Divisions - In verses 1-3 David extols the Lord for delivering him. Verses 4 & 5 he invites the saints to unite with him in celebrating divine compassion. In verses 6 & 7 he confesses the fault for which he was chastened; 8-10 repeats the supplication which he offered, and concludes with commemorating his deliverance and avowing eternal praise.C.H.S.
Verse 1. "I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up." He had a reason to give for the praise that was in his heart. He had been drawn up like a prisoner from the dungeon, like Joseph out of the pit, therefore he loved his deliverer. Grace has uplifted us from the pit of hell, from the ditch of sin, from the Slough of Despond, from the bed of sickness, from the bondage of doubts and fears: have we no song to offer for all this?
C.H. Spurgeon
Verse 4. "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." If it were to be a song regarding something else, I should require the whole choir of God's creatures to join in the singing. But seeing that it is to be a song of God's "holiness", what should profane voices do in the concert? None but "saints" are fit to sing of holiness, and especially of His holiness".
R. Baker
Verse 5. "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life …" It is not the gift of eternal life that is our happiness in heaven, but as David says, "In his favour is life." It is not the dark and horrid house of woe that makes a soul miserable in hell, but God's displeasure. If an elect soul should be cast to hell, and retain the favour of God, hell would be an heaven to him, and his joy could not all the devils of hell take from him; his night be turned into day.
Edward Marbury
Verse 5. "… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". In the second half of this verse "weeping" is personified, and represented by the figure of a wanderer, who in the morning leaves the lodging that he had entered into on the previous evening. After him comes another guest, namely, "joy".
E.W. Hengstenberg
Verses 6-12. David's prosperity had lulled him into a state of undue security: God sent him this affliction to rouse him from it. The successive frames of his mind are here clearly marked; and must successively be considered as they are here presented to our view.
1. His Carnal Security. Verse 6: "In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved."
2. His Spiritual Dereliction. Verse 7: "… thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled."
3. His Fervent Prayers. Verse 8f: "I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication."
4. His Speedy Recovery. Verse 11: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing …"
5. His Grateful Acknowledgements. Verse 12: "O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."
Charles Simeon
Verse 7. " … thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled." Is spiritual desertion and the hiding of God's face a matter of affliction to believers? Yes, yes; it quails their hearts so that nothing can comfort them. "Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled." Outward afflictions do but break the skin, this touches the quick. Outward afflictions fall like rain upon the slates, this soaks into the house. But Christ brings to believers substantial cause for consolation against these troubles of desertion, for He himself was deserted of God for a time, that they might not be deserted for ever.
John Flavel
Verse 11. "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness." This might be true of David delivered from his calamity; it was true of Christ, arising from the tomb to die no more; it is true of the penitent, exchanging his sackcloth for the garments of salvation; and it will be verified in all the redeemed, at the last day, when we shall put off the dishonours of the grave, to shine in glory everlasting.
George Horne
