Verse by Verse

1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?

² O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

³ But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

⁴ Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.

⁵ They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

⁷ All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

⁸ “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

⁹ But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.

¹⁰ I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.

¹¹ Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

¹² Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

¹³ They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.

¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;

¹⁷ I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.

¹⁸ They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

²⁰ Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.

²¹ Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.

²² I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

²³ You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

²⁴ For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.

²⁵ My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

²⁶ The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.

²⁸ For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

³⁰ A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,

³¹ They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

The elliptical instruction “Hind of the Dawn”, though not entirely clear, probably refers to the melody by which the psalm was to be sung. In this respect it is worth noting that the hind, or doe, is a symbol of beauty and grace in the Old Testament (cf. Genesis 49:21) and the dawn is symbolic of fresh strength and new beginnings (cf. Psalm 110:3), all of which apply directly to the crucifixion — the epitome of God’s grace and the source of new life and strength for the believer (cf. Romans 5:21; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 4:13). — Wechsler, page 72.

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Four degrees of suffering appear in the psalm. Suffering from the hand of God (vs. 1-6); suffering from the rejection of Israel (vs. 7-8); suffering from the demons who gathered round His cross in exulting and hellish triumph (vs. 12-13); and the physical suffering of crucifixion — the most painful form of death (vs. 14-18). — Williams, page 313.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (v.1) — Quoted by Jesus Christ as one of His seven statements from the cross — Matthew 27:46.

During His ministry on earth Christ spoke of God as His Father and resumed the title after He had triumphantly shouted “Finished,” but while suffering Divine wrath as the sin-offering He addressed Him as God (vs. 1, 2 and 10). — Williams, page 313.

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In the consideration of these words, the question arises as to just why God did forsake His Son in that awful hour on the cross. The answer to this question may be found in the words of verses 3 to 6. The holiness of God forbade Him to hear the cry of the Sufferer on the cross. Though that Sufferer was His own Son, and though the Son was doing the will of God in His suffering, yet the holy God could not look upon His own Lamb because that Lamb was there as a sin offering, and upon Him was laid the crushing burden of the sin of the world. The holy God cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance, and on the cross the Son of God was made sin for us, though He knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). — Pettingill, page 50.

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O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent. (v.2) — The text might indicate a period of days, but the suffering described in the psalm could not be endured more than a few hours. We have the prophecy of Amos 8:9 that the darkness was to begin at noon. He did not reveal how long it would last, but the New Testament history states that the darkness was for three hours, having begun at noon. — Phillips, page 71.

holy (v.3) — Even in the midst of His agony, the Lord vindicated God as being always holy and worthy of praise.

worm (v.6) — In that moment the problem of Bildad the Shuhite was being solved, as set forth in Job 25:4-6: “How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm?” The answer to Bildad’s question is that man is justified with God through the transaction of Calvary, where the Lamb of God shed His precious blood in order to make it possible for the righteous God to remain righteous while justifying the believing sinner. — Pettingill, pages 50-51.

A reproach of men, and despised by the people. (v.6) — Isaiah 53:3.

ridicule (v.7) — Matthew 27:39-44; Luke 23:35

Verse 9 and 10 can only apply to Jesus Christ because of his own birth, David said, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).

Bashan (v.12) — Deuteronomy 3:11 — Bashan was in the region known today as the Golan Heights.

In verses 14 and 15 He gives expression to His physical sufferings. All this is a graphic picture of death by crucifixion. The bones (of the hands, arms, shoulders, and pelvis) out of joint (v.14); the profuse perspiration caused by intense suffering (v.14); the action of the heart affected (v.14); strength exhausted, and extreme thirst (v.15); the hands and feet pierced (v.16); nudity with the hurt to modesty (v.17), are all incidental to that mode of death. The accompanying circumstances are precisely those fulfilled in the crucifixion of Christ. The desolate cry of verse 1 (Matthew 27:46); the periods of light and darkness of verse 2 (Matthew 27:45); the contumely of verses 6-8, 12-13 (Matthew 27:39-43); the casting lots of verse 18 (Matthew 27:35), all were literally fulfilled. When it is remembered that crucifixion was a Roman, not Jewish, form of execution, the proof of inspiration is irresistible. — Pettingill, page 52.

potsherd (v.15) = a broken piece of pottery

stare (v.17) = to look thoughtfully, here connoting the people’s willful rejection of Jesus — which is the same specific verb used in Zechariah 12:10 (the only other specific Old Testament crucifixion prophecy) to connote the people’s willful acceptance of the pierced Messiah. — Wechsler, page 74.

