Psalm 71 commentary

PSALM 71 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
I TRODUCTIO
SPURGEO , "There is no title to this Psalm, and hence some conjecture that
Psalms 70:1-5 is intended to be a prelude to it, and has been broken off from it. Such
imaginings have no value with us. We have already met with five Psalms without
title, which are, nevertheless, as complete as those which bear them.
We have here THE PRAYER OF THE AGED BELIEVER, who, in holy confidence
of faith, strengthened by a long and remarkable experience, pleads against his
enemies, and asks further blessings for himself. Anticipating a gracious reply, he
promises to magnify the Lord exceedingly.
DIVISIO . The first four verses are faith's cry for help; the next four are a
testimony of experience. From Psalms 71:9-13, the aged saint pleads against his foes,
and then rejoices in hope, Psalms 71:14-16. He returns to prayer again in Psalms
71:17-18, repeats the confident hopes which cheered his soul, Psalms 71:19-21; and
then he closes with the promise of abounding in thanksgiving. Throughout, this
Psalm may be regarded as the utterance of struggling, but unstaggering, faith.
ELLICOTT, "The Palestinian collectors of the sacred songs of Israel found no
traditional inscription to this psalm, and left it without conjecture of its authorship.
In Alexandria it appears to have been attributed to David, but with the addition that
it had some peculiar connection with the son of Jonadab and the first exiles. This
connection, together with the resemblance between this psalm and Jeremiah’s
writings, has led many critics to ascribe it to that prophet, a conjecture also borne
out by the fact that it is, in great part, an adaptation of other psalms, chiefly 22, 31,
35, and 40, since such dependence on older writings is a prominent feature in
Jeremiah. His life of danger and adventure, his early consecration to his office, the
high position which he took at one time in the councils of the nation, all agree with
what the author of this psalm says of himself. (Comp. Psalms 71:6, with Jeremiah
1:5, and see ote, Psalms 71:21.) Still it is quite as likely that we have here another
of those hymns composed, or, more properly speaking, in this case, arranged, to
express not individual feeling and experience, but that of suffering Israel. (See ote,
Psalms 71:6; Psalms 71:20.) In a cento of passages from older compositions the
rhythm is necessarily irregular.
PULPIT, "Psalms 71:1-24 is, like so many others, a psalm divided between
complaint and praise. It is comparatively wanting in originality, being, to a very

great extent, an echo of other psalms, especially Psalms 22:1-31, Psalms 31:1-24,
Psalms 35:1-28, and Psalms 40:1-17. Complaint, mingled with prayer, occupies the
first half (Psalms 40:1-13); praise and thanksgiving the second (Psalms 40:14 -24).
The authorship of the psalm is very doubtful, as it has no "title," and few marked
characteristics. Kay and Hengstenberg, however, regard it as Davidical, the former
assigning it to the time of Adonijah's attempt, the latter to that of the rebellion of
Absalom. Metrically, it is thought to divide into seven short stanzas, each of either
three or four verses.
Psalms 40:1-3 are almost identical with the opening verses of Psalms 31:1-24. They
express a firm trust in God, but combine with the expression of this trust an urgent
prayer for deliverance.
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
BAR ES, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust - See the notes at Psa_25:2.
Compare Psa_22:4-5; Psa_31:1.
Let me never be put to confusion - Let me never be ashamed; that is, Let me not
be so disappointed in the trust that I repose in thee as to have occasion to feel ashamed
that I have done it.
GILL, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust,.... The Targum is,
"in thy Word;''
See Gill on Psa_31:1;
let me never be put to confusion; or "be ashamed"; see the note as before.
HE RY, "Two things in general David here prays for - that he might not be
confounded and that his enemies and persecutors might be confounded.

I. He prays that he might never be made ashamed of his dependence upon God nor
disappointed in his believing expectations from him. With this petition every true
believer may come boldly to the throne of grace; for God will never disappoint the hope
that is of his own raising. Now observe here,
1. How David professes his confidence in God, and with what pleasure and grateful
variety of expression he repeats his profession of that confidence, still presenting the
profession of it to God and pleading it with him. We praise God, and so please him, by
telling him (if it be indeed true) what an entire confidence we have in him (Psa_71:1):
“In thee, O Lord! and in thee only, do I put my trust. Whatever others do, I choose the
God of Jacob for my help.” Those that are entirely satisfied with God's all-sufficiency and
the truth of his promise, and in dependence upon that, as sufficient to make them
amends, are freely willing to do and suffer, to lose and venture, for him, may truly say, In
thee, O Lord! do I put my trust. Those that will deal with God must deal upon trust; if we
are shy of dealing with him, it is a sign we do not trust him. Thou art my rock and my
fortress (Psa_71:3); and again, “Thou art my refuge, my strong refuge” (Psa_71:7); that
is, “I fly to thee, and am sure to be safe in thee, and under thy protection. If thou secure
me, none can hurt me. Thou art my hope and my trust” (Psa_71:5); that is, “thou hast
proposed thyself to me in thy word as the proper object of my hope and trust; I have
hoped in thee, and never found it in vain to do so.”
JAMISO , "Psa_71:1-24. The Psalmist, probably in old age, appeals to God for help
from his enemies, pleading his past favors, and stating his present need; and, in
confidence of a hearing, he promises his grateful thanks and praise.
(Compare Psa_30:1-3).
CALVI , "1.In thee, O Jehovah! do I put my trust. It has been thought that the
occasion of the composition of this psalm was the conspiracy of Absalom; and the
particular reference which David makes to his old age renders this conjecture not
improbable. As when we approach God, it is faith alone which opens the way for us,
David, in order to obtain what he sought, protests, according to his usual manner,
that he does not pour forth at the throne of grace hypocritical prayers, but betakes
himself to God with sincerity of heart, fully persuaded that his salvation is laid up in
the Divine hand. The man whose mind is in a state of constant fluctuation, and
whose hope is divided by being turned in different directions, in each of which he is
looking for deliverance, or who, under the influence of fear, disputes with himself,
or who obstinately refuses the Divine assistance, or who frets and gives way to
restless impatience, is unworthy of being succoured by God. The particle ‫,לעולם‬
leolam, in the end of the first verse, which we have translated for ever, admits of a
twofold sense, as I have shown on Psalms 31:1. It either tacitly implies a contrast
between the present calamities of David and the happy issue which he anticipated;
as if he had said, Lord, I lie in the dust at present as one confounded; but the time
will come when thou wilt grant me deliverance. Or not to be ashamed for ever,
means never to be ashamed. As these verses almost correspond with the beginning
of the 31st psalm, I would refer to that place for those explanatory remarks which I
here purposely omit, not wishing to tax the patience of my readers by unnecessary

repetition.
In these words of the third verse, Into which I may at all times enter, which are not
to be found in the other psalm, David briefly prays that he may have so ready and
easy access to God for succor, as to find in him a secure refuge whenever threatened
by any immediate danger. Lord! as if he had said, let me always find ready succor in
thee, and do thou meet me with a smile of benignity and grace, when I betake myself
to thee. The expression which follows, Thou hast given commandment to save me, is
resolved by some interpreters into the optative mood; as if David requested that he
might be committed to the guardianship of angels. But it is better to retain the past
tense of the verb, and to understand him as encouraging himself, from his
experience in times past, to hope for a happy issue to his present calamities. or is
there any necessity for limiting to the angels the verb, thou hast given
commandment. God, no doubt, employs them in defending his people; but as he is
possessed of innumerable ways of saving them, the expression, I conceive, is used
indefinitely, to teach us that he gives commandment concerning the salvation of his
servants, according as he has purposed, whenever he gives some manifest token of
his favor toward them in his providence; and what he has determined in his own
mind, he executes sometimes by his nod alone, and sometimes by the instrumentality
of men or other creatures. Meanwhile, David would intimate that such is the all-
sufficient power of God intrinsically considered, that without having recourse to any
foreign aid, his commandment alone is abundantly adequate for effecting our
salvation.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Jehovah deserves our
confidence; let him have it all. Every day must we guard against every form of
reliance upon an arm of flesh, and hourly hang our faith upon the ever faithful God.
ot only on God must we rest, as a man stands on a rock, but in him must we trust,
as a man hides in a cave. The more intimate we are with the Lord, the firmer will
our trust be. God knows our faith, and yet he loves to hear us avow it; hence, the
psalmist not only trusts in the Lord, but tells him that he is so trusting.
Let me never be put to confusion. So long as the world stands, stand thou by me;
yea, for ever and ever be faithful to thy servant. If thou forsake me, men will
ridicule my religion, and how shall I be able to answer them? Confusion will silence
me, and thy cause will be put to shame. This verse is a good beginning for prayer;
those who commence with trust shall conclude with joy.
EXPLA ATORY OTES A D QUAI T SAYI GS
Whole Psalm. This Psalm, which has no title in the Hebrew, in the LXX has the title,
By David, of the sons of Jonadab, and of those who were first made prisoners. If any
authority be allowed to this title, we must suppose that this was a Psalm written by
David, which was used, as particularly adapted to the circumstances of their
condition, by the Rechabites, who were descended from Jonadab (Jeremiah 35:1-
19), and the Jews, who were taken by the Chaldeans as captives to Babylon.
However this may be, it seems probable that David was the author of this Psalm,
and that he wrote it in his extreme age, and but a little while before he died. The line
which follows the next Psalm, and closes the second book, perhaps has a reference to
this fact. Some of the Fathers interpret the Psalm mystically of the church in her old

