Psaume 31

1 Au chef des chantres. Psaume de David. Eternel! je cherche en toi mon refuge: Que jamais je ne sois confondu! Délivre-moi dans ta justice!

2 Incline vers moi ton oreille, hâte-toi de me secourir! Sois pour moi un rocher protecteur, une forteresse, Où je trouve mon salut!

3 Car tu es mon rocher, ma forteresse; Et à cause de ton nom tu me conduiras, tu me dirigeras.

4 Tu me feras sortir du filet qu'ils m'ont tendu; Car tu es mon protecteur.

5 Je remets mon esprit entre tes mains; Tu me délivreras, Eternel, Dieu de vérité!

6 Je hais ceux qui s'attachent à de vaines idoles, Et je me confie en l'Eternel.

7 Je serai par ta grâce dans l'allégresse et dans la joie; Car tu vois ma misère, tu sais les angoisses de mon âme,

8 Et tu ne me livreras pas aux mains de l'ennemi, Tu mettras mes pieds au large.

9 Aie pitié de moi, Eternel! car je suis dans la détresse; J'ai le visage, l'âme et le corps usés par le chagrin.

10 Ma vie se consume dans la douleur, Et mes années dans les soupirs; Ma force est épuisée à cause de mon iniquité, Et mes os dépérissent.

11 Tous mes adversaires m'ont rendu un objet d'opprobre, De grand opprobre pour mes voisins, et de terreur pour mes amis; Ceux qui me voient dehors s'enfuient loin de moi.

12 Je suis oublié des coeurs comme un mort, Je suis comme un vase brisé.

13 J'apprends les mauvais propos de plusieurs, L'épouvante qui règne à l'entour, Quand ils se concertent ensemble contre moi: Ils complotent de m'ôter la vie.

14 Mais en toi je me confie, ô Eternel! Je dis: Tu es mon Dieu!

15 Mes destinées sont dans ta main; Délivre-moi de mes ennemis et de mes persécuteurs!

16 Fais luire ta face sur ton serviteur, Sauve-moi par ta grâce!

17 Eternel, que je ne sois pas confondu quand je t'invoque. Que les méchants soient confondus, Qu'ils descendent en silence au séjour des morts!

18 Qu'elles deviennent muettes, les lèvres menteuses, Qui parlent avec audace contre le juste, Avec arrogance et dédain!

19 Oh! combien est grande ta bonté, Que tu tiens en réserve pour ceux qui te craignent, Que tu témoignes à ceux qui cherchent en toi leur refuge, A la vue des fils de l'homme!

20 Tu les protèges sous l'abri de ta face contre ceux qui les persécutent, Tu les protèges dans ta tente contre les langues qui les attaquent.

21 Béni soit l'Eternel! Car il a signalé sa grâce envers moi, Comme si j'avais été dans une ville forte.

22 Je disais dans ma précipitation: Je suis chassé loin de ton regard! Mais tu as entendu la voix de mes supplications, Quand j'ai crié vers toi.

23 Aimez l'Eternel, vous qui avez de la piété! L'Eternel garde les fidèles, Et il punit sévèrement les orgueilleux.

24 Fortifiez-vous et que votre coeur s'affermisse, Vous tous qui espérez en l'Eternel!

Psaume 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

Confidence in God. (1-8) Prayer in trouble. (9-18) Praise for God's goodness. (19-24)

Verses 1-8 Faith and prayer must go together, for the prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer. David gave up his soul in a special manner to God. And with the words, ver. 5, our Lord Jesus yielded up his last breath on the cross, and made his soul a free-will offering for sin, laying down his life as a ransom. But David is here as a man in distress and trouble. And his great care is about his soul, his spirit, his better part. Many think that while perplexed about their worldly affairs, and their cares multiply, they may be excused if they neglect their souls; but we are the more concerned to look to our souls, that, though the outward man perish, the inward man may suffer no damage. The redemption of the soul is so precious, that it must have ceased for ever, if Christ had not undertaken it. Having relied on God's mercy, he will be glad and rejoice in it. God looks upon our souls, when we are in trouble, to see whether they are humbled for sin, and made better by the affliction. Every believer will meet with such dangers and deliverances, until he is delivered from death, his last enemy.

Verses 9-18 David's troubles made him a man of sorrows. Herein he was a type of Christ, who was acquainted with grief. David acknowledged that his afflictions were merited by his own sins, but Christ suffered for ours. David's friends durst not give him any assistance. Let us not think it strange if thus deserted, but make sure of a Friend in heaven who will not fail. God will be sure to order and dispose all for the best, to all those who commit their spirits also into his hand. The time of life is in God's hands, to lengthen or shorten, make bitter or sweet, according to the counsel of his will. The way of man is not in himself, nor in our friend's hands, nor in our enemies' hands, but in God's. In this faith and confidence he prays that the Lord would save him for his mercies's sake, and not for any merit of his own. He prophesies the silencing of those that reproach and speak evil of the people of God. There is a day coming, when the Lord will execute judgment upon them. In the mean time, we should engage ourselves by well-doing, if possible, to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Verses 19-24 Instead of yielding to impatience or despondency under our troubles, we should turn our thoughts to the goodness of the Lord towards those who fear and trust in Him. All comes to sinners through the wondrous gift of the only-begotten Son of God, to be the atonement for their sins. Let not any yield to unbelief, or think, under discouraging circumstances, that they are cut off from before the eyes of the Lord, and left to the pride of men. Lord, pardon our complaints and fears; increase our faith, patience, love, and gratitude; teach us to rejoice in tribulation and in hope. The deliverance of Christ, with the destruction of his enemies, ought to strengthen and comfort the hearts of believers under all their afflictions here below, that having suffered courageously with their Master, they may triumphantly enter into his joy and glory.

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm, according to Arama, was composed by David when in Keilah; but, according to Kimchi and others, when the Ziphites proposed to deliver him up into the hands of Saul; and who, upon their solicitations, came down and surrounded him with his army, from whom in haste he made his escape, and to which he is thought to refer in Psalm 31:22. Theodoret supposes it was written by David when he fled from Absalom, and that it has some respect in it to his sin against Uriah, in that verse.