1<A Psalm. A Song at the blessing of the House. Of David.> I will give you praise and honour, O Lord, because through you I have been lifted up; you have not given my haters cause to be glad over me. 2O Lord my God, I sent up my cry to you, and you have made me well. 3O Lord, you have made my soul come again from the underworld: you have given me life and kept me from going down among the dead. 4Make songs to the Lord, O you saints of his, and give praise to his holy name. 5For his wrath is only for a minute; in his grace there is life; weeping may be for a night, but joy comes in the morning. 6When things went well for me I said, I will never be moved. 7Lord, by your grace you have kept my mountain strong: when your face was turned from me I was troubled. 8My voice went up to you, O Lord; I made my prayer to the Lord. 9What profit is there in my blood if I go down into the underworld? will the dust give you praise, or be a witness to your help? 10Give ear to me, O Lord, and have mercy on me: Lord, be my helper. 11By you my sorrow is turned into dancing; you have taken away my clothing of grief, and given me robes of joy; 12So that my glory may make songs of praise to you and not be quiet. O Lord my God, I will give you praise for ever.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Praise to God for deliverance. (1-5) Others encouraged by his example. (6-12) 1-5. The great things the Lord has done for us, both by his providence and by his grace, bind us in gratitude to do all we can to advance his kingdom among men, though the most we can do is but little. God's saints in heaven sing to him; why should not those on earth do the same? Not one of all God's perfections carries in it more terror to the wicked, or more comfort to the godly, than his holiness. It is a good sign that we are in some measure partakers of his holiness, if we can heartily rejoice at the remembrance of it. Our happiness is bound up in the Divine favour; if we have that, we have enough, whatever else we want; but as long as God's anger continues, so long the saints' weeping continues. 6-12 When things are well with us, we are very apt to think that they will always be so. When we see our mistake, it becomes us to think with shame upon our carnal security as our folly. If God hide his face, a good man is troubled, though no other calamity befal him. But if God, in wisdom and justice, turn from us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from him. No; let us learn to pray in the dark. The sanctified spirit, which returns to God, shall praise him, shall be still praising him; but the services of God's house cannot be performed by the dust; it cannot praise him; there is none of that device or working in the grave, for it is the land of silence. We ask aright for life, when we do so that we may live to praise him. In due time God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when employed in praising God. He would persevere to the end in praise, hoping that he should shortly be where this would be the everlasting work. But let all beware of carnal security. Neither outward prosperity, nor inward peace, here, are sure and lasting. The Lord, in his favour, has fixed the believer's safety firm as the deep-rooted mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into sin, the Lord hides his face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us.