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1 To the chiefe musicion, a psalme of Dauid, the seruant of the Lord, who spake vnto the Lord the words of this song, in the day that the Lord deliuered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will loue thee, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and my deliuerer: my God, my strength in whome I will trust, my buckler, and the horne of my saluation, and my high tower.
3 I will call vpon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saued from mine enemies.
4 The sorrowes of death compassed me, and the floods of vngodly men made me afraid.
5 The sorrowes of hell compassed me about: the snares of death preuented me.
6 In my distresse I called vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: hee heard my voyce out of his temple, and my crie came before him, euen into his eares.
7 Then the earth shooke and trembled; the foundations also of the hilles mooued and were shaken, because hee was wroth.
8 There went vp a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth deuoured, coales were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heauens also, and came downe: and darkenesse was vnder his feet.
10 And he rode vpon a Cherub, and did flie: yea he did flie vpon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkenes his secret place: his pauilion round about him, were darke waters, and thicke cloudes of the skies.
12 At the brightnes that was before him his thicke clouds passed, haile stones and coales of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heauens, and the highest gaue his voyce; hailestones and coales of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrowes, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the world were discouered: at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from aboue, he tooke me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He deliuered me from my strong enemie, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place: he deliuered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, according to the cleannesse of my hands hath hee recompensed me.
21 For I haue kept the wayes of the Lord, and haue not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his iudgements were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also vpright before him: and I kept my selfe from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousnesse, according to the cleannesse of my hands in his eye-sight.
25 With the mercifull thou wilt shew thy selfe mercifull, with an vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward.
27 For thou wilt saue the afflicted people: but wilt bring downe high lookes.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkenesse.
29 For by thee I haue run through a troupe? and by my God haue I leaped ouer a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God saue the Lord? or who is a rocke saue our God?
32 It is God that girdeth mee with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 Hee maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon my high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to warre, so that a bow of steele is broken by mine armes.
35 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation: and thy right hand hath holden me vp, and thy gentlenesse hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steppes vnder me; that my feete did not slippe.
37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and ouertaken them: neither did I turne againe till they were consumed.
38 I haue wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete.
39 For thou hast girded mee with strength vnto the battell: thou hast subdued vnder me, those that rose vp against me.
40 Thou hast also giuen mee the neckes of mine enemies: that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to saue them: euen vnto the Lord, but he answered them not.
42 Then did I beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did cast them out, as the dirt in the streetes.
43 Thou hast deliuered me from the striuings of the people, and thou hast made mee the head of the heathen: a people whom I haue not knowen, shall serue me.
44 As soone as they heare of mee, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselues vnto me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 The Lord liueth, and blessed be my rocke: and let the God of my saluation be exalted.
47 It is God that auengeth mee, and subdueth the people vnder me.
48 He deliuereth me from mine enemies: yea thou liftest mee vp aboue those that rise vp against me; thou hast deliuered me from the violent man.
49 Therfore will I giue thankes vnto thee, (O Lord) among the heathen: and sing prayses vnto thy name.
50 Great deliuerance giueth he to his King: and sheweth mercy to his Annointed, to Dauid, and to his seede for euermore.
David rejoices in the deliverances God wrought for him. (1-19) He takes the comfort of his integrity, which God had cleared up. (20-28) He gives to God the glory of all his mighty deeds. (29-50)
1-19 The first words, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, ver. #7-15|. Little appeared of man, but much of God, in these deliverances. It is not possible to apply to the history of the son of Jesse those awful, majestic, and stupendous words which are used through this description of the Divine manifestation. Every part of so solemn a scene of terrors tells us, a greater than David is here. God will not only deliver his people out of their troubles in due time, but he will bear them up under their troubles in the mean time. Can we meditate on ver. 18, without directing one thought to Gethsemane and Calvary? Can we forget that it was in the hour of Christ's deepest calamity, when Judas betrayed, when his friends forsook, when the multitude derided him, and the smiles of his Father's love were withheld, that the powers of darkness prevented him? The sorrows of death surrounded him, in his distress he prayed, #Heb 5:7|. God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.
20-28 Those that forsake the ways of the Lord, depart from their God. But though conscious to ourselves of many a false step, let there not be a wicked departure from our God. David kept his eye upon the rule of God's commands. Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God. Those who show mercy to others, even they need mercy. Those who are faithful to God, shall find him all that to them which he has promised to be. The words of the Lord are pure words, very sure to be depended on, and very sweet to be delighted in. Those who resist God, and walk contrary to him, shall find that he will walk contrary to them, #Le 26:21-24|. The gracious recompence of which David spoke, may generally be expected by those who act from right motives. Hence he speaks comfort to the humble, and terror to the proud; "Thou wilt bring down high looks." And he speaks encouragement to himself; "Thou wilt light my candle:" thou wilt revive and comfort my sorrowful spirit; thou wilt guide my way, that I may avoid the snares laid for me. Thou wilt light my candle to work by, and give me an opportunity of serving thee. Let those that walk in darkness, and labour under discouragements, take courage; God himself will be a Light to them.
29-50 When we praise for one mercy, we must observe the many more, with which we have been compassed all our days. Many things had contributed to David's advancement, and he owns the hand of God in them all, to teach us to do likewise. In verse 32|, and the following verses, are the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared for the contest, after the example of his victorious Leader. Learn that we must seek release being made through Christ, shall be rejected. In David the type, we behold out of trouble through Christ. The prayer put up, without reconciliation Jesus our Redeemer, conflicting with enemies, compassed with sorrows and with floods of ungodly men, enduring not only the pains of death, but the wrath of God for us; yet calling upon the Father with strong cries and tears; rescued from the grave; proceeding to reconcile, or to put under his feet all other enemies, till death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. We should love the Lord, our Strength, and our Salvation; we should call on him in every trouble, and praise him for every deliverance; we should aim to walk with him in all righteousness and true holiness, keeping from sin. If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.