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Through
the Bible on, prayer By JOHN CHOPORES Ge 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. Ge 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife. Some reasons why prayer was answered- 1. Because
Abraham stayed in his faith, even in the face of his past failures. 2. Because
Abimelech was willing and readily to receive blessing. It is the natural,
ungodly, rebellious heart of man, that stops much blessing. There must be a
longing for God and His things, to make the heart ready for blessing. The hindrances to the gracious effects of
prayer lie in man’s rebellious heart.
Abimelech had learned the fear of God. Now he was ready for blessing! 3. Because
God loves to put honor onto His servants. God had a covenant with Abraham. “In two respects the wonderful favour of God towards
Abraham was apparent; first, that, with outstretched hand, He avenged the
injury done to him, and secondly, that, through Abraham’s prayer, He became
pacified towards the house of Abimelech.” [CALVIN.]. Verse 17. So Abraham prayed Part of the job, of a prophet, is to pray for
people. Cf. Jer. 27: 18 But if they be
prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make
intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house
of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Abraham was not only a prophet, but also, a friend
of God! Cf. James In a way, it is true; “it is not just what you know,
but who you know!” You can know know no One better or higher, than God Himself
does! Please note, that weather a man is religious or not.
Many times, when he needs healing, he will pray to God! Even many of the
unsaved, believe in the power of prayer.Cf. Ezra God will bless anyone, who obeys Him, by praying for
the one He tells to pray for! Sometimes with earthy wealth. Cf. Job 42:10 ¶ And
the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the
LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Sometimes with a spiritual blessing. CF. Matthew Ge 32:11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my
brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me,
and the mother with the children. “Ver. 11. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother,
from the hand of Esau, &c.] For though his brother, it was his brother
Esau, that had formerly vowed revenge upon him, and had determined to kill him,
#Ge 27:41, and he knew not but that he was still of the same mind; and now
having an opportunity, and in his power to do it, being accompanied with four
hundred men, he feared he would attempt it; and therefore entreats the Lord,
who was greater than he, to deliver him from falling into his hands, and being
destroyed by him: for I fear him, lest he
will come and smite me, [and] the mother with the children; for whom Jacob
seems to be more concerned than for himself; the phrase denotes the utter
destruction of his family, and the cruelty and inhumanity that would be
exercised therein; which shows what an opinion he had of his brother, and of
his savage disposition.” [JOHN GILL.]. “9-12. Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham — In this great emergency, he had recourse to prayer. This is the first
recorded example of prayer in the Bible. It is short, earnest, and bearing
directly on the occasion. The appeal is made to God, as standing in a
covenant relation to his family, just as we ought to put our hopes of
acceptance with God in Christ. It pleads the special promise made to him of a
safe return; and after a most humble and affecting confession of unworthiness,
it breathes an earnest desire for deliverance from the impending
danger. It was the prayer of a kind
husband, an affectionate father, a firm believer in the promises.” [JFB]. Moses Numbers 11:2
And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD,
the fire was quenched. Were we see prayer used to stop fire. It can also be used to call
down fire! Cf. 2 Kings 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain
of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and
consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed
him and his fifty. Numbers 21:7
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we
have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he
take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. You will notice, that the people repented, and told of their sin,
and then asked for prayer! “7 -9. the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned --The
severity of the scourge and the appalling extent of mortality brought them to a
sense of sin, and through the intercessions of Moses, which they implored, they
were miraculously healed. He was directed to make the figure of a serpent in
brass, to be elevated on a pole or standard, that it might be seen at the
extremities of the camp and that every bitten Israelite who looked to it might
be healed. This peculiar method of cure was designed, in the first instance, to
show that it was the efficacy of God's power and grace, not the effect of
nature or art, and also that it might be a type of the power of faith in Christ
to heal all who look to Him because of their sins” [JFB]. “Ver. 7. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, we have
sinned, &c.] Being bitten with serpents, and some having died, the rest
were frightened, and came and made an humble acknowledgment of their sins to
Moses: for we have spoken against
the Lord, and against thee; murmuring at their being brought out of Egypt, and
because they had no better provision in the wilderness; concluding they should
die there for want, and never enter into the land of Canaan, of which evils
they were now sensible, and confessed them: pray unto the Lord that he
take away the serpents from us; or "the serpent" {c}, in the
singular, which is put for the plural, as it often is; or the plague of the
serpent, as the Targum of Jonathan, that it might cease, and they be no more
distressed by them: they were sensible they came from God, and that none could
remove them but him; and knowing that Moses was powerful in prayer, and had
interest with God, they entreat him to be their intercessor, though they had
spoken against him and used him ill: and Moses prayed for the
people; which proves him to be of a meek and forgiving spirit; who, though he
had been so sadly reflected on, yet readily undertakes to pray to God for them. {c} fxn ta
"serpentem", Montanus; "hunc serpentem", Piscator,” [JOHN
GILL]. DEU. Deuteronomy “20. The Lord was
very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him --By allowing himself to be
overborne by the tide of popular clamor, Aaron became a partaker in the guilt
of idolatry and would have suffered the penalty of his sinful compliance, had
not the earnest intercession of Moses on his behalf prevailed.” [JFB]. “ (l) By which he shows the danger they are
in who have authority and do not resist wickedness.” [ “Ver. 20. And the
Lord was very angry with Aaron, to have destroyed him, &c.] For complying
with the request of the people in making a calf for them, and for that
miserable shift he made to excuse himself; which so provoked the Lord, that he
threatened to destroy him, and he was in danger of being cut off, had it not
been for the intercession of Moses:” [JOHN GILL]. Hannah 1 Samuel “and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore; her prayer was with strong crying and tears; it was very fervent and affectionate; she prayed most vehemently, and wept bitterly. This perhaps was about the time of the evening sacrifice, about three or four o'clock in the afternoon; seeing it was after dinner that she arose up and went to prayer in the house of God, at the door of the tabernacle, or near it, as it should seem by the notice Eli took of her, who sat there.” [JOHN GILL]. 1
Samuel 1:27 For this child I prayed; and
the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: " Ver. 27.
For this child I prayed, &c.] Which she now had in her hand, and was
presenting to Eli:" [JOHN GILL]. The Hebrew word
for "prayed" is " llp palal
" , it means "to intercede". Here it is in the perfect
tense, so, it is a completed action. Did not Jesus,
Himself tell us to keep asking? Cf. Matthew 7:7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: John Solomon 1 Kings 3: 5 ¶ In It is normal for out thoughts, at night to go to the
things that need to be done. Solomon had a great job, before him! 6 And
Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy,
according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in
uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness,
that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. We see that
Solomon starts his prayer with, thankless! Does it not make sense that do so
when one is talking to the One who can answer all our questions, and help all
our needs? Mercy, all help from God, starts with it. His (God Himself) mercy. 7 And
now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father:
and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. Solomon does not
call himself, "the great Solomon", for before God, no man is great
(Jesus Christ, was very man and very God)! 8 And
thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great
people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. It is too big of a
job for one man, but not for a God helped man! Cf. 2 Kings 9
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people,
that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so
great a people? We see that
Solomon asks so that he can help others. Also, please note that this prayer is
in private. Cf. Matthew 6:6 "But you, when you pray, go into your
room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the
secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. " that I may
discern between good and bad; not merely between moral good and evil, of which he had a discernment; but between
right and wrong in any case or controversy that came before him between man and
man, that so he might be able to pass a
right sentence, and do justice to every
one: for who is able to
judge this thy so great a people? who are so very numerous, and have so many causes to be heard and and
those many of them very intricate and difficult; so that no man is equal to
such arduous work, unless he has more
than an ordinary capacity given him by the Lord." [JOHN GILL]. 1 Kings The best thing
about this prayer is that it "pleased the Lord". What greater joy is
there, than pleasing the Lord? Cf. Hebrews 12:2
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the
joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God. 11
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not
asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast
asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to
discern judgment; 12
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise
and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee,
neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches,
and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all
thy days. God many times,
gives us more then we ask for! 14
And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my
commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. Elijah 1
Kings 18: 36 And it came to pass at the
time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came
near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this
day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have
done all these things at thy word. " Lord God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob; the covenant God of the ancestors of his people, though they had now so fully departed from
him: let it be known this day that thou art God in and that I am thy servant; a true worshipper of
him, and his faithful prophet and
minister: and that I have done all these things at thy word;
restrained rain from the earth for some years past, and now had convened Israel, and the false prophets, together,
that by a visible sign from heaven it might be known who was the true
God; all which he did not of himself,
but by the impulse,
direction, and, commandment of the Lord." [JOHN GILL]. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people
may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back
again. " Ver. 37. Hear me, O Lord,
hear me; &c.] Which repetition is made to express his importunity,"
[JOHN GILL]. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed
the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up
the water that was in the trench. " Ver. 38. Then the fire of the Lord fell, &c.] An extraordinary fire from God out
of heaven, as the effects of it show: and consumed the burnt sacrifice; as it had done in
former instances, #Le 9:24 Jud 6:21 1Ch and the wood,
and the stones, and the dust; of
the altar, thereby signifying that even
such were not to be used any more: and licked up the water that was in the trench;
around the altar, see #1Ki 18:32."
[JOHN GILL]. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on
their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. " Ver. 39. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, &c.] In reverence of God, astonished at the miracle wrought, ashamed of themselves and their sins, particularly their idolatry, that they should turn their backs on the true
God, and follow idols: and they said,
the Lord, he is the God, the Lord,
he is the God; which acknowledgment of God, as the true God, in opposition to Baal, is repeated,
to show their firm belief and strong assurance of it." [JOHN GILL]. Psa 4:1-5. 1 ¶ <<To the chief Musician
on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.>> Hear me when I call, O God of my
righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon
me, and hear my prayer. " God of my righteousness--or, "my righteous God, as my holy hill" (#Ps 2:6), who will act towards me on righteous principles.
thou hast enlarged--expresses relief afforded in opposition to
"distress, "which is expressed by a word denoting straits or
pressure. Past favor is a ground of hope for the future." [JFB]. " Ver. 1. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness, &c.] Or,
"my righteous God" {h},
who is righteous in his nature,
ways, and works, the just Judge
of the whole earth, who will do right;
or "the vindicator of my righteousness", as the Syriac version renders it; that
is, of his innocence and uprightness, which the Lord knew and was a witness of: and
since he was his covenant God, he
doubted not but he would bring it forth as the light, and favour his righteous cause, and do him justice upon his enemies: or the
psalmist addresses God in this manner,
because he was the author of his righteousness, and was the justifier of him, by imputing the righteousness of his Son unto
him. … The petition put up by the psalmist is, to be heard when he called, that is,
to hear his prayer, as it is explained in the latter part of the verse:
and God is a God hearing prayer; and so David,
Christ, and all the saints, have found him to be: " [JOHN GILL]. 2
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long
will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. 3
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the
LORD will hear when I call unto him. " Ver. 3.
The Lord will hear when I call unto him.
Let us remember that the experience of one of the saints concerning the
verity of God's promises, and of the
certainty of the written privileges of the Lord's people, is a sufficient proof of the right which all
his children have to the same mercies,
and a ground of hope that they also shall partake of them in their times
of need. David Dickson, 1653." 4
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed,
and be still. Selah. 5
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. “Ver. 1. This is another
instance of David's common habit of pleading past mercies as a ground for
present favour. Here he reviews his
Ebenezers and takes comfort from them.
