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Commentary on Psalms 71 verses 14–24
David is here in a holy transport of joy and praise, arising from his faith and hope in God; we have both together Psa 71:14, where there is a sudden and remarkable change of his voice; his fears are all silenced, his hopes raised, and his prayers turned into thanksgivings. "Let my enemies say what they will, to drive me to despair, I will hope continually, hope in all conditions, in the most cloudy and dark day; I will live upon hope and will hope to the end." Since we hope in one that will never fail us, let not our hope in him fail us, and then we shall praise him yet more and more. "The more they reproach me the more closely will I cleave to thee; I will praise thee more and better than ever I have done yet." The longer we live the more expert we should grow in praising God and the more we should abound in it. I will add over and above all thy praise, all the praise I have hitherto offered, for it is all too little. When we have said all we can, to the glory of God's grace, there is still more to be said; it is a subject that can never be exhausted, and therefore we should never grow weary of it. Now observe, in these verses,
I. How his heart is established in faith and hope; and it is a good thing that the heart be so established. Observe,
1.What he hopes in, Psa 71:16. (1.) In the power of God: "I will go in the strength of the Lord God, not sit down in despair, but stir up myself to and exert myself in my work and warfare, will go forth and go on, not in any strength of my own, but in God's strength - disclaiming my own sufficiency and depending on him only as all-sufficient - in the strength of his providence and in the strength of his grace." We must always go about God's work in his strength, having our eyes up unto him to work in us both to will and to do. (2.) In the promise of God: "I will make mention of thy righteousness, that is, thy faithfulness to every word which thou hast spoken, the equity of thy disposals, and thy kindness to thy people that trust in thee. This I will make mention of as my plea in prayer for thy mercy." We may very fitly apply it to the righteousness of Christ, which is called the righteousness of God by faith, and which is witnessed by the law and the prophets; we must depend upon God's strength for assistance and upon Christ's righteousness for acceptance. In the Lord have I righteousness and strength, Isa 45:24.
2.What he hopes for.
(1.)He hopes that God will not leave him in his old age, but will be the same to him to the end that he had been all along, Psa 71:17, Psa 71:18. Observe here, [1.] What God had done for him when he was young: Thou hast taught me from my youth. The good education and good instructions which his parents gave him when he was young he owns himself obliged to give God thanks for as a great favour. It is a blessed thing to be taught of God from our youth, from our childhood to know the holy scriptures, and it is what we have reason to bless God for. [2.] What he had done for God when he was middle-aged: He had declared all God's wondrous works. Those that have not good when they are young must be doing good when they are grown up, and must continue to communicate what they have received. We must own that all the works of God's goodness to us are wondrous works, admiring he should do so much for us who are so undeserving, and we must make it our business to declare them, to the glory of God and the good of others. [3.] What he desired of God now that he was old: Now that I am old and gray-headed, dying to this world and hastening to another, O God! forsake me not. This is what he earnestly desires and confidently hopes for. Those that have been taught of God from their youth, and have made it the business of their lives to honour him, may be sure that he will not leave them when they are old and gray-headed, will not leave them helpless and comfortless, but will make the evil days of old age their best days, and such as they shall have occasion to say they have pleasure in. [4.] What he designed to do for God in his old age: "I will not only show thy strength, by my own experience of it, to this generation, but I will leave my observations upon record for the benefit of posterity, and so who it to every one that is to come." As long as we live we should be endeavouring to glorify God and edify one another; and those that have had the largest and longest experience of the goodness of God to them should improve their experiences for the good of their friends. It is a debt which the old disciples of Christ owe to the succeeding generations to leave behind them a solemn testimony to the power, pleasure, and advantage of religion, and the truth of God's promises.
(2.)He hopes that God would revive him and raise him up out of his present low and disconsolate condition (Psa 71:20): Thou who hast made me to see and feel great and sore troubles, above most men, shalt quicken me again. Note, [1.] The best of God's saints and servants are sometimes exercised with great and sore troubles in this world. [2.] God's hand is to be eyed in all the troubles of the saints, and that will help to extenuate them and make them seem light. He does not say, "Thou hast burdened me with those troubles," but "shown them to me," as the tender father shows the child the rod to keep him in awe. [3.] Though God's people be brought ever so low he can revive them and raise them up. Are they dead? he can quicken them again. See Co2 1:9. Are they buried, as dead men out of mind? he can bring them up again from the depths of the earth, can cheer the most drooping spirit and raise the most sinking interest. [4.] If we have a due regard to the hand of God in our troubles, we may promise ourselves, in due time, a deliverance out of them. Our present troubles, though great and sore, shall be no hindrance to our joyful resurrection from the depths of the earth, witness our great Master, to whom this may have some reference; his Father showed him great and sore troubles, but quickened him and brought him up from the grave.
