1.
Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
Title. A Psalm of David. Same as 140.
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
2.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
enter not. As in Job 9:32 ; Job 22:4 .
in Thy sight. Compare 1 Samuel 16:7 . Isaiah 55:8 . Job 14:3 .
no man = no one. Compare Job 15:14 , Job 15:15 .
be justified = stand or appear [before Thee] just. The verb is Active. Septuagint, Authorized Version, and Revised Version render it passive. Compare Romans 3:20 . Galatians 1:2 , Galatians 1:16 .
3.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
persecuted = pursued.
my soul = me (emphatic). Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
4.
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
my spirit = me. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), App-6 , put for the whole person, for emphasis.
overwhelmed. Same word as Psalms 77:3 ; Psalms 107:5 ; Psalms 142:3 .
5.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
remember. Compare Psalms 77:5 , Psalms 77:10 , Psalms 77:11 .
muse = talk with myself. t
he work of Thy hands. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "works" (plural)
6.
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
as. Some codices, with seven early printed editions, read "in".
Selah. Connecting and returning to prayer (7-11) as the consequence of the reflection (5, 6). This is the last Selah (of seventy-one) in the Psalms. For three others, see- Habakkuk 3:3 , Habakkuk 3:9 , Habakkuk 3:13 . See App-66 .
7.
Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
the pit = a grave. Hebrew. bor. A sepulchre, as hewn out of the rock. Hence rendered cistern, or dry pit. Compare Genesis 37:20 . See note on Genesis 21:19 .
8.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
lovingkindness: or grace.
trust = confide. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .
9.
Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
Deliver me = pluck me [out of the hands of].
flee. Authorized Version, 1611, reads "fly". Since 1629 the reading is "flee".
unto. Some codices, with one early printed edition and Septuagint, read "in". Compare Psalms 143:8 .
10.
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
will = good pleasure.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
Spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
lead, &c. = It will lead.
land. Some codices, with one early printed edition, read "way"; others, with Syriac, read "path". Compare Psalms 27:11 .
11.
Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
Quicken me = Give, or preserve me in life. See note || on p. 827.
name's. See note on Psalms 20:1 .
12.
And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
enemies. Compare Structure, Psalms 143:3 .