The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 222

EXPOSITION. (vers. 19-22), praise of God's goodness; PSALM XXXL part vi. (vers. 23, 24), exhortation to the people to praise God. Tms psalm is, in tho main, a cry for deliver- ance out of pressing danger and trouble; Ver. 1.-In thee, 0 Lord, do I put my bnt it is interspersed with pa.ssa.ges of a. trust. If prayer to God for aid in a special more cheerful tone, expressive of faith and time of trouble is the ma.in object of the confidence (vers. 5-----8, 14, 15); and it winds psalm, the expression of full trust in God up with a eulogy of God's goodneB.!! (vers. is a secondl\J'y object, and is ma.iut11ined 19-22), and an exhortation to the sa.ints throughout (see vers. 3-8, 14, 19-21, 24). Notwithstanding the extr~mity of hie of God to "be strong," and trnst in him. danger, his belief is firm in the coming The title declares it to be David's; and it overthrow of his enemies, and in hie own botli breathes his spirit, and has many of his deliverance 11nd restoration. Let me never turns of expression. It has been thought be ashamed (comp. ver. 17, where tlie idea. to belong to the period of his early persecu- is expanded). David's enemies having come to an open rupture with Jiim, and appenled tion by Saul; bnt, on the whole, it seems to arms (2 Sam. xv. 10-12; xvii. 24-26), ~ather suggestive of the later period of one party or the other must of necessity be tronble connected with the rebellion of put to sliamc. Here he pro.ye that it may Absalom. Dr. Kay divides it into three not be himselr; in ver. 17 he goes a step ma.in porlions: (1) vers. 1-13; (2) vers. further, and asks that the shame may fall upon his enemies. Deliver DUi in thy 14-18; and (3) vers. 19-24; but part i. righteousness. Seeing tho.t my cause is the might be further subdivided into three, righteous one. and part ii into two portions. The psalm Ver. 2.-Bow down thine ear to me; or, tli us falls into six di visions : part i. ( vers. incline thine ear to me, as the so.me ph ro.se 1--4), prayer; pa.rt ii (vers. 5-8), self- is translated in Ps. h:xi. 2. Deliver ma speedily. Not doubting of deliveranoe, ho encouragement; po.rt iii. (Yere. 9-13), makes his request for ,peedy deliverance co.uses of his trouble ; part. iv. ( vors. 14-- (oowp. Pas. xnviii. 22: x:J. 17; lu. I; l S), profession of faith and prayer; pa.rt v. lui. 12, etc.). Be thou my strong Bock, for re. XXXI. 1-24.J 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 227