It is not to be imagined that he who has helped us in six troubles will
leave us in the seventh. God does nothing by halves, and he will never cease to
help us until we cease to need. The
manna shall fall every morning until we cross the Observe, that David
speaks first to God and then to men.
Surely we should all speak the more boldly to men if we had more
constant converse with God. He who dares
to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men. The name by which the Lord is here addressed, God of my righteousness,
deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It means, Thou art the author, the witness,
the maintainer, the judge, and the rewarder of my righteousness; to thee I
appeal from the calumnies and harsh judgments of men. Herein is wisdom, let us imitate it and
always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but into the
superior court, the King's Bench of heaven. …hear my prayer, and bring thy servant out of his troubles. The best of men need mercy as truly as the
worst of men. All the deliverances of
saints, as well as the pardons of sinners, are the free gifts of heavenly
grace.” [SPUR “Ver. 1. Hear me when I call, etc.
Faith is a good orator and a noble disputer in a strait; it can reason
from God's readiness to hear: "Hear me when I call, O God." And from the everlasting righteousness given
to the man in the justification of his person: O God of my righteousness. And from God's constant justice in defending
the righteousness of his servant's cause: "O God of my
righteousness." And from both
present distresses and those that are by past, wherein he hath been, and from
by gone mercies received: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. And from God's grace, which is able to answer
all objections from the man's unworthiness or ill deserving: Have mercy upon
me, and hear my prayer.” David Dickson, 1653. “Verse
1. Hear me
when I call — No man has a right to expect God to hear him
if he do not call. Indeed, how shall he be heard if he speak not? There are
multitudes who expect the blessings of God as confidently as if they had prayed
for them most fervently; and yet such people pray not at all!” [A. CLARKE.]. Psa 5:1 ¶ <<To the chief
Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.>> Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my meditation. “Ver. 1. There are two
sorts of prayers -- those expressed in words, and the unuttered longings which
abide as silent meditations. Words are
not the essence but the garments of prayer.
Moses at the [SPUR “Psa 5: 1-2. Observe the
order and force of the words, my cry, the voice of my prayer; and also, give
ear, consider, hearken. These expressions all evince the urgency and energy of
David's feelings and petitions. First we
have, "give ear;" that is, hear me.
But it is of little service for the words to be heard, unless the
"cry," or the roaring, or the meditation, be considered. As if he had said, in a common way of
expression, I speak with deep anxiety and concern, but with a failing
utterance; and I cannot express myself, nor make myself understood as I
wish. Do thou, therefore, understand
from my feelings more than I am able to express in words. And, therefore, I add my "cry;"
that what I cannot express in words for thee to hear, I may by my
"cry" signify to thine understanding. And when thou hast understood
me, then, O Lord, Hearken unto the voice of my prayer, and despise not what
thou hast thus heard and understood. We
are not, however, to understand that hearing, understanding, and hearkening,
are all different acts in God, in the same way as they are in us; but that our
feelings towards God are to be thus varied and increased; that is, that we are
first to desire to be heard, and then, that our prayers which are heard may be
understood; and then, that being understood, they may be hearkened unto, that
is, not disregarded.” Martin Luther. " 1.
meditation--moanings of that half-uttered form to which deep feeling gives
rise--groanings, as in #Ro
8:26,27." [JFB]. " In this
psalm, I. David settles a
correspondence between his soul and God, promising to pray, and promising himself that God would
certainly hear him, #Ps 5:1-3. II. He gives to
God the glory, and takes to himself the
comfort, of God's holiness, #Ps 5:4-6. III. He declares
his resolution to keep close to the public worship of God, #Ps 5:7. IV. He prayed, 1. For
himself, that God would guide him, #Ps 5:8. 2. Against his
enemies, that God would destroy
them, #Ps 5:9-10. 3. For all the
people of God, that God would give them
joy, and keep them safe, #Ps 5:11-12. And this is all of great use to
direct us in prayer." [MATTHEW HENRY]. Ps 5:2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King,
and my God: for unto thee will I pray. David knows to
bring his prayer to Great King, the One who has the love and power to answer
it. For God is the One who cares most for us, and our welfare. Again, only God has all-power, more than enough to answers our prayers! Cf. Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and
proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth, Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth. “My King, and my God. Observe carefully
these little pronouns, "my King, and my God." They are the pith and marrow of the
plea. Here is a grand argument why God
should answer prayer -- because he is our King and our God. We are not aliens to him: he is the King of
our country. Kings are expected to hear
the appeals of their own people. We are
not strangers to him; we are his worshippers, and he is our God: ours by
covenant, by promise, by oath, by blood.” [SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 2. Hearken unto the voice of my
cry, &c.] Which seems to intend more than groans or words, even a loud
outcry, as of a person in great distress; such as the strong crying of Christ,
in the days of his flesh, when on the cross, forsaken by God, deserted by his
friends, and surrounded by his enemies, #Heb 5:7; and such, in some measure,
was the case of David. The arguments used by him, that the Lord would hearken to
him, are as follow: and the first is taken from his interest in the Lord, and
his relation to him, my King and my God; the Lord was David's
King in a civil sense; though David was a king over others, yet the Lord, who
is the King of kings, was King over him, and he owned him to be so; he was set
upon the throne by him, had his kingdom from him, and was accountable to him:
and he was his King in a natural sense, the kingdom of nature and providence
belonging to him, as he was his Creator, preserver, protector, and defender;
and in a spiritual sense, he being delivered from the dominion of other lords,
sin, Satan, and the world, and brought to a subjection to him by his Spirit and
grace; and so to own him as his King and Lawgiver, as well as his Saviour. And
he was his God; not in a general way, as he is the God of the spirits of all
flesh living; nor merely in the peculiar way in which he was the God of the
people of Israel; but in a most special manner, as being his , covenant God and
Father in Christ. He was his God, not only as the God of nature and providence,
but as the God of all grace; who had distinguished him by special and spiritual
blessings and favours; and whom David loved, believed in, and worshipped as his
God. And this his interest in him, and relation to him, he uses with great
pertinence and propriety, as an argument that he might be heard by him; since
the Lord was his King, and he his subject; the Lord was his God, and he one of
his people; the Lord was his father, and he a child of his; and therefore
entreats and hopes to be heard; see #Isa 63:15,16. His next argument is taken
from his resolution to pray to him, and to continue to do so: for unto thee
will I pray; and only to thee: not to the gods of the Heathen, to idols, the
works of men's hands, who can neither hear nor save: and to thee always;
suggesting, that he would never leave off praying till he was heard; he would
give him no rest, day nor night, until he received an answer.” [JOHN GILL.]. “Verse 2. Hearken
unto the voice of my cry — We may easily find the process through
which David’s mind was now passing: 1. We have seen from the preceding Psalm
that he lay down in a very happy frame of mind, and that he had enjoyed
profound repose. 2. As soon as he awakes in the morning, his heart, having a
right direction, resumes its work. 3. He meditates on God’s goodness; and on
his own happy state, though pursued by enemies, and only safe as long as God
preserved him by an almighty hand and especial providence. 4. This shows him
the need he has of the continual protection of the Most High; and therefore he
begins to form his meditation and the desires of his heart into words, to which
he entreats the Lord to give ear. 5. As he was accustomed to have answers to
his prayers, he feels the necessity of being importunate! and therefore lifts
up his voice. 6. Seeing the workers of iniquity, liars, and blood-thirsty men
strong to accomplish their own purposes in the destruction of the godly, he
becomes greatly in earnest, and cries unto the Lord: “Hearken unto the voice of
my cry.” 7. He knows that, in order to have a right answer, he must have a
proper disposition of mind. He feels his subjection to the supreme authority of
the Most High, and is ready to do his will and obey his laws; therefore he prays
to God as his lying: “Hearken, my King and my God.” I have not only taken thee
for my GOD, to save, defend, and
make me happy; but I have taken thee for my KING,
to govern, direct, and rule over me. 8. Knowing the necessity and success of
prayer, he purposes to continue in the spirit and practice of it: “Unto thee
will I pray.” R. S. Jarchi gives this a pretty and pious turn: “When I have
power to pray, and to ask for the things I need, then, O Lord, give ear to my
words; but when I have no power to plead with thee, and fear seizes on my
heart, then, O Lord, consider my meditation!”” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Ps
6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication;
the LORD will receive my prayer. “Ver. 9. The Lord hath heard my supplication.
The Holy Spirit had wrought into the Psalmist's mind the confidence that his
prayer was heard. This is frequently the
privilege of the saints. Praying the
prayer of faith, they are often infallibly assured that they have prevailed
with God. We read of Luther that, having
on one occasion wrestled hard with God in prayer, he came leaping out of his
closet crying, "Vicimus, vicimus;" that is, "We have conquered,
we have prevailed with God."
Assured confidence is no idle dream, for when the Holy Ghost bestows it
upon us, we know its reality, and could not doubt it, even though all men
should deride our boldness.” [SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 9. The Lord hath heard my
supplication, etc. The psalmist three times expresses his confidence of his
prayers being heard and received, which may be either in reference to his
having prayed so many times for help, as the apostle Paul did (#2Co 12:8); and
as Christ his antitype did (#Mt 26:39,42,44); or to express the certainty of
it, the strength of his faith in it, and the exuberance of his joy on account
of it.” John Gill, D.D., 1697-1771. Ps 17:1 ¶ <<A Prayer of David.>> Hear the
right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. “Ver. 1. Hear... attend... give
ear. This petition repeated thrice, indicates a great power of feeling and many
tears; because the craft of the ungodly, in truth, grieves and afflicts the
spiritual man more than their power and violence, for we can get a knowledge of
open force and violence, and, when we see the danger, can in some way guard
against it. Martin Luther. “Ver. 1. That goeth not out of
feigned lips. There are such things as "feigned lips;" a contraction
between the heart and the tongue, a clamour in the voice and scoffing in the
soul, a crying to God, "Thou art my father, the guide of my youth;"
and yet speaking and doing evil to the utmost of our power (#Jer 3:4-5), as if
God could be imposed upon by fawning pretences, and, like old Isaac, take Jacob
for Esau, and be cozened by the smell of his garments; ... This is an unworthy
conceit of God, to fancy that we can satisfy for inward sins, and avert
approaching judgments by external offerings, by a loud voice, with a false
heart, as if God (like children), would be pleased with the glittering of an
empty shell, or the rattling of stones, the chinking of money, a mere voice,
and crying without inward frames and intentions of service.” Stephen Charnock. “Ver. 1. Not out of feigned lips.
Not only a righteous cause, but a righteous prayer are urged as motives why God
should hear. Calvin remarks on the
importance of joining prayer to the testimony of a good conscience, lest we
defraud God of his honour by not committing all judgments to him.” J. J.
