PSALM 28 COMMETARYEdited by Glenn Pease

PREFACE

I quote many authors in this commentary Some of them are old but some are contemporary and it any do not wish their wisdom to be shared in this way they can let me know and I will remove their contribution My e-mail is glenn-p86yahoocom

ITRODUCTIO

1 Spurgeon ldquoPSALM 28 OVERVIEW Title and Subject Again the title A Psalm of David is too general to give us any clue to the occasion on which it was written Its position as following the twenty-seventh seems to have been designed for it is a most suitable pendant and sequel to it It is another of those songs in the night of which the pen of David was so prolific The thorn at the breast of the nightingale was said by the old naturalists to make it sing Davids griefs made him eloquent in holy psalmody The main pleading of this Psalm is that the suppliant may not be confounded with the workers of iniquity for whom he expresses the utmost abhorrence it may suit any slandered saint who being misunderstood by men and treated by them as an unworthy character is anxious to stand aright before the bar of God The Lord Jesus may be seen here pleading as the representative of his people

Division The first and second verses earnestly entreat audience of the Lord in a time of dire emergency From Psalms 282-5 the portion of the wicked is described and deprecated In Psalms 286-8 praise is given for the Lords mercy in hearing prayer and the Psalm concludes with a general petition for the whole host of militant believers

2 Expositors Bible ldquoTHE unquestionable resemblances to Psalm xxvi scarcely require that this should be considered its companion The differences are as obvious as the likenesses While the prayer Draw me not away with the wicked and the characterisation of these are alike in both the further emphatic prayer for retribution here and the closing half of this psalm have nothing corresponding to them in the other This psalm is built on the familiar plan of groups of two verses each with the exception that the prayer which is its centre runs over into three The course of thought is as familiar as the structure Invocation is followed by petition and that by exultant anticipation of the answer as already given and all closes with wider petitions for the whole people

Of David

1 To you LORD I call you are my Rock do not turn a deaf ear to meFor if you remain silent I will be like those who go down to the pit

1 Barnes ldquoUnto thee will I cry - That is under the consciousness of the danger to which I am exposed - the danger of being drawn away into the society of the wicked In such circumstances his reliance was not on his own strength or on his own resolutions on his own heart or on his fellowmen He felt that he was safe only in God and he appeals to Him therefore in this earnest manner to save him

O Lord my rock - See the notes at Psa_182

Be not silent to me - Margin ldquofrom merdquo So the Hebrew The idea is that of one who will not speak to us or who will not attend to us We pray and we look for an ldquoanswerrdquo to our prayers or as it were we expect God to ldquospeakrdquo to us to utter words of kindness to assure us of His favor to declare our sins forgiven

Lest if thou be silent to me - If thou dost not answer my supplications

I become like unto them that go down into the pit - Like those who die or lest I be crushed by anxiety and distress and die The word ldquopitrdquo here refers to the grave So it is used in Psa_303 Psa_884 Isa_3818 Isa_1415 Isa_1419 The meaning is that if he did not obtain help from God he despaired of life His troubles would overwhelm and crush him He could not bear up under them

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoRock is a name for God You will find it in Psalm 182 and in other psalms It means that God is a place where people can hide and be safe Twice David says from me He felt that God was looking away from him This makes us think of Psalm 221 My God why have you left me by myself Why is my help far away David thinks that he will go down into the pit The pit is where the Jews believed that very bad people went when they died

2 Clarke ldquoO Lord my rock - צורי tsuri not only means my rock but my fountain and the origin of all the good I possess

If thou be silent - If thou do not answer in such a way as to leave no doubt that thou hast heard me I shall be as a dead man It is a modern refinement in theology which teaches that no man can know when God hears and answers his prayers but by an induction of particulars and by an inference from his promises And on this ground how can any man fairly presume that he is heard or answered at all May not his inductions be no other than the common occurrences of providence And may not providence be no more than the necessary occurrence of events And is

it not possible on this skeptic ground that there is no God to hear or answer True religion knows nothing of these abominations it teaches its votaries to pray to God to expect an answer from him and to look for the Holy Spirit to bear witness with their spirits that they are the sons and daughters of God

2B ldquoWhat David seems to be saying is not that he will be killed or die bu that spiritually speaking he will be as good as dead unless God speaks to him If God refuses to answer his prayers how will David differ from the dying godless who have no relationship with God whateverrdquo mdash James Montgomery Boice Psalms 3 vols (Grand Rapids Mich Baker Books1994) 1247

3 Gill ldquoUnto thee will I cry This denotes the distress the psalmist was in fervency and ardour in prayer resolution to continue in it and singularity with respect to the object of it determining to cry to the Lord only to which he was encouraged by what follows

O Lord my rock he being a strong tower and place of defence to him in whom were all his safety and his trust and confidence and in whom he had an interest

be not silent to me or deaf (q) persons that do not hear are silent and make no answer as the Lord seems to be when he returns no answer to the cries of his people when he does not arise and help them when he seems not to take any notice of his and their enemies but stands at a distance from them and as if he had forsaken them see Psa_3912 the words may be considered as they are by some as an address to Christ his rock his advocate and intercessor that he would not be silent but speak for him and present his supplications to God with the much incense of his mediation see 1Sa_78

lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit either like such that fall into a ditch and cannot help themselves out and they cry and there is none to take them out from thence or like such that die in battle and are cast into a pit and there buried in common with others which David might fear would be his case through Sauls violent pursuit after him or lest he should be like the dead who are not regarded and are remembered no more or lest he should really die by the hands of his enemies and so be laid in the grave the pit of corruption or be in such distress and despair as even the damned in hell be the pit out of which there is no deliverance

4 Henry ldquoHe prays that God would graciously hear and answer him now that in his distress he called upon him Psa_281 Psa_282 Observe his faith in prayer O Lord my rock denoting his belief of Gods power (he is a rock) and his dependence upon that power - ldquoHe is my rock on whom I build my hoperdquo Observe his fervency in prayer ldquoTo thee will I cry as one in earnest being ready to sink unless thou come in with seasonable succourrdquo And observe how solicitous he is to obtain an answer ldquoBe not silent to me as one angry at my prayers Psa_804 Lord speak to me answer me with good words and comfortable words (Zec_113) though the thing I pray for has not been given me yet let God speak to me joy and gladness and make me to hear them Lord speak for me in answer to my prayers plead my cause command deliverances for me and thus hear and answer the voice of my supplicationsrdquo Two things he pleads - 1 The sad despair he should be in if God slighted him ldquoIf thou be silent to me and I have not the tokens of thy favour

I am like those that go down into the pit (that is I am a dead man lost and undone) if God be not my friend appear not to me and appear not for me my hope and my help will have perishedrdquo othing can be so cutting so killing to a gracious soul as the want of Gods favour and the sense of his displeasure I shall be like those that go down to hell (so some understand it) for what is the misery of the damned but this that God is ever silent to them and deaf to their cry Those are in some measure qualified for Gods favour and may expect it who are thus possessed with a dread of his wrath and to whom his frowns are worse than death

5 Jamison ldquoPsa_281-9 An earnest cry for divine aid against his enemies as being also those of God is followed by the Psalmistrsquos praise in assurance of a favorable answer and a prayer for all Godrsquos people

my rock mdash (Psa_182 Psa_1831)

be not silent to me mdash literally ldquofrom merdquo deaf or inattentive

become like them etc mdash share their fate

go down into the pit mdash or ldquograverdquo (Psa_303)

6 KampD ldquoThis first half of the Psalm (Psa_281) is supplicatory The preposition מן in connection with the verbs חרש to be deaf dumb and חשה to keep silence is a pregnant form of expression denoting an aversion or turning away which does not deign to give the suppliant an answer Jahve is his צור his ground of confidence but if He continues thus to keep silence then he who confides in Him will become like those who are going down (Psa_2230) or are gone down (Isa_1419) to the pit The participle of the past answers better to the situation of one already on the brink of the abyss

7 Calvin ldquoUnto thee O Jehovah will I cry The Psalmist begins by declaring that he would betake himself to the help of God alone which shows both his faith and his sincerity Although men labor every where under a multitude of troubles yet scarcely one in a hundred ever has recourse to God Almost all having their consciences burdened with guilt and having never experienced the power of divine grace which might lead them to betake themselves to it either proudly gnaw the bit or fill the air with unavailing complaints or giving way to desperation faint under their afflictions By calling God his strength David more fully shows that he confided in Godrsquos assistance not only when he was in the shade and in peace but also when he was exposed to the severest temptations In comparing himself to the dead too he intimates how great his straits were although his object was not merely to point out the magnitude of his danger but also to show that when he needed succor he looked not here and there for it but relied on God alone without whose favor there remained no hope for him It is therefore as if he had said I am nothing if thou leavest me if thou succourest me not I perish It is not enough for one who is in such a state of affliction to be sensible of his misery unless convinced of his inability to help himself and renouncing all help from the world he betake himself to God alone And as the Scriptures inform us that God answers true believers when he shows by his operations that he regards their supplications so the word silent is set in opposition to the sensible and present experience of his aid when he appears as it were not to hear their prayers

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee will I cry O Lord my rock A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and is a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for

directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation and shall use language of firm resolve like that in the text I will cry The immutable Jehovah is our rock the immovable foundation of all our hopes and our refuge in time of trouble we are fixed in our determination to flee to him as our stronghold in every hour of danger It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our rock attends to our cries Be not silent to me Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will -- they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once if possible they dread even a little of Gods silence Gods voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers This thought suggested itself to David and he turned it into a plea thus teaching us to argue and reason with God in our prayers Lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

I HAVE no doubt that the first and most natural meaning of these words is this that David passed through such mental distress such accumulated grief that unless his prayer should bring him consolation from heaven he felt that he must despair and so become like those who sink intoeverlasting despair going down into the pit of hell I think it is a cry against his misery which vexed him an earnest petition that he might not have to suffer so long as to drive into that same despair which is the eternal inheritance of lost souls But in reading the other day Masillonrsquos Reflections of the Psalms I noticed that that eminent French preacher gives quite another turn to the passage and he seems to regard this as being the prayer of David when he was exposed to the association of the ungodly fearful lest he should become in character like those that go down into the pit and even if that should not be the first meaning of the text it seems to me to be a natural inference from it and if not still the thought itself is one which contains so much of holy caution about it that I desire to commend it to all my brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus to-night and especially to such as are usually exposed to danger from ill-society

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our Rock attends to our cries

ldquoBe not silent to merdquo Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the willmdashthey must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once they dread even a little of Godrsquos silence Godrsquos voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers ldquoLest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go

down into the pitrdquo Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

9 Expositors Bible ldquoVv I 2 are a prelude to the prayer proper be speaking the Divine acceptance of it on the double ground of the psalmist s helplessness apart from God s help and of his outstretched hands appealing to God enthroned above the mercy-seat He is in such straits that unless his prayer brings an answer in act he must sink into the pit of Sheol and be made like those that lie huddled there in its darkness On the edge of the slippery slope he stretches out his hands toward the innermost sanctuary (for so the word rendered by a mistaken etymology oracle means) He beseeches God to hear and blends the two figures of deafness and silence as both meaning the withholding of help Jehovah seems deaf when prayer is unanswered and is silent when He does not speak in deliverance This prelude of invocation throbs with earnestness and sets the pattern for suppliants teaching them how to quicken their own desires as well as how to appeal to God by breathing to Him their consciousness that only His hand can keep them from sliding down into death

10 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee do I cry It is of the utmost importance that we should have a definite object on which to fix our thoughts Man at the best of times has but little power for realising abstractions but least of all in his time of sorrow Then he is helpless then he needs every possible aid and if his mind wander in vacancy it will soon weary and sink down exhausted God has graciously taken care that this need not be done He has so manifested himself to man in his word that the afflicted one can fix his minds eye on him as the definite object of his faith and hope and prayer Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jeremiah 333 This was what the psalmist did and the definiteness of God as the object of his trust in prayer is very clearly marked And specially great is the privilege of the Christian in this matter He can fix his eye on Jesus he without any very great stretch of the imagination can picture that Holy One looking down upon him listening to him feeling for him preparing to answer him Dear reader in the time of your trouble do not roam do not send out your sighs into vacancy do not let your thoughts wander as though they were looking for some one on whom to fix for some one to whom you could tell the story of your hearts need and desolation Fix your heart as the psalmist did and say Unto thee will I cry Oh happy is that man who feels and knows that when trouble comes he cannot be bewildered and confused by the stroke no matter how heavy it may be Sorrow stricken he will be but he has his resource and he knows it and will avail himself of it His is no vague theory of the general sympathy of God for man his is a knowledge of God as a personal and feeling God he says with the psalmist Unto thee will I cry Philip Bennett Power Verse 1 My rock One day a female friend called on the Rev William Evans a pious minister in England and asked how he felt himself I am weakness itself he replied but I am on the Rock I do not experience those transports which some have expressed in the view of death but my dependence is on the mercy of God in Christ Here my religion began and here it must end

Verse 1 My rock The Rev John Rees of Crownstreet Soho London was visited on his deathbed by the Rev John Leifchild who very seriously asked him to describe the state of his mind This appeal to the honour of his religion roused him and so freshened his dying lamp that raising himself up in his bed he looked his friend in the face and with great deliberation energy and dignity uttered the following words -- Christ in his person Christ in the love of his heart and

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

1 To you LORD I call you are my Rock do not turn a deaf ear to meFor if you remain silent I will be like those who go down to the pit

1 Barnes ldquoUnto thee will I cry - That is under the consciousness of the danger to which I am exposed - the danger of being drawn away into the society of the wicked In such circumstances his reliance was not on his own strength or on his own resolutions on his own heart or on his fellowmen He felt that he was safe only in God and he appeals to Him therefore in this earnest manner to save him

O Lord my rock - See the notes at Psa_182

Be not silent to me - Margin ldquofrom merdquo So the Hebrew The idea is that of one who will not speak to us or who will not attend to us We pray and we look for an ldquoanswerrdquo to our prayers or as it were we expect God to ldquospeakrdquo to us to utter words of kindness to assure us of His favor to declare our sins forgiven

Lest if thou be silent to me - If thou dost not answer my supplications

I become like unto them that go down into the pit - Like those who die or lest I be crushed by anxiety and distress and die The word ldquopitrdquo here refers to the grave So it is used in Psa_303 Psa_884 Isa_3818 Isa_1415 Isa_1419 The meaning is that if he did not obtain help from God he despaired of life His troubles would overwhelm and crush him He could not bear up under them

