Psalm 61

Psa 61:1

SUPERSCRIPTION: "OF DAVID". David is already king (v 6), rejoicing that God has sheltered him (vv 3,4), and prolonged his life (v 6) during a time of grave danger. Most prob ref to David finding refuge at Mahanaim during Absalom's rebellion.

Psa 61:2

FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH I CALL TO YOU: "Earth" = eretz, or Land. David was now a long way from Jerusalem -- perhaps at Mahanaim in Gilead, on the other side of the Jordan (2Sa 17:27). Even though inhabited by Israelites, such lands were not considered altogether part of the land of promise (Num 32:29-33). Consider believers in God away from home: Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Naaman's wife's maid, Paul a prisoner in Rome, John an exile in Patmos.

AS MY HEART GROWS FAINT: There are signs that David's morale was near to collapse. And so he esp needed such exhortation as: "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luk 18:1).

THE ROCK: "Tsur" (cp Psa 62:2,6,7) in the temple area, one of the symbols of God's presence among His people. "Is there a God (Eloah) beside me? yea, there is no God (tsur = Rock: AV mg); I know not any" (Isa 44:8). So also Isaiah calls God "the Rock (tsur) of Ages" (Isa 26:4, mg) -- or the eternal Rock.

THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I: Cp Psa 59:1. RV mg has "too high for me" -- suggesting a God whose thoughts and ways are infinitely beyond those of man (Isa 55:8,9), although that fact should not excuse man from seeking them!

(NT) The Son was always "subject to the Father" (1Co 15:28); the Son himself needed salvation (Heb 2:14; 5:7-9; etc). In seeking the salvation and will of his Father, Jesus truly built his "house" of faith upon the "Rock" (Mat 7:24-27). And so, in overcoming, he ultimately became "the Rock" himself (1Co 10:4) -- "a man [who] shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest... as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isa 32:2).

Psa 61:3

YOU HAVE BEEN MY REFUGE: A shelter provided through the loyalty of Barzillai.

A STRONG TOWER: Uzziah built towers in the desert because "he had much cattle" (2Ch 26:10; cp 2Ch 27:4), and it was necessary for his shepherds to have places of safety and outlook from time to time, from which to resist the inevitable marauders. Watchtowers were also built in vineyards for similar purposes (Mat 21:33). Fig, the name of Yahweh is a "strong tower" for the righteous (Pro 18:10).

THE FOE: Of course, his own son Absalom.

Psa 61:4

TO DWELL IN YOUR TENT: Appropriate to David's reign. The temple was not yet built.

AND TAKE REFUGE IN THE SHELTER OF YOUR WINGS: The wings of the cherubim of glory in the sanctuary. The "secret place" of Psa 27:5, and the "shadow of thy wings" (Psa 57:1n).

SELAH: This Psa has several refs to the sanctuary and its rock and its service: vv 2,4,7,8. See Lesson, Selah.

Psa 61:5

MY VOWS: (NT) What did Christ vow? "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" (Heb 10:7-9). This involved Christ's witnessing to the praises of his God in the midst of the "great congregation" (Psa 22:25; 65:1; 116:14; Heb 2:12).

YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THE HERITAGE: (NT) He is the heir of the promises (cp Psa 16:5; 37:11,29).

Psa 61:6

INCREASE THE DAYS OF THE KING'S LIFE: The first of 4 phrases emphasizing how David was saved from his serious illness (Psa 41) and from the threat of destruction by the rebels. All this is of course in ct to God's treatment of David's predecessor Saul.

(NT) Christ's resurrection and eternal life (cp Psa 21:4).

HIS YEARS FOR MANY GENERATIONS: Allusion to the great promise in 2Sa 7. So also "mercy and truth" (v 7; Mic 7:20).

(NT) Cp the Messianic prophecies of Psa 22:30,31 and Isa 53:10, for quite similar language. Also see Psa 72:15-17; 89:29-37.

Psa 61:7

MAY HE BE ENTHRONED IN GOD'S PRESENCE FOREVER: (NT) As a priest as well as a king: "after the power of an endless life" (Heb 7:16). Also, of course, see 2Sa 7:16 again.

Psa 61:8

SUBSCRIPTION: "FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. FOR JEDUTHUN":

Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were the three who organized the temple choirs and orchestras: 1Ch 16:5,41,42.
These three were from each of the sections of the tribe of Levi: ie Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. Jeduthun led the third section: 1Ch 26:10-12.
His name means "Praising (ie 'Judah') Ethan", ie "Ethan the man of praise": 1Ch 15:17; 25:1,3; Psa 89, title. Prob Jeduthun and Ethan were the same man (1Ch 16:41; cp 1Ch 6:44 with 1Ch 25:1-3).
Jeduthun was responsible for Psa 38, 61, 76, 89. Hence he was called the King's Seer (2Ch 35:15; 1Ki 4:31).
Since he was the father of Obed-edom (1Ch 16:38), did he advise about the bringing of the ark to Zion, after the initial bungling?