Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 71

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust - See the notes at Psalms 25:2. Compare Psalms 22:4-5; Psalms 31:1.

Let me never be put to confusion - Let me never be ashamed; that is, Let me not be so disappointed in the trust that I repose in you as to have occasion to feel ashamed that I have done it.

Deliver me in thy righteousness — See the notes at Psalms 31:1. The first three verses of this psalm seem in fact to have been taken, with slight variations, from the first three verses of Psalms 31:1-3.

And cause me to escape — That is, from impending dangers; from the power of my enemies.

Incline thine ear unto me — In Psalms 31:2, this is, Bow down thine ear to me. The idea is the same. See the notes at that place. Compare the notes at Psalms 17:6.

And save me — In Psalms 31:2, this is, Deliver me speedily.

Be thou my strong habitation – Margin, as in Hebrew, “Be thou to me for a rock of habitation.” That is, a rock where I may safely make my abode, or to which I may resort and feel safe. In Psalm 31:2, this is, Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me. The idea is the same. See the notes at that passage, and compare the notes at Psalm 18:2.

Whereunto I may continually resort – Where I may take refuge at all times, in all circumstances of danger.

Thou hast given commandment to save me – There was some command, or some promise, on which the psalmist relied, or which he felt he might plead as the ground of his appeal. This may refer to some special promise or command made to the author of the psalm — and, if the psalm was composed by David, there were many such. Or the reference may have been to the general commands or promises made to the people of God as such, which he felt he was at liberty to plead, and which all may plead who are the friends of God.

We cannot refer, as David could, to any special promise made to us as individuals; but, in proportion as we have evidence of piety, we can refer to the promises made to all the people of God, or to all who devote themselves to him, as a reason why he should interpose in our behalf.

In this respect the promises made in the Scriptures to the children of God, may be pleaded by us as if they were made personally to ourselves, for, if we are his, they are made to us — they are intended for us.

For thou art my rock and my fortress – See the notes at Psalm 18:2.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked - It is, of course, not possible now to ascertain who are particularly referred to here. If David was the author of the psalm, they may have been any of the numerous enemies that he had in his life.

Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man - Hebrew, “out of the palm.” This means here the same as hand, and refers to the “grasp” which anyone makes in taking hold of a thing by the hand.

For you are my hope, O Lord God - The ground of my hope and my expectation is in you.

1. I have no other help, no other defense; but
2. I have confidence; on you I do rely.

You are my trust from my youth - From my earliest years.

The meaning is that he had always trusted in God and had always found him a helper. All that he was, and all that he possessed, he owed to God; and he felt now that God had been his protector from his earliest years.

Perhaps it could not be shown certainly from this expression that he meant to say he had actually trusted in God from his youth, for the language means no more than that God had actually protected him, held him up, and had continually intervened to save and keep him.

As God had always been his Protector, he felt that he might come to Him now and put his trust in Him.