Psalm chapter 49
This psalm reads almost like a passage from the Book of Proverbs, with its bold contrast between the destinies of
wicked and righteous. It addresses an age-old question: the prosperity of the wicked. The psalmist lived in a day
when many evil men were boasting of their wealth (verses 5, 6). The psalm was therefore written to enable God's
people to rise above the ungodly drive for riches. There is first an invitation to listen (verses 1-4): the poet calls on
all men because the psalm has a universal application. Second, he demonstrates how woefully inadequate riches
are (verses 5, 12): on the day of one's death they cannot redeem (verses 6, 7). Finally the divergent destinies of
the wicked and the righteous are vividly stated (verses 13-20): the wicked man has no hope beyond this life (verse
14), but the righteous man will be resurrected to eternal life (verse 15).
Psalm chapter 50
The psalm is a warning to the pilgrim of Zion to avoid hypocrisy and formalism before God. The setting of the psalm
is comparable to a courtroom: God, the Judge, appears in a theophany (verses 1-3) and calls for a hearing
(verses 4-6), the heavens and earth being called as witnesses. The accusations are twofold: God's people must
realize that true worship does not consist of mere sacrifice, but of sacrifice offered with thanksgiving and
faithfulness (verses 7-15). Second, the wicked are denounced for not keeping God's law, though they pretend that
they do (Matthew 7:21-23 for a similar denunciation). In reality, they are those who forget God (verse 22) and face
certain destruction unless they repent.
Psalm chapter 51
From the superscription we learn that this psalm was written sometime after David's sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel
11:3, 4). The psalm gives expression to why David was "a man after God's own heart": he was not perfect, but he
had a sensitivity to sin that few know about. Notice especially the use of the first person singular: mine iniquity, my
sin (verse 2), my transgressions (verse 3), and so on. The first two verses are an introductory petition, rich with for
inner renewal (verses 7-12) and promises thanksgiving and ministry (verses 13-17). This passage clearly takes
that those who failed God may be restored to the service of God. The prayer take not they Holy Spirit from me
(verse 11) need never be offered by a New Testament saint, since the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian
permanently (1 Corinthians 6:19). David's cry here may reflect only the fear, not the reality, of losing the Spirit, and
being rejected by God. Thus, he asks God to restore the joy of his salvation, not salvation itself.
Psalm chapter 52
The superscription reveals that this psalm is one of the eight written when David was fleeing from Saul. Specifically,
it refers to the occasion when Doeg had accused Ahimelech the priest because the latter had assisted David at
Nob (1 Samuel 21:1-9; 22:9-23). The description of Doeg is one of the most contemptuous in Scripture (verses
1-4). Because of his betrayal, Doeg will be destroyed (verse 5), the righteous will learn from it (verses 6, 7), and
David, a righteous man, will continue to flourish (verses 8, 9).
Psalm chapter 53
This psalm is a copy of Psalm 14, slightly revised. Two major differences are apparent: this psalm substitutes the
generic word for God, Elohim, for the personal name of God used in Psalm 14, Yahweh. This was done evidently to
give the psalm a wider appeal. Second, verse 5 has been rewritten and has become an encouraging affirmation of
God's protection.
Psalm chapter 54
The superscription indicates that the psalm records David's reaction to the Ziphites' betrayal of him to Saul. The
historical situation is described in 1 Samuel 23. Consequently, David prays for deliverance fro his oppressors
(verses 1-3), expresses his confidence in being heard (verses 4, 5), and promises his thanksgiving upon
deliverance.
Psalm chapter 55
The psalm is a prayer by one who is being unjustly harassed and who has been betrayed by a friend. The surging
emotions that these situations occasion are seen in the alternating pictures of faithless men and expressions of
trust in a faithful God. Thus, it contains a prayer of petition (verses 1, 2, 23), a lament over the man's present
woeful state (verses 3-15, 18b-21), and an expression of trust in God (verses 16-18a, 22).
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
Psalm chapter 56
The superscription relates the psalm to David's first stay in Gath under Achish (1 Samuel 21:10-15). The refrain of
verses 4, 10, and 11 mark off two sections in the psalm. First, David contrasts his threatening enemies with his
faithful God (verses 1-4). Second, he expresses the truth that he is watched from two directions: on the one side
by his enemies; on the other by God, his Protector (verses 5-11). The refrain of verse 4 is now strengthened and
expanded into two verses (verses 10, 11). The two final verses serve as a conclusion that assumes his upcoming
deliverance as a present reality.
Psalm chapter 57
The superscription provides a helpful backdrop for the psalm, which was composed after David escaped from
Gath. (See Psalms 56 and 1 Samuel 22:1). The refrain of verses 5 and 11 marks the psalm into two distinct
sections: his petition and lament (verses 1-5), and his trust and thanksgiving (verses 6-11).
Psalm chapter 58
The psalm may best be described as a prayer against unjust judges. O congregation in verse 1 is literally "O
gods," though the word is best taken here to refer, not to gods, but to rulers who represent God. God and civil
leaders are sometimes closely linked together (Exodus 22:28; Deuteronomy 19:17, 18). The indictment against
these unjust judges is contained in verses 1-5; the petition of David in verses 6-9 include a mighty imprecation;
and the conclusion emphasizes the effect of God's vindication on the righteous in verses 10 and 11.
