Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 35
Overview:
David prays for safety.
(1-10) He complains of his enemies.
(11-16) And calls upon
God to support him.
(17-28)
1-10 It is
No new thing for the most righteous men, and the
most righteous cause, to meet with enemies. This is a
Fruit of
the old
Enmity in the seed of the
Serpent against the Seed of
the
Woman.
David in his
Afflictions,
Christ in his sufferings,
the
Church under
Persecution, and the
Christian in the
Hour
Temptation, all beseech the Almighty to appear in their behalf,
and to vindicate their cause. We are apt to justify uneasiness
at the injuries men do us,
By our never having given them cause
to use us
So ill; but this should make us easy, for then we may
the more expect that
God will plead our cause.
David prayed to
God to manifest himself in his trial. Let me have inward comfort
under all outward troubles, to support my soul. If
God,
By his
Spirit,
Witness to our spirits that he is our
Salvation, we need
desire
No more to make us happy. If
God is our Friend,
No matter
who is our enemy.
By the
Spirit of
Prophecy,
David foretells the
just
Judgments of God that would come upon his enemies for their
great wickedness. These are predictions, they look forward, and
show the doom of the enemies of
Christ and his kingdom. We must
not desire or pray for the ruin of any enemies, except our lusts
and the evil spirits that would compass our
Destruction. A
traveller benighted in a bad
Road, is an expressive emblem of a
sinner walking in the slippery and dangerous ways of
Temptation.
But
David having committed his cause to
God, did not doubt of
his own deliverance. The bones are the strongest parts of the
body. The psalmist here proposes to serve and
Glorify God with
all his strength. If such language may be applied to outward
Salvation, how much more will it apply to heavenly things in
Christ Jesus!
11-16 Call a
Man ungrateful, and you can
Call him
No worse:
this was the character of
David's enemies. Herein he was a
Type
of
Christ.
David shows how tenderly he had behaved towards them
in
Afflictions. We ought to
Mourn for the sins of those who do
not
Mourn for themselves. We shall not lose
By the good offices
we do to any, how ungrateful soever they may be. Let us learn to
possess our souls in patience and
Meekness like
David, or rather
after
Christ's
Example.
17-28 Though the people of
God are, and study to be, quiet, yet
it has been common for their enemies to devise deceitful matters
against them.
David prays, My soul is in danger,
Lord, rescue
it; it belongs to thee the
Father of spirits, therefore claim
thine own; it is thine, save it!
Lord, be not far from me, as if
I were a
Stranger. He who exalted the once suffering
Redeemer,
will appear for all his people: the roaring lion shall not
destroy their souls, any more than he could that of
Christ,
their
Surety. They trust their souls in his hands, they are one
with him
By Faith, are precious in his sight, and shall be
rescued from
Destruction, that they may give thanks in
Heaven.