Psalm 31:1-25

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:8

And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy ,.... When in Keilah, in the wilderness of Ziph, and Maon, and encompassed about by Saul and his army, 1 Samuel 23:7 ; nor does the Lord suffer his people to be shut up under the power of sin and Satan, so that they cannot come forth in the exercise of grace, and the discharge of duty: but he brings their souls out of prison, that they may praise his name; thou hast set my feet in a large room ; at full liberty from his enemies; Saul... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:9

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble ,.... A sudden change of case and frame this! and so it is with the people of God; as soon as, out of one trouble, they are in another; these are what are appointed for them, and lie in their pathway to heaven, and are necessary; and under them it is quite right to betake themselves to the Lord, who is a merciful God; and it is best to cast themselves upon his mercy, having no merit of their own to plead with him; and they may freely tell him... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:10

For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing ,.... Which shows the continuance of his troubles, and that his whole life had been, as it were, an uninterrupted series of sorrows; my strength faileth because of mine iniquity ; this opens the source and spring of all his grief and trouble; his sin, and the sin of his nature, in which he was conceived and born; indwelling sin, which remained and worked in him; and it may be also the sin of unbelief, which beset him, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:11

I was a reproach among all mine enemies ,.... This is a common case of the people of God; and though it may be the least of their afflictions, yet it is not grateful to the flesh; and it is as it is made: under divine supports saints rejoice, and take pleasure in reproaches, that they are counted worthy to bear them, and esteem them as great riches; at other times they seize and feed upon their spirits, and are ready to break their hearts; but especially among my neighbours; who knew... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:12

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind ,.... Either by his friends, being out of sight, out of mind; as even the nearest relations and acquaintance are, in process of time, when dead, Ecclesiastes 9:5 ; or by the Lord; which shows the weakness of his faith, the uncomfortable frame he was in, through darkness and desertion; see Psalm 88:5 ; I am like a broken vessel ; or a "perishing vessel" F3 ככלי אבד "sicut vas periens", Montanus, Cocceius, Gejerus. ; or "a vessel of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:13

For I have heard the slander of many ,.... Both enemies and neighbours; fear was on every side ; his enemies were a "Magormissabib" to him, Jeremiah 20:3 ; encompassed him around, so that he was in fear from every quarter; while they took counsel together against me ; how to apprehend him, and what to do with him; they devised to take away my life ; nothing short of that would satisfy; but life is in the hand of God; men may devise, but God disappoints, and his counsel... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:14

But I trusted in thee, O Lord ,.... His faith revived again under all the discouraging views he had of things, and was exercised upon the Lord; he committed himself to him, believing he was able to help him in his time of trouble, and deliver him; I said, thou art my God ; he claimed his covenant interest in him, and used it as an argument with him to have regard unto him, and as a support to his faith in his present distress; See Gill on Psalm 7:1 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:15

My times are in thy hand ,.... And not in the hand of his enemies; as his time of life and death, which was only by the direction and appointment of God, was in his power, and fixed by him; nor could his enemies take away his life before his time, and without the will of his covenant God: the time of his coming to the throne, and what was gone over him during his reign hitherto, 1 Chronicles 29:30 ; and all his times of trouble in it; times of prosperity and of adversity; of darkness,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:16

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant ,.... In which he prays for the gracious presence of God, the manifestations of himself unto him, the discoveries of his love, the enjoyment of him in Christ, communion with him, the comforts of his Spirit, and joys of his salvation; see Numbers 6:25 ; save me for thy mercies' sake ; not for any merit and righteousness of his own, but for the sake of the grace and goodness of the Lord; which is putting salvation, whether temporal or spiritual,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:17

Let me not be ashamed, O Lord ,.... The same petition as in Psalm 31:1 ; for I have called upon thee ; who is nigh unto all that call upon him in truth, and is rich unto them, and has promised to help and save them; which should he not do, not only he would be made ashamed, but the promise of God would seem to fail: for the psalmist does not plead any duty of his, nor make a merit of his prayers; but has respect to the promise and faithfulness of God; let the wicked be ashamed ; as... read more

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