1.
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
1. lifted me up—as one is
drawn from a well (Psalms 40:2).
2.
O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
2. healed me—Affliction is
often described as disease (Psalms 6:2;
Psalms 41:4; Psalms 107:20),
and so relief by healing.
3.
O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
3. The terms describe extreme
danger.
soul—or, "myself."
grave—literally,
"hell," as in Psalms 16:10.
hast kept me . . .
pit—quickened or revived me from the state of dying (compare Psalms 16:10).
4.
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
4. remembrance—the thing
remembered or memorial.
holiness—as the sum of
God's perfections (compare ), used as name (Exodus 3:15;
Psalms 135:13).
5.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
5. Relatively, the longest
experience of divine anger by the pious is momentary. These precious
words have consoled millions.
6.
And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
6, 7. What particular prosperity
is meant we do not know; perhaps his accession to the throne. In his
self-complacent elation he was checked by God's hiding His face
(compare Psalms 22:24; Psalms 27:9).
7.
LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
7. troubled—confounded with
fear (Psalms 2:5).
8.
I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
8-11. As in Psalms 6:5;
Psalms 88:10; Isaiah 38:18,
the appeal for mercy is based on the destruction of his agency in
praising God here, which death would produce. The terms expressing
relief are poetical, and not to be pressed, though "dancing"
is the translation of a word which means a lute, whose
cheerful notes are contrasted with mourning, or (Isaiah 38:18) wailing.
9.
What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10.
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
11.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
11. sackcloth—was used, even
by kings, in distress (1 Chronicles 21:16;
Isaiah 37:1) but "gladness,"
used for a garment, shows the language to be figurative.
12.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
12. Though "my" is
supplied before "glory" it is better as in , to receive it as used for tongue, the organ of
praise. The ultimate end of God's mercies to us is our praise to Him.