‏ Psalms 15

Summary for Ps 15:1-19:14: Pss 15–19  ^a The psalms in this section affirm integrity and purity (17:15  ^b; 18:20-26  ^c; 19:13-14  ^d). They refer to people as dwelling in God’s presence (16:9-11  ^e; 17:15  ^f) and as not being shaken (15:5  ^g; 16:8  ^h).
Summary for Ps 15:1-5: Ps 15  ⁱ In this wisdom poem, the psalmist contrasts the lifestyle of the godly with the actions of fools (Ps 14  ^j). The questions in this psalm invite readers to examine themselves and to look away from problems with the wicked. The question of who dwells in God’s presence leads into a description of godly character qualities (cp. 24:3-6  ^k; Isa 33:14-16  ^l). 15:1  ^m Only the godly may reside in the Lord’s presence (5:4  ⁿ). As his guests, they experience his hospitality and protection.

• sanctuary (or tent): In David’s time, God’s sanctuary was a tent (the Tabernacle; see 1 Sam 21:6  ^o; 2 Sam 6:17  ^p; 7:6  ^q; 12:20  ^r; 1 Chr 6:32  ^s).
15:2  ^t The godly speak truthfully and act faithfully in their relationships. Unlike the wicked, they are open and transparent (12:2-4  ^u).
15:5  ^v The Lord prohibited Israel from charging interest to people in need (Exod 22:25-27  ^w).

• The assurance of God’s presence keeps the godly from destruction (Pss 16:8  ^x; 46:5  ^y; 125:1  ^z). Their circumstances might shake them temporarily, but they ultimately stand firm (30:6  ^aa; 94:18  ^ab; 112:6  ^ac).

‏ Psalms 16

Summary for Ps 16:1-11: Ps 16  ^ad In this psalm of confidence, the poet moves quickly from a short petition (16:1  ^ae), to expressions of passionate commitment to God and his people (16:2-6  ^af), to a conclusion of confident praise (16:7-11  ^ag). 16:1  ^ah The psalmist feels safe because the Lord alone offers security (16:5-6  ^ai), guidance (16:7-8  ^aj), and the joy of his presence (16:9-11  ^ak).
16:2  ^al I said to the Lord: The various writers of the psalms pray, lament, and praise the Lord throughout the Psalter, and the Lord answers them (see 12:5-6  ^am).
16:4  ^an The psalmist dissociates himself from ungodly worship, rituals, and words (see 15:3-5  ^ao).
16:5  ^ap The cup of blessing represents God’s provision for all the psalmist’s needs (23:5  ^aq; see 116:13  ^ar; cp. 75:8  ^as; Isa 51:17  ^at).
16:6  ^au The land is God’s gift for his people (Deut 18:8  ^av).
Summary for Ps 16:7-8: 16:7-8  ^aw God’s instruction brings life (16:11  ^ax; see 5:8  ^ay; 23:1-3  ^az; 32:8  ^ba; 73:24  ^bb).

• The psalmist so deeply depends on the Lord for strength and joy that he senses that God is right beside him (16:11  ^bc; see 73:23  ^bd; 109:31  ^be; 110:1  ^bf, 5  ^bg; 121:5  ^bh).

• Peter quoted 16:8-11  ^bi in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:25-28  ^bj).
Summary for Ps 16:9-11: 16:9-11  ^bk Knowing that not even death can separate him from the Lord strengthens the psalmist’s confidence. He fears a separation (see 13:3-4  ^bl), but he remains confident of seeing the Lord (see 11:7  ^bm).
16:10  ^bn The psalmist expresses his confidence that life continues beyond death. The apostles applied this text to the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:25-33  ^bo; 13:35  ^bp).
16:11  ^bq with you: See 16:7-8  ^br; 110:1  ^bs.

‏ Psalms 17

Summary for Ps 17:1-15: Ps 17  ^bt The psalmist pleads for God’s protection and vindication, affirms his own integrity, and prays that the Lord will prevail against his fierce enemies. 17:1  ^bu comes from honest lips: Deception characterizes the wicked. The godly reject such deceit as a failure of character and pray for rescue from such people (5:6  ^bv; 43:1  ^bw; 120:2  ^bx). They love honesty, truth, and integrity (15:2-3  ^by; 24:4  ^bz; 101:7  ^ca).
Summary for Ps 17:3-5: 17:3-5  ^cb The psalmist declares his innocence (17:1  ^cc) and commits himself to integrity by being open to God’s examination. 17:3  ^cd Though he is not perfect, the psalmist commits himself to the Lord. He does not want to sin through deception, flattery, or gossip (see 10:7  ^ce; 15:2-3  ^cf; 17:1  ^cg).
Summary for Ps 17:6-9: 17:6-9  ^ch This prayer for God’s care returns to the petition begun in 17:1-2  ^ci for redemption from evil.
17:8  ^cj as you would guard your own eyes (literally as the pupil of your eye): This metaphor expresses God’s care and affection for the psalmist (see Deut 32:10  ^ck).

