King James Version
Psalms 102
28 verses with commentary
Hear My Prayer, O Lord
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. of: or, for
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.</strong> This opening plea introduces one of Scripture's most poignant laments, titled 'A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.' The superscription identifies this as a prayer template for those experiencing crushing distress—whether individual or national suffering.<br><br>"Hea...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **Prayer.**—Like love and all emotion, prayer has its own language, and this assumes here the forms of expression that meet us in other psalms. (See, *e.g., *in addition to the reference in margin, Psalm 31:2; Psalm 39:12; Psalm 56:9; Psalm 59:16; Psalm 143:7.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19-20. Calling God to witness his distress, he presents its aggravation produced by the want of sympathizing friends (compare Is 63:5; Mr 14:50).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
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KJV Study Commentary
The psalmist's desperate plea for God to hear and answer quickly reveals the intensity of his affliction. 'Hide not thy face' uses covenant language; God's face represents His favor and presence (Num 6:25-26). The urgency 'in the day when I call' emphasizes immediate need. This lament anticipates Christ's experience of divine abandonment on the cross (Matt 27:46), where He bore the full weight of ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) This verse may be better arranged, *Hide not ***. . .** *in the day of my trouble. Incline ***. . .** *in the day when I call. Answer me speedily.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19-20. Calling God to witness his distress, he presents its aggravation produced by the want of sympathizing friends (compare Is 63:5; Mr 14:50).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. like: or, (as some read) into smoke
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KJV Study Commentary
The imagery of days 'consumed like smoke' and bones 'burned as an hearth' conveys utter devastation and transience. Smoke (ashan) dissipates quickly, symbolizing life's brevity (James 4:14). The burning bones suggest intense suffering and fever. Yet this profound lament appears in Scripture to validate human suffering and point believers to eternal hope. Reformed theology affirms that God ordains ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Like smoke.**—Or, *in smoke. *(See margin. Comp. Psalm 37:20.)
**Hearth.**—Better, a *brand *or *fuel; *so LXX. and Vulgate, Aquila, and this meaning suits Isaiah 33:14. (For the image see Psalm 22:15; Psalm 31:10; Psalm 32:3.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
21. Instead of such, his enemies increase his pain by giving him most distasteful food and drink. The Psalmist may have thus described by figure what Christ found in reality (compare Joh 19:29, 30).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
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KJV Study Commentary
The heart 'smitten like grass' that withers evokes the biblical metaphor of human frailty (Ps 90:5-6, Isa 40:6-8). The psalmist's loss of appetite ('forget to eat my bread') indicates deep depression. This honest portrayal of spiritual and physical collapse demonstrates Scripture's realism about human weakness. The Puritans called this 'the dark night of the soul.' Yet even in such depths, the psa...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Smitten.**—As by the sun. Exactly as in Hosea 9:16.
**So that I forget.**—Better, *for I have forgotten, *&c. For this mark of deep sorrow comp. 1Samuel 1:7; 1Samuel 20:34, &c. (Comp. Homer, *Iliad, xxiv.* 129.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-23. With unimportant verbal changes, this language is used by Paul to describe the rejection of the Jews who refused to receive the Saviour (Ro 11:9, 10). The purport of the figures used is that blessings shall become curses, the "table" of joy (as one of food) a "snare," their
**welfare--**literally, "peaceful condition," or security, a "trap." Darkened eyes and failing strength complete the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. skin: or, flesh
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KJV Study Commentary
The groaning (qol anachati) is so intense it causes physical wasting; 'bones cleave to my skin' describes severe emaciation. This vivid description validates that spiritual anguish manifests physically. Reformed theology maintains the unity of the human person—soul and body are interconnected. Job experienced similar physical manifestations of grief (Job 19:20). Christ, in Gethsemane, experienced ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Skin.**—See margin. In Lamentations 4:8, more correctly, “my skin cleaveth to my bones;” a picture of emaciation, the result of fasting.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-23. With unimportant verbal changes, this language is used by Paul to describe the rejection of the Jews who refused to receive the Saviour (Ro 11:9, 10). The purport of the figures used is that blessings shall become curses, the "table" of joy (as one of food) a "snare," their
**welfare--**literally, "peaceful condition," or security, a "trap." Darkened eyes and failing strength complete the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
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KJV Study Commentary
