I. MESSIAH'S ACT OF RESTITUTION (1-21). Representative Victim. r. Commencing Prayer and Cogent Pleas (1-4). "Save me· ... for .. .'' 2. Consoling Principle and Characteristic Petition (5, 6). "Th kn ou owest ... 3. Cardinal Plaint (7-12). "Reproach." 4. Concise Prayers and Cogent Pleas (13-18). "Ans fc wer me ... or ... 5. Consoling Principle (19). "Thou knowest ... " 6. Concluding Plaint (20-21). "Reproach."
II. MESSIAH,S APPEAL FOR R.ETRIBUTIOw (22-28). Righteous Vengeance. I. Cry of Denunciation (22-25). 2. Cause of Denunciation (26). "For they persecute ... " 3. Cry of Denunciation (27-28). III. MESSIAH,S ANSWER IN RESURRECTION (29-36). Resultant Victory. I. Compensating Prospect (29 ). Psalmist Extricated. 2. Consequent Praise (30-31). Personal. 3. Comforting Prospect (32-33). Meek Encouraged. 4. Concordant Praise (34). Universal. 5. Crowning Prospect (35-36). Zion Established. SUPERSCRIPT.-David, s. SUBSCRIPT.-For the Chief Musician. PRIMARY AssocIATION.-That David is the author as stated in superscript is confirmed by Rom. xi. 9. Arguments of the critics to the contrary are therefore worthless. David being a prophet as well as a poet, often wrote of matters outside his own experiences, though these may have been the starting point of the composition. What was the occasion we cannot tell, though the reference to reproach suffered has suggested to some a possible connection with 2 Sam. xvi. Alternative title, "The Source of Salvation." Here is a story of weariness (3), loneliness (8, ;o) and sorrowfulness (29). PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-. This aspect entirely overrules the historical. Its Messianic bearing is generally recognised, for it is more frequently quoted in the New Testament than any other psalm except xxii., and always as fulfilled in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and to the consequences of His rejection. We hear the voice of Christ on the cross as "smitten"' (26) but not "forsaken" of God, xxii. r, only by men (20). "Forsaking" is associated only with the higher grades of.the sin offering (Lev. iv.) hence Ps. xxii. which presents the sin .offering Àpect of the cross. Our present psalm is the trespass offering aspect of Christ's vicarious sufferings (4), which involves the idea of reparation as well as of expiation. The emphasis is upon the governmental side of atonement (Lev. v. 14 ff.), therefore judg1n_ent upon the Christ-rejectors is necessarily mentioned. Messiah's identification with His people is obviously involved in His vicarious sufferings for them. This is
seen in verses 1-6. He becomes the object of causeless hostility on the part of countless foes. He bears in His own holy soul the trespasses of others, making restitution on their behal£ Upon His acceptance with God depends the salvation of those whom He represents (6). In verses 7-12 the Saviour sees in retrospect His life among men, suffering for righteousness' sake and, therefore, for God. 13-21 bring us back to the Cross with the last indignity He suffered before He died. The succeeding verses of solemn denun ciation are much misunderstood, see Append.ix IV. Divine love must affirm the doom of all who reject its operation, and here we find but the confirmation of the righteous sentence of God in its Old Testament character, which, in general, covers only earthly penalties, though eternal judgment is implied. The remaining verses show the victory side of the Cross-the blessed results of Messiah's accepted work. Christ crucified in weakness, I.xix.; con quering in power, lxviii.; Christ in humiliation and Christ in honour, respectively. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-Persecuti.on is hardest to bear when it is at the hands of our own kinsfolk (8). The world makes even the Christian's very zeal for God a matter for insult (9-1 o). Our deepest concern should ever be for the honour of our God (9-10). Not every occasion of our Lord's tears is recorded in the Gospels (10). Christ became a subject for "gossip at the gate" and for the songs of the sots (12). Like Him, let us ever be subject to the will of God (13). We often fmd it most difficult to await God's time (13), but see Isa. lxiv. 4 R.V. It is a comfort to the saint to realise that God knows his sins and his sufferings (5, 19). When foes are present, friends may be absent (20). The failure of our friends is often harder to bear than the fury of our foes (20). Christ and His followers are often treated with• calculated cruelty (21). Peace and prosperity Ïay prove a pitfall (22). Satan too often gets even Christians Ðo occupied with worldly things (perhaps harmless in themselves) that the things of God are shut out, I Tim. vi. 17-19. A full table may be as much a judgment as an empty one (22). Satan's snares are often silken (22). Woe to them who add persecution to saints who are under the chastening hand of God (26). Christians are called on to suffe_r with Christ for righteousness' sake (26b). The afflicted are not neglected, nor the prisoners despised by the Lord, especially if they suffer for Him (33); c£ Eph. iii. 1; Luke iv. 18-19.
