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Psalm 31

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

1

In you, O L ord, I seek refuge;

do not let me ever be put to shame;

in your righteousness deliver me.

2

Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily.

Be a rock of refuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me.

 

3

You are indeed my rock and my fortress;

for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,

4

take me out of the net that is hidden for me,

for you are my refuge.

5

Into your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O L ord, faithful God.

 

6

You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,

but I trust in the L ord.

7

I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have taken heed of my adversities,

8

and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in a broad place.

 

9

Be gracious to me, O L ord, for I am in distress;

my eye wastes away from grief,

my soul and body also.

10

For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my misery,

and my bones waste away.

 

11

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,

a horror to my neighbors,

an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street flee from me.

12

I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;

I have become like a broken vessel.

13

For I hear the whispering of many—

terror all around!—

as they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.

 

14

But I trust in you, O L ord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15

My times are in your hand;

deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.

16

Let your face shine upon your servant;

save me in your steadfast love.

17

Do not let me be put to shame, O L ord,

for I call on you;

let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.

18

Let the lying lips be stilled

that speak insolently against the righteous

with pride and contempt.

 

19

O how abundant is your goodness

that you have laid up for those who fear you,

and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of everyone!

20

In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from human plots;

you hold them safe under your shelter

from contentious tongues.

 

21

Blessed be the L ord,

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

when I was beset as a city under siege.

22

I had said in my alarm,

“I am driven far from your sight.”

But you heard my supplications

when I cried out to you for help.

 

23

Love the L ord, all you his saints.

The L ord preserves the faithful,

but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.

24

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the L ord.


14. Yet have I trusted in thee, O Jehovah! The rendering properly is, And I have trusted in thee; but the Hebrew copulative particle ו, vau, and, is used here instead of the adversative particle yet, or nevertheless. David, setting the steadfastness of his faith in opposition to the assaults of the temptations of which he has made mention, denies that he had ever fainted, but rather maintains, on the contrary, that he stood firm in his hope of deliverance from God. Nor does this imply that he boasted of being so magnanimous and courageous that he could not be overthrown through the infirmity of the flesh. However contrary to one another they appear, yet these things are often joined together, as they ought to be, in the same person, namely, that while he pines away with grief, and is deprived of all strength, he is nevertheless supported by so strong a hope that he ceases not to call upon God. David, therefore, was not so overwhelmed in deep sorrow, and other direful sufferings, as that the hidden light of faith could not shine inwardly in his heart; nor did he groan so much under the weighty load of his temptations, as to be prevented from arousing himself to call upon God. He struggled through many obstacles to be able to make the confession which he here makes. He next defines the manner of his faith, namely, that he reflected with himself thus that God would never fail him nor forsake him. Let us mark his manner of speech: I have said, Thou art my God In these words he intimates that he was so entirely persuaded of this truth, that God was his God, that he would not admit even a suggestion to the contrary. And until this persuasion prevails so as to take possession of our minds, we shall always waver in uncertainty. It is, however, to be observed, that this declaration is not only inward and secret - made rather in the heart than with the tongue - but that it is directed to God himself, as to him who is the alone witness of it. Nothing is more difficult, when we see our faith derided by the whole world, than to direct our speech to God only, and to rest satisfied with this testimony which our conscience gives us, that he is our God. And certainly it is an undoubted proof of genuine faith, when, however fierce the waves are which beat against us, and however sore the assaults by which we are shaken, we hold fast this as a fixed principle, that we are constantly under the protection of God, and can say to him freely, Thou art our God.

15. My times are in thy hand. That he might the more cheerfully commit the preservation of his person to God, he assures us, that, trusting to his divine guardianship, he did not trouble himself about those casual and unforeseen events which men commonly dread. The import of his language is, Lord, it is thy prerogative, and thou alone hast the power, to dispose of both my life and my death. Nor does he use the plural number, in my opinion, without reason; but rather to mark the variety of casualties by which the life of man is usually harassed. It is a cold exposition to restrict the phrase, my times, to the time which he had to live, as if David meant no more than that his time or his days on earth were in God’s hand. On the contrary, I am of opinion that, while he mused on the various revolutions and manifold dangers which continually hang over us, and the manifold unlooked-for events which from time to time happen, he nevertheless confidently reposed upon the providence of God, which he believed to be, according to the common saying, the arbiter both of good and of evil fortune. In the first clause we see that he not only denominates God the governor of the world in general, but also affirms that his life is in his hand; and not only so, but that to whatever agitations it might be subjected, and whatever trials and vicissitudes might befall him, he was safe under his protection. On this he founds his prayer, that God would preserve and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.


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