1 David did not make this psalm when he fled [from Absalom], but after that danger he made a general thing out of his own, and put the history of his danger into this psalm, as an example to all the pious who might encounter such distress, that they might have a form and know how they should then speak and pray, so that they would not despair. For this is what the psalm teaches: Let it be so, that one may not despair nor despair, according to the example of David. For his life, body and soul, his kingdom, honor, favor of the people, wives, sons and daughters were in extreme danger. So it was a very severe challenge, and yet he does not despair. We should also follow his example in our perils and hardships.
V. 2. Oh Lord, how many are my enemies.
The first two verses show the great danger David was in. There is not one or two, he says, but so many that no one can count them: Wife, child, kingdom, honor and glory are all gone.
And so many sit down against me.
003 Many are set against me, which before, when I was well, were my friends. This is how it is in adversity; when one is forsaken, they fall with multitudes who before have helped me teach and preach. So also in Proverbs we say, No adversity alone. And these are the two works: first, that he suffer persecution; second, that he be forsaken of his friends.
V. 3. Many say of my soul that it has no help from God.
4. is a blasphemy. When one is in such misery, evil mouths come to him and want to have the soul as well: If our Lord God were with him, he would protect him; but he does not, and lets him be cast out of the kingdom 2c. There are very poisonous
Words that one should also have lost God. And this is the challenge of the word, that they want to take away one's armor, faith and prayer, as if it were not enough for one to be persecuted; but that one also cannot find it in himself, so that he can hold on and defend himself. God is an enemy to him, they say; so the devil also helps to blow. When it comes to that, it is at its highest, it must break and stop. Thus we now see such blasphemy in the case of the pope and the Turk. Therefore it must surely come to pass that they both perish. Then the spirit comes forth and says:
V. 4. But you, O Lord, are the shield for me, and the one who sets me in honor, and straightens my head.
5 Here he sets up three kinds of defense against the three kinds of temptations of which he said before. First: You have given me your word against the "many" who afflict me; "you are my shield", I have no other help. Secondly: Against those "who set themselves against me"/and who fall to my enemies and persecutors and leave me in all disgrace, "you set me in honor." Thirdly, "Thou judgest also upon my head" against the spirit of sadness, and against blasphemy. They want to make my heart dull; but you are my God, and make my conscience glad, so that I do not despair. Up to this point, it has been a story of how he fared in his temptations and sins. Now when one comes to such a point that he starts to encourage himself again, he also starts to overcome, if he only holds on to the word. Now he puts his own experience before our eyes, so that we may follow his example.
V. 5 I call with my voice to the Lord, and he hears me from his holy mountain.
6. from Zion, that is, in the place where he is to be called upon for the word. Prayer and faith are necessary in time of trouble. Faith is necessary so that we do not despair;
Prayer, that we may overcome; for the same is our armor and weapons. Therefore it is called [Zech. 12, 10.] the spirit of grace and prayer, that one may have the spirit, that one may yet provide himself something good to God. Now if the two stand, there is no need for us. One sigh of faith can overcome Satan, and all our temptations; as we shall see in the Turk. In the three following verses he thanks God for such a blessing.
V. 6. I lie and sleep and awake.
(7) Thus he indicates the highest security. So he who can do, pray and believe, lies down to sleep, gets up and asks for no one. But if one is full of thoughts, he cannot sleep. I live in great security, he says. Why?
For the Lord keeps me.
They afflict me, but the Lord defends me and keeps me; therefore I am not only safe, but also courageous, so that I will not fear anyone there. So the experience of faith bursts forth, praising God and saying, "If our Lord God can help in this way, then I will not fear a hundred thousand.
V. 7. I am not afraid of many hundreds of those who are baptizing, who are lying about against me.
9. this is the goal to which the whole psalm is directed, and it turns the special
The history of the world applies to the general. So this is the lesson of the psalm, that no one should be too afraid or despondent, no matter how bad it may be.
