headings of Pss 3–4; 50. On the phrase a Song, cf. Ps 46. This psalm is also accompanied by the instruction that it be set to Al-tashheth (cf. Ps 57). In Ps 74, Asaph asked how long God would delay in vindicating His people. As a response, in Ps 75 (cf. esp. vv. 2–5), God makes it clear that He chooses to act on His own timetable (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 332).

75:1–3. God’s nearness and justice are acknowledged in the opening: We give thank to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near (cf. 5:11; 23:3; 25:11; 31:3). God’s wondrous works (lit., "wonders") designates His acts of deliverance as a judicial response to the affliction of His people by those who transgress His revealed standards and authority (cf. comments on 9:1–2; 40:5). And just as His justice has already been executed in history, so too does God Himself promise that in the future, at an appointed time (v. 2) known only to Him, He will deliver His people and execute inevitable, final judgment on the earth and all who dwell in it (v. 3; cf. comments on 46:4–7).

75:4–5. Addressing the boastful and the wicked—both among the Gentiles as well as among God’s people Israel—and in light of His already proven and inevitable final justice, Asaph exhorted evil people not to lift up their own horn on high, that is, not to assert their own strength and ability (as symbolized by a horn, cf. Dt 33:17; 1Kg 22:11; Ps 18:2).

75:6–8. The wicked should not speak with insolent pride (v. 5) because there is no Judge greater than God—not from the east, nor from the west (comprising all geographical distance), Nor from the desert comes exaltation (lit., "from the wilderness of mountains"). These inclusive geographic phrases introduce that God is the Judge over all; He alone ultimately puts down … and exalts (v. 7). The cup is a metaphor here referring to the Lord[’s] judgment (cf. 60:3; Is 51:17; Jr 25:15; Hab 2:16) which all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs (v. 8), meaning to experience God’s judgment fully.

75:9–10. Asaph affirmed the goal of God’s justice in wondrous works of the deliverance of Israel by judging their enemies at the exodus (vv. 1–3) as well as by His final judgment of all the wicked of the earth (vv. 4–8). The psalm begins with giving thanks (v. 1) and concludes with the declaration to forever … sing praises to the God of Jacob (v. 9; cf. 14:7; 20:1).

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3–4. This is also a Song (cf. introduction to Ps 46) to be accompanied by stringed instruments. On the thematic connections of this psalm with those that surround it, Sailhamer writes, "With Ps 73, he [God] is the God whose dwelling place is Zion, the site of the temple. With Ps 74, he is the God who comes in judgment upon those who have oppressed the godly. With Ps 75, he is the God who acts at his appointed time and thus is the one who is to be feared [76:11] …" (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 332).

76:1–3. The psalmist affirmed the special sense in which God is known in Judah. He is not merely among them in the omnipresent sense whereby He is everywhere and "in Him all things hold together" (Col 1:17), but He is also known, indicating the intimate familial relationship of God to Israel corporately and to the righteous within her individually (cf. comment on Ps 1:5). This special relationship is visibly highlighted by His tabernacle (the temple) in Salem (Jerusalem; cf. Gn 14:18) and His dwelling place … in Zion. This speaks of God’s manifest presence within creation both historically, as the site where His cloud of glory dwelt (cf. Ex 40:34–38), as well as for all eternity, when He will establish His kingdom on earth (cf. Ezk 43:7; Rv 21:22–27).

76:4–8. God is presented as resplendent, More majestic than the mountains (cf. Ex 15:6, 14; Pss 8:1, 9; 29:4; Is 63:1). His triumphant defense of His people is illustrated by the destruction of the Egyptian army at the exodus: Both rider and horse were cast into the deep (v. 6; cf. Ex 15:1; Ps 74:12–15). The Lord caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still (v. 8; cf. the Introduction to Esther and comments on Est 8:17).

76:9–10. Even the most difficult circumstances, the wrath of man, as exemplified by the wicked Egyptians, shall praise You. The outcome of God’s judgment on the wicked will ultimately bring Him praise (cf. 2:6–8).

76:11–12. The psalm culminates by affirming that not only is God known in Judah (v. 1), but ultimately He is (and will be) feared (recognized as "awesome") by the kings of the earth (Gentile nations) when they acknowledge the sovereign rule of the God of Jacob (v. 12; cf. v. 7; 2:4–12; Is 45:23; Rm 14:11; Php 2:10).

