Psalms 21

1 in finem pro adsumptione matutina psalmus David

2 Deus Deus meus %respice me; quare me dereliquisti longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum

3 Deus meus clamabo per diem et non exaudies et nocte et non ad insipientiam mihi

4 tu autem in sancto habitas Laus Israhel

5 in te speraverunt patres nostri speraverunt et liberasti eos

6 ad te clamaverunt et salvi facti sunt in te speraverunt et non sunt confusi

7 ego autem sum vermis et non homo obprobrium hominum et abiectio plebis

8 omnes videntes me deriserunt me locuti sunt labiis moverunt caput

9 speravit in Domino eripiat eum salvum faciat eum quoniam vult eum

10 quoniam tu es qui extraxisti me de ventre spes mea ab uberibus matris meae

11 in te proiectus sum ex utero de ventre matris meae Deus meus es tu

12 ne discesseris a me quoniam tribulatio proxima est quoniam non est qui adiuvet

13 circumdederunt me vituli multi tauri pingues obsederunt me

14 aperuerunt super me os suum sicut leo rapiens et rugiens

15 sicut aqua effusus sum et dispersa sunt universa ossa mea factum est cor meum tamquam cera liquescens in medio ventris mei

16 aruit tamquam testa virtus mea et lingua mea adhesit faucibus meis et in limum mortis deduxisti me

17 quoniam circumdederunt me canes multi concilium malignantium obsedit me foderunt manus meas et pedes meos

18 dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea ipsi vero consideraverunt et inspexerunt me

19 diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem meam miserunt sortem

20 tu autem Domine ne elongaveris auxilium tuum ad defensionem meam conspice

21 erue a framea animam meam et de manu canis unicam meam

22 salva me ex ore leonis et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam

23 narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis in media ecclesia laudabo te

24 qui timetis Dominum laudate eum universum semen Iacob magnificate eum

25 timeat eum omne semen Israhel quoniam non sprevit neque dispexit deprecationem pauperis nec avertit faciem suam a me et cum clamarem ad eum exaudivit %me;

26 apud te laus mea in ecclesia magna vota mea reddam in conspectu timentium eum

27 edent pauperes et saturabuntur et laudabunt Dominum qui requirunt eum vivent corda eorum in saeculum saeculi

28 reminiscentur et convertentur ad Dominum universi fines terrae et adorabunt in conspectu eius universae familiae gentium

29 quoniam Dei est regnum et %ipse; dominabitur gentium

30 manducaverunt et adoraverunt omnes pingues terrae in conspectu eius cadent omnes qui descendunt in terram

31 et anima mea illi vivet et semen meum serviet ipsi

32 adnuntiabitur Domino generatio ventura et adnuntiabunt iustitiam eius populo qui nascetur quem fecit %Dominus;

Psalms 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Thanksgiving for victory. (1-6) Confidence of further success. (7-13)

Verses 1-6 Happy the people whose king makes God's strength his confidence, and God's salvation his joy; who is pleased with all the advancements of God kingdom, and trusts God to support him in all he does for the service of it. All our blessings are blessings of goodness, and are owing, not to any merit of ours, but only to God's goodness. But when God's blessings come sooner, and prove richer than we imagine; when they are given before we prayed for them, before we were ready for them, nay, when we feared the contrary; then it may be truly said that he prevented, or went before us, with them. Nothing indeed prevented, or went before Christ, but to mankind never was any favour more preventing than our redemption by Christ. Thou hast made him to be a universal, everlasting blessing to the world, in whom the families of the earth are, and shall be blessed; and so thou hast made him exceeding glad with the countenance thou hast given to his undertaking, and to him in the prosecution of it. The Spirit of prophecy rises from what related to the king, to that which is peculiar to Christ; none other is blessed for ever, much less a blessing for ever.

Verses 7-13 The psalmist teaches to look forward with faith, and hope, and prayer upon what God would further do. The success with which God blessed David, was a type of the total overthrow of all Christ's enemies. Those who might have had Christ to rule and save them, but rejected him and fought against him, shall find the remembrance of it a worm that dies not. God makes sinners willing by his grace, receives them to his favour, and delivers them from the wrath to come. May he exalt himself, by his all-powerful grace, in our hearts, destroying all the strong-holds of sin and Satan. How great should be our joy and praise to behold our Brother and Friend upon the throne, and for all the blessings we may expect from him! yet he delights in his exalted state, as enabling him to confer happiness and glory on poor sinners, who are taught to love and trust in him.

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm was either written by David; and therefore called a "psalm of David"; or it was written, as it may be rendered, "for David," by some other person, on account of his victories and triumphs; or rather "concerning David" {s}; that is, concerning the Messiah, the son of David, as Kimchi says some expound it; or concerning the Messiah, who is called David, Ezekiel 37:24; and Jarchi observes, that their Rabbins interpret it of the Messiah; but, says he, it is right to explain it, moreover, of David himself, for an answer to the heretics (Christians) who err in it; and various passages in this psalm are by the Jewish writers understood of the Messiah; as "the King," in Psalm 20:1 is in the Targum called the King Messiah; Psalm 21:4 is in the Talmud applied {t} to him; Psalm 21:3 are in Zohar {u}, and in the Midrashes {w}, interpreted of him; and many Christian writers understand the whole of him; which is right: though Theodoret thinks it was penned on the account of the health of King Hezekiah, and his restoration from his disease; which is not likely.

{s} dwdl "pro Davide, vel de Davide," Vatablus. {t} T. Bab. Succah, fol. 52. 1. Vid. Nachman. disput. "cum fratre Paulo," p. 36. Ed. Wagenseil. {u} In Numb. fol. 68. 3. 4. {w} Midrash Tillim apud Viccars. in loc. & in Galatin. l. 3. c. 9. Bemidbar Rabba, fol. 212. 4. & 218. 1.