Psa 59:16-17 | TDavid | STEP | EXPOSITION Verse 16 . But I will sing of thy power. The wicked howl, but I sing and will sing. Their power is weakness, but thine is omnipotence; I see them vanquished and thy power victorious, and for ever and ever will I sing of thee. Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning. When those lovers of darkness find their game is up, and their midnight howlings die away, then will I lift up my voice on high and praise the lovingkindness of God without fear of being disturbed. What a blessed morning will soon break for the righteous, and what a song will be theirs! Sons of the morning, ye may sigh tonight, but joy will come on the wings of the rising sun. Tune your harps even now, for the signal to commence the eternal music will soon be given; the morning cometh and your sun shall go no more down for ever. For thou hast been my defence. The song is for God alone, and it is one which none can sing but those who have experienced the lovingkindness of their God. Looking back upon a past all full of mercy, the saints will bless the Lord with their whole hearts, and triumph in him as the high place of their security. And refuge in the day of my trouble. The greater our present trials the louder will our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude. Had we no day of trouble, where were our season of retrospective thanksgiving? David's besetment by Saul's bloodhounds creates an opportunity for divine interposition and so for triumphant praise. EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS Verse 16 . We must not pass by the contrast with the wretched condition of the wicked , which is indicated by the pronoun hmh, they, in Psalms 59:15 , an ygaw, but I, which are in exact antithesis; also the "evening," mentioned above, and the "morning," now occurring for the times of trouble and happiness, and the dog like noise of the wicked, and the singing with joyful sound of David, to pass by other particulars, likewise give to the diverse states additional difference. Hermann Venema. Verse 16 . Cantabo and exaltabo , I will sing, and I will sing aloud. Here is singing only of God's power; but there is singing aloud of his mercy; as if his mercy were more exaltable than his power, and that reached the very heavens; this unto the clouds. Psalms 26:5 . From Humphrey Sydenham's Sermon, entitled, "The Well toned Cymball," 1637. HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS Verse 16 . The heavenly chorister. His song is sweet in contrast with the revilings of others -- but I. It treats of subjects which terrify others -- thy power. It grows louder on tender themes -- thy mercy. It has its choice seasons -- in the morning. It is tuned by experience -- for thou hast. It is all to God's glory -- thy power, thy mercy, thou hast.

Psalms 59:16-17

EXPOSITION Verse 16 . But I will sing of thy power. The wicked howl, but I sing and will sing. Their power is weakness, but thine is omnipotence; I see them vanquished and thy power victorious, and for ever and ever will I sing of thee. Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning. When those lovers of darkness find their game is up, and their midnight howlings die away, then will I lift up my voice on high and praise the lovingkindness of God without fear of being disturbed. What a blessed morning will soon break for the righteous, and what a song will be theirs! Sons of the morning, ye may sigh tonight, but joy will come on the wings of the rising sun. Tune your harps even now, for the signal to commence the eternal music will soon be given; the morning cometh and your sun shall go no more down for ever. For thou hast been my defence. The song is for God alone, and it is one which none can sing but those who have experienced the lovingkindness of their God. Looking back upon a past all full of mercy, the saints will bless the Lord with their whole hearts, and triumph in him as the high place of their security. And refuge in the day of my trouble. The greater our present trials the louder will our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude. Had we no day of trouble, where were our season of retrospective thanksgiving? David's besetment by Saul's bloodhounds creates an opportunity for divine interposition and so for triumphant praise. EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS Verse 16 . We must not pass by the contrast with the wretched condition of the wicked , which is indicated by the pronoun hmh, they, in Psalms 59:15 , an ygaw, but I, which are in exact antithesis; also the "evening," mentioned above, and the "morning," now occurring for the times of trouble and happiness, and the dog like noise of the wicked, and the singing with joyful sound of David, to pass by other particulars, likewise give to the diverse states additional difference. Hermann Venema. Verse 16 . Cantabo and exaltabo , I will sing, and I will sing aloud. Here is singing only of God's power; but there is singing aloud of his mercy; as if his mercy were more exaltable than his power, and that reached the very heavens; this unto the clouds. Psalms 26:5 . From Humphrey Sydenham's Sermon, entitled, "The Well toned Cymball," 1637. HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS Verse 16 . The heavenly chorister. His song is sweet in contrast with the revilings of others -- but I. It treats of subjects which terrify others -- thy power. It grows louder on tender themes -- thy mercy. It has its choice seasons -- in the morning. It is tuned by experience -- for thou hast. It is all to God's glory -- thy power, thy mercy, thou hast. EXPOSITION Verse 17 . Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing. What transport is here! What a monopolising of all his emotions for the one object of praising God! Strength has been overcome by strength; not by the hero's own prowess, but by the might of God alone. See how the singer girds himself with the almightiness of God, and calls it all his own by faith. Sweet is the music of experience, but it is all for God; there is not even a stray note for man, for self, or for human helpers. For God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. With full assurance he claims possession of the Infinite as his protection and security. He sees God in all, and all his own. Mercy rises before him, undisturbed and manifold, for he feels he is undeserving, and security is with him, undisturbed and impregnable, for he knows that he is safe in divine keeping. Oh, choice song! My soul would sing it now in defiance of all the dogs of hell. Away, away, ye adversaries of my soul, the God of my mercy will keep ye all at bay -- "Nor shall the infernal lion rend Whom he designs to keep." EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS Verse 17 . Unto thee , O my strength, will I sing. Formerly he had said that the strength of his enemy was with God, and now he asserts the same thing of his own. The expression, however, which admits of two meanings, he elegantly applies to himself in a different sense. God has the strength of the wicked in his hands, to curb and to restrain it, and to show that any power of which they boast is vain and fallacious. His own people, on the other hand, he supports and secures against the possibility of falling, by supplies of strength from himself. John Calvin. Verse 17 . Unto thee , O my strength. In opposition to the enemy's strength, Psalms 59:9 . Thy power, or strength -- the Hebrew word is the same ( Psalms 59:16 ) -- is my strength. There is an elegant play on similar sounds in the Hebrew for I will wait upon thee, hrmfa ( Psalms 59:9 ), and "I will sing," hrmza A. R. Faussett. Verse 17 . (first clause) . As on account of Saul's strength my watching was directed to thee; so now, no account of thy strength vouchsafed to me, my singing of praises also shall be directed to thee alone. Martin Geier. Verse 17 . Strength -- Mercy . He joins these two attributes, "strength" and "mercy", very well; for take away strength from him, and he cannot; remove mercy, and he will not, protect; both must go together in any one that will defend; power, that he can, mercy, that he will; otherwise it is but in vain to hope for help from him David found God to be both, and for both he extols him. William Nicholson. HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS Verse 17 . A doctrine -- God is his people's strength. An appropriation -- "my strength." A resolution. The song of gratitude for the past, faith for the present, hope for the future, of bliss for eternity.