age, and her trials at the end of the world. "Plain Commentary."
Whole Psalm. The Psalm, I am aware, is anonymous, and is, therefore, by many
recent critics referred to some later writer; but I am satisfied that Venema and
Hengstenberg have adduced sufficient reasons for retaining the opinion of Calvin
and the older expositors, that it is from David's pen, and is the plaintive song of his
old age. It shows us the soul of the aged saint, darkened by the remembrance of his
great transgression, and by the swarms of sorrows with which that sin filled all his
later years. But he finds comfort in reverting to the happy days of his childhood,
and especially to the irrevocable trust which he was then enabled to repose in God.
The thoughts and feelings expressed remind one of those which invest with such a
solemn, tender interest the Second Epistle to Timothy, which embalms the dying
thoughts of the great apostle. Like Paul, David takes a retrospect of the Lord's
dealings with him from the beginning; and, in effect, declares, with the dying
apostle: "I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded
that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2
Timothy 1:12. Only, there is this notable difference between the two, that while Paul
gathered confirmation of his faith from the experience of a thirty years' walk with
his Lord, David's experience stretched over more than twice so many years; for it
began with his childhood. William Binnie.
Whole Psalm. It will be asked how Christ could use such verses as Psalms 71:9;
Psalms 71:18, since these look forward apparently to the frailty of age. The reply to
this felt difficulty is, these expressions are used by him in sympathy with his
members, and in his own case denote the state equivalent to age. His old age was, ere
he reached three and thirty years, as John 8:57 is supposed to imply: for "Worn out
men live fast." Barclay seems to give the right sense in the following lines: --
"Grown old and weak, with pain and grief,
Before his years were half complete."
Besides, the words signify, "Forsake me not from this time onward, even were I to
live to grey hairs." This is a view that conveys precious consolation to aged ones,
who might be ready to say that Christ could not altogether enter into their feelings,
having never experienced the failing weakness of age, the debility, the decay, the
bodily infirmities so trying to the spirit. But this Psalm shows us, that in effect he
did pass through that stage of our sojourning, worn out and wasted in bodily frame
and feeling, by living so much in so short a time. The aged members of his church
may find his sweet sympathy breathed out in Isaiah 46:3-4; and, here they may
almost see him learning the lesson in a human way, as he bends under the weight of
our frailties. For this reason, among others, this Psalm was specially prized by
Robert Blair, one of our godly forefathers. He used to call it "His Psalm." Andrew
A. Bonar.
Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. As if he should say: O Lord, permit not
those who put their trust in thee to be confounded, and to be held up as a laughing
stock. I have placed all my hope in thee, and thou art that God who, for the sake of
thy goodness and truth, hast never deserted those who hope in thee. If thou shalt
suffer me to be confounded, the enemies to triumph, and my hope to be placed in
thee in vain, certainly this shame shall fall upon thine own name... Let us, therefore,
learn from this place to be more anxious about what may happen to the name of
God through us, than to our own; whether it be through us in doing, or in us in

suffering. The prophet is fearful lest he should be confounded on account of his
hope placed in God, although it was not in his own power, nor could he prevent it...
It is necessary, first, that we should be of those who place their hope in God, then it
is necessary that this piety of our hearts should not be confined to ourselves only,
but should be known to all those who come in contact with us, even our opponents
and enemies; else it is not possible for us to dread this kind of confusion feared by
the prophet, when nobody knows that our hope is placed in God. o artist suffers
confusion, if he has never shared the good opinion of his fellow men. To no sick man
can it be said, Physician, heal thyself, if his reputation for medical skill has never
stood high. So of those, it cannot be said, They hoped in God, let him save them if he
will have them, of whom it was never remarked that they placed any hope in God.
His solicitude, therefore, belongs only to those whose hope is in the Lord; upon
others it cannot fall. Musculus.
Ver. 1. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. It is a good beginning, and a
recommendation to our prayers, when we can declare our faith and trust to be in
God alone. Edward Walter, in "A Help to the profitable reading of the Psalms."
WHEDO , "1. The first three verses are borrowed from Psalms 31:1-3, which see.
Confusion—The same word is rendered “ashamed,” Psalms 31:1, and it is always
translated by either one or other of these words. It denotes, literally, the paleness of
countenance which is caused by the perplexity, fear, and mortification of great
disappointment.
COFFMA , "THE PRAYER OF A OLD MA FOR DELIVERA CE
The vast majority of the scholars whose works are available to us reject any thought
of Davidic authorship of this psalm, but there is no agreement at all with regard to
who did write it. Obviously, then, the community of scholars do not know anything
about the author.
For this reason, we do not hesitate to accept the testimony of the superscription as it
appears in the LXX.
Superscription: By David, a song sung by the sons of Jonadab, and the first that
were taken captive,[1]
Dr. George DeHoff stated categorically that, "David wrote this psalm in his old age.
He was beset by many enemies and so near death that he could feel himself sinking
into the earth. He was an old man (Psalms 71:9,18); but old age had not dried up his
hope or weakened his religious spirit (Psalms 71:5,15,20)."[2]
Matthew Henry also declared that, "David penned this Psalm in his old age; and
many think it was in the times of the rebellion of Absalom, or during the
insurrection of Sheba."[3]
Rawlinson pointed out that such distinguished scholars as, "Dr. Kay and
Hengstenberg both considered the Psalm Davidic, with Kay naming the occasion as

that of Adonijah's attempt, and Hengstenberg placing it in the times of the rebellion
of Absalom."[4]
o less than twenty-three lines in this Psalm are taken from other Psalms of David;
and it is much more reasonable to suppose that such a phenomenon was a product
of David's remembering words and phrases he had previously used, than it is to
suppose that Jeremiah, or some other alleged minstrel, was so familiar with the
Psalms from his constant reading of them, that he would automatically substitute
the words of David for his own vocabulary.
Of course, we cannot pretend to know that David wrote this psalm, but it certainly
sounds like David throughout.
Psalms 71:1-4
A PLEA FOR DELIVERA CE
"In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge:
Let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in thy righteousness, and rescue me:
Bow down thine ear unto me, and save me.
Be thou to me a rock of habitation, whereunto I may continually resort:
Thou hast given commandment to save me;
For thou art my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked;
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man."
"Verses 1-3 here are quoted from Psalms 31."[5] Most of the terminology here
actually has the significance of a Davidic signature.
"Thou art my rock and my fortress" (Psalms 71:3). This is a quotation from David's
Psalms 18:2.
"Deliver me out of the hand of the wicked ... out of the hand ... of the cruel man"
(Psalms 71:4). Here is another undeniable earmark of David's writing. "It is
characteristic of David to single out from his adversaries an individual enemy from
whom he prays to be delivered."[6] In fact, six of the psalms accredited to David
show that he did that very thing: Psalms 13:2; 17:13; 18:17,48; 35:8; 41:6,9,11;
55:13-14.

COKE, "David, in confidence of faith and experience of God's favour, prayeth both
for himself, and against the enemies of his soul: he promiseth constancy: he prayeth
for perseverance: he praiseth God, and promiseth to do it cheerfully.
This psalm is so similar to the former, that, perhaps, says Mr. Mudge, as it is
without a title, it is a continuation of that psalm: The author acknowledges the
continued series of God's goodness to him, even from his birth, and implores him
not to leave him now in his old age to the malice of his enemies, but to grant him his
protection. Towards the end he is assured of this, and at length obtains it, and
praises God for it. The Jews who were carried captive into Babylon, with king
Joachim, made use of this psalm, as appears from the title of the Vulgate and LXX.
See Psalms 31.
EBC, "ECHOES of former psalms make the staple of this one, and even those parts
of it which are not quotations have little individuality. The themes are familiar, and
the expression of them is scarcely less so. There is no well-defined strophical
structure, and little continuity of thought or feeling. Psalms 71:13 and Psalms 71:24
b serve as a kind of partial refrain, and may be taken as dividing the psalm into two
parts, but there is little difference between the contents of the two. Delitzsch gives in
his adhesion to the hypothesis that Jeremiah was the author; and there is
considerable weight in the reasons assigned for that ascription of authorship. The
pensive, plaintive tone; the abundant quotations, with slight alterations of the
passages cited; the autobiographical hints which fit in with Jeremiah’s history, are
the chief of these. But they can scarcely be called conclusive. There is more to be
said for the supposition that the singer is the personified nation in this case than in
many others. The sudden transition to "us" in Psalms 71:20, which the Masoretic
marginal correction corrects into "me," favours, though it does not absolutely
require, that view, which is also supported by the frequent allusion to "youth" and
"old age." These, however, are capable of a worthy meaning, if referring to an
individual. Psalms 71:1-3 are slightly varied from Psalms 31:1-3. The character of
the changes will be best appreciated by setting the two passages side by side.
Psalms 31:1-24 Psalms 71:1-24
1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take 1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take
refuge; let me not be ashamed refuge:
forever: Let me not be put to shame
forever:
In Thy righteousness
me. 2. In Thy righteousness deliver

2. Bend Thine ear to me; de- me and rescue me:
liver me speedily. Bend Thine ear and save me.
The two verbs, which in the former psalm are in separate clauses ("deliver" and
"rescue"), are here brought together. "Speedily" is omitted, and "save" is
substituted for "deliver," which has been drawn into the preceding clause.
Obviously no difference of meaning is intended to be conveyed, and the changes
look very like the inaccuracies of memoriter quotations. The next variation is as
follows:-
2. Be to me for a strong 3. Be to me for a rock of
for a house of defence to save me. habitation to go to continually:
3. For my rock and my fortress Thou hast commanded to save me.
art Thou. For my rock and my me; fortress art Thou.
The difference between "a strong rock" and "rock of habitation" is but one letter.
That between "for a house of defence" and "to go to continually: Thou has
commanded" is extremely slight, as Baethgen has well shown. Possibly both of these
variations are due to textual corruption, but more probably this psalmist
intentionally altered the words of an older psalm. Most of the old versions have the
existing text, but the LXX seems to have read the Hebrew here as in Psalms 31:1-24.
The changes are not important, but they are significant. That thought of God as a
habitation to which the soul may continually find access goes very deep into the
secrets of the devout life. The variation in Psalms 71:3 is recommended by observing
the frequent recurrence of "continually" in this psalm, of which that word may
almost be said to be the motto. or is the thought of God’s command given to His
multitude of unnamed servants, to save this poor man, one which we can afford to
lose.
GUZIK, "Verse 1
Psalm 71 - Older in Years, Strong in Faith
Many commentators believe this is a Psalm of David, and is his prayer and trust in
God in his latter years under the crisis of Absalom's rebellion. Since the title or text
of the Psalm does not say this, we will not speculate and treat Psalm 71 as if it were
so, and instead regard it as an anonymous composition.
"We have here The prayer of the aged believer, who in holy confidence of faith,
strengthened by a long and remarkable experience, pleads against his enemies, and
asks further blessings for himself." (Charles Spurgeon)