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoRock is a name for God You will find it in Psalm 182 and in other psalms It means that God is a place where people can hide and be safe Twice David says from me He felt that God was looking away from him This makes us think of Psalm 221 My God why have you left me by myself Why is my help far away David thinks that he will go down into the pit The pit is where the Jews believed that very bad people went when they died

2 Clarke ldquoO Lord my rock - צורי tsuri not only means my rock but my fountain and the origin of all the good I possess

If thou be silent - If thou do not answer in such a way as to leave no doubt that thou hast heard me I shall be as a dead man It is a modern refinement in theology which teaches that no man can know when God hears and answers his prayers but by an induction of particulars and by an inference from his promises And on this ground how can any man fairly presume that he is heard or answered at all May not his inductions be no other than the common occurrences of providence And may not providence be no more than the necessary occurrence of events And is

it not possible on this skeptic ground that there is no God to hear or answer True religion knows nothing of these abominations it teaches its votaries to pray to God to expect an answer from him and to look for the Holy Spirit to bear witness with their spirits that they are the sons and daughters of God

2B ldquoWhat David seems to be saying is not that he will be killed or die bu that spiritually speaking he will be as good as dead unless God speaks to him If God refuses to answer his prayers how will David differ from the dying godless who have no relationship with God whateverrdquo mdash James Montgomery Boice Psalms 3 vols (Grand Rapids Mich Baker Books1994) 1247

3 Gill ldquoUnto thee will I cry This denotes the distress the psalmist was in fervency and ardour in prayer resolution to continue in it and singularity with respect to the object of it determining to cry to the Lord only to which he was encouraged by what follows

O Lord my rock he being a strong tower and place of defence to him in whom were all his safety and his trust and confidence and in whom he had an interest

be not silent to me or deaf (q) persons that do not hear are silent and make no answer as the Lord seems to be when he returns no answer to the cries of his people when he does not arise and help them when he seems not to take any notice of his and their enemies but stands at a distance from them and as if he had forsaken them see Psa_3912 the words may be considered as they are by some as an address to Christ his rock his advocate and intercessor that he would not be silent but speak for him and present his supplications to God with the much incense of his mediation see 1Sa_78

lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit either like such that fall into a ditch and cannot help themselves out and they cry and there is none to take them out from thence or like such that die in battle and are cast into a pit and there buried in common with others which David might fear would be his case through Sauls violent pursuit after him or lest he should be like the dead who are not regarded and are remembered no more or lest he should really die by the hands of his enemies and so be laid in the grave the pit of corruption or be in such distress and despair as even the damned in hell be the pit out of which there is no deliverance

4 Henry ldquoHe prays that God would graciously hear and answer him now that in his distress he called upon him Psa_281 Psa_282 Observe his faith in prayer O Lord my rock denoting his belief of Gods power (he is a rock) and his dependence upon that power - ldquoHe is my rock on whom I build my hoperdquo Observe his fervency in prayer ldquoTo thee will I cry as one in earnest being ready to sink unless thou come in with seasonable succourrdquo And observe how solicitous he is to obtain an answer ldquoBe not silent to me as one angry at my prayers Psa_804 Lord speak to me answer me with good words and comfortable words (Zec_113) though the thing I pray for has not been given me yet let God speak to me joy and gladness and make me to hear them Lord speak for me in answer to my prayers plead my cause command deliverances for me and thus hear and answer the voice of my supplicationsrdquo Two things he pleads - 1 The sad despair he should be in if God slighted him ldquoIf thou be silent to me and I have not the tokens of thy favour

I am like those that go down into the pit (that is I am a dead man lost and undone) if God be not my friend appear not to me and appear not for me my hope and my help will have perishedrdquo othing can be so cutting so killing to a gracious soul as the want of Gods favour and the sense of his displeasure I shall be like those that go down to hell (so some understand it) for what is the misery of the damned but this that God is ever silent to them and deaf to their cry Those are in some measure qualified for Gods favour and may expect it who are thus possessed with a dread of his wrath and to whom his frowns are worse than death

5 Jamison ldquoPsa_281-9 An earnest cry for divine aid against his enemies as being also those of God is followed by the Psalmistrsquos praise in assurance of a favorable answer and a prayer for all Godrsquos people

my rock mdash (Psa_182 Psa_1831)

be not silent to me mdash literally ldquofrom merdquo deaf or inattentive

become like them etc mdash share their fate

go down into the pit mdash or ldquograverdquo (Psa_303)

6 KampD ldquoThis first half of the Psalm (Psa_281) is supplicatory The preposition מן in connection with the verbs חרש to be deaf dumb and חשה to keep silence is a pregnant form of expression denoting an aversion or turning away which does not deign to give the suppliant an answer Jahve is his צור his ground of confidence but if He continues thus to keep silence then he who confides in Him will become like those who are going down (Psa_2230) or are gone down (Isa_1419) to the pit The participle of the past answers better to the situation of one already on the brink of the abyss

7 Calvin ldquoUnto thee O Jehovah will I cry The Psalmist begins by declaring that he would betake himself to the help of God alone which shows both his faith and his sincerity Although men labor every where under a multitude of troubles yet scarcely one in a hundred ever has recourse to God Almost all having their consciences burdened with guilt and having never experienced the power of divine grace which might lead them to betake themselves to it either proudly gnaw the bit or fill the air with unavailing complaints or giving way to desperation faint under their afflictions By calling God his strength David more fully shows that he confided in Godrsquos assistance not only when he was in the shade and in peace but also when he was exposed to the severest temptations In comparing himself to the dead too he intimates how great his straits were although his object was not merely to point out the magnitude of his danger but also to show that when he needed succor he looked not here and there for it but relied on God alone without whose favor there remained no hope for him It is therefore as if he had said I am nothing if thou leavest me if thou succourest me not I perish It is not enough for one who is in such a state of affliction to be sensible of his misery unless convinced of his inability to help himself and renouncing all help from the world he betake himself to God alone And as the Scriptures inform us that God answers true believers when he shows by his operations that he regards their supplications so the word silent is set in opposition to the sensible and present experience of his aid when he appears as it were not to hear their prayers

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee will I cry O Lord my rock A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and is a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for

directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation and shall use language of firm resolve like that in the text I will cry The immutable Jehovah is our rock the immovable foundation of all our hopes and our refuge in time of trouble we are fixed in our determination to flee to him as our stronghold in every hour of danger It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our rock attends to our cries Be not silent to me Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will -- they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once if possible they dread even a little of Gods silence Gods voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers This thought suggested itself to David and he turned it into a plea thus teaching us to argue and reason with God in our prayers Lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

I HAVE no doubt that the first and most natural meaning of these words is this that David passed through such mental distress such accumulated grief that unless his prayer should bring him consolation from heaven he felt that he must despair and so become like those who sink intoeverlasting despair going down into the pit of hell I think it is a cry against his misery which vexed him an earnest petition that he might not have to suffer so long as to drive into that same despair which is the eternal inheritance of lost souls But in reading the other day Masillonrsquos Reflections of the Psalms I noticed that that eminent French preacher gives quite another turn to the passage and he seems to regard this as being the prayer of David when he was exposed to the association of the ungodly fearful lest he should become in character like those that go down into the pit and even if that should not be the first meaning of the text it seems to me to be a natural inference from it and if not still the thought itself is one which contains so much of holy caution about it that I desire to commend it to all my brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus to-night and especially to such as are usually exposed to danger from ill-society

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our Rock attends to our cries

ldquoBe not silent to merdquo Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the willmdashthey must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once they dread even a little of Godrsquos silence Godrsquos voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers ldquoLest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go

down into the pitrdquo Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

9 Expositors Bible ldquoVv I 2 are a prelude to the prayer proper be speaking the Divine acceptance of it on the double ground of the psalmist s helplessness apart from God s help and of his outstretched hands appealing to God enthroned above the mercy-seat He is in such straits that unless his prayer brings an answer in act he must sink into the pit of Sheol and be made like those that lie huddled there in its darkness On the edge of the slippery slope he stretches out his hands toward the innermost sanctuary (for so the word rendered by a mistaken etymology oracle means) He beseeches God to hear and blends the two figures of deafness and silence as both meaning the withholding of help Jehovah seems deaf when prayer is unanswered and is silent when He does not speak in deliverance This prelude of invocation throbs with earnestness and sets the pattern for suppliants teaching them how to quicken their own desires as well as how to appeal to God by breathing to Him their consciousness that only His hand can keep them from sliding down into death

10 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee do I cry It is of the utmost importance that we should have a definite object on which to fix our thoughts Man at the best of times has but little power for realising abstractions but least of all in his time of sorrow Then he is helpless then he needs every possible aid and if his mind wander in vacancy it will soon weary and sink down exhausted God has graciously taken care that this need not be done He has so manifested himself to man in his word that the afflicted one can fix his minds eye on him as the definite object of his faith and hope and prayer Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jeremiah 333 This was what the psalmist did and the definiteness of God as the object of his trust in prayer is very clearly marked And specially great is the privilege of the Christian in this matter He can fix his eye on Jesus he without any very great stretch of the imagination can picture that Holy One looking down upon him listening to him feeling for him preparing to answer him Dear reader in the time of your trouble do not roam do not send out your sighs into vacancy do not let your thoughts wander as though they were looking for some one on whom to fix for some one to whom you could tell the story of your hearts need and desolation Fix your heart as the psalmist did and say Unto thee will I cry Oh happy is that man who feels and knows that when trouble comes he cannot be bewildered and confused by the stroke no matter how heavy it may be Sorrow stricken he will be but he has his resource and he knows it and will avail himself of it His is no vague theory of the general sympathy of God for man his is a knowledge of God as a personal and feeling God he says with the psalmist Unto thee will I cry Philip Bennett Power Verse 1 My rock One day a female friend called on the Rev William Evans a pious minister in England and asked how he felt himself I am weakness itself he replied but I am on the Rock I do not experience those transports which some have expressed in the view of death but my dependence is on the mercy of God in Christ Here my religion began and here it must end

Verse 1 My rock The Rev John Rees of Crownstreet Soho London was visited on his deathbed by the Rev John Leifchild who very seriously asked him to describe the state of his mind This appeal to the honour of his religion roused him and so freshened his dying lamp that raising himself up in his bed he looked his friend in the face and with great deliberation energy and dignity uttered the following words -- Christ in his person Christ in the love of his heart and

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

it not possible on this skeptic ground that there is no God to hear or answer True religion knows nothing of these abominations it teaches its votaries to pray to God to expect an answer from him and to look for the Holy Spirit to bear witness with their spirits that they are the sons and daughters of God

2B ldquoWhat David seems to be saying is not that he will be killed or die bu that spiritually speaking he will be as good as dead unless God speaks to him If God refuses to answer his prayers how will David differ from the dying godless who have no relationship with God whateverrdquo mdash James Montgomery Boice Psalms 3 vols (Grand Rapids Mich Baker Books1994) 1247

3 Gill ldquoUnto thee will I cry This denotes the distress the psalmist was in fervency and ardour in prayer resolution to continue in it and singularity with respect to the object of it determining to cry to the Lord only to which he was encouraged by what follows

O Lord my rock he being a strong tower and place of defence to him in whom were all his safety and his trust and confidence and in whom he had an interest

be not silent to me or deaf (q) persons that do not hear are silent and make no answer as the Lord seems to be when he returns no answer to the cries of his people when he does not arise and help them when he seems not to take any notice of his and their enemies but stands at a distance from them and as if he had forsaken them see Psa_3912 the words may be considered as they are by some as an address to Christ his rock his advocate and intercessor that he would not be silent but speak for him and present his supplications to God with the much incense of his mediation see 1Sa_78

lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit either like such that fall into a ditch and cannot help themselves out and they cry and there is none to take them out from thence or like such that die in battle and are cast into a pit and there buried in common with others which David might fear would be his case through Sauls violent pursuit after him or lest he should be like the dead who are not regarded and are remembered no more or lest he should really die by the hands of his enemies and so be laid in the grave the pit of corruption or be in such distress and despair as even the damned in hell be the pit out of which there is no deliverance

4 Henry ldquoHe prays that God would graciously hear and answer him now that in his distress he called upon him Psa_281 Psa_282 Observe his faith in prayer O Lord my rock denoting his belief of Gods power (he is a rock) and his dependence upon that power - ldquoHe is my rock on whom I build my hoperdquo Observe his fervency in prayer ldquoTo thee will I cry as one in earnest being ready to sink unless thou come in with seasonable succourrdquo And observe how solicitous he is to obtain an answer ldquoBe not silent to me as one angry at my prayers Psa_804 Lord speak to me answer me with good words and comfortable words (Zec_113) though the thing I pray for has not been given me yet let God speak to me joy and gladness and make me to hear them Lord speak for me in answer to my prayers plead my cause command deliverances for me and thus hear and answer the voice of my supplicationsrdquo Two things he pleads - 1 The sad despair he should be in if God slighted him ldquoIf thou be silent to me and I have not the tokens of thy favour

I am like those that go down into the pit (that is I am a dead man lost and undone) if God be not my friend appear not to me and appear not for me my hope and my help will have perishedrdquo othing can be so cutting so killing to a gracious soul as the want of Gods favour and the sense of his displeasure I shall be like those that go down to hell (so some understand it) for what is the misery of the damned but this that God is ever silent to them and deaf to their cry Those are in some measure qualified for Gods favour and may expect it who are thus possessed with a dread of his wrath and to whom his frowns are worse than death

5 Jamison ldquoPsa_281-9 An earnest cry for divine aid against his enemies as being also those of God is followed by the Psalmistrsquos praise in assurance of a favorable answer and a prayer for all Godrsquos people

my rock mdash (Psa_182 Psa_1831)

be not silent to me mdash literally ldquofrom merdquo deaf or inattentive

become like them etc mdash share their fate

go down into the pit mdash or ldquograverdquo (Psa_303)

6 KampD ldquoThis first half of the Psalm (Psa_281) is supplicatory The preposition מן in connection with the verbs חרש to be deaf dumb and חשה to keep silence is a pregnant form of expression denoting an aversion or turning away which does not deign to give the suppliant an answer Jahve is his צור his ground of confidence but if He continues thus to keep silence then he who confides in Him will become like those who are going down (Psa_2230) or are gone down (Isa_1419) to the pit The participle of the past answers better to the situation of one already on the brink of the abyss