(3.)He hopes that God would not only deliver him out of his troubles, but would advance his honour and joy more than ever (Psa 71:21): "Thou shalt not only restore me to my greatness again, but shalt increase it, and give me a better interest, after this shock, than before; thou shalt not only comfort me, but comfort me on every side, so that I shall see nothing black or threatening on any side." Note, Sometimes God makes his people's troubles contribute to the increase of their greatness, and their sun shines the brighter for having been under a cloud. If he make them contribute to the increase of their goodness, that will prove in the end the increase of their greatness, their glory; and if he comfort them on every side, according to the time and degree wherein he has afflicted them on every side, they will have no reason to complain. When our Lord Jesus was quickened again, and brought back from the depths of the earth, his greatness was increased, and he entered on the joy set before him.
(4.)He hopes that all his enemies would be put to confusion, Psa 71:24. He speaks of it with the greatest assurance as a thing done, and triumphs in it accordingly: They are confounded, they are brought to shame, that seek my hurt. His honour would be their disgrace and his comfort their vexation.
II. Let us now see how his heart is enlarged in joy and praises, how he rejoices in hope, and sings in hope for we are saved by hope.
1.He will speak of God's righteousness and his salvation, as great things, things which he was well acquainted with, and much affected with, which he desired God might have the glory of and others might have the comfortable knowledge of (Psa 71:15): My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation; and again (Psa 71:24), My tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, and this all the day. God's righteousness, which David seems here to be in a particular manner affected with, includes a great deal: the rectitude of his nature, the equity of his providential disposals, the righteous laws he has given us to be ruled by, the righteous promises he has given us to depend upon, and the everlasting righteousness which his Son has brought in for our justification. God's righteousness and his salvation are here joined together; let no man think to put them asunder, nor expect salvation without righteousness, Psa 50:23. If these two are made the objects of our desire, let them be made the subjects of our discourse all the day, for they are subjects that can never be exhausted.
2.He will speak of them with wonder and admiration, as one astonished at the dimensions of divine love and grace, the height and depth, the length and breadth, of it: "I know not the numbers thereof, Psa 71:15. Though I cannot give a particular account of thy favours to me, they are so many, so great (if I would count them, they are more in number than the sand, Psa 40:5), yet, knowing them to be numberless, I will be still speaking of them, for in them I shall find new matter," Psa 71:19. The righteousness that is in God is very high; that which is done by him for his people is very great: put both together, and we shall say, O God! who is like unto thee? This is praising God, acknowledging his perfections and performances to be, (1.) Above our conception; they are very high and great, so high that we cannot apprehend them, so great that we cannot comprehend them. (2.) Without any parallel; no being like him, no works like his: O God! who is like unto thee? None in heaven, none on earth, no angel, no king. God is a non-such; we do not rightly praise him if we do not own him to be so.
3.He will speak of them with all the expressions of joy and exultation, Psa 71:22, Psa 71:23. Observe,
(1.)How he would eye God in praising him. [1.] As a faithful God: I will praise thee, even thy truth. God is made known by his word; if we praise that, and the truth of that, we praise him. By faith we set to our seal that God is true; and so we praise his truth. [2.] As a God in covenant with him: "O my God! whom I have consented to and avouched for mine." As in our prayers, so in our praises, we must look up to God as our God, and give him the glory of our interest in him and relation to him. [3.] As the Holy One of Israel, Israel's God in a peculiar manner, glorious in his holiness among that people and faithful to his covenant with them. It is God's honour that he is a Holy One; it is his people's honour that he is the Holy One of Israel.
(2.)How he will express his joy and exultation. [1.] With his hand, in sacred music - with the psaltery, with the harp; at these David excelled, and the best of his skill shall be employed in setting forth God's praises to such advantage as might affect others. [2.] With his lips, in sacred songs: "Unto thee will I sing, to thy honour, and with a desire to be accepted of thee. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee, knowing they cannot be better employed." [3.] In both with his heart: "My soul shall rejoice which thou hast redeemed." Note, First, Holy joy is the very heart and life of thankful praise. Secondly, We do not make melody to the Lord, in singing his praises, if we do not do it with our hearts. My lips shall rejoice, but that is nothing; lip-labour, though ever so well laboured, if that be all, is but lost labour in serving God; the soul must be at work, and with all that is within us we must bless his holy name, else all about us is worth little. Thirdly, Redeemed souls ought to be joyful thankful souls. The work of redemption ought, above all God's works, to be celebrated by us in our praises. The Lamb that was slain, and has redeemed us to God, must therefore be counted worthy of all blessing and praise.
