Then celled I upon the Name of the Lord . "Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord" ( Isaiah 38:2 ). O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul (compare the words of Isaiah 38:3 , "Remember now, O Lord , I beseech thee "). read more
The sorrows of death - What an expression! We know of no intenser sorrows pertaining to this world than those which we associate with the dying struggle - whether our views in regard to the reality of such sorrows be correct or not. We may be - we probably are - mistaken in regard to the intensity of suffering as ordinarily experienced in death; but still we dread those sorrows more than we do anything else, and all that we dread may be experienced then. Those sorrows, therefore, become the... read more
Then called I upon the name of the Lord - Upon the Lord. I had no other refuge. I felt that I must perish unless he should interpose, and I pleaded with him for deliverance and life. Compare the notes at Psalms 18:6.O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul - My life. Save me from death. This was not a cry for salvation, but for life. It is an example for us, however, to call on God when we feel that the soul is in danger of perishing, for then, as in the case of the psalmist, we have no other... read more
Psalms 116:3-4. The sorrows of death compassed me Dangerous and deadly calamities as bitter as death: Hebrew, חבלי מות , cheblee maveth, the cords, or bands of death: see note on Psalms 18:4-5. The pains of hell Or of the grave, or of death; either cutting, killing pains, or such agonies and horrors as dying persons often feel within themselves; gat hold upon me Hebrew, מצאוני , found me, that is, surprised me. Having been long pursuing me, at last they overtook and seized... read more
Psalms 115-117 Saved from deathGod was always faithful to Israel, though the Israelites were often unfaithful to him. Their sins brought God’s punishment upon them, causing their pagan neighbours to mock them with the accusation that their God was unable to help them and had deserted them (115:1-2). The Israelites reply that their God is alive and in full control. The pagan gods, by contrast, are useless, and the reason they are useless is that they are lifeless. Those who trust in them will... read more
sorrows = cords. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the pains produced by them. hell = Sheol. See App-35 . gat hold. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia. App-6 . read more
Then called I = I will call, as in Psalms 116:13 . See the Structure. my soul = me (emphatic). Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 . read more
HOW PRECARIOUS HIS SITUATION WAS"The cords of death compassed me,And the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me:I found trouble and sorrow.Then called I upon the name of Jehovah:O Jehovah, I beseech thee, deliver my soul."Leupold noted that "Psalms 116:3 here is based upon Psalms 18:4."[7] This verse describes his illness (or whatever the crisis was) in figurative language. "In the Old Testament, death is represented as a hunter with a cord and a net. In any lingering sickness, the cord gets tighter... read more
Psalms 116:3. The sorrows of death— The Hebrew signifies, The snares of death. See Psalms 18:4-5. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 116:3-9
The psalmist describes his trouble ( Psalms 116:3 ), his prayer for deliverance ( Psalms 116:4 ), and his actual deliverance ( Psalms 116:5-9 ). read more