• The shadow of God’s wings is a place of his protection from enemies and adversity (Pss 36:7  ^cl; 57:1  ^cm; 61:4  ^cn; 63:7  ^co; 91:4  ^cp).
Summary for Ps 17:13-14: 17:13-14  ^cq The psalmist confidently prays for the Lord’s victory, knowing that God possesses more power than the evildoers. The psalmist finds his joy in the Lord’s inheritance (16:5  ^cr), whereas the wicked search for joy in this world.
17:15  ^cs see you face to face: The psalmist does not allow temporary concerns raised by adversaries to stand in the way of his experiencing a real and lasting relationship with the Lord.

‏ Psalms 18

Summary for Ps 18:1-50: Ps 18  ^ct This royal drama of divine rescue (also found with minor variations in 2 Sam 22:1-51  ^cu) encourages readers who are following the laments and requests for rescue in Pss 16  ^cv and 17  ^cw. The psalmist describes the dramatic nature of God’s rescue in three different ways (18:7-15  ^cx, 16-19  ^cy, 30-36  ^cz). The psalm also extends hope that a future Son of David will be totally victorious over evil (18:43-50  ^da; cp. Ps 2  ^db). 18:title  ^dc David was a faithful servant of the Lord, charged with the responsibility of establishing God’s kingdom on earth (see 78:70  ^dd; 132:10  ^de; 144:10  ^df).

• The Lord rescued David from all his enemies when he enabled David to conquer them (see 2 Sam 8:1-14  ^dg).
18:2  ^dh A shield is an image of protection, salvation, and victory (7:10  ^di; 18:2  ^dj, 30  ^dk, 35  ^dl; 84:11  ^dm; 91:4  ^dn; 115:9  ^do, 10  ^dp, 11  ^dq; 119:114  ^dr; 144:2  ^ds). It evokes a response of trust, waiting, and godly confidence.
18:3  ^dt God deserves praise for his greatness and faithfulness (48:1  ^du; 96:4  ^dv; 145:3  ^dw).
18:6  ^dx God dwells in his sanctuary, the heavenly temple (102:19  ^dy; see 14:2-3  ^dz). He knows everything, sees everyone, and will vindicate the godly (see 11:3-7  ^ea).
Summary for Ps 18:7-15: 18:7-15  ^eb The psalmist depicts the Lord’s descent from heaven to earth with phenomena such as earthquakes, flames, smoke, darkness, and rain. Creation shudders at God’s marvelous coming as the Divine Warrior (see 97:2-5  ^ec) and Judge (see 50:1-6  ^ed). 18:7  ^ee The destabilization of the whole earth will be a means of God’s judgment (77:17-18  ^ef; 96:9  ^eg; 97:4  ^eh; 99:1  ^ei; 104:32  ^ej; Isa 29:6  ^ek; Mic 1:3-4  ^el; Nah 1:2-6  ^em; Hag 2:7  ^en, 21  ^eo).
18:8  ^ep his nostrils ... his mouth: The psalmist likens God to an angry person or a fierce creature (see Job 41:12-22  ^eq).

• The terrifying images of smoke, flames, and glowing coals express God’s wrath against sin.
Summary for Ps 18:9-11: 18:9-11  ^er The Lord’s sovereignty extends over all of nature (see 104:2-4  ^es; 148:5-6  ^et).
18:10  ^eu a mighty angelic being (Hebrew a cherub): See study notes on 1 Chr 28:18; 2 Chr 3:10-13.
18:19  ^ev Because God loves and delights in the psalmist (see 18:1  ^ew), he will save him (37:23  ^ex; 41:11  ^ey; 91:14-16  ^ez).
Summary for Ps 18:20-24: 18:20-24  ^fa The psalmist affirms that loyalty is rewarded. He puts his trust in the Lord (see 16:1  ^fb) and commits himself to living with integrity (see Pss 1  ^fc, 15  ^fd, 24  ^fe; see also 19:12-14  ^ff).
18:21  ^fg kept the ways of the Lord: The psalmist faithfully obeys God’s instructions (see 25:8-10  ^fh).

• not turned ... to follow evil: The psalmist rejects the way of folly (see Pss 1  ^fi and 14  ^fj) and chooses the way of wisdom (see Pss 1  ^fk and 15  ^fl).
Summary for Ps 18:25-29: 18:25-29  ^fm The faithful God remains true to his character. He loves faithfulness, blamelessness, and purity, and he hates the perverse (see 1:6  ^fn).
18:26  ^fo The pure have clean hands (see 18:20-24  ^fp).

• to the crooked you show yourself shrewd: The Lord knows each person’s character, and he justly responds to them in kind.
18:27  ^fq proud: The Lord hates pride (101:5  ^fr; 131:1  ^fs; see Prov 6:16-17  ^ft; 21:4  ^fu; 30:13  ^fv).
18:28  ^fw light a lamp: The Lord renews the psalmist’s life, helping him overcome the darkness of adversity (see Pss 112:4  ^fx; 119:105  ^fy).
18:29  ^fz scale any wall: God helps his servants fight their battles.
Summary for Ps 18:30-36: 18:30-36  ^ga The psalmist experiences God’s rescue and provision of victory. 18:30  ^gb perfect: God’s character has integrity (see 18:26  ^gc).

