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2.
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Cause me to escape. His flight from Jerusalem (2 Sam.
15:14). Trapped inside the city, David’s case would have been
hopeless.
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3.
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My strong habitation... my rock (sela) and my
fortress (metsudah). Mahanaim, to which David fled, was a defensed
city (2 Sam. 17:24,27).
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5.
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Thou art my trust from my youth. The days of Goliath
and the Philistine wars.
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7.
|
I am as a wonder unto many. It was a thing for men to
marvel at, that one so strongly established in his people’s affections
could be overthrown — and then be restored to greatness again!
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9.
|
Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when
my strength faileth. It needed considerable faith, when all his affairs
seemed to be in ruin, to believe that God was yet on his side. Compare Psa.
37:25:
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|
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen
the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
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|
The same man who was once — only a few short years
before — “ruddy... and of a beautiful countenance” (1 Sam.
16:12) has now grown old and gray (v. 18), yet still his God is with him. From
each reader of the Psalms this must evoke real praise of God, and more so with
each passing year!
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10.
|
Mine enemies speak against me. Plots, and a campaign of
denigration.
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|
They that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.
These words describe the situation in 2 Sam. 17:1-6 perfectly.
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11.
|
There is none to deliver him. This was the gist of
Ahithophel’s counsel to Absalom in 2 Sam. 17:1,2. Humanly speaking, it was
near to the truth — but how sadly wrong it really was, because God was not
taken into account!
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13.
|
Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to
my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
David could justifiably pray thus, for the rebellion was not just against
him but also against the authority of God.
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14.
|
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more
and more. Considering the circumstances, an astonishing expression of
faith!
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18.
|
Forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this
generation. What a wonderful aspiration! David’s own affairs and
well-being are in the background. What is important, is the restoration of the
kingdom as God’s kingdom.
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20.
|
Thou hast shewed me great and sore troubles, in both
family and kingdom.
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|
Bring me up again from the depths of the earth. This
could be read as an allusion to David’s flight to the Jordan valley (2
Sam. 17:22). But this seems quite trivial compared with his firm belief in
personal resurrection: the new life when all problems will be set right (Psa.
16:8-11; 17:15; 2 Sam. 7:16: “before thee”).
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21.
|
Thou shalt increase my greatness. In the situation, an
amazing thing to say. But David knew that his greatness meant God’s
greater greatness.
|
23.
|
My soul which thou hast redeemed. David’s words
in 1 Kings 1:29 refer back to Absalom’s rebellion particularly: “The
Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress.”
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24.
|
For they are confounded, for they are brought to shame,
that seek my hurt. A very appropriate conclusion.
|
|
2.
|
Cause me to escape is equivalent to “Let this cup
pass from me” (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; cp. v. 4
here).
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5.
|
Thou art my trust from my youth. Compare v. 17. Surely
he was first aware of the shadow of the cross falling across his path when he
visited the Temple during Passover at the age of twelve (Luke
2:42-52).
|
6.
|
By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he
that took me out of my mother’s bowels; my praise shall be continually of
thee. The virgin birth, surely: compare Psa. 22:9,10; 69:8, note; 89:26,27;
132:11. See also, in the Old Testament, Gen. 3:15; Prov. 30:19; Isa. 7:14; Jer.
31:22; Mic. 5:2 — and in the New Testament Matt. 1:23 and Luke
1:35.
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7.
|
I am as a wonder. Mophet = a sign, wonder,
portent, or miracle. The same word occurs in Deut. 28:46. Is this Christ bearing
Israel’s curse? Surely that was a wonder. But the bearing away of
that same curse was the greater wonder!
|
9.
|
Cast me not off in the time of old age. Not
inappropriate to Christ’s physical condition at the end of his ministry
— when the hard years and dangerous situations and cares of others and
lack of rest had taken their toll, and he appeared to be a man nearer 50 than 30
(John 8:57).
|
|
Forsake me not when my strength faileth. The name of
Gabriel, who sustained him in the garden (Luke 22:43), signifies “the
Strong One of God”.
|
10.
|
They that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.
The numerous plots against his life (John 5:16,18; Mark 3:6; Luke 11:54;
John 7:19-21,25; 8:59; Luke 13:31; John 10:31,39; 11:8,16,44-54; Luke 20:14-26;
Matt. 26:3-5,16). Especially is this a picture of the intrigue and hostility of
the last week of his ministry, when it was unsafe for him even to sleep in
Jerusalem.
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11.
|
Saying, God hath forsaken him. Jesus spoke often of
rejection and suffering at Jerusalem (Matt. 16:21; 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke
9:51; 13:33; 18:31-34). It was probably this, more clearly discerned by Judas
than by the rest, which led to his betrayal. But, in the absolute sense, it was
not true that God ever forsook His Son (Psa. 22:1; this is answered by v. 9
above).
|
14.
|
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more
and more. Confidence in the redeeming outcome of his sufferings kept Jesus
going.
|
15.
|
I know not the numbers. This mysterious phrase at least
indicates limitations to the knowledge of Jesus in the days of his
flesh.
|
16.
|
RV: I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God.
