25:5 truth, ’emet (eh-met); Strong’s #571: Certainty, stability, truth, rightness, trustworthiness. ’Emet derives from the verb ’aman, meaning “to be firm, permanent, and established.” ’Emet conveys a sense of dependability, firmness, and reliability. Truth is therefore something upon which a person may confidently stake his life. David prayed that God’s truth would continually preserve him (40:11). Scripture speaks of “men of truth” (Ex. 18:21), the “law of truth” (Mal. 2:6), and especially the “true God [or God of truth]” (Jer. 10:10). Curiously, ’emet is spelled with the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet; thus the rabbis concluded that truth upholds the first and the last of God’s creation, and everything in between!

6 Remember, O LORD, aYour tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,

For they are from of old.

7 Do not *remember athe sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;

bAccording to Your mercy remember me,

For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.

8Good and upright is the LORD;

Therefore He *teaches sinners in the way.

9 The humble He guides in justice,

And the humble He teaches His way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,

To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11 aFor Your name’s sake, O LORD,

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12Who is the man that fears the LORD?

aHim shall 1He teach in the way 1He chooses.

Kingdom Dynamics

25:12–15 Fear of the Lord, LEADER TRAITS. In every era, godly men and women have practiced the fear of the Lord. The Scriptures reveal several things about the fear of the Lord. It is “clean, enduring forever” (Ps. 19:9). It can be learned (34:11). It is the “beginning of wisdom” and the “beginning of knowledge” (111:10; Prov. 1:7).

This psalm reveals several promises to the one who fears the Lord: 1) guidance: “Him shall He teach in the way that He chooses” (Ps. 25:12); 2) spiritual prosperity: “He himself shall dwell in prosperity” (v. 13); 3) future posterity: “his descendants shall inherit the earth” (v. 13); 4) divine confidant: “The secret of the LORD is with [them]” (v. 14); 5) covenant: “He will show them His covenant” (v. 14); and 6) deliverance: “He shall pluck my feet out of the net” (v. 15).

(2 Cor. 5:14–21/1 Tim. 3:1–13) J.G.

13 aHe himself shall dwell in 1prosperity,

And bhis descendants shall inherit the earth.

14aThe secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,

And He will show them His covenant.

15aMy eyes are ever toward the LORD,

For He shall 1pluck my feet out of the net.

16aTurn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,

For I am 1desolate and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;

Bring me out of my distresses!

18aLook on my affliction and my *pain,

And forgive all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;

And they hate me with 1cruel hatred.

20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;

Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for You.

22aRedeem Israel, O God,

Out of all their troubles!

26

PSALM 26

A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption

A Psalm of David.

1VINDICATE ame, O LORD, For I have bwalked in my integrity.

cI have also trusted in the LORD;

I shall not slip.

2aExamine me, O LORD, and 1prove me;

*Try my mind and my heart.

3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And aI have walked in Your truth.

4I have not asat with idolatrous mortals,

Nor will I go in with hypocrites.

5 I have ahated the assembly of evildoers,

And will not sit with the wicked.

6I will wash my hands in innocence;

So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,

7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,

And tell of all Your wondrous works.

8 LORD, aI have loved the habitation of Your house,

And the place 1where Your glory dwells.

9 aDo1 not gather my soul with sinners,

Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10In whose hands is a sinister scheme,

And whose right hand is full of abribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;

Redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 aMy foot stands in an even place;

In the congregations I will bless the LORD.

27

PSALM 27

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith

A Psalm of David.

1THE LORD is my alight and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The bLORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be *afraid?

2When the wicked came against me

To aeat1 up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 aThough an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

4aOne* thing I have *desired of the LORD,

That will I seek:

That I may bdwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life,

To behold the 1beauty of the LORD,

And to inquire in His temple.

5 For ain the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall bset me high upon a rock.

6 And now amy head shall be 1lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will *offer sacrifices of 2joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will *sing praises to the LORD.

7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When You said, “Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will *seek.”

9 aDo not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

10aWhen my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the LORD will take care of me.

11 aTeach me Your way, O LORD,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For afalse witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had *believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD

aIn the land of the living.

14 aWait1 on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!

28

PSALM 28

Rejoicing in Answered Prayer

A Psalm of David.