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see the headings of Pss 3–4. For the instruction according to Jeduthun, see introduction to Ps 62. Although there was scant evidence of God’s miraculous intervention in his own day (cf. 74:9), Asaph chose to meditate on God’s mighty deeds from the past (cf.; 77:5–12; (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 332).

77:1–2. The psalmist expressed his heartfelt need for comfort: My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud … and He will hear me. He turned to the Lord, the only One who could truly bring his soul comfort. Both in the day of … trouble and in the night, he stretched out his hand without growing weary of pleading with the Lord for help.

77:3–8. Asaph held nothing back in his prayers, but in remember[ing] (turning to) God, he was disturbed (v. 3, better translated "distressed"). I sigh would be better translated "I pour out my complaint," as in the headings of 102 and 142:2 (see comments there). Instead of being comforted when he recalled the days of old … the years of long ago when he had a song in the night (vv. 5–6), now (in the midst of unanswered prayer and problems) he wondered if God’s lovingkindness [had] ceased forever, if His promise [had] come to an end (v. 8).

77:9–10. Asaph also wondered, Has God forgotten … has the right hand of the Most High … changed? The right hand is the image of God’s power, which He uses on behalf of His people (cf. Ex 15:6, 12). These are emotional questions arising from circumstances (cf. comments on Ps 44:9; 60:1; 74:1).

77:11–15. With a determined attitude Asaph applies the essential principle of finding the Lord’s comfort in difficult times by refocusing on the Him. Asaph will remember His deeds and His wonders (the word here has a collective sense, as again in v. 14) of old. Instead of allowing the present difficult circumstances or unanswered prayer to: (1) cause distress when remembering the Lord (vv. 3–6), or (2) cause doubt about the very character of God (vv. 7–10), instead remember the truth: Your way, O God, is holy … You have by Your power redeemed Your people (vv. 13, 15; cf. comments on 9:1; 40:5; 75:1), The "remembering" here entails meditation (v. 12, I will mediate; cf. comment on 1:2). God’s lovingkindness is grounded in His unconditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, here identified as the sons of Jacob and Joseph (cf. comment on 74:1–11).

77:16–20. Two specific example of God’s concern and deliverance are given. The first is God’s power at the parting of the Red Sea: the waters saw You, O God … the earth trembled and shook (vv. 16–18) as God took action on behalf of His people Israel at the exodus (referred to by Asaph also in 74:13–15; 76:5–7; 78:13; 80:8a; and 81:6, 10a). The second is His character as the Shepherd of Israel, leading His people like a flock (cf. 100:3) under the leadership of Moses and Aaron (v. 20; cf. Ex 4–6).

This psalm, a Maskil (cf. introduction to Ps 32) of Asaph (cf. introductory comments on Ps 50), is especially appropriate following Ps 77 where Asaph determined to meditate on God’s mighty deeds from the past. Here he did that explicitly with the intent of educating a younger generation about the works of the Lord on behalf of His people Israel throughout their history (vv. 2, 4; (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 332). This is an acrostic psalm, composed of 77 lines in Hebrew in seven symmetrical stanzas following an 11-line introduction: 8 lines/16 lines/9 lines/16 lines/9 lines/8 lines.

78:1–2. The psalmist described his instruction as a parable ("teaching stories/illustrations") and dark (lit., "riddles/enigmatic") sayings. The phrase dark sayings does not mean something sinister or negative, but rather an enigmatic saying used for instruction. This does not imply that the meaning of his words was unclear, but that the meaning would be clear only to those who had the spiritual capacity to understand it, namely, those whose heart was right before the Lord. To those whose heart was not right, (i.e., the unfaithful whose heart had not been circumcised; cf. Dt 10:16; 30:6; Jr 4:4), the truth of this psalm—which concerns a fundamental aspect of the expressed relationship between God and those whom He has chosen—would remain obscure and seem like "foolishness" (1Co 1:18). Precisely for this reason v. 2 is cited (in typical paraphrase) in Mt 13:35 to describe Jesus’ periodic teaching in parables (cf. the citation of Is 6:9–10 in Mt 13:10–17 with a similar point).

