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Commentary on Psalms 71 verses 1–13
Two things in general David here prays for - that he might not be confounded and that his enemies and persecutors might be confounded.
I. He prays that he might never be made ashamed of his dependence upon God nor disappointed in his believing expectations from him. With this petition every true believer may come boldly to the throne of grace; for God will never disappoint the hope that is of his own raising. Now observe here,
1.How David professes his confidence in God, and with what pleasure and grateful variety of expression he repeats his profession of that confidence, still presenting the profession of it to God and pleading it with him. We praise God, and so please him, by telling him (if it be indeed true) what an entire confidence we have in him (Psa 71:1): "In thee, O Lord! and in thee only, do I put my trust. Whatever others do, I choose the God of Jacob for my help." Those that are entirely satisfied with God's all-sufficiency and the truth of his promise, and in dependence upon that, as sufficient to make them amends, are freely willing to do and suffer, to lose and venture, for him, may truly say, In thee, O Lord! do I put my trust. Those that will deal with God must deal upon trust; if we are shy of dealing with him, it is a sign we do not trust him. Thou art my rock and my fortress (Psa 71:3); and again, "Thou art my refuge, my strong refuge" (Psa 71:7); that is, "I fly to thee, and am sure to be safe in thee, and under thy protection. If thou secure me, none can hurt me. Thou art my hope and my trust" (Psa 71:5); that is, "thou hast proposed thyself to me in thy word as the proper object of my hope and trust; I have hoped in thee, and never found it in vain to do so."
2.How his confidence in God is supported and encouraged by his experiences (Psa 71:5, Psa 71:6): "Thou hast been my trust from my youth; ever since I was capable of discerning between my right hand and my left, I stayed myself upon thee, and saw a great deal of reason to do so; for by thee have I been holden up from the womb." Ever since he had the use of his reason he had been a dependent upon God's goodness, because ever since he had had a being he had been a monument of it. Note, The consideration of the gracious care which the divine Providence took of us in our birth and infancy should engage us to an early piety and constant devotedness to his honour. He that was our help from our birth ought to be our hope from our youth. If we received so much mercy from God before we were capable of doing him any service, we should lose no time when we are capable. This comes in here as a support to the psalmist in his present distress; not only that God had given him his life and being, bringing him out of his mother's bowels into the world, and providing that he should not die from the womb, nor give up the ghost when he came out of the belly, but that he had betimes made him one of his family: "Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels into the arms of thy grace, under the shadow of thy wings, into the bond of thy covenant; thou tookest me into thy church, as a son of thy handmaid, and born in thy house, Psa 116:16. And therefore," (1.) "I have reason to hope that thou wilt protect me; thou that hast held me up hitherto wilt not let me fall now; thou that madest me wilt not forsake the work of thy own hands; thou that helpedst me when I could not help myself wilt not abandon me now that I am as helpless as I was then." (2.) "Therefore I have reason to resolve that I will devote myself unto thee: My praise shall therefore be continually of thee;" that is, "I will make it my business every day to praise thee and will take all occasions to do it."
3.What his requests to God are, in this confidence.
(1.)That he might never be put to confusion (Psa 71:1), that he might not be disappointed of the mercy he expected and so made ashamed of his expectation. Thus we may all pray in faith that our confidence in God may not be our confusion. Hope of the glory of God is hope that makes not ashamed.
(2.)That he might be delivered out of the hand of his enemies (Psa 71:2): "Deliver me in thy righteousness. As thou art the righteous Judge of the world, pleading the cause of the injured and punishing the injurious, cause me in some way or other to escape" (God will, with the temptation, make a way to escape, Co1 10:13): "Incline thy ear unto my prayers, and, in answer to them, save me out of my troubles, Psa 71:4. Deliver me, O my God! out of the hands of those that are ready to pull me in pieces." Three things he pleads for deliverance: - [1.] The encouragement God had given him to expect it: Thou hast given commandment to save me (Psa 71:3); that is, thou hast promised to do it, and such efficacy is there in God's promises that they are often spoken of as commands, like that, Let there be light, and there was light. He speaks, and it is done. [2.] The character of his enemies; they are wicked, unrighteous, cruel men, and it will be for the honour of God to appear against them (Psa 71:4), for he is a holy, just, and good God. [3.] The many eyes that were upon him (Psa 71:7): "I am as a wonder unto many; every one waits to see what will be the issue of such extraordinary troubles as I have fallen into and such extraordinary confidence as I profess to have in God." Or, "I am looked upon as a monster, am one whom every body shuns, and therefore am undone if the Lord be not my refuge. Men abandon me, but God will not."
