1._O God! thou hast cast us off. _With the view of exciting both himself and others to a more serious consideration of the goodness of God, which they presently experienced, he begins the psalm with prayer; and a comparison is instituted, designed to show that the government of Saul had been under t... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Thou hast showed thy people hard things _He says, first, that the nation had been dealt with severely, and then adds a figure which may additionally represent the grievousness of its calamities, speaking of it as drunk with the wine of stupor or astonishment. Even the Hebraist interpreters are no... [ Continue Reading ]
4_Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee. _Some interpreters would change the past tense, and read the words as if they formed a continuation of the prayers which precede — _O that thou wouldst give a banner to them that fear thee! _(386) But it is better to suppose that David diverges to t... [ Continue Reading ]
6._God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice. _Hitherto he has adverted to the proofs which had come under their own observation, and from which they might easily see that God had manifested his favor in a manner new, and for many years unprecedented. He had raised the nation from a state of d... [ Continue Reading ]
8_Moab is my wash-pot _In proceeding to speak of foreigners, he observes a wide distinction between them and his own countrymen. The posterity of Abraham he would govern as brethren, and not as slaves; but it was allowable for him to exercise greater severities upon the profane and the uncircumcised... [ Continue Reading ]
9_Who will bring me into the fortified city? _Anticipating an objection which might be alleged, he proceeds to state that he looked to God for the accomplishment of what remained to be done in the capture of the fortified places of his enemies, and the consolidation of his victories. It might be sai... [ Continue Reading ]
11_Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. _Again he reverts to the exercise of prayer, or rather is led to it naturally by the very confidence of hope, which we have seen that he entertained. He expresses his conviction, that should God extend his help, it would be sufficient of its... [ Continue Reading ]