78:3–4. The purpose of this psalm is to recount God’s faithfulness throughout Israel’s history, to tell … the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. The history is presented somewhat chronologically, yet with significant overlapping of historical periods and events.

78:5–8. Foundational to this history is that God established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel (v. 5). Surprisingly, the psalmist did not start with the creation of the world or the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Rather, he began with God’s gift of the law to Moses. The purpose of the law was to teach the next generation to know the Lord, and in turn teach the same to the next generation (v. 6). Thus, each generation, would learn to put their confidence in God (v. 7). The point of this psalm was to teach this later generation to learn from Israel’s history and not be like their fathers who were stubborn and rebellious … and were not faithful to God (v. 8). Through the history of God’s faithfulness and Israel’s rebellion, this generation would learn to follow the Lord.

This large section is parallel to, and quite likely the exemplar for, Stephen’s defense in Ac 7:2–53. The point in both cases was to review the record of God’s faithfulness for the consistently rebellious people whom He had chosen. Like Asaph in the present psalm, Stephen also focused his review on the early generations of Israel (especially in the wilderness), highlighting their culminating expressions of sin and God’s consequent correction (cf. vv. 17, 40–43, 58 with Ac 7:39–43), and concluding with God’s gracious establishment of the Davidic monarchy and the building of the temple in Jerusalem (vv. 69–70; cf. Ac 7:46–50).

78:9–16. The sons of Ephraim were the northern ten tribes of Israel. Saying they turned back in the day of battle (v. 9) is a metaphor for Israel’s betrayal of her covenant to worship God as He commanded at the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, they refused to walk in His law (v. 10) by worshiping false gods in Samaria and Bethel under the leadership of Jeroboam when the kingdom divided (cf. 1Kg 12; 2Ch 10). Many of the miraculous events of the exodus, which they should have remembered, are recounted here (cf. Ex 7–17; Nm 20:8–11).

78:17–33. Despite God’s faithful deliverance and care (vv. 11–16), the Israelites still continued to sin against Him (v. 17). This is an overview of their rebellion against the Most High in the desert during the 40 years of wilderness wandering (cf. Nm 11). Because the generation that came out of Egypt sinned and did not believe in God or trust in His salvation (v. 22), they all died in the wilderness, their days came to an end in futility (v. 33; cf. Nm 14:22–23, 28–35).

78:34–39. When Israel entered the promised land of Canaan, they were under the leadership of the judges. This period was characterized by a cycle of sin and judgment: He killed them for their sin (v. 34), so they returned to Him for a short time before they were again [un]faithful to His covenant (v. 37; cf. Jdg 3:7–8; 17:6; 21:25).

78:40–53. This is a summary review of rebellion in the wilderness (v. 40), looking back again with a general overview of the plagues in Egypt (v. 43). The Passover was the central miraculous event in Israel’s history (cf. Ex 12:1–23). The Lord commanded Israel to celebrate the Passover each year and to teach its significance to each generation (cf. Ex 12:24–27). God smote all the firstborn in Egypt and led forth His own people like sheep (vv. 51–52).

78:54–64. After the exodus and 40 years of wilderness wandering, He brought them to His holy land (v. 54). The land of Israel, or Canaan, is specifically identified as God’s holy land (cf. Lv 25:23; Zch 9:16), which He gave to the Jewish people by His covenant forever (cf. Gn 12:1–3; Jr 7:7; 25:5). The Lord drove out the nations before them (v. 55; cf. Jos 11:16–23), Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God (v. 56). This section gives a similar sad account as vv. 34–39.

78:65–66. The Lord’s defense of Israel begins with a poetic description that says the Lord awoke as if from a sleep. Of course, the Lord does not sleep (cf. 121:4). The phrase as if from indicates the feeling that the Lord had been inactive/asleep; finally, at last, the Lord was defending His people after a period of seeming inactivity. He began by driving His adversaries backward; these enemies of Israel were the enemies of the Lord (cf. 83:2–5) and He put on them an everlasting reproach (v. 66). God’s decisive victory will come when the messianic King rules the earth (cf. 2; 146:10; Lk 1:32–33).