They divide My garments among them (v.18) — John 19:23-24

My precious life (v.20) = My Only One

dog (v.20) — Gentiles

lion (v.21) — perhaps a reference to Satan who is referred to as a lion in 1 Peter 5:8.

Just after saying “Save me from the lion’s mouth” (v.21), He cries in triumph, “Yea, from the horns of the wild oxen thou hast answered me.” And straight through to the end of the psalm there is only  joyous acclaim and triumphant shouting.

Why this sudden change? The answer is that at that point in the psalm He yields up His spirit and passes out from the sufferings of the cross, and in His freedom from that suffering He beings to sing.

In verse 22 we have language that is taken up in Hebrews 2:11-12 and is there identified as coming from the mouth of the Son of God. — Pettingill, page 54

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And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me (v.21). — The great altar of sacrifice had four horns, one at each corner, upon which the sacrificial animals were hung. But the sacrifice of these animals could never make the supplicants free from sin, but they rolled their sins forward for one year; at the end of which they were remembered against them again. — Phillips, page 76.

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The result of Christ fully experiencing both the separation from God that each one of us deserves (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:20; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23) and the restoration to relationship with God in which we are able to participate by faith (cf. Romans 6:3-4) is the gospel message — the most sublime of all reasons to offer God praise and to glorify Him (vs. 22-23). It is precisely this, the culminating propitiatory-salvific experience of Christ’s first advent, that makes Him the “Author of (our) salvation” (Hebrews 12:2) — following which phrase the writer of Hebrews cites v.22 of this psalm to highlight the dissemination the praiseworthy message (the gospel) that He authored. — Wechsler, pages 75-76.

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He heard (v.24) — So long as He was made a sin-offering He was not heard (v.2); but sin having been atoned for, He was heard in resurrection (v.24). — Williams, page 313.

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A reader of Psalm 22 who is not acquainted with other parts of the prophetic Scriptures would likely come to the conclusion that the remainder of the psalm [beginning with verse 26] would immediately come to pass. But such is not the case, for David tells us in the 110th Psalm that Messiah was to leave the earth after His death and resurrection, and go back to God the Father, and await at His right hand, and on His throne, until the Father would make all the enemies of the Messiah His footstool. Phillips, page 77.

the great assembly (v.25) — Israel

nations (v.27) — all the nations that will be blessed through Israel during the Millennial Kingdom when Christ is on the throne of Israel in Jerusalem

In His future kingdom the meek of verse 26 shall be the prosperous and happy of verse 29. Compare Psalm 36:8; 63:5; and 92:14. They, and all who, like them, were doomed to return to the dust because of sin, will praise Him because, in order to save them, He did not keep alive His own soul. — Williams, page 314.

He has done this (v.30) — The last word in the Hebrew text is “accomplished,” and corresponds to the word “finished” in the Greek text of John 19:30.

1 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

² You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

³ For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

⁴ He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.

⁵ His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.

⁶ For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

⁸ Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.

⁹ You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.

¹⁰ Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.

¹¹ For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.

¹² Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.

Where Psalm 20 pleads for victory, Psalm 21 celebrates it, although the victory may still be future (v.8). The connection can be seen by comparing Psalm 20:4 with Psalm 21:2.

The psalm contains two sections. The first, verses 1-7; the second, verses 8-13. In the first section, Jehovah is addressed; in the second, Messiah is addressed. The speaker in the psalm is Israel (v.13). The occasion intended in verses 1-7 is the morning of Messiah’s resurrection, and in verses 8-13 the morning of Israel’s restoration. — Williams, page 312.

selah (v.2) — a suspension of music, a pause

With respect to (Hebrew) grammar of verse 7, the first clause represents the basis of the second clause — i.e., because the aforementioned king trusts in the Lord, therefore the lovingkindness (i.e., the irrevocable paternal solicitude) of the Most High will be applied to him and he will not be shaken — referring to the eternal state in God’s presence. — Wechsler, page 71

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Most High (v.7) — This title belongs to Melchizedek’s God (Genesis 14:18) whom Abram identified as Yahweh (Genesis 14:22) … As a title it signifies supreme dignity, unhampered power and universal sway. — Guthrie, page 464.

