A Michtam of David.
1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3 As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
michtam (heading) = to cut in, or engrave … The Septuagint renders it stelographia — a sculptured writing … a sepulchral monument. The word, therefore, points to a graven and therefore a permanent writing; graven on account of its importance. The [six] Michtam psalms are all pervaded by the common characteristic of being personal, direct, and more or less private. — Pettingill, page 37.
preserve (v.1) = keep, watch over
Lord (v.2) — First use = Yahweh— Second use – Adonai (Master). David — and the Messiah — say “You (as opposed to another god) are my Lord.”
my goodness (v.2) = my good, welfare, benefit — David is stating that God alone is the source of anything good (or beneficial).
saints (v.3) — saved Israel who share David’s faith in the Lord
hasten after (v.4) = bartered, acquired after paying a purchase price
inheritance (vs.5-6) — the Lord and their (Israel’s) and Jesus Christ’s worship of Him.
cup (v.5) — used in this verse as it is used in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd … my cup runneth over.” The word is used figuratively of a pleasant, refreshing drink.
lot (v.5) = as in casting lots — destiny as determined by lots
lines (v.6) = the portion of land measured out to him by line
glory (v.9) — translated “tongue” in the quote by Peter (see below). His Words were God’s Words and, therefore, His glory. (See John 7:16-17).
Sheol (v.10) — Our Lord did not descend into hell. He descended into Sheol, which is the Hebrew way of saying Hades — the place of departed spirits which we find described in Luke 16:19-31. The saved are no longer in Hades, for at His ascension our Lord delivered them all and escorted them into the Father’s presence, moving the Paradise section of Hades into “the third heaven” (cf. Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). — Pettingill, page 42.
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