Psalm 31:4 Kommentar

It is probable that David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul; some passages in it agree particularly to the narrow escapes he had, at Keilah (Sa1 23:13), then in the wilderness of Maon, when Saul marched on one side of the hill and he on the other, and, soon after, in the cave in the wilderness of En-gedi; but that it was penned upon any of those occasions we are not told. It is a mixture of prayers, and praises, and professions of confidence in God, all which do well together and are helpful to one another. I. David professes his cheerful confidence in God, and, in that confidence, prays for deliverance out of his present troubles (Psa 31:1-8). II. He complains of the very deplorable condition he was in, and, in the sense of his calamities, still prays that God would graciously appear for him against his persecutors (Psa 31:9-18). III. He concludes the psalm with praise and triumph, giving glory to God, and encouraging himself and others to trust in him (Psa 31:19-24). To the chief musician. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 31 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 Psa 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.

Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me,.... The Ziphites, and Saul, and his men; the former intending treacherously to betray him, and the latter encompassing him about in order to take him; and such was his danger and difficulty, that he saw none but God could deliver him; and he it is that breaks the nets of men, and the snares of the devil, which they secretly lay for the people of God, that they may stumble, and fall, and be taken, and delivers them out of them; for thou art my strength; the author, giver, and maintainer, both of his natural and spiritual strength; and who was able, and was only able, to pull him out of the net, and extricate him out of the difficulties in which he was.

"You shall bring Me out of this trap, which they have hidden for Me" [Psalm 31:4]. You shall bring Me out of these snares, which they have hidden for Me. "For You are My Protector."

By this he indicated the plot of Ahithophel, which he put into operation against him, as we have spoken about previously. … After frequently encountering many disasters I was freed from them by your aid—thus I entrust my soul to your providence. He calls providence here once again “hands.”

The snare was certainly hidden by the enemies, but there was not one which could be hidden from Christ, nor did he fall into death by being deceived, but consciously he accepted it in order to liberate us. So the Jews hid a trap for Christ because they believed that he was only a man, and they were devising a plan to destroy him by an ambush. So he says that he will be brought out, in other words, by the kindness of the resurrection he will be raised quickly to the heavenly realms.

Then when he says, "For you are," he shows what moves him. First, to hope. Second, to pray, at "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted." Concerning the first he does two things. For first he is moved to hope from the consideration of the divine condition. Second, from the experience of benefits, at "But I have hoped in the Lord." For these two things give confidence. He shows the condition of God in two ways. First, by comparison to us; second, by comparison to adversaries, because there were both adversaries and enemies, at "You have hated those who observe." Concerning the first he does three things. First, he sets forth God's relation to us; second, what he hopes from this, at "And for your name's sake." Third, raised up in hope, he breaks forth in prayer, at "Into your hands." Now it should be known that God has a relation to us because he is our strength for accomplishing all the good things that we do through him. Ex. 15: "The Lord is my strength and my praise," and so on. Likewise, because he is our refuge for avoiding evils. Ps. 103: "The rock" (namely God) "is a refuge for hedgehogs." And therefore he says, I hope in you because of these two things. And what he hopes for, he shows in the person of a wayfarer, because he always needs a guide, a provider, and a defender. The first pertains to the way; the second to life; the third to safety. And therefore as to the first he says, "You will lead me," namely along the way of salvation. As to the second, "And you will nourish me," with the nourishment of virtues, and also with bodily nourishment. Ps. 22: "The Lord rules me, and I shall want nothing." As to the third, "You will bring me out of the snare," that is, from the deceitful ambush, which they have prepared for me. Prov. 1: "Come with us, let us lie in wait," and so on. Ps. 123: "The snare is broken." And the reason is that you are my protector; as if to say, I hope because you will do these things for me, because you are my protector.

The prayer of a believer in time of deep distress. In the first part, cries for help are mingled with expressions of confidence. Then the detail of griefs engrosses his attention, till, in the assurance of strong but submissive faith, he rises to the language of unmingled joyful trust and exhorts others to like love and confidence towards God. (Psa. 31:1-24) Expresses the general tone of feeling of the Psalm.