1<A Prayer. Of David.> Let your ears be open to my voice, O Lord, and give me an answer; for I am poor and in need. 2Keep my soul, for I am true to you; O my God, give salvation to your servant, whose hope is in you. 3Have mercy on me, O Lord; for my cry goes up to you all the day. 4Make glad the soul of your servant; for it is lifted up to you, O Lord. 5You are good, O Lord, and full of forgiveness; your mercy is great to all who make their cry to you. 6O Lord, give ear to my prayer; and take note of the sound of my requests. 7In the day of my trouble I send up my cry to you; for you will give me an answer. 8There is no god like you, O Lord; there are no works like your works. 9Let all the nations whom you have made come and give worship to you, O Lord, giving glory to your name. 10For you are great, and do great works of wonder; you only are God. 11Make your way clear to me, O Lord; I will go on my way in your faith: let my heart be glad in the fear of your name. 12I will give you praise, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will give glory to your name for ever. 13For your mercy to me is great; you have taken my soul up from the deep places of the underworld. 14O God, men of pride have come up against me, and the army of violent men would take my life; they have not put you before them. 15But you, O Lord, are a God full of pity and forgiveness, slow to get angry, great in mercy and wisdom. 16O be turned to me and have mercy on me: give your strength to your servant, and your salvation to the son of her who is your servant. 17Give me a sign for good; so that my haters may see it and be shamed; because you, Lord, have been my help and comfort.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The psalmist pleads his earnestness, and the mercy of God, as reasons why his prayer should be heard. (1-7) He renews his requests for help and comfort. (8-17) 1-7 Our poverty and wretchedness, when felt, powerfully plead in our behalf at the throne of grace. The best self-preservation is to commit ourselves to God's keeping. I am one whom thou favourest, hast set apart for thyself, and made partaker of sanctifying grace. It is a great encouragement to prayer, to feel that we have received the converting grace of God, have learned to trust in him, and to be his servants. We may expect comfort from God, when we keep up our communion with God. God's goodness appears in two things, in giving and forgiving. Whatever others do, let us call upon God, and commit our case to him; we shall not seek in vain. 8-17 Our God alone possesses almighty power and infinite love. Christ is the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth of God, in order to walk therein, than to be delivered out of earthly distress. Those who set not the Lord before them, seek after believers' souls; but the compassion, mercy, and truth of God, will be their refuge and consolation. And those whose parents were the servants of the Lord, may urge this as a plea why he should hear and help them. In considering David's experience, and that of the believer, we must not lose sight of Him, who though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.