The pelican (qa'ath) and owl (kos) were ceremonially unclean birds (Lev 11:17-18) inhabiting desolate places, symbolizing the psalmist's isolation and uncleanness. The wilderness (midbar) location emphasizes complete separation from community and normal life. This imagery anticipates Christ's experience in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11) and His bearing of our uncleanness on the cross. For believers,...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Pelican.**—See Leviticus 11:18. “It has been objected that the pelican is a water-bird, and cannot, therefore, be the *kâath *of the Scriptures—“the pelican of the wilderness”—as it must of necessity starve in the desert; but a *midbar *(wilderness) is often used to denote a wide open space, cultivated or uncultivated, and is not to be restricted to barren spots destitute of water; moreover,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-25. An utter desolation awaits them. They will not only be driven from their homes, but their homes--**or, literally, "palaces," indicative of wealth--shall be desolate (compare Mt 23:38).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
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KJV Study Commentary
Sleeplessness (shaqad) due to distress intensifies suffering; the sparrow 'alone upon the house top' emphasizes vulnerability and exposure. Sparrows typically flock together; a solitary sparrow faces danger. This image of watchful isolation resonates with Christ's experience in Gethsemane when His disciples slept and He faced His agony alone (Mark 14:37-40). The Reformed doctrine of union with Chr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **I watch**—*i.e., am sleepless,*
**Sparrow.**—See Note, Psalm 84:3. Here render, *like a lonely bird. *Some MSS. read, “a wandering bird.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-25. An utter desolation awaits them. They will not only be driven from their homes, but their homes--**or, literally, "palaces," indicative of wealth--shall be desolate (compare Mt 23:38).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Constant reproach (charaph) from enemies compounds the psalmist's suffering. 'All the day' indicates relentless persecution. 'Mad against me' suggests enemies consumed by hatred, while 'sworn against me' implies formal oaths to destroy him. This persecution anticipates Christ's experience, who endured constant reproach (Ps 69:9, Rom 15:3) culminating in His trial where false witnesses swore agains...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Sworn against me.**—Rather, *swear by *me, *i.e., *make his name a byeword of execration, to be explained by Isaiah 65:15; Jeremiah 29:22. LXX. and Vulg., “were swearing against me.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
26. Though smitten of God (Is 53:4), men were not less guilty in persecuting the sufferer (Ac 2:23).
**talk to the grief--**in respect to, about it, implying derision and taunts.
**wounded--**or, literally, "mortally wounded."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
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KJV Study Commentary
Eating ashes like bread and drinking tears suggests that sorrow has become the psalmist's daily sustenance. Ashes (epher) symbolize mourning and repentance throughout Scripture (Job 42:6, Jonah 3:6). This extreme imagery expresses how suffering permeates every aspect of life. Yet even in such depths, the psalmist continues addressing God, demonstrating that lament is a form of faith. Christ, the M...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Ashes like bread.**—Lamentations 3:16. A figurative expression, like “dust shall be the serpent’s meat” (Isaiah 65:25; comp. Genesis 3:14). With the last clause comp. Psalm 42:3, “tears have been my meat day and night.” So too, as an emblem of disappointment, a modern poet:—
“But even while I drank the brook, and ate
The goodly apples, all these things at once
Fell into dust, and I was left ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-28. iniquity--**or, "punishment of iniquity" (Psa 40:12).
**come ... righteousness--**partake of its benefits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
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KJV Study Commentary
The psalmist attributes his suffering to God's 'wrath' (za'am) and 'indignation' (qetseph), recognizing divine sovereignty over affliction. The imagery of being 'lifted up' only to be 'cast down' suggests that previous blessings now intensify the pain of loss. This honest acknowledgment of God's hand in suffering reflects mature faith that doesn't blame circumstances or others but recognizes God's...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Indignation and thy wrath.**—Comp. Psalm 90:7. The last part of the clause is a figure taken from the action of a whirlwind. (Comp. Job 27:20-21; Job 30:22.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-28. iniquity--**or, "punishment of iniquity" (Psa 40:12).
**come ... righteousness--**partake of its benefits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.</strong> This verse employs two metaphors expressing life's brevity and the psalmist's sense of impending death. "My days are like a shadow that declineth" (<em>yamai k'tzel natui</em>, יָמַי כְּצֵל נָטוּי) compares life to an evening shadow that lengthens as the sun sets, soon to disappear entirely into night. <em>Nat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **A shadow that declineth.**—Rather, *a lengthening shadow, *growing longer as the day declines, and therefore soon to vanish altogether. (Comp. Psalm 109:23.)
“And now the sun had stretched out all the hills.”
MILTON: *Lycidas,*
See also Note, Song of Solomon 2:17.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29. poor and sorrowful--**the afflicted pious, often denoted by such terms (compare Psa 10:17; 12:5).