(3.)That he might always find rest and safety in God (Psa 71:3): Be thou my strong habitation; by thou to me a rock of repose, whereto I may continually resort. Those that are at home in God, that live a life of communion with him and confidence in him, that continually resort unto him by faith and prayer, having their eyes ever towards him, may promise themselves a strong habitation in him, such as will never fall of itself nor can ever be broken through by any invading power; and they shall be welcome to resort to him continually upon all occasions, and not be upbraided as coming too often.
(4.)That he might have continual matter for thanksgiving to God, and might be continually employed in that pleasant work (Psa 71:8): "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, as now it is with my complaints, and then I shall not be ashamed of my hope, but my enemies will be ashamed of their insolence." Those that love God love to be praising him, and desire to be doing it all the day, not only in their morning and evening devotions, not only seven times a day (Psa 119:164), but all the day, to intermix with all they say something or other that may redound to the honour and praise of God. They resolve to do it while they live; they hope to be doing it eternally in a better world.
(5.)That he might not be neglected now in his declining years (Psa 71:9): Cast me not off now in the time of my old gage; forsake me not when my strength fails. Observe here, [1.] The natural sense he had of the infirmities of age: My strength fails. Where there was strength of body and vigour of mind, strong sight, a strong voice, strong limbs, alas! in old age they fail; the life is continued, but the strength is gone, or that which is his labour and sorrow, Psa 90:10. [2.] The gracious desire he had of the continuance of God's presence with him under these infirmities: Lord, cast me not off; do not then forsake me. This intimates that he should look upon himself as undone if God should abandon him. To be cast off and forsaken of God is a thing to be dreaded at any time, especially in the time of old age and when our strength fails us; for it is God that is the strength of our heart. But it intimates that he had reason to hope God would not desert him; the faithful servants of God may be comfortably assured that he will not cast them off in old age, nor forsake them when their strength fails them. He is a Master that is not wont to cast off old servants. In this confidence David here prays again (Psa 71:12): "O God! be not far from me; let me not be under the apprehension of thy withdrawings, for then I am miserable. I my God! a God in covenant with me, make haste for my help, lest I perish before help come."
II. He prays that his enemies might be made ashamed of their designs against him. Observe, 1. What it was which they unjustly said against him, Psa 71:10, Psa 71:11. Their plot was deep and desperate; it was against his life: They lay wait for my soul (Psa 71:10), and are adversaries to that, Psa 71:13. Their powers and policies were combined: They take counsel together. And very insolent they were in their deportment: They say, God has forsaken him; persecute and take him. Here their premises are utterly false, that because a good man was in great trouble and had continued long in it, and was not so soon delivered as perhaps he expected, therefore God had forsaken him and would have no more to do with him. All are not forsaken of God who think themselves so or whom others think to be so. And, as their premises were false, so their inference was barbarous. If God has forsaken him, then persecute and take him, and doubt not but to make a prey of him. This is talking to the grief of one whom God has smitten, Psa 69:26. But thus they endeavour to discourage David, as Sennacherib endeavoured to intimidate Hezekiah by suggesting that God was his enemy and fought against him. Have I now come up without the Lord against this city, to destroy it? Isa 36:10. It is true, if God has forsaken a man, there is none to deliver him; but therefore to insult over him ill becomes those who are conscious to themselves that they deserve to be for ever forsaken of God. But rejoice not against me, O my enemy! though I fall, I shall rise. He that seems to forsake for a small moment will gather with everlasting kindness. 2. What it was which he justly prayed for, from a spirit of prophecy, not a spirit of passion (Psa 71:13): "Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. If they will not be confounded by repentance, and so saved, let them be confounded with everlasting dishonour, and so ruined." God will turn into shame the glory of those who turn into shame the glory of God and his people.
