| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 To the Overseer. By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: |
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| I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength. |
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| 2 Jehovah [is] my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower. |
And the horn – Horns are symbols of power. T42
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| 3 The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved. |
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| 4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid. |
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| 5 Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. |
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 mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears. |
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| 7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake because He hath wrath. |
The earth shook – Verses 7 to 19 give a vivid description of the awful time of trouble. R5735:4
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| 8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
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| 9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet. |
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| 10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind. |
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 maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. |
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| 12 From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire. |
And coals of fire – To batter down man's pride, selfishness, and prejudices, and consume these. B153
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| 13 And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire. |
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| 14 And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them. |
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 And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger. |
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| 16 He sendeth from above He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters. |
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| 17 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I. |
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| 18 They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me. |
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| 19 And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me. |
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 doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me. |
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| 21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God. |
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| 22 For all His judgments [are] before me, And His statutes I turn not from me. |
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| 23 And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity. |
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| 24 And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes. |
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| 25 With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect. |
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 showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler, |
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 a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall. |
High looks – "A haughty spirit precedes a fall." (Prov 16:18) R3337:2
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| 28 For Thou Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness. |
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 a troop! And by my God I leap a wall. |
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 God! perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him. |
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 besides Jehovah And who [is] a rock save our God |
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 God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way. |
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| 33 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand. |
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| 34 Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms. |
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| 35 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great. |
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| 36 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden. |
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| 37 I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed. |
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| 38 I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet, |
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| 39 And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me. |
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| 40 As to mine enemies Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me I cut them off. |
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| 41 They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them. |
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| 42 And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out. |
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| 43 Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me. |
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| 44 At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, |
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| 45 Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places. |
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| 46 Jehovah liveth and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation. |
The LORD liveth – Securely anchored in him, we may trust and not be afraid. R3337:5
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| 47 God who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me, |
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| 48 My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me. |
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| 49 Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise, |
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| 50 Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed unto the age! |
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