"Your power and Your righteousness" [Psalm 71:19]. That is, that I may tell forth to every generation that is yet to come, Your arm. And what has Your arm effected? This then let me tell forth, that same grace to every generation succeeding: let me say to every man that is to be born, nothing you are by yourself, on God call thou, your own are sins, merits are God's: punishment to you is owing, and when reward shall have come, His own gifts He will crown, not your merits. Let me say to every generation that is to come, out of captivity you have come, unto Adam you belonged. Let me say this to every generation that is to come, that there is no strength of mine, no righteousness of mine; but "Your strength and Your righteousness, O God, even unto the most high mighty works which You have made." "Your power and Your righteousness," as far as what? Even unto flesh and blood? Nay, "even unto the most high mighty works which You have made." For the high places are the heavens, in the high places are the Angels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers: to You they owe it that they are; to You they owe it that they live, to You they owe it that righteously they live, to You they owe it that blessedly they live. "Your power and Your righteousness," as far as what? "Even unto the most high mighty works which You have made." Think not that man alone belongs to the grace of God. What was Angel before he was made? What is Angel, if He forsake him who has created? Therefore "Your power and Your justice even unto the most high mighty works which You have made."
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SUMMARY
Psalms 71:19 is a profound declaration by an aged psalmist, affirming God's transcendent righteousness, His mighty and awe-inspiring deeds throughout history, and His absolute incomparability. It serves as a foundational statement of God's character, upon which the psalmist's lifelong trust and hope for deliverance are firmly built, even amidst the vulnerabilities and challenges of old age.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalms 71 is a poignant prayer of an elderly individual, likely a king or leader, facing significant adversaries and the natural weakening that comes with age. The psalm opens with a plea for refuge and deliverance, immediately establishing a lifelong relationship of trust in God from youth, as seen in the psalmist's declaration, "For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth" (Psalms 71:5-6). Prior to verse 19, the psalmist recounts God's past faithfulness and miraculous interventions, using these as a basis for current pleas for vindication and rescue from those who seek his harm, crying out, "Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul" (Psalms 71:9-13). Verse 19, therefore, functions as a climactic theological anchor, a declaration of God's immutable character that undergirds all past deliverances and future hopes, leading into further vows of praise and testimony, "I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God" (Psalms 71:22-24).
Historical & Cultural Context: While the psalmist is not explicitly named, the themes resonate with the experiences of figures like King David in his later years, facing rebellion or decline. In ancient Israel, old age often brought increased vulnerability, both physically and politically, making reliance on divine strength paramount. The concept of "righteousness" (Hebrew: tsedaqah) in this context extends beyond mere moral rectitude; it encompasses God's covenant faithfulness, His just and redemptive acts, and His unwavering adherence to His promises. The "great things" would have evoked collective memories of God's powerful interventions in Israel's history, such as the dramatic Exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus/14), the solemn giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus/19), and the miraculous conquest of Canaan under Joshua (Joshua/3). The rhetorical question "who is like unto thee!" directly challenged the polytheistic worldview prevalent in the ancient Near East, asserting the unique and supreme sovereignty of Yahweh over all other gods and powers.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully encapsulates several overarching themes found throughout the Psalms and the broader Old Testament. It highlights God's transcendent righteousness, emphasizing His perfect moral integrity and unwavering faithfulness as the bedrock of His character and actions. It underscores God's mighty acts, showcasing His sovereign power and providential care demonstrated through historical interventions and creation itself, which serve as tangible proof of His benevolent nature and ability to deliver. Finally, it proclaims God's absolute incomparability, asserting His singular uniqueness and supremacy above all other beings, powers, or deities. This theme is foundational to Israel's monotheistic faith, as seen in passages like "To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25). The psalmist's declaration of these divine attributes reinforces a lifelong trust in God as the ultimate refuge and source of hope, even in the face of profound personal and external challenges, echoing the sentiment found in "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust" (Psalm 91:2).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 71:19 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The phrase "very high" utilizes Hyperbole, exaggerating the altitude to emphasize the absolute transcendence and supreme nature of God's righteousness, indicating it is far beyond human reach or comprehension. This serves to elevate God's character to an unparalleled level. The concluding "O God, who [is] like unto thee!" is a classic Rhetorical Question, posed not to elicit an answer but to make a forceful, undeniable declaration of God's unparalleled uniqueness and supremacy. This question serves to challenge any notion of rivalry or comparison to the Almighty, asserting His singular preeminence. The verse also exhibits a form of Parallelism, specifically synthetic or climactic, where the subsequent clauses build upon and intensify the initial declaration. It moves from God's inherent, exalted character ("righteousness is very high") to His active demonstration of that character ("hast done great things") and culminates in a declaration of His absolute distinctiveness ("who is like unto thee!"). Finally, the direct address "O God" is an example of Apostrophe, where the psalmist directly addresses God, creating a sense of intimacy and immediacy in the declaration of praise and trust, making the affirmation deeply personal.