Psalm 61:2 Kommentar

David, in this psalm, as in many others, begins with a sad heart, but concludes with an air of pleasantness - begins with prayers and tears, but ends with songs of praise. Thus the soul, by being lifted up to God, returns to the enjoyment of itself. It should seem David was driven out and banished when he penned this psalm, wether by Saul or Absalom is uncertain: some think by Absalom, because he calls himself "the king" (Psa 61:6), but that refers to the King Messiah. David, in this psalm, resolves to persevere in his duty, encouraged thereto both by his experience an by his expectations. I. He will call upon God because God had protected him (Psa 61:1-3). II. He will call upon God because God had provided well for him (Psa 61:4, Psa 61:5). III. He will praise God because he had an assurance of the continuance of God's favour to him (Psa 61:6-8). So that, in singing this psalm, we may find that which is very expressive both of our faith and of our hope, of our prayers and of our praises; and some passages in this psalm are very peculiar. To the chief musician upon Neginah. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 61 To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David. "Neginah" is either the beginning of a song, as Aben Ezra; or the musical note or tune of one: or rather the name of a musical instrument, which was touched by the hand, or with a quill or bow. It is the singular of "neginoth", See Gill on Psa 4:1. This psalm was written by David, when at the end of the earth, or land of Judea, as appears from Psa 61:2; either when he was fighting with the Syrians, as R. Obadiah, and so was composed about the same time with the former; or when he was in the land of the Philistines, being obliged to fly there from Saul, as Kimchi and others: or rather after he himself was king, since mention is made of the king in it; and when he fled from his son Absalom, and passed over to the other side of Jordan, and came to Mahanaim, Sa2 17:22; where very probably he wrote this psalm. In it respect is had to the Messiah, as in Psa 61:2; though Arama thinks it was composed after the prophecy came to Nathan that David should not build the temple; see Psa 61:4.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,.... Where he now was, as is observed on the title; see Gill on Psa 61:1, though he was distant from his own house, and from the house of God, he did not restrain prayer before him, but continued to cry unto him, and determined to do so; and as the people of God are sometimes forced to flee to distant parts, they have a God still to go to, who is a God afar off, as well as at hand. It may be the psalmist may represent the church in Gospel times, throughout the whole world, even at the further parts of it, in the isles afar off, where men may and do lift up holy hands to God without wrath and doubting: when my heart is overwhelmed; or "covered" (x); with grief and sorrow for any trouble, outward or inward, and ready to sink, and fail and die. Sometimes the saints are overwhelmed with a sense of sin, are pressed down with the weight and burden of its guilt; their faces are covered with shame and confusion; and their hearts are swallowed up and overwhelmed with overmuch sorrow, both at the number of their sins, and at the aggravated circumstances of them; and especially when they are without a view of pardoning grace and mercy, Psa 38:4, Lam 3:42; and sometimes they are overwhelmed with afflictive providences; the Lord causes all his waves and billows to go over them, and they are just ready to sink; and did he not stay his hand, and stop contending with them, the spirit would fail before him, and the souls that he has made, Psa 42:6; and sometimes with divine desertions, which cause a "deliquium" of soul, and throw them into fainting fits, Sol 5:6; and sometimes through unbelieving frames; and did not the Lord appear to them, and strengthen their faith, and remove their unbelief, they would sink and die away, Psa 77:2. And at all such times it is right to cry unto the Lord, and make the following request to him: lead me to the rock that is higher than I; not the land of Israel, as Kimchi thinks, the psalmist being now in the low lands of the Philistines; nor Jerusalem, and the fort and hill of Zion; he being now at the extreme and lower parts of the land: this sense is too low. Some think that some great difficulty is meant; which seemed insuperable, and like a rock inaccessible, which he could not get up to, and upon, and get over; and therefore desires the Lord would lead him up it, and over it, before whom every rock, mountain, and hill, becomes a plain, Zac 4:7; but rather Christ is meant, the Rock of Israel, the Rock of our salvation, and our refuge. He is higher than David, and all the kings of the earth; higher than the angels in heaven, and than the heavens themselves, Heb 7:26; and who by his height is able to protect and defend his people from all their enemies; and by the shade he casts to refresh and comfort them; and by the sufficiency in him to supply all their wants; for he is as a rock impregnable, and well stored, Isa 33:16. And here gracious souls desire to be led by the Spirit of God always, and especially when in distressing circumstances; and he does lead them to his blood for pardon and cleansing, and to his righteousness for justification and acceptance with God, and to his fulness for fresh supplies. (x) "quum tegitur", Michaelis.