Psalm chapter 59
The content of the psalm reinforces the occasion cited in the superscription. Though David was Saul's son-in-law,
Saul sent men to kill him (1 Samuel 19:1-17). The psalm is David's prayer while so threatened by his enemies. It
contains three key elements that are intertwined: petition (verses 1-3, 4b, 5, 11-13), lament (verses 3, 4a, 6, 7),
and expression of trust in God's answer (verses 8-10, 14-17).
Psalm chapter 60
The superscription of this psalm is lengthy (only Psalm 18 has a longer one), and contains a list of three of David's
enemies: Aram-naharaim, or Mesopotamia, Aram-zobah, or central Syria, and Edom. After piecing 2 Samuel 8:3-6
and other passages together with this superscription, we may conclude that, while David was waging war against
the Arameans in the north, the Edomites (and Moabites) invaded from the south, forcing David to dispatch Joab to
deal with the latter force. This turn of events constituted an unexpected military reversal which the psalm laments. It
thus contains the lament (verses 1-5), an expression of the certainty of being heard (verses 6-8), and final petition
(verses 9-12).
Psalm chapter 61
This psalm would have fit many occasions in David's life when he was distraught from fighting his numerous
enemies. He offers his petition (verses 1, 2), expresses his trust (verses 3-5), prays for prolongation of his kingship
(verses 6, 7), and offers a vow of thanksgiving to be delivered when God answers (verse 8.)
Psalm chapter 62
Thoughts of confidence and trust predominate in this psalm, making it a "psalm of confidence." The expressions of
trust found in verses 1, 2, and 5-7 are rich with figures that picture the absolute stability of being found in God. At
least five nouns describe God's protection: rock, salvation, defense (verse 2), glory, and refuge (verse 7). The
lament (verses 3, 4) again concerns his enemies. However, from his confident position he is able to exhort others
to trust in the Lord (verses 8-12).
Psalm chapter 63
The location of the writing of the psalm is described generally as in the wilderness of Judah. Unlike many of the
psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and
petition. David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (verses 1, 2), he expresses his thankful mood (verses 3,
6), he gives voice to his trust in God (verses 7, 8), and he announces his hope for the future (verses 9-11).
Enemies are mentioned only in passing (verses 9, 10).
Psalm chapter 64
The psalm is a prayer that the vicious plots of wicked men against the righteous might fail. The psalm may be
divided into two parts: a petition against the devices of the wicked (verses 1-6) and an expression of the certainty
of divine retribution (verses 7-10).
Psalm chapter 65
The psalm has a simple purpose: to express thanksgiving for rain and harvest, an appropriate subject in an
agrarian economy. It is addressed to God in its entirety and presents Him as the God who forgives (verses 1-4),
the God who intervenes in history (verses 5-8), and the God who provides (verses 9-13).
Psalm chapter 66
Though a psalm of national thanksgiving for some occasion of great deliverance, it also contains the king's
personal note of thanksgiving at the end (verses 13-20), after the communal expression of thanksgiving (verses
1-12).
Psalm chapter 67
Psalm 67 This national psalm of thanksgiving expresses the gratefulness of the people to God and their
confidence in His continued blessings. It begins with a blessing by the priest (verse 1), a reflection of the Aaronic
benediction in Numbers 6:24-26. then there is a call to all peoples to praise God (verses 2-5). Finally, there is an
expression of trust in God's continued blessings (verses 6, 7). The point of the psalm seems to be that God's
blessing on Israel is only a harbinger of divine blessings for the entire world. The universal outlook is revealed not
only by the explicit statement of the final verse, but by the exclusive preference of the general word for God,
Elohim, to the complete exclusion of the personal name of Israel's God, Yahweh.
Psalm chapter 68
Though no superscription is found in this psalm, most interpreters agree that it was written when the ark of the
Lord was transferred from the house of Obed-edom to the new location on Zion's mountain (2 Samuel 6:2-18).
Certainly it describes the procession attached to that significant event, but it is more than a historical narrative. It is
rich with theology since, at that time, God's person and His place for Israel in the world seem to have been
understood in a much deeper way. The procession is first introduced (verses 1-3). Because the ark represented
the presence of God with His people, its movement to a new location is a reflection of God's continual blessing of
His people and conquest of her foes. Next is a call to praise the Lord for His majesty and His care for the needy
(verses 4-6). The present event of relocating the ark is now put into perspective within the history of the Lord's
works (verses 7-23). Specifically, it is, in a sense, a reliving of the Exodus (verses 7-10) and of the conquest of
Canaan (verses 11-14). The Lord has clearly elected Zion as His abode from which He protects His people (verses
15-23). David next describes the procession itself (verses 24-27) with its singers and players (verse 25) and the
various tribes (verse 27). Finally, the psalm concludes with two hymns (verses 28-35): a hymn of Israel expressing
her prayer for continued deliverance (verses 28-31), and a universalistic hymn that speaks of the Lord's rule over
all the earth (verses 32-35). The theological significance of this majestic hymn is twofold. First, it reiterates in a
beautiful way the Lord's election of Israel as a basis from which His rule and blessing flow to the earth. Second, it
reveals a growing understanding of the person of the God of Israel. A study of the names of God alone in the
psalm establishes this second point: God (verse 1), his name JAH (verse 4), the Almighty (verse 14), the Lord
(verse 16), the Lord God (verse 18), the Lord (verse 19, a different Hebrew word from the one in verse 16), and
God the Lord (verse 20). The action of God in deliverance (verse 18) is interpreted messianically by Paul and
applied to the ascension of our Lord (Ephesians 4:8).