1TO You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: aDo not be silent to me,

bLest, if You are silent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear the voice of my supplications

When I cry to You,

aWhen I lift up my hands btoward Your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not 1take me away with the wicked

And with the workers of iniquity,

aWho speak peace to their neighbors,

But evil is in their hearts.

4 aGive them according to their deeds,

And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;

Give them according to the work of their hands;

Render to them what they deserve.

5 Because athey do not regard the works of the LORD,

Nor the operation of His hands,

He shall destroy them

And not build them up.

6Blessed be the LORD,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!

7The LORD is amy strength and my shield;

My heart btrusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

8The LORD is 1their strength,

And He is the asaving refuge of His 2anointed.*

9 Save Your people,

And bless aYour inheritance;

Shepherd them also,

bAnd bear them up forever.

29

PSALM 29

Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty

A Psalm of David.

1 GIVE1 aunto the LORD, O you mighty ones,

Give unto the LORD glory and strength.

2 1Give unto the LORD the glory 2due to His name;

*Worship the LORD in athe 3beauty of holiness.

3The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

aThe God of glory thunders;

The LORD is over many waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;

The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks athe cedars,

Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.

6aHe makes them also skip like a calf,

Lebanon and bSirion like a young wild ox.

7The voice of the LORD 1divides the flames of fire.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

The LORD shakes the Wilderness of aKadesh.

9The voice of the LORD makes the adeer give birth,

And strips the forests bare;

And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

10 The aLORD sat enthroned at the Flood,

And bthe LORD sits as King forever.

11aThe LORD will give strength to His people;

The LORD will bless His people with peace.

30

PSALM 30

The Blessedness of Answered Prayer

A Psalm. A Song aat the dedication of the house of David.

1I WILL extol You, O LORD, for You have alifted me up,

And have not let my foes brejoice over me.

2O LORD my God, I cried out to You,

And You ahealed me.

3 O LORD, aYou brought my soul up from the grave;

You have kept me alive, 1that I should not go down to the pit.

4 aSing praise to the LORD, you saints of His,

And give thanks at the remembrance of 1His holy name.

5For aHis anger is but for a moment,

bHis favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night,

But 1joy comes in the morning.

Word Wealth

30:5 joy, rinnah (ree-nah); Strong’s #7440: A shout of rejoicing; shouting; loud cheering in triumph; singing. Rinnah describes the kind of joyful shouting at the time of a great victory. In Prov. 11:10, rinnah describes the jubilation of the righteous when the wicked are eliminated. Zeph. 3:17 literally says that God will dance over His beloved people with singing or a shout of joy. Rinnah may best be illustrated by the testimony of the redeemed, returning to Zion from captivity. Rinnah is the word for both singing and joy.

6Now in my prosperity I said,

“I shall never be 1moved.”

7LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;

aYou hid Your face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried out to You, O LORD;

And to the LORD I made supplication:

9“What profit is there in my blood,

When I go down to the pit?

aWill the dust praise You?

Will it declare Your truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;

LORD, be my helper!”

11aYou have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off 1my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12To the end that my 1glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

31

PSALM 31

The LORD a Fortress in Adversity

To the Chief Musician. A *Psalm of David.

1IN aYou, O LORD, I 1put my trust;Let me never be ashamed;

Deliver me in Your righteousness.

2 aBow down Your ear to me,

Deliver me speedily;

Be my rock of 1refuge,

A 2fortress of defense to save me.

3 aFor You are my rock and my fortress;

Therefore, bfor Your name’s sake,

Lead me and guide me.

4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

5aInto Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have *redeemed me, O LORD God of btruth.

6I have hated those awho regard useless idols;

But I trust in the LORD.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,

For You have considered my trouble;

You have aknown my soul in 1adversities,

8 And have not ashut1 me up into the hand of the enemy;

bYou have set my feet in a wide place.

9Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;

aMy eye wastes away with grief,

Yes, my soul and my 1body!

10 For my life is spent with grief,

And my years with sighing;

My strength fails because of my iniquity,

And my bones waste away.

11 aI am a 1reproach among all my enemies,

But bespecially among my neighbors,

And am repulsive to my acquaintances;

cThose who see me outside flee from me.

12 aI am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a 1broken vessel.

13 aFor I hear the slander of many;

bFear is on every side;

While they ctake counsel together against me,

They scheme to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;

I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in Your ahand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

16 aMake Your face shine upon Your servant;

Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

17 aDo not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You;

Let the wicked be ashamed;

bLet them be silent in the grave.