78:67–69. This section presents God’s choice of Judah, the tribal line of Messiah; the location of Zion, the ultimate messianic royal city; and the line of David, the dynasty of the future Messiah. God rejected the tent [household] of Joseph, although the Lord was with him (v. 67; cf. Gn 39:2–3, 19, 23). Likewise God did not choose the tribe of Ephraim for the messianic line (cf. Gn 48:5; 20; Is 7:17).

Instead, God chose the tribe of Judah (v. 68), not by virtue of the birth order of Judah, (he was the fourth-born son, not the first-born, cf. Gn 29:35), nor by reason of his righteousness, but by God’s sovereign choice. Within the tribal territory of Judah, God chose … Mount Zion, beginning with Abraham’s offer of Isaac there (cf. Gn 22:2; 2Ch 3:1; Ps 132:13–14). God then directed David to buy the land for the temple (cf. 2Sm 24:18–25) and directed Solomon to build the temple there (cf. 2Ch 3:1–2). He chose Mount Zion as the place which He loved (v. 68; cf. 87:2); there the Lord built His sanctuary both historically (cf. 1Kg 6; Ezr 3) and for all eternity (cf. Ezk 43:7; Rv 21:22–27).

78:70–72. God also chose David (cf. 1Sm 13:14; 16:1, 3, 7; Ac 7:46; 13:22) as the head of the messianic line (cf. Ru 4:18–22; 2Sm 7:8–16; Mt 1:1, 6; 9:27). David, who had been a shepherd, was called by the Lord to shepherd Jacob His people (v. 71). David was the prototype of the Good Shepherd, the Messiah Jesus (cf. Jn 10:11; Rv 7:17).

On the heading of this psalm of Asaph, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 50. This psalm continues the history from Ps 78. it is a national lament for a catastrophe that struck Jerusalem, probably the Babylonian destruction of the city and the Solomon’s temple and the captivity in 586 BC. Psalm 79 describes the subsequent apostasy and judgment of Judah (esp. vv. 1–7) to indicate the spiritual unworthiness of the entire nation, both northern and southern tribes. The psalmist thereby emphasized the need for, and his confidence in, God’s unfailing grace and covenant faithfulness in the midst of the current disaster (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 333).

79:1–4. The description of Jerusalem is dire: O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance (v. 1; cf. comments on 47:4; 68:9). The Gentile nations around Israel had defiled Your holy temple and laid Jerusalem in ruins (the destruction by Babylon; cf. 2Kg 25). People were lying dead in the streets as food to the birds; their blood was poured out like water round about Jerusalem (vv. 2–3). The disaster had made the survivors a reproach to their Gentile neighbors.

79:5–7. The question How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? indicates these tragic events were the result of God’s judgment. Acknowledging the Lord was angry at His people implies the recognition of God’s judgment on their sin. Moreover, the word jealousy in v. 5 is not the petty emotions of an insecure heart, but rather God’s zeal for the full devotion and worship of His people (cf. Dt 4:24–31). The situation was so terrible the psalmist pled for God, Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, and have devoured Jacob (v. 6), the people of Israel. See comments on imprecatory psalms in Introduction: Types of Psalms.

79:8. Having affirmed God’s chastisement and therefore their sins which caused the judgment, the psalmist now led his people in petitioning God: Let Your compassion (mercy out of love, cf. 25:6) come quickly.

79:9–12. The motivation for this petition—and, of course, the ultimate goal of Israel’s (as any believer’s) chastisement—is the glory of God’s name (i.e., God’s "name" is often used by metonymy for God Himself; see comment on 20:5). By reproaching Israel, these enemies were ultimately reproaching God Himself. Jerusalem had become a reproach to her neighbors (v. 4), yet the reproach with which they have reproached was against You, O Lord (v. 12). Therefore, by delivering His people, God was vindicating (i.e., proving the infallibility of) His covenant promises to preserve His people (cf. comments on 76; 83).

79:13. The psalm centers on the Lord’s relationship with His people. It begins by identifying Israel as God’s inheritance (v. 1) and ends by identifying them as Your people and the sheep of Your pasture (cf. 74:1; 100:3). God’s deliverance would serve as another occasion for all generations (cf. 78:4) to tell of His praise.

