John Calvin Commentary Psalms 31:16

"Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me in thy lovingkindness." — Psalms 31:16 (ASV)

Make your face to shine upon your servant. We have said previously, and we will see in many instances later, that this way of speaking is taken from the common understanding of people, who think that God does not regard them unless he truly shows his care for them by its effects.

According to the judgment of our senses, afflictions hide his countenance, just as clouds obscure the brightness of the sun. David therefore prays that God, by giving him immediate assistance, would make it clear to him that he enjoyed his grace and favor, which is not very easy to perceive amid the darkness of afflictions.

Now, God is said to lift the light of his countenance upon us in two ways: either when he opens his eyes to take care of our affairs, or when he shows us his favor. These two things are indeed inseparable, or rather, the one depends upon the other.

But by the first way of speaking, we, according to our carnal conceptions, attribute to God a changeableness which, properly speaking, does not belong to him. While the second way of speaking indicates that our own eyes, rather than the eyes of God, are shut or heavy when he seems to have no regard for our afflictions.

By the word preserve, David explains what he meant by the previous expression; but as there was at that time no way of safety apparent to him, he encourages himself to hope for it by setting before himself the goodness of God.