Just as David returning to his capital, so Christ in his triumphant entry
into Jerusalem. In the midst of suffering, the vision of the glory steadies
him.
|
18.
|
Greyheaded. Is it possible to believe that Jesus turned
gray prematurely? See v. 9 and notes.
|
|
Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation.
This part of the verse sums up the immense climactic preaching effort made
by Jesus in the last weeks of his ministry.
|
20.
|
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt
quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Doubtless the Lord’s resurrection. The “depths of the
earth” suggests, of course, the grave (Gen. 49:25; Isa. 63:13; Rom. 10:7;
Rev. 9:1,2,11; 20:1,3).
|
21.
|
Thou shalt increase my greatness. His ascension glory
and coming kingdom.
|
|
And comfort me on every side. The work of the
“Comforter” (John 14:26; 16:7-11) in bringing Gentiles from all
parts to swear loyalty to Christ.
|
23.
|
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee.
And what song did Jesus sing when he rose from the dead?
|
24.
|
My tongue shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.
In those encounters during the Forty Days — e.g. on the road to
Emmaus.
|
|
Righteousness is used in the sense of
‘redemption’ or ‘salvation’, as quite often by Paul in
his letter to the Romans.
|
|
1-3.
|
Compare with Psa. 31:1-3.
|
1.
|
Let me never be put to confusion, in contrast with v.
13.
|
2.
|
Righteousness. The psalmist has a fond obsession with
this rich word: vv. 2,15,16,19,24. See also 51:14.
|
|
Incline thine ear unto me. As one might bow down to
hear the low and feeble words of an ill or dying man (cp. Psa. 17:6; 31:2;
116:2).
|
3.
|
Continually. The same word occurs in vv. 6,14. The word
often describes the daily burnt offering. Note here rock (sela),
with possible reference to the rock foundation of the altar.
|
|
Thou hast given commandment to save me. Commandment to
the angels? See 91:11 and 44:4; this is the true meaning of Deut. 8:3.
|
|
Fortress. Metsudah is a mighty fortress from
which military campaigns might be launched. In Psalms, the word occurs in 18:2
(see notes there); 31:3; 66:11; 91:2; and 144:2.
|
4.
|
Note the piling up of words: unrighteous, cruel, wicked.
|
|
The cruel man is, literally, the “leavened”
man — leavened or corrupted with “malice and wickedness” (cp.
1 Cor. 5:8).
|
5.
|
For thou art my hope. In Hebrew, this is
ha-tikvah — the name of the national anthem of modern
Israel. How little they know now of the true “hope of Israel”
— of which Paul spoke (Acts 28:20), and upon which in our own times John
Thomas wrote in Elpis Israel. For further related references, see Col.
1:27; 3:4; 1 Tim. 1:1; Tit. 2:13.
|
|
From my youth. Verses 6,9,18.
|
6.
|
RSV: Thou art he who took me from my mother’s womb.
Roughly translated: ‘You cut my umbilical cord... and delivered me
from the womb!’ This is how intimately God is concerned with all His
children! It is a tender mercy of the Almighty that we are even born. If we
should soon die without hope, we would still have had the best part of the
“bargain”.
|
|
This phrase corresponds to “from the belly” in
Isa. 46:3. There are, surprisingly, a number of other parallels between Psalm
71 and Isaiah 46: i.e. 71:18 = 46:4; 71:15 = 46:13; 71:19 = 46:9; and 71:2 =
46:4.
|
8.
|
Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, anticipating
the later paragraphs: vv. 14-18, 22-24. One’s praise of God is real only
when one’s sense of God is real.
|
9.
|
Cast me not off in the time of old age. Employers do
this to employees who have lost some of their usefulness; husbands to wives who
are no longer young; friends to other friends when they can no longer be of help
to them. But God never casts off those who trust in him. Compare the same word
in Psa. 51:11 and Deut. 29:28.
|
12.
|
Be not far from me. Psa. 22:11; 35:22.
|
|
Make haste for my help. 70:1,5.
|
13.
|
Let them be confounded. Verse 24; 40:14; 70:2; and
especially 35:26.
|
|
Adversaries. This is the familiar satan
— which is plainly applied here to mortal men.
|
15.
|
My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness. Psa.
40:3.
|
|
I know not the numbers. This is interpreted by Psa.
40:5:
|
|
“Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou
hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in
order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be
numbered.”
|
|
‘Count your blessings — name them one by
one’? The psalmist says: ‘I can’t. There are simply too many
of them.’ With this, too, we may compare Paul’s stunning paradox in
Eph. 3:19: “to know the love of God... a love which surpasses our
knowledge!” (More generally, see also Psa. 36:6; 139:17,18.)
|
16.
|
Thy righteousness, even of thine only. No man can be
saved through his own righteousness, but only through the righteousness of God
— activated by faith in Christ and God’s promises (Phil. 3:9; Rom.
1:16,17; 3:23-25; 10:3; etc.).
|
18.
|
Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me
not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to
every one that is to come. As far as David is concerned, this verse is at
last fulfilled in Psalm 72 (see v. 20 there).
|
|
Thy strength is actually “thy arm” (AV
mg.), suggesting Isa. 52:10; 53:1.
|
|
To every one to come. Psa. 22:20-31.
|