On this Psalm of Asaph, see introductory comments to Pss 4 and 50. This psalm is set to El Shosahannim ("Lilies," cf. introductory comments on Ps 60; cf. headings on Pss 45 and 69). Eduth is a legal term meaning "testimony," probably because it serves to provide a legal testimony regarding the just historical basis for God’s correction of His people. Psalms 78 and 79 describe God’s judgment of the apostate northern and southern tribes, casting some doubt on the possibility of the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant and the future restoration of the nation. But Asaph reassured his readers that there would be such a restoration under the supreme Son of David (called "son of man" in v. 17).

Psalm 80 indicates that the hope of this future restoration did not hang on any of the previous sons of David. Since the book of Psalms was edited into its final form in post-exilic times, Israel had no king to fulfill its hopes at this point in its history, giving this psalm a decidedly prophetic and messianic flavor (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 333; also see Introduction: Background and introductory comments to Ps 69).

80:1–3. Israel’s relationship with the Lord is immediately indicated by the description of God as the Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock (v. 1; cf. 23:6; 77:20; 78:52). God is portrayed in great majesty enthroned above the cherubim (cf. 1Sm 4:4; Ezk 1:22–28). The request God, restore us indicates that God was correcting His people (cf. Pss 28:1–2; 50:7, 21). To cause Your face to shine upon us (v. 3; cf. vv. 7, 19) is requesting God to bless them and is drawn from the Aaronic benediction (cf. Nm 6:22–27; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1).

80:4–7. Addressing God as Lord God of Hosts further indicates His majesty (cf. v. 1; 1Sm 17:34; 1Ch 17:24; Pss 46:7; 69:6). Israel’s suffering is described with words like bread of tears … drink[ing] tears, and being made an object of contention (vv. 5–6; cf. 79:4). Asking How long will You be angry? (v. 4) forms one of the links connecting this psalm to the previous psalm (see comments on 79:5). The intended goal of chastisement was that God would restore them to spiritual health (v. 7 is parallel to v. 3).

80:8–13. This section of the psalm is in the form of a parable. The vine metaphor was frequently used of Israel (cf. Is 3:14; 5:1–7; 27:2; Jr 2:21; 12:10; Ezk 15:1–8; 19:10–14; Hs 10:1; 14:7). Here the vine describes Israel in terms of the exodus from Egypt and settling in Israel. The basis of God’s correction was His unconditional, sovereign election of Israel, grounded in His covenant with and promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (cf. Gn 12:2–3; 17:7–8; Ps 105:8–10; Rm 9:7–8; Gal 3:18–19). This point is vividly portrayed by the image of Israel as a vine, being removed/transplanted by God from Egypt to Canaan, His holy land (v. 8, cf. 78:54–55). In Canaan, God also cleared the ground (v. 9) of the Gentile nations to provide space for the vine of Israel, so it took deep root and filled the land (cf. comments on 74:1–11). At one time the Israel the vine flourished so that the mountains were covered with its shadow (v. 10), but now God had broken down its hedges that protected the vineyard and whatever moves in the field feeds on it (v. 13), indicating that Israel was being oppressed by the nations.

80:14–15. Again the prayer, directed to the God of hosts, was for Him to take care of this vine … which Your right hand has planted (vv. 14–15; cf. v. 8). Israel was called the son [lit., "branch"] whom You have strengthened for Yourself.

80:16–18. Although the vine had been burned with fire and cut down, this was because of the rebuke of Your countenance. The goal of God’s correction was to restore Israel to Himself. Then afterwards, we shall not turn back from You; Revive us (lit., "give life") so we will call upon Your name.

80:19. The psalm concludes with the image of restoration by God using the phrase that unites the psalm: Cause Your face to shine upon us (v. 3, 7, 19; see comments at v. 3; 11:7b; 15:5b; 44:3; 56:13) and we will be saved (v. 3, 7, 19). The Lord is the only hope of salvation.

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see the comments on the heading to Ps 50. It is for the choir director; on the Gittith, see the comments on Ps 8. Written from exile, Ps 80 contained a plea for God to restore the people of Israel and their nation (see esp. vv. 1–7, 14–19). Now Pss 81 and 82 are the Lord’s reply. Israel’s national restoration (not personal salvation) was conditioned upon their need to become obedient to Him (81:12–14). If they would do this, God would bless them (v. 16; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 333).