Stewart Perowne. “Verse 1. Hear the right — Attend to the justice of my cause, qdx hwhy Yehovah tsedek, righteous
Jehovah. “O righteous Jehovah, attend unto my cry.” Goeth not out of feigned lips. —
My supplication is sincere: and the desire of my heart accompanies the words of
my lips.” [A. CLARKE.]. Ps 32:6 For this
shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be
found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. “Ver. 6. The floods of great
waters. The afflictions of the faithful are likened to waters. Fire and water have no mercy, we say. But of the two water is the worst. For any fire may be quenched with water; but
the force of water, if it begins to be violent, cannot by any power of man, be
resisted. But these our tribulations
which are waters are "many waters." Our common proverb is,
"Seldom comes sorrow alone:" but as waters come rolling and waving
many together, so the miseries of this life.” Thomas Playfere. “Ver. 6. Floods of great
waters. Unfamiliar with the sudden
flooding of thirsty water courses, we seldom comprehend the full force of the
most striking images in the Old and New Testaments.” W.J. Conybeare, and J.S. Howson, in "Life and
Epistles of “Verse 6. For
this shall every one that is godly — Because thou art
merciful; because thou hast shown mercy to all who have truly turned to thee,
and believed in thee; every one who fears thee, and hears of this, shall pray
unto thee in an acceptable time, when thou mayest be found; in the time of
finding. When the heart is softened and the conscience alarmed, that is a time
of finding. God is ever ready; men are not so. Who can pray with a hard heart
and a dark mind? While you feel relentings, pray. Surely
in the floods — In violent trials, afflictions, and
temptations; when the rains descend, the winds blow, and the floods beat
against that godly man who prays and trusts in God; “they shall not come nigh
him,” so as to weaken his confidence or destroy his soul. His house is founded
on a rock.” [Adam CLARKE.]. Ps 35:13 But as for
me, when they were sick, my clothing was
sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own
bosom. “And my prayer returned into mine
own bosom. Prayer is never lost: if it
bless not those for whom intercession is made, it shall bless the intercessors.
Clouds do not always descend in showers upon the same spot from which the
vapours ascended, but they come down somewhere; and even so do supplications in
some place or other yield their showers of mercy. If our dove find no rest for the sole of her
foot among our enemies, it shall fly into our bosoms and bring an olive branch
of peace in its mouth. How sharp is the
contrast all through this Psalm between the righteous and his enemies! We must be earnest to keep the line of
demarcation broad and clear.” [SPURGEON.]. “and my prayer returned into mine
own bosom; that is, he prayed privately and heartily for them, as for himself;
he was constant in it, his heart was in it, and he took delight in it, and he
was heard and answered; unless the sense should be, that his prayer was
slighted by them, and so returned back to himself, as a present despised is
returned; but however it was not without its effect, the good for which he
prayed for them was returned by the Lord unto him.” [JOHN GILL.]. “My prayer returned into mine own bosom.
— Though from the wayward and profligate life they led, they did not profit by
my prayers, yet God did not permit me to pray in vain. They were like alms
given to the miserable for God’s sake, who takes care to return to the merciful
man tenfold into his bosom. The bosom is not only the place where the Asiatics
carry their purses, but also where they carry any thing that is given to them.”
A. CLARKE.]. Ps 39:12 Hear my
prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I
am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. “
Ver. 12. Hear my prayer, O Lord.
Drown not my pleadings with the sound of thy strokes. Thou hast heard the clamour of my sins, Lord;
hear the laments of my prayers. And give
ear unto my cry. Here is an advance in
intensity: a cry is more vehement, pathetic, and impassioned, than a
prayer. The main thing was to have the
Lord's ear and heart. Hold not thy peace
at my tears. This is a yet higher degree
of importunate pleading. Who can
withstand tears, which are the irresistible weapons of weakness? How often women, children, beggars, and
sinners, have betaken themselves to tears as their last resort, and therewith
have won the desire of their hearts!” [SPURGEON.]. “Verse 12. Hear my prayer — Therefore, O
Lord, show that mercy upon me which I so much need, and without which I must
perish everlastingly. I
am a stranger with thee — I have not made this earth my home; I
have not trusted in any arm but thine. Though I have sinned, I have never
denied thee, and never cast thy words behind my back. I knew that here I had no
continuing city. Like my fathers, I looked for a city that has permanent
foundations, in a better state of being.” A. CLARKE.]. Ps 42:8 Yet the LORD will command his
lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my
prayer unto the God of my life. “ [and] my prayer unto the God of my
life: natural, spiritual, and eternal; being the author, giver, and preserver
of each; and this is no inconsiderable mercy, to have such a God to pray unto
in a time of distress; as well as in a time of salvation, to go to, and make
known requests with thanksgiving; which seems to be intended here, since it is
joined with a song. Prayer and praise go together, the object of which are not
lifeless idols, that cannot save; but the living God, who is a God hearing and
answering prayer, and does not despise the prayer of the destitute.” [JOHN
GILL.]. “And my prayer unto the God of my
life. Prayer is yoked with praise. He who is the living God, is the God of our
life, from him we derive it, with him in prayer and praise we spend it, to him
we devote it, in him we shall prefect it.
To be assured that our sighs and songs shall both have free access to
our glorious Lord is to have reason for hope in the most deplorable condition.”
[SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 8. And my prayer unto the God of
my life. Here may be seen that David's
religion was a religion of prayer after deliverance, as well as before. The selfish who cry out in trouble will have
done with their prayers, when the trouble is over. With David it was the very reverse. Deliverance from trouble would strengthen his
confidence in God, embolden his addresses to him, and furnish him with new
arguments ... There is great need of prayer after deliverance; for the time of
deliverance is often a time of temptation; the soul being elated, and thrown
off its guard. At such seasons much of
the joy that is felt may be merely natural, as David's would probably be when
rescued from that corroding care which injures the body as well as distresses
the soul. There is danger of mistaking;
of supposing it to be all spiritual, and hence of imagining the soul to be in a
higher state of grace than it really is, and so, of being imperceptibly drawn
into a state of false security. There is
then especial need of that prayer.
"Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." And with some peculiarly, who being of a
sanguine constitution of mind, are in times of enjoyment, soon puffed up and brought
into danger.” Henry March. “Ver. 8. (last clause). Your song and your prayer must be directed to
God as the God of your life. You do not
own him as God, except you own and adore him as your all sufficient good, and
that "fulness which filleth all in all." You detract from the glory of his Godhead, if
you attribute not this to him; and if, accordingly, as one that cannot live
without him, you do not seek union with him, and join yourself to him, and then
rejoice and solace yourself in that blessed conjunction.” John Howe. “Ver. 8. The God of my life. There is a threefold life whereof we partake,
and God is the God of each unto us.
First, the life of nature; secondly, the life of grace; thirdly, the
life of glory.” T. Horton. “Verse 8. The
Lord will command — Every day the Lord will give an
especial commission to his loving-kindness to visit me. During the night I
shall sing of his mercy and goodness; and alternately mingle my singing with
prayer for a continuance of his mercy, and for power to make the best use of
these visitations.” [A. CLARKE.]. Ps 54:2 Hear my
prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. “Ver. 2. Hear my prayer, O God. This has ever been the defence of
saints. As long as God hath an open ear
we cannot be shut up in trouble. All
other weapons may be useless, but all prayer is evermore available. No enemy can spike this gun. Give ear to the words of my mouth. Vocal prayer helps the supplicant, and we
keep our minds more fully awake when we can use our tongues as well as our
hearts. But what is prayer if God hear
not? It is all one whether we babble nonsense or plead arguments if our God
grant us not a hearing. When his case
had become dangerous, David could not afford to pray out of mere custom, he
must succeed in his pleadings, or become the prey of his adversary.”
[SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 2. Hear my prayer, O God,
&c.] The psalmist first puts up his petitions, and then desires to be
heard; his distress, and the fervency of his spirit, not suffering him to
observe order;” [JOHN GILL.]. Ps 55:1 ¶ <<To the chief Musician on Neginoth,
Maschil, A Psalm of David.>>
Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Ps 55:. 2 Attend
unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; “note well that it is never the
bare act of prayer which satisfies the godly, they crave an audience with
heaven, and an answer from the throne, and nothing less will content them.”
[SPURGEON.]. “Verse 1. Give ear to my prayer — The frequency of such petitions shows the great earnestness of
David’s soul. If God did not hear and help, he knew he could not succeed
elsewhere; therefore he continues to knock at the gate of God’s mercy. Verse 2. I mourn in my complaint — yjyŤb besichi, in my sighing; a strong guttural sound, expressive of
the natural accents of sorrow. And make a noise — I am in
a tumult-I am strongly agitated.” [A. CLARKE.]. Ps 61:1 ¶ <<To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.>> Hear my cry, O
God; [i]attend
unto my prayer. “Pharisees may rest in their
prayers; true believers are eager for an answer to them: ritualists may be
satisfied when they have, "said or sung" their litanies and collects,
but living children of God will never rest till their supplications have
entered the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth. …Attend unto my prayer. Give it
thy consideration, and such an answer as thy wisdom sees fit.” [SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 1. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my
prayer. Aquinas saith that some read the
words thus, Intende ad cantica mea, attend unto my songs -- and so the words
may be safely read, from the Hebrew word hgr ranah, which signifies to shout or
shrill out for joy -- to note that the prayers of the saints are like pleasant
songs and delightful ditties in the ears of God. No mirth, no music, can be so pleasing to us
as the prayers of the saints are pleasing to God. #So Ps 61:2 From the end
of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the
rock that is higher than I. “No spot is too dreary, no
condition too deplorable; whether it be the world's end or life's end, prayer
is equally available. …I will cry. It was a wise resolution, for had he ceased
to pray he would have become the victim of despair; there is an end to a man when
he makes an end to prayer. Observe that
David never dreamed of seeking any other God; he did not imagine the dominion
of Jehovah to be local: he was at the end of the promised land, but he knew
himself to be still in the territory of the Great King; to him only does he
address his petitions.” [SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 2. Higher.
A hiding place must be locus
exelsissimus. Your low houses are soon scaled.
Jesus Christ is a high place; he is as high as heaven. He is the Jacob's ladder that reacheth from
earth to heaven. #Ge 28:12. He is too high for men, too high for devils;
no creature can scale these high walls.” Ralph Robinson (1614-1655), in
"Christ All and in All." Ps 65:2 O thou that
hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. “Ver. 2. O thou that hearest prayer. This is thy name, thy nature, thy glory. God not only has heard, but is now hearing
prayer, and always must hear prayer, since he is an immutable being and never
changes in his attributes. What a
delightful title for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Every right and sincere prayer is as surely
heard as it is offered. Here the
psalmist brings in the personal pronoun thou… Unto thee shall all flesh come.
…Flesh they are, and therefore weak; frail and sinful, they need to pray; and
thou art such a God as they need, for thou art touched with compassion, and
dost condescend to hear the cries of poor flesh and blood.” [SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 2. O thou that hearest prayer, etc. This is one of his titles of honour, he is a
God that hears prayer; and it is as truly ascribed to him as mercy or justice.”
David Clarkson. “Ver. 2.
O thou that hearest prayer.
Observe 1. That
God is called the hearer of prayers, since he hears, without distinction of
persons, the prayers of every one poured forth with piety, not only of the
Jews, but also of the Gentiles; as in #Ac 10:34-35... It follows, therefore, as
a necessary consequence, that all flesh should come to him. 2.
To come to God, is not indeed simply tantamount to saying, to draw near
to God, to adore, call upon, and worship him, but to come to Zion for the
purpose of adoring God; for it was just now said, that God must be praised in
Zion, and to this the phrase, to come to God, must be referred. On this account also la is not used, but d[, whose proper force is right up to God,
or to the place of the habitation of God to render adoration to God.” Hermann
Venema. “Ver. 2.