18 aLet the lying lips be put to silence,

Which bspeak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

19aOh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!

Word Wealth

31:19 great, rab (rahv); Strong’s #7227: Great, abundant, many, large in number; of major importance; chief, weighty, significant, noble, princely. Rab appears more than 400 times in the OT. It is derived from the verb rabab, “to become numerous or great.” The title rabbi is a derivative of rab. While rabbi has been defined as “my teacher,” a more exact explanation is that it means “my great one” (full of knowledge) or “my master” (great instructor). Thus our Lord did not allow His followers to be called by this lofty title: He stressed that we can have but one Rabbi, and that must be the Messiah only (Matt. 23:8).

20aYou shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

bYou shall keep them secretly in a 1pavilion

From the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD,

For aHe has shown me His marvelous kindness in a 1strong city!

22 For I said in my haste,

“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried out to You.

23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!

For the LORD preserves the faithful,

And fully repays the proud person.

24 aBe of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart,

All you who *hope in the LORD.

32

PSALM 32

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A 1Contemplation.

1BLESSED is he whose atransgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD adoes not 1impute iniquity,

And bin whose spirit there is no deceit.

3When I kept silent, my bones grew old

Through my groaning all the day long.

4 For day and night Your ahand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I have not hidden.

aI said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6aFor this cause everyone who is godly shall bpray to You

In a time when You may be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters

They shall not come near him.

7 aYou are my hiding place;

You shall preserve me from trouble;

You shall surround me with bsongs of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with My eye.

Word Wealth

32:8 teach, yarah (yah-rah); Strong’s #3384: To instruct, direct, teach; to point, shoot, aim, throw, cast in a straight manner. The primary meaning of yarah is “to shoot straight,” or “to direct the flow” of something. Hence a derivative of yarah is yoreh, “rain.” Moreh is another derivative, and means “teacher,” one who aims and throws his directives in a straight way, one who points out the truth. The most important Bible word derived from yarah is Torah, which refers to the Law. Although Torah is often translated as “Law,” its meaning is “instruction, teaching.” The Law of Moses is actually the instruction Moses received from God for Israel.

9 Do not be like the ahorse or like the mule,

Which have no understanding,

Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,

Else they will not come near you.

10 aMany sorrows shall be to the wicked;

But bhe who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.

11 aBe glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;

And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

33

PSALM 33

The Sovereignty of the LORD in Creation and History

1 REJOICE ain the LORD, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful.

2 Praise the LORD with the harp;

1Make* melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

3Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is right,

And all His work is done in truth.

5He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

6aBy the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

And all the bhost of them cby the breath of His mouth.

7 aHe gathers the waters of the sea together 1as a heap;

He lays up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

9 For aHe spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 aThe LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

11aThe counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

The people He has achosen as His own inheritance.

13 aThe LORD looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men.

14 From the place of His dwelling He looks

On all the inhabitants of the earth;

15He fashions their hearts individually;

aHe 1considers all their works.

16 aNo king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17aA horse is a 1vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great *strength.

18aBehold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And ato keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

34

PSALM 34

The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God

A Psalm of David awhen he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

1I WILL abless the LORD at all times;His praise shall *continually be in my mouth.

Kingdom Dynamics

34:1 Singing of Praise Is to Be Continual, PRAISE AND WORSHIP. The word “praise” here (Hebrew tehillah) refers to a hymn of praise, or the singing spontaneous praise to God (see Ps. 40:3), as with the NT call to sing and make “melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). When the heart is full of praise, it will find expression—songs and words being spoken, overflowing from our mouths (Matt. 12:34). We are always to sing praise (see Ps. 35:28); and this psalm elaborates the theme verses (1–7) giving this instruction: 1) Sing to prompt others to do the same (vv. 2, 3, 8–14); 2) sing as a transforming remedy for fear, bringing boldness (vv. 4, 5, 15, 16); and 3) sing as an exercise of faith, invoking deliverance (vv. 6, 7, 17–22).

(2 Chr. 20:15–22/Ps. 42:5) L.B.