According to ancient Jewish tradition, based on the blowing of trumpets (v. 3), this psalm is recited on The Feast of the Trumpet Blowing (also called Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; cf. Lv 23:24–25; Nm 29:1). In a sense, this is a hymn to challenge the people of Israel to covenant faithfulness. It gives an overview of the history of the covenant, using the Torah/Pentateuch.

81:1–2. The psalm begins with a call to worship: Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob, and encourages worship with a variety of instruments.

81:3–4. The trumpet (Hb. shofar), the ram’s horn trumpet (cf. Ex 19:13), was to be blown at appointed feasts, at the new moon (cf. Nm 10:10; 28:11–15), at the full moon (cf. Lv 23:34), and at God’s appointed times (cf. Lv 23:34). As a supplement to—and reinforcement of—the individual obligation to continually "renew" (maintain the vibrancy of) one’s walk in righteousness, God also commanded the regular collective observance of a feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob (v. 4). This feast day is Rosh Hashanah, as noted above, which falls on the new moon (i.e., the first day) of the seventh month. The focus of this festival is national spiritual renewal—as in this psalm—through repentance (cf. vv. 8–9, 11–13) and praise (cf. vv. 1–2).

81:5–7. As an impetus to spiritual renewal, God reminded His people of His past concern for them in their early days as a people—how He went throughout the land of Egypt (v. 5, an allusion to His judgment of the Egyptians by the 10^th plague, cf. Ex 11:4) and relieved their shoulder of the burden of slavery, freeing their hands … from the basket of straw they would gather for making bricks (v. 6; cf. Ex 5:7). He did all this, moreover, even though the people did not deserve it—as seen in that God proved them (i.e., refined them [through correction]; see the verb also in Zch 13:9 where the NASB translates it "test" and "tested"). When the people of Israel called in trouble the Lord rescued them (v. 7).

81:8–10. The Lord called His people to himself: O Israel, if you would listen to Me! This is reminiscent of the Sh’ma, the watchword of Israel (cf. Dt. 6:4), where He reminded them to be faithful to Him. Let there be no strange god[s] among you because I, the Lord, am your God (vv. 9–10)). Just as He fed the people with manna in the wilderness of Egypt (cf. Ex 16:14–21), so God commanded them, Open your mouth wide and I will fill it (v. 10), not with manna this time, but with His own goodness.

81:11–16. Despite the record of God’s care, Israel did not obey the Lord. The key idea here is that God wanted Israel to listen (vv. 11, 13) to Him. If they would walk in [His] ways, He would subdue their enemies and richly bless them, using the poetic imagery of satisfying them with honey from the rock (v. 16; cf. Dt 32:13), meaning divine providence.

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph, see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 50. In Ps 82, God continued to respond to the pleas of His people in Pss 80 and 81 by continuing to call them to obey Him (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 333).

82:1. The congregation in which God takes his stand (i.e., to execute judgment, as God’s "standing" is elsewhere intended; cf. Is 3:13) was the congregation (i.e., people) of Israel, to whom this same expression "congregation (of the Lord)" is elsewhere applied (cf. Nm 27:17; Jos 22:16–17). So too the rulers (Hb. elohim, lit., "gods") in the midst of whom He judges were the leaders of Israel to whom the ministry of teaching, modeling, and enforcing God’s Word was entrusted, such as the judges and priests in the OT and the scribes and Pharisees in the NT. The gods (v. 6a) here were the same contextually as those Jesus cited (cf. Jn 10:34). He further defined "gods" as those "to whom the word of God came" (Jn 10:35; see comments there). Both on the lips of Jesus and here, the word referred to men such as Moses (designated elohim in Ex 4:16), the judges who assisted him (designated elohim in Ex 21:6; 22:7–8, 27), and the subsequent judges and leaders of Israel (cf. Jdg 5:8; Ps 138:1). In all these instances where the epithet "gods" (elohim) is applied to men, it should be understood in the sense of "proxies or representatives of God." The point of this verse is thus to underscore God’s preeminent position as the final Judge who will pass judgment on all other judges.