All flesh. By flesh is meant man
in his weakness and need.” J. J. Stewart Perowne. “But God's people need not lay it aside
on that score. Our text bears two things
with respect to that matter. 2. The
effect of the savour of this title of God, spread abroad in the world: Unto
thee shall all flesh come: not only Jews, but Gentiles. The poor Gentiles who have long in vain
implored the aid of their idols, hearing and believing that God is the hearer
of prayer, will flock to him, and present their petitions. They will throng in about his door, where by
the gospel they understand beggars are so well served. They will come in even unto thee, Hebrew.
They will come in even to thy seat, thy throne of grace, even unto thyself
through the Mediator... That God is the hearer of prayer, and will hear the
prayers of his people, is evident from these considerations: First.
The supernatural instinct of praying that is found in all that are born
of God, #Ga 4:6. It is as natural for
them to fall a praying when the grace of God has touched their hearts, as for
children when they are born into the world to cry, or to desire the
breasts. #Zec 12:10, compared with #Ac
9:11, where in the account that is given of Paul, at his conversion, it is
particularly noticed, "Behold, he prayeth." Hence the whole saving change on a soul comes
under the character of this instinct.
#Jer 3:4,19.
Secondly. The intercession of
Christ, #Ro 8:34. It is a great part of
the work of Christ's intercession to present the prayers of his people before
his Father, #Re 8:4, to take their causes in hand, contained in their
supplications. #1Jo 2:1.
Thirdly. The promises of the
covenant, whereby God's faithfulness is impawned for the hearing of prayer, as
#Mt 7:7: see also #Isa 65:24.
Fourthly. The many encouragements
given in the Word to the people of God, to come with their cases unto the Lord
by prayer. He invites them to his throne
of grace with their petitions for supply of their needs. #So 2:14.
He sends afflictions to press them to come. #Ho 5:15. He gives them ground of hope of success, #Ps
50:15, whatever extremity their case is brought to. #Isa 41:17.
He shows them that however long he may delay their trial, yet praying
and not fainting shall be successful at length.
#Lu 18:8. Fifthly.
The gracious nature of God, with the endearing relations he stands in to
his people. #Ex
Sixthly. The experiences which
the saints of all ages have had of the answer of prayer. The faith of it brings them to God at conversion,
as the text intimates: and they that believe cannot be disappointed. Lastly.
The present ease and relief that prayer sometimes gives to the saints,
while yet the full answer of prayer is not come. #Ps 138:3.” Thomas Boston (1676-1732). Ps 66:18 If I regard
iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: “ Ver. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart. If, having seen it to be there, I continue to
gaze upon it without aversion; if I cherish it, have a side glance of love
toward it, excuse it, and palliate it; The Lord will not hear me. How can he?
Can I desire him to connive at my sin, and accept me while I wilfully
cling to any evil way? Nothing hinders
prayer like iniquity harboured in the breast; as with Cain, so with us, sin
lieth at the door, and blocks the passage. If thou listen to the devil, God will
not listen to thee. If you refuse to
hear God's commands, he will surely refuse to hear thy prayers. An imperfect petition God will hear for
Christ's sake, but not one which is wilfully miswritten by a traitor's hand.”
[SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me. The very supposition
that "if he regarded iniquity in his heart, the Lord would not hear
him," implies the possibility that such may be the state even of
believers; and there is abundant reason to fear that it is in this way their
prayers are so often hindered, and their supplications so frequently remain
unanswered. Nor is it difficult to
conceive how believers may be chargeable with regarding iniquity in their
heart, even amidst all the solemnity of coming into the immediate presence of God,
and directly addressing him in the language of prayer and supplication. It is possible that they may put themselves
into such a situation, in a state of mind but little fitted for engaging in
that holy exercise; the world, in one form or another, may for the time have
the ascendancy in their hearts; and there may have been so much formality in
their confessions, and so much indifference in their supplications, that when
the exercise is over, they could not honestly declare that they really meant
what they acknowledged, or seriously desired what they prayed for.” Robert
Gordon, D.D., 1825. “Ver. 18. Whence is it that a man's regarding or loving
sin in his heart hinders his prayers from acceptance with God?” I.
Because he cannot pray by the
Spirit. II.
As long as a man has sin in his
heart, he cannot pray in faith. III.
Because, with sin in our hearts,
we cannot pray with fervency. Ps 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my
prayer. “Ver. 19. But verily God hath heard me. Sure sign this that the petitioner was no
secret lover of sin. The answer to his
prayer was a fresh assurance that his heart was sincere before the Lord. See how sure the psalmist is that he has been
heard; it is with him no hope, surmise, or fancy, but he seals it with a
verily. Facts are blessed things when
they reveal both God's heart as loving, and our own heart as sincere. He hath attended to the voice of my
prayer. He gave his mind to consider my
cries, interpreted them, accepted them, and replied to them; and therein proved
his grace and also my uprightness of heart. Love of sin is a plague spot, a
condemning mark, a killing sign, but those prayers, which evidently live and
prevail with God, most clearly arise from a heart which is free from dalliance
with evil. Let the reader see to it,
that his inmost soul be rid of all alliance with iniquity, all toleration of
secret lust, or hidden wrong.” [SPURGEON.]. Ps 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my
prayer, nor his mercy from me. “ Ver. 20. The mercy of God. II. In inclining to prayer. III. In hearing prayer. [SPURGEON.]. Ps 69:13 ¶ But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in
an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth
of thy salvation. “Ver. 13.
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord. He turned to Jehovah in prayer as being the
most natural thing for the godly to do in their distress. To whom should a child turn but to his
father. … In an acceptable time. …There is to each of us an accepted time, and
woe to us if we suffer it to glide away unimproved. God's time must be our time, or it will come
to pass that, when time closes, we shall look in vain for space for
repentance. Our Lord's prayers were well
timed, and always met with acceptance.” Ps 72:15 And he
shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of “Ver. 15. Prayer also shall be made for him
continually; and daily shall he be praised.
In all conquered countries, two things marked the subjection of the
people: 1.
Their money was stamped with the name of the conqueror. 2. They
were obliged to pray for him in their acts of public worship.” [ Adam Clarke.]. Ps 72:20 The prayers
of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. “Ver. 20. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are
ended. (Compared with) Psalm 86, title, A prayer of David. How can the prayers of David be said to be
ended, when more begin? Answer: The end
David had in making the Psalms, prayers, and praises, is one thing; but to make
a final end of praying is another. Many
several opinions have been given to reconcile this. Some that here end the prayers he made for
Solomon. Some that here end the prayers
he made in the days of his affliction.
Some that here end the praises that he made, not the prayers, turning
the word tepillahs into tehillahs. Some
that here end David's, the rest that follow are Asaph's. Some that this Psalm was the last, the rest
posthumes, found after his death. Some
think it is spoken as the phrase is in #Job 31:40: "The words of Job are
ended;" and yet he had some words after this, but not so many. But the soundest resolution is this: -- Here
ends the prayers of David the son of Jesse; that is, here they are
perfected. If any ask hereafter what or
where lies the end that all these Psalms were made for? tell them here it lies
in this Psalm, and, therefore, placed in the midst of all; as the centre in
midst of a circle, all the lines meet here, and all the Psalms determine here;
for it is only a prophetical treatise of the kingdom of Christ drawn out to the
life, and it is dedicated to Solomon, because here is wisdom; other men had
other ends, it may be, but the son of Jesse had no other end in the world but
to set out Christ's kingdom in making of his Psalms. William Streat, in
"The Dividing of the Hoof."
1654. Ps 80:4 O LORD God
of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? “how long wilt thou be angry against the
prayer of thy people? which must be put up in a wrong manner, in a very cold
and lukewarm way, without faith and love, and with wrath and doubting; or
otherwise God is not angry with, nor sets himself against the prayer of his
people; nor does he despise, but is highly delighted with it: or how long wilt
thou be angry with thy people, and continue the tokens of thy displeasure,
though they pray, and keep praying, unto thee? it is in the Hebrew text,
"how long wilt thou smoke {m} at the prayer of thy people?" that is,
cause thine anger to smoke at it; in which it is thought there is an allusion
to the smoke of the incense, to which prayer is compared; see #Ps 141:2 Re
8:3,4, and denotes the acceptance of it with God through the mediation of
Christ; but here his displicency at it, not being offered up through him, and
by faith in him; such were the prayers of the Pharisees, #Mt 6:5,7 23:14. … Ps 80:4 O LORD God
of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? “ow long wilt thou be angry against the
prayer of thy people? which must be put up in a wrong manner, in a very cold
and lukewarm way, without faith and love, and with wrath and doubting; or
otherwise God is not angry with, nor sets himself against the prayer of his
people; nor does he despise, but is highly delighted with it: or how long wilt
thou be angry with thy people, and continue the tokens of thy displeasure,
though they pray, and keep praying, unto thee? it is in the Hebrew text,
"how long wilt thou smoke {m} at the prayer of thy people?" that is,
cause thine anger to smoke at it; in which it is thought there is an allusion
to the smoke of the incense, to which prayer is compared; see #Ps 141:2 Re
8:3,4, and denotes the acceptance of it with God through the mediation of
Christ; but here his displicency at it, not being offered up through him, and
by faith in him; such were the prayers of the Pharisees, #Mt 6:5,7 23: …” [JOHN
GILL.]. “Ver. 4. "Angry against the prayer
of thy people." There may be
infirmities enough in our very prayers to make them unacceptable. As if they be Exanimes, without life and
soul; when the heart knows not what the tongue utters. Or Perfunctoriae, for God will have none of
those prayers that come out of feigned lips.
Or Tentativae, for they that will petere tentando, tempt God in prayer,
shall go without. Or Fluctuantes, of a
wild and wandering discourse, ranging up and down, which the Apostle calls
"beating the air," as huntsmen beat the bushes, and as Saul sought
his father's asses. Such prayers will
not stumble upon the kingdom of heaven.
Or if they be Preproperae, run over in haste, as some use to chop up
their prayers, and think long till they have done. But they that pray in such haste shall be
heard at leisure. Or sine fiducia; the
faithless man had as good hold his peace as pray; he may babble, but prays not;
he prays ineffectually, and receives not.
He may lift up his hands, but he does not lift up his heart. Only the prayer of the righteous availeth,
and only the believer is righteous. But
the formal devotion of a faithless man is not worth the crust of bread which he
asks. Or sine humilitate, so the
pharisee's prayer was not truly supplicatio, but superlatio. A presumptuous prayer profanes the name of
God instead of adoring it. All, or any,
of these defects may mar the success of our prayers.” Thomas Adams. Ps 84:8 ¶ O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O
God of Jacob. Selah. “#8- “Give ear, O God of Jacob. Though Jehovah of hosts, thou art also the
covenant God of solitary pleaders like Jacob; regard thou, then, my plaintive
supplication.” [SPURGEON.]. “Ver. 8. There are two distinct thoughts of great
practical value to the Christian, in this short prayer. There is the sense of divine majesty, and the
consciousness of divine relationship. As Lord of hosts, he is almighty in
power; as the God of Jacob, he is infinite in mercy and goodness to his
people.” Things New and Old. Ps 86:1 ¶ <<A Prayer of David.>> Bow down thine
ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. “TITLE. -- A Prayer of David. We
have here one of the five psalms entitled Tephillahs or prayers. This psalm
consists of praise as well as prayer, but it is in all parts so directly
addressed to God that it is most fitly called "a prayer." A prayer is
none the less but all the more a prayer because veins of praise run through it.
