David, in confidence of faith and experience of God's favor, prays both for himself and against the enemies of his soul, 1-13. He promises constancy, 14-16. He prays for perseverance, 17, 18. He praises God and promises to do it cheerfully, 19-24.
1 In you, O LORD, I put my trust./
Let me never be put to shame.
2 Deliver me in your righteousness and cause me to escape./
Incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my strong habitation to which I may continually resort./
You have given commandment to save me,/
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,/
from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For you are my hope, O Lord GOD./
You are my trust from my youth.
6 I have been sustained by you from my birth./
You are he who brought me into life./
My praise shall be continually of you.
7 I am as a wonder to many,/
but you are my strong refuge.
8 Let my mouth be filled with your praise/
and with your honor all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age./
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies speak against me,/
and those who lie in wait for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, "God has forsaken him./
Persecute and take him, for there is no one to deliver him."
12 O God, do not be far from me./
O my God, make haste for my help.
13 Let them be confounded and consumed/
who are adversaries to my soul./
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor/
who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually/
and will yet praise you more and more.
15 My mouth shall show forth your righteousness/
and your salvation all the day,/
for I do not know the numbers thereof.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD./
I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours only.
17 O God, you have taught me from my youth,/
and until now I have declared your wondrous works.
18 And even when I am old and gray-headed,/
O God, do not forsake me,/
until I have shown your strength to this generation/
and your power to everyone who is to come.
19 Your righteousness also, O God, is very high,/
who have done great things. O God, who is like you?
20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,/
will revive me again/
and bring me back from the depths of the earth.
21 You will increase my greatness/
and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise you with the psaltery,/
even your truth, O my God./
To you I will sing with the harp,/
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to you,/
along with my soul which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue shall also talk/
of your righteousness all the day long./
For they are confounded,/
for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 71[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
David, having spoken at the outset of his confidence in God, partly calls upon him for deliverance, and partly complains of the pride of his enemies. At length, to confirm his faith, he prepares himself for yielding a grateful ascription of praise for the benefits which God had conferred upon him.