2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Kingdom Dynamics

34:2 Growth in Confidence, GROWTH. How often a child, convinced of his or her father’s greatness, will say, “My daddy can do anything”; then, with maturity, that declaration understandably becomes infrequent. However, for the child of God, the opposite is true, as we grow in understanding of the greatness of our Lord. As growth increases our awareness of His greatness, both in His love for us and His power toward us, we will become increasingly more dependent on Him to direct us and enable us. That defines “walking in the Spirit.” Growth in the life of the Spirit increases through a desire for childlike worship—ready praise that is vocal and visible in our celebration of Him. David, chief among celebrants, describes himself in Ps. 131 as a small child, looking to God for everything in the way a child looks to its mother. Thus, true maturity is learning the childlikeness that looks less and less to our own wisdom for answers or to our own strength for results—and trusts the Father entirely. Then, as God moves on our behalf, we will find ourselves boasting about Him to anyone who will hear it. It is important to ask ourselves if people know who our “Daddy God” is.

(Mark 10:45/1 John 2:12–14*) K.U.

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

4 I asought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

7aThe 1angel* of the LORD bencamps all around those who fear Him,

And delivers them.

8Oh, ataste and see that the LORD is good;

bBlessed is the *man who trusts in Him!

Word Wealth

34:8 taste, ta‘am (tah-ahm); Strong’s #2938: To taste, eat; discern, perceive; to evaluate. This verb refers to the testing of good by means of the sense of taste. From the primary sense of physical tasting, ta‘am developed into the idea of evaluative sampling of things other than food. Ta‘am as a noun came to refer to “discernment,” that is, the capacity to choose and delight in good things. Prov. speaks of a woman who lacks “taste” (11:22), and a woman with good taste, who “perceives” (ta‘am) that her merchandise is of a high quality (31:18).

9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!

There is no 1want to those who fear Him.

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

aBut those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me;

aI will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12aWho is the man who desires life,

And loves many days, that he may see good?

13Keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking adeceit.

14 aDepart from evil and do good;

bSeek peace and pursue it.

15 aThe eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their cry.

16 aThe face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

bTo 1cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and athe LORD hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 aThe LORD is near bto those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as 1have a contrite spirit.

19aMany are the afflictions of the righteous,

bBut the LORD delivers him out of them all.

20He guards all his bones;

aNot one of them is broken.

21 aEvil shall slay the wicked,

And those who hate the righteous shall be 1condemned.

22 The LORD aredeems the soul of His servants,

And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

35

PSALM 35

The LORD the Avenger of His People

A Psalm of David.

1PLEAD1 my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;

Fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take hold of shield and 1buckler,

And stand up for my help.

3 Also draw out the spear,

And stop those who pursue me.

Say to my soul,

“I am your salvation.”

4 aLet those be put to shame and brought to dishonor

Who seek after my life;

Let those be bturned back and brought to confusion

Who plot my hurt.

5 aLet them be like chaff before the wind,

And let the 1angel of the LORD chase them.

6 Let their way be adark and slippery,

And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

7 For without cause they have ahidden their net for me in a pit,

Which they have dug without cause for my life.

8 1Let adestruction come upon him unexpectedly,

And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;

Into that very destruction let him fall.

9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD;

It shall *rejoice in His salvation.

10 aAll my bones shall say,

“LORD, bwho is like You,

Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,

Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

11 Fierce witnesses rise up;

They ask me things that I do not know.

12 aThey reward me evil for good,

To the sorrow of my soul.

13But as for me, awhen they were sick,

My clothing was sackcloth;

I humbled myself with *fasting;

And my prayer would return to my own 1heart.

14 I paced about as though he were my *friend or brother;

I bowed down 1heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

15 But in my 1adversity they rejoiced

And gathered together;

Attackers gathered against me,

And I did not know it;

They tore at me and did not cease;

16With ungodly mockers at feasts

They gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long will You alook on?

Rescue me from their destructions,

My precious life from the lions.

18I will give You thanks in the great assembly;

I will praise You among 1many people.

19 aLet them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;

Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.

20 For they do not speak peace,

But they devise deceitful matters

Against the quiet ones in the land.

21 They also opened their mouth wide against me,

And said, “Aha, aha!

Our eyes have seen it.”

22 This You have seen, O LORD;

Do not keep silence.

O Lord, do not be far from me.

23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,

To my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;

And let them not rejoice over me.

25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”

Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion

Who rejoice at my hurt;

Let them be aclothed with shame and dishonor

Who exalt themselves against me.

27aLet them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually,

“Let the LORD be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness

And of Your praise all the day long.

