Psalm 31:2-3 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 31:1-8

Faith and prayer must go together. He that believes, let his pray?I believe, therefore I have spoken: and he that prays, let him believe, for the prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer. We have both here. I. David, in distress, is very earnest with God in prayer for succour and relief. This eases a burdened spirit, fetches in promised mercies, and wonderfully supports and comforts the soul in the expectation of them. He prays, 1. That God would deliver him (Ps. 31:1), that his life might be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:2

Bow down thine ear to me ,.... Which is said after the manner of men, who, when they give attention, and listen to anything, stoop, and incline the ear; and this for God to do, as he sometimes does, is wonderful condescending grace! deliver me speedily ; which shows that he was in great danger, and his case required haste: the Lord does help right early, and is sometimes a present help in time of need, and delivers at once, as soon as the mercy is asked for; be thou my strong rock :... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:3

For thou art my rock and my fortress ,.... What he prayed for he knew him to be, and to have been in times past, and could claim his interest in him; and therefore entreats that he would appear to be to him what he was in himself, and what he had been to him; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me ; either as a shepherd does his flock, gently, as they are able to bear it; into the green pastures of the word and ordinances, and beside the still waters of divine love, and to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:2

Bow down thine ear - Listen to my complaint. Put thy ear to my lips, that thou mayest hear all that my feebleness is capable of uttering. We generally put our ear near to the lips of the sick and dying, that we may hear what they say. To this the text appears to allude. Strong rock - Rocks, rocky places, or caves in the rocks, were often strong places in the land of Judea. To such natural fortifications allusions are repeatedly made by the Hebrew poetic writers. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:2

Verse 2 2.incline thine ear unto me. These words express with how much ardor David’s soul was stimulated to pray. He affects no splendid or ornate language, as rhetoricians are wont to do; but only describes in suitable figures the vehemence of his desire. In praying that he may be delivered speedily there is shown the greatness of his danger, as if he had said, All will soon be over with my life, unless God make haste to help me. By the words, house of defense, fortress, and rock, he... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:3

Verse 3 3.For thou art my rock. This verse may be read as one sentence, thus: As thou art like a tower for my defense, for thy name’s sake direct and guide me during my whole life. And thus the conjunction, as in many similar cases, would be superfluous. But I rather prefer a different sense, namely, that David, by interjecting this reflection, encourages himself not only to earnestness in prayer, but also in the confident hope of obtaining his requests. We know, at all events, that it is usual... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:1-8

A prayer for grace in trouble. Authorship uncertain. Some give it to David, in Ziklag; others to Jeremiah. Three divisions. I. THE PSALMIST 'S PRAYER . The trouble that oppressed him had been of long duration, as appears from the tenth verse. 1 . He prays for deliverance from his trouble. (Verse 1.) Does not qualify the prayer, but seeks absolute deliverance. It was to him an unqualified evil, and, as evil, he had no thought it could be working any good for him. So the... 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 31:2

Bow down thine ear to me; or, incline thine ear to me, as the same phrase is translated in Psalms 71:2 . Deliver me speedily. Not doubting of deliverance, he makes his request for speedy deliverance (comp. Psalms 38:22 ; Psalms 40:17 ; Psalms 70:1 ; Psalms 71:12 , etc.). Be thou my strong Rock, for an House of defence to save me; rather, as in the Revised Version, Be thou to me a strong Rock , an House of defence , etc. (comp. Psalms 18:2 ). read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 31:1-8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:2

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:2

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:1-8

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:1-24

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:1-24

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 31:2

Group of Brands