1.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
1, 2. (Compare ).
forgiven—literally,
"taken away," opposed to retain ().
covered—so that God no
longer regards the sin (Psalms 85:3).
2.
Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
2. imputeth—charge to him, and
treat him accordingly.
no guile—or, deceit,
no false estimate of himself, nor insincerity before God (compare ).
3.
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
3, 4. A vivid description of
felt, but unacknowledged, sin.
When—literally, "for,"
as in Psalms 32:4.
4.
For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
4. thy hand—of God, or power
in distressing him (Psalms 38:2).
moisture—vital juices
of the body, the parching heat of which expresses the anguish of the
soul. On the other figures, compare Psalms 6:2;
Psalms 6:7; Psalms 31:9-11.
If composed on the occasion of the Psalms 31:9-19, this distress may have been protracted for several months.
5.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
5. A prompt fulfilment of the
purposed confession is followed by a prompt forgiveness.
6.
For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
6. For this—that is, my happy
experience.
godly—pious in the
sense of Psalms 4:3.
a time— (Psalms 4:3); when God's Spirit inclines us to seek pardon, He is ready
to forgive.
floods, c.—denotes
great danger (Psalms 18:17 Psalms 66:12).
7.
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
7. His experience illustrates
the statement of Psalms 32:6.
8.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
8. Whether, as most likely, the
language of David (compare ), or that of God, this is a promise of divine guidance.
I will . . . mine eye—or,
My eye shall be on thee, watching and directing thy way.
9.
Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
9. The latter clause, more
literally, "in that they come not near thee"; that
is, because they will not come, &c., unless forced by bit
and bridle.
10.
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
10. The sorrows of the
impenitent contrasted with the peace and safety secured by God's
mercy.
11.
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
11. The righteous and upright,
or those conforming to the divine teaching for securing the divine
blessing, may well rejoice with shouting.