Psalm 119:173-176

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 119:173-174

Here, 1. David prays that divine grace would work for him: Let thy hand help me. He finds his own hands are not sufficient for him, nor can any creature lend him a helping hand to any purpose; therefore he looks up to God in hopes that the hand that had made him would help him; for, if the Lord do not help us, whence can any creature help us? All our help must be expected from God's hand, from his power and his bounty. 2. He pleads what divine grace had already wrought in him as a pledge of... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 119:175

David's heart is still upon praising God; and therefore, 1. He prays that God would give him time to praise him: ?Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, that is, let my life be prolonged, that I may live to thy glory.? The reason why a good man desires to live is that he may praise God in the land of the living, and do something to his honour. Not, ?Let me live and serve my country, live and provide for my family;? but, ?Let me live that, in doing this, I may praise God here in this world... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 119:176

Here is, 1. A penitent confession: I have gone astray, or wander up and down, like a lost sheep. As unconverted sinners are like lost sheep (Luke 15:4), so weak unsteady saints are like lost sheep, Matt. 18:12, 13. We are apt to wander like sheep, and very unapt, when we have gone astray, to find the way again. By going astray we lose the comfort of the green pastures and expose ourselves to a thousand mischiefs. 2. A believing petition: Seek thy servant, as the good shepherd seeks a wandering... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 119:173

Let thine hand help me ,.... Let thine hand of power help me against mine enemies, and deliver me from them; and let thine hand of providence and grace communicate to me, and supply me with and help me to everything needful for me, for body and soul; for time and eternity, all grace here, and glory hereafter; let thy right hand help me on in my way, hold and uphold me, keep and preserve me safe to heaven and happiness; for I have chosen thy precepts ; not only the good part, which shall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 119:174

I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord ,.... For temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies; and for spiritual and eternal salvation by the Messiah; and for the Messiah himself, the author of it: Kimchi interprets it of the salvation of the soul in the world to come; see Psalm 119:81 ; and thy law is my delight ; or "delights" F14 שעשעי "deliciae meae", Montanus, Tigurine version. ; his exceeding great delight, as being pure and perfect, holy, just, and good; a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 119:175

Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee ,.... The psalmist desires the continuance of his natural life, not for his own personal advantage, nor for the sake of his family, nor with any worldly, sinister, and selfish views; but for the glory of God, and for the sake of praising him: or his desire is, that his soul might be lively and comfortable; or that he might be in a lively and cheerful frame of spirit, and so be in fit and proper circumstances to praise the Lord; for it is the living... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 119:176

I have gone astray like a lost sheep ,.... In desert places, as it is the nature of sheep to do F15 So Aristotle observes, Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 3. the same word that is used for feeding sheep is also translated "wander", Num. xiv. 33. so "errant" is used by Virgil for feeding with security, Bucolic. Eclog. 2, Vid. Servium in ib. . A sheep he was, a sheep of Christ, given him by the Father; known by him, and that knew him; knew his voice, and followed him; a sheep of his hand, and of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 119:173

Let thine hand help me - Exert thy power in my defense. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 119:175

Let my soul live - Let my life be preserved, and my soul quickened! read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 119:176

I have gone astray like a lost sheep - A sheep, when it has once lost the flock, strays in such a manner as to render the prospect of its own return utterly hopeless. I have seen them bleating when they have lost the flock, and when answered by the others, instead of turning to the sound, have gone on in the same direction in which they were straying, their bleatings answered by the rest of the flock, till they were out of hearing! This fact shows the propriety of the next clause. Seek... read more

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