Charles Spurgeon

In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them.

“"Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them." This is the rule of life with all the chosen family.”

They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

“"They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded." As if he had said, "How is it that I am now left without succour in my overwhelming griefs, while all others have been helped?”

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

“"But I am a worm, and no man." This verse is a miracle in language. How could the Lord of glory be brought to such abasement as to be not only lower than the angels, but even lower than men.”

All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:

“"All they that see me laugh me to scorn." Read the evangelistic narrative of the ridicule endured by the Crucified One, and then consider, in the light of this expression, how it grieved him. The iron entered into his soul.”

“He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”

“"Saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him."”

Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast.

“"But thou art he that took me out of the womb." Kindly providence attends with the surgery of tenderness at every human birth; but the Son of Man, who was marvelously begotten of the Holy Ghost, was in an especial manner watched over by the…”

From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.

“"I was cast upon thee from the womb." Into the Almighty arms he was first received, as into those of a loving parent. This is a sweet thought. God begins his care over us from the earliest hour.”

Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

“"Be not far from me." This is the petition for which he has been using such varied and powerful pleas. His great woe was that God had forsaken him, his great prayer is that he would be near him.”

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

“"Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round." The mighty ones in the crowd are here marked by the tearful eye of their victim.”

They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.

“"They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion." Like hungry cannibals they opened their blasphemous mouths as if they were about to swallow the man whom they abhorred.”

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me.

“Turning from his enemies, our Lord describes his own personal condition in language which should bring the tears into every loving eye. "I am poured out like water."”

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.

“"My strength is dried up like a potsherd." Most complete debility is here portrayed; Jesus likens himself to a broken piece of earthenware, or an earthen pot, baked in the fire till the last particle of moisture is driven out of the clay.”

I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me.

“So emaciated was Jesus by his fastings and sufferings that he says, "I may tell all my bones." He could count and recount them.”

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

“"They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." The garments of the executed were the perquisites of the executioners in most cases, but it was not often that they cast lots at the division of the spoil; this incident shows how…”

But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

“"But be thou not far from me, O Lord." Invincible faith returns to the charge, and uses the same means, viz., importunate prayer. He repeats the petition so piteously offered before. He wants nothing but his God, even in his lowest state.”

Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs.

“"Deliver my soul from the sword." By the sword is probably meant entire destruction, which as a man he dreaded; or perhaps he sought deliverance from the enemies around him, who were like a sharp and deadly sword to him.”

Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

“"Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns." Having experienced deliverance in the past from great enemies, who were strong as the unicorns, the Redeemer utters his last cry for rescue from death, which is fierce…”

I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.

“"I will declare thy name unto my brethren." The delights of Jesus are always with his church, and hence his thoughts, after much distraction, return at the first moment of relief to their usual channel; he forms fresh designs for the benefit of his beloved…”

You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him!

“"Ye that fear the Lord praise him." The reader must imagine the Saviour as addressing the congregation of the saints. He exhorts the faithful to unite with him in thanksgiving.”

For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.

“"For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted." Here is good matter and motive for praise. The experience of our covenant Head and Representative should encourage all of us to bless the God of grace.”

My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.

“"My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation." The one subject of our Master's song is the Lord alone. The Lord and the Lord only is the theme which the believer handleth when he gives himself to imitate Jesus in praise.”

The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

“"The meek shall eat and be satisfied." Mark how the dying Lover of our souls solaces himself with the result of his death.”

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.

“In reading this verse one is struck with the Messiah's missionary spirit. It is evidently his grand consolation that Jehovah will be known throughout all places of his dominion. "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord."”

For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.

“"For the kingdom is the Lord's." As an obedient Son the dying Redeemer rejoiced to know that his Father's interests would prosper through his pains. "The Lord reigneth" was his song as it is ours.”

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even those unable to preserve their lives.

“"All they that be fat upon earth," the rich and great are not shut out. Grace now finds the most of its jewels among the poor, but in the latter days the mighty of the earth "shall eat," shall taste of redeeming grace and dying…”