7 Calvin ldquoUnto thee O Jehovah will I cry The Psalmist begins by declaring that he would betake himself to the help of God alone which shows both his faith and his sincerity Although men labor every where under a multitude of troubles yet scarcely one in a hundred ever has recourse to God Almost all having their consciences burdened with guilt and having never experienced the power of divine grace which might lead them to betake themselves to it either proudly gnaw the bit or fill the air with unavailing complaints or giving way to desperation faint under their afflictions By calling God his strength David more fully shows that he confided in Godrsquos assistance not only when he was in the shade and in peace but also when he was exposed to the severest temptations In comparing himself to the dead too he intimates how great his straits were although his object was not merely to point out the magnitude of his danger but also to show that when he needed succor he looked not here and there for it but relied on God alone without whose favor there remained no hope for him It is therefore as if he had said I am nothing if thou leavest me if thou succourest me not I perish It is not enough for one who is in such a state of affliction to be sensible of his misery unless convinced of his inability to help himself and renouncing all help from the world he betake himself to God alone And as the Scriptures inform us that God answers true believers when he shows by his operations that he regards their supplications so the word silent is set in opposition to the sensible and present experience of his aid when he appears as it were not to hear their prayers

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee will I cry O Lord my rock A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and is a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for

directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation and shall use language of firm resolve like that in the text I will cry The immutable Jehovah is our rock the immovable foundation of all our hopes and our refuge in time of trouble we are fixed in our determination to flee to him as our stronghold in every hour of danger It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our rock attends to our cries Be not silent to me Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will -- they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once if possible they dread even a little of Gods silence Gods voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers This thought suggested itself to David and he turned it into a plea thus teaching us to argue and reason with God in our prayers Lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

I HAVE no doubt that the first and most natural meaning of these words is this that David passed through such mental distress such accumulated grief that unless his prayer should bring him consolation from heaven he felt that he must despair and so become like those who sink intoeverlasting despair going down into the pit of hell I think it is a cry against his misery which vexed him an earnest petition that he might not have to suffer so long as to drive into that same despair which is the eternal inheritance of lost souls But in reading the other day Masillonrsquos Reflections of the Psalms I noticed that that eminent French preacher gives quite another turn to the passage and he seems to regard this as being the prayer of David when he was exposed to the association of the ungodly fearful lest he should become in character like those that go down into the pit and even if that should not be the first meaning of the text it seems to me to be a natural inference from it and if not still the thought itself is one which contains so much of holy caution about it that I desire to commend it to all my brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus to-night and especially to such as are usually exposed to danger from ill-society

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our Rock attends to our cries

ldquoBe not silent to merdquo Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the willmdashthey must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once they dread even a little of Godrsquos silence Godrsquos voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers ldquoLest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go

down into the pitrdquo Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

9 Expositors Bible ldquoVv I 2 are a prelude to the prayer proper be speaking the Divine acceptance of it on the double ground of the psalmist s helplessness apart from God s help and of his outstretched hands appealing to God enthroned above the mercy-seat He is in such straits that unless his prayer brings an answer in act he must sink into the pit of Sheol and be made like those that lie huddled there in its darkness On the edge of the slippery slope he stretches out his hands toward the innermost sanctuary (for so the word rendered by a mistaken etymology oracle means) He beseeches God to hear and blends the two figures of deafness and silence as both meaning the withholding of help Jehovah seems deaf when prayer is unanswered and is silent when He does not speak in deliverance This prelude of invocation throbs with earnestness and sets the pattern for suppliants teaching them how to quicken their own desires as well as how to appeal to God by breathing to Him their consciousness that only His hand can keep them from sliding down into death

10 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee do I cry It is of the utmost importance that we should have a definite object on which to fix our thoughts Man at the best of times has but little power for realising abstractions but least of all in his time of sorrow Then he is helpless then he needs every possible aid and if his mind wander in vacancy it will soon weary and sink down exhausted God has graciously taken care that this need not be done He has so manifested himself to man in his word that the afflicted one can fix his minds eye on him as the definite object of his faith and hope and prayer Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jeremiah 333 This was what the psalmist did and the definiteness of God as the object of his trust in prayer is very clearly marked And specially great is the privilege of the Christian in this matter He can fix his eye on Jesus he without any very great stretch of the imagination can picture that Holy One looking down upon him listening to him feeling for him preparing to answer him Dear reader in the time of your trouble do not roam do not send out your sighs into vacancy do not let your thoughts wander as though they were looking for some one on whom to fix for some one to whom you could tell the story of your hearts need and desolation Fix your heart as the psalmist did and say Unto thee will I cry Oh happy is that man who feels and knows that when trouble comes he cannot be bewildered and confused by the stroke no matter how heavy it may be Sorrow stricken he will be but he has his resource and he knows it and will avail himself of it His is no vague theory of the general sympathy of God for man his is a knowledge of God as a personal and feeling God he says with the psalmist Unto thee will I cry Philip Bennett Power Verse 1 My rock One day a female friend called on the Rev William Evans a pious minister in England and asked how he felt himself I am weakness itself he replied but I am on the Rock I do not experience those transports which some have expressed in the view of death but my dependence is on the mercy of God in Christ Here my religion began and here it must end

Verse 1 My rock The Rev John Rees of Crownstreet Soho London was visited on his deathbed by the Rev John Leifchild who very seriously asked him to describe the state of his mind This appeal to the honour of his religion roused him and so freshened his dying lamp that raising himself up in his bed he looked his friend in the face and with great deliberation energy and dignity uttered the following words -- Christ in his person Christ in the love of his heart and

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

I am like those that go down into the pit (that is I am a dead man lost and undone) if God be not my friend appear not to me and appear not for me my hope and my help will have perishedrdquo othing can be so cutting so killing to a gracious soul as the want of Gods favour and the sense of his displeasure I shall be like those that go down to hell (so some understand it) for what is the misery of the damned but this that God is ever silent to them and deaf to their cry Those are in some measure qualified for Gods favour and may expect it who are thus possessed with a dread of his wrath and to whom his frowns are worse than death

5 Jamison ldquoPsa_281-9 An earnest cry for divine aid against his enemies as being also those of God is followed by the Psalmistrsquos praise in assurance of a favorable answer and a prayer for all Godrsquos people

my rock mdash (Psa_182 Psa_1831)

be not silent to me mdash literally ldquofrom merdquo deaf or inattentive

become like them etc mdash share their fate

go down into the pit mdash or ldquograverdquo (Psa_303)

6 KampD ldquoThis first half of the Psalm (Psa_281) is supplicatory The preposition מן in connection with the verbs חרש to be deaf dumb and חשה to keep silence is a pregnant form of expression denoting an aversion or turning away which does not deign to give the suppliant an answer Jahve is his צור his ground of confidence but if He continues thus to keep silence then he who confides in Him will become like those who are going down (Psa_2230) or are gone down (Isa_1419) to the pit The participle of the past answers better to the situation of one already on the brink of the abyss

7 Calvin ldquoUnto thee O Jehovah will I cry The Psalmist begins by declaring that he would betake himself to the help of God alone which shows both his faith and his sincerity Although men labor every where under a multitude of troubles yet scarcely one in a hundred ever has recourse to God Almost all having their consciences burdened with guilt and having never experienced the power of divine grace which might lead them to betake themselves to it either proudly gnaw the bit or fill the air with unavailing complaints or giving way to desperation faint under their afflictions By calling God his strength David more fully shows that he confided in Godrsquos assistance not only when he was in the shade and in peace but also when he was exposed to the severest temptations In comparing himself to the dead too he intimates how great his straits were although his object was not merely to point out the magnitude of his danger but also to show that when he needed succor he looked not here and there for it but relied on God alone without whose favor there remained no hope for him It is therefore as if he had said I am nothing if thou leavest me if thou succourest me not I perish It is not enough for one who is in such a state of affliction to be sensible of his misery unless convinced of his inability to help himself and renouncing all help from the world he betake himself to God alone And as the Scriptures inform us that God answers true believers when he shows by his operations that he regards their supplications so the word silent is set in opposition to the sensible and present experience of his aid when he appears as it were not to hear their prayers

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee will I cry O Lord my rock A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and is a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for

directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation and shall use language of firm resolve like that in the text I will cry The immutable Jehovah is our rock the immovable foundation of all our hopes and our refuge in time of trouble we are fixed in our determination to flee to him as our stronghold in every hour of danger It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our rock attends to our cries Be not silent to me Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will -- they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once if possible they dread even a little of Gods silence Gods voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers This thought suggested itself to David and he turned it into a plea thus teaching us to argue and reason with God in our prayers Lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

I HAVE no doubt that the first and most natural meaning of these words is this that David passed through such mental distress such accumulated grief that unless his prayer should bring him consolation from heaven he felt that he must despair and so become like those who sink intoeverlasting despair going down into the pit of hell I think it is a cry against his misery which vexed him an earnest petition that he might not have to suffer so long as to drive into that same despair which is the eternal inheritance of lost souls But in reading the other day Masillonrsquos Reflections of the Psalms I noticed that that eminent French preacher gives quite another turn to the passage and he seems to regard this as being the prayer of David when he was exposed to the association of the ungodly fearful lest he should become in character like those that go down into the pit and even if that should not be the first meaning of the text it seems to me to be a natural inference from it and if not still the thought itself is one which contains so much of holy caution about it that I desire to commend it to all my brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus to-night and especially to such as are usually exposed to danger from ill-society

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our Rock attends to our cries

ldquoBe not silent to merdquo Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the willmdashthey must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once they dread even a little of Godrsquos silence Godrsquos voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers ldquoLest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go

down into the pitrdquo Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

9 Expositors Bible ldquoVv I 2 are a prelude to the prayer proper be speaking the Divine acceptance of it on the double ground of the psalmist s helplessness apart from God s help and of his outstretched hands appealing to God enthroned above the mercy-seat He is in such straits that unless his prayer brings an answer in act he must sink into the pit of Sheol and be made like those that lie huddled there in its darkness On the edge of the slippery slope he stretches out his hands toward the innermost sanctuary (for so the word rendered by a mistaken etymology oracle means) He beseeches God to hear and blends the two figures of deafness and silence as both meaning the withholding of help Jehovah seems deaf when prayer is unanswered and is silent when He does not speak in deliverance This prelude of invocation throbs with earnestness and sets the pattern for suppliants teaching them how to quicken their own desires as well as how to appeal to God by breathing to Him their consciousness that only His hand can keep them from sliding down into death

10 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee do I cry It is of the utmost importance that we should have a definite object on which to fix our thoughts Man at the best of times has but little power for realising abstractions but least of all in his time of sorrow Then he is helpless then he needs every possible aid and if his mind wander in vacancy it will soon weary and sink down exhausted God has graciously taken care that this need not be done He has so manifested himself to man in his word that the afflicted one can fix his minds eye on him as the definite object of his faith and hope and prayer Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jeremiah 333 This was what the psalmist did and the definiteness of God as the object of his trust in prayer is very clearly marked And specially great is the privilege of the Christian in this matter He can fix his eye on Jesus he without any very great stretch of the imagination can picture that Holy One looking down upon him listening to him feeling for him preparing to answer him Dear reader in the time of your trouble do not roam do not send out your sighs into vacancy do not let your thoughts wander as though they were looking for some one on whom to fix for some one to whom you could tell the story of your hearts need and desolation Fix your heart as the psalmist did and say Unto thee will I cry Oh happy is that man who feels and knows that when trouble comes he cannot be bewildered and confused by the stroke no matter how heavy it may be Sorrow stricken he will be but he has his resource and he knows it and will avail himself of it His is no vague theory of the general sympathy of God for man his is a knowledge of God as a personal and feeling God he says with the psalmist Unto thee will I cry Philip Bennett Power Verse 1 My rock One day a female friend called on the Rev William Evans a pious minister in England and asked how he felt himself I am weakness itself he replied but I am on the Rock I do not experience those transports which some have expressed in the view of death but my dependence is on the mercy of God in Christ Here my religion began and here it must end

Verse 1 My rock The Rev John Rees of Crownstreet Soho London was visited on his deathbed by the Rev John Leifchild who very seriously asked him to describe the state of his mind This appeal to the honour of his religion roused him and so freshened his dying lamp that raising himself up in his bed he looked his friend in the face and with great deliberation energy and dignity uttered the following words -- Christ in his person Christ in the love of his heart and

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation and shall use language of firm resolve like that in the text I will cry The immutable Jehovah is our rock the immovable foundation of all our hopes and our refuge in time of trouble we are fixed in our determination to flee to him as our stronghold in every hour of danger It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our rock attends to our cries Be not silent to me Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will -- they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once if possible they dread even a little of Gods silence Gods voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers This thought suggested itself to David and he turned it into a plea thus teaching us to argue and reason with God in our prayers Lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

I HAVE no doubt that the first and most natural meaning of these words is this that David passed through such mental distress such accumulated grief that unless his prayer should bring him consolation from heaven he felt that he must despair and so become like those who sink intoeverlasting despair going down into the pit of hell I think it is a cry against his misery which vexed him an earnest petition that he might not have to suffer so long as to drive into that same despair which is the eternal inheritance of lost souls But in reading the other day Masillonrsquos Reflections of the Psalms I noticed that that eminent French preacher gives quite another turn to the passage and he seems to regard this as being the prayer of David when he was exposed to the association of the ungodly fearful lest he should become in character like those that go down into the pit and even if that should not be the first meaning of the text it seems to me to be a natural inference from it and if not still the thought itself is one which contains so much of holy caution about it that I desire to commend it to all my brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus to-night and especially to such as are usually exposed to danger from ill-society

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and his ability to aid we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment but our Rock attends to our cries

ldquoBe not silent to merdquo Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers but genuine suppliants cannot they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the willmdashthey must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest and those replies they long to receive at once they dread even a little of Godrsquos silence Godrsquos voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant When God seems to close his ear we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief he will not long deny us a hearing What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers ldquoLest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go

down into the pitrdquo Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

9 Expositors Bible ldquoVv I 2 are a prelude to the prayer proper be speaking the Divine acceptance of it on the double ground of the psalmist s helplessness apart from God s help and of his outstretched hands appealing to God enthroned above the mercy-seat He is in such straits that unless his prayer brings an answer in act he must sink into the pit of Sheol and be made like those that lie huddled there in its darkness On the edge of the slippery slope he stretches out his hands toward the innermost sanctuary (for so the word rendered by a mistaken etymology oracle means) He beseeches God to hear and blends the two figures of deafness and silence as both meaning the withholding of help Jehovah seems deaf when prayer is unanswered and is silent when He does not speak in deliverance This prelude of invocation throbs with earnestness and sets the pattern for suppliants teaching them how to quicken their own desires as well as how to appeal to God by breathing to Him their consciousness that only His hand can keep them from sliding down into death

