Psalm 69:13-28
13 And I—my prayer 'is' to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation. 14 Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters. 15 Let not a flood of waters overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up, Nor let the pit shut her mouth upon me. 16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for good 'is' Thy kindness, According to the abundance Of Thy mercies turn Thou unto me, 17 And hide not Thy face from Thy servant, For I am in distress—haste, answer me. 18 Be near unto my soul—redeem it, Because of mine enemies ransom me. 19 Thou—Thou hast known my reproach, And my shame, and my blushing, Before Thee 'are' all mine adversaries. 20 Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am sick, And I look for a bemoaner, and there is none, And for comforters, and I have found none. 21 And they give for my food gall, And for my thirst cause me to drink vinegar.
22 Their table before them is for a snare, And for a recompence—for a trap. 23 Darkened are their eyes from seeing, And their loins continually shake Thou. 24 Pour upon them Thine indignation, And the fierceness of Thine anger doth seize them. 25 Their tower is desolated, In their tents there is no dweller. 26 For they have pursued him Thou hast smitten, And recount of the pain of Thy pierced ones. 27 Give punishment for their iniquity, And they enter not into Thy righteousness. 28 They are blotted out of the book of life, And with the righteous are not written.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 69:13-28
Commentary on Psalm 69:13-21
(Read Psalm 69:13-21)
Whatever deep waters of affliction or temptation we sink into, whatever floods of trouble or ungodly men seem ready to overwhelm us, let us persevere in prayer to our Lord to save us. The tokens of God's favour to us are enough to keep our spirits from sinking in the deepest outward troubles. If we think well of God, and continue to do so under the greatest hardships, we need not fear but he will do well for us. And if at any time we are called on to suffer reproach and shame, for Christ's sake, this may be our comfort, that he knows it. It bears hard on one that knows the worth of a good name, to be oppressed with a bad one; but when we consider what a favour it is to be accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus, we shall see that there is no reason why it should be heart-breaking to us. The sufferings of Christ were here particularly foretold, which proves the Scripture to be the word of God; and how exactly these predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which proves him to be the true Messiah. The vinegar and the gall given to him, were a faint emblem of that bitter cup which he drank up, that we might drink the cup of salvation. We cannot expect too little from men, miserable comforters are they all; nor can we expect too much from the God of all comfort and consolation.
Commentary on Psalm 69:22-29
(Read Psalm 69:22-29)
These are prophecies of the destruction of Christ's persecutors. Verses Romans 11:9,10. When the supports of life and delights of sense, through the corruption of our nature, are made the food and fuel of sin, then our table is a snare. Their sin was, that they would not see, but shut their eyes against the light, loving darkness rather; their punishment was, that they should not see, but should be given up to their own hearts' lusts which hardened them. Those who reject God's great salvation proffered to them, may justly fear that his indignation will be poured out upon them. If men will sin, the Lord will reckon for it. But those that have multiplied to sin, may yet find mercy, through the righteousness of the Mediator. God shuts not out any from that righteousness; the gospel excludes none who do not, by unbelief, shut themselves out. But those who are proud and self-willed, so that they will not come in to God's righteousness, shall have their doom accordingly; they themselves decide it. Let those not expect any benefit thereby, who are not glad to be beholden to it. It is better to be poor and sorrowful, with the blessing of the Lord, than rich and jovial, and under his curse. This may be applied to Christ. He was, when on earth, a man of sorrows that had not where to lay his head; but God exalted him. Let us call upon the Lord, and though poor and sorrowful, guilty and defiled, his salvation will set us up on high.