**set me ... high--**out of danger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 102
Chapter Outline
A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions.(1-11)
Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church.(12-22)
The unchangeableness of God.(23-28)
**Verses 1-11**
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the ha...
Read full commentary →But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.</strong> This verse pivots dramatically from human transience (v. 11) to divine eternality. "But thou" (<em>v'attah</em>, וְאַתָּה) is emphatic—contrasting the psalmist's fading shadow-life with God's permanence. While human existence flickers and vanishes, God endures unchanging across all ages.<br><br>"Sha...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **For ever.**—The eternity of God, which must survive the world itself, is a pledge of the truth of the national hopes, in spite of the vicissitudes of individuals, and the swift succession of generations. For the word “remembrance,” see Psalm 30:4. It is explained by Exodus 3:15, “This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial through all generations.” The generations come and go, and the...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
30-31. Spiritual are better than mere material offerings (Psa 40:6; 50:8); hence a promise of the former, and rather contemptuous terms are used of the latter.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
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KJV Study Commentary
The dramatic shift from lament to confidence begins here with 'But thou, O LORD.' God's eternal throne contrasts with human transience. 'The set time' (moed) indicates God's appointed moment for deliverance, affirming His sovereignty over history. This confident assertion anticipates the prophetic restoration of Zion. The Reformed doctrine of God's eternal decrees assures believers that all histor...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13-16) The prospect (Isaiah 40:1-5) that the restoration of Jerusalem will take place simultaneously with the coming of Jehovah in glory, is here re-echoed from the prophet in a lyric form. “The set time” must not be rigidly explained by the “seventy years” of Jeremiah 25:11. The expression is general: “The hour is come.” (Comp. Isaiah 40:2.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
30-31. Spiritual are better than mere material offerings (Psa 40:6; 50:8); hence a promise of the former, and rather contemptuous terms are used of the latter.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
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KJV Study Commentary
The servants' favor (ratsah) toward Zion's stones and dust demonstrates deep love for God's dwelling place, even in its ruined state. This devotion to the physical symbols of God's presence reflects proper attachment to sacred things. The temple's destruction didn't diminish Israel's love for God's house. This prefigures Christian devotion to the church, though our temple is spiritual (1 Cor 3:16-...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Stones . . . dust.**—This touching description of the devotion of the Jews to their ruined city is best illustrated by the actual history in Nehemiah 3, 4, and by the scenes so often described by travellers at the “wailing place” in modern Jerusalem.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
32-33. Others shall rejoice. "Humble" and poor, as in Psa 69:29.
**your heart, &c.--**address to such (compare Psa 22:26).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
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KJV Study Commentary
The restoration of Zion will cause the nations (goyim) to fear God's name and kings to honor His glory. This missionary vision sees Israel's restoration as a witness to the world, demonstrating God's faithfulness and power. The Reformed understanding of God's glory as the chief end of all things recognizes that even suffering and restoration serve to magnify God among the nations. Christ's resurre...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Heathen.**—The same result of the restoration of the Holy City, viz., the recognition of Jehovah’s power and glory by the heathen, occupies the great prophecy, Isaiah 40-46.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
32-33. Others shall rejoice. "Humble" and poor, as in Psa 69:29.
**your heart, &c.--**address to such (compare Psa 22:26).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's building of Zion and appearing in glory represent His powerful intervention on behalf of His people. 'Build up' (banah) suggests complete reconstruction, not mere repair. God's glory (kabod) manifesting there signifies His presence returning. This prophecy found partial fulfillment in the return from exile but awaits ultimate consummation in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:10-11) where God's glory...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
34-36. The call on the universe for praise is well sustained by the prediction of the perpetual and extended blessings which shall come upon the covenant-people of God. Though, as usual, the imagery is taken from terms used of Palestine, the whole tenor of the context indicates that the spiritual privileges and blessings of the Church are meant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
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KJV Study Commentary
God regards (panah) the prayer of the destitute (ar'ar), never despising their supplication. The 'destitute' are those stripped of everything, like desolate shrubs in the wilderness. This promise assures believers that earthly poverty doesn't hinder access to God; indeed, spiritual poverty is prerequisite for divine favor (Matt 5:3). Christ, who had nowhere to lay His head (Luke 9:58), identifies ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **The destitute.**—Literally, *the naked one. *Here the exiled people, *stripped *of home and religious rites. The word is only found once more, in Jeremiah 17:6 (comp. Jeremiah 48:6 for a kindred form), where it is translated “heath,” and in Arabic it is to this day the name of a stunted bush that grows in Palestine.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
34-36. The call on the universe for praise is well sustained by the prediction of the perpetual and extended blessings which shall come upon the covenant-people of God. Though, as usual, the imagery is taken from terms used of Palestine, the whole tenor of the context indicates that the spiritual privileges and blessings of the Church are meant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
Recording this for future generations (dor acharon) demonstrates Scripture's concern for posterity. 'The people which shall be created' anticipates the new birth of Israel and, ultimately, the new creation in Christ. Each generation must learn afresh about God's faithfulness through the testimony of previous generations. The Reformed emphasis on covenant succession recognizes the continuity of God...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Written.**—This is interesting as being the only place in the Psalms where the memory of great events is said to be preserved in writing. Oral tradition is mentioned in Psalm 22:30; Psalm 44:1; Psalm 78:2.