Of interest in this Psalm are the many references and allusions to other Psalms.
Psalm 71:1-3 is quoted almost exactly from Psalm 31:1-3
The thoughts of Psalm 71:5 seem to be suggested by Psalm 22:9-11
Do not be far from me (Psalm 71:12a) echoes Psalm 22:11
My God, make haste to help me! (Psalm 71:12b) takes the thought of Psalm 70:1
Psalm 71:13 is similar to Psalm 35:26
Psalm 71:18 carries the thoughts of Psalm 22:22 and 22:30-31
Psalm 71:19 uses the phrasing of Exodus 15:11
It is reasonable to think the author of Psalm 71 made study and meditation upon
God's Word a priority through his life, and the result is that he naturally uses the
phrases and vocabulary of the Scriptures to pray and praise.
"But imitative words are none the less sincere; and new thankfulness may be run
into old moulds; without detriment to its acceptableness to God and preciousness to
men." (Alexander Maclaren)
A. God our refuge in older years.
1. (1-3) Trusting the Lord who delivers His people.
In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
a. In You, O Lord, I put my trust: Many Psalms begin with the description of the
poet's need. The first line of Psalm 71 looks to God and declares its trust in Yahweh,
the Lord, the covenant God of Israel. The Psalmist was confident that such trust in
the Lord would lead to vindication, that he would never be put to shame.

i. "The Psalmist so often begins his prayer with a declaration of his 'faith' which is
to the soul in affliction, what an anchor is to a ship in distress." (Horne)
b. Deliver me in Your righteousness: Because the Psalmist trusted in God, he boldly
asked God to act righteously on his behalf, and to deliver him. He asked that the
righteousness of God work on his behalf.
c. Incline Your ear save mebe my strong refuge: In the previous line the Psalmist
established the basis of God's rescue: deliver me in Your righteousness. He then
called on God to act righteously on behalf of His needy servant, to rescue and
protect him.
i. Be my strong refuge: "Here we see a weak man, but he is in a strong habitation:
his security rests upon the tower in which he hides and is not placed in Jeopardy
through his personal feebleness." (Spurgeon)
d. You have given the command to save me: Confident that it was God's will, even
His command, the Psalmist prayed with full confidence that God would be His rock
and his fortress.
PULPIT, "Psalms 71:1-24
Godly old age.
Solomon has said, "The beauty of old men is the grey head" (Proverbs 20:29). But
he tells also of a nobler beauty, "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in
the way of righteousness" (Proverbs 16:31). Old men are few, but godly old men are
fewer still. Rarity signalizes the "beauty," and enhances the "glory." This psalm
may well be called, "The Old Man's Psalm." Would that the portrait were more
common! It is pleasant to look at in poetry; it is far more delightful to behold in fact.
In this portrait of a godly old man, we may mark—
I. HIS SUBLIME FAITH." In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust" (verse 1). Here is the
secret of his character. "Trust" gave strength to his heart, and unity and
completeness to his life. In this he was in sympathy with others who had gone before
(cf. Psalms 31:1-3).
II. HIS EAR EST PRAYERS. The godly are ever given to prayer. It is their great
resource. It is the never failing means of obtaining mercy and grace. They learnt to
call upon God at their mother's knee (cf. Psalms 116:16; 2 Timothy 1:5), and all
through life they have found the virtue and the blessedness of prayer. In old age the
cry of the godly is, "I must pray more."

III. HIS VARIED EXPERIE CES. Often, when looking back, there is dimness, or
many things have fallen out of sight, or there is a confusion in the perspective; but
events that have made a deep impression stand out clearly. Memory goes back to the
time of youth, and traces life onward, with all the great changes, the dangers and
adventures, the attempts and the achievements, the joys and sorrows. There are
grateful recollections of kindness and help from many; but above all, there is praise
to God for his goodness and wonderful works (verses 5, 6; cf. Isaiah 44:4).
IV. HIS SETTLED CO VICTIO S. Experience is a great teacher. The man who
has seen many days has learned much, and is able to bear witness as one that
speaketh with authority (Job 32:7; Le 19:32; 2 Peter 1:13). One thing that the godly
old man testifies is that God is worthy of trust; another thing is that the Word of
God is not a cunningly devised fable, but truth; another thing is that religion is not a
delusion, but a reality—the power of God unto salvation; another thing is that the
most pleasant memories are of loyalty to God, and of good done to men, even to
enemies, and that the saddest thoughts are of times when self prevailed over love
and duty, and opportunities were lost from neglect and sloth.
V. HIS U FALTERI G RESOLUTIO . The old have their regrets. They have also
their times of trial and weakness. In another place the psalmist says, "I have been
young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken" (Psalms 37:25),
and yet here he seems just for a moment to falter; but if he trembles at the thought
of being a "castaway," as Paul also did (1 Corinthians 9:27), he renews his strength
by prayer (verses 17, 20). Then having gained courage, he pledges himself with fresh
ardour to be true to God. Instead of wavering, he will press on. Instead of keeping
silence, he will testify, by word and deed, to the strength and power of God. This
was beautifully seen in Polycarp, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he
never wronged me; and shall I forsake my God and my Saviour?"
VI. HIS GLORIOUS PROSPECTS. For the old the end is near. They know that
soon they must die, and have no more to do with anything under the sun. This seems
a dismal condition. But for the godly there is not only hope in death, but the bright
prospect of a blessed immortality. "The end of that man is peace," yea, more, far
more, the future is glorious.—W.F.
K&D 1-6, "Stayed upon Jahve, his ground of trust, from early childhood up, the poet
hopes and prays for deliverance out of the hand of the foe. The first of these two strophes
(Psa_71:1-3) is taken from Psa_31:2-4, the second (Psa_71:4-6, with the exception of
Psa_71:4 and Psa_71:6) from Psa_22:10-11; both, however, in comparison with Psa_
70:1-5 exhibit the far more encroaching variations of a poet who reproduces the
language of others with a freer hand. Olshausen wishes to read ‫ּוז‬‫ע‬ ָ‫מ‬ in Psa_71:3, Psa_
90:1; Psa_91:9, instead of ‫ּון‬‫ע‬ ָ‫,מ‬ which he holds to be an error in writing. But this old
Mosaic, Deuteronomial word (vid., on Psa_90:1) - cf. the post-biblical oath ‫המעון‬ (by the
Temple!) - is unassailable. Jahve, who is called a rock of refuge in Psa_31:3, is here
called a rock of habitation, i.e., a high rock that cannot be stormed or scaled, which
affords a safe abode; and this figure is pursued still further with a bold remodelling of

the text of Psa_31:3 : ‫יד‬ ִ‫מ‬ ָ ‫ּוא‬‫ב‬ ָ‫,ל‬ constantly to go into, i.e., which I can constantly, and
therefore always, as often as it is needful, betake myself for refuge. The additional ָ‫ית‬ִ‫וּ‬ ִ‫צ‬ is
certainly not equivalent to ‫ה‬ֵ‫וּ‬ ַ‫;צ‬ it would more likely be equivalent to ‫צוית‬ ‫ר‬ ֶ‫שׁ‬ ֲ‫;א‬ but
probably it is an independent clause: Thou hast (in fact) commanded, i.e., unalterably
determined (Psa_44:5; Psa_68:29; Psa_133:3), to show me salvation, for my rock, etc.
To the words ‫צוית‬ ‫תמיד‬ ‫לבוא‬ corresponds the expression ‫מצודות‬ ‫לבית‬ in Psa_31:3, which the
lxx renders καᆳ εᅶς οᅼκον καταφυγᇿς, whereas instead of the former three words it has καᆳ
εᅶς τόπον ᆆχυρόν, and seems to have read ‫מבצרות‬ ‫,לבית‬ cf. Dan_11:15 (Hitzig). In Psa_71:5,
Thou art my hope reminds one of the divine name ‫ל‬ ֵ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫שׂ‬ִ‫י‬ ‫ה‬ֵ‫ו‬ ְ‫ק‬ ִ‫מ‬ in Jer_17:13; Jer_50:7 (cf.
ᅧ ᅚλπίς ᅧµራν used of Christ in 1Ti_1:1; Col_1:27). ‫י‬ ִ ְ‫כ‬ ַ‫מ‬ ְ‫ס‬ִ‫נ‬ is not less beautiful than ‫י‬ ִ ְ‫כ‬ ַ‫ל‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫ה‬
in Psa_22:11. In its incipient slumbering state (cf. Psa_3:6), and in its self-conscious
continuance. He was and is the upholding prop and the supporting foundation, so to
speak, of my life. And ‫י‬ִ‫ּוז‬‫ג‬ instead of ‫י‬ ִ‫ּח‬ in Psa_22:10, is just such another felicitous
modification. It is impracticable to define the meaning of this ‫י‬ִ‫ּוז‬‫ג‬ according to ‫ה‬ָ‫ז‬ָ = ‫ה‬ָ‫ז‬ְ,
Arab. jz', retribuere (prop. to cut up, distribute), because ‫ל‬ ַ‫מ‬ָ is the representative of this
Aramaeo-Arabic verb in the Hebrew. Still less, however, can it be derived from ‫וּז‬ ,
transire, the participle of which, if it would admit of a transitive meaning = ‫י‬ ִ‫יא‬ ִ‫ּוצ‬‫מ‬
(Targum), ought to be ‫י‬ִ‫ז‬ָ. The verb ‫ה‬ָ‫ז‬ָ, in accordance with its radical signification of
abscindere (root ‫,גז‬ synon. ‫,קץ‬ ‫,קד‬ ‫,קט‬ and the like), denotes in this instance the
separating of the child from the womb of the mother, the retrospect going back from
youth to childhood, and even to his birth. The lxx σκεπαστής (µου) is an erroneous
reading for ᅚκσπαστής, as is clear from Psa_22:10, ᆇ ᅚκσπάσας µε. ְ ‫ל‬ ֵ ִ‫,ה‬ Psa_44:9 (cf. ַ‫יח‬ ִ‫שׂ‬
ְ , Psa_69:13), is at the bottom of the expression in Psa_71:6. The God to whom he owes
his being, and its preservation thus far, is the constant, inexhaustible theme of his
praise.
BI 1-24, "In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
A picture of a pious old man
I. The entreaties of a pious old man.
1. Against evil.
(1) Moral failure (Psa_70:1).
(2) General danger (Psa_70:2; Psa_70:4).
(3) Divine desertion (verse 9).
2. For good.
(1) Divine protection (Psa_70:3). I want a “strong” refuge, a “habitation,” where
I shall feel sheltered from all storms. I want a habitation where I may
“continually resort,” one close at hand, always open to me. O God, be such a
“habitation” to me, shivering on the margin of the awful future, the storms of

