Psalms 4:1

Righteous people never have enough of prayer; instead, being in need and taking advantage of goodwill, they reap the fruit of prayer and continue offering supplication, realizing as they do the benefit coming from it.

Instead of allaying the disaster or restraining evil deeds, God sometimes offers courage for bravely bearing the disaster.

There are therefore two forms of tribulation: we either inflict tribulations and sufferings on ourselves as a result of mismanagement, or we fall foul of them despite our best intentions. The former tribulation requires us to show endurance and patience, the sufferers being aware that …

Whenever we realize the reasons why we suffer and are tested, then our minds are greatly opened.

Prayer is no small bond of love for God, developing in us the habit of converse with him and encouraging the pursuit of wisdom.… We are, however, not as aware as we should be of the benefit of prayer, for the reason that we neither apply ourselves to it with assiduity nor have recourse to it in accord with God's laws. Typically, when we converse with people of a class above us, we make sure that our appearance and gait and attire are as they should be and dialogue with them accordingly. When we approach God, by contrast, we yawn, scratch ourselves, look this way and that, pay little attention, loll on the ground, do the shopping. If on the contrary we were to approach him with due reverence and prepare ourselves to converse with him as God, then we would know even before receiving what we asked how much benefit we gain.… [In receiving prayer] God, after all, looks not for beauty of utterance or turn of phrase but for freshness of spirit; even if we say what just comes into our mind, we go away with our entreaties successful.… Often we do not even need a voice. I mean, even if you speak in your heart and call on him as you should, he will readily incline toward you even then. In this way was Moses also heard, in this way also Hannah. […]

The inventiveness and resourcefulness of God are demonstrated particularly in this, not only in his bringing on tribulations but also in providing great relief from it while they linger. This also demonstrates God's power; it renders the sufferers more resigned when there is space for consoling the distressed spirit; the distress is not relieved, stiffening as it does the lax spirit and ridding it of indifference.

One who seeks mercy from God shows clearly that he does not demand the fruit of his own merit and the debt of his own zeal but that he wishes to benefit from the patience and kindness of God.

In the preceding Psalm, David implored the help of God against tribulations by praying, and sensing that he was heard, he exhorts others to trust in God. And this Psalm expresses the affections of a man who, having experienced divine mercy and benefits and justice, …

) and that prayer preaches. He directs his speech to the children of men, and, 1. In God's name reproves them for the dishonour they do to God and the damage they do to their own souls,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

For thou art God, and changest not; thy work is perfect." II. He addresses himself to the children of men, for the conviction and conversion of those that are yet strangers to God, and that will not have the Messiah, the Son of David, to reign over them.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness,....

This is another instance of David's common habit of pleading past mercies as a ground for present favour. Here he reviews his Ebenezers and takes comfort from them. It is not to be imagined that he who has helped us in six troubles will leave us in the seventh. God does nothing by halves, and he will never cease to help us until we cease to need. The manna shall fall every morning until we cross the Jordan. Observe, that David speaks first to God and then to men.

God of my righteousness--or, "my righteous God, as my holy hill" (Ps 2:6), who will act towards me on righteous principles. thou hast enlarged--expresses relief afforded in opposition to "distress," which is expressed by a word denoting straits or pressure. Past favor is a ground of hope for the future.

This is another instance of David's common habit of pleading past mercies as a ground for present favour. Here he reviews his Ebenezers and takes comfort from them. It is not to be imagined that he who has helped us in six troubles will leave us in the seventh. God does nothing by halves, and he will never cease to help us until we cease to need. The manna shall fall every morning until we cross the Jordan. Observe, that David speaks first to God and then to men. Surely we should all speak the more boldly to men if we had more constant converse with God. He who dares to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men. The name by which the Lord is here addressed, "God of my righteousness, " deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It means, Thou art the author, the witness, the maintainer, the judge, and the rewarder of my righteousness; to thee I appeal from the calumnies and harsh judgments of men. Herein is wisdom, let us imitate it and always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but into the superior court, the King's Bench of heaven. "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress." A figure taken from an army enclosed in a defile, and hardly pressed by the surrounding enemy. God hath dashed down the rocks and given me room; he hath broken the barriers and set me in a large place. Or, we may understand it thus:— "God hath enlarged my heart with joy and comfort, when I was like a man imprisoned by grief and sorrow." God is a never-failing comforter.] "Have mercy upon me." Though thou mayest justly permit my enemies to destroy me, on account of my many and great sins, yet I flee to thy mercy, and I beseech thee hear my prayer, and bring thy servant out of his troubles. The best of men need mercy as truly as the worst of men.

Hear me when I call - No man has a right to expect God to hear him if he do not call. Indeed, how shall he be heard if he speak not? There are multitudes who expect the blessings of God as confidently as if they had prayed for them most fervently; and yet such people pray not at all! God of my righteousness - Whatever pardon, peace, holiness, or truth I possess, has come entirely from thyself. Thou art the God of my salvation, as thou art the God of my life. Thou hast enlarged me - I was in prison; and thou hast brought me forth abroad. Have mercy on me - continue to act in the same way. I shall always need thy help; I shall never deserve to have it; let me have it in the way of mere mercy, as thou hast hitherto done.

Hear me when I call - When I pray. The word “hear” in such cases is always used in the sense of “listen to,” “hear favorably,” or “attend to;” hence, in the literal sense it is always true that God “hears” all that is said. The meaning is, “hear and answer me,” or grant me what I ask. O God of my righteousness - That is, O my righteous God. This is a common mode of expression in Hebrew. Thus, in Psa 2:6, “hill of my holiness,” meaning “my holy hill;” Psa 3:4, “his hill of holiness,” meaning “his holy hill.” The psalmist here appeals to God as “his” God - the God in whom he trusted; and as a “righteous” God - a God who would do that which was right, and on whom, therefore, he might rely as one who would protect his own people. The appeal to God as a righteous God implies a conviction in the mind of the psalmist of the justice of his cause; and he asks God merely to do “right” in the case. It is not on the ground of his own claim as a righteous man, but it is that, in this particular case, he was wrongfully persecuted; and he asks God to interpose, and to cause justice to be done. This is always a proper ground of appeal to God. A man may be sensible that in a particular case he has justice on his side, though he has a general conviction that he himself is a sinner; and he may pray to God to cause his enemies to do right, or to lead those whose office it is to decide the case, to do what ought to be done to vindicate his name, or to save him from wrong. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress - That is, on some former occasion. When he was “pressed” or “confined,” and knew not how to escape, God had interposed and had given him room, so that he felt free. He now implores the same mercy again. He feels that the God who had done it in former troubles could do it again; and he asks him to repeat his mercy. […]