Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 6
Overview:
The psalmist deprecates
God's wrath, and begs for the return
of his favour.
(1-7) He assures himself of an answer of peace.
(8-10)
1-7 These verses speak the language of a
Heart truly humbled,
of a broken and contrite
Spirit under great
Afflictions, sent to
awaken
Conscience and mortify corruption. Sickness brought
Sin
to his remembrance, and he looked upon it as a token of
God's
displeasure against him. The affliction of his body will be
tolerable, if he has comfort in his soul.
Christ's sorest
complaint, in his sufferings, was of the trouble of his soul,
and the want of his
Father's smiles. Every page of
Scripture
proclaims the fact, that
Salvation is only of the
Lord.
Man is a
sinner, his case can only be reached
By Mercy; and never is
Mercy more illustrious than in restoring backsliders. With good
reason we may pray, that if it be the will of
God, and he has
any further work for us or our friends to do in this world, he
will yet spare us or them to serve him. To depart and be with
Christ is happiest for the saints; but for them to abide in the
Flesh is more profitable for the
Church.
8-10 What a sudden change is here! Having made his request
known to
God, the psalmist is confident that his sorrow will be
turned into joy.
By the workings of
God's
Grace upon his
Heart,
he knew his
Prayer was accepted, and did not doubt but it would,
in due time, be answered. His prayers will be accepted, coming
up out of the hands of
Christ the
Mediator. The
Word signifies
Prayer made to
God, the righteous
Judge, as the
God of his
Righteousness, who would plead his cause, and right his wrongs.
A believer, through the
Blood and
Righteousness of
Christ, can
go to
God as a righteous
God, and plead with him for
Pardon and
cleansing, who is just and
Faithful to grant both. He prays for
the
Conversion of his enemies, or foretells their ruin.