This psalm would seem to have been specially known as David's prayer; even as
the ninetieth is "the prayer of Moses." David composed it, and no
doubt often expressed himself in similar language; both the matter and the
wording are suitable to his varied circumstances and expressive of the
different characteristics of his mind.” [SPURGEON.]. “Title. -- The prophet David has
penned two psalms, which he has eminently appropriated to himself as his own:
the one is styled David's prayer, though many other psalms are prayers -- it is
#Ps 86:1-17; the other David's praise, #Ps 145:1-21. The first his tephilla,
the latter his tehilla; in each of these he makes a solemn rehearsal of the
very words of Moses, in #Ex 34:6- 1 ¶ <<A Prayer of
David.>> Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. “Ver. 1. Bow down thine ear, O
Lord, hear me. In condescension to my littleness, and in pity to my weakness,
"bow down thine ear, O Lord." When our prayers are lowly by reason of
our humility, or feeble by reason of our sickness, or without wing by reason of
our despondency, the Lord will bow down to them, the infinitely exalted Jehovah
will have respect unto them. Faith, when she has the loftiest name of God on
her tongue, and calls him Jehovah, yet dares to ask from him the most tender
and condescending acts of love. Great as
he is he loves his children to be bold with him. “Title. -- The prophet David has
penned two psalms, which he has eminently appropriated to himself as his own:
the one is styled David's prayer, though many other psalms are prayers -- it is
#Ps 86:1-17; the other David's praise, #Ps 145:1-21. The first his tephilla,
the latter his tehilla; in each of these he makes a solemn rehearsal of the
very words of Moses, in #Ex 34:6- 1 ¶ <<A Prayer of
David.>> Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. “Ver. 1. Bow down thine ear, O
Lord, hear me. In condescension to my littleness, and in pity to my weakness,
"bow down thine ear, O Lord." When our prayers are lowly by reason of
our humility, or feeble by reason of our sickness, or without wing by reason of
our despondency, the Lord will bow down to them, the infinitely exalted Jehovah
will have respect unto them. Faith, when she has the loftiest name of God on
her tongue, and calls him Jehovah, yet dares to ask from him the most tender
and condescending acts of love. Great as
he is he loves his children to be bold with him. For I am holy. I am set apart for holy uses,
therefore do not let thine enemies commit a sacrilege by injuring or defiling
me: I am clear of the crimes laid to my charge, and in that sense innocent;
therefore, I beseech thee, do not allow me to suffer from unjust charges: and I
am inoffensive, meek, and gentle towards others, therefore deal mercifully with
me as I have dealt with my fellow men. Any of these renderings may explain the
text, perhaps all together will expound it best. It is not self righteous in
good men to plead their innocence as a reason for escaping from the results of
sins wrongfully ascribed to them; penitents do not bedaub themselves with mire
for the love of it, or make themselves out to be worse than they are out of
compliment to heaven. No, the humblest saint is not a fool, and he is as well
aware of the matters wherein he is clear as of those wherein he must cry "peccavi."
To plead guilty to offences we have never committed is as great a lie as the
denial of our real faults. O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth
in thee. Lest any man should suppose that David trusted in his own holiness he
immediately declared his trust in the Lord, and begged to be saved as one who
was not holy in the sense of being perfect, but was even yet in need of the
very clements of salvation. How sweet is
that title, "my God", when joined to the other, "thy
servant"; and how sweet is the hope that on this ground we shall be saved;
seeing that our God is not like the Amalekitish master who left his poor sick
servant to perish. Note how David's poor I am (or rather the I repeated without
the am) appeals to the great I AM with that sacred boldness engendered by the
necessity which breaks through stone walls, aided by the faith which removes
mountains.” [SPUR “Ver 2.
Holy. The word has been variously translated: -- Godly, De Muis, Ainsworth and
others; charitable, or beneficent, Piscator; merciful or tenderhearted,
Mariana; diligently or earnestly compassionate, Vatablus; meek, Calvin; a
beloved one, Version of American Bible Union; one whom thou lovest, Perowne; a
devoted or dedicated man, --Weiss. Ver. 2. For I am Holy. Some have objected to
David's pleading his own good character; but if he did not go beyond the truth,
and the occasion called for it, there was nothing wrong in his so doing. Job,
David, Peter, John and Paul all did it, #Job 27:5 Ps 116:16 #Joh 21:15-17 Re
1:10 1Co 9:1. Nor is it presumptuous to ask God to show mercy to us for we show
it to others; or to forgive us for we forgive others, #Mt 5:7 Ver. 2. I am
holy ... thy servant which trusteth in thee. They that are holy, yet must not
trust in themselves, or in their own righteousness, but only in God and his
grace. --Matthew Henry. Ver. 2. Save thy servant that trusteth in
thee. When God saves his servant, he saves what belongs to himself; and, when
he saves him that trusts in him, he shows himself to be just and faithful, in
carrying out what he promised.” –Bellarmine. Ver. 2-5.
The aspirations after holiness which are found in this Psalm, coupled with its
earnest invocation of mercy from the God with whom there is forgiveness, render
it peculiarly applicable to those whose daily access is to a throne of needed
grace. Christians know that while their standing is the blameless perfection of
the Lord their righteouness, they are in many things offenders still. Nor do we
ever fully prove the preciousness of Jesus as our portion, except we are drawn
to him by that Spirit which reveals to us a nakedness and poverty within
ourselves, which his blessed fulness can alone redress. There is a c onsciousness
of personal sanctification through faith (#Ps 86:2) associated with an acutely
sensitive perception of intrinsic worthlessness, such as only finds relief in
the remembrance of unaltered grace (#Ps 86:5), which, to the exercised spirit
of one really growing in the knowledge of God, will address itself with an especial
acceptance. --Arthur Pridham. 2
Be merciful unto me, O
Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. For I cry unto thee daily. Is
there not a promise that importunity shall prevail? May we not, then, plead our
importunity as an argument with God? He who prays every day, and all the day,
for so the word may mean, may rest assured that the Lord will hear him in the
day of his need. If we cried sometimes to man, or other false confidences, we
might expect to be referred to them in the hour of our calamity, but if in all
former times we have looked to the Lord alone, we may be sure that he will not
desert us now. See how David pleaded, first that he was poor and needy, next
that he was the Lord's set apart one, then that he was God's servant and had
learned to trust in the Lord, and lastly that he had been taught to pray daily;
surely these are such holy pleadings as any tried believer may employ when
wrestling with a prayer hearing God, and with such weapons the most trembling
suppliant may hope to win the day. [SPUR Ver. 3. Be merciful unto me. Lest
any should by the former words, ("I am holy",) suspect him to be a
merit monger, he beggeth mercy with instancy and constancy of request. --John
Trapp. Ver. 3. I cry unto thee daily. A great
difference between saints and sinners in prayer is that sinners who pray at
all, pray only when they are in trouble, whereas saints cry daily unto God.
Compare #Job 27:10. --William S. Plumer. 4
Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my
soul. Thought and desire are the wings
of love; for he that loves is borne on to, and abides in, what he loves, by
thinking constantly on, and longing for, the object of his love. Whoever truly, and from his heart, loves God,
by thinking on him and longing for him lifts up his soul to God; while, on the
contrary, whoever loves the earth, by thinking on and coveting the things of
the earth, lets his soul down to its level. --Bellarmine. Ver. 4. Unto thee, Lord, do I lift
my soul. If thou hadst corn in thy rooms below, thou wouldest take it up
higher, lest it should grow rotten.
Wouldest thou remove thy corn, and dost thou suffer thy heart to rot on
the earth? Thou wouldest take thy corn up higher: lift up thy heart to heaven. And how can I, dost thou say? What ropes are
needed? What machines? What ladders? Thy
affections are the steps; thy will the way. By loving thou mountest, by neglect
thou descendest. Standing on the earth thou art in heaven, if thou lovest God.
For the heart is not so raised as the body is raised: the body to be lifted up
changes its place: the heart to be lifted up changes its will. --Augstine. Ver. 4. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift my soul,
intimates that he had brought himself to the Lord as a living sacrifice, even
as the heave offering in the tabernacle -- to show that it belonged to God and
to his altar, and, that man had no part in it -- was lifted up by the hands of
the priests. --Benjamin Weiss Psa 86: 5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to
forgive; and [ii]plenteous
in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. “Ver. 5. For thou, Lord, art good,
and ready to forgive. Good at giving and forgiving; supplying us with his good,
and removing our evil. Here was the great reason why the Psalmist looked to the
Lord alone for his joy, because every joy creating attribute is to be found in
perfection in Jehovah alone. Some men
who would be considered good are so self exultingly indignant at the injuries
done them by others, that they cannot forgive; but we may rest assured that the
better a being is, the more willing he is to forgive, and the best and highest
of all is ever ready to blot out the transgressions of his creatures. And plenteous in mercy unto all
them that call upon thee. God does not dispense his mercy from a slender store
which perchance may be so impoverished as to give out altogether, but out of a
cornucopiae he pours forth the infinite riches of his mercy: his goodness flows
forth in abounding streams towards those who pray and in adoring worship make
mention of his name. David seems to have stood in the cleft of the rock with
Moses, and to have heard the name of the Lord proclaimed even as the great
lawgiver did, for in two places in this psalm he almost quotes verbatim the
passage in #Ex 34:6 -- "The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abundant in goodness and truth."” [SPUR Ver. 5. Ready to forgive. …Whereas
most men, though they will forgive, yet they are not ready to forgive, they are
hardly brought to it, though they do it at last. But God is "ready to
forgive"; he hath, as it were, pardons ready drawn (as a man who would be
ready to do a business, he will have such writings as concern the passing of it
ready); there is nothing to do but to put in the date and the name; yea indeed,
the date and the name are put in from all eternity. Thus the Scripture speaks
to show how forward God is to do good; he needs not set his heart to it; his
heart is ever in the exactest fitness. --Joseph Caryl. 6 Give ear, O LORD,
unto my prayer; and attend to the [iii]voice
of my supplications. “Attend to the voice of my
supplications. Here are repetitions, but not vain repetitions. When a child cries it repeats the same note,
but it is equally in earnest every time, and so was it with the suppliant here.
Note the expression, "the voice of my supplications", as if they were
not all voice but were partly made up of inarticulate noise, yet amid much that
was superfluous there really was a distinct voice, an inner meaning, a living
sense which was the heart's intention.