10 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee do I cry It is of the utmost importance that we should have a definite object on which to fix our thoughts Man at the best of times has but little power for realising abstractions but least of all in his time of sorrow Then he is helpless then he needs every possible aid and if his mind wander in vacancy it will soon weary and sink down exhausted God has graciously taken care that this need not be done He has so manifested himself to man in his word that the afflicted one can fix his minds eye on him as the definite object of his faith and hope and prayer Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jeremiah 333 This was what the psalmist did and the definiteness of God as the object of his trust in prayer is very clearly marked And specially great is the privilege of the Christian in this matter He can fix his eye on Jesus he without any very great stretch of the imagination can picture that Holy One looking down upon him listening to him feeling for him preparing to answer him Dear reader in the time of your trouble do not roam do not send out your sighs into vacancy do not let your thoughts wander as though they were looking for some one on whom to fix for some one to whom you could tell the story of your hearts need and desolation Fix your heart as the psalmist did and say Unto thee will I cry Oh happy is that man who feels and knows that when trouble comes he cannot be bewildered and confused by the stroke no matter how heavy it may be Sorrow stricken he will be but he has his resource and he knows it and will avail himself of it His is no vague theory of the general sympathy of God for man his is a knowledge of God as a personal and feeling God he says with the psalmist Unto thee will I cry Philip Bennett Power Verse 1 My rock One day a female friend called on the Rev William Evans a pious minister in England and asked how he felt himself I am weakness itself he replied but I am on the Rock I do not experience those transports which some have expressed in the view of death but my dependence is on the mercy of God in Christ Here my religion began and here it must end

Verse 1 My rock The Rev John Rees of Crownstreet Soho London was visited on his deathbed by the Rev John Leifchild who very seriously asked him to describe the state of his mind This appeal to the honour of his religion roused him and so freshened his dying lamp that raising himself up in his bed he looked his friend in the face and with great deliberation energy and dignity uttered the following words -- Christ in his person Christ in the love of his heart and

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

down into the pitrdquo Deprived of the God who answers prayer we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell We must have answers to prayer ours is an urgent case of dire necessity surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish

9 Expositors Bible ldquoVv I 2 are a prelude to the prayer proper be speaking the Divine acceptance of it on the double ground of the psalmist s helplessness apart from God s help and of his outstretched hands appealing to God enthroned above the mercy-seat He is in such straits that unless his prayer brings an answer in act he must sink into the pit of Sheol and be made like those that lie huddled there in its darkness On the edge of the slippery slope he stretches out his hands toward the innermost sanctuary (for so the word rendered by a mistaken etymology oracle means) He beseeches God to hear and blends the two figures of deafness and silence as both meaning the withholding of help Jehovah seems deaf when prayer is unanswered and is silent when He does not speak in deliverance This prelude of invocation throbs with earnestness and sets the pattern for suppliants teaching them how to quicken their own desires as well as how to appeal to God by breathing to Him their consciousness that only His hand can keep them from sliding down into death

10 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 1 Unto thee do I cry It is of the utmost importance that we should have a definite object on which to fix our thoughts Man at the best of times has but little power for realising abstractions but least of all in his time of sorrow Then he is helpless then he needs every possible aid and if his mind wander in vacancy it will soon weary and sink down exhausted God has graciously taken care that this need not be done He has so manifested himself to man in his word that the afflicted one can fix his minds eye on him as the definite object of his faith and hope and prayer Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jeremiah 333 This was what the psalmist did and the definiteness of God as the object of his trust in prayer is very clearly marked And specially great is the privilege of the Christian in this matter He can fix his eye on Jesus he without any very great stretch of the imagination can picture that Holy One looking down upon him listening to him feeling for him preparing to answer him Dear reader in the time of your trouble do not roam do not send out your sighs into vacancy do not let your thoughts wander as though they were looking for some one on whom to fix for some one to whom you could tell the story of your hearts need and desolation Fix your heart as the psalmist did and say Unto thee will I cry Oh happy is that man who feels and knows that when trouble comes he cannot be bewildered and confused by the stroke no matter how heavy it may be Sorrow stricken he will be but he has his resource and he knows it and will avail himself of it His is no vague theory of the general sympathy of God for man his is a knowledge of God as a personal and feeling God he says with the psalmist Unto thee will I cry Philip Bennett Power Verse 1 My rock One day a female friend called on the Rev William Evans a pious minister in England and asked how he felt himself I am weakness itself he replied but I am on the Rock I do not experience those transports which some have expressed in the view of death but my dependence is on the mercy of God in Christ Here my religion began and here it must end

Verse 1 My rock The Rev John Rees of Crownstreet Soho London was visited on his deathbed by the Rev John Leifchild who very seriously asked him to describe the state of his mind This appeal to the honour of his religion roused him and so freshened his dying lamp that raising himself up in his bed he looked his friend in the face and with great deliberation energy and dignity uttered the following words -- Christ in his person Christ in the love of his heart and

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

Christ in the power of his arm is the Rock on which I rest and now (reclining his head gently on the pillow) Death strike K Arvine

Verse 1 Be not silent to me Let us next observe what the heart desires from God It is that he would speak Be not silent to me Under these circumstances when we make our prayer we desire that God would let us know that he hears us and that he would appear for us and that he would say he is our Father And what do we desire God to say We want him to let us know that he hears us we want to hear him speak as distinctly to us as we feel that we have spoken to him We want to know not only by faith that we have been heard but by Gods having spoken to us on the very subject whereupon we have spoken to him When we feel thus assured that God has heard us we can with the deepest confidence leave the whole matter about which we have been praying in his hands Perhaps an answer cannot come for a long time perhaps things meanwhile seem working in a contrary way it may be that there is no direct appearance at all of God upon the scene still faith will hold up and be strong and there will be comfort in the heart from the felt consciousness that God has heard our cry about the matter and that he has told us so We shall say to ourselves God knows all about it God has in point of fact told me so therefore I am in peace And let it be enough for us that God tells us this when he will perhaps tell us no more let us not want to try and induce him to speak much when it is his will to speak but little the best answer we can have at certain times is simply the statement that he hears by this answer to our prayer he at once encourages and exercises our faith It is said saith Rutherford speaking of the Saviours delay in responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman he answered not a word but it is not said he heard not a word These two differ much Christ often heareth when he doth not answer -- his not answering is an answer and speaks thus -- pray on go on and cry for the Lord holdeth his door fast bolted not to keep you out but that you may knock and knock and it shall be opened Philip Bennett Power

Verse 1 Lest I become like them that go down into the pit Thou seest great God my sad situation othing to me is great or desirable upon this earth but the felicity of serving thee and yet the misery of my destiny and the duties of my state bring me into connection with men who regard all godliness as a thing to be censured and derided With secret horror I daily hear them blaspheming the ineffable gifts of thy grace and ridiculing the faith and fervour of the godly as mere imbecility of mind Exposed to such impiety all my consolation O my God is to make my cries of distress ascend to the foot of thy throne Although for the present these sacrilegious blasphemies only awaken in my soul emotions of horror and pity yet I fear that at last they may enfeeble me and seduce me into a crooked course of policy unworthy of thy glory and of the gratitude which I owe to thee I fear that insensibly I may become such a coward as to blush at thy name such a sinner as to resist the impulses of thy grace such a traitor as to withhold my testimony against sin such a self deceiver as to disguise my criminal timidity by the name of prudence Already I feel that this poison is insinuating itself into my heart for while I would not have my conduct resemble that of the wicked who surround me yet I am too much biased by the fear of giving them offence I dare not imitate them but I am almost as much afraid of irritating them I know that it is impossible both to please a corrupt world and a holy God and yet I so far lose sight of this truth that instead of sustaining me in decision it only serves to render my vacillation the more inexcusable What remains for me but to implore thy help Strengthen me O Lord against these declensions so injurious to thy glory so fatal to the fidelity which is due to thee Cause me to hear thy strengthening and encouraging voice If the voice of thy grace be not lifted up in my spirit reanimating my feeble faith I feel that there is but a step between me and despair I am on the brink of the precipice I am ready to fall into a criminal complicity with those who would fain drag me down with them into the pit Jean Baptiste Massillon 1663-1742 freely translated by CHS

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

11 K B apier ldquoEven when filled with fear David knows Who is his help Of this he has no doubt This is seen in his very clear statement ldquoUnto thee will I cry O LORD my rockrdquo David does not have trust in others or even in himself but only in God This is because God is God Lord of lords Creator and sustainer of life God is his lsquorockrsquo where he can stand firmly without doubtBecause God is his rock and because God has made promises to him and to his forefathers David can confidently call upon God to help him ldquoBe not silent to merdquo chashah That is do not be inactive or still but respond to me He makes a valid point ndash if God will not respond to him then he will be just like any other person who is without God who will enter the grave (and by implication hell)

Without God we have nothing no-one can help us From this we may deduce by reversal that those who are unsaved have no help from God and their prayers will be unanswered It also tells us that believers can expect God to answer their genuine pleas

So David says hear my pleas when I cry to you He says he lifts up his ldquohands toward thy holy oraclerdquo This is reference to the Holy of Holies the most holy room in the Temple in which the high priest offers up his sacrifice and prayers to God God spoke from the Ark in the room so dabar is an apt word meaning to speak eg an oracle The picture is of David alone with God seeking Godrsquos face and help with sincere and deeply-felt words

This is akin to the command of Christ for us to pray to God alone in our closet or room (There is no command to pray corporately except in rare circumstances of one-mind one-heart and one-aim See my article) It means we need not be in a Temple or church but must be sincere in an holy way Then God hears us

12 Todd Bishop ldquoI am not sure about all of you but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God hellip asking Him for some kind of answer hellip and OTHIG

O response O answer Just absolutely OTHIG

SILECE

I have at times felt so let down hellip so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read

I have cried ldquoGod where are yourdquo

I remember one night about 2 months after I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart hellip I got a call at about midnight from a high school friend of mine hellip she was in tears on the other end of the phone hellip she said these dreaded words ldquoThere was an accident hellip they are all dead except Bill and he may not make it through the nightrdquo I was in shock hellip you see 2 weeks early I tried to witness to my good friend Bill Daly hellip he did not take me seriously hellip he honestly thought I was lsquotripping on somethingrsquo (his exact words) hellip That night I cried out to God hellip ldquoPlease God spare Bill hellip donrsquot let him die until he gives his life to yourdquo

Do you know what I heard othing hellip except at about 6 am I received a phone call hellip ldquoBill just diedrdquo

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

I was crushed hellip my faith was shaken hellip that was the 1st time I felt the SILECE OF GOD

I heard the deafening sound of THE SILECE OF GOD for the second time hellip about 7 months after the 1st time hellip I just finished my first semester at Central Bible College hellip I was coming home for Christmas hellip about a week had passed and I received a call from the same friend of mine hellip I was really believing that she became the lsquoangel of deathrsquo hellip but she had told me that Brian Riniolo had committed suicide hellip he was a star quarterback in WY hellip had a baseball scholarship to Canesius College hellip you see about 5 months before this happened hellip Brian Matt and I used to jam together at Brianrsquos house in the bedroom where Brian took his own life hellip the last time we played together hellip Matt and I began to talk to Brian about the Lord hellip he said ldquoThatrsquos awesome hellip I am going to really think about itrdquo When I heard the voice on the other end of the phone tell me that Brian killed himself I WAS CRUSHED FOR THE SECOD TIME

I asked God ldquoWHYrdquo And do you know what I heard hellip ldquoSILECErdquo

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY ME I THE BIBLE GET ASWERED

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land Moses died on eborsquos peak his request refused

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that thorn in the flesh Instead he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life hellip God did not answer

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross Instead he had to suffer the pain of it

David was a man after the heart of God but he even felt the SILECE OF GOD

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord hellip it did not mean that David failed God

Young person when you feel the SILECE OF GOD hellip do not beat yourself up hellip do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person hellip ldquoYou are Godrsquos chosen person hellip He loves yourdquo

hellip but most often God responds to us through His Word

John 1 teaches us that ldquoThe Word became human and lived here on earth among usrdquo (114)

That means hellip that I Jesus are the answers And where is Jesus revealed I The Word

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILECE OF GOD hellip read the Word and you may just discover THE ASWER

Hebrews 11-2 reads ldquoLong ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets But now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son helliprdquo

Godrsquos Son is The Word (John 11) hellip and if this is true then God speaks to us through The Word

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for helpas I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place

1 Barnes ldquoHear the voice of my supplications - It was not mental prayer which he offered it was a petition uttered audibly

When I lift up my hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication as this was a common attitude in prayer See the notes at 1Ti_28

Toward thy holy oracle - Margin as in Hebrew ldquotoward the oracle of thy holinessrdquo The word ldquooraclerdquo as used here denotes the place where the answer to prayer is given The Hebrew word - debıyr - means properly the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle or the temple the place where דביר God was supposed to reside and where He gave responses to the prayers of His people the same place which is elsewhere called the holy of holies See the notes at Heb_93-14 The Hebrew word is found only here and in 1Ki_65 1Ki_616 1Ki_619-23 1Ki_631 1Ki_749 1Ki_86 1Ki_88 2Ch_316 2Ch_420 2Ch_57 2Ch_59 The idea here is that he who prayed stretched out his hands toward that sacred place where God was supposed to dwell So we stretch out our hands toward heaven - the sacred dwelling-place of God Compare the notes at Psa_57 The Hebrew word is probably derived from the verb to ldquospeakrdquo and according to this derivation the idea is that God spoke to His people that he ldquocommunedrdquo with them that He answered their prayers from that sacred recess - His special dwelling-place See Exo_2522 um_789

2 Clarke ldquoToward thy holy oracle - דביר קדשך debir kodshecha debir properly means that place in the holy of holies from which God gave oracular answers to the high priest This is a presumptive proof that there was a temple now standing and the custom of stretching out the hands in prayer towards the temple when the Jews were at a distance from it is here referred to

