David’s Thanksgiving and Prayer.
In this psalm David has used the material of former hymns of praise, the Holy Spirit making use of this new combination to bring out very strongly the features of praise and prayer. A song or psalm of David, vv. 1–5 being the same as Ps. 57, 7–11, and vv. 6–13 the same as Ps. 60, 5–12, only a few slight changes in the words having been made. 1O God, my heart is fixed, in trustful reliance; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory, his entire soul with all its powers being engaged in this service. 2Awake, psaltery and harp, for the purpose of early and energetic praise; I myself will awake early. 3I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations, the missionary idea being expressed very clearly in this verse. 4For Thy mercy is great above the heavens, extending beyond the limit of human understanding, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds, filling the entire universe. 5Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens and Thy glory above all the earth, 6that Thy beloved may be delivered, that is, the believer trusting in Jehovah, save with Thy right hand, emblem of almighty power, and answer me. 7God hath spoken in His holiness, that being the guarantee in which the believer may trust. I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem and mete out the Valley of Succoth. 8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 9Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia, now lying in a state of complete overthrow and subjection, will I triumph. 10Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? 11Wilt not Thou, O God, who hast cast us off? And wilt not Thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? 12Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man. 13Through God we shall do valiantly; for He it is that shall tread down our enemies. It is a hymn setting forth the fulfilment of God’s promises and as such is a fitting song for all believers, a hymn of triumph over all spiritual enemies, all of whom must finally submit to the Lord.