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fiery oven (v.9) — The notion of God’s sovereignty in maintaining His promised solicitude towards His faithful is also intimated by the expression “fiery oven,” which recalls the phraseology of Genesis 15:17, in which God sovereignly ratifies His unconditional promise to Abraham. — Wechsler, page 71.

turn their back (v.12) = retreat, flee

in Your own strength (v.13) — The expression … here serves as a bookend with the same phrase at the beginning of this psalm, and underscored the true (and only enduring) source of strength of the godly king. — Wechsler, page 71

I am no Hebrew or Old Testament scholar, and I’m new to the study of the Psalms. But the Messianic theme of this psalm seems obvious to me, and I am amazed that only two of my nine commentaries mention it. The conclusion of Williams (quoted above) makes by far the most sense to me.

1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

² May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;

³ May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

⁴ May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.

⁵ We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

⁸ They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.

⁹ Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.

Thought by some commentaries to be a psalm recited by soldiers before beginning a battle. The first five verses were sung in chorus, the fifth by the king alone, and the last three by the chorus. The next psalm, Psalm 21, is a psalm of thanksgiving after a victorious battle.

name (v.1) — all that God has revealed about His character and the association between His name and His provision of spiritual and physical deliverance

God of Jacob (v.1) — referring to the Redeemer who rescued Jacob (Israel) from Egypt

sanctuary (v.2) = holy thing, holiness — not the usual word for sanctuary

offerings … burnt sacrifice (v.3) — The Israelite practice of presenting sacrifices and offerings before a military campaign was an act of devotion and submission to the Lord (1 Samuel 7:9-10; 13:9-12). Their purpose was not primarily to atone for sin but to seek God’s favor and to consecrate oneself for war. As dedicatory offerings, they were burned on the altar so as to make “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:13). — Barker, page 818.

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed (v.6) — David knew this from personal experience. “I know” is experiential knowledge.

His holy heaven (v.6) = lit. “the heaven of His holiness” as distinct from the created heaven of the universe

horses (v.7) — Israel’s kings were told not to accumulate a lot of horses (Deuteronomy 17:16) because their trust was to be in the Lord, not in their might.

King (v.9) — referring to God, indicated by the parallelism between this statement and the opening one in verse 1

us (v.9) — David and the Israelites

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.

² Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.

³ There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.

⁴ Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

⁵ Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

⁶ Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.

¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Considered a wisdom psalm

The terms heavens and expanse [firmament] in the opening verse are synonyms, the joint use of which alludes back to their initial occurrence in Genesis 1:7-8, where God creates the expanse and calls it “heaven.” The point of this and the ensuing verses is that the heavens and all that God has filled them with, like the entirety of Creation, constitute ongoing testimony (per v.2: “day to day … night to night”) to the existence of the Creator (cf. Psalm 8:3). Even more — when considering how this concept is addressed in Romans — the created order not only testifies to the existence of God and His “eternal power” (i.e., omnipotence), but also, specifically, makes known His “invisible” attributes is Christ Himself (per Colossians 1:15; see also John 1:18). Hence, even without exposure  to the revelation of God’s Word, one who is receptive to the image of God revealed in Creation will naturally identify that image with Jesus once introduced to Him through the Gospel. This is precisely the point in Romans 10:18, where the opening verse of this psalm is cited in application to the Gentiles, who up to the time of Christ were without the Word of God. — Wechsler, pages 66-67

heavens declare the glory of God (v.1) — see Romans 1:20

God (v.1) = El = The Strong One

firmament (v.1) = expanse, the visible arch of the sky

day unto day … night unto night (v.2) — day and night continually

line ( v.4) = measure

tabernacle (v.4) = dwelling place

like a bridegroom (v.5) — radiant

like a strong man (v.5) — powerful, like a runner at the beginning of a race, or circuit

perfect (v.7) = without blemish

Lord (vs. 7, 8, 9, 14) = Jehovah

sure (v.7) = faithful

fear (v.9) = worship

clean (v.9) = pure, fair

true (v.9) = true, trustworthy

altogether (v.9) = completely

In verse 11, notably, forms of the two key biblical concepts “worship” (i.e., “worshiper/servant,”) and “obedience” (i.e., “keeping/obeying”) presented at the outset of the Torah, are reiterated. (See Genesis 2:15). — Wechsler, page 67

presumptuous sins (v.13) = sins committed in open arrogance

dominion (v.13) — see Romans 6:14.

David concludes by affirming the way in which God makes Himself known within men, for whether one’s sins are hidden or committed in open arrogance, God from whom nothing is hidden (Deuteronomy 29:28; Ecclesiastes 12:14), brings conviction of that sin as perceived by Him by the conscience He has put within every person (though it may be willfully deadened by repeated sin; see Romans 1:19-23, 28), the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer, and/or the Word of God, which is “living and active … and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). — Wechsler, page 68.

meditation (v.14) — not emptying the mind, but filling the mind with the Word and considering its meaning and application — study

The theme of this psalm is the methods God uses to reveal Himself to humanity.