3 Gill ldquo Hear the voice of my supplications Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication and are put up in an humble manner under a sense of wants and unworthiness and on the foot of grace and mercy and not merit

when I cry unto thee as he now did and determined he would and continue so doing until he was heard

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle the holy of holies in the tabernacle and in the temple which was sometimes so called 1Ki_623 compared with 2Ch_310 where were the ark the mercy seat and cherubim between which the Lord dwelt and gave responses to his people

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

or heaven itself which the holy of holies was a figure of where is the throne of God and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him or else Christ himself who is the most Holy and the Debir or Oracle who speaks to the Lord for his people and by whom the Lord speaks to them again and communes with them The oracle had its name debir from speaking Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven through Christ see Lam_341 it was frequently used even by the Heathens as a prayer gesture (r) see Psa_1412

4 Henry ldquoThe good hopes he had that God would favour him I lift up my hands towards thy holy

oracle which denotes not only an earnest desire but an earnest expectation thence to receive an answer of peace The most holy place within the veil is here as elsewhere called the oracle there the ark and the mercy-seat were there God was said to dwell between the cherubim and thence he spoke to his people um_789 That was a type of Christ and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands for through him all good comes from God to us It was also a figure of heaven (Heb_924) and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers The scriptures are called the oracles of God and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope

5 Jamison ldquolift up my hands mdash a gesture of prayer (Psa_634 Psa_1412)oracle mdash place of speaking (Exo_2522 um_789) where God answered His people (compare

Psa_57)

6 Calvin ldquoHear the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee This repetition is a sign of a heart in anguish Davidrsquos ardor and vehemence in prayer are also intimated by the noun signifying voice

and the verb signifying to cry He means that he was so stricken with anxiety and fear that he prayed not coldly but with burning vehement desire like those who under the pressure of grief vehemently cry out In the second clause of the verse by synecdoche the thing signified is indicated by the sign It has been a common practice in all ages for men to lift up their hands in prayer ature has extorted this gesture even from heathen idolaters to show by a visible sign that their minds were directed to God alone The greater part it is true contented with this ceremony busy themselves to no effect with their own inventions but the very lifting up of the hands when there is no hypocrisy and deceit is a help to devout and zealous prayer David however does not say here that he lifted his hands to heaven but to the sanctuary that aided by its help he might ascend the more easily to heaven He was not so gross or so superstitiously tied to the outward sanctuary as not to know that God must be sought spiritually and that men then only approach to him when leaving the world they penetrate by faith to celestial glory But remembering that he was a man he would not neglect this aid afforded to his infirmity As the sanctuary was the pledge or token of the covenant of God David beheld the presence of Godrsquos promised grace there as if it had been represented in a mirror just as the faithful now if they wish to have a sense of Godrsquos nearness to them should immediately direct their faith to Christ who came down to us in his incarnation that he might lift us up to the Father Let us understand then that David clung to the sanctuary with no other view than that by the help of Godrsquos promise he might rise above the elements of the world which he used however according to the appointment of the Law The Hebrew word דביר debir which we have rendered sanctuary דביר debir is derived from דבר dabar to speak signifies the inner-room of the tabernacle or temple or the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was contained and it is so called from the

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

answers or oracles which God gave forth from thence to testify to his people the presence of his favor among them

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 2 This is much to the same effect as the first verse only that it refers to future as well as present pleadings Hear me Hear me Hear the voice of my supplications This is the burden of both verses We cannot be put off with a refusal when we are in the spirit of prayer we labour use importunity and agonize in supplications until a hearing is granted us The word supplications in the plural shows the number continuance and variety of a good mans prayers while the expression hear the voice seems to hint that there is an inner meaning or heart voice about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle which holy place was the type of our Lord Jesus and if we would gain acceptance we must turn ourselves evermore to the blood besprinkled mercy seat of his atonement Uplifted hands have ever been a form of devout posture and are intended to signify a reaching upward towards God a readiness an eagerness to receive the blessing sought after We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars we lift them up for we seek heavenly supplies we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus for there our expectation dwells O that whenever we use devout gestures we may possess contrite hearts and so speed well with God

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 2 I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle Called (rybd) debhir because there hence God spake and gave answer Toward this (a type of Christ the Word essential) David lifteth up his hands that it might be as a ladder whereby his prayer might get up to heaven John Trapp

9 Warren Wiersbe ldquoWhen I was in grade school each day the teacher would walk up and down the aisles and make us hold out our hands first with the palms up to make sure our hands were clean and then with the palms down to make sure our fingernails were clean Of course none of us liked this because little kids would much rather have dirty handsPsalm 28 talks a great deal about hands The psalmist lifted up his hands The enemies were doing evil work with their hands But God had His hand at work as well Give to them [the enemies] according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors give to them according to the work of their hands (v 4) There are wicked people in this world and they have dirty hands Some people defile everything they touch This grieves us especially when they want to touch our lives and defile us

What did David do He saw his enemies evil hands and he lifted up his hands Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary (v 2) When an Old Testament Jew prayed he didnt fold his hands He lifted them up to God in praise and in expectancy that He was going to do something When you see the evil hands of Satans crowd doing their defiling work dont put your hands on their hands Youll be defiled Instead lift your holy hands to the Lord and trust Him to work Because they [the enemies] do not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of His hands He shall destroy them and not build them up (v 5)

Gods hand is at work today and the result of this is praise (v 7) Do you need help today Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration

Unfortunately many people fail to keep their hands clean Their evil hands sometimes do dirty

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

work that hurts you When that happens you can trust God to take care of evil hands Keep your hands clean Look to God lift your hands to Him and let His hand work for you

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evilwho speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts

1 Barnes ldquoDraw me not away with the wicked - See the notes at Psa_269 The prayer here as well as the prayer in Psa_269 expresses a strong desire not to be united with wicked people in feeling or in destiny - in life or in death - on earth or in the future world The reason of the prayer seems to have been that the psalmist being at this time under a strong temptation to associate with wicked persons and feeling the force of the temptation was apprehensive that he should be left to ldquoyieldrdquo to it and to become associated with them Deeply conscious of this danger he earnestly prays that he may not be left to yield to the power of the temptation and fall into sin So the Saviour Mat_613 has taught us to pray ldquoAnd lead us not into temptationrdquo one who desire to serve God can be insensible to the propriety of this prayer The temptations of the world are so strong the amusements in which the world indulges are so brilliant and fascinating they who invite us to partake of their pleasures are often so elevated in their social position so refined in their manners and so cultivated by education the propensities of our hearts for such indulgences are so strong by nature habits formed before our conversion are still so powerful and the prospect of worldly advantages from compliance with the customs of those around us are often so great - that we cannot but feel that it is proper for us to go to the throne of grace and to plead earnestly with God that he will keep us and not suffer us to fall into the snare

Especially is this true of those who before they were converted had indulged in habits of intemperance or in sensual pleasures of any kind and who are invited by their old companions in sin again to unite with them in their pursuits Here all the power of the former habit returns here often there is a most fierce struggle between conscience and the old habit for victory here especially those who are thus tempted need the grace of God to keep them here there is special appropriateness in the prayer ldquoDraw me not away with the wickedrdquo

And with the workers of iniquity - In any form With those who do evil

Which speak peace to their neighbours - Who speak words of friendliness Who ldquoseemrdquo to be persuading you to do that which is for your good Who put on plausible pretexts They appear to be your friends they profess to be so They use flattering words while they tempt you to go astray

But mischief is in their hearts - They are secretly plotting your ruin They wish to lead you into such courses of life in order that you may fall into sin that you may dishonor religion that you may disgrace your profession or that they may in some way profit by your compliance with their counsels So the wicked under plausible pretences would allure the good so the corrupt would

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

seduce the innocent so the enemies of God would entice his friends that they may bring shame and reproach upon the cause of religion

2 Clarke ldquoDraw file not away - Let me not be involved in the punishment of the wicked

3 Gill ldquo Draw me not away with the wicked That is with those who are notoriously wicked who are inwardly and outwardly wicked whose inward part is very wickedness and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness the sense is that God would not suffer him to be drawn away or drawn aside by wicked men but that he would deliver him from temptation or that he would not give him up into their hands to be at their mercy who he knew would not spare him if they had him in their power or that he might not die the death of the wicked and perish with them see Psa_269

and with the workers of iniquity who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin and which may be applied not only to profane sinners but to professors of religion Mat_723 since it follows

which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts hypocrites double minded men who have a form of godliness but deny the power of it pretend to religion and have none and speak fair to the face but design mischief and ruin as Saul and his servants did to David 1Sa_1817

4 Henry ldquoHe deprecates the doom of wicked people as before (Psa_269 ldquoGather not my soul

with sinners) Lord I attend thy holy oracle draw me not away from that with the wicked and

with the workers of iniquityrdquo Psa_283 1 ldquoSave me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me They flatter and cajole me and speak peace to me but they have a design upon me for mischief is in their heart they aim to disturb me nay to destroy me Lord suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots for they have can have no power no success against me except it be given them from aboverdquo 2 ldquoSave me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments or their allurements from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life) to practise any wicked worksrdquo see Psa_1414 ldquoLord never leave me to myself to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked peoplerdquo Good men dread the way of sinners the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity 3 ldquoSave me from being involved in their doom let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their heartsrdquo ote Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues Rev_184

5 Jamison ldquoDraw me not away mdash implies punishment as well as death (compare Psa_269) Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned

6 Calvin ldquoDraw me not away with wicked men The meaning is that in circumstances so

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

dissimilar God should not mingle the righteous with the wicked in the same indiscriminate destructionThe verb משך mashak here rendered draw ldquosignifiesrdquo as Hammond observes ldquoboth to draw and apprehendrdquo and may ldquobe best rendered here Seize not on me as he that seizeth on any to carry or drag him to execution The Septuagint after having literally rendered the Hebrew by Μὴ συνελκύσὟς την ψυχήν microου draw not my soul together with etc adds Κίαν microὴ συναπολέσὟς microε etc and destroy me not together with etc Calvin here evidently takes the same view though he does not express it in the form of criticism Undoubtedly too in speaking of his enemies he indirectly asserts his own integrity But he did not pray in this manner because he thought that God was indiscriminately and unreasonably angry with men he reasons rather from the nature of God that he ought to cherish good hope because it was Godrsquos prerogative to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and to give every one his due reward By the

workers of iniquity he means man wholly addicted to wickedness The children of God sometimes fall commit errors and act amiss in one way or other but they take no pleasure in their evil doings the fear of God on the contrary stirs them up to repentance David afterwards defines and enlarges upon the wickedness of those whom he describes for under pretense of friendship they perfidiously deceived good men professing one thing with their tongue while they entertained a very different thing in their hearts Open depravity is easier to be borne with than this craftiness of the fox when persons put on fair appearances in order to find opportunity of doing mischief This truth accordingly admonishes us that those are most detestable in Godrsquos sight who attack the simple and unwary with fair speeches as with poison

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn like logs drawn to the fire like fagots to the oven David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle drawn to their doom and the fear is an appropriate one for every godly man The best of the wicked are dangerous company in time and would make terrible companions for eternity we must avoid them in their pleasures if we would not be confounded with them in their miseries And with the workers of iniquity These are overtly sinful and their judgment will be sure Lord do not make us to drink of their cup Activity is found with the wicked even if it be lacking to the righteous Oh to be workers for the Lord Which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts They have learned the manners of the place to which they are going the doom of liars is their portion for ever and lying is their conversation on the road Soft words oily with pretended love are the deceitful meshes of the infernal net in which Satan catches the precious life many of his children are learned in his abominable craft and fish with their fathers nets almost as cunningly as he himself could do it It is a sure sign of baseness when the tongue and the heart do not ring to the same note Deceitful men are more to be dreaded than wild beasts it were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars He who cries peace too loudly means to sell it if he can get his price Good wine need no bush if he were so very peaceful he would not need to say so he means mischief make sure of that

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts The godly man abhors dissimulation towards men his heart goes along with his tongue he cannot flatter and hate commend and censure Let love be without dissimulation Romans 129 Dissembled love is worse than hatred counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie Psalms 7836 for there is a pretence of that which is not Many are like Joab He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib that he died There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden colour but take them out of the water and they are like other fish All is not gold that glitters there are some pretend much kindness but they are like great veins which have little blood if you lean upon

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

them they are as a leg out of joint For my part I much question his truth towards God that will flatter and lie to his friend He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool Proverbs 1018 Thomas Watson Verse 3 Draw me not out with An allusion I conceive to a shepherd selecting out a certain portion of his flock Reckon me not among Professor Lee

Verse 3 Draw me not away (ynkfmtAumlla) from ($fm) that signifies both to draw and apprehend will be best rendered here seize not on me as he that seizes on any to carry or drag him to execution Henry Hammond

9 Expositors Bible ldquoThe prayer itself (vv 3-5) touches lightly on the petition that the psalmist may be delivered from the fate of the wicked and then launches out into indignant description of their practices and solemn invocation of retribution upon them Drag away is parallel with but stronger than Gather not in xxvi 9 Commentators quote Job xxiv 22 where the word is used of God s dragging the mighty out of life by His power as a struggling criminal is haled to the scaffold The shuddering recoil from the fate of the wicked is accompanied with vehement loathing of their practices A man who keeps his heart in touch with God cannot but shrink as from a pestilence from complicity with evil and the depth of his hearty hatred of it is the measure of his right to ask that he may not share in the ruin it must bring since God is righteous One type of evil-doers is the object of the psalmist s special abhorrence false friends with smooth tongues and daggers in their sleeves the dissemblers of Psalm xxvi but he passes to the more general characterisation of the class in his terrible prayer for retribution in vv 4 5- The sin of sins from which all specific acts of evil flow is blindness to God s deeds and to the work of His hands His acts both of mercy and of judgment Practical atheism the indifference which looks upon nature history and self and sees no signs of a mighty hand tender pure and strong ever active in them all will surely lead the purblind Agnostics to do works of their hands which for lack of reference to Him fail to conform to the highest ideal and draw down righteous judgment But the blindness to God s work here meant is that of an averted will rather than that of mistaken understanding and from the stem of such a thorn the grapes of holy living cannot be gathered Therefore the psalmist is but putting into words the necessary result of such lives when from suppliant he becomes prophet and declares that He shall cast them down and not build them up The stern tone of this prayer marks it as belonging to the older type of religion and its dissimilarity to the ew Testament teaching is not to be slurred over o doubt the element of personal enmity is all but absent but it is not the prayer which those who have heard Father forgive them are to copy Yet on the other hand the wholesome abhorrence of evil the solemn certitude that sin is death the desire that it may cease from the world and the lowly petition that it may not drag us into fatal associations are all to be preserved in Christian feeling while softened by the light that falls from Calvary

