Bible Commentaries

"A Psalm of David." LORD, I ^a cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

(a) He shows that there is no other refuge in our necessity but only to flee to God for comfort of soul.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the ^b lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.

(b) He means his earnest zeal and gesture, which he used in prayer: alluding to the sacrifices which were by God's commandment offered in the old law.

Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; ^c keep the door of my lips.

(c) He desires God to keep his thoughts and ways either from thinking or executing vengeance.

Incline not my heart to [any] evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their ^d dainties.

(d) Let not their prosperity lure me to be wicked as they are.

Let the righteous smite me; [it shall be] a kindness: and let ^e him reprove me; [it shall be] an excellent oil, [which] shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also [shall be] in their calamities.

(e) He could abide all corrections that came from a loving heart.

When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall ^g hear my words; for they are sweet.

(g) The people who follow their wicked rulers in persecuting the prophet will repent and turn to God, when they see their wicked rulers punished.

Our bones are scattered at the ^h grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth.

(h) Here it appears that David was miraculously delivered out of many deaths as in (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

Let the wicked fall into ⁱ their own nets, ^k whilst that I withal escape.

(i) Into God's nets, by which he catches the wicked in their own malice.

(k) So that none of them escape.