VERSE NOTES 2. (a) i.e. he felt as if floundering in a quicksand or 9.uagmire, where there is no foothold and struggling only plunges one deeper. {b) i.e. like fording a river and in imminent danger of being carried away by the strong current. 3. He complains not of tearful crying, but of prayerful crying, though he had much of the former ( ro ). 4. LXX quoted John xv. 25; (b) hostility was based upon misconception and misrepresentation; (c) historically, may refer to the psalmist being robbed in the name of justice; forced to make good what he had not plundered. 5. " Thou" ( emph. ), so 19; (b) "sins," see margin and c£ notes previous page. 6. The cause of God's people was bound up with that of the sufferer. 8. (b) lit. "unto the sons of my own mother"; c£ of Christ, Mark iii. 21, 31; John vii. 3-5. 9. "zeal," i.e. jealousy for the honour of God's house was like a fire consuming him within; quoted John ii. 17 (LXX); (b) contempt for God shown by mocking His servant; qtd. Rom. v. 3. IO. (a) i.e. because of the nation's sad condition morally and spiritually. 12. "gate" see notes at lxxxvii. 2; highest and lowest classes indicated; c£ Lam. iii. 14. 13. He now turns from human callousness to the divine compassion; lit. "a time of acceptance," or, good pleasure; this connects with "answer me" (c). 14, 15. He prays that despite dire circumstances (2, 4) he may not be altogether overcome; c£ Heb. v. 7 (Gk. = out of death); "overwhelm," s.H.w. as "overflow" (2). "d· 17. istress = strait. 18. "redeem me" = set me free. The work of• the "goel" (redeemer) was twofold; (a) first to avenge, then (b) to ransom. Former is the aspect here. Root idea of redemption = to demand back what had been taken away by intervening in f.ower. Here, the restoration of the psalmist's life would be "redemption"; c£ 'restore" (4b). 20. "broken my heart." Concerning Christ it is an interesting fact that a ruptured pericardium agrees with the details of His death; the loud cry-the rent veil-the blood and water flowing from the spear thrust. (a) as margin, or, "death-sick." 21. Br. "Yea, they . . . " i.e. they not only refused sympathy (20), but they added to his sufferings by offerinî poisonous food and nauseous drink; c£ Matt. xx:vii. 34; John xix. 28-29; "gall,' Hebrew seems to indicate the poisonous poppy which commonly grows in Palestine. To fulfil the last line Christ uttered His need aloud, and suffered their last indignity. 22. Prophetically, between this and preceding verse, Christ's death supervenes; cf. the indicated "gap,'' Ps. xxii. between 21 and 22. Present verse freely quoted from LXX at Rom. xi. 9-10. 23. I.e. in dread of the unseen. 25. Adaptation of LXX qtd. Acts i. 20. 26. At the Cross, our Lord's cry of anguish (Matt. xxvii. 46) seemingly justified the persecutors (so they thought) for it showed that God had indeed
smitten Him, Isa. liii. 4; nevertheless they had no call to add to the trials of the Sufferer. (b) hr. "And they talk of (LXX 'add to') the suffering of Thy wounded ones." God's people are associated with Christ not in His atoning work, but in persecution by men for righteousness' sake. God had smitten Him-their Repre sentative-but not them. 27. Br. "Impute iniquity according to their iniquity"; (b) i.e. bestowed righteousness; c£ Rom. iii. 28. "book of life," a figure borrowed from the registers of citizenship; c£ Exod. xxxii. 32; Ezek. xiii. 9; Isa. iv. 3, etc.; (b) "written with"= enrolled among. 29. "But as for me-poor and suffering-Thy salvation, 0 God, setteth me on high." 31. (b) Omit "Or"; "horns and hoofs" indicate a dean animal of full age, hence suitable for sacrifice. 32. "The meek (or, affiicted) see it .. . "; "live" = revive. 33. pnsoners, or captlves. 34. The redemption of Zion is an event of universal significance.
This book has 150 chapters