Verse 13. “But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord …” This marks the turning point for the psalmist; he is reminded of the place of prayer and of his acceptance there before the Lord. As David Dickson puts it, he now sees his head above the water, and has every hope of a full deliverance in his cry unto the Lord. “This is half a deliverance before the full deliverance come,” he says, for the psalmist is now with his head above the water, and not so afraid as when he began the Psalm.
Verse 13. “But as for me, my prayer …” What is prayer but the breathing out of that grace which is breathed into the soul by the Holy Spirit? When God breathed into man the breath of life he became a living soul; so when God breathes into the creature the breath of spiritual life, it becomes a praying soul.
William Gurnall
Verse 15. “Let not the waterflood overflow me … let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.” According to Dean Stanley, the word beer which is here translated “pit”– is always rendered “well”, except in this and three other cases. When such wells no longer yielded a full supply of water they were used as prisons, no care being taken to cleanse out the mire remaining at the bottom. The Dean also tells us … that “they have a broad margin of masonry round the mouth, and, often a stone filling up the orifice.” The rolling of this stone over the mouth of the well was the well's “shutting her mouth,” and the poor prisoner was, to all intents and purposes buried alive.
C.H. Spurgeon
Verse 17. “And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.” Here we have:-
1. The Prayer: “Hide not thy face.”
2. The Persons: “Hide not thy face from thy servant.”
3. The Plea: “For I am in trouble.”
4. The Pressure: “hear me speedily.”
Hints to the Preacher
Verse 21. “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” This passage is to be overlastingly linked with the death of our Saviour on the cross. Joseph Alexander points out the following facts; “Gall and vinegar,” he says, “are here put together to denote the most unpalatable forms of food and drink. The passion of our Lord was so providentially ordered as to furnish a remarkable fulfilment of this verse. The Romans were accustomed to give sour wine, with an infusion of myrrh, to convicts on the cross, for the purpose of deadening the pain … On the part of the Roman soldiery it may have been an act of kindness; but, considered as an act of the unbelieving Jews it was giving “gall and vinegar” to One already overwhelmed with anguish.” Bearing this in mind, then, we see the prophetic force of the following verses commented on by several writers… …
Verse 22. “Let their table become a snare before them …” That is, for a recompense for their inhumanity and cruelty towards me. How exactly these things were fulfilled in the history of the final seige of Jerusalem by the Romans. Many thousands of the Jews had assembled in the city to eat the paschal lamb when Titus unexpectedly made an assault upon them. In this seige, the greater part of the inhabitants miserably perished.
Wm. Walford
Verse 23. “Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.” Observe the Divine retribution of the Jews. They gave gall and vinegar as food and drink to Christ, and their own spiritual food and drink– their “table”– has become a snare to them. His eyes were blindfolded, their eyes were darkened. His loins were scourged, their loins were made to shake.
Christopher Wordsworth
Verse 25. “Let their habitation be desolate, and let none dwell in their tents.” After the Temple itself was turned to ashes, the remnant of the Jewish people begged of Titus that he would permit them to pass through the breaches of the wall and go into the wilderness– a request which he indignantly refused. (Josephus) So that, there was no inhabitant for their tents.
Verse 29. “But I am poor and sorrowful …” This introduces the final part of the psalm where the true worshipper and his inheritance are set forth, for, “God will save Zion … and they that love his name shall dwell therein”
This Page Title – Gleanings in the Psalms – Psalm 69 (concluded) The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 113 – placed on line March 2015 Wicket Gate contact address – Mr Cliff Westcombe cw@wicketgate.co.uk If you wish to be notified when each new edition goes on line please send an e-mail to the above address Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk |