Psalms 31

This Psalm was Composed either, when David was in great Distress; Or afterwards in remembrance thereof, and of God's singular Goodness in delivering him out of it, whence it is mixed of Prayers and Praises, of Hopes and Fears. But what those particular Troubles were, which David here speaks, is only matter of Conjecture, and therefore I shall rather omit, than Confidently determine.

IN thee, O LORD, do I put my trust, let me never be ashamed To wit, of my Confidence in thy Promises.: deliver me in thy righteousness (i. e.) By or For: Or, according to thy Faithfulness and Goodness; both which come oft under the Name of Righteousness..

Bow down thine ear to me, deliver me speedily Because of the greatness and urgency of my Danger, which is even ready to swallow me up.: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

For thou art my rock, and my fortress: therefore for thy names sake For the Glory of thy Name, (i. e.) Of thy Power and Truth, and Mercy to thy miserable Servant. lead me, and guide me Two words expressing the same thing with more Emphasis, direct me clearly, and continually in a right and safe Path: For without thy Conduct, I can neither discern the right way, or continue in it..

Pull me out of the net, that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

Into thine hand (i. e.) To thy Care and Custody. I commit my spirit (i. e.) My Soul or Life, called a Man's Spirit, as Eccles. 3. 21. and 12. 7. &c. Either, 1. To receive it: for my Case is almost Desperate, and I am ready to give up the Ghost. Or, 2. To preserve it from the Plots and Malice of mine Enemies.: thou hast redeemed me Thou hast delivered me formerly in great Dangers, and therefore I willingly and Cheerfully commit my self to thee, for the Future., O LORD God of truth Who hast showed thy self to be so to me, in making good thy Promises..

I have hated them Their very Persons not simply, but for their Wickedness. Compare Psal. 139. 21, 22. that regard Heb. that observe, to wit, with Respect to them, Dependence upon them, or Expectation of any good from them. lying vanities Or, most vain Vanities: Such as are foolish and deceitful, and fruitless. By which he understands, Either, 1. All Humane or Carnal Helps, any Arm of flesh; for he that trusteth therein is pronounced Cursed, Ier. 17. 5. and therefore is hateful. Or, 2. Idols, which are oft called Vanities, as Deut. 32. 21. Ier. 2. 5. and 8. 19. &c. Or 3. Curious Arts, and all sorts of Divinations by Stars, Or the Motions, or Inwards of living Creatures, or by the Dead: which Practises were common and prevalent among those Eastern people, and by their Example, were to rise among the Israelites also, Isa. 2. 6. of whom he here speaks: for the Gentiles... at observed these Vanities, he rather pitied than hated; but the Israelites that did so were Apostates from God, and professed Enemies to him and his Laws, and therefore were the proper Objects of just hatred.: but I trust in the LORD.

I will be glad, and rejoyce in thy Mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known (i. e.) Loved me, and cared for me, for Words of knowledge commonly imply Affection. my soul in adversities.

And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy Whereof I was in great and imminent Danger, if thou hadst not delivered me. See 1 Sam. 23. 1.: thou hast set my foot in a large room Made way for me to escape, when I was Encompassed by them, and set me at Liberty..

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief With continual weeping. See on Psal. 6. 8., yea, my soul My sorrows are not Counterfeit or sleight, but inward and Hearty; my Mind is oppressed, my Heart is ready to sink under my Burden., and my belly (i. e.) My Bowels contained in my Belly; which are the seat of the Affections, and Fountains of support and Nourishment to the whole Body. Thus the whole, Man both Soul and Body, inside and outside, are Consumed..

For my life (i. e.) The time of my Life, as the next Clause explains it. is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity Either through my deep and just Sense of my sins; which have provoked God to Afflict me in this manner: Or, for the punishment of mine iniquity, as this Word is frequently used., and my bones In which my chief strength lyes. are consumed The juice and Marrow of them, being almost dryed up with excessive Grief..

I was a reproach (i. e.) The matter of their Reproaches, and Scorns. This, said they, is David, anointed to be King of Israel, a goodly Monarch indeed, forsaken by God and Men, and in a perishing and desperate Condition. He pretends great Piety to God, and Loyalty to Saul, but in Truth he is a great Impostour, and a Traitor, and Rebel to his King. among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours Which aggravates their sin, and his Misery, Partly, because they were obliged by the Laws of Neighbourhood, to perform all friendly Offices to him: and Partly, because they were daily Witnesses of his Integrity, and therefore sinned against their own Knowledge., and a fear Or, a Terror. They were afraid to give me any Countenance or Assistance, or to be seen in my Company; being warned by Abimelech's punishment for it, 1 Sam. 22. to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me Either, loathing me as a Monster of men, and an unlucky Spectacle, and such a Villain as mine Enemies represented me, and they believed me to be: Or, to prevent their own Danger and Ruine, which might be occasioned by it..

I am forgotten Whatsoever good Service I have done to the King, or Kingdom, or to any particular Persons, Neighbours, Friends, or others, which sometimes they have acknowledged and highly Commended, is now quite forgotten by all of them; Or, at least, they carry themselves to me, as if it were so. as a dead man Whose Name and Memory is quite lost, within a few days. See Psal. 88. 12. Eccles. 9. 5. out of mind: I am like a broken vessel Made of Earth; which is irreparable, and useless, and therefore despised by all..

For I have heard Partly with my own Ears; and Partly by the Information of others, the slander of many Who reproach and defame me, as a Turbulent and seditious Person, an Enemy to the publick Peace, a Conspirator against the Kings, Life or Dignity.: fear (i. e.) Just cause of Fear, even of the loss of my Life, as appears from the next Clause. was on every side, while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away To wit, unjustly and violently; as this Word is used, Gen. 34. 2. and 24. 11. my life.

