| Scripture |
Expanded Comments | Additional Comments |
Jehovah praised for giving Victory and Dominion.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said, |
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1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
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2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
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And the horn – Horns are symbols of power. T42
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3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised:
So shall I be saved from mine enemies.
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4 The cords of death compassed me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
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5 The cords of Sheol were round about me;
The snares of death came upon me.
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The sorrows of hell – The bonds of Sheol, oblivion, the fear of death. E362
A figure in which trouble is represented as hastening one to the tomb. R2599:3
Prevented me – Seized me. E362
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6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah,
And cried unto my God:
He heard my voice out of his temple,
And my cry before him came into his ears.
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7 Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations also of the mountains quaked
And were shaken, because he was wroth.
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The earth shook – Verses 7 to 19 give a vivid description of the awful time of trouble. R5735:4
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8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,
And fire out of his mouth devoured:
Coals were kindled by it.
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9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down;
And thick darkness was under his feet.
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10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly;
Yes, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
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He rode upon a cherub – Jehovah is frequently spoken of as dwelling between, or above, the cherubim. R529:6*
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11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his booth round about him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
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12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
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And coals of fire – To batter down man's pride, selfishness, and prejudices, and consume these. B153
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13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered his voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
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14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;
Yes, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
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Sent out his arrows – Divine truth slaughtering the hosts of error. R5493:6; CR164:4; SM51:T
See comments on Psalm 45:5
Shot out lightnings – Diffusions of knowledge. R511:2
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15 Then the channels of waters appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare,
At thy rebuke, O Jehovah,
At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
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16 He sent from on high, he took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
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17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
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18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity;
But Jehovah was my stay.
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19 He brought me forth also into a large place;
He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
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Brought me – The David class, heirs of the Kingdom. R4242:6*
Large place – The place of freedom. R4243:1*
The place of justification and consecration--seated with Christ in heavenly places. R4243:2*
Delivered me – In two ways--deliverance out of the vexations and deliverance in the distresses. R4243:2*
Either by removal of difficulties, or by increased grace and ability to stand the trials. R4243:2*
Not as individuals, but as members of the Body of Christ. R4243:2*
Not necessarily from financial troubles, but he will give us peace and rest. R5218:1
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20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
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21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
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22 For all his ordinances were before me,
And I put not away his statutes from me.
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23 I was also perfect with him,
And I kept myself from mine iniquity.
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24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
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25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful;
With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;
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Shew thyself merciful – If we come to God's Word as reverent students, expecting to find therein the delineation of the character and plan of God, it will be revealed to us. R3337:1
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26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure;
And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.
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With the pure – A person's idea concerning God is a fair index of his relation toward God. R139:6*
The froward – These can warp and twist the Scriptures to suit their own ideas. R3337:1
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27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people;
But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.
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High looks – "A haughty spirit precedes a fall." (Prov 16:18) R3337:2
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28 For thou wilt light my lamp:
Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
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Enlighten my darkness – To those humble and faithful ones whom the Lord has been leading. R3337:4
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29 For by thee I run upon a troop;
And by my God do I leap over a wall.
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By thee I have – "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13) R2154:3
Through a troop – Of opposing enemies. R3337:5
Over a wall – Of bondage into the glorious liberty of a son of God. R3337:5
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30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The word of Jehovah is tried;
He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.
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As for God, his way – God's way is his plan or purpose, that which he purposes to accomplish, and which is steadily working out. R3336:3
Is perfect – Just, merciful, wise, benevolent, practicable and sure of a glorious termination. R3337:5
Nothing short of perfection can find favor in the eyes of God. R1610:2
God created man perfect, in his own image or likeness, not in the image and likeness of a monkey. CR208:6*
But we received our lives from our parents, and so on back to father Adam. Our first parents sinned, and thus the curse of death came upon the race. HG650:2
Our blemishes came to us from our parents, not from God. R2285:1
Therefore God is not the author of sin. R1225:2, R1782:4
Therefore we are to be so fully in accord with God's arrangements that we will not be disturbed or distressed by the fact that some will go into the Great Company and that others will go into the Second Death. Q498:7
Is tried – When fully understood it will stand the test of every argument that could be formed against it as to its justice, wisdom and benevolence. R3337:5
He is a buckler – A defense. R3337:5
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31 For who is God, save Jehovah?
And who is a rock, besides our God,
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For who is God – Who is mighty. R3337:5
Who is a rock – A safe anchorage to our souls. R3337:5
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32 The God that girdeth me with strength,
And maketh my way perfect?
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Maketh my way perfect – My way is perfect because I have agreed to walk in the perfect way that Jesus walked. This is, of course, impossible except that God has covered our imperfections with the Robe of Christ's Righteousness. As always, we needed to have Jesus walk this way before us and we are completely dependent upon him. |
33 He maketh my feet like hinds feet:
And setteth me upon my high places.
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He maketh – We are 100 per cent unable to do this on our own.
My feet – David here pictures (mainly) the true church of Christ in the flesh.
This likely has a double meaning.
1) The walk (feet) of the New Creation.
2) The feet members of the body of Christ.
Hind's feet – "The hind is a female red deer whose home is the mountains. The rear feet of the hind step in precisely the same spot where the front feet have just been." – http://hannahscupboard.com/secrethind.html
This forms a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ in the flesh. Our Lord walked the perfect path of love and self-sacrifice. The church walks in exactly the same steps as their Master.
Setteth me – The church in the flesh.
Upon my high places – It is referred to as "my" high places because the church has taken the name (Christ) of her Heavenly Bridegroom and is walking in His footsteps. Therefore they are upon "my (having chosen the true path by full consecration) high places (the high calling, being in heavenly places with Christ.)" |
34 He teacheth my hands to war;
So that mine arms do bend a bow of copper.
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He teacheth – Our instruction comes from the Word of God.
My hands to war – Because we need to be instructed how to use the Armor of God. – Eph. 6:11-18 |
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation;
And thy right hand hath holden me up,
And thy gentleness hath made me great.
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36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
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37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them;
Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.
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38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise:
They shall fall under my feet.
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39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle:
Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
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40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me,
That I might cut off them that hate me.
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41 They cried, but there was none to save;
Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.
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42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind;
I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
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43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people;
Thou hast made me the head of the nations:
A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
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44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me;
The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.
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45 The foreigners shall fade away,
And shall come trembling out of their close places.
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46 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation,
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The LORD liveth – Securely anchored in him, we may trust and not be afraid. R3337:5
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47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me,
And subdueth peoples under me.
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48 He rescueth me from mine enemies;
Yes, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me;
Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
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49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations,
And will sing praises unto thy name.
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50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king,
And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, |
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