36

PSALM 36

Man’s Wickedness and God’s Perfections

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.

1AN oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:

aThere is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,

When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.

3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;

aHe has ceased to be *wise and to do good.

4 aHe devises wickedness on his bed;

He sets himself bin a way that is not good;

He does not 1abhor cevil.

5Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;

Your *faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the 1great mountains;

aYour judgments are a great deep;

O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men aput their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

8 aThey are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from bthe river of Your pleasures.

9aFor with You is the fountain of life;

bIn Your light we see light.

10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,

And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,

And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;

They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

37

PSALM 37

The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

A Psalm of David.

1DOa not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

2For they shall soon be cut down alike the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

3Trust in the LORD, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 aDelight yourself also in the LORD,

And He shall give you the desires of your bheart.

Word Wealth

37:4 heart, leb (lehv); Strong’s #3820: Heart, intellect, awareness, mind, inner person, inner feelings, deepest thoughts, inner self. As in English, the Hebrew concept of “heart” encompasses both the physical organ (2 Kin. 9:24) and a person’s inner yearnings (Ps. 37:4). Perhaps the noblest occurrence of leb is Deut. 6:5, commanding Israel to love the Lord “with all your heart” (Jesus laid great emphasis on this sentence; see Mark 12:29, 30). Jer. 17:9 states that the human heart can be the most deceitful thing in the world, but v. 10 shows that the Lord is still able to sort out and analyze what lies within the heart.

5 aCommit1* your way to the LORD,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

6 aHe shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

7Rest in the LORD, aand wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who bprospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 aCease from anger, and forsake wrath;

bDo not fret—it only causes harm.

9 For evildoers shall be 1cut off;

But those who wait on the LORD,

They shall ainherit* the *earth.

10 For ayet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

Indeed, byou will look carefully for his place,

But it shall be no more.

11aBut the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plots against the just,

aAnd gnashes at him with his teeth.

13 aThe Lord *laughs at him,

For He sees that bhis day is coming.

14The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,

To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,

And their bows shall be broken.

16 aA little that a righteous man has

Is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

But the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The LORD knows the days of the upright,

And their inheritance shall be forever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,

And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish;

And the enemies of the LORD,

Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.

Into smoke they shall vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows and does not repay,

But athe righteous shows mercy and gives.

22 aFor those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,

But those cursed by Him shall be 1cut off.

23 aThe steps of a good man are 1ordered by the LORD,

And He delights in his way.

24 aThough he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

Nor his descendants begging bread.

26 aHe is 1ever merciful, and lends;

And his descendants are blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good;

And dwell forevermore.

28For the LORD loves justice,

And does not forsake His saints;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 aThe righteous shall inherit the land,

And dwell in it forever.

30 aThe mouth of the righteous speaks *wisdom,

And his tongue talks of justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;

None of his steps shall 1slide.

32 The wicked awatches* the righteous,

And seeks to slay him.

33 The LORD awill not leave him in his hand,

Nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 aWait on the LORD,

And keep His way,

And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power,

And spreading himself like a native green tree.

36 Yet 1he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;

For the future of that man is peace.

38 aBut the transgressors shall be destroyed together;

The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their strength ain the time of trouble.

40And athe LORD shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

bBecause they trust in Him.

38

PSALM 38

Prayer in Time of Chastening

A Psalm of David. aTo bring to remembrance.

1O LORD, do not arebuke me in Your wrath,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply,

And Your hand presses me down.

3There is no soundness in my flesh

Because of Your anger,

Nor any health in my bones

Because of my sin.

4 For my *iniquities have gone over my head;

Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds are foul and festering

Because of my foolishness.

6 I am 1troubled, I am bowed down greatly;

I go mourning all the day long.

7For my loins are full of inflammation,

And there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and severely broken;

I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

9 Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You.

10 My heart pants, my strength fails me;

As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

11 My loved ones and my friends astand aloof from my plague,

And my relatives stand afar off.

12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;

Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,

And plan deception all the day long.

13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.

14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth is no response.

15 For 1in You, O LORD, aI hope;

You will 2hear, O Lord my God.

16For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,

Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”

17 aFor I am ready to fall,

And my sorrow is continually before me.

18 For I will adeclare my iniquity;

I will be bin 1anguish over my sin.

19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;

And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

20 Those also awho render evil for good,

They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

21 Do not forsake me, O LORD;

O my God, abe not far from me!

