1A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save me and deliver me from all my pursuers, 2or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me. 3O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, 4if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause, 5then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah 6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment. 7Let the assembled peoples gather around You; take Your seat over them on high. 8The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity. 9Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and minds. 10My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. 11God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day. 12If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow. 13He has prepared His deadly weapons; He ordains His arrows with fire. 14Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. 15He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. 16His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head. 17I will thank the LORD for His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The psalmist prays to God to plead his cause, and judge for him. (1-9) He expresses confidence in God, and will give him the glory of his deliverance. (10-17) 1-9 David flees to God for succour. But Christ alone could call on Heaven to attest his uprightness in all things. All His works were wrought in righteousness; and the prince of this world found nothing whereof justly to accuse him. Yet for our sakes, submitting to be charged as guilty, he suffered all evils, but, being innocent, he triumphed over them all. The plea is, "For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." He knows the secret wickedness of the wicked, and how to bring it to an end; he is witness to the secret sincerity of the just, and has ways of establishing it. When a man has made peace with God about all his sins, upon the terms of grace and mercy, through the sacrifice of the Mediator, he may, in comparison with his enemies, appeal to God's justice to decide. 10-17 David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The sinner is described, ver. #14-16|, as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. Blessed Lord, give us grace to look to thee in the path of tribulation, going before thy church and people, and marking the way by thine own spotless example. Under all the persecutions which in our lesser trials mark our way, let the looking to Jesus animate our minds and comfort our hearts.