I. EXPRESSION OF PRAISE (1). DAVID'S THANKSGIVING. I. The Resolve (1a). 2. The Reasons (rbc). II. EXPERIENCE OF PRESERVATION (2-5). DAVID'S TESTIMONY. 1. Appeal (2a). Addressed to Jehovah. 2. Answer (2b-3). Divine Healing (Physical). 3. Acknowledgment (4-5). Addressed to Saints. ill. EXPRESSION OF PENITENCE (6-7). DAVID'S THOUGHTS. 1. Folly exhibited (6). Confession of Pride and Presumption. 2. Fallacy exposed (7). IV. EXPERIENCE OF PRESERVATION {8-:12a). DAVID'S TESTIMONY. 1. Appeal (8-10). Addressed to Jehovah. 2. Answer (II). Divine Healing (Spiritual). 3. Acknowledgment (12a). Appertaining to himsel£ V. EXPRESSION OF PRAISE (12b). DAVID'S THANKSGIVING. I. The Purpose. 2. The Perpetuity. SUPERSCRIPT.-A psalm. A song at the dedication of the House, David's SUBSCRIPT.-For the Chief Musician.
PRIMARY AssocIATION.-Written by David for the occasion mentioned. "The House" is an emphatic designation of the house of God, not that of David; so the Chaldean paraphrase. Before the building of "Solomon's" temple, Jehovah's acceptance of the special sacrifice, 2 Sam. xxiv. and I Chron. xxi. marked the place already as the house of God, c£ Gen. xxviii. 17 .. David repeatedly calls the temple prospectively, "the house of my God," I Chron. xxix. 1-3. The Jews still use the psalm in their ritual at the Feast of Dedication, John x. 22. Following the sin of numbering the people, it seems not improbable that David himself fell grievously sick, and upon recovery wrote the psalm, which read in this light is very illuminating indeed. Note the several antitheses. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-ln the series of Psalms xxx.-xxxiv., the blessings of Israel's salvation are more particularly specified. In this psalm we see the deliverance of the godly Jewish remnant at the last critical moment when all hope will seem gone. Their deplorable condition is acknowledged as due to sin. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-A psalm of grace and gratitude. Thanks giving to God is followed by testimony for God. God's order is first the evening, then the morning (5) ; cf. Gen. i. After the night's sorrow comes the morning song. Sorrow is generally associated with darkness, and singing with the daylight, -but there are times when the saint can sing songs in the night, xiii. 8; Ix.xvii. 6. The grief of the godly shall always be turned to gladness (II); c£ John xvi. 20. God may have to shak_e to its foundations our "strong mountain" in order that we may cling the closer to Himsel£ God's presep.ce is better than worldly prosperity ( 6-7). The latter is perilous and precarious ; if it does not leave us, we must leave it. VERSE NOTES I. "raised up," i.e. drawn up as from a deep pit; "rejoice over," i.e. by his death. 3. His recovery was as one delivered from the very jaws of death. 4. Lit. "psalm unto," or make melody. s. Note margin; c£ ciii. 8 ff.; Isa. liv. 7-8; Micah vii. 18. 6. A perilous approach to the attitude of the wicked, x. 6. 7. "mountain,' emblem of the Davidic kingdom with its divinely appointed seat at Mt. Zion. David was in danger of putting confidence in it instead of in God Himself; "troubled," a strong Hebrew word denoting helpless terror, as in yi. 21 3, IO,
9-10. The words of his supplication. His plea is that if he dies, God will miss his voice from the chorus of praise, a bold approach, c£ Isa. :xxxviii. 18-19; "dust," th th th · · cf · th" h · al " faithful ,.e. e grave, or ra er ose m 1t, . v1. 5; tru ere eqmv ent to ,, . ness, as m xxv. 5. B " d b r. . .. an e gracrous unto me. II. Br. "Thou didst tum . . . didst loose . . . and gird "; "sackcloth," the garb of mourning; "gladness," like a festal garment, cf Isa. lxi. 3. 12. "my glory," to be understood possibly as "soul " or "spirit," see vii. 5 note.
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