22 Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!

39

PSALM 39

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1I SAID, “I will guard my ways,Lest I sin with my atongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

2 aI was mute with silence,

I held my peace even from good;

And my sorrow was stirred up.

3 My heart was hot within me;

While I was 1musing, the fire burned.

Then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “LORD, amake me to know my end,

And what is the measure of my days,

That I may know how frail I am.

5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my age is as nothing before You;

Certainly every man at his best state is but avapor. Selah

6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;

Surely they 1busy themselves in vain;

He heaps up riches,

And does not know who will gather them.

7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My ahope is in You.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;

Do not make me athe reproach of the foolish.

9 aI was mute, I did not open my mouth,

Because it was bYou who did it.

10 aRemove Your plague from me;

I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.

11 When with rebukes You *correct man for iniquity,

You make his beauty amelt away like a moth;

Surely every man is vapor. Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,

And give ear to my cry;

Do not be silent at my tears;

For I am a stranger with You,

A sojourner, aas all my fathers were.

13 aRemove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,

Before I go away and bam no more.”

40

PSALM 40

Faith Persevering in Trial

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 I aWAITED patiently for the LORD;And He inclined to me,

And heard my cry.

2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of athe miry clay,

And bset my feet upon a rock,

And established my steps.

3 aHe has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the LORD.

4aBlessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,

And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 aMany, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works

Which You have done;

bAnd Your thoughts toward us

Cannot be recounted to You in order;

If I would declare and speak of them,

They are more than can be numbered.

6aSacrifice and *offering You did not desire;

My ears You have opened.

Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;

In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 aI *delight to do Your *will, O my God,

And Your *law is bwithin my heart.”

9 aI have proclaimed the good news of righteousness

In the great assembly;

Indeed, bI do not restrain my lips,

O LORD, You Yourself know.

10aI have not hidden Your righteousness within my *heart;

I have declared Your *faithfulness and Your salvation;

I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth

From the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD;

aLet Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;

aMy iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;

They are more than the hairs of my head;

Therefore my heart fails me.

13 aBe pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;

O LORD, make haste to help me!

14 aLet them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion

Who seek to destroy my 1life;

Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor

Who wish me evil.

15 Let them be aconfounded because of their shame,

Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

16 aLet all those who seek You *rejoice and be glad in You;

Let such as love Your salvation bsay continually,

“The LORD be magnified!”

17aBut I am poor and needy;

bYet the LORD thinks upon me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Do not delay, O my God.

41

PSALM 41

The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Word Wealth

40:17 poor, ‘ani (ah-nee); Strong’s #6041: Poor, afflicted, needy; lowly, humble; low in status. ‘Ani may refer to the person whose outward condition makes him poor, afflicted, or depressed. It may also refer to the person who inwardly is lowly, humble, and absolutely not self-exalting. God maintains the cause of these afflicted (140:12). In Is. 61:1, God commis- sions the Messiah to preach the good news specifically to the poor. To be of a lowly status is neither a crime nor an indication of lack of faith, as the testimony of the heroes of faith amply demonstrates (see Heb. 11:36–40).

42; 43 Preparing Yourself to Pray, PRAYER. These two psalms repeat similar phrases, revealing a most unusual prayer strategy as the writer repeatedly stops talking to God and talks to himself. Why? Clearly, he is in very discouraging situations: people mock his relationship with God, and God seems very far away. He feels cast down, weary, confused, and hopeless. Still, he knows his only hope is to seek God in prayer. To do so, he re-focuses himself on the promises of God, confronts the fears and contradictions deep in his soul, and challenges himself about every semblance of unbelief in his heart. It is the principle behind Rom. 10:17: Faith comes alive by hearing the truth, so the psalmist seems to be preaching to himself, being renewed in hope as he reviews who God really is. The resident psychologist of a major cancer clinic described the perspective that marked hope-filled cancer patients: “They don’t deny the diagnosis. But they do defy the verdict.” The psalmist takes this same approach to becoming equipped for intensive prayer that seeks God for victory.

(2 Chr. 7:14/Is. 62:1–7) D.B.

1BLESSED is he who considers the 1poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

2 The LORD will *preserve him and keep him alive,

And he will be *blessed on the earth;

aYou will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.

3 The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;

You will 1sustain him on his sickbed.

4I said, “LORD, be merciful to me;

aHeal* my soul, for I have sinned against You.”