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God l. g Mine by paternal Relation and Care, and Affection, and by thy Promise or Covenant made with me.

My times Either, 1. The time of my Life, how long I shall Live. Or, 2. My Opportunties, or sit seasons, for working out my Deliverance. Or rather, 3. All the Affairs and Events of my Life: for time is oft put for things done, or Accidents happening in time, as 1 Chron. 29. 30. Iob 11. 17. Psal. 37. 18. Eccles. 9. 11. Dan. 2. 21. Act. 17. 26. are in thy hand (i. e) Are wholly in thy Power, to dispose and Order as thou secst fit, and not at all in mine Enemies Power, who can do nothing against me, unless it be given them from above.: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant Manifest thy Love and Favour to me, by answering my Prayers, and saving me from all mine Enemies.: save me for thy mercies sake.

Let me not be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon thee And therefore thy Honour, will be Eclipsed in my Disappointment, as if thou didst not hear Prayers, nor keep Promise nor make any Difference between good and bad Men.: let the wicked be ashamed Frustrated in their wicked Designs, and Carnal Confidences., and let them be silent in the grave Seeing they are implacable in their Malice and Rage, against innocent and good Men, do thou cut them off by thy just Judgment; and since either the Righteous, or the wicked must be cut off, let Destruction fall upon them, who most deserve it..

Let the lying lips Slanderous Tongues. be put to silence Either, by thy Vindication and discovery of my Integrity: Or, by some Eminent judgment, which may either Convince them, or cut them off., which speak grievous things Heb. hard Words, or Things, the singular Number, being put for the plural. Of this Expression, See 1 Sam. 2. 3. Psal. 60. 3 and 94. 4: Iude v. 15. He means such as were grievous, and hard to be Born, as bitter Calumnies, Cruel Mockings, Terrible Threatnings, and the like., proudly and contemptuously With great Arrogancy, and Confidence of success, and Contempt of me and mine, whom they look upon as few in number, and impotent and Fugitives, and such whom they can blow away with a Breath. against the righteous Against us, whom thou knowest to be Righteous, notwithstanding all their false Accusations: and therefore for thy Love to Righteousness save us, and silence our unjust Enemies..

O how great is thy goodness No words can express the greatness of thy Love and Blessings., which thou hast laid up Or, hidden, to wit, with thy self, or in thy own Breast. The word is very Emphatical, and removes an Objection of ungodly Men, taken from the present Calamities of good Men. His Favour, it is true, is not always manifested, to or for them, but it is laid up for them in his Treasure, whence it shall be drawn forth when they need it, and he sees it fit. for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought Or, hast Prepared, as Exod. 15. 17. Or, wilst work, the past time being put for the Future, to note the certainty of it, as is Common in the Prophetical writings. for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men (i. e) Publickly and in the view of the World, their very Enemies seeing and admiring, and envying it, but not being able to hinder it..

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence Or, as in the secret of thy Presence: Either, 1. As if they were in thy presence Chamber, where thine own Eye and Hand guardeth them, from all the assaults of their Enemies, called his secret, Partly, because the greatest part of the World are strangers to God and his Presence: and Partly, because it is a safe and secure place, such as secret and unknown places are. Or, 2. As if they were in the secret of God's Tabernacle, as it is called, Psal. 27. 5. the place of God's special Presence, where none might enter save the High-priest. Or, 3. With thy secret Favour and Providence, which works mightily, yet secretly for them, and saves them by hidden and unknown Methods. This is opposed to those Caves, or other obscure and unsafe places, where David was forced to hide himself. from the pride of man From their Vain-glorious Boasts and Threats, and from their bold and insolent Attempts.: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion From their Vain-glorious Boasts and Threats, and from their bold and insolent Attempts. from the strife of tongues Or, as in thy Pavilion, or Tabernacle; and so this Clause explains the former, and the Pronoun thy, is here easily, and aptly understood out of the foregoing Branch.. f (i. e.) From the Mischief of Contentious, and standerous Tongues.

Blessed be the LORD; for he has showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city To wit, in Keilah: Where God wonderfully preserved me: of which see 1 Sam 23. 7. Others, as in a strong City. He has kept me as safe in Woods and Caves, as if I had been in a fenced City..

For I said in my hast (i. e.) In my hasty flight from Saul, when he and his men had almost Encompassed me, 1 Sam. 23. 26. which happened presently after his Deliverance, in and from the strong City of Keilah. Or, in my Fear, or Trembling, when my Passion took away my Consideration, and weakened my Faith., I am cut off from before thine eyes (i. e.) Cast out of thy sight, and out of the Care of thy gracious Providence; my Case is desperate. Or, cut off whilst thou lookest on, and dost not pity nor help me.: nevertheless thou heardest the voyce of my supplications My Fears were quickly Confuted by thy gracious Answer to my Prayers. when I cryed unto thee.

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful Or, keepeth Faithfulness, or Faithfulnesses, (i. e.) Is faithful in fulfilling his Promises: Or rather, the Faithful, who is opposed to the Proud doer in the next Clause of the Verse., and plentifully Heb.... ith (for so the Hebrew al sometimes signifies) abundance. rewardeth the proud doer The Enemies and persecutors of God's faithful Ones before mentioned, whom he calls here Proud doers, because of their Rebellion against God's Will, and their Contempt of his Threatnings and Judgments, and their most insolent and Contemptuous Carriage towards his People: all which proceeds from the pride of their Heart, Psal. 10. 4..

Be of good courage Or,... e strong, in the Lord, and by Confidence in his Promises, which will not fail you; as I have found by Experience., and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.