We have been watching a magnificent spectacle with the eyes of faith, the holy martyr Vincent everywhere victorious. He was victorious in his words, victorious in the pains he endured; victorious in his confession, victorious in his tribulations; victorious when burned with fire, victorious when submerged in the waves. When his flesh, which was a kind of tribute to the victorious Christ, was thrown into the sea from the boat, it silently said, "We are cast down but not lost." Who can have endowed this soldier with such patience but the one who first shed his blood for him? The one to whom it says in the psalm, "Since you are my patience, Lord, my hope from my youth." A great contest earns great glory; not human or temporal glory, but divine and eternal. Faith is doing battle; and when faith is doing battle, nobody can overthrow the flesh. Because even if it is mangled and torn to shreds, when can anyone perish who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ? A powerful person cannot lose what he has bought with his gold, and can Christ lose what he bought with his blood?
We saw the martyr so patiently enduring the most monstrous torments; but his soul was submitting itself to God, because it was from him that his patience came. And lest human frailty should fail through lack of patience and deny Christ, and contribute to the enemy's joy, he knew to whom he should say, "My God, rescue me from the hand of the sinner, from the hand of the lawbreaker and the wicked, since you are my patience." In this way, you see, the person who sang these words signified how Christians should ask to be rescued from the hands of their enemies; not, certainly, by suffering nothing but by enduring what they suffer with perfect patience. "Rescue me from the hand of the sinner, from the hand of the lawbreaker and the wicked." But if you ask how he wants to be rescued, look at what follows: "since you are my patience." You will find a glorious passion, wherever there is this devout confession, so that "whoever boasts, may boast in the Lord."
Lastly, there follows the reason why I say this: "for You are my patience" [Psalm 71:5]. Now if He is patience rightly, He is that also which follows, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." My patience, because my hope: or rather my hope, because my patience. "Tribulation," says the Apostle, "works patience, patience probation, but probation hope, but hope confounds not." [Romans 5:3-5] With reason in You I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for everlasting. "O Lord, my hope from my youth." From your youth is God your hope? Is He not also from your boyhood, and from your infancy? Certainly, says he. For see what follows, that you may not think that I have said this, "my hope from my youth," as if God noways profited mine infancy or my boyhood; hear what follows: "In You I have been strengthened from the womb." Hear yet: "From the belly of my mother You are my Protector" [Psalm 71:6]. Why then, "from my youth," except it was the period from which I began to hope in You? For before in You I was not hoping, though You were my Protector, that led me safe unto the time, when I learned to hope in You. But from my youth I began in You to hope, from the time when You armed me against the Devil, so that in the girding of Your host being armed with Your faith, love, hope, and the rest of Your gifts, I waged conflict against Your invisible enemies, and heard from the Apostle, "There is not for us a wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, and powers," etc. [Ephesians 5:12] There a young man it is that does fight against these things: but though he be a young man, he falls, unless He be the hope of Him to whom he cries, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." "In You is my singing always." Is it only from the time when I began to hope in You until now? Nay, but "alway." What is, "alway"? Not only in the time of faith, but also in the time of sight. For now, "So long as we are in the body we are absent from the Lord: for by faith we walk, not by sight:" [2 Corinthians 5:6] there will be a time when we shall see that which being not seen we believe: but when that has been seen which we believe, we shall rejoice: but when that has been seen which they believed not, ungodly men shall be confounded. Then will come the substance whereof there is now the hope. But, "Hope which is seen is not hope. But if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it." [Romans 8:24] Now then you groan, now unto a place of refuge you run, in order that you may be saved; now being in infirmity you entreat the Physician: what, when you shall have received perfect soundness also, what when you shall have been made "equal to the Angels of God," [Matthew 22:30] will you then perchance forget that grace, whereby you have been delivered? Far be it.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 71:5 serves as a profound declaration of the psalmist's unwavering, lifelong reliance on God, asserting Him as the singular and enduring source of hope and trust from the earliest stages of life. This foundational statement of faith anchors a psalm where an aged individual seeks divine deliverance and protection amidst intense adversity, powerfully illustrating the enduring nature of God's faithfulness and the profound security found in a sustained, intimate relationship with Him through all seasons of life.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 71 is a deeply personal and urgent prayer of an elderly individual, likely a leader facing significant opposition and feeling vulnerable due to advanced age. The psalm commences with an earnest plea for refuge and rescue in God, as seen in the opening verses where the psalmist cries out, "In You, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!" Psalms 71:1. Verse 5, "For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my youth," provides the theological bedrock for these petitions. It transitions from an immediate cry for help to a confident assertion of God's historical faithfulness, which then undergirds further appeals for vindication and continued divine support into old age, particularly evident in the plea, "Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent" Psalms 71:9. The psalmist's past experience of God's consistent reliability is thus presented as the irrefutable basis for future expectation and present deliverance.