retribution gathering around me.
(2) The spirit of worship (verse 8).
II. The blessed memories of a pious old man. It is natural for age to turn to the past.
What did this aged man remember in the past?
1. His youthful confidence (Psa_70:5). In the opening years of my life, I rested my
soul on Thy love and Thy truth. My young heart went out to Thee, and on Thee it has
settled. What a blessed memory is this! What a contrast to the memory of the old
profligate who remembers his rebellions, his blasphemies, etc.
2. God’s goodness to him from his earliest days (verse 6). Thou didst take care of me
in helpless infancy, and all through life. Thy very love has been marvellous. “I am as
a wonder unto many.” “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth.” Taught me the
true theory both of duty and of happiness.
III. The exalted contemplations of a pious old man (verse 19).
IV. The unfailing confidence of a pious old man (verses 20, 21). Though he had been
subjected to great and sore troubles—and what aged man has not met with such
troubles?—his trust was unabated, and he says, “Thou shalt quicken me again,” etc.
However feeble I become, though I sink into the depths of the earth, Thou wilt revive
me; nay, more, “Thou shalt increase my greatness,” etc. I infer from the character of Thy
past conduct to me that I shall not be allowed to sink into extinction, dishonour, or
misery. Thou wilt raise me, dignify me, and “comfort me on every side.” God grant us all
this unfailing confidence in old age! “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”
V. A noble resolution of a pious old man (verses 22-24). (Homilist.)
The vow of faith
I. The life of faith is a constant realization of the presence of God. The mountain was as
full of the chariots of fire when the prophet’s servant did not perceive them as when he
did. Christ was just as much present with the disciples when their eyes were holden as
when they were open. God speaks with men as truly to-day as in the time of Abraham. It
is because our minds are preoccupied with other matters that we fail to perceive God.
II. The life of faith is entered upon by a definite vow. If such be the life of faith, how few
of us have entered upon it! This may be due to some obstacle, such as an unfulfilled duty,
or a disregarded command, or a permitted practice opposed to God’s will. But if it be
none of these, then most likely it is because the attitude of faith has net been consciously
and definitely assumed. We must take our all and lay it at the feet of Christ. This is the
wicket-gate by which we enter upon the blessed life of faith. Brainerd Taylor, feeling that
he needed something which he did not possess, lifted up his heart in prayer, and became
conscious of giving up all to God, and then he cried, “Here, Lord, take me, take my whole
soul, and seal me Thine now, and Thine for ever.”
III. Some considerations on the taxing of such a vow. Let it be taken with all
seriousness, and let it be a very definite one. Doddridge gives this advice, “Set your hand
and seal to it that on such a day and year, and at such a place, on full consideration and
serious reflection, you come to this happy resolution, that whatever others might do, you
would serve the Lord.” Doddridge’s own vow was a very elaborate and detailed one. It
may not be necessary to draw up a document setting forth one’s vow, but in some

definite way it should be taken. (R. C. Ford, M. A.)
HENRY 1-3, "What his requests to God are, in this confidence.
(1.) That he might never be put to confusion (Psa_71:1), that he might not be
disappointed of the mercy he expected and so made ashamed of his expectation. Thus we
may all pray in faith that our confidence in God may not be our confusion. Hope of the
glory of God is hope that makes not ashamed.
(2.) That he might be delivered out of the hand of his enemies (Psa_71:2): “Deliver me
in thy righteousness. As thou art the righteous Judge of the world, pleading the cause of
the injured and punishing the injurious, cause me in some way or other to escape” (God
will, with the temptation, make a way to escape, 1Co_10:13): “Incline thy ear unto my
prayers, and, in answer to them, save me out of my troubles, Psa_71:4. Deliver me, O
my God! out of the hands of those that are ready to pull me in pieces.” Three things he
pleads for deliverance: - [1.] The encouragement God had given him to expect it: Thou
hast given commandment to save me (Psa_71:3); that is, thou hast promised to do it,
and such efficacy is there in God's promises that they are often spoken of as commands,
like that, Let there be light, and there was light. He speaks, and it is done. [2.] The
character of his enemies; they are wicked, unrighteous, cruel men, and it will be for the
honour of God to appear against them (Psa_71:4), for he is a holy, just, and good God.
[3.] The many eyes that were upon him (Psa_71:7): “I am as a wonder unto many; every
one waits to see what will be the issue of such extraordinary troubles as I have fallen into
and such extraordinary confidence as I profess to have in God.” Or, “I am looked upon as
a monster, am one whom every body shuns, and therefore am undone if the Lord be not
my refuge. Men abandon me, but God will not.”
(3.) That he might always find rest and safety in God (Psa_71:3): Be thou my strong
habitation; by thou to me a rock of repose, whereto I may continually resort. Those
that are at home in God, that live a life of communion with him and confidence in him,
that continually resort unto him by faith and prayer, having their eyes ever towards him,
may promise themselves a strong habitation in him, such as will never fall of itself nor
can ever be broken through by any invading power; and they shall be welcome to resort
to him continually upon all occasions, and not be upbraided as coming too often.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver
me;
turn your ear to me and save me.

BAR ES, "Deliver me in thy righteousness - See the notes at Psa_31:1. The first
three verses of this psalm seem in fact to have been taken, with slight variations, from
the first three verses of Ps. 31.
And cause me to escape - That is, from impending dangers; from the power of my
enemies.
Incline thine ear unto me - In Psa_31:2, this is, “Bow down thine ear to me.” The
idea is the same. See the notes at that place. Compare the notes at Psa_17:6.
And save me - In Psa_31:2, this is, “Deliver me speedily.”
GILL, "Deliver me in thy righteousness,.... By it, or "for the sake of it" (q); See Gill
on Psa_31:1;
and cause me to escape; present danger, and out of the hands of enemies, as well as
wrath to come, and eternal death; which nothing but the righteousness of God can
deliver from, or cause to escape;
incline thine ear unto me; or "bow it"; See Gill on Psa_31:2;
and save me; out of all troubles and afflictions, and from wicked and unreasonable
men.
(q) ‫בצדקתך‬ "propter justitiam tuam", Pagninus, Piscator; so Schmidt.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape. Be
true, O God, to thy word. It is a righteous thing in thee to keep the promises which
thou hast made unto thy servants. I have trusted thee, and thou wilt not be
unrighteous to forget my faith. I am taken as in a net, but do thou liberate me from
the malice of my persecutors.
Incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Stoop to my feebleness, and hear my faint
whispers; be gracious to my infirmities, and smile upon me: I ask salvation; listen
thou to my petitions, and save me. Like one wounded and left for dead by mine
enemies, I need that thou bend over me and bind up my wounds. These mercies are
asked on the plea of faith, and they cannot, therefore, be denied.
Ver. 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness. Incline thine ear. Let my deliverance be the
fruit of thy promise, and of my prayer; and so it will be much the sweeter. John
Trapp.
Ver. 2. In thy righteousness. The righteousness of God is in this place that virtue by
which he makes good his promises-- revenges injuries and rewards piety--which is
elsewhere called his veracity. Upon this perfection David here calls, not because he
was innocent before God, but because God had bound himself to him by promises,
as if he were, in the presence of the men who were persecuting him, both innocent
and righteous; and, therefore, worthy of being delivered from this last terrible

calamity into which he has fallen through Absalom, since God had thus acted
towards him. Hermann Venema.
Ver. 2. Thy righteousness. ot mine. He knew that he was being chastened for his
sin against Uriah. He pleads no merit of his own. Simon de Muis.
Ver. 2. Incline thine ear. And since I am so wounded that I am not able to send up
my cry to thee, the Most High, do thou incline thine ear to me as I lie half dead, left
by the robbers who have wounded and spoiled me. Gerhohus.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
BAR ES, "Be thou my strong habitation - Margin, as in Hebrew, “Be thou to me
for a rock of habitation.” That is, a rock where I may safely make my abode, or to which I
may resort and feel safe. In Psa_31:2, this is, “Be thou my strong rock, for an house of
defense to save me.” The idea is the same. See the notes at that passage, and compare the
notes at Psa_18:2.
Whereunto I may continually resort - Where I may take refuge at all times, in all
circumstances of danger.
Thou hast given commandment to save me - There was some command, or
some promise, on which the psalmist relied, or which he felt he might plead as the
ground of his appeal. This may refer to some “special” promise or command made to the
author of the psalm - and, if the psalm was composed by David, there were many such;
or the reference may have been to the general commands or promises made to the
people of God as such, which he felt he was at liberty to plead, and which all may plead
who are the friends of God. “We” cannot refer, as David could, to any special promise
made to “us” as “individuals;” but, in proportion as we have evidence of piety, we can
refer to the promises made to alI the people of God, or to all who devote themselves to
him, as a reason why he should interpose in our behalf. In this respect the promises
made in the Scriptures to the children of God, may be pleaded by us “as if” they were
made personally to ourselves, for, if we are his, they are made to us - they are intended
for us.
For thou art my rock and my fortress - See the notes at Psa_18:2.

