John Gill Commentary Psalms 71

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust
The Targum is, ``in your Word;'' (See Gill on Psalms 31:1);

let me never be put to confusion ;
or "be ashamed"; see the note as before.

Deliver me in your righteousness
By it, or "for the sake of [it]" ^F17 ; (See Gill on Psalms 31:1);

and cause me to escape ;
present danger, and out of the hands of enemies, as well as wrath to come, and eternal death; which nothing but the righteousness of God can deliver from, or cause to escape;

incline your ear unto me; or "bow it"; (See Gill on Psalms 31:2);

and save me ;
out of all troubles and afflictions, and from wicked and unreasonable men.

FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (Ktqdub) "propter justitiam tuam", Pagninus, Piscator; so Schmidt.

Be you my strong habitation
This is very appropriately said, when David was driven out of his dwelling place, and palace at Jerusalem, by his son, as Kimchi observes. When God's people have no certain dwelling place, which is sometimes their case, they always find one in the Lord; particularly in his heart's love; for he that dwells in love dwells in God, (1 John 4:16) ; and a strong habitation he is: wherefore he is called a strong rock, a strong hold, a strong tower; he is as a wall of fire around his people, a munition of rocks; his salvation is as walls and bulwarks, and his power as a garrison in which they are kept. The psalmist adds,

to which I may continually resort ;
or "may go into daily" ^F18 , in times of danger and distress, for safety; the name of the Lord being a strong tower, where the righteous run, and are safe, (Proverbs 18:10) ; and his perfections, his power, faithfulness, lovingkindness, and unchangeableness, being as so many secret chambers, where they may enter into, and hide themselves, till calamities are over, (Psalms 57:1) (Isaiah 26:20) ;

and every day indeed for food, for comfort, for refreshment and pleasure, through communion with him; and God in Christ is always to be come at: Christ is the way of access and acceptance; and through his blood, sacrifice, and righteousness, the believer has boldness to enter into the holiest of all, and go up to the seat of God, the throne of his grace; and even to enter into him himself, who has been the dwelling place of his people in all generations, (Psalms 90:1) ;

you have given commandment to save me ;
either to the ministering angels, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, comparing it with (Psalms 91:11) ; or rather to his Son, in the council and covenant of grace and peace; when he enjoined him the salvation of his people, which he readily agreed to, and with which David was acquainted, (Psalms 40:7Psalms 40:8) ; of this command our Lord speaks, (John 10:18) (14:31) ; and to which he was obedient, (Philippians 2:8) ; it may respect David's salvation from present trouble, and his assurance of it, believing that the Lord had determined it, and by his mighty power would effect it; see (Psalms 44:4) ;

for you [are] my rock and my fortress ;
see (Psalms 18:2) (31:3) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: (dymt awbl) "ut ingrediar jugiter", Pagninus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked
Meaning Absalom his son, as Arama, who had risen up in rebellion against him; and he may not only intend him, but all those wicked men that had joined with him: it was David's mercy he had a covenant God to go to, and could claim his interest in him, who has power to deliver him, and from whom he might expect it;

out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man ;
or "leavened" ^F19 ; a sour ill natured man; one leavened with malice and wickedness: perhaps Ahithophel is intended. It may be applied to any wicked, lawless, and tyrannical persecutor of God's people; and particularly to the lawless and wicked one, the man of sin, the son of perdition, antichrist, (2 Thessalonians 2:4 2 Thessalonians 2:8) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F19: (Umwx) "malitiae fermento prorsus corrupti", Michaelis, "secundum", Gejerum & Gussetium; so Ainsworth.

For you [are] my hope, O Lord God
The object, ground, and foundation of it, even of present deliverance, and of future and eternal salvation;

[you are] my trust from my youth ;
in whom he trusted in his youthful days, of which there is an eminent instance in (1 Samuel 17:33–45) .