5 My enemies speak evil of me:

“When will he die, and his name perish?”

6 And if he comes to see me, he speaks 1lies;

His heart gathers iniquity to itself;

When he goes out, he tells it.

7 All who hate me whisper together against me;

Against me they 1devise my hurt.

8 “An1 evil disease,” they say, “clings to him.

And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”

9aEven my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,

bWho ate my bread,

Has 1lifted up his heel against me.

10But You, O LORD, be merciful to me, and raise me up,

That I may repay them.

11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me,

Because my enemy does not triumph over me.

12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,

And aset me before Your face forever.

13aBlessed be the LORD God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting!

Amen and Amen.

BOOK TWO

Psalms 42–72

42

PSALM 42

Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses

To the Chief Musician. A 1Contemplation of the sons of Korah.

1AS the deer 1pants for the water brooks,

So pants my *soul for You, O God.

2aMy soul thirsts for God, for the bliving God.

When shall I come and 1appear before God?

3 aMy tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

b“Where is your God?”

4When I remember these things,

aI pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

bI went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of *joy and praise,

With a multitude that *kept a pilgrim feast.

5aWhy are you 1cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

bHope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

2For the help of His countenance.

Kingdom Dynamics

42:5 Praise Brings God’s Help, PRAISE AND WORSHIP. When depressed, desperate, and down, we are encouraged to hope in God in this prophetic song. Worshipers are assured that God will “help” them with “His countenance.” This word references more than the physical “face”; it incorporates the evidence of the feeling or attitude of the individual mentioned. The “countenance” refers to: 1) the appearance (bright or aglow, downcast or discouraged) and 2) the attention (the face turned to a subject, eyes focused on it) with the appropriate expression responding to it (that is, with tenderness, affection, love, or sternness, sobered concern, or even anger). Here, God’s caring countenance turns toward the one who praises, and the praiser’s countenance is lifted by His present love.

(Ps. 34:1/Ps. 149:5) L.B./J.W.H.

61O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From 2the Hill Mizar.

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

aAll Your waves and billows have gone over me.

8 The LORD will acommand His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And bin the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

9I will say to God my Rock,

a“Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10 As with a 1breaking of my bones,

My enemies 2reproach me,

aWhile they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

11aWhy are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The 1help of my countenance and my God.

43

PSALM 43

Prayer to God in Time of Trouble

1VINDICATE ame, O God, And bplead my cause against an ungodly nation;

Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

2For You are the God of my strength;

Why do You cast me off?

aWhy do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

3aOh, send out Your light and Your *truth!

Let them lead me;

Let them bring me to bYour holy hill

And to Your 1tabernacle.

4 Then I will go to the altar of God,

To God my exceeding joy;

And on the harp I will praise You,

O God, my God.

5aWhy are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The 1help of my countenance and my God.

44

PSALM 44

Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor

To the Chief Musician. A aContemplation1 of the sons of Korah.

1WE have heard with our ears, O God,aOur fathers have told us,

The deeds You did in their days,

In days of old:

2 aYou drove out the 1nations with Your hand,

But them You planted;

You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.

3For athey did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,

Nor did their own arm save them;

But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,

bBecause You favored them.

4 aYou are my King, 1O God;

2Command victories for Jacob.

5 Through You awe will push down our enemies;

Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.

6 For aI will not trust in my bow,

Nor shall my sword save me.

7 But You have saved us from our enemies,

And have put to shame those who hated us.

8 aIn God we boast all day long,

And praise Your name forever. Selah

9But aYou have cast us off and put us to shame,

And You do not go out with our armies.

10 You make us aturn back from the enemy,

And those who hate us have taken 1spoil for themselves.

11 aYou have given us up like sheep intended for food,

And have bscattered us among the nations.

12 aYou sell Your people for next to nothing,

And are not enriched by selling them.

13 aYou make us a reproach to our neighbors,

A scorn and a derision to those all around us.

14 aYou make us a byword among the nations,

bA shaking of the head among the peoples.

15 My dishonor is continually before me,

And the shame of my face has covered me,

16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,

aBecause of the enemy and the avenger.

17aAll this has come upon us;

But we have not forgotten You,

Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.

18 Our heart has not turned back,

aNor have our steps departed from Your way;

19 But You have severely broken us in athe place of jackals,

And covered us bwith the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,

Or astretched1 out our hands to a foreign god,

21 aWould not God search this out?