CLARKE, "Be thou my strong habitation - Instead of ‫מען‬ maon, habitation,
many of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS. read ‫מעז‬ maoz, munition or defense. Be thou
my rock of defense.
Thou hast given commandment to save me - Thou hast determined my escape,
and hast ordered thy angels to guard me. See Psa_91:11, Psa_91:12.
GILL, "Be thou my strong habitation,.... This is very appropiately said, when David
was driven out of his dwelling place, and palace at Jerusalem, by his son, as Kimchi
observes. When God's people have no certain dwelling place, which is sometimes their
case, they always find one in the Lord; particularly in his heart's love; for he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, 1Jo_4:16; and a strong habitation he is: wherefore he is
called a strong rock, a strong hold, a strong tower; he is as a wall of fire around his
people, a munition of rocks; his salvation is as walls and bulwarks, and his power as a
garrison in which they are kept. The psalmist adds,
whereunto I may continually resort; or "may go into daily" (r), in times of danger
and distress, for safety; the name of the Lord being a strong tower, whither the righteous
run, and are safe, Pro_18:10; and his perfections, his power, faithfulness,
lovingkindness, and unchangeableness, being as so many secret chambers, where they
may enter into, and hide themselves, till calamities are over, Psa_57:1; and every day
indeed for food, for comfort, for refreshment and pleasure, through communion with
him; and God in Christ is always to be come at: Christ is the way of access and
acceptance; and through his blood, sacrifice, and righteousness, the believer has
boldness to enter into the holiest of all, and go up to the seat of God, the throne of his
grace; and even to enter into him himself, who has been the dwelling place of his people
in all generations, Psa_90:1;
thou hast given commandment to save me; either to the ministering angels, as
Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, comparing it with Psa_91:11; or rather to his Son, in
the council and covenant of grace and peace; when he enjoined him the salvation of his
people, which he readily agreed to, and with which David was acquainted, Psa_40:7; of
this command our Lord speaks, Joh_10:18; and to which he was obedient, Phi_2:8; it
may respect David's salvation from present trouble, and his assurance of it, believing
that the Lord had determined it, and by his mighty power would effect it; see Psa_44:4;
for thou art my rock and my fortress; see Psa_18:2.
JAMISO , "given commandment — literally, “ordained,” as in Psa_44:4; Psa_
68:28.
rock ... fortress — (Psa_18:2).
SPURGEO , "Ver. 3. Be thou my strong habitation. Permit me to enter into thee,
and be as much at home as a man in his own house, and then suffer me to remain in
thee as my settled abode. Whereas foes molest me, I need a dwelling framed and

bulwarked, to sustain a siege and resist the attacks of armies; let, then, thine
omnipotence secure me, and be as a fortress unto me. Here we see a weak man, but
he is in a strong habitation; his security rests upon the tower in which he hides, and
is not placed in jeopardy through his personal feebleness.
Whereunto I may continually resort. Fast shut is this castle against all adversaries,
its gates they cannot burst open; the drawbridge is up, the portcullis is down, the
bars are fast in their places; but, there is a secret door, by which friends of the great
Lord can enter at all hours of the day or night, as often as ever they please. There is
never an hour when it is unlawful to pray. Mercy's gates stand wide open, and shall
do so, till, at the last, the Master of the house has risen up and shut to the door.
Believers find their God to be their habitation, strong and accessible, and this is for
them a sufficient remedy for all the ills of their mortal life.
Thou hast given commandment to save me. ature is charged to be tender with
God's servants; Providence is ordered to work their good, and the forces of the
invisible world are ordained as their guardians. David charged all his troops to
spare the young man Absalom, but yet he fell. God's commandment is of far higher
virtue, for it compels obedience, and secures its end. Destruction cannot destroy us,
famine cannot starve us; but we laugh at both, while God's mandate shields us. o
stones of the field can throw us down, while angels bear us up in their hands;
neither can the beasts of the field devour us, while David's God delivers us from
their ferocity, or Daniel's God puts them in awe of us. For thou art my rock and my
fortress. In God we have all the security which nature which furnishes the rock, and
art which builds the fortress, could supply; he is the complete preserver of his
people. Immutability may be set forth by the rock, and omnipotence by the fortress.
Happy is he who can use the personal pronoun "my" --not only once, but as many
times as the many aspects of the Lord may render desirable. Is he a strong
habitation? I will call him "my strong habitation, "and he shall be my rock, my
fortress, my God (Psalms 71:4), my hope, my trust (Psalms 71:5), my praise (Psalms
71:6). All mine shall be his, all his shall be mine. This was the reason why the
psalmist was persuaded that God had commanded his salvation, namely, because he
had enabled his to exercise a calm and appropriating faith.
Ver. 3. Whereunto I may continually resort. Would he then want to repair to him
always? Our necessities, our work, our danger require it constantly. We are
commanded to pray without ceasing. And if, while we acknowledge and feel the
obligation, we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, we shall not lament it. Loving
him, as well as depending upon him, we shall find it good to draw near to God, and
delight ourselves in the Almighty; and we shall never find him, when we want him,
inaccessible. There is a way to our strong habitation, and we know the way. There is
a door, and we have the key. o sentinel keeps us back; the dwelling is our own: and
who dares to forbid us all its accommodations and contents? Kings, however
disposed, cannot be always approachable. Owing to the multitude of their claims,
and the limitation of their powers, and the importance of keeping up a sense of their
dignity, they are only accessible at certain times, and with stately formalities. But
the King of kings allows us to come boldly to the throne of grace; and enjoins us in
every thing, by prayer and supplication, to make our requests unto him. We cannot
be too importunate, or by our continual coming weary him. William Jay.

Ver. 3. Thou hast given commandment to save me. Let us observe his words; he
ascribes to the word and command of God a saving virtue, which no power on earth,
none in hell, nor death itself can resist. Only, he says, give the command that I may
be saved, and, in a moment, I shall be wholly saved. Musculus.
WHEDO , "3. Strong habitation—Literally, my rock of habitation. Psalms 31:2.
Continually resort—Continual going to God is the only safety.
Commandment to save me—This is the language of faith. If God had commanded
“to save,” no man could disannul or make void the decree, Psalms 44:4. God
commands to be done what is promised, when the conditions of the promise are
fulfilled.
SIMEO , "GOD A HABITATIO FOR HIS PEOPLE
Psalms 71:3. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort.
O one can enter into the spirit of David’s psalms, unless he himself have been
sorely persecuted and severely tried. A very great number of the Psalms were
written under circumstances of deep affliction; and record either the prayers of
David for protection from his enemies, or his thanksgivings for deliverance from
them. This psalm was written when David, far advanced in life, was driven from his
throne by his son Absalom, and was in the most imminent dan ger of falling by the
hands of his blood-thirsty pursuers. But as in early life, when menaced by Saul, he
had besought the Lord, saying, “Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be
thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me [ ote: Psalms 31:1-2.];” so
now, in nearly the same terms, he repeats the cry: “In thee, O Lord, do I put my
trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause
me to escape: incline thine ear to me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation,
whereunto I may continually resort [ ote: ver. 1–3.].” ow though, through the
goodness of God, we are not brought into such imminent perils as David, yet have
we occasion to adopt his language, and to seek in God that protection which no
created power can afford.
Let us, in discoursing on his words, consider,
1. The sentiment propounded—
Accustomed as we are to hear the language of the Psalms, we pass by, without any
particular notice, expressions which, if duly considered, will appear truly
wonderful. How extraordinary is the idea, for instance, of making Jehovah, the
Creator of heaven and earth, “our habitation!” Contemplate, I pray you,
1. The condescension of God in suffering himself to be so addressed—

[Consider, for a moment, what a habitation is. Whether it be greater or less in point
of magnificence or strength, if it be ours, we have access to it as our own; we gain a
ready admission to it at all seasons; we expect to find in it all the accommodations
which our necessities require: we regard every chamber of it as destined for our use;
we shut the door against every unwelcome intruder; and whatever storms may rage
without, we lie down to rest in it, in perfect peace and safety. If we superadd the
idea of a fortress, we deride the vain attempts of our enemies, and defy all the power
that can be brought against us. ow, think of God as revealing himself to us under
such an image; and permitting every sinner in the universe, who will but enter in by
Christ as the door, to take to himself this mansion as his own. Truly, if God himself
had not authorised such a representation of his character, we should have been
ready to denounce it as blasphemy. That the Most High God should give even to the
vilest of the human race such intimate access unto himself, seems to be perfectly
incredible. Even an earthly monarch could not endure such humiliation as this: and
yet the God of heaven and earth feels it to be not unworthy of him. Truly, I say
again, this condescension far exceeds all that could ever have entered into the mind
of man to conceive, if the voice of inspiration itself had not announced it to us. And
this is the very view in which David himself speaks of it in another psalm: “Blessed
be the Lord, my strength, my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower and
deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him; or the son of man, that thou
makest account of him [ ote: Psalms 144:1-3.]?”]
2. The comfort which man derives from this view of the Deity—
[Every one, the meanest as well as the greatest of men, knows what is comprehended
in the idea of a “habitation.” It requires no stretch of thought to grasp it: the image
is familiar to every mind; and presents itself in all its bearings to every one that has
felt the blessings of civilized society. But if we suppose a person to be under the
pressure of heavy affliction, whether from the persecutions of men or the assaults of
devils, what a comfort must it be to him to contemplate the wisdom, the power, the
goodness, the mercy, the love, the faithfulness of Almighty God; and to hear him
saying, “Come, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut the doors about thee, and
hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast [ ote: Isaiah
26:20.]!” how joyfully will he “hide himself in the secret of this tabernacle;” and,
like the manslayer that has got within the city of his refuge, lift up his soul in
adoring gratitude to God, and look with exultation on his disappointed foe!
The more we contemplate the sentiment that is here propounded, the more we shall
see occasion to admire the condescension of our God, and to congratulate man upon
the high privilege which is thus accorded to him.]
But it is not as an abstract sentiment that this truth is declared: it is embodied in a
petition that is presented to God himself: and therefore, to view it aright, we must
contemplate,
II. The petition urged—

