A Psalm of David. This is the first of the psalms which is written in an alphabetical order, or in which the first word of every verse begins with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order, though it is not strictly and regularly observed; the reason of this manner of writing is not very obvious;…

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ] Either “in prayer”, as the Chaldee paraphrase adds [[17]]; and denotes sincere, affectionate, hearty prayer to God, a drawing nigh to him with a true heart: for unless the heart is lifted up, the lifting up of the eyes or hands in prayer is of no avail;…

O my God, I trust in thee He claims his interest in God, and expresses his faith and confidence in him, in the midst of all his troubles; (See Gill on Ps.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed David not only prays for himself, but for other saints, as it becomes the people of God to do; for them they waited on the Lord in public worship, attended his house and ordinances, and waited on him for the discoveries of his love, the enjoyment of his…

Show me thy ways, O Lord Either those which the Lord himself took and walked in; as those of creation and providence, in which he has displayed his power, wisdom, and goodness; and which are desirable to be known by his people, and require divine instruction and direction; and particularly his ways…

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me Meaning the word of God, the Scriptures of truth; and the Gospel, which is the word of truth, and truth itself, ; and the sense is, either that God would lead him by his Spirit more and more into all truth, as contained in his word; or that he would lead him by it…

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses Not the providential mercy and kindness of God, in the care of him in his mother’s womb, at the time of his birth, in his nurture and education, and in the preservation of him to the present time; but the special mercy, grace, and love…

Remember not the sins of my youth Original sin, in which he was born, and the breakings forth of corrupt nature in infancy, he brought into the world with him, together with all the youthful lusts and vanities to which that age is addicted; and sometimes the sins of youth are in some persons…

Good and upright is the Lord He is essentially, originally, and independently good of himself in his own nature, and he is providentially good to all his creatures; and he is in a way of special grace and mercy good to his own people: and he is “upright”, just in himself, righteous in all his ways…

The meek will he guide in judgment Or “the miserable” [[24]] and afflicted; such as see themselves to be wretched and miserable, lost and undone; and cry out, What shall we do to be saved? and who are meek and lowly, are humbled under a sense of their sins, are poor in spirit, and of broken and…

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth By which are meant, not the paths in which the Lord would have his people walk; though these are good and gracious, right and true; his commandments are not grievous, his yoke is easy, and burden light; his ways are ways of pleasantness, and his paths,…

For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity Which to do is one of the promises and blessings of the covenant. The psalmist may have reference to his sin with Bathsheba, as Kimchi observes; since it was foretold to him, that, on account of that sin, evil should arise to him out of his own…

What man is he that feareth the Lord? That is, how happy a man is he! and one that fears the Lord is one that has the fear of God put into his heart, as a blessing of the covenant of grace before spoken of; who fears the Lord, not on account of the punishment of sin, but under the influence of the…

His soul shall dwell at ease Or in “goodness” [[5]], enjoying an affluence of good things, of spiritual blessings in Christ, in whom he dwells by faith; and where he has peace and safety, amidst all the troubles, afflictions, and exercises, he meets with; and where with godliness he has…

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him The secret of his purposes with them; as his purpose according to election; his resolution to redeem his chosen ones by his Son; his design to call them by his grace; his predestination of them to the adoption of children, and eternal life; which…

Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord Not only as the God of nature and providence, for his daily support and supply, in which sense the eyes of all creatures wait upon him; but as his covenant God and Father, having the eyes of his understanding opened to see and know him as such, and the eye of his…

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me Or “look unto me”, or “upon me” [[5]]; which suggests that the Lord had turned himself, and hid his face from him; and expresses a desire that he would look upon him with a look of love and mercy, and arise to help and deliver him out of the hands of his…

The troubles of my heart are enlarged His enemies being increased, which troubled him; the floods of ungodly men made him afraid; the waters of affliction were come into his soul, and spread themselves, and threatened to overwhelm him: or it may be rendered, as by some, “troubles have enlarged my…

Look upon mine affliction and my pain The “affliction” was the rebellion of his subjects against him, at the head of which was his own son; and the “pain” was the uneasiness of mind it gave him; or the “labour” [[9]], as the word may be rendered; the toil and fatigue of body he was exercised with,…

Consider mine enemies Or “look” [[11]] upon them; but with another kind of look; so as he looked through the pillar of fire upon the Egyptians, and troubled them, ; with a look of wrath and vengeance.

O keep my soul Or “life” [[12]], which was in danger, his enemies seeking for it; wherefore he applies to God that gave it, and who had hitherto held him in it, to preserve it.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me Meaning either his own, as in ; and then the sense is, either that God would preserve him, seeing he had acted the faithful and upright part in the government of the people of Israel, and they had rebelled against him without a cause; see ; or that those…

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. ] David was not only concerned for himself, but for the whole nation of Israel, which was involved in trouble through this unnatural rebellion of his son, and many of his subjects; and no doubt he may have a further view to the redemption of the church…