Title.—(RV) 'For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David: when Nathan the prophet' came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.' It is impossible not to feel the general appropriateness of this Ps. to the occasion mentioned in the title, and there is no historic OT. figure except David to whom we... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST THEE, THEE ONLY] David had sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba as well as against God: but as all obligations to men have their foundation in God's law, so all sin against them is included and hidden in the one fact of offence against God. THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED.. BE CLEAR] that Thy... [ Continue Reading ]
This v. does not reflect any stain on the Psalmist's birth, but traces his sin to the inborn evil of his nature.... [ Continue Reading ]
TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS] truth as opposed to self-deception or conscious hypocrisy, in the inward parts as opposed to mere superficial goodness. THOU SHALT MAKE ME TO KNOW] God is willing to give what He desires men to have.... [ Continue Reading ]
HYSSOP] employed in the OT. ceremonies of purification, a bunch of the herb being used to sprinkle blood (Leviticus 14:6) or water (Numbers 19:18) on the unclean. SNOW] cp. Isaiah 1:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
BONES _which_ THOU HAST BROKEN] see on Isaiah 42:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
CREATE IN ME] RM 'create for me.' RENEW] better, 'make new.' What is sought is something that has never been in the Psalmist's life before. A RIGHT SPIRIT] RM 'a, stedfast spirit,' that will not yield to temptation.... [ Continue Reading ]
THY HOLY SPIRIT] The only other mention of this in the OT. is in Isaiah 63:10; Isaiah 63:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
_With thy_ FREE SPIRIT] RV 'with a free spirit,' a spirit of willing and unforced obedience.... [ Continue Reading ]
DESIREST NOT] RV 'delightest not in.' DELIGHTEST NOT] RV 'hast no pleasure.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Psalms 34:18... [ Continue Reading ]
This and the next v. form a prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem, written either during the exile or in the troublous times before Nehemiah's mission.... [ Continue Reading ]
BE PLEASED WITH] RV 'delight in.' BURNT offering and whole burnt offering] two expressions for the same sacrifice, the one emphasising its being burnt, the other the completeness with which it was consumed. The conception of the essence of religion here is evidently very different from that of Psalm... [ Continue Reading ]