A psalm of utter discouragement
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| 1 ¶ <<A Song or
Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth,
Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.>> O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried
day and night before thee:
2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; 3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. |
1 -
O
Lord God of my salvation This phrase is the only ray of hope
in this psalm of discouragement. Of course this psalm alone is not to be
our guide. See, for example, ps04304.
3 - Troubles Job, in the fist part of his book protested, too. Compare jb1015, ps12304. |
| 4 I am counted with them that
go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. 6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. 7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. 8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. |
4 -
Pit
Or "grave." ps02801.
5 - Free among the dead Free, perhaps in the sense of being away from hope and the loving guidance of the Lord ec0904. Note that the psalmist [who we consider to be David] is not dead but only feels counted among them v4. 5 - Redbreast no more That is in the sense of being "cut off from [His] hand" in the rest of the verse. "Remember" is not a matter of being retained in the memory but of God's active consideration of the individual je1410, nu1009. |
| .10
¶ Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise
thee? Selah.
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? 12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? |
10 - Wilt thou Answers to all three questions are obviously, no. The psalmist is pointing out that if he slips into death, the Lord would not be revealing goodness to him. The contrast is in v13. Compare ps00605. |
| .13
But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer
prevent [go before] thee.
14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? 15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. 16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. 17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. 18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness. |
13
- But unto thee The psalmist's prayers seemed to be unheard.
Sometimes the Lord's silence helps us develop character and trust – trust
that we can claim His promises without feeling that He hears us.
14 - Hidest thy face A feeling of being cut off as in the destiny of those who face the second death of outer darkness mt2213. 15 - From my youth up This may be an expression of doubt. It seems that God never did know him. |
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