As Kidner points out, this psalm twice makes the journey from anguish to assurance (1-8; 9-24).
For the music director; a psalm of David.
31:1 In you, O LORD, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
Vindicate me by rescuing me!
Deliver me in your righteousness – David’s appeal is to God’s concern to see justice done.
31:2 Listen to me!
Quickly deliver me!
Be my protector and refuge,
a stronghold where I can be safe!
Although his enemies have laid a trap (v4), his God is a rock and a fortress.
31:3 For you are my high ridge and my stronghold;
for the sake of your own reputation you lead me and guide me.
God is a rock, a fortress, and a cliff (v3 lit. translation): ‘a strong place to stand, a secure place to enter and an inaccessible place to occupy.’ (NBC)
31:4 You will free me from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
31:5 Into your hand I entrust my life;
you will rescue me, O LORD, the faithful God.
Our Lord quoted the first part of this verse. Although it may be significant that he did not pray the second part, which pleads for ‘redemption’, that word in the OT does not usually refer to atonement, but rather to rescue in a more general sense (Kidner).
31:6 I hate those who serve worthless idols,
but I trust in the LORD.
31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,
because you notice my pain
and you are aware of how distressed I am.
31:8 You do not deliver me over to the power of the enemy;
you enable me to stand in a wide open place.
31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!
My eyes grow dim from suffering.
I have lost my strength.
I am in distress – Kidner refers to the ‘deepening demoralisation’ expressed in vv9-13, from gloom to hopelessness and terror. This shows ‘how murderous is the impact of hatred, especially when it takes the form of rejection.’
31:10 For my life nears its end in pain;
my years draw to a close as I groan.
My strength fails me because of my sin,
and my bones become brittle.
My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning – ‘We may guess by David’s complexion, which was ruddy and sanguine, by his genius for music, and by his daring enterprises in his early days, that his natural disposition was both cheerful and firm, that he was apt to be cheerful, and not to lay trouble to his heart; yet here we see what he is brought to: he has almost wept out his eyes, and sighed away his breath. Let those that are airy and gay take heed of running into extremes, and never set sorrow at defiance; God can find out ways to make them melancholy if they will not otherwise learn to be serious.’ (MHC)
Affliction – NIV mg has ‘guilt’; RSV mg has ‘iniquity’.
31:11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me;
my neighbors are appalled by my suffering—
those who know me are horrified by my condition;
those who see me in the street run away from me.
31:12 I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about;
I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar.
31:13 For I hear what so many are saying,
the terrifying news that comes from every direction.
When they plot together against me,
they figure out how they can take my life.
31:14 But I trust in you, O LORD!
I declare, “You are my God!”
“You are my God” – ‘I have chosen thee for mine, and thou hast promised to be mine;’ ’ and, if he be ours and we can by faith call him so, it is enough, when we can call nothing else ours. “Thou art my God; and therefore to whom shall I go for relief but to thee?’ ’ Those need not be straitened in their prayers who can plead this; for, if God undertake to be our God, he will do that for us which will answer the compass and vast extent of the engagement.’ (MHC)
31:15 You determine my destiny!
Rescue me from the power of my enemies and those who chase me.
My times are in your hands – The idea of ‘times’ reminds us that change occurs both in ourselves and our circumstances. But ‘change is not chance’ (Kidner), because ‘my times are in [God’s hands]’.
‘The import of the language is, Lord it is thy prerogative, and thou alone hast the power to dispose of both my life and death. Nor does he use the plural, times, in my opinion without reason; but rather th makr the variety of casualties, bu which the life of man is usually harassed.’ (Calvin)
‘The whole of life, with all that threatens it, with all that continues it, is in the hand of the wise, good, powerful, perfect ruler of all things.’ (Plumer)
‘If God have our times in his hand, he can help us; and, if he be our God, he will help us; and then what can discourage us? It is a great support to those who have God for their God that their times are in his hand and he will be sure to order and dispose of them for the best, to all those who commit their spirits also into his hand, to suit them to their times, as David here, v. 5. The time of life is in God’s hands, to lengthen or shorten, embitter or sweeten, as he pleases, according to the counsel of his will. Our times (all events that concern us, and the timing of them) are at God’s disposal; they are not in our own hands, for the way of man is not in himself, not in our friends’ hands, nor in our enemies’ hands, but in God’s; every man’s judgment proceedeth from him. David does not, in his prayers, prescribe to God, but subscribe to him. “Lord, my times are in thy hand, and I am well pleased that they are so; they could not be in a better hand. Thy will be done.’ ’ (MHC)
31:16 Smile on your servant!
Deliver me because of your faithfulness!
31:17 O LORD, do not let me be humiliated,
for I call out to you!
May evil men be humiliated!
May they go wailing to the grave!
Let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave (Heb. sheol) – ‘Death will silence the rage and clamour of cruel persecutors, whom reason would not silence. In the grave the wicked cease from troubling.’ (MHC)
31:18 May lying lips be silenced—
lips that speak defiantly against the innocent
with arrogance and contempt!
31:19 How great is your favor,
which you store up for your loyal followers!
In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter in you.
How great (abundant, RSV) is your goodness – ‘The catalog of evidences includes God’s righteousness, steadfast love, compassion, faithfulness, grace and generosity.’ (DBI)
How great is your goodness, which you have stored up…which you bestow – There is, as MHC says, enough in the bank and enough in hand.
On those who take refuge in you – ‘This goodness is laid up in his promise for all that fear God, to whom assurance is given that they shall want no good thing. But it is wrought, in the actual performance of the promise, for those that trust in him—that by faith take hold of the promise, put it in suit, and draw out to themselves the benefit and comfort of it.’ (MHC)
31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks of men;
you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks.
31:21 The LORD deserves praise
for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies.
When I was in a besieged city – Probably metaphorical for feeling hemmed in on every side.
31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said,
“I am cut off from your presence!”
But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
In my alarm – So most modern translations. AV has ‘in my haste’, and on this MHC says, ‘It is a common thing to speak amiss when we speak in haste and without consideration; but what we speak amiss in haste we must repent of at leisure, particularly that which we have spoken distrustfully of God.’