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil workrepay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

1 Barnes ldquoGive them according to their deeds - Deal righteously with them Recompense them as they deserve

And according to the wickedness of their endeavours - Their designs their works their plans

Give them after the work of their hands - Reward them according to what they do

Render to them their desert - A just recompense This whole verse is a prayer that God would deal ldquojustlyrdquo with them There is no evidence that there is anything of vindictiveness or malice in the prayer In itself considered there is no impropriety in praying that ldquojusticerdquo may be done to the violators of law See the general introduction section 6

2 Clarke ldquoGive them - Is the same as thou wilt give them a prophetic declaration of what their lot will be

3 Gill ldquoGive them according to their deeds According to the demerit of them which is death even death eternal

and according to the wickedness of their endeavours for though wicked men do not always succeed yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness

give them after the work of their hands see 2Ti_414

render to them their desert what their iniquities in thought word and deed deserve such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge which is condemned by the word of God for it should be observed that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself nor to gratify his own mind but he sought the glory of God and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit knowing what was the will of God in this case see Psa_285 and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases

4 Henry ldquoHe imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Psa_284) Give them according to their deeds This is not the language of passion or revenge nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies But 1 Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds 2 Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of Gods justice in the governing world ldquoLord they think all well that they do and justify themselves in their wicked practices Lord give them after the work of their hands and so undeceive those about them who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunishedrdquo Psa_941 Psa_942 3 This prayer is a prophecy that God will sooner or later render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance there will certainly come a reckoning day when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers ldquoThey speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts

Lord give them according to their deeds let the spoilers be spoiled and let those be treacherously

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

dealt with who have thus dealt treacherouslyrdquo see Isa_331 Rev_186 Rev_1310 Observe He foretels that God will reward them not only according to their deed but according to the

wickedness of their endeavours for sinners shall be reckoned with not only for the mischief they have done but for the mischief they would have done which they designed and did what they could to effect And if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous and will reward them not only for the good they have done but for the good they have endeavoured to do though they could not accomplish it

5 Jamison ldquoThe imprecation is justified in Psa_285 The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin

endeavours mdash points out their deliberate sinfulness

6 Calvin ldquoGive them according to their works Having thus requested God to have a regard to his innocence the Psalmist thunders forth a curse against his enemies And the accumulation of words shows that he had groaned long and grievously under the burden before he broke forth to desire such vengeance He intimates that the wicked of whom he speaks had transgressed not once nor for a short time nor in one way but that they had proceeded so far in their constant evil doings that their audacity was no longer to be endured We know how troublesome and grievous a temptation it is to see the ungodly proceeding without measure or end as if God connived at their wickedness David therefore wearied as it were with continual forbearing and fainting under the burden implores God at length to restrain the wantonness of his enemies who of late ceased not to heap wickedness upon wickedness Thus we perceive that there is nothing superfluous in this verse when to works he adds the wickedness of their doings and the

work of their hands and thrice petitions that they may receive the reward which they have deserved Add to this that he at the same time bears testimony to his own faith to which boasting hypocrites often compel the children of God while by their deceit and cavils they impose upon the judgments of the world We see how men who are distinguished for wickedness not content with impunity themselves cannot abstain from oppressing the innocent by false accusations just as the wolf desirous of making a prey 597 597 ldquoVoulant devorer les agneauxrdquo mdash Fr of the lambs according to the common proverb accused them of troubling the water David is therefore compelled by this exigency to call upon God for protection Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in few words as I have discussed it elsewhere In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the Sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davidrsquos example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he gives judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christrsquos disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master (Luke 954) They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labor for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

not only give way to the exercise of Godrsquos mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he farther reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment-seat of God

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 4 When we view the wicked simply as such and not as our fellow men our indignation against sin leads us entirely to coincide with the acts of divine justice which punish evil and to wish that justice might use her power to restrain by her terrors the cruel and unjust but still the desires of the present verse as our version renders it are not readily made consistent with the spirit of the Christian dispensation which seeks rather the reformation than the punishment of sinners If we view the words before us as prophetic or as in the future tense declaring a fact we are probably nearer to the true meaning than that given in our version Ungodly reader what will be your lot when the Lord deals with you according to your desert and weighs out to you his wrath not only in proportion to what you have actually done but according to what you would have done if you could Our endeavours are taken as facts God takes the will for the deed and punishes or rewards accordingly ot in this life but certainly in the next God will repay his enemies to their faces and give them the wages of their sins ot according to their fawning words but after the measure of their mischievous deeds will the Lord mete out vengeance to them that know him not

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4 Give them according to their deeds etc Here again occurs the difficult question about praying for vengeance which however I shall despatch in a few words In the first place then it is unquestionable that if the flesh move us to seek revenge the desire is wicked in the sight of God He not only forbids us to imprecate evil upon our enemies in revenge for private injuries but it cannot be otherwise than that all those desires which spring from hatred must be disordered Davids example therefore must not be alleged by those who are driven by their own intemperate passion to seek vengeance The holy prophet is not inflamed here by his own private sorrow to devote his enemies to destruction but laying aside the desire of the flesh he give judgment concerning the matter itself Before a man can therefore denounce vengeance against the wicked he must first shake himself free from all improper feelings in his own mind In the second place prudence must be exercised that the heinousness of the evils which offend us drive us not to intemperate zeal which happened even to Christs disciples when they desired that fire might be brought from heaven to consume those who refused to entertain their Master Luke 954 They pretended it is true to act according to the example of Elias but Christ severely rebuked them and told them that they knew not by what spirit they were actuated In particular we must observe this general rule that we cordially desire and labour for the welfare of the whole human race Thus it will come to pass that we shall not only give way to the exercise of Gods mercy but shall also wish the conversion of those who seem obstinately to rush upon their own destruction In short David being free from every evil passion and likewise endued with the spirit of discretion and judgment pleads here not so much his own cause as the cause of God And by this prayer he further reminds both himself and the faithful that although the wicked may give themselves loose reins in the commission of every species of vice with impunity for a time they must at length stand before the judgment seat of God John Calvin Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Yes great God since thou hast from the beginning been only occupied in saving men thou wilt surely strike with an eternal malediction these children of iniquity who appear to have been born

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

only to be lost themselves and to destroy others The very benevolence towards mankind solicits thy thunders against these corrupters of society The more thou hast done for our race the more surely will the severity of thy justice reveal itself in destroying the wretches whose only study is to counteract thy goodness towards mankind They labour incessantly to put men far away from thee O my God and in return thou wilt put them far away from thee for ever They count it great gain to make their fellows thine enemies and they shall have the desperate consolation of being such themselves to all eternity What more fitting punishment for the wretches who desire to make all hearts rebel against thine adorable Majesty than to lie through the baseness of their nature under the eternal and frightful necessity of hating thee for ever Jean Baptiste Massillon rendered very freely by C H S

Verse 4 Give them according to their deeds The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children and God smote the firstborn of Egypt Sisera who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots was himself killed with an iron nail stuck through his temples Adonibezek Judges 15-7 Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth and his sons were murdered by Abimelech Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman Samson fell by the lust of the eye and before death the Philistines put out his eyes Agag 1 Samuel 2033 Saul slew the Gibeonites and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord 2 Samuel 211-9 Ahab after coveting aboths vineyard 1 Kings 2119 fulfilled 2 Kings 924-26 Jeroboam the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered 1 Kings 131-6 Joab having killed Abner Amasa and Absalom was put to death by Solomon Daniels accusers thrown into the lions den meant for Daniel Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai Judas purchased the field of blood and then went and hanged himself So in the history of later days Bajazet was carried about by Tamerlane in an iron cage as he intended to have carried Tamerlane Mazentius built a bridge to entrap Constantine and was overthrown himself of that very spot Alexander

1 was poisoned by the wine he had prepared for another Charles 2 made the streets of Paris to stream with Protestant blood and soon after blood streamed

from all parts of his body in a bloody sweat Cardinal Beaton condemned George Wishart to death and presently died a violent death himself He was murdered in bed and his body was laid out in the same window from which he had looked upon Wisharts execution G S Bowes in Illustrative Gatherings

Verse 4 Render to them their desert Meditate on Gods righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruin but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratify our humours Christopher Fowler in Morning Exercises 1676

Verse 4 He prayeth against his enemies not out of any private revenge but being led by the infallible spirit of prophecy looking through these men to the enemies of Christ and of his people in all ages David Dickson

Verse 4-5 In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

9 Douglas James Wilson ldquoThe fourth verse of this psalm provides us with a good example of an Old Testament sentiment that tends to rub our ew Testament fur the wrong way Some of this is the result of our sentimentalismmdashbut not all of it There really is a tension here that needs resolution How are we to reconcile this with the ew Testament teaching to ldquohonor all menrdquo and to ldquolove our enemiesrdquo for just two examplesRemember first that the Psalms are preeminently the songbook of the Christ To the extent that we sing and pray these psalms ourselves we may only do so in Him This means that the psalter may never be used as a voodoo doll for you to settle scores with your personal enemies

Second God has established a glorious way for His enemies to be destroyed He destroys them in the death of Jesus so that He might raise them to life again This is what He has done for us and this is what we desire in the first place for those who oppose themselves to the gospel

Third if in the plan of God it is not His purpose to do this then we want to pray in line with His will This is not an ldquoOld Testament thingrdquo Hell is strict justice and our gospel declares that God will judge all men according to their works (Rom 23-10) Some men have received the grace of performing their works in Christ (by grace through faith) but others are outside Christ This is the plan of God and as we labor for His kingdom to come His will to be done it includes this It therefore follows that praying the psalms of imprecation under the new covenant is not contrary to the spirit of the gospel The apostle requires us to sing psalms (Eph 519) and that includes this one

When Saul was ravaging the churches it was fully appropriate for the Christians to pray this way concerning him But when God destroyed that persecutor on the Damascus road the response of the Christians to this would identify them as a Jonah or as a Stephen

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have donehe will tear them down and never build them up again

1 Barnes ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord - What the Lord does in creation in his providence through His commands and laws and by His Spirit They do not find pleasure in His works they do not give heed to the intimations of His will in His providential dealings they do not listen to His commands they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit ldquoor the operation of his handsrdquo What He is now doing The sense is essentially the same as in the former member of the sentence

He shall destroy them - He will pull them down instead of building them up They expose themselves to His displeasure and He will bring deserved punishment upon them

And not build them up - He will not favor them He will not give them prosperity Health happiness salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained either can be found in violating those laws or in any other method than that which He has

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

ordained Sooner or later the violation of law in regard to these things and in regard to everything must lead to calamity and ruin

1B Gordon Churchyard ldquoHere we read of the work of his hands This means the good things that God did The word God is not in Psalm 28 David uses the word LORD That is the word that the people of God use for him It means that they are his servants And they love him and they obey him It also means that they have begun to understand God The godless do not understand God It means that they do not love him or obey him In the end God will destroy what they do (the works of their hands)

2 Clarke ldquoThey regard not the works of the Lord - They have no knowledge of the true God either as to his nature or as to his works

He shall destroy them and not build them up - This is a remarkable prophecy and was literally fulfilled the Babylonian empire was destroyed by Cyrus and never built up again for he founded the Persian empire on its ruins haven the place where Babylon stood is now no longer known

3 Gill ldquo Because they regard not the works of the Lord either the work of creation as if there was no first cause of all things nor the work of Providence taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth and would do neither good nor evil and still less the work of redemption which in covenant promise and prophecy was appointed for the Messiah to work out and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul they had no notion of that of the nature and necessity of it the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them and undiscernible by them see Isa_512 Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel according to the will of God and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath and over others which justly gained him great esteem among some and created envy in others and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time the Chaldee paraphrase is because they do not understand the law of the Lord It follows

nor the operation of his hands in which his hand was so very apparent that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God wherefore

he shall destroy them and not build them up that is they shall be irrecoverably lost they shall be punished with everlasting destruction there will be no help or remedy for them some (s) understand this as a prayer that God would destroy them in such a manner and render it let him destroy them ampc (t)

4 Henry ldquoHe foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Psa_285) ldquoBecause they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men he will destroy them in this world and in the other and not build them uprdquo ote A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin Why do men question the being or attributes of God but because they do not duly regard his handiworks which declare his glory and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen Why do men forget God and live without him nay affront God and live in

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

rebellion against him but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Why do the enemies of Gods people hate and persecute them and devise mischief against them but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him See Isa_512

In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity

5 Jamison ldquoDisregard of Godrsquos judgments brings a righteous punishmentdestroy build up mdash The positive strengthened by the negative form

6 KampD ldquoIn Psa_285 the prominent thought in Davids mind is that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise that God would build him a house ie grant perpetual continuance to his kingship The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David Jahve will pull them down and not build them up He will destroy at its very commencement this dynasty set up in opposition to God

7 Calvin ldquoBecause they regard not the doings of Jehovah In this verse he lays open the root of impiety declaring that the ungodly are so bold to do mischief because while they are thus indulging their hatred and perpetrating every species of wickedness they think that they have nothing to do with God And when conscience stings them they soothe themselves with false hopes and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility First being intoxicated with prosperity they flatter themselves that God is their friend while he has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions and next they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day In this manner Davidrsquos adversaries willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king emboldened themselves to persecute him He therefore complains of their gross ignorance of this just as Isaiah (Isaiah 520) brings the same complaint in general terms against all the ungodly of his days This doctrine then has a twofold use First it is no small consolation to the children of God to be persuaded while they are unrighteously vexed that by the providence of God they are thus profitably exercised to patience and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven conducting and governing

all things 598 598 ldquoConduisant et gouvernant toutes chosesrdquo mdash Fr In the second place this is a very proper curb to subdue the passions of our flesh that we may not like the Andabates 599 599

ldquoCrsquoestoyent certains peuples ou escrimeurs qui souloyent ainsi comme etre Voyez les Chiliades drsquoErasmerdquo mdash 5ote Fr marg ldquoThese were certain people or fencers who were wont to fight in this manner See the Chiliades of Erasmusrdquo contend in the dark and with shut eyes as if God saw not and cared not about what is done here below Let us therefore learn carefully to consider that the judgments which God executes are just so many proofs of his righteousness in governing mankind and that although all things should be huddled together in confusion the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider Godrsquos secret judgments And as God never