82:2–4. God’s challenge here essentially repeated the injunction of Lv 19:15–16 in which God instructed His people at the outset of their nationhood and spoke to them continually thereafter through His prophets (cf. Is 1:17; Mc 6:8). His message was that they not judge unjustly or show partiality to the wicked (v. 2), but rather that they vindicate (i.e., plead the cause of) the weak and fatherless (or "orphan"; this word elsewhere is translated "orphan," referring to a pre-adolescent who has no father), the afflicted and destitute (v. 3), those who have no one else to help them or plead their cause (see Jb 29:12, where "orphan" is also used).

82:5–8. The psalmist affirmed the Lord’s inevitable judgment of those judges and leaders (v. 6), designated gods in v. 1, who continue to judge unjustly (v. 2), at which time all the foundations of the earth will be shaken (v. 5), for He is the One who laid them (cf. 75:3; 104:5). This imagery points to the final judgment of Rv 20:11–15 that immediately precedes God’s remaking of the heavens and the earth. Asaph’s closing affirmation that it is You who possesses all the nations (cf. Ps 2:8) further emphasizes God’s right to enact this final judgment, as well as that this judgment will be enacted by the Son of God.

On the heading of this Psalm of Asaph see the comments on the headings to Pss 3 and 50. It is described as A Song (see introduction to Ps 46). Thematically, the three parts of this psalm parallel the three essential provisions or, more precisely, promises (cf. Gal 3:17–18) of the Abrahamic covenant: an eternal land, an eternal people, and eternal blessing (for Israel and all nations). The fulfillment of these promises, and not the destruction of the psalmist’s enemies as such, drove his imprecation in this psalm.

One of the central themes of Asaph’s psalms (73–83), of which this is the last, is imploring God to deliver His people, city, and temple. These all lay in ruins and provided the Gentile nations grounds for mocking Him. Asaph therefore called upon God to judge those nations so they would recognize His supremacy (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 333–34).

83:1–5. The opening of this psalm is a plea: O God, do not remain quiet … silent … still, but instead take action against Your enemies. The expression exalted themselves (v. 2) is lit., "lifted up (their) head," referring to the mustering and counting of soldiers in preparation for battle against God’s people. They make an uproar against the Lord (cf. Ps 2). The threat was against Israel by her many enemies, who collectively conspire together against the people of Israel to wipe them out … That the name of Israel be remembered no more (vv. 3–4).

However, because the plans were made by the enemies of the Lord, these words were ultimately directed against God Himself, since He established Israel as a distinct people (cf. Gn 12:2) and promised that they would remain so forever (cf. Jr 31:35–37). It was He who gave them their name (cf. Gn 12:2; 32:28), the name itself bearing witness to the character of God. "Israel" literally means "God strives," that is, "strives for Israel"; (see comment on Ps 32:2–8). These people who hate You (v. 2) conspire together (v. 2, conspired together, v. 5) and Against You they make a covenant (v. 5). These words indicate that hatred against the people of Israel was in actuality hatred of the God of Israel.

83:6–8. The enemies were Gentile nations which had a history of aggression against Israel: Edom (cf. Am 1:11), the Ishmaelites (cf. Gn 25:12–18), Moab (cf. Is 16), the Hagrites (cf. 1Ch 5:10), Gebal (cf. Ezk 27:9), Ammon (cf. Am 1:13–15), Amalek (cf. Dt 25:17–18), Philistia (cf. 1Sm 17), Tyre (cf. Ezk 26:1–28:19), and Assyria (cf. 2Kg 17:1–6). The statement that these nations had become a help to the children of Lot, the Moabites and Ammonites (cf. Gn 19:36–38), is a summary of the coalition of enemies against Israel. Although they had all opposed Israel in the past, this assault appears to refer to the end of days, when the nations will gather against Israel (cf. Ps 2:1–2; Zch 14:2).

83:9–15. This is a plea for the Lord to Deal with them (those nations listed vv. 6–8) as He did with Midian … Sisera and Jabin during the time of the Judges (cf. Jdg 4; 7). The mention of those destroyed at En-dor (cf. Jos 17:11) … Oreb … Zeeb … Zebah and Zalmunna (cf. Jdg 7–8) is another list of enemies defeated by the Lord.