**Shall be created.**—See Psalm 22:31, “a people that shall be born”—the coming generation (as the parallelism shows) for whom the world will be regenerated.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
34-36. The call on the universe for praise is well sustained by the prediction of the perpetual and extended blessings which shall come upon the covenant-people of God. Though, as usual, the imagery is taken from terms used of Palestine, the whole tenor of the context indicates that the spiritual privileges and blessings of the Church are meant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
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KJV Study Commentary
God looking down from His heavenly sanctuary (qodesh) emphasizes His transcendence and sovereign vantage point. 'From heaven did the LORD behold the earth' assures that nothing escapes His notice. This divine surveillance isn't threatening but comforting—God sees His people's suffering and will intervene. The Reformed doctrine of God's omniscience and providence guarantees that He governs all even...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 70 Psa 70:1-5. This corresponds to Psa 40:13-17 with a very few variations, as "turn back" (Psa 70:3) for "desolate," and "make haste unto me" (Psa 70:5) for "thinketh upon me." It forms a suitable appendix to the preceding, and is called "a Psalm to bring to remembrance," as the thirty-eighth [see on Psa 38:1, title].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; those: Heb. the children of death
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KJV Study Commentary
Hearing prisoners' groaning and loosing those 'appointed to death' demonstrates God's concern for the condemned and hopeless. The Hebrew 'sons of death' (benei temutah) refers to those under death sentence. This liberation imagery points to Christ's ministry of releasing captives (Luke 4:18-19) and ultimately delivering believers from sin's condemnation and death's power. The Reformed understandin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20, 21) Comp. Isaiah 61:1-2, and generally the whole magnificent cycle of prophetic songs at the close of Isaiah.
**Appointed to death.**—See margin. LXX. and Vulg., “the sons of the slain.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
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KJV Study Commentary
Declaring God's name in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem centers on the covenant location where God chose to dwell. 'Name' (shem) represents God's character and reputation. Public praise in the covenant community is essential worship. This anticipates the church's gathering to proclaim God's glory. The Reformed emphasis on corporate worship recognizes that declaring God's name isn't merely private...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
People and kingdoms gathering to serve the LORD fulfills the prophetic vision of Gentile inclusion. This verse anticipates the Great Commission and the church's mission to disciple nations (Matt 28:19-20). The Hebrew 'serve' (abad) means both worship and work, indicating comprehensive devotion. Reformed theology sees this gathering as God's sovereign election of believers from every nation, tribe,...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-22**
We are dying creatures, but God is an everlasting God, the protector of his church; we may be confident that it will not be neglected. When we consider our own vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to fear that they will not be received in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an Advocate with the Fat...
Read full commentary →He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. weakened: Heb. afflicted
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KJV Study Commentary
God's afflicting of the psalmist 'in the way' suggests suffering during active service, not passive waiting. Weakening strength 'in the midst of my days' means premature aging or death threatens. This honest lament acknowledges that God's servants aren't immune from suffering; indeed, their service may increase it. Christ's earthly ministry was similarly cut short by violent death 'in the midst of...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **In** **the way**—*i.e., in the course of life. *Others render, “by reason of the way,” but the meaning is the same. The clause is exactly parallel to “shortened my days.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-28**
Bodily distempers soon weaken our strength, then what can we expect but that our months should be cut off in the midst; and what should we do but provide accordingly? We must own God's hand in it; and must reconcile this to his love, for often those that have used their strength well, have it weakened; and those who, as we think, can very ill be spared, have their days shorten...
