M A C 1-5-. Declaration of trust.
D u -5,6-. Youth. Care. [Past.]
v -6-8. Promise of praise. [Present.]
w 9-12. Prayer for old age. [Future.]
B x 13. Confusion of enemies.
y 14-16. Return for mercies.
A D u 17-. Youth. Teaching. [Past.]
v -17. Promise of praise. [Present.]
w 18. Prayer for old age. [Future.]
C 19-21. Declaration of trust.
B y 22-24-. Return for mercies.
x -24. Confusion of enemies.
Psalm 71)
1 In You, O LORD, have I fled for refuge:
Let me never be put to shame.
2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape:
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
3 Be You my rock of habitation, where unto I may continually resort:
You have given commandment to save me;
For You are my rock (see Ex. 17:6. Deut. 32:13) and my fortress.
4 Cause me to escape, O my God, out of the hand of the lawless one,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For You are my hope (put for the object of hope), O Lord GOD (Adonai Yehovah):
You are my confidence from my youth.
6 By You have I been held up from the womb: (Cp. Jer. 1:5. Some have supposed that this Psalm was written by Jeremiah. See v.22. But even then it points to Christ.)
You are He that took me out of my mother's bowels:
My praise shall be continually of You.
7 I have become as a wonder to many;
But You have been my strong refuge.
8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your honor all the day.
9 Cast me not off in the time of old age;
Forsake me not when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
And they that lay wait for me take counsel together,
11 Saying, "God has forsaken him:
Persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him."
12 O God, be not far from me:
O my God, make haste for my help.
13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually,
And will yet praise Your more and more.
15 My mouth shall show forth Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day;
For I know not the numbers (cp. 40:5) thereof.
16 I will go in the great strength of the Lord GOD:
I will make mention of Your righteousness, even of Your only.
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth:
And hitherto have I declared Your wondrous works.
18 Yes also to old age and gray hairs, O God, forsake me not;
Until I have showed Your arm ("arm" being put for the wonders wrought by it) to this generation,
And Your power to all that are to come.
19 Your righteousness also, O God, is very high,
Who has done great things: O God, who is like unto You! (This is the cry of all God's saints. See Ex. 15:11.)
20 You, Which has showed me great and sore troubles,
Shall make me alive again,
And shall bring me up again (i.e. in resurrection) from the depths of the earth.
21 You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise You with the aid of psaltery,
Even Your truth, O my God:
To You will I sing with the harp,
O You Holy One of Israel. (Occurs only 3 times in the Psalms [here, 78:41; 89:18]. In Isaiah we find it 30 time. In Jeremiah twice [50:29; 51:5]. See 78:41)
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed. (See Ex. 13:13 and 6:6.)
24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long:
For they are confounded, for they are brought to shame, that seek my hurt.