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

ceases even in the midst of the greatest darkness to give some tokens of his providence it is inexcusable indolence not to attend to them This perverseness the prophet aggravates by repeating again the works of Godrsquos hands He thus intimates that the ungodly by recklessly pursuing their course trample under foot whatever of Godrsquos works they may meet with to check their madnessLet him destroy them and not build them up Some are of opinion that the first part of this verse is the nominative in the room of a substantive to the verbs in the last clause as if David had said This brutal madness shall destroy them but the name of God should rather be supplied and then the context will run excellently As the verbs however in the Hebrew are in the future tense ldquoHe will destroy them and not build them uprdquo the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobates for which he had lately prayed I do not reject this interpretation but in my opinion the words are just a continuance of his petitions In this way he prays that the wicked may be overthrown so as not to rise again or recover their former state The expression Let him destroy them and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews according to what Malachi says concerning Edom ldquoThus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I shall throw downrdquo (Malachi 14) Lest we should be struck therefore with an incurable plague let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of Godrsquos works that we may be taught to fear him to persevere in patience and to advance in godliness

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands God works in creation -- nature teems with proofs of his wisdom and goodness yet purblind atheists refuse to see him he works in providence ruling and overruling and his hand is very manifest in human history yet the infidel will not discern him he works in grace -- remarkable conversions are still met with on all hands yet the ungodly refuse to see the operations of the Lord Where angels wonder carnal men despise God condescends to teach and man refuses to learn He shall destroy them he will make them behold and wonder and perish If they would not see the hand of judgment upon others they shall feel it upon themselves Both soul and body shall be overwhelmed with utter destruction for ever and ever And not build them up Gods cure is positive and negative his sword has two edges and cuts right and left Their heritage of evil shall prevent the ungodly receiving any good the ephah shall be too full of wrath to contain a grain of hope They have become like old rotten decayed houses of timber useless to the owner and harbouring all manner of evil and therefore the Great Builder will demolish them utterly Incorrigible offenders may expect speedy destruction they who will not mend shall be thrown away as worthless Let us be very attentive to all the lessons of Gods word and work lest being found disobedient to the divine will we be made to suffer the divine wrath

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 4-5 See Psalms on Psalms 284 for further information In these verses as indeed in most of the imprecatory passages the imperative and the future are used promiscuously Give them -- render them -- he shall destroy them If therefore the verbs in all such passages were uniformly rendered in the future every objection against the Scripture imprecations would vanish at once and they would appear clearly to be what they are namely prophecies of the divine judgments which have been since executed against the Jews and which will be executed against all the enemies of Jehovah and his Christ whom neither the works of creation nor those of redemption can lead to repentance George Horne

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

6 Praise be to the LORD for he has heard my cry for mercy

1 Barnes ldquoBlessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications - This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms when there has been an earnest and anxious prayer offered to God and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate The mind of the anxious and troubled pleader becomes calm the promises of God are brought directly to the soul the peace which was sought is obtained and he who began the psalm with deep anxiety and trouble of mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidences of the divine favor and love What thus happened to the psalmist frequently occurs now The answer to prayer so far as giving calmness and assurance to the mind is concerned is often immediate The troubled spirit becomes calm and whatever may be the result in other respects the heart is made peaceful and confiding and feels the assurance that all will be well It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us for if this is so we have the assurance that all is right In this sense certainly it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers See Isa_6524 note Dan_921 note

1B Expositors Bible ldquoAs in many psalms the faith which prays passes at once into the faith which possesses This man when he stood praying believed that he had what he asked and so believing had it There was no change in circumstances but he was changed There is no fear of going down into the pit now and the rabble of evil-doers have disappeared This is the blessing which every true suppliant may bear away from the throne the peace which passeth understanding the sure pledge of the Divine act which answers prayer It is the first gentle ripple of the incoming tide high water is sure to come at the due hour So the psalmist is exuberant and happily tautological in telling how his trusting heart has become a leaping heart and help has been flashed back from heaven as swiftly as his prayer had traveled thither

2 Gill ldquoBlessed be the Lord Which must be understood not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him neither of which can be done by a creature nor does he stand in need of any he being Elshaddai God all sufficient God over all blessed for ever but as ascribing all blessedness to him congratulating his greatness and happiness and giving him praise and glory for mercies received and particularly for the following

because he hath heard the voice of my supplications what he had prayed for Psa_282 an answer was quickly returned even while he was speaking Isa_6524 though this may be an expression of faith being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard and would be answered and may be said by a prophetic spirit knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy

4 Henry ldquo David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

verses before he had begged it Blessed be the Lord Psa_286 How soon are the saints sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises It was in faith that David prayed (Psa_282) Hear the voice of my supplications and by the same faith he gives thanks (Psa_286) that God has

heard the voice of his supplications ote 1 Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope ldquoHe hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it alreadyrdquo 2 What we win by prayer we must wear by praise Has God heard our supplications Let us then bless his name

5 KampD ldquoThe first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment this second half gives thanks for both If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him But it is even possible that he added this second part later on as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig Ewald) It sounds at all events like the record of something that has actually taken place Jahve is his defence and shield

6 Calvin ldquoBlessed be Jehovah who hath heard This is the second part of the psalm in which the prophet begins to give thanks to God We have already seen how he employed himself in prayer in the midst of his dangers and now by this thanksgiving he teaches us that his prayers were not in vain Thus he confirms by his own example that God is ready to bring help to his people whenever they seek him in truth and sincerity He declares the same truth more fully in the next verse calling God his strength and his shield for he was persuaded that God had heard him from this that he had been wonderfully preserved He adds that he had been helped in respect of his confidence and hope for it often comes to pass that those who call upon God notwithstanding come short of his grace through their own unbelief Thirdly he says that he will add to his joy a testimony of his gratitude Wicked men and hypocrites flee to God when they are overwhelmed with difficulties but as soon as they escape from them forgetting their deliverer they rejoice with frantic mirth In short David trusted not in vain since he truly found by experience that God possesses ever present power to preserve his servants and that this was matter of true and solid joy to him that he found God ever favorable to him On this account likewise he promises that he would be mindful of God and grateful to him And undoubtedly when God spreads cheerfulness through our hearts it is to open our mouths to sing his praises

7 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 6 Blessed be the Lord Saints are full of benedictions they are a blessed people and a blessing people but they give their best blessings the fat of their sacrifices to their glorious Lord Our Psalm was prayer up to this point and now it turns to praise They who pray well will soon praise well prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul two bells to ring out sweet and acceptable music in the ears of God two angels to climb Jacobs ladder two altars smoking with incense two of Solomons lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh they are two young roes that are twins feeding upon the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons it is not irrational emotion but rises like a pure spring from the deeps of experience Answered prayers should be acknowledged Do we not often fail in this duty Would it not greatly encourage others and strengthen ourselves if we faithfully recorded divine goodness and made a point of extolling it with our tongue Gods mercy is not such an inconsiderable thing that we may safely venture to receive it without so much as thanks We should shun ingratitude and live daily in the heavenly atmosphere of thankful love

8 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 6 He hath heard Prayer is the best remedy in a calamity This is indeed a true catholicum a general remedy for every malady ot like the empirics catholicum

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

which sometimes may work but for the most part fails but that which upon assured evidence and constant experience hath its probatum est being that which the most wise learned honest and skilful Physician that ever was or can be hath prescribed -- even he that teacheth us how to bear what is to be borne or how to heal and help what hath been borne William Gouge

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and he helps meMy heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psa_181And my shield - See the notes at Psa_33 Compare Psa_3320 Psa_5911 Psa_849

Psa_8918 Gen_151

My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him See Psa_135

And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I desired

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth - I greatly rejoice I am happy He had found the assurance of the divine favor which he desired and his heart was glad

And with my song will I praise him - I will sing praises to Him Compare Psa_2225

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is my strength - I have the fullest persuasion that he hears will answer and will save me

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is my strength That is the author both of natural and spiritual strength that gave him strength of body and fortitude of mind to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with the strength of his life spiritual and temporal and of his salvation the strength of his heart under present distresses and who he knew would be so in the hour of death when his heart and strength would fail

and my shield to protect and defend him as were the love power and faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ his power and fulness his blood righteousness and salvation

my heart trusted in him in the Lord as his strength and shield not in any creature nor in his own strength and righteousness but in the Lord God in whom are righteousness and strength and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart since his heart trusted in the Lord and which shows that his trust was an hearty one his faith was a faith unfeigned he believed with the heart unto righteousness

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

and I am helped this was the fruit of his trust even a gracious experience of divine assistance saints are helpless in themselves and are also as to the help of man God is the only helper of them he helps them out of all their troubles in whatsoever he calls them unto and to what they want and the help he affords is sometimes quick and always seasonable and sometimes by means and sometimes without them

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth that is in the Lord the ground of which was the help he had from him and this joy was very great a joy unspeakable and full of glory it was not carnal but spiritual a heart joy joy in the Holy Ghost

and with my song will I praise him praise is due to God what glorifies him and is acceptable to him it becomes the saints is comely for them and it is pleasant work to them when grace is in exercise see Psa_6930 this may be understood of one of his songs and one of the best of them and of one better than this as a Jewish writer (u) observes

4 Henry ldquoHe encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him Having given to God the glory of his grace (Psa_286) he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it Psa_287 This is the method of attaining peace let us begin with praise that is attainable Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves Observe 1 His dependence upon God ldquoThe Lord

is my strength to support me and carry me on through all my services and sufferings He is my

shield to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me I have chosen him to be so I have always found him so and I expect he will still be sordquo 2 His experience of the benefits of that dependence ldquoMy heart trusted in him and in his power and promise and it has not been in vain to do so for I am helped I have been often helped not only God has given to me in his due time the help I trusted to him for but my very trusting in him has helped me in the mean time and kept me from faintingrdquo Psa_2713 The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit and often help it at a dead lift 3 His improvement of this experience (1) He had the pleasure of it Therefore my heart greatly rejoices The joy of a believer is seated in the heart while in the laughter of the fool the heart is sorrowful It is great joy joy unspeakable and full of

glory The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice it is joy and peace in believing

that we are to expect (2) God shall have the praise of it when my heart greatly rejoices with my

song will I praise him This must we express our gratitude it is the least we can do and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too

5 Calvin ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 7 Here is Davids declaration and confession of faith coupled with a testimony from his experience The Lord is my strength The Lord employs his power on our behalf and moreover infuses strength into us in our weakness The psalmist by an act of appropriating faith takes the omnipotence of Jehovah to be his own Dependence upon the invisible God gives great independence of spirit inspiring us with confidence more than human And my shield Thus David found both sword and shield in his God The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills and the Christian warrior sheltered behind his God is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel My heart trusted in him and I am helped Heart work is sure work heart trust is never disappointed Faith must come before help but help will never be long behindhand Every day the believer may say I am helped for the divine assistance is vouchsafed us every moment or we should go back unto perdition when more manifest help is needed we have but to put faith into exercise and it will be given us Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him The heart is mentioned twice to show the truth of his faith and his joy Observe the adverb greatly we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received We serve a great God let us greatly rejoice in him A song is the souls fittest method of giving vent to its happiness it were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven When the heart is glowing the lips should not be silent When God blesses us we should bless him with all our heart

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 7 The Lord is my strength Oh sweet consolation If a man have a burden upon him yet if he have strength added to him if the burden be doubled yet if his strength be trebled the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength so if our afflictions be heavy and we cry out Oh we cannot bear them yet if we cannot bear them with our own strength why may we not bear them with the strength of Jesus Christ Do we think that Christ could not bear them or if we dare not think but that Christ could bear them why may not we come to bear them Some may question can we have the strength of Christ Yes that very strength is made over to us by faith for so the Scripture saith frequently The Lord is our strength God is our strength The Lord Jehovah is our strength Christ is our strength Psalms 287 432 Psalms 11814 Isaiah 122 Hab 319 Colossians 111 and therefore is Christs strength ours made over unto us that we may be able to bear whatsoever lies upon us Isaac Ambrose Verse 7 The Lord is my strength inwardly and my shield outwardly Faith finds both these in Jehovah and the one not without the other for what is a shield without strength or strength without a shield My heart trusted in him and I am helped the idea of the former sentence is here carried out that outward help was granted to inward confidence W Wilson DD

Verse 7 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiates things not yet seen it altereth the tense saith one and putteth the future into the present tense as here John Trapp

8 Spurgeon ldquoTHIS passage has to my mind a peculiar charm I do not know whether it breaks on your ears with like pathos and power To me it seems charged with softness and sweetness like some gentle strain of tender music Let us read it again ldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo I think I see a battle raging furiously yet he whom it most concerns after having displayed his prowess and fought valiantly steps aside and sitting down in a quiet place bomb-proof and almost out of sound of the

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

cannonsrsquo roar thus talks with his heart He forgets the raging strifemdashhe is expecting a joyful victory Heknows his weaknesses but he has caught a glimpse of the Divine strength which is guaranteed to himHe is trembling perhaps from the toil of the fight and yet he rests as one insensibly subdued to settled calm and mild composuremdashhe rests in God In like manner I want you dear Friends to get out of the crowd a while this evening and take shelter in a quiet place Forget just now the various troubles of business The domestic cares which often harass you and the inward conflicts which vex your souls Whatever there may be to disturb distress or distract you let it alone ow for a while revel in that sweet peace which God alone can give the peace of God which passes all understandingmdashand say unto your soulmdashldquoThe Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in Him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Himrdquo

8 The LORD is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one

1 Barnes ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Margin ldquohis strengthrdquo The Hebrew is ldquotheir strengthrdquo or ldquostrength to themrdquo The allusion is to the people of God The course of thought seems to be that the psalmist having derived in his own case assistance from God or having found God a strength to him his mind turns from this fact to the general idea that God was the strength of ldquoallrdquo who were in similar circumstancaes or that all His people might confide in Him as he had done

And he is the saving strength - Margin as in Hebrew ldquostrength of salvationsrdquo That is In Him is found the strength which produces salvation See the notes at Psa_271