• God promises to protect his people, and he does so.

• Seeking God’s protection entails trust and faith. Regardless of his feelings or external circumstances, the psalmist makes a deep commitment to the Lord. He experiences joy (5:11  ^gd; 64:10  ^ge) as he awaits the Lord’s rescue (57:1  ^gf).
Summary for Ps 18:32-34: 18:32-34  ^gg The psalmist’s victories come from the Lord. He completely depends on God.
18:36  ^gh A wide path represents freedom and safety (see 4:8  ^gi; 119:35  ^gj).
Summary for Ps 18:37-42: 18:37-42  ^gk With help from the Divine Warrior, the psalmist experienced victory over his enemies.
18:40  ^gl Placing a foot on the necks of the enemy represents total victory (see Josh 10:23-26  ^gm).
Summary for Ps 18:43-45: 18:43-45  ^gn With God’s victorious help, the psalmist achieved military and political success, thus fulfilling the history of David’s dynasty (Ps 2  ^go). The previous laments find some resolution in this psalm.
Summary for Ps 18:46-50: 18:46-50  ^gp The psalmist again reflects on the Lord’s victories. God’s marvelous rescue and the king’s victory are cause for celebration.
18:47  ^gq God vindicates his servant and so fulfills his mission (Ps 2  ^gr; see 47:3  ^gs; 144:2  ^gt).
18:49  ^gu The psalmist’s vision of praise ... among the nations motivated Paul in his mission to the Gentiles (Rom 15:9  ^gv).
18:50  ^gw God appointed David, his anointed ruler, to bring order into God’s world (see Ps 2  ^gx). Both David and his descendants received this responsibility.

‏ Psalms 19

Summary for Ps 19:1-14: Ps 19  ^gy God’s wisdom is manifest in heaven (19:1-4  ^gz), in nature (19:4-6  ^ha), in his instruction (19:7-11  ^hb), and in the life of the psalmist (19:12-14  ^hc). Like Ps 8  ^hd, this hymn uses creation to motivate reflection—it is a peaceful oasis after the drama of the lament and victory psalms. The psalm begins with creation as a source of wisdom, then moves to God’s word as the perfect source of wisdom, and ends with the human need for redemption.
Summary for Ps 19:1-4: 19:1-4  ^he The created order is an arena of God’s wisdom, and the heavens are the place of God’s dwelling (2:4  ^hf; see 8:1  ^hg; 57:5  ^hh; 89:6  ^hi; 115:3  ^hj). From heaven, God observes humanity (11:4  ^hk; 14:2  ^hl; 33:13  ^hm; 53:2  ^hn; 80:14  ^ho; 102:19  ^hp) and comes to the rescue of his servants (18:6-8  ^hq, 13  ^hr; 20:6  ^hs; 57:3  ^ht; 76:8  ^hu; 144:5  ^hv). The heavens remain unaffected by human failures and rebellions (see 2:1-4  ^hw). They display God’s qualities of fidelity, righteousness (36:5  ^hx; 50:6  ^hy; 57:10  ^hz; 85:11  ^ia; 89:2  ^ib, 5  ^ic; 97:6  ^id; 108:4  ^ie), and wisdom (136:5  ^if; see 119:89-90  ^ig). The heavens reveal the Lord’s glory (see 19:1  ^ih) and give evidence of his presence and handiwork. 19:1  ⁱⁱ The glory of God refers to the splendor or manifest presence of the Creator (113:4  ^ij).

• God (Hebrew ’el): El is an ancient designation for God that signifies his creative power.
Summary for Ps 19:3-4: 19:3-4  ^ik God’s wisdom does not need to be spoken. Through creation, it is seen, felt, and experienced. Paul applied this text to condemn Israel for its lack of receptivity to Jesus Christ (Rom 10:18  ^il).

• The sun is part of God’s creation, but it is not a deity, as people of other nations in the ancient Near East commonly believed.
Summary for Ps 19:7-11: 19:7-11  ^im God’s instructions to humans reveal his character and wisdom. God’s instruction is precious and pleasant (119:103  ⁱⁿ). It nourishes the person (Prov 16:24  ^io; 24:14  ^ip) and is of more value than objects of human worth (Ps 81:13-16  ^iq).
Summary for Ps 19:12-14: 19:12-14  ^ir The psalmist knows his faults, so he prays to remain faithful and commits himself to the Lord.
19:13  ^is An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14  ^it) or arrogant (119:21  ^iu, 69  ^iv) attitude.

• The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1  ^iw).
19:14  ^ix words of my mouth ... meditation of my heart: The psalmist desires to please God in everything he says and thinks (see Luke 6:45  ^iy; Rom 12:1-2  ^iz).