Read full commentary →I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
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KJV Study Commentary
The plea 'take me not away in the midst of my days' expresses urgent desire for life extension, grounded in God's eternality. 'Thy years are throughout all generations' contrasts divine permanence with human transience. This appeal to God's eternal nature as basis for mercy demonstrates mature faith—God's unchanging character guarantees His faithfulness. The Reformed doctrine of God's immutability...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Take me not away.**—The fear of not living to see the restoration of his race prompts the psalmist to this prayer to the God whose years are not, like man’s, for one generation, but endure from age to age.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-28**
Bodily distempers soon weaken our strength, then what can we expect but that our months should be cut off in the midst; and what should we do but provide accordingly? We must own God's hand in it; and must reconcile this to his love, for often those that have used their strength well, have it weakened; and those who, as we think, can very ill be spared, have their days shorten...
Read full commentary →Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.</strong> This verse begins a section (vv. 25-27) contrasting the created order's transience with the Creator's eternality. "Of old" (<em>l'fanim</em>, לְפָנִים) means long ago, in ancient times, from the beginning—pointing back to Genesis 1. God's creative work predates all human history, establis...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) Comp. Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 48:13.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-28**
Bodily distempers soon weaken our strength, then what can we expect but that our months should be cut off in the midst; and what should we do but provide accordingly? We must own God's hand in it; and must reconcile this to his love, for often those that have used their strength well, have it weakened; and those who, as we think, can very ill be spared, have their days shorten...
Read full commentary →They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: endure: Heb. stand
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:</strong> This verse develops the contrast between creation's temporality and Creator's eternality introduced in verse 25. "They shall perish" (<em>hemah yovedu</em>, הֵמָּה יֹאבֵדוּ) uses <em>abad</em> (אָבַד), meaning to perish, be destro...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Perish.**—Compared with man, the victim of incessant change and visible decay, the fixed earth and the uplifted mountains are often employed as symbols of endurance and perpetuity, but compared with God’s eternal existence, they are but like a vesture that wears out. The source of the image is Isaiah 51:6. (Comp. Isaiah 34:4.) For the use made of the passage in Hebrews 1:10; Hebrews 1:12, s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 71 Psa 71:1-24. The Psalmist, probably in old age, appeals to God for help from his enemies, pleading his past favors, and stating his present need; and, in confidence of a hearing, he promises his grateful thanks and praise.
1-3. (Compare Psa 30:1-3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-28**
Bodily distempers soon weaken our strength, then what can we expect but that our months should be cut off in the midst; and what should we do but provide accordingly? We must own God's hand in it; and must reconcile this to his love, for often those that have used their strength well, have it weakened; and those who, as we think, can very ill be spared, have their days shorten...
Read full commentary →But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.</strong> This concluding verse of the creation section provides the ultimate contrast between temporal creation and eternal Creator. "But thou art the same" (<em>v'attah-hu</em>, וְאַתָּה־הוּא) is emphatic and profound. The phrase literally means "But you are He"—emphasizing God's unchanging identity. <em>Hu</em> (הוּא) functions as a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 71 Psa 71:1-24. The Psalmist, probably in old age, appeals to God for help from his enemies, pleading his past favors, and stating his present need; and, in confidence of a hearing, he promises his grateful thanks and praise.
1-3. (Compare Psa 30:1-3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-28**
Bodily distempers soon weaken our strength, then what can we expect but that our months should be cut off in the midst; and what should we do but provide accordingly? We must own God's hand in it; and must reconcile this to his love, for often those that have used their strength well, have it weakened; and those who, as we think, can very ill be spared, have their days shorten...
Read full commentary →The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
This promise that servants' children 'shall continue' and their seed 'be established' before God demonstrates covenant succession. God's faithfulness extends beyond individuals to their descendants. This multigenerational perspective reflects biblical covenant theology—God makes promises to believers and their children (Gen 17:7, Acts 2:39). The Reformed emphasis on covenant families recognizes Go...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Continue.**—Rather, *dwell, i.e., *in the land of Canaan. (Comp. Psalm 37:22; Psalm 69:36.)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 71 Psa 71:1-24. The Psalmist, probably in old age, appeals to God for help from his enemies, pleading his past favors, and stating his present need; and, in confidence of a hearing, he promises his grateful thanks and praise.
1-3. (Compare Psa 30:1-3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-28**
Bodily distempers soon weaken our strength, then what can we expect but that our months should be cut off in the midst; and what should we do but provide accordingly? We must own God's hand in it; and must reconcile this to his love, for often those that have used their strength well, have it weakened; and those who, as we think, can very ill be spared, have their days shorten...
Read full commentary →