Of his anointed - See Psa_22 note Psa_206 note The primary reference here is doubtless to the psalmist himself as one who had been annointed or set apaart to the kingly office but the connection shows that he intended to include all the people of God as those whom He had consecrated or set apart to His service See 1Pe_25 1Pe_29

2 Clarke ldquoThe Lord is their strength - Instead of למו lamo to them eight MSS of Kennicott and De Rossi have לעמו leammo to his people and this reading is confirmed by the Septuagint Syriac Vulgate Ethiopic Arabic and Anglo-Saxon This makes the passage more precise and intelligible and of the truth of the reading there can be no reasonable doubt ldquoThe Lord is the strength of his People and the saving strength of his anointedrdquo Both king and people are protected upheld and saved by him

3 Gill ldquoThe Lord is their strength The strength of his people mentioned in Psa_289 not only the strength of David in particular but of all his people in general see Psa_3739

and he is the saving strength of his anointed meaning either himself as before who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

no call and right unto or the Messiah the Lords Anointed whom he heard helped and strengthened in the day of salvation and delivered him from the power of death and the grave and raised him from thence and gave him glory see Psa_206

4 Henry ldquoHe pleases himself with the interest which all good people through Christ have in God (Psa_288) ldquoThe Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believerrdquo ote The saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun so neither from the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1Co_12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his

anointed that is 1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection 2 Of Christ his anointed his Messiah in the anti-type God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it see Psa_8921 Isa_495 Isa_507 Isa_509 And so he becomes their strength the strength of all the saints he strengthened him that is the churchs head and from him diffuses strength to all the members has commanded his strength and so strengthens what he has wrought for us

Psa_6828 Psa_8017 Psa_8018

5 Jamison ldquoThe distinction made between the peopletheir strength mdash and the anointed mdash may indicate Absalomrsquos rebellion as the occasion

6 KampD ldquoThe αὐτοί who are intended by למו in Psa_288 are those of Israel as in Psa_128 Isa_332 (Hitzig) The lxx (κραταίωmicroα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ) reads לעמו as in Psa_2911 which is approved by Boumlttcher Olshausen and Hupfeld but למו yields a similar sense First of all David thinks of the people then of himself for his private character retreats behind his official by virtue of which he is the head of Israel For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel to whom so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed Jahve has not requited this faithlessness and to whom so far as they have remained true to him He has rewarded this fidelity Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves or into which others would have precipitated them and He is the מעוז ישועות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated Israels salvation and blessing were at stake but Israel is in fact Gods people and Gods inheritance - may He then work salvation for them in every future need and bless them Apostatised from David it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction The נשאם coupled with ורעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deu_131 ldquoJahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his sonrdquo and Exo_194 Deu_3211 ldquoas on eagles wingsrdquo The Piel as in Isa_639 is used of carrying the weak whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger Psa_31-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession and the close of Psa_291-11 is similar but promissory and consequently it is placed next to Psa_281-9

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

7 Calvin ldquoJehovah is their strength By way of explanation he repeats what he had said before that God had been his strength namely because he had blessed his armies David had indeed employed the hand and labor of men but to God alone he ascribes the victory As he knew that whatever help he had obtained from men proceeded from God and that his prosperous success flowed likewise from his gratuitous favor he discerned his hand in these means as palpably as if it had been stretched forth from heaven And surely it is passing shameful that human means which are only the instruments of Godrsquos power should obscure his glory although there is no sin more common It is a manner of speaking which has great weight when speaking of his soldiers he uses only the pronoun their as if he pointed to them with the finger The second clause assigns the reason of the other He declares that himself and his whole army were endued with victorious valor from heaven because he fought under the standard of God This is the meaning of the word anointed for had not God appointed him king and freely adopted him he would not have favored him any more than he did Saul By this means in extolling solely the power of God which advanced him to the kingdom he attributes nothing to his own policy or power In the meantime we may learn that when one is satisfied of the lawfulness of his calling this doctrine encourages him to entertain good hope with respect to the prosperous issue of his affairs In particular it is to be observed as we have briefly noticed in another place that the fountain whence all the blessings God bestows upon us flows is that he hath chosen us in Christ David employs salvations or deliverances in the plural number because he had been often and in various ways preserved The meaning therefore is that from the time when God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel he never ceased to help him but delivered him in innumerable ways until he had accomplished the work of his grace in him

8 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength The heavenly experience of one believer is a pattern of the life of all To all the militant church without exception Jehovah is the same as he was to his servant David the least of them shall be as David They need the same aid and they shall have it for they are loved with the same love written in the same book of life and one with the same anointed Head And he is the saving strength of his anointed Here behold king David as the type of our Lord Jesus our covenant Head our anointed Prince through whom all blessings come to us He has achieved full salvation for us and we desire saving strength from him and as we share in the unction which is so largely shed upon him we expect to partake of his salvation Glory be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has magnified the power of his grace in his only begotten Son whom he has anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour unto his people

9 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 8 The Lord is their strength not mine only but the strength of every believer ote -- the saints rejoice in their friends comforts as well as their own for as we have not the less benefit by the light of the sun so neither by the light of Gods countenance for others sharing therein for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each This is our communion with all saints that God is their strength and ours Christ their Lord and ours 1 Corinthians 12 He is their strength the strength of all Israel because he is the saving strength of his anointed ie

1 Of David in the type God in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles strengthened the whole kingdom He calls himself Gods anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies and therefore entitled him to the divine protection

2 Of Christ his Anointed his Messiah in the antitype God was his saving strength qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it Matthew Henry

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd and carry them forever

1 Barnes ldquoSave thy people - All thy people The psalm appropriately closes with a prayer for all the people of God The prayer is offered in view of the deliverance which the psalmist had himself experienced and he prays that all the people of God might experience similar deliverance and mercy

And bless thine inheritance - Thy heritage Thy people The Hebrew word properly means ldquotaking possession of anything occupationrdquo Then it comes to mean ldquopossession domain estaterdquo um Psa_1821 Thus it is used as applied to the territory assigned to each tribe in the promised land Jos_1323 Thus also it is applied to the people of Israel - the Jewish nation - as the ldquopossessionrdquo or ldquopropertyrdquo of Yahweh as a people whom he regarded as His own and whom as such He protected Deu_420 Deu_926 Deu_929 In this place the people of God are thus spoken of as His special possession or property on earth as that which He regards as of most value to Him as that which belongs to Him or to which He has a claim as that which cannot without injustice to Him be alienated from Him

Feed them also - Margin ldquorulerdquo The Hebrew word refers to the care which a shepherd extends over his flock See Psa_231 where the same word under another form - ldquoshepherdrdquo - is used The prayer is that God would take the same care of His people that a shepherd takes of his flock

And lift them up for ever - The word used here may mean ldquosustainrdquo them or ldquosupportrdquo them but it more properly means ldquobearrdquo and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise See Isa_4011 note Isa_639 note The word ldquoforeverrdquo here means simply ldquoalwaysrdquo - in all circumstances at all times In other words the psalmist prays that God would ldquoalwaysrdquo manifest Himself as the Friend and Helper of His people as He had done to him It may be added here that what the psalmist thus prays for Godrsquos ldquowillrdquo to be done God ldquowillrdquo save His people He will bless His heritage He will be to them a kind and faithful shepherd He will sustain comfort uphold and cherish them always - in affliction in temptation in death forever They have only to trust in Him and they will find Him to be more kind and faithful than the most tender shepherd ever was to his flock

2 Clarke ldquoSave thy people - Continue to preserve them from all their enemies from idolatry and from sin of every kind

Bless thine inheritance - They have taken thee for their God thou hast taken them for thy people

Feed them - רעה raah signifies both to feed and to govern Feed them as a shepherd does his flock rule them as a father does his children

Lift them up for ever - Maintain thy true Church let no enemy prevail against it Preserve and magnify them for ever Lift them up as hell is the bottomless pit in which damned spirits sink down for ever or as Chaucer says downe all downe so heaven is an endless height of glory in

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

which there is an eternal rising or exaltation Down all down up all up for ever and ever

3 Gill ldquoSave thy people The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself and closes it with prayers for the people of God whom God has chosen for his people taken into covenant to be his people and given them to his son as such these he has resolved to save and has appointed Christ and sent him into the world to be the Saviour of them and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit so that this prayer was a prayer of faith as are also the following petitions

and bless thine inheritance the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance and has given to Christ as his portion and are his peculiar possession and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings with grace here and glory hereafter as is requested

feed them also as the shepherd does his flock by leading them into green pastures by giving them the bread of life by nourishing them with the word and ordinances by the means or his ministering servants who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding

and lift them up for ever above their enemies and out of the reach of them bear and carry them now as the shepherd does his lambs in his arms and bosom and raise them out of their graves and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ as they ever will

4 Henry ldquoHe concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God Psa_289 He prays for Israel not as his people (ldquosave my people and bless my inheritancerdquo) though they were so but ldquothinerdquo Gods interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own We are thy people

is a good plea Isa_649 Isa_6319 I am thine save me Gods people are his inheritance dear to him and precious in his eyes what little glory he has from this world he has from them The

Lords portion is his people That which he begs of God for them is 1 That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to 2 That he would bless them with all good flowing from his favour in performance of his promise and amounting to a happiness for them 3 That he would feed them bless them with plenty and especially the plenty of his ordinances which are food to the soul Rule them so the margin ldquoDirect their counsels and actions aright and overrule their affairs for good Feed them and rule them sets pastors set rulers over them that shall do their office with wisdom and understandingrdquo 4 That he would lift them up for ever lift them up out of their troubles and distresses and do this not only for those of that age but for his people in every age to come even to the end ldquoLift them up into thy glorious kingdom lift them up as high as heavenrdquo There and there only will the saints be lifted up for ever never more to sink or be depressed Observe Those and those only whom God feeds and rules who are willing to be taught and guided and governed by him shall be saved and blessed and lifted up for ever

5 Calvin ldquoIn this verse he shows that it was not so much his own welfare as the welfare of the whole Church which was the object of his concern and that he neither lived nor reigned for himself but for the common good of the people He well knew that he was appointed king for no other end In this he declares himself to be a type of the Son of God of whom when Zechariah

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

(Zechariah 99) predicts that he would come ldquohaving salvationrdquo there is no doubt that he promises nothing to him apart from his members but that the effects of this salvation would diffuse themselves throughout his whole body By this example accordingly he prescribes a rule to earthly kings that devoting themselves to the public good they should only desire to be preserved for the sake of their people ldquoThat all the prosperity they desire should be for the sake of the peoplerdquo How very far otherwise it is it is needless to say Blinded with pride and presumption they despise the rest of the world just as if their pomp and dignity raised them altogether above the common state of man or is it to be wondered at that mankind are so haughtily and contumeliously trampled under foot of kings since the greatest part cast off and disdain to bear the cross of Christ Let us therefore remember that David is like a mirror in which God sets before us the continual course of his grace Only we must be careful that the obedience of our faith may correspond to his fatherly love that he may acknowledge us for his people and inheritance The Scriptures often designate David by the name of a shepherd but he himself assigns that office to God thus confessing that he is altogether unfit for itldquoThat he is not worthy of itrdquo save only in as far as he is Godrsquos minister

6 Spurgeon ldquoVerse 9 This is a prayer for the church militant written in short words but full of weighty meaning We must pray for the whole church and not for ourselves alone Save thy people Deliver them from their enemies preserve them from their sins succour them under their troubles rescue them from their temptations and ward off from them every ill There is a plea hidden in the expression thy people for it may be safely concluded that Gods interest in the church as his own portion will lead him to guard it from destruction Bless thine inheritance Grant positive blessings peace plenty prosperity happiness make all thy dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit Revive refresh enlarge and sanctify thy church Feed them also Be a shepherd to thy flock let their bodily and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied By thy word and ordinances direct rule sustain and satisfy those who are the sheep of thy hand And lift them up for ever Carry them in thine arms on earth and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven Elevate their minds and thoughts spiritualise their affections make them heavenly Christlike and full of God O Lord answer this our petition for Jesus sake

Godrsquos people need lifting up They are very heavy by nature They have no wings or if they have they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver and with feathers of yellow gold By nature sparks fly upward but the sinful souls of men fall downward O Lord ldquolift them up for everrdquo David himself said ldquoUnto thee O God do I lift up my soulrdquo and he here feels the necessity that other menrsquos souls should be lifted up as well as his own When you ask this blessing for yourself forget not to seek it for others also There are three ways in which Godrsquos people require to be lifted up They require to be elevated in character Lift them up O Lord do not suffer thy people to be like the worldrsquos people The world lieth in the wicked one lift them out of it The worldrsquos people are looking after silver and gold seeking their own pleasures and the gratification of their lusts but Lord lift thy people up above all this keep them from being ldquomuck-rakersrdquo as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage Moreover believers need to be prospered in conflict In the battle if they seem to fall O Lord be pleased to give them the victory If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit and eventually to win the battle Lord lift up thy childrenrsquos spirits in the day of conflict let them not sit in the dust mourning for ever Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore and make them fret but if they have been like Hannah persecuted let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last Lift them up by taking them home lift their bodies from the tomb and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory

7 Treasury of David ldquoVerse 9 Lift them up The word here used may mean sustain them or support them but it more properly means bear and would be best expressed by a reference to the fact that the shepherd carries the feeble the young and the sickly of his flock in his arms or that he lifts them up when unable themselves to rise Albert Barnes

8 1 O Lord to Thee I cryThou art my Rock and TrustO be not silent lest I dieAnd slumber in the dust

2 O hear me when in prayerThy favor I entreatHear while I lift imploring handsBefore Thy mercy seat

3 O draw me not awayWith those of evil willWith them who speak of peace indeedBut still are plotting ill

4 Requite them for their wrongTheir evil deeds O LordO give them then their just desertAnd to their deeds reward

5 Thy deeds they disregardThy handiwork despiseAnd therefore Thou wilt cast them downAnd never let them rise

6 But blessegraved be the LordWho hearkens when I cryThe Lord my Strength my Help myShieldOn Him will I rely

7 His help makes glad my heartAnd songs of praise I singJehovah is His peoplersquos StrengthThe Stronghold of their king

8 Bless Thine inheritance

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown

Our Savior be I praySupply Thou all Thy peoplersquos needAnd be their constant Stay

Author unknown