Charles Spurgeon

As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

“David's case seemed hopeless: the cause of God in Israel was as a dead thing, even as a skeleton broken, and rotten, and shovelled out of the grave, to return as dust to its dust. Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth.”

But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.

“But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord. He looked upward and kept his eyes fixed there. He regarded duty more than circumstances; he considered the promise rather than the external providence; and he expected from God rather than from men.”

Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers.

“Keep me from, the snares which they have laid for me. He had before asked, in Ps 141:3, that the door of his mouth might be kept; but his prayer now grows into "Keep me."”

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

“Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape. It may not be a Christian prayer, but it is a very just one, and it takes a great deal of grace to refrain from crying Amen to it; in fact, grace…”

I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.

“I cried unto the Lord with my voice. It was a cry of such anguish that he remembers it long after, and makes a record of it.”

I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.

“I poured out my complaint before him. His inward meditation filled his soul: the bitter water rose up to the brim; what was to be done?”

Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me.

“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. The bravest spirit is sometimes sorely put to it.”

Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.

“I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. He did not miss a friend for want of looking for him, nor for want of looking in a likely place.”

I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

“I cried unto thee, O Lord. As man would not regard him, David was driven to Jehovah, his God. Was not this a gain made out of a loss? Wealth gained by a failure?”

Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.

“Attend unto my cry. Men of God look upon prayer as a reality, and they are not content without having an audience with God; moreover, they have such confidence in the Lord's condescending grace, that they hope he will even attend to that poor broken…”

Free my soul from prison, that I may praise Your name. The righteous will gather around me because of Your goodness to me.

“Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name. That God may be glorified is another notable plea for a suppliant.”

O LORD, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea; in Your righteousness, answer me.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications. In the preceding psalm he began by declaring that he had cried unto the Lord; here he begs to be favourably regarded by Jehovah the living God, whose memorial is that he heareth prayer.”

Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.

“And enter not into judgment with thy servant. He had entreated for audience at the mercy seat, but he has no wish to appear before the judgment seat. Though clear before men, he could not claim innocence before God.”

For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.

“For the enemy hath persecuted my soul. He has followed me up with malicious perseverance, and has worried me as often as I have been within his reach.”

My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.

“Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. David was no stoic: he felt his banishment, and smarted under the cruel assaults which were made upon his character. He felt perplexed and overturned, lonely and afflicted.”

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands.

“I remember the days of old. When we see nothing new which can cheer us, let us think upon old things. We once had merry days, days of deliverance, and joy and thanksgiving; why not again?”

I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah

“I stretch forth my hands unto thee. He was eager for his God. His thoughts of God kindled in him burning desires, and these led to energetic expressions of his inward longings.”

Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.

“Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth. If long delayed, the deliverance would come too late. The afflicted suppliant faints, and is ready to die. His life is ebbing out; each moment is of importance; it will soon be all over with him.”

Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You.

“Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust. Lord, my sorrow makes me deaf, —cause me to hear: there is but one voice that can cheer me—cause me to hear thy lovingkindness; that music I would fain…”

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge.

“Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies. Many foes beset us, we cannot overcome them, we cannot even escape from them; but Jehovah can and will rescue us if we pray to him.”

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

“THIS is a prayer about doing, but it is perfectly free from legal taint. The man who offered it had no idea of being saved by his doings, for in the second verse of the Psalm he had said, "Enter not into judgment with Your…”

And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Destroy all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.

“And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul. He believes that it will be so, and thus prophesies the event; for the words may be read as a declaration, and it is better so to understand them.”

Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

“Blessed be the Lord my strength. He cannot delay the utterance of his gratitude, he bursts at once into a loud note of praise. His best word is given to his best friend—"Blessed be Jehovah."”

He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

“Now our royal poet multiplies metaphors to extol his God. My goodness, and my fortress. The word for goodness signifies mercy. Whoever we may be, and wherever we may be, we need mercy such as can only be found in the infinite God.”

O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?

“Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? What a contrast between Jehovah and man! The Psalmist turns from the glorious all sufficiency of God to the insignificance and nothingness of man.”