1. creation (vs. 1-6)

2. Scripture (vs. 7-11)

3. conscience (vs. 12-14)

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord,
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

² Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

³ You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

⁴ Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

⁵ Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.

⁶ I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

⁷ Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.

⁸ Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

⁹ From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.

¹⁰ They have closed up their fat hearts;
With their mouths they speak proudly.

¹¹ They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

¹² As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³ Arise, O Lord,
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

¹⁴ With Your hand from men, O Lord,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.

¹⁵ As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

The 17th Psalm was a prayer of David which was probably written in the wilderness of Maon when King Saul and his men thought they were in the very act of capturing David. The story is told in 1 Samuel 23. Though David prayed the prayer and made the predictions therein, the Psalm goes far beyond him to present a view of the sinless Messiah.

At no time in the life of David could the virtues mentioned have been those of David. These were as follows:

The all searching eyes of Jehovah found no fault in Him (v.3).

There was no deceit in his lips (v.4).

A mouth of no transgression (v.4).

His steps never slipped (v.5).

Christ alone could claim such perfection; He was the holy, righteous One. He is pronounced righteous ten times in this psalm. — Phillips, pages 34-35.

Prayer (heading) — five psalms are called prayers — this one, the 86th, 90th, 102nd and the 142nd.

A comparison of these five psalms bears out, not unexpectedly, certain similarities that serve to mutually reinforce and clarify the content of each psalm individually. Especially prominent in each of these psalms is the explicit phraseological-conceptual triumvirate of (1) an appeal that God “hear” or “give heed” — or in the case of Psalm 90, to “return” with a compassionate answer — to the psalmist’s cry/supplication, (2) a description of the “affliction,” “trouble,” or “distress” of the psalmist or the people of Israel collectively, and (3) an appeal to God’s “lovingkindness,” “compassion,” and/or “grace.” — Wechsler, page 59-60.

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The speaker in this psalm, as in the previous one, is the Messiah; but here in verses 7 and 11 He associates His people with Himself. The Messiah appeals to God from the unjust judgment of man, and claims an affirmative sentence upon His upright conduct. — Williams, page 308.

attend (v.1) = favorably answer

hear (v.1) — Such words as hear, attend, give ear, let thy eyes see give shape and force both to the cry (lit. a loud cry) from his heart, and to the strong conviction of his own righteousness. These are thrown into greater prominence, first, by an implicit comparison with the prayer of lips … of deceit, and secondly by his clear sense of innocence, shown in his willingness to be scrutinized by Thy eyes which see the right of the matter. — Guthrie, page 460.

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The second verse may read thus: Let sentence in My favor be pronounced by Thee; for Thine eyes discern upright actions. — Williams, pages 308-309.

tested (v.3) = tried, melted, as gold is tried in the furnace and found to have no dross.

night (v.3) — This, and the final phrase in verse 15, may indicate that this psalm was written for the evening.

I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress (v.3) — an expression of sincerity

The path of the Destroyer and the path of Jehovah are contrasted in verses 4 and 5, and the statement is made that preservation from the one and perseverance in the other alone are secured by allegiance to the Scriptures. This was demonstrated in the temptation in the desert. The Destroyer (v.4) and the Wicked, and the Enemies (v.9) are titles proper to the future Antichrist and his followers. The Hebrew text distinguishes between Wicked One and wicked men. — Williams, page 309.

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I have called (v.6) — The note of passionate appeal is reintroduced in such words as I call, Thou wilt answer me, incline, hear, show, and there is again in indirect allusion to his opponents (v.7c). The new note, as compared with the preemptoriness of vs. 1-2, is that of worship and trust. — Guthrie, page 460.

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After the 6th verse, the Messiah makes an appeal for the saved of any period, but particularly for the saved remnant of the Tribulation period. Isaiah foresaw the Messiah identifying Himself with the afflicted remnant of Israel in the last days (Isaiah 63:7-9). When Christ spoke to Saul of Tarsus He did not say, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute believers in Me?” but He said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” It is like that in this section of Psalm 17; He identifies Himself  with the persecuted saints. David was persecuted and suffered, and that was a prophetic type of the suffering Christ. — Phillips, page 37.

apple (v.8) = the little man of the eye; the pupil, the middle — so, protect him as a man would react to any threat to his eye

fat (v.10) = unfeeling

crouching down to the earth (v.11) = to cast me down to the ground, to throw me down

the wicked with Your sword (13) — “The wicked, Thy sword” (not “with Thy sword,” there being no preposition in the Hebrew text) — i.e., the “sword” of God’s chastisement (on the well-recognized biblical principle of God using the wicked to chastise and refine believers). — Wechsler, page 61.