This he would have the Lord sift out from the chaff, and hear amid the
mingled din. May our prayers never be voiceless; may the soul's intent always
give them a live core of meaning.” [SPUR “there are some particular times
or days of trouble; which trouble arises from different causes; sometimes from
themselves, their corruptions, the weakness of their grace, and the poor
performance of their duties; sometimes from others; from the persecutions of
the men of the world; from the wicked lives of profane sinners, and especially
professors of religion, and from the spread of false doctrine; sometimes from
Satan and his temptations; and sometimes from the more immediate hand of God in
afflictions, and from the hidings of his face: these troubles do not last
always; they are but for a day, for a particular time; and such a season is a
fit one for prayer, and the Lord invites and encourages his people to call upon
him in prayer when this is the case, #Ps 50:15. Christ had his times of
trouble, in which he called upon his divine Father, #Joh 11:33,41 12:27 for thou wilt answer me; which the idols of
the Gentiles could not do; Baal could not answer his priests, #1Ki 18:26, this
the psalmist concluded, both from the promise of God, #Ps 50:15, and from his
frequent experience, #Ps 138:3, a very encouraging reason or argument this to
call on the Lord: Christ was always heard and answered, #Joh 11:41,42. ” [JOHN
GILL.]. 8¶ Among the gods there is none like unto thee,
O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. Ver. 8-10. -- There are two kinds
of doubt which are wont in the hour of temptation to assail the soul: the doubt
as to God's willingness, and the doubt as to God's power to succour. The first
of these the Psalmist has already put from him; he now shows that he has
overcome the second. God is able as well as willing to help, …--J.J.S. Perowne. 9 All nations whom
thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify
thy name. Ver. 9. All nations whom thou hast
made, and these include all mankind, since they all come of the first Adam --
thy creature” [SPUR 10 For thou art great,
and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Ver. 10. For thou art great. He
had before said, "thou art good"; it is a grand thing when greatness
and goodness are united; it is only in the Divine Being that either of them
exists absolutely, and essentially.” [SPUR “Ver. 10. For thou art great, &c.] In his nature, and the perfections of it; in his power, wisdom, truth, faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy; and in all his persons; the Father is great, greater than all; the Son is the great God, and our Saviour; and the Spirit, which is in his people, is greater than he that is in the world: and doest wondrous things; in nature and
providence; such as the forming of all things out of nothing; upholding all
things by the word of his power; the formation of man, soul and body, and the
union of both; and the constant government of the world; and more especially in
grace, as the provision in the covenant in eternity, the mission of Christ in
time, the conversion of a sinner, and bringing him to eternal glory: thou art God alone; to the exclusion of all
such who are not gods by nature; but not to the exclusion of the Son and
Spirit, who are, with the Father, the one God, #1Jo 5:7.” [JOHN GILL.]. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite
my heart to fear thy name. Ver. 11. Teach me thy way: I will
walk in thy truth: unite my heart. Here is the "Via, Veritas, Vita"
of the Gospel (#Joh 14:6). "Via
tua, Veritas tua, Vita tua, Christus." Christ is our Way, Truth, and Life,
because he is Man united to God, and is one substance with the Father.
--Christopher Wordsworth. Ver. 11. Teach. The common version
of the verb here is too vague, as it fails to bring out the peculiar
suitableness of the term to express the kind of teaching here specifically
meant. The original meaning of the Hebrew word is to point out or mark the way.
--J.A. Alexander. Ver. 11. I will walk in thy truth.
Walking, in the Scripture, takes in the whole of our conversation or conduct:
and to walk in anything, intends a fulness of it. For a man to walk in pride,
is something more than to be proud: it says, that pride is his way, his element;
that he is wholly under the influence of it. --William Jay. Ver. 11. Unite my heart to fear
thy name. The end which he desired to secure was that he might truly fear God,
or properly reverence and honour him; the means which he saw to be necessary
for this was that his "heart" might be "united" in this one
great object; that is, that his heart might be single in its views and
purposes; that there might be no distracting purposes; that one great aim might
be always before him. The word rendered unite -- dxy, yahhad -- occurs as a
verb only in three places. In #Ge 49:6 it is rendered united: "Unto their
assembly, mine honour, be not thou united." In #Isa 14:20 it is translated
joined: "Thou shalt not be joined unto them." The adverb -- dxy
ya-hhad -- occurs often, and is rendered together, #Ge 13:6 22:6,8,19 36:7; et
soepe. The idea is that of union, or
conjunction; of being together; of constituting one; and this is accomplished
in the heart when there is one great ruling object before the mind which
nothing is allowed to interfere with. It
may be added, that there is no more appropriate prayer which a man can offer
than that his heart may have such unity of purpose, and that nothing may be
allowed to interfere with that one supreme purpose. --Albert Barnes. Ver. 11. Unite my heart, etc.
Sincerity drives but one design, and that is to please and enjoy God; and what
can more establish and fix the soul in the hour of temptation than this? The
reason why the hypocrite is unstable in all his ways, is given us by the
apostle: he is "a double minded man", a man of two souls in one body;
…--John Flavel. Ver. 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord,
&c.] The methods of thy grace, which thou hast taken, and dost take, in the
salvation of men, in the contrivance, impetration, and application of it; or
the way which thou hast marked out for thy people to walk in, the way of thy
commandments: each of these the psalmist had knowledge of before; but he
desires to be more and more instructed therein, as every good man does; see #Ps
25:4,5 Isa 2:3. unite my heart to fear thy name;
there must be an heart given to man to fear the Lord; for the fear of the Lord
is not naturally in their hearts, or before their eyes; and they should have,
not a divided and distracted heart, an heart divided between God and the world,
between the fear of God and the fear of man; but a heart united to the Lord,
that cleaves to him, and him only; a single and a sincere heart; a heart that
has a single view to his glory, and a sincere affection for him; and such a
heart the Lord has promised to give to his people, in order to fear him, #Jer
32:39.” [JOHN GILL.]. 12
I will praise
thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for
evermore. "This is the second time in
the psalm that David calls the Lord "my God", the first time he was
in an agony of prayer (#Ps 86:2), and now he is in an ecstacy of praise. If anything can make a man pray and praise,
it is the knowledge into that the Lord is his God. And I will glorify thy name for
evermore, eternity gratitude will prolong its praise. God has never done
blessing us, let us never have done blessing him. As he ever gives us grace,
let us ever render to him the glory of it.
" [SPUR "Ver. 12. I will praise thee,
O Lord my God, with all my heart, &c.] And under that consideration, that
he was his God, and which itself is sufficient matter of praise;" [JOHN
GILL.]. 13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou
hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 13
O God, the proud
are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my
soul; and have not set thee before them. 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of
compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. 16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give
thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. 17 Shew me a token for good; that they which
hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and
comforted me. Ps 88:2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine
ear unto my cry; Ver. 2. Incline thine ear, etc. It
is necessary that God should incline his ear unto our prayer, else it would be
in vain to come before Him. The prodigal did not venture to present his prayer
before the father ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. For then he said,
#Lu “Ver. 2. Let my prayer come before
thee, &c.] Not before men, as hypocrites desire, but before the Lord…”
[JOHN GILL.]. Ps 88:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in
the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. “Ver. 13. But unto thee have I cried, O Lord, &c.] Formerly,
and had been heard, answered, and relieved, and which was an encouragement to
cry again to him in his distress; …and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee; not before the
Lord is awake, and can hear; for he neither slumbers nor sleeps, and he always
hears: but the meaning is, that he would pray before he entered upon another
business; this should be the first thing in the morning he would do, and this
he would do before others did, or he himself used to do; before the usual time
of morning prayer; signifying, he would pray to him very early, which is
expressive of his vehemency, fervency, and importunity and earnestness, and
what a sense he had of his case, and of his need of divine help: so Christ rose
early in the morning, a great while before day, to pray, #Mr 1:35. See Gill on
"Ps 5:4"...” [JOHN GILL.]. “Verse
13. Shall my
prayer prevent thee. — It shall get before thee; I will not
wait till the accustomed time to offer my morning sacrifice, I shall call on
thee long before others come to offer their devotions.” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Ps 90:1 ¶
<<A Prayer of Moses the man of God.>> Lord, thou hast been our [iv]dwelling
place in all generations. Title. A prayer of Moses. Moses may be considered as the first
composer of sacred hymns. --Samuel Burder. “Ver. 1. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all
generations, &c.] Even when they had no certain dwelling place in the
world; so their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, dwelt in tabernacles in
the land of promise, as in a strange land; and their posterity for many years
served under great affliction and oppression in a land that was not theirs; and
now they were dwelling in tents in the wilderness, and removing from place to
place; but as the Lord had been in every age, so he now was the dwelling place
of those that trusted in him; being that to them as an habitation is to man, in
whom they had provision, protection, rest, and safety;” [JOHN GILL.]. Ver. 1. Our dwelling place. God created the earth for beasts to
inhabit, the sea for fishes, the air for fowls, and heaven for angels and
stars, so that man hath no place to dwell and abide in but God alone.
--Giovanni della Mirandola Pico, 1463-1494. Ps 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his
courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! “ Ver. 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. To the
occurrence of the word thanksgiving in this place the Psalm probably owes its
title. In all our public service the rendering of thanks must abound; it is
like the incense of the temple, which filled the whole house with smoke.
Expiatory sacrifices are ended, but those of gratitude will never be out of
date. So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks. Mercy
permits us to enter his gates; let us praise that mercy. What better subjcct
for our thoughts in God's own house than the Lord of the house. And into his courts with
praise. Into whatever court of the Lord you may enter, let your admission be
the subject of praise: thanks be to God, the innermost court is now open to
believers, and we enter into that which is within the veil; it is incumbent
upon us that we acknowledge the high privilege by our songs. Be thankful unto him. Let
the praise be in your heart as well as on your tongue, and let it all be for
him to whom it all belongs. And bless his name. He
blessed you, bless him in return; bless his name, his character, his person.