That it is such a petition as every one will do well to offer, will appear, if we mark,
1. The wisdom of it—
[Every man has enemies to encounter; nor can any one encounter them in his own
strength. But we have a vantage ground to which we may repair, a fortress that is
absolutely impregnable. In our God we have not only a wall, but “a wall of fire;”
which, whilst it protects his people, will devour their assailants. With such a
habitation open to us, would it not be madness to neglect it? Should we not rather
“resort to it continually,” yea, and abide in it, that we may enjoy the safety which is
thus provided for us? If, indeed, there were any other means of safety, an option
would be left us: but not all the powers of heaven and earth can save us, if we turn
our back on God, to rely upon an arm of flesh. God has said, “Cursed be the man
that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm: but blessed is the man that trusteth
in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is [ ote: Jeremiah 17:5-8.].” To every one,
therefore, I would say, Flee to your mountain, that the flames overtake you not; and
“look not back in all the plain, lest ye be consumed [ ote: Genesis 19:17.].”]
2. The piety of it—
[David renounced every other hope but that which he had in God. or, indeed, did
he wish for any other; because he saw that God was all-sufficient for him. He saw in
God a sufficiency of grace to receive him, of power to protect him, of love to supply
his every need; and hence it was that he was emboldened to offer the petition which
we are now contemplating. In truth, without such news of God, no one would over
think of addressing him in such terms as these. There must be a just knowledge of
God’s character, with suitable affections towards him, else we could never entertain
such a desire as is here expressed: it is this apprehension of his excellency that could
alone inspire a wish to make him, even his very bosom, our continual resort. But all
who have those views of him will unite in that grateful acknowledgment, “Lord,
thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations [ ote: Psalms 90:1.].”]
Address—
1. Those who have never yet had these views of God—
[Truly, you are greatly to be pitied. For who amongst you can hope to escape all
trouble, when it is said that “we are born to trouble as the sparks fly upward?” And
whither will you go, when enemies assail you? where will you flee for refuge? or in
whom will you find the aid which you will stand in need of? Alas! your state,
whatever it may now be, will be terrible beyond expression. You will resemble the
host of Pharaoh, who found at last that the God with whom they had presumed to
contend was mightier than they. On the other hand, “acquaint yourselves with God,
and you shall be at peace,” both now and in the eternal world.]
2. Those who have resorted to him under this character—

[Hear what the Psalmist says concerning you: “Because thou hast made the Lord,
who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee
[ ote: Psalms 91:9-10.].” Truly, “his name is a strong tower, to which you may run
at all times, and be safe [ ote: Proverbs 18:10.]:” and whatever your circumstances
may be, “he will be to you as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the
tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary
land [ ote: Isaiah 32:2.].” Enjoy, then, the exalted privilege which is here
vouchsafed unto you. And let there not be a day, or an hour, wherein you do not
resort to God under this endearing character, dwelling in him, abiding in him, and
finding in him all that your necessities can require.]
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the
wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
BAR ES, "Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked - It is, of
course, not possible now to ascertain who are particularly referred to here. If David was
the author of the psalm, they may have been any of the numerous enemies that he had in
his life.
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man - Hebrew, “out of the palm.”
This means here the same as hand, and refers to the “grasp” which anyone makes in
taking hold of a thing by the hand.
CLARKE, "Out of the hand of the wicked - Probably his unnatural son Absalom,
called here ‫רשע‬ rasha, the Wicked, because he had violated all laws, human and Divine.
The unrighteous and cruel man - Probably Ahithophel who was the iniquitous
counsellor of a wicked and rebellious son.
GILL, "Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,.... Meaning

Absalom his son, as Arama, who had risen up in rebellion against him; and he may not
only intend him, but all those wicked men that had joined with him: it was David's
mercy he had a covenant God to go to, and could claim his interest in him, who had
power to deliver him, and from whom he might expect it;
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man; or "leavened" (s); a sour ill
natured man; one leavened with malice and wickedness: perhaps Ahithophel is
intended. It may be applied to any wicked, lawless, and tyrannical persecutor of God's
people; and particularly to the lawless and wicked one, the man of sin, the son of
perdition, antichrist, 2Th_2:4.
JAMISO , "cruel man — corrupt and ill-natured - literally, “sour.”
CALVI , "4.O my God! deliver me from the hand of the wicked man. Here he uses
the singular number; but he is not to be understood as indicating one man only.
(102) It is highly probable that he comprehends the whole host of the enemies who
assaulted him. We have elsewhere had occasion to observe how greatly it
contributes to inspire us with the confidence of obtaining our requests, when we are
so assured of our own integrity, as to be able freely to complain before God that we
are unjustly and wickedly assaulted by our enemies; for we ought not to doubt that
God, who has promised to become the defender of those who are unjustly oppressed,
will, in that case, undertake our cause.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked. God is
on the same side with us, and those who are our enemies are also his, for they are
wicked; therefore will the Lord surely rescue his own confederates, and he will not
suffer the evil to triumph over the just. He who addresses such a prayer as this to
heaven, does more injury to his enemies than if he had turned a battery of
Armstrongs upon them.
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. Being wicked to God, they
become unrighteous towards men, and cruel in their persecutions of the godly. Two
hands are here mentioned: they grasp and they crush; they strike and they would
slay if God did not prevent; had they as many hands as Briarcus, the finger of God
would more than match them.
Ver. 4. The cruel man is literally the leavened man, leavened with hatred of truth
and enmity to God; and, therefore, a violent opposer of his people. So, in 1
Corinthians 5:8 we are cautioned against the "leaven of malice and wickedness,
"which, in accordance with the figure, may pervade the whole natural character of
an ungodly man, his faculties and affections. W. Wilson.
WHEDO , "4. The unrighteous and cruel man—If this refers to any one individual,
and we have rightly judged the occasion of the psalm, the allusion might well be to
Ahithophel. See our note on Psalms 55:12. But it may be a general and abstract term

for any and every man who is “unrighteous and cruel.”
GUZIK, " (4-6) Trusting in the constant care of God.
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
For You are my hope, O Lord God;
You are my trust from my youth.
By You I have been upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mothers womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.
a. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked: The source of the Psalmist's
misery is revealed. There was a wicked man, unrighteous and cruel who seemed to
hold the Psalmist in his grip. From this he needed God to deliver him.
i. Out of the hand of the wicked: "Ever remembering that wickedness is at least as
dangerous when it tempts as when it persecutes; and can smile, as well as frown, a
man dead." (Horne)
b. You are my hope, O Lord God: The Psalmist proclaimed his hope and trust in
Adonai Yahweh, the Master and covenant God of Israel. It wasn't just that his hope
was in Yahweh; He was his hope.
c. By You I have been upheld from birth: oting God's care and help to him from
the earliest age, the Psalmist appealed to God's continued care and promised praise
to God that was just as continual.
i. "As in the womb I lived upon thee, so from the womb." (Trapp)
ii. My praise shall be continually of You: "Where goodness has been unceasingly
received, praise should unceasingly be offered." (Spurgeon)

5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
BAR ES, "For thou art my hope, O Lord God - The ground of my hope and my
expectation is in thee.
(1) I have no other help; no other defense; but
(2) I “have” confidence; on thee I “do” rely.
Thou art my trust from my youth - From my earliest years. The meaning is, that
he had always trusted in God, and had always found him a helper. All that he was, and
all that he possessed, he owed to God; and he felt now that God had been his protector
from his earliest years. Perhaps it could not be shown certainly from this expression that
he meant to say he had “actually trusted” in God from his youth, for the “language”
means no more than that God had actually protected him, and holden him up, and had
continually interposed to save and keep him. As God had always been his Protector, so
he felt that he might come to Him now, and put his trust in Him.
CLARKE, "My trust from my youth - When I was born into the world, thou didst
receive me, and thou tookest me under thy especial care. “My praise shall be continually
of thee.” Rather, I have always made thee my boast.
GILL, "For thou art my hope, O Lord God,.... The object, ground, and foundation
of it, even of present deliverance, and of future and eternal salvation;
thou art my trust from my youth; in whom he trusted in his youthful days, of which
there is an eminent instance in 1Sa_17:33.
HE RY, " How his confidence in God is supported and encouraged by his
experiences (Psa_71:5, Psa_71:6): “Thou hast been my trust from my youth; ever since I
was capable of discerning between my right hand and my left, I stayed myself upon thee,
and saw a great deal of reason to do so; for by thee have I been holden up from the

womb.” Ever since he had the use of his reason he had been a dependent upon God's
goodness, because ever since he had had a being he had been a monument of it. Note,
The consideration of the gracious care which the divine Providence took of us in our
birth and infancy should engage us to an early piety and constant devotedness to his
honour. He that was our help from our birth ought to be our hope from our youth. If we
received so much mercy from God before we were capable of doing him any service, we
should lose no time when we are capable. This comes in here as a support to the psalmist
in his present distress; not only that God had given him his life and being, bringing him
out of his mother's bowels into the world, and providing that he should not die from the
womb, nor give up the ghost when he came out of the belly, but that he had betimes
made him one of his family: “Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels into
the arms of thy grace, under the shadow of thy wings, into the bond of thy covenant;
thou tookest me into thy church, as a son of thy handmaid, and born in thy house, Psa_
116:16. And therefore,” (1.) “I have reason to hope that thou wilt protect me; thou that
hast held me up hitherto wilt not let me fall now; thou that madest me wilt not forsake
the work of thy own hands; thou that helpedst me when I could not help myself wilt not
abandon me now that I am as helpless as I was then.” (2.) “Therefore I have reason to
resolve that I will devote myself unto thee: My praise shall therefore be continually of
thee;” that is, “I will make it my business every day to praise thee and will take all
occasions to do it.”
JAMISO , "trust — place of trust.
CALVI , "5.For thou art my expectation, O Lord Jehovah! The Psalmist here
repeats what he had said a little before concerning his trust or confidence. But some,
perhaps, may be inclined to refer this sentence rather to the matter or ground
afforded him for hope and confidence than to the emotions of his heart; supposing
him to mean, that by the benefits which God had conferred upon him, he was
furnished with well-grounded hope. And certainly he does not here simply declare
that he hoped in God, but with this he conjoins experience, and acknowledges that
even from his youth he had received tokens of the Divine favor, from which he
might learn, that confidence is to be reposed in God alone. By adverting to what
God had done for him, (106) he expresses the real cause of faith, (if I may so speak;)
and from this we may easily perceive the powerful influence which the
remembrance of God’s benefits had in nourishing his hope.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 5. For thou art my hope, O Lord God. God who gives us grace
to hope in him, will assuredly fulfil our hope, and, therefore, we may plead it in
prayer. His name is "Jehovah, the hope of Israel" (Jeremiah 17:13); and, as he
cannot be a false or failing hope, we may expect to see our confidence justified.
Thou art my trust from my youth. David had proved his faith by notable exploits
when he was a youth and ruddy; it was to him a cheering recollection, and he felt
persuaded that the God of his youth would not forsake him in his age. They are
highly favoured who can like David, Samuel, Josiah, Timothy, and others say,
"Thou art my trust from my youth."