David is aware that it often appears that the wicked are rewarded with their desires (v.14), but he knows that that reward is only in this life and, often, carries its own punishment. The sense of the verse is that the wicked are motivated by treasure and look to accumulate it on earth and leave it to their children, rather than seeking rewards in heaven.

David concludes in characteristic fashion by looking beyond the present life to his guaranteed future state in eternity — a state characterized by perfect righteousness (here serving to “bookend” the psalm with the same term in verse 1 — albeit there translated “just cause”) — when he will behold the face (or “presence”) of God. Implicit in this conclusion is the recognition (and acceptance of the possibility) that God may choose, for now (or for his life), not to protect him from further affliction by the wicked, but rather — as in the case of Job — to permit it for David’s further refinement (not necessarily chastisement), and in the end, therefore, for God’s greater glory. — Wechsler, pages 61-62.

1 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

² He who walks uprightly,
    And works righteousness,
    And speaks the truth in his heart;

³ He who does not backbite with his tongue,
    Nor does evil to his neighbor,
    Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

⁵ He who does not put out his money at usury,
    Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Categorized as a wisdom psalm.

The psalm and the Sermon on the Mount describe those who are to be citizens of the millennial kingdom.

But the great theme of the Psalm is: Who shall be entitled to reign on Mount Zion as a king over the kingdom? i.e., Who is to be the Chief Citizen of the kingdom of Heaven when established upon earth? The answer (vs.2-5) describes a Man who once lived on earth and who has never had a moral peer. That man is Messiah. He alone satisfies the requirements of vs. 2-5. — Williams, page 307

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Thematically it serves as a link between the previous and the following psalms, presenting the counterpart of the fool (i.e., unrighteous) described in Psalm 14 while at the same time anticipating the specific content of faith described in Psalm 16. — Wechsler, page 54.

Your holy hill (v.1) — probably a reference to Mount Zion in Jerusalem where the tabernacle was located. Some commentaries suggest that the psalm was written when the Ark was taken to the tabernacle.

David is anticipating the final state of the believer (on which note he ends the psalm), in the new heavens and new earth, when, rather than being a restricted place within creation, God’s Tabernacle will consist of all creation (cf. Revelation 21:3, 22) and the believer, clothed in immortality and perfection will indeed dwell forever therein. — Wechsler, page 55.

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The truly faithful person not only works (i.e., does deeds of) righteousness — which, at least with respect to fulfilling the requirements of God’s Law, even the faithless can (and did) do — but also one who speaks truth in his heart — that is to say, whose “inner works” (i.e., thoughts and motivations) are also characterized by righteousness and love. This point, it should be noted, is a central theme throughout the Bible … (see, e.g., Genesis 6:5; Deuteronomy 30:6, 10; Psalm 51:17; Proverbs 23:7; Isaiah 19:18), and epitomized in both testaments by the two greatest commandments (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:36-40). Indeed, the second of these is here specifically intimated by the statement “he does no evil to his neighbor” — which is the precise apophatic counterpart of the command to “love” one’s “neighbor.” — Wechsler, page 55.

backbite (v.3) = slander

usury (v.5) — loaning money at high interest rates.

never be moved (v.5) = never lose or be separated — from his promised inheritance of life in the eternity in the presence of God. This theme is taken up in Psalm 16.

David wrote this psalm during the dispensation of the law. The Bible makes it clear that no man can be justified by the law (Galatians 2:16) because no man can keep the law. God, in His grace, gave us the moral law to point us to Christ. But before Christ came, those (everyone) who broke the moral law could keep the ceremonial law, which was a picture of Christ and which covered sins until Christ died and rose again. So, this psalm could not be talking about the general condition of individual Israelites at the time it was written. Therefore, it makes sense to me that it points forward to the kingdom when believing Jews will have the law written on their hearts and will be able to keep it, and also it points to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who is the only Man who has kept the law. At the same time, it could refer to the heart condition of a Jew who desired to be righteous and was keeping the ceremonial law — with the caveat that this was a condition that would be frequently compromised by sin and which could only be maintained by a rigorous following of the ceremonial law.