Psalms 71:18

18 benedictus Dominus Deus Deus Israhel qui facit mirabilia solus

Psalms 71:18 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 71:18

Now also, when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me
not
A repetition of his request, ( Psalms 71:9 ) ; with a reason annexed to it, suggested in the following words:

until I have showed thy strength unto [this] generation;
or, "thine arm" F5; which sometimes the Messiah, ( Isaiah 53:1 ) ; who is the power of by whom he made the worlds, and in whom all things consist; and who has wrought out the salvation people; and is the arm on which they lean, and they are upheld. And the psalmist may be thought to desire that he might be continued a little longer, and be favoured with the presence of God, and the influences of his Spirit and grace; that he might show forth in prophecy, both by word and writing, to the men of the then present age, more things concerning the person, office, and grace of Christ; his sufferings, death, resurrection from the dead, and session at the right hand of God; things which are spoken of in the book of Psalms. Sometimes the arm of the Lord denotes his power and strength, ( Psalms 44:3 ) ; and so it may be taken here; and the next clause seems to be an explanation of it:

[and] thy power;
or "[even] thy power",

to everyone [that] is to come;
that is, to come into the world, that is to be born into it; namely, the power of God, not only in creating all things out of nothing, and supporting what is made; but in the redemption of men, in the conversion of sinners, and in the preservation of the saints, and in enabling them to hold on and out unto the end: and which is shown forth by the psalmist in what he has committed to writing; and which continue, and will continue, to the end of the world, for the instruction of those that come into it; see ( Psalms 22:31 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Kewrz) "brachium tuum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator

Psalms 71:18 In-Context

16 erit firmamentum in terra in summis montium superextolletur super Libanum fructus eius et florebunt de civitate sicut faenum terrae
17 sit nomen eius benedictum in saecula ante solem permanet nomen eius et benedicentur in ipso omnes tribus terrae omnes gentes beatificabunt eum
18 benedictus Dominus Deus Deus Israhel qui facit mirabilia solus
19 et benedictum nomen maiestatis eius in aeternum et replebitur maiestate eius omnis terra fiat fiat
20 defecerunt laudes David filii Iesse
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.