Ver. 5. Thou art my hope. ot only is our hope in him but he himself is our hope.
"God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, "saith St. Paul, "our hope." 1 Timothy
1:1. Yea, there is a deeper, nearer depth: "The glory of the mystery of the gospel,
"says St. Paul, "is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ himself is our hope, as
the only Author of it; Christ is our hope, as the End of it; and Christ, who is the
Beginning and the End, is our hope also by the way; for he saith, "Christ in you, the
hope of glory." Colossians 1:27. Each yearning of our hearts, each ray of hope
which gleams upon us, each touch which thrills us, each voice which whispers in our
inmost hearts of the good things laid up in store for us, if we will love God, are the
light of Christ enlightening us, the touch of Christ raising us to new life, the voice of
Christ, "Whoso cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out; "it is "Christ in us, the
hope of glory, "drawing us up by his spirit who dwelleth in us, unto himself our
hope. For our hope is not the glory of heaven, not joy, not peace, not rest from
labour, not fulness of our wishes, nor sweet contentment of the whole soul, nor
understanding of all mysteries and all knowledge, not only a torrent of delight; it is
"Christ our God, ""the hope of glory." othing which God could create is what we
hope for; nothing which God could give us out of himself, no created glory, or bliss,
or beauty, or majesty, or riches. What we hope for is our Redeeming God himself,
his love, his bliss, the joy of our Lord himself who hath so loved us, to be our joy and
our portion for ever. E. B. Pusey.
Ver. 5. From my youth. The remembering and acknowledging of God in youth will
be great satisfaction in old age. O what joy will reflection upon youthful piety yield!
Even Seneca, a heathen, could say: "Youth well spent is the greatest comfort of old
age." David could confidently plead with God for deliverance out of the hand of the
wicked: For, saith he, thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my
youth. "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength
faileth" (Psalms 71:9; Psalms 71:17-18). An ingenuous master will not turn off a
superannuated servant. When the proconsul bade Polycarp deny Christ and swear
by the emperor, he answered: "I have served Christ these eighty-six years, and he
hath not once injured me, and shall I now deny him?" Jacob could say: "God hath
fed me all my life long unto this day; he hath been kind to me all my days, and I
trust he will look to me even in the end; and shall I now turn my back on him?"
Whither can I go to mend myself for a master? "Thou only hast the words of eternal
life." He that hath been the stay of my youth, will be the staff of my age. I dare
venture my soul upon his promise who hath hitherto maintained me by his
providence. "In the days of my youth, the secret of God was upon my tabernacle, his
candle did shine upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness; "and,
though now "the sun, and the light, and moon and stars be darkened, "in this my
natural horizon, yet "the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?"
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." I have abundant
experience of his grace and presence. O the days of mercy I have had many years
ago! A good man said: "I got that in my youth, which I would not for all the world
have to get now." Oliver Heywood. 1629-1702.
COFFMA , "GOD HAS HELPED HIM ALL OF HIS LIFE

It is true of every person who reaches an advanced age that God has been the
constant helper all the way, even from the very beginning of life.
"For thou art my hope, O Lord Jehovah:
Thou art my trust from my youth.
By thee have I been holden up from the womb:
Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels:
My praise shall be continually of thee.
I am a wonder unto many:
But thou art my strong refuge.
My mouth shall be filled with thy praise,
And with thy honor all the day."
"Thou art my hope" (Psalms 71:5). This is from Psalms 29:7 and Psalms 40:4.
"By thee have I been holden up from the womb" (Psalms 71:6). The same thought
exactly is expressed in Psalms 22:9-10.
"I am as a wonder unto many" (Psalms 71:7). The word here rendered "wonder" is
also translated "portent." "The general significance of `portent' is `something that
clearly shows that God is at work.'"[7]
Certainly, there were many things in the life of David that indicated the special
blessing and providence of God. How remarkable is it that a shepherd boy should
have become the mighty King of Israel?
Besides that, he killed a lion and a bear under circumstances that strongly suggest
the miraculous. Then there was that encounter with the Giant Goliath of Gath.
In one of the most astounding actions of human history, that unarmed shepherd boy
slew the mighty champion of the Philistines in full armor! Yes indeed, God was at
work in the life of David.
Of course, it is possible that God also did such wonders in the life of some other
aged psalmist; but the Scriptures tell us of these wonders.
Some have understood this Psalms 71:7 to speak of remarkable punishments heaped
upon the psalmist; and Rawlinson even referred to this interpretation as

"Preferable."[8] However, we prefer the other interpretation. This is not to deny
that there were also some very remarkable punishments in David's life. Among such
was the death of the first child of Bathsheba and the rebellion of David's own son
Absalom.
EBC, "ECHOES of former psalms make the staple of this one, and even those parts
of it which are not quotations have little individuality. The themes are familiar, and
the expression of them is scarcely less so. There is no well-defined strophical
structure, and little continuity of thought or feeling. Psalms 71:13 and Psalms 71:24
b serve as a kind of partial refrain, and may be taken as dividing the psalm into two
parts, but there is little difference between the contents of the two. Delitzsch gives in
his adhesion to the hypothesis that Jeremiah was the author; and there is
considerable weight in the reasons assigned for that ascription of authorship. The
pensive, plaintive tone; the abundant quotations, with slight alterations of the
passages cited; the autobiographical hints which fit in with Jeremiah’s history, are
the chief of these. But they can scarcely be called conclusive. There is more to be
said for the supposition that the singer is the personified nation in this case than in
many others. The sudden transition to "us" in Psalms 71:20, which the Masoretic
marginal correction corrects into "me," favours, though it does not absolutely
require, that view, which is also supported by the frequent allusion to "youth" and
"old age." These, however, are capable of a worthy meaning, if referring to an
individual. Psalms 71:1-3 are slightly varied from Psalms 31:1-3. The character of
the changes will be best appreciated by setting the two passages side by side.
1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take 1. In Thee, Jehovah, do I take
refuge; let me not be ashamed refuge:
forever: Let me not be put to shame
forever:
In Thy righteousness
me. 2. In Thy righteousness deliver
2. Bend Thine ear to me; de- me and rescue me:
liver me speedily. Bend Thine ear and save me.
The two verbs, which in the former psalm are in separate clauses ("deliver" and
"rescue"), are here brought together. "Speedily" is omitted, and "save" is
substituted for "deliver," which has been drawn into the preceding clause.
Obviously no difference of meaning is intended to be conveyed, and the changes
look very like the inaccuracies of memoriter quotations. The next variation is as

follows:-
2. Be to me for a strong 3. Be to me for a rock of
for a house of defence to save me. habitation to go to continually:
3. For my rock and my fortress Thou hast commanded to save me.
art Thou. For my rock and my me; fortress art Thou.
The difference between "a strong rock" and "rock of habitation" is but one letter.
That between "for a house of defence" and "to go to continually: Thou has
commanded" is extremely slight, as Baethgen has well shown. Possibly both of these
variations are due to textual corruption, but more probably this psalmist
intentionally altered the words of an older psalm. Most of the old versions have the
existing text, but the LXX seems to have read the Hebrew here as in Psalms 31:1-24.
The changes are not important, but they are significant. That thought of God as a
habitation to which the soul may continually find access goes very deep into the
secrets of the devout life. The variation in Psalms 71:3 is recommended by observing
the frequent recurrence of "continually" in this psalm, of which that word may
almost be said to be the motto. or is the thought of God’s command given to His
multitude of unnamed servants, to save this poor man, one which we can afford to
lose.
Psalms 71:5-6, are a similar variation of Psalms 22:9-10. "On Thee have I been
stayed from the womb," says this psalmist; "On Thee was I cast from the womb,"
says the original passage. The variation beautifully brings out, not only reliance on
God, but the Divine response to that reliance by lifelong upholding. That strong arm
answers leaning weakness with firm support, and whosoever relies on it is upheld by
it. The word rendered above "protector" is doubtful. It is substituted for that in
Psalms 22:9 which means "One that takes out," and some commentators would
attach the same meaning to the word used here, referring it to God’s goodness
before and at birth. But it is better taken as equivalent to benefactor, provider, or
some such designation, and as referring to God’s lifelong care.
The psalmist has been a "wonder" to many spectators, either in the sense that they
have gazed astonished at God’s goodness, or, as accords better with the adversative
character of the next clause ("But Thou art my refuge"), that his sufferings have
been unexampled. Both ideas may well be combined, for the life of every man, if
rightly studied, is full of miracles both of mercy and judgment. If the psalm is the
voice of an individual, the natural conclusion from such words is that his life was
conspicuous; but it is obvious that the national reference is appropriate here.
On this thankful retrospect of life-long help and life-long trust the psalm builds a
prayer for future protection from eager enemies, who think that the charmed life is

vulnerable at last.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
BAR ES, "By thee have I been holden up from the womb - From the
beginning of my existence. The “idea” in all this is, that, since God had sustained him
from his earliest years - since he had shown his power in keeping him, and manifested
his care for him, there was ground to pray that God would keep him still, and that he
would guard him as old age came on. The sentiment in this verse is substantially the
same as in Psa_22:9-10. See the notes at that passage.
My praise shall be continually of thee - My praise shall ascend to thee
constantly. I will not cease to praise thee. Compare the notes at Psa_22:25.
GILL, "By thee have I been holden up from the womb,.... Supported in being,
upheld in life, and sustained with food and raiment, and followed with the mercies and
blessings of life from thence to this present moment; which the psalmist takes notice of,
as he does of what goes before and follows after, to encourage his faith and hope in God
as to present deliverance;
thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels; See Gill on Psa_22:9; the
Syriac version is, "thou art my hope from my mother's bowels"; the Arabic version, "thou
art my helper"; and the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, "thou art my protector";
the word is only used here, and in Psa_90:10; and is there rendered "cut off"; the Lord
was, as it were, his "cutter off" (t); that cut the navel string, and loosed him from his
mother, and safely brought him into the world, and preserved him ever since: wherefore
he adds,
my praise shall be continually of thee; as the God of nature and providence; and
also as the God of grace, who had blessed him both with temporal and spiritual
blessings; and these being continued with him, he determines that God should be the
subject of his praise always. The Targum is,
"in thy Word my praise is continually.''
JAMISO , "His history from early infancy illustrated God’s care, and his wonderful

