← Back to the beginning of Psalms 26
Ver. 5. For in time of trouble he shall hide me] This protection he boldly promiseth himself as a fruit of his faith, fostered by the use of the ordinances. He knew that the only way to be safe was to get under God’s wing, Psalms 91:4, to take sanctuary there, to be hid under God’s altar; for upon all the glory there is a defence, Isaiah 4:5. Joash was preserved six years in the sanctuary, where he was hid. The sanctuary is called God’s hidden place, Ezekiel 7:22, and his saints his hidden ones, Psalms 83:3. In his pavilion] The Hebrew Succoh is written with a little Samech, [Hebrew Text Note] to show, say the Masorites, that a little pavilion or cottage where God is shall be sufficient to safeguard the saints, Quod tabernaculum exile συν θεω, est asylum tutissimum. In the secret of his tabernacle] I shall be as safe as if I were shut up in his holy ark. He shall set me upon a rock] Out of mine enemy’s reach.
Ver. 6. And now shall mine head be lifted up] See Psalms 3:4, and take notice how clear David was upon his prayer, of the possession of the promise, that he should both get the better of his enemies, and enjoy the public ordinances. Sacrifices of joy] Heb. of loud shouting, hoc est sacrificia cum canticis, saith R. Solomon. Sacrifices with triumph, alarm, or jubilation to the Lord; not with profane triumphings, as the manner of the world is, as if by mine own strength or prudence I had gotten the victory. So at the battle of Agincourt, when our Henry V had beaten the French, the honour of the day was, by the king’s command, ascribed only to God. He would not suffer his broken crown or bruised armour to be borne before him in show; or any ballads to be set forth or sung in his honour, &c. (Speed. Daniel).
Ver. 7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry] This was his form of prayer, or to this effect, when he was in any distress or danger. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, he had weapons, not only defensive (the shield of faith, helmet of hope, breastplate of righteousness, &c., as Ephesians 6:14-18), but also offensive, viz. the darts of prayer, as here, and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, as in the next.
Ver. 8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, &c.] Or, “My heart said unto thee” (or, for thee, and in thy stead), Let my face seek thy face, &c. Or concerning thee, said my heart; that is, I have constantly considered of those words of thine “Seek ye my face,” and, therefore I come confidently unto thee. See Deuteronomy 4:19. Upon which commandment (involving a promise) David seems to ground this speech of his. R. Solomon hath it thus, Thou hast said to my heart, Seek ye my face; that is, Thou hast told me by thy Spirit that all Israel should seek thy face, and as for me, I will surely seek thy face. My heart said unto thee, &c.] My heart, moved and inspirited by thy Spirit working in me a gracious compliance, echoed out as it were, “Thy face,” &c. See the like Jeremiah 3:22, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.” Every godly person hath the duplicate of God’s law in his heart; and is willingly cast into the mould of his word, Romans 6:17.
Ver. 9. Hide not thy face far from me] For then it will be to no purpose for me to seek it; eclipse not thy favour, withhold not thy succour, but meet me; yea, prevent me with thy loving kindness. Tantum velis, et Deus tibi praeoccurret, saith an ancient. Put not thy servant away in anger] Thy servant I am, though a sinful servant, and such as provoketh thee to displeasure; nevertheless reject me not, as thou hast done Saul, and sundry others, for their misdoings. 2 Samuel 24:10, “Take away the iniquity of thy servant”; and to prove himself so, he addeth, “for I have done foolishly”; as some godly learned think, hereby intimating, that if he deserved not to be called God’s servant in regard of his late sin, yet in regard of his latter service of confession. God puts away many in anger for their supposed goodness, but not any at all for their confessed badness. Thou hast been my help, leave me not, &c.] It is a good note that one giveth upon these words: The godly many times have such earnest affections in prayers, that they can hardly content themselves with any words to express their minds withal.
