The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 43

IIOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-10.-The moan of a saint, and the mercy of his God. For the significance of the title of this psalm, see the Exposit.ion. An expositor well remarks that the confessed uncertainty on the part of the best Hebrew scholars as to the meaning or many of the titles is a striking proof of their antiquity, since it shows that the clue 'thereto is lost in oblivion. This psalm belongs to those ~pecified under the first head of our introductory homily, as one of those in which we have the strugglings and wrestli~g, of a saint in devotional exercises; not the words of God to man, but the words of n:an to God, and as such they must be studied. We must not fall into the anachronism to which in our last homily we referred, of interpreting a psalm like this as if it had been written in full New Testament light; for we shall see as wo proceed abundant indica- tion. of the contrary. Yet there is here a priceless record of an early believer's experi- ence, from which troubled souls through all time may draw an abundance of comfort.1 !lore are-a moan, a prayer, a plea, an issue. I. 'l'HE MOAN. It is not that of an impenitent man; nt the samo time, it bears no very clear indication of being a penitential wail over sin. It is the plaint of one who is overwhelmed with sorrow-with sorrow that has come upon him through his enemies. So intense is his anguish that it haunts him by night and by day; it exhausts his framo, consumes his spirit. Note the various expressions: "withered away," "bones vexed," "sore vexed," "weary with groaning,"" make my bed to swim," "water my couch with my tears," " eyes dim," "eyesight wasting away," etc. What caused such over- whelming sorrow, we cannot tell. But this is of no consequence. The poiot to be noted is this-there are not unfrequently times in the experience of God's peoplo when some care, or trouble, or perplexity is felt, and that so se1•ere that they are haunted by it night and day; they cannot shake it off; and they cannot, even when at prayer, forget it. What are they to do? Let them not try to forget it ; let them tum their prayers in that direction, so that the perplexity and the prayer are concurrent and not contrary forces. '!'his is what the psalmist did.2 This is what we should do, "Give others the sunehioe; tell Jesus the rest." II. TIIE PRA YEn. It is twofold. 1. Deprecatory. (Ver. 1, "Ticbuke mo not," etc.; 1 Dr. Cheyno says of this psalm, "The spcnkor is either the pious Israelito porsonifieil, or a represontativo righteous mu.a, who feels the sins and sufferings of hi~ pooplo ns his own.". There is nut o. word in the psalm to indicate anything of the kiml. All the phrase3 show o. strictly personal sorrow. • An excelknt book by l\[r. Shepparil, entitled' Thoughts on Privnto Devotion,' hns 11 most helpful chnpter ou this topic. It is a pity such books should get out of date. 40 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS. VI, t-10.