"Hearken, O God, to my supplication, give heed to my prayer" [Psalm 61:1]. Who says? He, as if One. See whether one: "From the ends of the earth to You I have cried, while my heart was being vexed" [Psalm 61:2]. Now therefore not one: but for this reason one, because Christ is One, of whom all we are the members. For what one man cries from the ends of the earth? There cries not from the ends of the earth any but that inheritance, of which has been said to the Son Himself, "Demand of Me, and I will give to You the nations for Your inheritance, and for Your possession the boundaries of the earth." This therefore Christ's possession, this Christ's inheritance, this Christ's Body, this Christ's one Church, this the Unity which we are, is crying from the ends of the earth....But wherefore have I cried this thing? "While my heart was being vexed." He shows himself to be throughout all nations in the whole round world, in great glory, but in great tribulation. For our life in this sojourning cannot be without temptation: because our advance is made through our temptation, nor does a man become known to himself unless tempted, nor can he be crowned except he shall have conquered, nor can he conquer except he shall have striven, nor can he strive except he shall have experienced an enemy, and temptations. This Man therefore is being vexed, that from the ends of the earth is crying, but nevertheless He is not forsaken. For ourselves who are His Body He has willed to prefigure also in that His Body wherein already He has both died and has risen again, and into Heaven has ascended, in order that whither the Head has gone before, there the members may be assured that they shall follow. Therefore us He did transfer by a figure into Himself, when He willed to be tempted of Satan.

For that church is founded on a rock, as the Lord says: “On this rock I will build my church.” But they build on the sand, as the same Lord says: “Every one who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” But that you may not suppose that the church that is on a rock is in only one part of the earth and does not extend even to its furthest boundaries, hear its voice groaning from the psalm, amid the evils of it pilgrimage. For it says, “From the end of the earth have I cried to you; when my heart was distressed you did lift me up on the rock; you have led me, you, my hope, have become a tower of courage from the face of the enemy.” See how it cries from the end of the earth.… See how it is exalted on a rock.

We should note that this flood of temptations assails the church in three ways: “one is tempted, drawn on and lured by one’s own desire,” or is worn down by the depravity of false brothers or is assaulted by the more open snares of those outside [the church]. In another place the Lord calls these temptations “the gates of the lower world,” and rightly so, for if victorious they drag us down to eternal destruction. He says, “I shall build my church on this rock, and the gates of the lower world shall not prevail against it.” Although the gates of the devil strike against it, yet they do not overthrow Christ’s church; although the flood of faithlessness inundates it, it does not undermine the house of faith. For [the church] is able to say truthfully to its helper, “When my heart was disquieted, you raised me up on a rock.” It is not vanquished by external forces because, by suffering and acquiring the crown of martyrdom, it triumphs over the ferocity of the unbelievers who persecute it. It is not corrupted by false brothers because it refutes the dogmas of heretics by believing properly, and it avoids the vicious example of some Catholics by living soberly and justly and piously. It is not blinded by the smoke of private greed because it is inwardly aflame with the ardor of the Lord’s charity alone.

Neginah--or, Neginoth (see on Psa 4:1, title). Separated from his usual spiritual privileges, perhaps by Absalom's rebellion, the Psalmist prays for divine aid, and, in view of past mercies, with great confidence of being heard. (Psa 61:1-8) From the end--that is, places remote from the sanctuary (Deu 28:64).

heart is overwhelmed--literally, "covered over with darkness," or, "distress." to the rock-- (Psa 18:2; Psa 40:2). higher than I--which otherwise I cannot ascend.