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly connects to the biblical understanding of God's attributes, particularly His holiness, omnipotence, and sovereignty. God's "very high" righteousness underscores His moral perfection and His unwavering commitment to justice and truth, which is the foundation of His covenant relationship with humanity. His "great things" testify to His active involvement in history, demonstrating His power to create, sustain, and redeem. The declaration of His incomparability is central to biblical monotheism, setting Yahweh apart from all false gods and affirming His singular authority over all creation. This truth provides immense comfort and assurance, for it means that the God in whom we trust is utterly reliable, supremely powerful, and uniquely capable of fulfilling His promises and bringing about His purposes.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 71:19 offers profound encouragement and a robust foundation for faith, particularly in seasons of vulnerability, challenge, or old age. When we are confronted with the frailties of life, the injustices of the world, or the overwhelming power of adversaries, this verse calls us to lift our gaze to the God whose righteousness is "very high." This truth reassures us that His character is flawless, His promises are unbreakable, and His justice will ultimately prevail. Reflecting on the "great things" He has done in history and in our own lives reminds us of His proven power and faithfulness, strengthening our confidence that He is fully capable of acting powerfully in our present circumstances. The resounding declaration, "O God, who is like unto thee!", inspires deep worship and absolute trust, compelling us to place our hope solely in Him, knowing that we serve an incomparable God whose power is limitless and whose love is unwavering. It calls us to live lives of unwavering faith, testifying to His greatness in every season and finding our ultimate security in His unique and supreme being.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "Thy righteousness also, O God, [is] very high" mean in a practical sense for believers?
Answer: In a practical sense, this phrase assures believers of God's absolute moral perfection and unwavering integrity. It means that God always acts in accordance with His perfect character; He is just, faithful, and true in all His dealings. For us, this provides an unshakable foundation for trust: we can be confident that God's promises are reliable, His judgments are righteous, and His ultimate plan for redemption and justice will prevail. Even when circumstances seem chaotic or unjust, knowing that God's righteousness is "very high" allows us to rest in His sovereign control and anticipate His perfect resolution. It also implies that His standard for us is high, calling us to pursue righteousness in our own lives, empowered by His Spirit, as we strive to be "holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).
How does this verse relate to God's "great things" mentioned elsewhere in the Bible?
Answer: The "great things" mentioned in Psalms 71:19 refer to God's powerful, awe-inspiring, and often miraculous interventions throughout history. These are not merely impressive feats but acts that demonstrate His sovereignty, power, and covenant faithfulness. Examples abound throughout Scripture: the majestic creation of the cosmos, as detailed in Genesis/1; the dramatic deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage through the Red Sea, recounted in Exodus/14; the miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness, described in Exodus/16; and the supernatural conquest of Canaan, beginning with the crossing of the Jordan River in Joshua/3. These "great things" serve as tangible proofs of God's character and His ability to act decisively on behalf of His people. For the psalmist, recalling these past deeds reinforces confidence in God's present and future ability to deliver, echoing themes found in the question, "Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?" (Psalm 106:2).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 71:19 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of God's "very high" righteousness, for He lived a perfectly righteous life, fulfilling all the Law and demonstrating divine holiness in human flesh, being "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Indeed, He is our righteousness, for through faith in Him, God imputes His perfect righteousness to us, making us acceptable in His sight, as "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Furthermore, Jesus' life, death, and resurrection constitute the greatest "great things" God has ever done. His atoning sacrifice on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the dead are the supreme demonstrations of God's power, love, and redemptive purpose, far surpassing all previous acts of deliverance, showcasing "the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:19-20). Finally, the rhetorical question "O God, who is like unto thee!" is answered definitively in Christ, for He is the unique Son of God, the exact imprint of God's nature, and the incomparable image of the invisible God, for "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created" (Colossians 1:15-17). In Him, all the fullness of God dwells, making Him utterly unique and supreme, the one "in whom all the fulness should dwell" (Colossians 1:19). Thus, through Christ, believers not only witness God's high righteousness and great deeds but also participate in them, being made righteous and empowered by the incomparable One.