Whatever he does, be sure that you bless him for it; bless him when he takes
away as well as when he gives; bless him as long as you live, under all
circumstances; bless him in all his attributes, from whatever point of view you
consider him.” [SPUR Ps 102:1 ¶ <<A Prayer of
the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the
LORD.>> Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. “<A prayer of the afflicted, when he is [v]overwhelmed,
and poureth out his complaint before the Lord>>;… Ver. 1-2. This language is
the language of godly sorrow, of faith, of tribulation, and of anxious hope: of
faith, for the devout suppliant lifts up his heart and voice to heaven,
"as seeing him who is invisible," (#Heb 11:27) and entreats him to
hear his prayer and listen to his crying: of tribulation, for he describes
himself as enduring affliction, and unwilling to lose the countenance of the
Lord in his time of his trouble: of anxious hope, for he seems to expect, in
the midst of his groaning, that his prayers, like those of Cornelius, will
"go up for a memorial before God" who will hear him, "and that
right soon." Charles Oxenden, in "Sermons on the Seven Penitential
Psalms," 1838. er. 1-2. Note, David sent his prayer as
a sacred ambassador to God. Now there
are four things requisite to make an embassy prosperous. The ambassador must be
regarded with favourable eye: he must be heard with a ready ear: he must
speedily return when his demands are conceded. These four things David as a
suppliant asks from God his King. Le Blanc. Ps 102:17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and not despise their prayer. Ver. 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, &c.] Of
the destitute of human help and support, protection and defence; as the church
in the wilderness; of the "poor", as the Syriac and Arabic versions,
both in spirit and in purse; of the "humble", as the Septuagint and
Vulgate Latin: the word {c} signifies a low shrub or plant; it is rendered, the
heath in the wilderness,” [JOHN GILL.]. “And not despise their prayer. When great kings are building their
palaces it is not reasonable to expect them to turn aside and listen to every
beggar who pleads with them, yet when the Lord builds up Ver. 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, etc. The
persons are here called "the destitute." The Hebrew word which is
here translated "destitute" doth properly signify myrica, a low
shrub, humiles myrica, low shrubs that grow in wildernesses, some think they
were juniper shrubs, some a kind of wild tamaris, but a base wild shrub that
grew nowhere but in a desolate forlorn place; and sometimes the word in the
text is used to signify the deserts of Arabia, the sandy desert place of
Arabia, which was a miserable wilderness. Now when this word is applied to men,
it always means such as were forsaken men, despised men; such men as are
stripped of all that is comfortable to them: either they never had children, or
else their children are taken away from them, and all comforts banished, and
themselves left utterly forlorn, like the barren heath ih a desolate howling
wilderness. These are the people of whom my text speaks, that the Lord will
regard the prayer of "the destitute;" and this was now the state of
the This is also a lesson of singular comfort to every afflicted soul,
to assure them their prayers and supplications are tenderly regarded before
God. …thou hast a faithful promise from him to
be rewarded: he will regard the prayer of the destitute. Stephen Marshall, in a
Sermon entitled "The Strong Helper," 1645. Ps 109:4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. Ver. 4. (first clause). None prove worse enemies than those that
have received the greatest kindnesses, when once they turn unkind. As the
sharpest vinegar is made of the purest wine, and pleasant meats turn to the
bitterest humours in the stomach; so the highest love bestowed upon friends,
being ill digested or corrupt, turns to the most unfriendly hatred, proximorum
odia sunt acerrima. --Abraham Wright. “Ver. 4. For my love they are my adversaries; that's an ill
requital; but how did David requite them? We may take his own word for it; he
tells us how, "But I give myself unto prayer"; yea, he seemed a man
wholly given unto prayer. The elegant conciseness of the Hebrew is, "But I
prayer"” [SPUR Doubtless he prayed and prayed much for himself; he prayed also
for them. We may understand these words, "I give myself unto prayer",
two ways. First I pray against their plots and evil dealings with me (prayer
was David's best strength always against his enemies), yet that was not
all. But, secondly, "I give myself
unto prayer", that the Lord would pardon their sin, and turn their hearts,
when they are doing me mischief; or, though they have done me mischief, I am
wishing them the best good. David (in
another place) showed what a spirit of charity he was clothed with, when no
reproof could hinder him from praying for others, #Ps 141:5. --Joseph Caryl. Ver. 4. The translator of the Syriac version has inserted in #Ps
109:4 [Arabic] "and I have prayed for them", as if he had copied them
from the words of our Lord in #Mt “But I give myself unto prayer; or "I am a man of
prayer" {y}; as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it;” [JOHN GILL.]. {y} hlpt ynaw "et ego vir orationis", Pagninus, Gejerus. Ver. 4. A Christian is all over prayer: he prays at rising, at
lying down, and as he walks: like a prime favourite at court, who has the key
to the privy stairs, and can wake his prince by night. --Augustus Montague
Toplady, 1740-1778. Ps 109:7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin! “And let his prayer become sin, let it be fruitless and in vain;
and so far from being heard, let it he treated as an abomination; let it be
considered as an aggravation of his crime, as Haman's was, #Est 7:7,8, let his
prayer being without faith in the blood of Christ, be reckoned sinful, as it
was; let his cries, and tears, and repentance issue in desperation, and that in
sin, as it did in destroying himself, #Mt 27:5.” [JOHN GILL.]. Ver. 7. Let his prayer become sin. As the clamours of a condemned
malefactor, not only find no acceptance, but are looked upon as an affront to
the court. The prayers of the wicked now become sin, because soured with the
leaven of hypocrisy and malice; and so they will in the great day, because then
it will be too late to cry, "Lord, Lord, open unto us." --Matthew
Henry. Ver. 7. Let his prayer become sin. Kimchi in his annotations thus
explains these words: i.e., "let it be without effect, so that he does not
get what he asks for; let him not hit the mark at which he aims": for ajx
sometimes has the meaning to miss. --Wolfgang Musculus. Ver. 7. Let his prayer become sin. The
prayer of the hypocrite is sin formally, and it is sin in the effect, that is,
instead of getting any good by it, he gets hurt, and the Lord instead of
helping him because he prays, punishes him because of the sinfulness of his
prayers. Thus his prayer becomes sin to him, because he receives no more
respect from God when he prays than when he sins. And sin doth not only mingle
with his prayer (as it doth with the prayers of the holiest), but his prayer is
nothing else but a mixture or mingle mangle (as we speak) of many sins.
--Joseph Caryl. Ver. 7-19. These and the following verses, although they contain
terrible imprecations, will become less dreadful if we understand them as
spoken concerning men pertinaciously cleaving to their vices, against whom only
has God threatened punishments; not against those who repent with all their
heart, and become thoroughly changed in life. --John Le Clerc. Ps 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as
the evening sacrifice. “Ver. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense,
&c.] Which was offered every morning on the altar of incense, at which time
the people were praying, #Ex 30:1,7,8 Lu 1:10; and was an emblem of it, even of
pure, holy, and fervent prayer;” [JOHN GILL.]. Ver. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense,
&c.] Which was offered every morning on the altar of incense, at which time
the people were praying, #Ex 30:1,7,8 Lu 1:10; and was an emblem of it, even of
pure, holy, and fervent prayer; which being offered on the altar Christ, which
sanctifies every gift, and by him the High Priest; through whom every sacrifice
is acceptable unto God; and through whose blood and righteousness, and the
sweet incense of his mediation and intercession, it becomes fragrant and a
sweet odour to the Lord; and being directed to him, it goes upwards, is
regarded by him, and continues before him as sweet incense; which is what the
psalmist prays for; see #Mal 1:11 Re 8:3,4; [and] the lifting up of my
hands as the evening sacrifice; the burnt sacrifice of the evening, according
to Ben Melech, the lamb slain every evening; or else the minchah, as the word
is; the meat, or rather the bread offering made of fine flour, with oil and
frankincense on it, which went along with the former, #Ex 29:38-41; and so the
Targum, ``as the sweet gift offered
in the evening.'' This only is mentioned, as
being put for both the morning and the evening sacrifice; or because the
incense was offered in the morning, from which it is distinguished: or it may
be, as Kimchi thinks, this psalm was composed in the evening; and so the
inscription in the Syriac version is, ``a psalm of David, when he
meditated the evening service.'' Or because this was the
last sacrifice of the day; there was no other after it, as Aben Ezra observes;
and the most acceptable; to which may be added, that this was the hour for
prayer, #Ac 3:1 10:3. Wherefore "lifting up of [the] hands" was a
prayer gesture, and a very ancient one both among Jews and Gentiles {x};
Aristotle {y} says, all men, when we pray, lift up our hands to heaven; and it
is put for that itself, #1Ti 2:8; and is desired to be, like that, acceptable
unto God; as it is when the heart is lifted up with the hands, and prayer is
made in the name and faith of Christ. {x} Vid. Barthii Animadv.
in Claudian. ad Rufin. l. 2. v. 205. {y} De Mundo, c. 6. Vid.
Plutarch. in Vita Camilli. "Sustulit ad sidera palmas", Virgil.
Aeneid. 2. so Ovid. Fasti, l. 3.” [JOHN GILL.]. “Ver. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense. As incense
is carefully prepared, kindled with holy fire, and devoutly presented unto God,
so let my prayer be.” [JOHN GILL.]. Ver. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee. Margin, directed.
The Hebrew word means to fit; to establish; to make firm. The Psalmist desires that his prayer should
not be like that which is feeble, languishing, easily dissipated; but that it
should be like that which is firm and secure. --Albert Barnes. Ver. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense.
Literally, Let my prayer, incense, be set in order before Thee, -- implying
that prayer was in the reality what incense was in the symbol ... Passing to
New Testament Scripture, though still only to that portion which refers to Old
Testament times, we are told of the people without being engaged in player,
while Zacharias was offering incense within the Sanctuary (#Lu 1:10); they were
in spirit going along with the priestly service. And in the book of Revelation
the prayers of saints are once and again identified with the offering of
incense on the golden altar before the throne. #Re 5:8 8:3-4. --Patrick
Fairbairn, in "The Typology of Scripture." Ver. 2. Set forth. Prayer is knowing work, believing work,
thinking work, searching work, humbling work, and nothing worth if heart and
hand do not join in it. --Thomas Adam, 1701-1784. Ver. 2. As incense. That in general by incense prayer is
signified, the Scripture expressly testifieth. And there is a fourfold
resemblance between them: 1. In that it was beaten and pounded before it was
used. So doth acceptable prayer proceed from a broken and contrite heart: #Ps
51:17. 2. It was of no use until fire was put under it, and that taken from the
altar. Nor is that prayer of any virtue or efficacy which is no[ kindled by the
fire from above, the Holy Spirit of God, which we have from our altar, Christ
Jesus. 3. It naturally ascended upwards
towards heaven, as all offerings in the Hebrew are called twl[,
"ascensions", uprisings. And this is the design of prayer, to ascend
unto the throne of God: "I will direct unto thee, and will look up";
that is, pray: #Ps 5:3. It yielded a sweet savour; which was one end of it in temple
services, wherein there was so much burning of flesh and blood. So doth prayer
yield a sweet savour unto God; a savour of rest, wherein he is well pleased.
--John Owen. 1.
er. 2. In the gorgeous ceremonial worship of the Hebrews,
none of the senses were excluded from taking part in the service ... The sense
of smell occupied, perhaps, the most prominent place; for the acceptance of the
worship was always indicated by a symbol borrowed from this sense: "The
Lord smelled a sweet savour." The prayer of the people ascended as
incense, and the lifting up of their hands as the evening sacrifice. The
offering of incense formed the essential part of the religious service. The
altar of incense occupied one of the most conspicuous and honoured positions in
the tabernacle and temple ... On this altar a censer full of incense poured
forth its fragrant clouds every morning and evening; and yearly, as the day of
atonement came round, when the high priest entered the holy of holies, he
filled a censer with live coals from the sacred fire on the altar of burnt
offerings, and bore it into the sanctuary, where lie threw upon the burning
coals the "sweet incense beaten small", which lie had brought in his
hand. Without this smoking censer lie was forbidden, on pain of death, to enter
into the awful shrine of Jehovah.
Notwithstanding the washing of his flesh, and the linen garments with
which he was clothed, tie dare not enter the holiest of all with the blood of
atonement, unless he could personally shelter himself under a cloud of incense. 2.
… It has been supposed by some writers that incense was
invented for the purpose of concealing or neutralizing the noxious effluvia
caused by the number of beasts slaughtered every day in the sanctuary. Other
writers have attached a mystical import to it, and believed that it was a
symbol of the breath of the world arising in praise to the Creator, the four
ingredients of which it was composed representing the four elements. While a
third class, looking upon the tabernacle as the palace of God, the theocratic
King of Israel, and the ark of the covenant as his throne, regarded the incense
as merely corresponding to the perfume so lavishly employed about the person
and appointments of an Oriental monarch. It may doubtless have been intended
primarily to serve these purposes and convey these meanings, but it derived its
chief importance in connection with the ceremonial observances of the Mosaic
ritual from the fact of its being the great symbol of prayer. It was offered at
the time when the people were in the posture and act of devotion; and their
prayers were supposed to be presented to God by the priest, and to ascend to
him in the smoke and odour of that fragrant offering. Scripture is full of allusions to it,
understood in this beautiful symbolical sense.
Acceptable, prevailing prayer was a sweet smelling savour to the Lord;
and prayer that was unlawful, or hypocritical, or unprofitable, was rejected
with disgust by the organ of smell. …
The altar of incense stood in the closest connection with the altar of
burnt offerings. The blood of the sin offering was sprinkled on the horns of
both on the great day of annual atonement. Morning and evening, as soon as the
sacrifice was offered, the censer poured forth its fragrant contents, so that
the perpetual incense within ascended simultaneously with the perpetual burnt
offering outside. Without the live coals
from off the sacrificial altar, the sacred incense could not be kindled; and
without the incense previously filling the holy place, the blood of atonement
from the altar of burnt offering could not be sprinkled on the mercy seat.
