Now begins the expanded account of the deliverance in respect of which the thanksgiving is offered. And first, with regard to the offence that had drawn down the Divine chastisement; it was an offence of the lips, springing from an evil temper in the heart. read more
Vain confidence. "And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved," etc. Three stages here represented in the life of a good man. I. WORLDLY PROSPERITY A SECURITY . "In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved." 1 . We say this in youth. All our castles in the air, we think, are built upon mountains. We think we can become anything and achieve anything we please. 2 . We say this before we know our sinfulness. The ways of the world harden our hearts about our... read more
Thou hast turned (rather, thou turnedst ) for me my mourning into dancing . Suddenly, in a moment, all was changed. The angel ceased to slay. God bade him hold his hand. The Prophet Gad was sent with the joyful news to David, and commanded him at once to build an altar at Jehovah. Then the mourning ceased, and a joyful ceremonial was instituted, of which dancing, as so often, formed a part (see Exodus 15:20 ; 1 Samuel 18:6 ; 2 Samuel 6:14-16 ; Psalms 149:3 ; Jeremiah 31:4 ). ... read more
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee . If we allow the ellipse of the personal pronoun supposed by our translators and Revisers, we must regard David as calling his soul "his glory," as in Psalms 16:9 . But some commentators think that "glory" is here used as we use "royalty," and designates the royal person or the royal office (so Kay and Professor Alexander). And not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. Great mercies deserve perpetual... read more
Thou hast turned for me - In my behalf. That is, God had heard his prayer; he had brought his troubles to an end; he had caused his sorrows to be succeeded by correspondent joy.My mourning into dancing - Joy, exultation, every expression of rejoicing, had been made to succeed his deep sorrows. Compare Psalms 30:5. It was this which he commemorated at the dedication of his house; this joy succeeding scenes of sorrow that he now called to remembrance as he entered the place which he had reared... read more
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee - Margin, my “tongue,” or my “soul.” DeWette renders it, “my heart.” The Aramaic Paraphrase: “that the honorable of the world may praise thee.” The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate: “my glory.” The reference is, undoubtedly, to what the psalmist regarded as most glorious, honorable, exalted, in himself. There is no evidence that he referred to his “tongue” or his “heart” particularly, but the expression seems to be equivalent to “my highest... read more
Psalms 30:11. Thou hast turned for me, &c. Having related his prayer, he now declares the gracious answer which God gave him. Thou hast put off my sackcloth Hast given me occasion to put it off, alluding to the sackcloth which they used to wear in times of mourning, and with which possibly, in an humble compliance with the divine providence, David had clothed himself, in his distress; or, perhaps, he speaks figuratively, and only means that God had taken away his sorrow with the... read more
Psalms 30:12. To the end that my glory My soul, or rather, my tongue; for to the tongue both singing and silence most properly belong; may sing praise to thee May bear testimony to thy truth and faithfulness, manifested in fulfilling thy promises, and may ascribe to thee the glory and praise due to thy infinite perfections. read more
Psalms 30:0 The danger of self-confidenceFeelings expressed in this psalm may have arisen from David’s personal experience, but they also reflect Israel’s experience during events leading up to the dedication of the temple (see heading to the psalm). Enemies may try to destroy, but no matter how bad the situation appears, it is never hopeless. There may be troubles, but God’s deliverance will follow as surely as day follows night (1-5).Recalling the experience, the psalmist outlines some... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 30:5-12
The changes and consolations of life. I. THE CHANGES OF LIFE . Health may give place to sickness, prosperity to adversity, joy to sorrow. To-day we may be lifted up and rejoicing in God's favour, to-morrow we may be cast down and in trouble because God is hiding his face from us. There are two things to be guarded against. First , presumption ( Psalms 30:6 ); next, despair. Come what will, we must cling to God ( Psalms 30:9 , Psalms 30:10 ). II. THE ... read more