Ver. 10. When my father and my mother forsake me] Or, For my father and my mother do forsake me (that is, they are not able to help me), but thou, &c., 1 Samuel 22:1,3. There is an ocean of love in a parent’s heart toward their even untoward children, as was in David toward Absalom, after all his unnatural miscarriages; insomuch as Joab upbraideth him with it, 2 Samuel 19:6. But all the mercies of all the fathers and mothers in the world put together make not the tithe of God’s mercy toward his children, Isaiah 41:15. Then the Lord will take me up] Heb. will gather me, that is, take me into his care and keeping. In the civil law we find provision made for outcasts and friendless persons; some hospitals to entertain them, some liberties to comfort and compensate their trouble. It is sure that in God the forlorn and fatherless find mercy, Hosea 14:3 1Sa 22:2,3 Joh 9:35 Jer 30:17. In the Israelites’ marching through the wilderness, at the fourth alarm arose the standard of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali; and to these was committed the care of gathering together the lame, feeble, and sick, and to look that nothing was left behind; whence they were called the gathering host, Joshua 6:9. Unto this, some think, David here alludeth.
Ver. 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me, &c.] Deus non deserit suos, dum eos docet ac ducit, God shows that he forsaketh not his (whatever other friends do) so long as he teacheth and leadeth them. See Psalms 25:4,5. [See Trapp on “Ps 25:4”] [See Trapp on “Ps 25:5”] In a plain path] Heb. In a way of plainness, wherein I may escape mine enemies’ ambushes. Because of mine enemies] Or, Because of mine observers; so it may be read (propter insidiatores meos); such as Saul and Doeg were, who looked upon David with an evil eye, and watched for his halting. It was the wisdom of the Lacedaemonians always to send two ambassadors together which disagreed among themselves; that so they might mutually eye one another’s actions (Aristot. Polit. lib. ii. cap. 7). The wicked will be eyeing and prying into the practices of good people, who must therefore watch and pray.
Ver. 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies] Heb. unto the soul; for the wicked are carried on against the godly, with all their soul, as it were. For false witnesses] Such as whereof Saul’s court was full, viz. his Aiones et Negones, who fed his humour by traducing and denigrating innocent David. And such as breathe out cruelty] As Saul breathed out threatening against the disciples, Acts 9:1; so did David’s spit fires.
Ver. 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed] Saved he was then by his faith, which drank to him as it were in a cup of Nepenthes, and fetched him again when ready to swoon and sink. See Psalms 119:92. The word rendered unless here is (as the Masorites note) one of the fifteen Scripture words, that were extraordinarily pointed by the men of the great synagogue (Lule habet puncta supra and infra). [Hebrew Text Note] The reason whereof given by Kimchi and others (as if David doubted of his salvation) is not satisfactory nor sound. To see the goodness of the Lord] That is, to taste; one sense usually put for another; the soul also hath her senses; and these must be habitually exercised to discern good and evil, Hebrews 5:14. In the land of the living] That is, here on earth, Psalms 116:9 Isa 38:11, where men live; and I myself have not only a portion of life with them, but a promise of many good things besides. To blame, therefore, was good David, when he said in his haste, All men are liars, prophets, and all who had promised him the kingdom, Psalms 116:10. But the best have their passions; which they daily outgrow, and add to their faith patience, 2 Peter 1:5,6. And albeit as Calvin here noteth, every one’s case is not like David’s, who had particular promises concerning this life, beyond many other faithful persons; yet, because according to every man’s faith it shall be unto him, let us all likewise trust in God, as we are all hereupon exhorted in the next words.
Ver. 14. Wait on the Lord] Expecta, expecta. See how earnest good David is with himself and others; for he knew men’s dulness, and the difficulty of the duty. Religious men find it more easy to bear evil than to wait till the promised good he enjoyed; Hebrews 10:36, the spoiling of their goods required patience; but this more than ordinary. Let our distance from God, our dependence upon him, and our undone condition without him, be but considered; and we shall be the more willing to wait, yea, to want and go without some things, that we are but too much set upon. Be of good courage] Be confirmed, hold fast, play the man (as the Seventy have it, and the apostle useth the same word, 1 Corinthians 16:13), and let not the big words of thine enemies make thee to cast away thy confidence, which hath so great recompense of reward. And he shall strengthen thy heart] Or, let thine heart be confirmed, cheer up, hold out faith and patience. Wait, I say, on the Lord] i.e. De die in diem expecta, wait still; do it from one day to another. God is a free agent, neither is it fit for us to send for him by a post. Many of his promises bear a long date; but they are sure and infallible. Wait, therefore; and why? See Habakkuk 2:3. [See Trapp on “Hab 2:3”]