Verse 1

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

Waters — Tribulations.

Verse 4

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

I restored — For peace sake.

Verse 5

O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

My sins — But O Lord, although I have been innocent to mine enemies, I am guilty of many sins and follies against thee.

Verse 6

Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

For my sake — Because of my sad disappointments. For if they see me forsaken, they will be discouraged by this example.

Verse 7

Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

For thy sake — For my obedience to thy commands, and zeal for thy glory.

Verse 9

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

Zeal — That fervent love which I have for thy house and service, and glory, and people.

Eaten — Exhausted my spirits.

Upon me — I have been as deeply affected with thy reproaches, as with mine own. This tho' truly belonging to David, yet was also directed by the spirit of God in him, to represent the disposition and condition of Christ, in whom it was more fully accomplished, to whom therefore it is applied in the New Testament, the first part of it, John 2:17, and the latter, Romans 15:3.

Verse 10

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

Wept — For their impiety.

Reproach — They derided me for it.

Verse 11

I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

Proverb — A proverb of reproach.

Verse 12

They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

That sit — Vain and idle persons, that spend their time in the gates and markets.

Verse 13

But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

In the truth — Or, According to thy saving truth, or faithfulness; grant me that salvation, which thou hast graciously promised.

Verse 21

They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Gall — Instead of giving me that comfort which my condition required, they added to my afflictions.

Vinegar — These things were metaphorically fulfilled in David, but properly in Christ, the description of whose sufferings was principally intended here by the Holy Ghost.

Verse 22

Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

Their table — And this punishment in their table, exactly answers their sin, in giving Christ gall for his meat, verse21.

A snare — Their table or meat, which is set before them, shall become a snare: the occasion of their destruction.

Verse 23

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

Eyes — Not the eyes of their bodies, but of their minds: as they that shut their eyes and will not see, so they shall be judicially blinded.

To shake — To take away their strength.

Verse 26

For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

For — Which is an act of barbarous cruelty.

Talk — Reproaching them, and triumphing in their calamities.

Verse 27

Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

Wilt add — Give them up to their own lusts.

Not let them — Partake of thy righteousness, or of thy mercy and goodness.

Verse 28

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Living — Of eternal life.

Verse 29

But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

On high — Out of the reach of mine enemies.

Verse 31

This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

This — This hearty sacrifice of praise, is more grateful to God, than the most glorious legal sacrifices.

Hath horns — That is both tender and mature, as it is when the horns bud forth, and the hoofs grow hard.

Verse 32

The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

The humble — Those pious persons who are grieved for their calamities, will heartily rejoice in my deliverance.

Live — Or, be revived, which were dejected, and in a manner dead with sorrow.

Verse 33

For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

Prisoners — Those who are in prison or affliction for his sake.

Verse 35

For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

Sion — His church and people.

They — His servants, as is explained in the following verse.

There — In the literal Canaan for a long time, in the heavenly Canaan for ever.