1A prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You. 3Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long. 4Bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You. 6Hear my prayer, O LORD, and attend to my plea for mercy. 7In the day of my distress I call on You, because You answer me. 8O Lord, there is none like You among the gods, nor any works like Yours. 9All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name. 10For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God. 11Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. 12I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever. 13For great is Your loving devotion to me; You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol. 14The arrogant rise against me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, with no regard for You. 15But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness. 16Turn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant. 17Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be ashamed; for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
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.