V. 8. Arise, O Lord, and help me, my God.
(10) But, O Lord, if thou wilt arise, there is no need.
Whom thou shalt smite all mine enemies in the jaws, and shatter the teeth of the wicked.
(11) Thou knowest the art, and smote them on the mouth, that their teeth should fall. Thou makest them subdue, boast, defy, oppress; but when they have opened their mouths widest, and are about to devour us, thou comest and smakest them, and makest them to be neither here nor there.
V. 9: With the Lord you will find help, and your blessing upon your people, Selah.
If the decision is: "Help comes from the Lord" [Ps. 121, 2], there is no help with men, they can neither help nor harm. So is the blessing with the Lord. The blessings of men do not help, nor do their cursing and blaspheming harm. So with this verse he gives this history to all the people and says: "All who believe and pray have help from the Lord. Then follow him in your afflictions.
About the same Psalm.
I. 1) The first evil is to have many followers.
The second is that the same increases because the friends fall away; that one falls to them and falls away from me.
II. The third is the high boasting, combined with blasphemy, as if they could prove with a certain fact, 2) that he is rejected because he is abandoned by God. God does not want his. This is a reason for proof that is taken from the revealed facts and what the senses feel.
1) These figures I to VIII are in the original edition.
2) Instead of probet, probent will be read, as the old translator already assumed.
Here one must trust in the thing against the thing, in hope against hope, which does not happen without tremendous heartache. It hurts, because the devil does not say this, unless he has the thing itself, which he can insist on as with an experience.
But the best thing is that it is not.
But "they say," he says. They say indeed, but it does not happen immediately, as they say, because the devil is a liar and all who cling to him. Many words go into a sack, much more out.
Let the word be the word, you are the shield. "The shield" against those who fear and afflict us.
1376 D- xvii, 27-29. Brief au[1. on the first 25 Psalms. Ps. 3. 4. w. iv. iNu-E. 1377
"The honor" against those who set themselves against us and trample us underfoot.
"An uplifting of the head" against those who make the heart fainthearted.
Arise, lift up your head, and be undaunted, undaunted. These three things the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, does through the Word. Rom. 14, 17.
IV. "With my voice." It is only [therefore] to pray, and it is already there 2c. As another Psalm says [Ps. 50:15], "Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver thee." Item: "He calls upon me, and I will hear him," Ps. 91:15. "I call," he says; does not say: run here, run there; do this, do that; become a monk, become a nun: accuse me, and call me, and I will gladly do it.
V. "I lie" 2c. I see that my sorrow and worry, how I may get rid of my distress, is nothing. If you learn to obey God and trust His word, you will be without worries, you will live, have plans, die, "He will take care of you" [1 Pet 5:7].
VI. "I am not afraid." Though the gates of hell set themselves against me, what is it? If the whole world is against me, what is it?
VII. "Baking", because they wanted to
devour
with the deed, with words.
But, "praise be to the LORD, 1) that he giveth us not to be robbed in their teeth" 2c. [Ps. 124:6.] For they must spit out again those whom they had already seized with their teeth in order to devour them.
So it is a consolation that God comes just at the time when it comes to devouring, and breaks the jaws of the lions, so that they have to let the robbery go.
"Teeth" are
the forces, the fierceness
of godlessness.
VIII. "With the Lord one finds help." We cannot help ourselves, so it does not matter much who curses us and says that there is no help for us with God. If he helps, then there is blessing enough.
One concludes: You are in trouble, so you have sinned. Job 4, 7. Eliphaz says to Job: "Dear, remember, where has an innocent perished? or, where have the righteous ever perished?" I answer from the fourth Psalm, v. 2: "I am righteous in the sight of God, but if I am in trouble, God will comfort me. On the other hand, you are godless and wretched people; therefore you have your comfort here on earth, and without God.
1) The words: "But ... HErr" are missing in the Latin. Already the old translator inserted them.
2) In Latin: lelioes instead of: intkliees.