Charles Spurgeon

All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.

“Mine enemies reproach me all the day. Their rage was unrelenting and unceasing, and vented itself in taunts and insults, the Psalmist's patriotism and his griefs were both made the subjects of their sport.”

For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears

“For I have eaten ashes like bread. He had so frequently cast ashes upon his head in token of mourning, that they had mixed with his ordinary food, and grated between his teeth when he ate his daily bread.”

because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.

“Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down. A sense of the divine wrath which had been manifested in the overthrow of the chosen nation and their sad captivity led the Psalmist into the greatest distress.”

My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.

“My days are like a shadow that declineth. His days were but a shadow at best, but now they seem to be like a shadow which was passing away. A shadow is unsubstantial enough, how feeble a thing must a declining shadow be?”

But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.

“Now the writer's mind is turned away from his personal and relative troubles to the true source of all consolation, namely, the Lord himself, and his gracious purposes towards his own people. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever.”

You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor— the appointed time has come.

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion. He firmly believed and boldly prophesied that apparent inaction on God's part would turn to effective working. Others might remain sluggish in the matter, but the Lord would most surely bestir himself.”

For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.

“For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. They delight in her so greatly that even her rubbish is dear to them.”

So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.

“So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord. Mercy within the church is soon perceived by those without. When a candle is lit in the house, it shines through the window.”

For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

“When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. As kings display their skill and power and wealth in the erection of their capitals, so would the Lord reveal the splendour of his attributes in the restoration of Zion, and so…”

He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.

“OBSERVE that the verse which precedes the text describes the Lord as appearing in His Glory. His Zion is to be built up and therefore her King puts on the robes of His splendor.”

Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.

“This shall be written for the generation to come. A note shall be made of it, for there will be destitute ones in future generations, —"the poor shall never cease out of the land, "—and it will make glad their eyes to read the story…”

For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,

“For he hath looked down from the heights of his sanctuary, or "leaned from the high place of his holiness, " from heaven did the Lord behold the earth, looking out like a watcher from his tower.”

For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death, that…

“I SUPPOSE the first sense of this passage would be just this. Israel had been carried away captive and only the poorest of the people had been left in the land. Jerusalem was a heap. Zion had been plowed with the plow of desolation.”

that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,

“To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem. Great mercy displayed to those greatly in need of it, is the plainest method of revealing the attributes of the Most High.”

when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.

“When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord. The great work of restoring ruined Zion is to be spoken of in those golden ages when the heathen nations shall be converted unto God; even those glorious times will not be…”

He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.

“He weakened my strength in the way. Here the Psalmist comes down again to the mournful string, and pours forth his personal complaint.”

I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.

“I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. He betook himself to prayer. What better remedy is there for hcart-sickness and depression? We may lawfully ask for recovery from sickness and may hope to be heard.”

In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth. Creation is no new work with God, and therefore to "create Jerusalem a praise in the earth" will not be difficult to him.”

They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on.

“They shall perish, but thou shalt endure. The power which made them shall dissolve them, even as the city of thy love was destroyed at thy command; yet neither the ruined city nor the ruined earth can make a change in thee, reverse thy purpose…”

But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

“But thou art the same, or, "thou art he." As a man remains the same when he has changed his clothing, so is the Lord evermore the unchanging One, though his works in creation may be changed, and the operations of his providence may vary.”

The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”

“The children of thy servants shall continue. The Psalmist had early in the psalm looked forward to a future generation, and here he speaks with confidence that such a race would arise and be preserved and blessed of God.”

Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name.

“Bless the Lord O my soul. Soul music is the very soul of music. The Psalmist strikes the best keymote when he begins with stirring up his inmost self to magnify the Lord.”

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds—

“Bless the Lord, O my soul. He is in real earnest, and again calls upon himself to arise. Had he been very sleepy before? Or was he now doubly sensible of the importance, the imperative necessity of adoration?”

He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,

“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. Here David begins his list of blessings received, which he rehearses as themes and arguments for praise.”

who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion,

“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction. By purchase and by power the Lord redeems us from the spiritual death into which we had fallen, and from the eternal death which would have been its consequence.”