Consistent with their collective intention to wipe out the people of Israel, the enemies of God’s people also sought to possess the pastures of God, the land of Israel, for themselves (v. 12)—an intention that was likewise ultimately directed against God since He gave Israel that land as an everlasting possession (cf. Gn 13:15; 17:8; Ps 105:10–11). This same intention continues unabated to the present day among Israel’s many enemies

83:16–18. Counterbalancing the imprecation in this psalm (as also, even if implicitly, in any other imprecatory psalm or statement in Scripture) is God’s final and greatest promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that through them all nations of the earth will be blessed (cf. Gn 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). This promise was here explicitly affirmed by Asaph, who implored God to fill the faces of Israel’s enemies with dishonor, with the goal that they may seek God’s name (v. 16) and know that it is He alone, whose name is the Lord, is the Most High (cf. 14:19) over all the earth (v. 18; cf. Gn 11:4; 12:2; Pss 20:5; 23:3; Mal 1:11).

On the heading of this Psalm of the sons of Korah, see the comments on the headings of Pss 3–4; 42–43, and Introduction: Author. The three parts of this psalm comprise those three concurrent aspects (not progressive "steps") of the believer’s walk with the Lord, as presented in terms of worship in Zion. Whereas Asaph’s psalms mourned the destruction of the nation and the temple, this psalm anticipated the temple’s restoration and the prospect of glorious worship there (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 334).

84:1–4. The first aspect of true blessedness is proximity to the Lord of hosts whose presence on earth was centered in His dwelling places—the plural form referring to the temple compound and all its distinct sections (as in 43:3; 46:4). The psalmist’s soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord (v. 2; cf. 42:1), a poignant indication of the psalmist’s focus on being in God’s presence All those who love God should yearn to dwell in God’s house, not simply as the priest who served there, but as the Lord’s guest enjoying His presence (v. 4; cf. comments on 15:1; 23:6).

84:5–7. True blessing accrues to the person (Hb. adam, which, though usually translated man, is properly a designation for any human individual) who finds his strength … in God alone (v. 5; cf. 1Sm 30:6). No matter what happens, even Passing through the valley of Baca ("weeping," v. 6), the saddest of times, those who trust in the Lord can transform those tears and make the valley of weeping into a spring of water. People such as this go from strength to strength (v. 7a). No matter where they go or what their circumstances may be, God’s strength is always available to them; and to "recharge" this strength they appear regularly before God in Zion (v. 7b). This refers to the three pilgrimage festivals (Unleavened Bread, Weeks [Pentecost], and Tabernacles), when God commanded that every man in Israel "appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses" (Dt 16:16). Likewise, today we should seek God’s presence through study of His Word as our resource of fellowship, refreshment, and strength.

84:9–10. After praising God (vv. 1–7), the psalm transitioned with a prayer that was likewise focused on the joy of fellowship with God in His presence. For a day in Your courts is better than thousands outside away from Him (v. 10).

84:11–12. The Hebrew in the phrase the Lord gives denotes an ongoing/unending action; grace indicates it is God’s consistent, never-ending supply to His people throughout the OT, both by protecting and providing for them, as well as by granting them grace (or "favor") in the eyes of others (cf. Gn 39:21; Ex 3:21; 11:3; 12:36; Dn 1:9). The description of God as a sun reinforces the concept of God’s grace as the giver of life; being a shield indicates that He is the One who protects life (v. 11).

On the heading of this Psalm of the sons of Korah, see the comments on the headings of Pss 3–4; 42–43. This psalm reiterates the hope of God restoring Israel in the future, but the righteous must prepare for this coming deliverance by continued obedience and faithfulness (cf. 85:8; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 334).

85:1–3. In the past the Lord … showed favor to the … land of Israel. God’s showing of favor is specifically associated in Scripture with His "compassion" or "tender love" (cf. Is 60:10). This tender love was expressed toward Israel in the past by His having restored the captivity (better translated "fortunes") of Jacob—referring to God’s restoration of the people to an outward state of prosperity following a period of correction or testing during the Babylonian exile (cf. the same expression in Jb 42:10; Ezk 16:53). But more importantly, He forgave the iniquity of [His] people [and] turned away from [His] burning anger (v. 3). The Babylonian exile was a judgment for failing to obey the Lord (cf. Jr 25:1–11), and return to the land of Israel was an evidence of the Lord’s forgiveness.