Psalms 31:1

David, shewing his confidence in God, craveth his help: he rejoiceth in his mercy: he prayeth in his calamity: he praiseth God for his goodness.

To the chief musician. A Psalm of David.

Title. לדוד מזמור למנצח lamnatseach mizmor ledavid.— Bishop Patrick supposes this psalm to have been composed by David soon after the straits to which he was reduced in the wilderness of Maon, when he fled from Keilah, and was so closely pursued by Saul, that, without the extraordinary protection of God, he would infallibly have fallen into his hands. But Mudge is of a different opinion: "There are," says he, "many strokes in this psalm which point us to the prophet Jeremiah for its author. The 13th verse begins with exactly the same words as are found Jeremiah 20:10. The account of his enemies agrees well with the people of Anathoth, who had plotted to take away his life, and in a treacherous manner, by drawing him in to say things on which they might ground a charge: the miraculous preservation he found at Jerusalem during the siege, Psalms 31:19, where others suffered extremely, is another proof."