| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 By David. An Instruction. |
Blessed is he – Primarily David himself. R3260:1
Taking the standpoint of the prophet after his heart had returned to peace with God through assurance of divine forgiveness of his sins. R4271:2
Whose transgression – Against Uriah. R3260:1
Nearly all sins committed by God's people may be classed as mixed sins--only partially wilful. R5690:2
Is forgiven – If you believe God exercised mercy toward you and forgave your sins, then believe also that the Lord has a similar arrangement for the world. HG147:3
Is covered – The Lord will cover the unwilful portion of a mixed sin, but will punish that portion which was of knowledge and assent of the mind. R5690:1
Set aside; not actually blotted out until the resurrection. R3261:1, R3314:6, R2667:1, R4272:5
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| O the happiness of him whose transgression [is] forgiven, Whose sin is covered. |
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| 2 O the happiness of a man, To whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. |
lmputeth not iniquity – So long as we renounce it and seek the Lord in faith and sincerity. R3314:6
There is no guile – No deceit or hypocrisy; whose conduct is open and transparent. R2017:5
No secret longing for sin with merely the restraints of fear. R4271:2
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| 3 When I have kept silence, become old have my bones, Through my roaring all the day. |
When I kept silence – Verses 3 and 4 briefly rehearse the king's unhappy experiences during nearly a year. R4271:3
Apparently for a time the king had smothered his conscience. R4271:5
The sin was concealed, unrepented of. R2016:2
My bones waxed old – He seemed to age rapidly that year; he became enfeebled prematurely. R4272:1
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| 4 When by day and by night Thy hand is heavy upon me, My moisture hath been changed Into the droughts of summer. Selah. |
Thy hand was heavy – The chiefest of his troubles consisted in his separation from the Lord. R4271:4
Turned into the drought – All the freshness, vigor and joy were consumed, as by a drouth. R4272:1
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| 5 My sin I cause Thee to know, And mine iniquity I have not covered. I have said, 'I confess concerning My transgressions to Jehovah,' And Thou Thou hast taken away, The iniquity of my sin. Selah. |
Acknowledged my sin – "Against thee, and thee alone, have I sinned, and done this great evil in thy sight." (Psa. 51:4) R4271:5
Unto the LORD – To the Lord only could he go asking forgiveness. R4271:5
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| 6 For this doth every saintly one pray to Thee, As the time to find. Surely at an overflowing of many waters, Unto him they come not. |
For this – For this cause, because of God's mercy. R4272:5
Mayest be found – There is a time limit to divine mercies. R4272:5
Before the heart becomes calloused and set in an evil course. R2017:5
David's experience taught him that every day he remained unrepentant carried him further from fellowship with the Lord. R3261:4
Surely – If the sinner will promptly confess and repent. R3261:4
Of great waters – Of trouble. R3261:4 Psalms 32:7
From trouble – Not necessarily implying that they would be taken away before the trouble. It is "through much tribulation we shall enter the kingdom." (Acts 14:22) R4273:1
Songs of deliverance – David could figuratively hear the heavenly messengers singing songs of his deliverance even while in the affliction. R3261:5
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| 7 Thou [art] a hiding-place for me, From distress Thou dost keep me, [With] songs of deliverance dost compass me. Selah. |
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| 8 I cause thee to act wisely, And direct thee in the way that thou goest, I cause mine eye to take counsel concerning thee. |
With mine eye – The eye is the symbol of wisdom. R4858:6
We should look to the Lord for leading in all of life's affairs. R4859:1, R4858:3, R3062:1
As a horse, driven without reins or bridle, simply directed by the eye and watching for the master's will, the animal being without restraint. R4273:2
The Lord's eye will watch over us, that he may give us the necessary proper counsel. R4273:1
Those who can be guided only by continual scourgings are not of the overcoming class. E234
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| 9 Be ye not as a horse as a mule, Without understanding, With bridle and bit, its ornaments, to curb, Not to come near unto thee. |
Be ye not as the horse – But, in the legitimate use of our intellectual endowments, let us apply our hearts unto instruction. R1661:6*
As the mule – Stubborn. R680:1*
No understanding – God would have his reasoning creatures serve intelligently and without force. R1566:2, R680:4*
While the Lord promises grace sufficient, he never encourages any to rest supinely upon his promises, but exhorts to activity, alertness, energy, perseverance. R1670:3
With general directions he sends us forth: not like machines, but as intelligent beings, to use our brains as well as our hands and feet. R3161:5
The two extremes of underrating and overrating human reason are both fraught with evil consequences. R1566:6
With bit and bridle – The world will be restrained with bit and bridle during the Millennium, but they must advance beyond this to be fit for eternal life at its close. R4273:2
Lest they come – Else they will not come (R.V.) R2017:6
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| 10 Many [are] the pains of the wicked; As to him who is trusting in Jehovah, Kindness doth compass him. |
Mercy shall compass – Though, to outward appearances, having as many sorrows as their less pious neighbors, God's promise is sure and his grace sufficient. R4273:4
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| 11 Be glad in Jehovah, and rejoice, ye righteous, And sing, all ye upright of heart! |
Glad in the LORD – A very different thing from being glad in the trifling things of this world. R4273:4
Ye righteous – God's people, reckoned righteous through faith. R4273:1
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