Beautiful and expressive type of the perfect sacrifice and the all prevailing
intercession of Jesus -- of intercession founded upon atonement, of atonement
preceded and followed by intercession! Beautiful and expressive type, too, of
the prayers of believers kindled by the altar fire of Christ's sacrifice, and
perfumed by his merits! --Hugh Macmillan, in "The Ministry of
Nature", 1871. Ps 141:5 ¶ Let the righteous
smite me; it shall be a kindness: and
let him reprove me; it shall be an
excellent oil, which shall not break
my head: for yet my prayer also shall be
in their calamities. “#5-10 We should be ready to welcome the rebuke of our heavenly
Father, and also the reproof of our brethren. It shall not break my head, if it
may but help to break my heart: we must show that we take it kindly.” [MATTHEW
HENRY.]. Ver. 5. Let the righteous smite me, The word slh is seldom used in
Scripture but to signify a severe stroke which shakes the subject smitten, and
causeth it to tremble; see #Pr 23:35 1Sa 14:16 #Ps 74:6; and it is used for the
stroke of the hammer on the anvil in fashioning of the iron (#Isa 41:7). Wherefore the word dsx following may be taken
adverbially, as a lenitive of that severity which this word imports: "Let
him smite me, but" leniter, benigne, misericorditer, "gently, kindly,
friendly, mercifully": and so some translations read the words, "Let
the righteous smite me friendly, or kindly." --John Owen. Ps 142:1 ¶ <<Maschil of
David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.>> I cried unto the LORD with my
voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. Title. He calls this prayer Maschil, "a psalm of
instruction", because of the good lessons he had himself learned in the
cave, learned on his knees, and so learned that he desired to teach others.
--Matthew Henry. “There can be no situation so distressing or dangerous, in which
faith will not get comfort from God by prayer. We are apt to show our troubles
too much to ourselves, poring upon them, which does us no service; whereas, by
showing them to God, we might cast the cares upon him who careth for us, and
thereby ease ourselves. Nor should we allow any complaint to ourselves or
others, which we cannot make to God.” [MATTHEW HENRY.]. Ps 143:1 ¶ <<A Psalm of
David.>> Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness
answer me, and in thy righteousness. #1-6 We have no righteousness of our own to plead, therefore must
plead God's righteousness, and the word of promise which he has freely given
us, and caused us to hope in. [MATTHEW HENRY.]. Ver. 1. Hear my prayer. ... give ear to my supplications... answer
me. He doth here three times repeat his camest desire to be heard, as in fifth
psalm four times he doubles and ingeminateth this same suit to be heard.
... When he doubles his request of
hearing, he would have God hear with both his ears, that is, most attentively
and readily: so instant is a mind that he desireth the prayer he putteth up to
be remembered, as was said the angel to the centurion: "Thy prayer and
almsdeeds are come up God": #Ac 10:4. --Archibald Symson. Pr 15:8 ¶ The sacrifice of the
wicked is an abomination to the LORD:
but the prayer of the upright is his
delight. “Ver. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked [is] an abomination to the
Lord, &c.] Even those sacrifices which were of divine appointment under the
former dispensation, when offered by wicked men, without faith in Christ,
without any sense of sin, repentance for it, and reformation from it; when
these were used as a cloak for sin, under which they sheltered and satisfied
themselves, and went on in sin; when they brought them "with a wicked
mind", as in #Pr 21:27; when either what they brought were not according
to the law, the lame and the blind; or were not their own, but robbery for
burnt sacrifice; or supposing that these would atone for their sins of
themselves; when either of these, or all this, was the case, it was an
abomination to the Lord; see #Isa 1:11-15 61:8 66:3.” [JOHN GILL.]. “Verse
8. The
sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination — Even the most
sedulous attendance on the ordinances of God, and performance of the ceremonies
of religion, is an abomination to the Lord, if the heart be not right with him,
and the observance do not flow from a principle of pure devotion. No religious
acts will do in place of holiness to the Lord. The prayer of
the upright is his delight. — What a motive to be upright; and what
a motive to the upright to pray! But who is the upright? The man who is weary
of sin, and sincerely desires the salvation of God; as well as he who has
already received a measure of that salvation. Hence it is said in the next
verse, “He loveth him that followeth after righteousness.”” [ADAM CLARKE.]. “If we begin to shuffle and shift, we shall be left to
shift for ourselves. Are we acting in a straight line and thus following out
the Lord’s revealed will? Then let us pray much and pray in faith. If our
prayer is God’s delight, let us not stint Him in that which gives Him
pleasure.” [SPURGEON]. Pr “Verse
29. The Lord
is far from the wicked — He is neither near to hear, nor near to
help.” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Pr 28:9 ¶ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even
his prayer shall be abomination. “Verse
9. He that
turneth away his ear from hearing the law — Many suppose,
if they do not know their duty, they shall not be accountable for their
transgressions; and therefore avoid every thing that is calculated to enlighten
them. They will not read the Bible, lest they should know the will of Good; and
they will not attend Divine ordinances for the same reason. But this pretense
will avail them nothing; as he that might have known his master’s will, but
would not, shall be treated as he shall be who did know it, and disobeyed it.
Even the prayers of such a person as this are reputed sin before God.” [ADAM
CLARKE.]. “Verse
8. The
sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination — Even the most
sedulous attendance on the ordinances of God, and performance of the ceremonies
of religion, is an abomination to the Lord, if the heart be not right with him,
and the observance do not flow from a principle of pure devotion. No religious
acts will do in place of holiness to the Lord. The prayer of
the upright is his delight. — What a motive to be upright; and what
a motive to the upright to pray! But who is the upright? The man who is weary
of sin, and sincerely desires the salvation of God; as well as he who has
already received a measure of that salvation. Hence it is said in the next
verse, “He loveth him that followeth after righteousness.”” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Pr “Verse
29. The Lord
is far from the wicked — He is neither near to hear, nor near to
help.” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Pr 28:9 ¶ He that turneth away
his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. “Verse
9. He that
turneth away his ear from hearing the law — Many suppose,
if they do not know their duty, they shall not be accountable for their
transgressions; and therefore avoid every thing that is calculated to enlighten
them. They will not read the Bible, lest they should know the will of Good; and
they will not attend Divine ordinances for the same reason. But this pretense
will avail them nothing; as he that might have known his master’s will, but
would not, shall be treated as he shall be who did know it, and disobeyed it.
Even the prayers of such a person as this are reputed sin before God.” [ADAM
CLARKE.]. Isa 26:16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they
poured out a prayer when thy
chastening was upon them. " 16. visited --sought. poured out--(# Ps 62:8), as
a vessel emptying out all its contents. prayer --literally, "a
whispered prayer," Margin, "a secret sighing" to God for help
(compare#Jer 13:17 De 8:16)." [JFB]. Isa 37:4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear the
words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach
the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard:
wherefore lift up thy prayer for the
remnant that is left. Isa 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD,
the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears:
behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices shall be accepted upon
mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Jer 7:16 ¶ Therefore pray not
thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make
intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. “Verse
16. Therefore pray not thou for this people—
They have filled up the measure of their iniquity, and they must become
examples of my justice. How terrible must the state of that place be, where God
refuses to pour out the spirit of supplication on his ministers and people in
its behalf!” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Jer 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people,
neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me
for their trouble. “Verse
14. Therefore pray not thou for this people— I am determined to give
them up into the hands of their enemies; I will neither hear thy intercession, nor
regard their prayers. Their measure is full.” [ADAM CLARKE.]. La 3:8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my
prayer. " 8. shutteth out --image from a door shutting out any
entrance (#Job 30:20)" [JFB]. " This is a great temptation for the godly when they do not
see the fruit of their prayers and causes them to think that they are
not heard, which thing God uses so that they might pray more earnestly and
often." La " 44. (#La
3:8). The "cloud" is our sins, and God's wrath because of them(#Isa
44:22 59:2)." [JFB]. " Ver. 44.
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, &c.] With wrath and anger, as a
cloud; he wrapped up himself in thick darkness, so as not to be seen or come
at: sin, when it appears not pardoned, is as a cloud between God and his
people; and this causes him to show his anger and displeasure; which is the
cloud about him, Or the hiding of his face." [JOHN GILL]. Da 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek
by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: “Verse
3. I set my face-to
seek by prayer— He found that the time of the promised
deliverance could not be at any great distance; and as he saw nothing that
indicated a speedy termination of their oppressive captivity, he was very much
afflicted, and earnestly besought God to put a speedy end to it; and how
earnestly he seeks, his own words show. He prayed, he supplicated, he fasted,
he put sackcloth upon his body, and he put ashes upon his head. He uses that
kind of prayer prescribed by Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the
temple. See 1 Kings Da “As
God looks upon the bow, that he may remember the covenant,
so should we, that we may be mindful of the covenant with faith and
thankfulness. Without revelation this gracious assurance could not be known;
and without faith it can be of no use to us; and thus it is as to the still
greater dangers to which all are exposed, and as to the new covenant with its blessings.”
[MATTHEW HENRY]. Da 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in
the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the
time of the evening oblation. “Verse 21. The man Gabriel— Or the angel Gabriel, who had appeared to me as a man. Ťya ish is the same here as person-the
person Gabriel. Being caused to fly swiftly—
God hears with delight such earnest, humble, urgent prayers; and sends the
speediest answer. Gabriel himself was ordered on this occasion to make more
than usual speed.” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Jon 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered
the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. “My
prayer came in unto thee— Here prayer is personified, and is represented
as a messenger going from the distressed, and entering into the image.
This clause is one of those which I suppose the prophet to have added when he penned
this prayer.” [ADAM CLARKE.]. Hab 3:1 ¶ A prayer of Habakkuk
the prophet upon Shigionoth. “which sense is favoured by the
Targum, ``a prayer which Habakkuk
the prophet prayed, when it was revealed unto him concerning the length (of
time) which (God) gave to the wicked; that, if they would return to the law
with a perfect heart, they should be forgiven all the sins which they had
committed before him as ignorance:'' but there does not appear
throughout the whole prayer one single petition for the pardon of any sin at
all.” [JOHN GILL.]. [ii] rab {rab} contracted from 07231; TWOT - 2099a,2099b AV - many 190, great 118, much 36, captain 24, more 12, long 10, enough 9, multitude 7, mighty 5, greater 4, greatly 3, misc 40; 458 adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly n m [iii] RSV has “cry”. Ver 6. Supplications ytwnwxt, deprecations. The Psalmist forms a peculiar Hebrew word, feminine plural, not found elsewhere, to convey more impressively the idea of suppliant weakness. --A.R. Fausset. qowl {kole} or qol {kole} from an unused root meaning to call aloud; TWOT - 1998a,2028b; n m AV - voice 383, noise 49, sound 39, thunder 10, proclamation + 05674 4, send out + 05414 2, thunderings 2, fame 1, misc 16; 506 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument) 2) lightness, frivolity [iv] w[m maon; but
instead of this several MSS. have zw[m maoz,
“place of defense,” or “refuge,” which is the reading of the Vulgate,
Septuagint, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. Ever since thy covenant with Abraham thou
hast been the Resting-place, Refuge, and Defence of thy people [v] as the word {f} signifies, with shame and sorrow for it; almost overset with, and ready to faint and sink under, afflictions, which like waves and billows roll over him; and at the same time is attended with much darkness and unbelieving frames of soul: "and poureth out his complaint before the Lord"; [JOHN GILL.].
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