| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
Prayer of an Afflicted One for Mercy on himself and on Zion.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah. |
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1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
And let my cry come unto thee.
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2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:
Incline thine ear unto me;
In the day when I call answer me speedily.
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3 For my days consume away like smoke,
And my bones are burned as a firebrand.
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4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
For I forget to eat my bread.
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5 By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
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6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am become as an owl of the waste places.
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7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow
That is alone upon the housetop.
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8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
They that are mad against me do curse by me.
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9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
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10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
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11 My days are like a shadow that declineth;
And I am withered like grass.
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12 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
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13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yes, the set time is come.
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Time to favour – A large proportion of the promised coming blessings belong to natural Israel; all should not be spiritualized. OV108:2
Set time – Fixed and unalterable. SM479:2
At the end of the Gentile lease of power, God's provision for Israel to represent his kingdom in the world returns. SM477:1
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14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
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For thy servants – "For thy servants hold dear her stones, and her very dust they cherish." (Leeser) CRI35:5
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15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory:
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16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory;
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Shall build up Zion – Restore the natural city of Jerusalem and complete the construction of the New Jerusalem, the Church. R56:2*
Implying a process, including the restoration in all its parts; true both of earthly Jerusalem and the Gospel Church. R56:6*, R58:3*
Appear in his glory – "When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory." (Col 3:4) R56:2*
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17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
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18 This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.
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19 For he hath looked down from the height of his Holy;
From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
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Behold the earth – In his sympathy, God beheld our sorrow. R4963:5
If God so loved these, if Christ died for them as well as us, why should we not be very sympathetic with them? R3933:4
After the saints have all gone to be with the Lord. R60:5*
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20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner;
To loose those that are appointed to death;
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Hear – Figuratively. R4963:5
Describing, not an impersonal Creator, but a personal one-- one who feels, thinks and exercises his power. SM623:1
Groaning – The suffering of humanity under the death penalty and the incidental aches and pains of our fallen condition. R5032:1, R4963:5; SM610:2
The prisoner – Prisoners of sin; captives in the prison house of death. Q159:T, A112; R4963:5
To loose those – He did more than look and pity. His right arm of divine power in due time began to bring deliverance to the captives of sin and death. R5032:1
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21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
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22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
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23 He afflicted me with his strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
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Weakened my strength – Christ's strength. R449:1
Here the speaker changes from Jehovah to Jesus, speaking at the time of his crucifixion. R449:1
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24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
Thy years are throughout all generations.
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Midst of my days – Prophetic of the painful circumstances of Jesus' death. R1205:2
Thy years – Jehovah's answer to Jesus prayer. R449:4
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25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;
And the heavens are the works of thy hands.
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Of old – In the creation of our first parents. R1814:1
Of the earth – The present social order. R1814:1, R3154:6
Originally, Adam was king, with dominion over the beasts, fowls and fish. R4222:6
The physical earth--referring to changes taking place as to earthly conditions; also used as the basis for a symbol, indicating the transformation of the present social order into one more acceptable to God. R3154:6
And the heavens – Powers of spiritual control. R3154:6
Originally, the spiritual heavens recognized the supremacy of the Almighty and that his will must be law for mankind. R4222:6
The spiritual or superior rule of the angels, which was connected with the epoch that preceded the flood. R4222:3
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26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;
Yes, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
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Be changed – Rearranged, made over, made new. R3154:6
One such change took place at the flood. We anticipate another in the near future, making the earth more fit than at present for the Millennium. R3154:6
Already changed twice, until today we have what is known as "This Present Evil World." (Gal. 1:4) R4222:6
They need changing, not because of any imperfection of the divine arrangement, but because it was departed from through sin, disobedience and death. R4222:6
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27 But thou art the same,
And thy years shall have no end.
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28 The children of thy servants shall continue,
And their seed shall be established before thee. |
Children of thy servants – The best provision which parents can make for their children is to give them, by precept and example, instruction in righteousness. R1963:5
Shall continue – "Seek meekness, seek righteousness. It may be that ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." (Zeph. 2:3) R1963:6
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