For He knows the secrets of the heart.

22aYet for Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23aAwake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?

Arise! Do not cast us off forever.

24aWhy do You hide Your face,

And forget our affliction and our oppression?

25 For aour soul is bowed down to the 1dust;

Our body clings to the ground.

26 Arise for our help,

And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

45

PSALM 45

The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride

To the Chief Musician. aSet to 1“The Lilies.” A 2Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

1MY heart is overflowing with a good theme;

I recite my composition concerning the King;

My tongue is the pen of a 1ready writer.

2You are fairer than the sons of men;

aGrace is poured upon Your lips;

Therefore God has blessed You forever.

3 1Gird Your asword upon Your thigh, bO Mighty One,

With Your cglory and Your majesty.

4 aAnd in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;

And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;

The peoples fall under You.

6aYour throne, O God, is forever and ever;

A bscepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God, has aanointed You

With the oil of bgladness more than Your companions.

8 All Your garments are ascented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,

Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.

9aKings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;

bAt Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

10Listen, O daughter,

Consider and incline your ear;

aForget your own people also, and your father’s house;

11 So the King will greatly desire your *beauty;

aBecause He is your Lord, worship Him.

12And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;

aThe rich among the people will seek your favor.

13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;

Her clothing is woven with gold.

14 aShe shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;

The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.

Word Wealth

45:14 virgins, betulah (beh-too-lah); Strong’s #1330: A virgin; a maiden, a damsel, a grown-up young woman of marriageable age; a fiancée; a newly married bride. Betulah is not the only Hebrew word to describe a maiden, a virgin, or a mature young woman; ‘almah also describes a young woman or “lass.” Both words come from roots that connote “separation.” Nevertheless, betulah is used to describe an unfaithful or wayward young woman (Jer. 18:13–15). In Deut. 22:17, betulah refers to physical virginity. Generally, the term refers to the vitality and strength of a young woman in a certain age group, whether she is an unmarried maiden or a recently married bride.

15With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;

They shall enter the King’s palace.

16Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,

aWhom You shall make princes in all the earth.

17 aI will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;

Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

46

PSALM 46

God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song afor Alamoth.

1GOD is our arefuge* and *strength,bA1 very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the 1midst of the sea;

3 aThough its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4There is a ariver whose streams shall make glad the bcity of God,

The holy place of the 1tabernacle of the Most High.

5God is ain the midst of her, she shall not be 1moved;

God shall help her, just 2at the break of dawn.

6 aThe nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7The aLORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8Come, behold the works of the LORD,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

9 aHe makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

bHe breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

cHe burns the chariot in the fire.

10Be still, and know that I am God;

aI will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

47

PSALM 47

Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth

To the Chief Musician. A *Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1OH, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

Word Wealth

47:1 clap, taqa‘ (tah-kah); Strong’s #8628: To clatter, clang, sound, blow (trumpets), clap, strike. This verb occurs more than 65 times. “Strike” may be the truest one-word definition; “sound” is also a possibility. Taqa‘ describes pitching a tent or fastening a nail, probably due to the striking of the hammer used for both tasks. In other references, taqa‘ describes blowing a trumpet or sounding an alarm. Thus taqa‘ indicates energy and enthusiasm. Here all nations are commanded to clap their hands and shout triumphantly to God. Formalistic religion seeks to discourage this kind of worship, although God has built into the human being an almost instinctive urge to clap and shout when victory is experienced.

2For the LORD Most High is awesome;

He is a great aKing over all the earth.

3 aHe will subdue the peoples under us,

And the nations under our feet.

4He will choose our ainheritance for us,

The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

5aGod has gone up with a *shout,

The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

6 *Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7aFor God is the King of all the earth;

bSing praises with *understanding.

8aGod reigns over the nations;

God bsits on His choly throne.

9The princes of the people have gathered together,

aThe people of the God of Abraham.

bFor the shields of the earth belong to God;

He is greatly exalted.

48

PSALM 48

The Glory of God in Zion

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 GREAT is the LORD, and greatly to be praised

In the acity of our God,

In His holy mountain.

2aBeautiful in 1elevation,

The joy of the whole earth,

Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,

The city of the *great King.

3 God is in her palaces;

He is known as her refuge.

4For behold, athe kings assembled,

They passed by together.

5 They saw it, and so they marveled;

They were troubled, they hastened away.