Charles Spurgeon

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

“Man is like to vanity. Adam is like to Abel. He is like that which is nothing at all. He is actually vain, and he resembles that unsubstantial empty thing which is nothing but a blown up nothing, —a puff, a bubble.”

Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them.

“Cast forth lightning, and scatter them. The Eternal can hurl his lightnings wheresoever he pleases, and effect his purpose instantaneously. The artillery of heaven soon puts the enemy to flight: a single bolt sets the armies running hither and thither in utter rout.”

Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners,

“Send thine hand from above. Let thy long and strong arm be stretched out till thine hand seizes my foes, and delivers me from them. Rid me, and deliver me out of great waters. Make a Moses of me, —one drawn out of the waters.”

whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

“Whose mouth speaketh vanity. No wonder that men who are vanity speak vanity. "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own.”

to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.

“It is he that giveth salvation unto kings. Those whom the Lord sets up he will keep up. Kings, from their conspicuous position, are exposed to special danger, and when their lives and their thrones are preserved to them they should give the Lord the…”

Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

“Because of what the Lord had done, David returns to his pleading. He begs deliverance from him who is ever delivering him. Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children.”

Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace.

“God's blessing works wonders for a people. That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth.”

Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields.

“That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store. A household must exercise thrift and forethought: it must have its granary as well as its nursery. Husbands should husband their resources; and should not only furnish their tables but fill their garners.”

Our oxen will bear great loads. There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets.

“That our oxen may be strong to labour; so that the ploughing and cartage of the farm may be duly performed, and the husbandman's work may be accomplished without unduly taxing the cattle, or working them cruelly.”

Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

“Happy is that people that is in such a case. Such things are not to be overlooked. Temporal blessings are not trifles, for the miss of them would be a dire calamity. It is a great happiness to belong to a people so highly favoured.”

I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever.

“I will extol thee, my God, O king. David as God's king adores God as his king. It is well when the Lord's royalty arouses our loyalty, and our spirit is moved to magnify his majesty.”

Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

“Every day will I bless thee. Whatever the character of the day, or of my circumstances and conditions during that day, I will continue to glorify God.”

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Worship should be somewhat like its object—great praise for a great God. There is no part of Jehovah's greatness which is not worthy of great praise.”

One generation will commend Your works to the next, and will proclaim Your mighty acts—

“One generation shall praise thy works to another. There shall be a tradition of praise: melt shall hand on the service, they shall make it a point to instruct their descendants in this hallowed exercise.”

the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

“I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty. 'Tis fit a king should speak of the majesty of the King of kings.”

They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness.

“And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts. If unobservant of other matters these acts of judgment shall seize their attention and impress their minds so that they must talk about them.”

They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

“They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness. They shall pour forth grateful memories even as springs gush with water, plenteously, spontaneously, constantly, joyously.”

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

“The Lord is gracious. Was it not in some such terms that the Lord revealed himself to Moses? Is not this Jehovah's glory? To all living men his aspect: he is gracious, or full of goodness and generosity.”

The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.

“The Lord is good to all. No one, not even his fiercest enemy, can this; for the falsehood would be too barefaced, since the very existence lips which slander him is a proof that it is slander.”

All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, and Your saints will bless You.

“All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord. There is a something about every creature which redounds to the honour of God.”

All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, and Your saints will bless You.

“Do not throw yourselves back in your seats and say, "This will be a sermon for saints and, therefore, we may be excused from listening to it." Do you not see that the first clause gives you a fair word and a kindly hint?”

They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,

“They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom. Excellent themes for saintly minds. Those who bless God from their hearts rejoice to see him enthroned, glorified, and magnified in power.”

to make known to men Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

“To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts. These glorious deeds ought to be known to all mankind; but yet few reckon such knowledge to be an essential part of education.”

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.

“Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His meditation has brought him near to God, and God near to him: he speaks to him in adoration, changing the pronoun from "his" to "thy." He sees the great King, and prostrates himself before him.”

The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

“The Lead upholdeth all that fall. Read this verse in connection with the preceding, and admire the unexpected contrast: he who reigns in glorious majesty, yet condescends to lift up and hold up those who are apt to fall.”