INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 25 [A PSALM] OF DAVID. This is the first of the psalms which is written in an alphabetical order, or in which the first word of every verse begins with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order, though it is not strictly and regularly observed; the reason of this manner of w... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THEE, O LORD, DO I LIFT UP MY SOUL. Either "in prayer", as the Chaldee paraphrase adds s; and denotes sincere, affectionate, hearty prayer to God, a drawing nigh to him with a true heart: for unless the heart is lifted up, the lifting up of the eyes or hands in prayer is of no avail; see Lament... [ Continue Reading ]
O MY GOD, I TRUST IN THEE,.... He claims his interest in God, and expresses his faith and confidence in him, in the midst of all his troubles; Psalms 7:1; LET ME NOT BE ASHAMED; meaning of his trust in God, by being disappointed of the help, deliverance, and salvation from him, which he trusted in... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, LET NONE THAT WAIT ON THEE BE ASHAMED,.... David not only prays for himself, but for other saints, as it becomes the people of God to do; for them they waited on the Lord in public worship, attended his house and ordinances, and waited on him for the discoveries of his love, the enjoyment of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
SHOW ME THY WAYS, O LORD,.... Either those which the Lord himself took and walked in; as those of creation and providence, in which he has displayed his power, wisdom, and goodness; and which are desirable to be known by his people, and require divine instruction and direction; and particularly his... [ Continue Reading ]
LEAD ME IN THY TRUTH, AND TEACH ME,.... Meaning the word of God, the Scriptures of truth; and the Gospel, which is the word of truth, and truth itself, John 17:17; and the sense is, either that God would lead him by his Spirit more and more into all truth, as contained in his word; or that he would... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER, O LORD, THY TENDER MERCIES AND THY LOVING KINDNESSES,.... Not the providential mercy and kindness of God, in the care of him in his mother's womb, at the time of his birth, in his nurture and education, and in the preservation of him to the present time; but the special mercy, grace, and l... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER NOT THE SINS OF MY YOUTH,.... Original sin, in which he was born, and the breakings forth of corrupt nature in infancy, he brought into the world with him, together with all the youthful lusts and vanities to which that age is addicted; and sometimes the sins of youth are in some persons re... [ Continue Reading ]
GOOD AND UPRIGHT [IS] THE LORD,.... He is essentially, originally, and independently good of himself in his own nature, and he is providentially good to all his creatures; and he is in a way of special grace and mercy good to his own people: and he is "upright", just in himself, righteous in all his... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MEEK WILL HE GUIDE IN JUDGMENT,.... Or "the miserable" z and afflicted; such as see themselves to be wretched and miserable, lost and undone; and cry out, What shall we do to be saved? and who are meek and lowly, are humbled under a sense of their sins, are poor in spirit, and of broken and cont... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD [ARE] MERCY AND TRUTH,.... By which are meant, not the paths in which the Lord would have his people walk; though these are good and gracious, right and true; his commandments are not grievous, his yoke is easy, and burden light; his ways are ways of pleasantness, and his p... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THY NAME'S SAKE, O LORD, PARDON MINE INIQUITY,.... Which to do is one of the promises and blessings of the covenant. The psalmist may have reference to his sin with Bathsheba, as Kimchi observes; since it was foretold to him, that, on account of that sin, evil should arise to him out of his own... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT MAN [IS] HE THAT FEARETH THE LORD? That is, how happy a man is he! and one that fears the Lord is one that has the fear of God put into his heart, as a blessing of the covenant of grace before spoken of; who fears the Lord, not on account of the punishment of sin, but under the influence of the... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS SOUL SHALL DWELL AT EASE,.... Or in "goodness" f, enjoying an affluence of good things, of spiritual blessings in Christ, in whom he dwells by faith; and where he has peace and safety, amidst all the troubles, afflictions, and exercises, he meets with; and where with godliness he has contentment... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECRET OF THE LORD [IS] WITH THEM THAT FEAR HIM,.... The secret of his purposes with them; as his purpose according to election; his resolution to redeem his chosen ones by his Son; his design to call them by his grace; his predestination of them to the adoption of children, and eternal life; wh... [ Continue Reading ]
MINE EYES [ARE] EVER TOWARDS THE LORD,.... Not only as the God of nature and providence, for his daily support and supply, in which sense the eyes of all creatures wait upon him; but as his covenant God and Father, having the eyes of his understanding opened to see and know him as such, and the eye... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN THEE UNTO ME, AND HAVE MERCY UPON ME,.... Or "look unto me", or "upon me" f; which suggests that the Lord had turned himself, and hid his face from him; and expresses a desire that he would look upon him with a look of love and mercy, and arise to help and deliver him out of the hands of his en... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TROUBLES OF MY HEART ARE ENLARGED,.... His enemies being increased, which troubled him; the floods of ungodly men made him afraid; the waters of affliction were come into his soul, and spread themselves, and threatened to overwhelm him: or it may be rendered, as by some, "troubles have enlarged... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOK UPON MINE AFFLICTION AND MY PAIN,.... The "affliction" was the rebellion of his subjects against him, at the head of which was his own son; and the "pain" was the uneasiness of mind it gave him; or the "labour" k, as the word may be rendered; the toil and fatigue of body he was exercised with,... [ Continue Reading ]
CONSIDER MINE ENEMIES,.... Or "look" m upon them; but with another kind of look; so as he looked through the pillar of fire upon the Egyptians, and troubled them, Exodus 14:24; with a look of wrath and vengeance. The arguments he uses are taken both from the quantity and quality of his enemies, thei... [ Continue Reading ]
O KEEP MY SOUL,.... Or "life" n, which was in danger, his enemies seeking for it; wherefore he applies to God that gave it, and who had hitherto held him in it, to preserve it. God is the keeper of has people in a spiritual sense; they cannot keep themselves from sin, Satan, and the world; but he is... [ Continue Reading ]
LET INTEGRITY AND UPRIGHTNESS PRESERVE ME,.... Meaning either his own, as in Psalms 7:8; and then the sense is, either that God would preserve him, seeing he had acted the faithful and upright part in the government of the people of Israel, and they had rebelled against him without a cause; see Psal... [ Continue Reading ]
REDEEM ISRAEL, O GOD, OUT OF ALL HIS TROUBLES. David was not only concerned for himself, but for the whole nation of Israel, which was involved in trouble through this unnatural rebellion of his son, and many of his subjects; and no doubt he may have a further view to the redemption of the church of... [ Continue Reading ]