John Gill Commentary Psalms 71:18

"Yea, even when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not, Until I have declared thy strength unto [the next] generation, Thy might to every one that is to come." — Psalms 71:18 (ASV)

Now also, when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me
not
A repetition of his request, (Psalms 71:9); with a reason annexed to it, suggested in the following words:

until I have showed your strength unto [this] generation ;
or, "your arm" ^F5 ; which sometimes the Messiah, (Isaiah 53:1); who is the power of by whom he made the worlds, and in whom all things consist; and who has wrought out the salvation people; and is the arm on which they lean, and they are upheld. And the psalmist may be thought to desire that he might be continued a little longer, and be favoured with the presence of God, and the influences of his Spirit and grace; that he might show forth in prophecy, both by word and writing, to the men of the then present age, more things concerning the person, office, and grace of Christ; his sufferings, death, resurrection from the dead, and session at the right hand of God; things which are spoken of in the book of Psalms.

Sometimes the arm of the Lord denotes his power and strength, (Psalms 44:3); and so it may be taken here; and the next clause seems to be an explanation of it: [and] your power ;
or "[even] your power", to everyone [that] is to come ; that is, to come into the world, that is to be born into it; namely, the power of God, not only in creating all things out of nothing, and supporting what is made; but in the redemption of men, in the conversion of sinners, and in the preservation of the saints, and in enabling them to hold on and out unto the end: and which is shown forth by the psalmist in what he has committed to writing; and which continue, and will continue, to the end of the world, for the instruction of those that come into it; see (Psalms 22:31) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F5: (Kewrz) "brachium tuum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator