Psalm 31:9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 31:9-18

In the Ps. 31:1-8 David had appealed to God's righteousness, and pleaded his relation to him and dependence on him; here he appeals to his mercy, and pleads the greatness of his own misery, which made his case the proper object of that mercy. Observe, I. The complaint he makes of his trouble and distress (Ps. 31:9): ?Have mercy upon me, O Lord! for I am in trouble, and need thy mercy.? The remembrance he makes of his condition is not much unlike some even of Job's complaints. 1. His troubles... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:9

Mine eye is consumed - He now returns, and speaks of his present situation. Grief had brought many tears from his eyes, many agonies into his soul, and many distressful feelings into his whole frame. My soul and my belly - The belly is often taken for the whole body. But the term belly or bowels, in such as case as this, may be the most proper; for in distress and misery, the bowels being the most tender part, and in fact the very seat of compassion, they are often most affected. In... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:9

Verse 9 9.Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah! To move God to succor him, he magnifies the greatness of his misery and grief by the number of his complaints; not that God needs arguments to persuade him, but because he allows the faithful to deal familiarly with him, that they may disburden themselves of their cares. The greater the number of afflictions with which they are oppressed, the more do they encourage themselves, while bewailing them before God, in the hope of obtaining his assistance.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:1-24

but part 1. might be further subdivided into three, and part 2. into two portions. The psalm thus fails into six divisions: Part 1. ( Psalms 31:1-4 ), prayer; Part 2. ( Psalms 31:5-8 ), self-encouragement; Part 3. ( Psalms 31:9-13 ), causes of his trouble; Part 4. ( Psalms 31:14-18 ), profession of faith and prayer; Part 5. ( Psalms 31:19-22 ), praise of God's goodness; Part 6. ( Psalms 31:23 , Psalms 31:24 ), exhortation to the people to praise God. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:1-24

The saint rehearsing his experience of the great Protector's care There is no good reason to doubt that this is one of David's psalms. Its forms of expression bear the marks of his pen, £ and the "undesigned coincidences " £ between it and the history of his life are both interesting and striking. The old interpreters supposed the psalm to belong to the time when David fled from Saul into the wilderness of Maon; others attribute it to the time of his deliverance from being shut up in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:5-15

Duty and destiny. Let us place these two texts together, and we shall find that they become the more intelligible and the richer in instruction and comfort. I. OUR TIMES ARE FIXED BY GOD . We have no choice in the matter, no more than as to when we should be born. God is Sovereign. It is his prerogative to settle all things that concern us. Whatever comes of prosperity or adversity, or joy or sorrow is of his ordering. It is for him to rule, it is for us to trust and to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:9

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble . The psalmist follows up his prayer for mercy by an exposition of his need of mercy. He is in trouble, in sore trouble—"hard pressed," as Hengstenberg translates—distressed both in mind and body. Mine eye is consumed with grief (comp. Psalms 6:7 , where the expression is almost identical). The grief intended is "that produced by provocation or spiteful treatment" (Kay). It causes him to weep so much that his eye is well-nigh "consumed" or... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:9-18

A story of suffering and sorrow. The psalmist now, in the spirit of heartfelt trust in the helping grace of God, proceeds first to describe at length his trouble ( Psalms 31:9 , Psalms 31:13 ); and second , to pray for deliverance ( Psalms 31:14-18 ). I. CAUSES OF TROUBLE . ( Psalms 31:9 , Psalms 31:13 .) 1 . Consciousness of sin. ( Psalms 31:9 , Psalms 31:10 .) This was the constant lifelong grief. None but good men feel their sinfulness so acutely. ... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 31:9

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble - The nature and sources of his trouble are specified in the verses following. He seems to have regarded all his trouble as the result of sin, either the sin of his heart, of which he alone was conscious, or of some open act of sin, that had been the means of bringing this affliction upon him, Psalms 31:10. As a consequence of this, he says that he was subjected to the reproach of his enemies, and shunned by his neighbors and his acquaintances;... read more

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