71:1 In a thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put
to confusion.
(a) He prays to God with full assurance of faith, that he
will deliver him from his adversaries.
71:2 Deliver me in thy b righteousness, and cause me to
escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
(b) By declaring yourself true to your promises.
71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually
resort: thou c hast given commandment to save me; for
thou [art] my rock and my fortress.
(c) You have infinite means and all creatures are at your
commandment; therefore show some sign by which I will
be delivered.
71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand d of the wicked,
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
(d) That is, from Absalom, Ahithophel and that conspiracy.
71:5 For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my e trust
from my youth.
(e) He strengthens his faith by the experience of God's
benefits, who not only preserved him in his mother's
womb, but took him from there, and ever since has
preserved him.
71:7 I am as a f wonder unto many; but thou [art] my strong
refuge.
(f) All the world wonders at me because of my miseries:
both those in authority and the common people, yet
being assured of your favour, I remain steadfast.
71:9 Cast me not off in the time of g old age; forsake me not
when my strength faileth.
(g) You who helped me in my youth when I had more strength,
help me now even more in my old age and weakness.
71:11 Saying, h God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him;
for [there is] none to deliver [him].
(h) Thus the wicked both blaspheme God and triumph against
his saints, as though he had forsaken them if he
permits them to fall into their hands.
71:12 O God, be not far from me: O i my God, make haste for my
help.
(i) In calling him his God, he puts back the false reports
of the adversaries who said God had forsaken him.
71:15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness [and] thy
salvation all the day; k for I know not the numbers
[thereof].
(k) Because your benefits toward me are innumerable, I
cannot but continually meditate and rehearse them.
71:16 I will l go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make
mention of thy righteousness, [even] of thine only.
(l) I will remain steadfast, being upheld by the power of
God.
71:18m Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake
me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto [this]
generation, [and] thy power to every one [that] is to
come.
(m) He desires that as he has begun, he would so continue
his benefits, that his liberality may have perfect
praise.
71:19 Thy n righteousness also, O God, [is] very high, who
hast done great things: O God, who [is] like unto thee!
(n) Your just performance of your promise.
71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and p sore troubles,
shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from
the depths of the earth.
(p) As he confesses that God is the only author of his
deliverance, so he acknowledges that these evils were
sent to him by God's providence.
71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, [even] thy q
truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O
thou Holy One of Israel.
(q) He confesses that his long delay was well recompensed,
when God performed his promise.
71:23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and
my r soul, which thou hast redeemed.
(r) For there is no true praising of God, unless it comes
from the heart: and therefore he promises to delight
in nothing, except that in which God is glorified.