deliverances were at once occasions of praise and ground of confidence for the future.
my praise ... of thee — literally, “in” or “by Thee” (Psa_22:25).
CALVI , "6.Upon thee have I been sustained from the womb. This verse
corresponds with the preceding, except that David proceeds farther. He not only
celebrates the goodness of God which he had experienced from his childhood, but
also those proofs of it which he had received previous to his birth. An almost similar
confession is contained in Psalms 22:9, by which is magnified the wonderful power
and inestimable goodness of God in the generation of men, the way and manner of
which would be altogether incredible, were it not a fact with which we are quite
familiar. If we are astonished at that part of the history of the flood, in which Moses
declares (Genesis 8:13) that oah and his household lived ten months amidst the
offensive nuisance produced by so many living creatures, when he could not draw
the breath of life, have we not equal reason to marvel that the infant, shut up within
its mother’s womb, can live in such a condition as would suffocate the strongest man
in half an hour? But we thus see how little account we make of the miracles which
God works, in consequence of our familiarity with them. The Spirit, therefore, justly
rebukes this ingratitude, by commending to our consideration this memorable
instance of the grace of God, which is exhibited in our birth and generation. When
we are born into the world, although the mother do her office, and the midwife may
be present with her, and many others may lend their help, yet did not God, putting,
so to speak, his hand under us, receive us into his bosom, what would become of us?
and what hope would there be of the continuance of our life? Yea, rather, were it
not for this, our very birth would be an entrance into a thousand deaths. God,
therefore, is with the highest propriety said to take us out of our mother’s bowels To
this corresponds the concluding part of the verse, My praise is continually of thee;
by which the Psalmist means that he had been furnished with matter for praising
God without intermission.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb. Before he was
able to understand the power which preserved him, he was sustained by it. God
knows us before we know anything. The elect of old lay in the bosom of God before
they were laid on their mothers' bosoms; and when their infantile weakness had no
feet strong enough to carry it, the Lord upheld it. We do well to reflect upon divine
goodness to us in childhood, for it is full of food for gratitude.
Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels. Even before conscious life, the
care of God is over his chosen. Birth is a mystery of mercy, and God is with both
mother and babe. If marriages are registered in heaven, we may be sure that births
are also. Holy women do well to bless God for his mercy to them in nature's perilous
hour; but every one who is born of woman has equal cause for thankfulness. She,
whose life is preserved, should render thanks, and so should he whose life is given.
My praise shall be continually of thee. Where goodness has been unceasingly
received, praise should unceasingly be offered. God is the circle where praise should
begin, continue, and endlessly revolve, since in him we live, and move, and have our
being.

Ver. 6. He did not, like most men, recognise the hand of God only when, in an
extraordinary manner, it became manifest in life; but his eye of faith regards the
ordinary works of God as miracles. The translation from his mother's womb to the
light of day is to him an object of praise. (Psalms 22:9-10.) And, really, is not the
preservation of the embryo, in its narrow confines, a miracle? Is it not a pledge,
simultaneously with man's growing into being, of our after experience in life, that
we have a God "who bringeth us out of death to light?" (Psalms 68:20.) Is not the
reason of our finding so little of praise, to be sought in our having no eyes for his
daily miracles? The psalmist has eyes for the daily miracles of the Lord; and,
therefore, his mouth is daily full of the praise of the Lord. Augustus F. Tholuck.
Ver. 6. Blessed be God that ever I was born. Halyburton.
Ver. 6. This verse corresponds with the preceding, except that David proceeds
farther. He not only celebrates the goodness of God, which he had experienced from
his childhood, but, also, those proofs of it which he had received previous to his
birth. An almost similar confession is contained in Psalms 22:9-10, by which is
magnified the wonderful power and inestimable goodness of God in the generation
of men, the way and manner of which would be altogether incredible, were it not a
fact with which we are quite familiar. If we are astonished at that part of the history
of the flood, in which Moses declares (Genesis 8:13), that oah and his household
lived ten months amidst the offensive nuisance produced by so many living
creatures, when he could not draw the breath of life, have we not equal reason to
marvel that the infant, shut up within its mother's womb, can live in such a
condition as would suffocate the strongest man in half an hour? But we thus see how
little account we make of the miracles which God works, in consequence of our
familiarity with them. The Spirit, therefore, justly rebukes this ingratitude, by
commending to our consideration this memorable instance of the grace of God
which is exhibited in our birth and generation. When we are born into the world,
although the mother do her office, and the midwife may be present with her, and
many others may lend their help, yet did not God, putting, so to speak, his hand
under us, receive us into his bosom, what would become of us? and what hope
would there be in the continuance of our life? Yea, rather, were it not for this, our
very birth would be an entrance into a thousand deaths. God, therefore, is with the
highest propriety said to take us out of our mother's bowels. To this corresponds the
concluding part of the verse, My praise shall be continually of thee by which the
psalmist means that he has been furnished with matter for praising God without
intermission. John Calvin.
WHEDO , "6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb—From the birth, or
since the birth. The tender care of God for him had been like that of a mother,
holding up and carrying the child from the moment of birth.
Thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels—He has already retrospected
God’s care from youth to manhood, and from earliest childhood to youth. He now
delicately traces back the divine tenderness during all his unconscious life until the
act itself of birth. Psalms 139:15-16. After his life-long and life-giving tenderness
and care, can God now forsake him in old age?

ELLICOTT, "(6) Took me out.—Comp. Psalms 22:10. The Hebrew is not the same,
but the Authorised Version renders by the same word, treating it as a transitive
participle of a word that elsewhere only means to go through, a doubtful expedient.
The LXX. (and Vulg.) have “protector,” σκεπαστἠς, which is probably an error for
ἐκσπαστἠς (following Psalms 22:10, ἐκσπάσας), which would support the rendering,
“he that severed me,” a rendering for other reasons probable.
This allusion to birth and retrospect of life from the earliest infancy, is not
unsuitable to Israel personified as an individual, or rather it suits both the
individual and the community of which he is the mouthpiece. So it has often been in
application treated as an epitome of the history of the Christian Church.
7 I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
BAR ES, "I am as a wonder unto many - The word here rendered “wonder” -
‫מופת‬ môphêth - means properly a miracle, a prodigy; then things that are suited to excite
wonder or admiration; then, a sign, a token. See the notes at Isa_8:18. The meaning here
is, that the course of things in regard to him - the divine dealings toward him - had been
such as to excite attention; to strike the mind as something unusual, and out of the
common course, in the same way that miracles do. This might be either from the
number and the character of the calamities which had come upon him; or from the
narrow escapes which he had had from death; or from the frequency of the divine
intervention in his behalf; or from the abundant mercies which had been manifested
toward him. The connection makes it probable that he refers to the unusual number of
afflictions which had come upon him, and the frequency of the divine interpositions in
his behalf when there was no other refuge, and no other hope.
But thou art my strong refuge - See the notes at Psa_18:2. That is, God had been
his Protector, his hiding-place.
CLARKE, "I am as a wonder unto many - I am ‫כמופת‬ kemopheth “as a portent,”
or “type:” I am a typical person; and many of the things that happen to me are to be
considered in reference to him of whom I am a type. But he may mean I am a continual

prodigy. My low estate, my slaying the lion and the bear, conquering the Philistine,
escaping the fury of Saul, and being raised to the throne of Israel, are all so many
wonders of thy providence, and effects of thy power and grace.
GILL, "I am as a wonder unto many,.... To the multitude, to the populace, or "to
the great" (u) and mighty; and indeed to both: which respects not his wonderful
preservation from the womb, he had before observed; nor his being in a wonderful
manner raised to the throne of Israel; nor the wonderful things and amazing exploits
done by him, and victories he obtained; nor the wonderful instances of divine grace and
goodness to him; but rather the forlorn and distressed state and condition he was now
in, being obliged to quit his palace, and flee from the face of his son, accompanied only
with a few of his servants; and so was a shocking sight, a spectacle, as the apostle says of
himself, to others, to the world, to angels, and to men, 1Co_4:9; so the Messiah and his
children are said to be set for signs and wonders, Isa_8:18; and Joshua and his fellows
to be men wondered at, Zec_3:8; as the saints are by themselves, that they should
partake of such favours; and by the angels, that they should be the objects of electing,
redeeming, calling, adopting, justifying, and pardoning grace; and by the world, that
they should choose to suffer affliction and reproach for Christ, bear it with so much
patience, and be supported, and thrive under it; see 2Co_6:8;
but thou art my strong refuge; or "my refuge of strength" (w); his refuge and
strength, as in Psa_46:1; his refuge, to which he betook himself, when refuge failed him,
and no man cared for him, and which he found to be a strong one, and in it safety.
CALVI , "7.I have been as a prodigy to the great ones. He now makes a transition
to the language of complaint, declaring that he was held in almost universal
abhorrence by reason of the great calamities with which he was afflicted. There is
an apparent, although only an apparent, discrepancy between these two statements;
first, that he had always been crowned with the benefits of God; and, secondly, that
he was accounted as a prodigy on account of his great afflictions; but we may draw
from thence the very profitable doctrine, that he was not so overwhelmed by his
calamities, heavy though they were, as to be insensible to the goodness of God which
he had experienced. Although, therefore, he saw that he was an object of
detestation, yet the remembrance of the blessings which God had conferred upon
him, could not be extinguished by the deepest shades of darkness which surrounded
him, but served as a lamp in his heart to direct his faith. By the term prodigy (107)
is expressed no ordinary calamity. Had he not been afflicted in a strange and
unusual manner, those to whom the miserable condition of mankind was not
unknown would not have shrunk from him with such horror, and regarded him as
so repulsive a spectacle. It was, therefore, a higher and more commendable proof of
his constancy, that his spirit was neither broken nor enfeebled with sham but
reposed in God with the stronger confidence, the more he was cast off by the world.
The sentence is to be explained adversatively, implying that, although men abhorred
him as a monster, yet, by leaning upon God, he continued in despite of all this
unmoved. If it should be thought preferable to translate the word ‫,רבים‬ rabbim,

Psalm 71 commentary

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