Historical & Cultural Context: While the specific author and precise historical setting of Psalm 71 remain a subject of scholarly discussion, it is widely understood as the prayer of an aged person, possibly a king or a prominent figure like David, navigating a profound crisis. In ancient Israelite society, old age was generally revered as a sign of wisdom and blessing, yet it also brought inherent vulnerabilities, especially for those in leadership who might face challenges to their authority, physical decline, or the loss of allies. The concepts of "hope" and "trust" in this cultural milieu were not merely subjective emotions but active, deliberate reliance on a covenant-keeping God in a world often hostile, unpredictable, and reliant on human strength or alliances. Unlike the common ancient Near Eastern strategies of placing confidence in military might, political treaties, or personal prowess, the psalmist explicitly and exclusively places all confidence in "Lord GOD," emphasizing a unique and profound dependence on the divine. This reflects a deeply ingrained worldview where YHWH is the ultimate sovereign, protector, and sustainer of His people.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 71 and the broader Psalter. Firstly, it profoundly underscores the theme of lifelong dependence on God, emphasizing that faith is not a momentary decision but a continuous, evolving journey rooted in a relationship cultivated "from youth." This echoes the foundational biblical call to remember God's works and teach them to successive generations, as seen in the command to diligently teach God's statutes to children Deuteronomy 6:7. Secondly, the verse highlights God as the exclusive source of true hope and security. In a world where people often place their confidence in fleeting possessions, human strength, or worldly solutions, the psalmist declares God alone as "my hope" and "my trust," aligning perfectly with the wisdom found in the exhortation to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5. Thirdly, the verse implicitly testifies to God's unwavering faithfulness. The psalmist's ability to trust God since youth implies a consistent, demonstrable experience of God's reliability, reinforcing the pervasive biblical theme of God's steadfast love and mercy that endures through all generations, a truth joyfully celebrated in the declaration that "His steadfast love endures forever" Psalms 100:5.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. Parallelism is prominently featured, with the first clause, "For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD," being paralleled by the second, "[thou art] my trust from my youth." This synonymous parallelism intensifies the declaration, reinforcing the singular and comprehensive nature of the psalmist's dependence on God. The phrase "from my youth" functions as a powerful merism, encompassing the entire span of the psalmist's life, from its earliest beginnings to the present moment of old age, thereby emphasizing the unbroken continuity of God's faithfulness and the psalmist's unwavering trust. The psalmist's declaration is also a profound personal confession, utilizing first-person possessive pronouns ("my hope," "my trust") to make the statement deeply intimate, experiential, and universally relatable, inviting the reader to identify with this profound and personal reliance on God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 71:5 stands as a powerful theological anchor, affirming God as the ultimate and exclusive object of human hope and trust across the entire span of a lifetime. It highlights the profound biblical truth that true security, confident expectation, and enduring peace are found not in human endeavors, earthly provisions, or fleeting circumstances, but solely in the steadfast character and covenantal faithfulness of the Lord God. This declaration of lifelong dependence underscores the concept of a living, dynamic relationship with God that deepens and proves itself reliable through every season of life, providing an unshakable foundation even in the face of aging, adversity, and the assaults of enemies. The psalmist's personal testimony becomes a universal model for all believers, demonstrating that a life lived in continuous, unwavering reliance on God is a life built on an unshakeable foundation that will ultimately not be put to shame.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 71:5 offers a profound invitation to deeply examine the depth, duration, and object of our own faith. The psalmist's declaration of lifelong hope and trust in God challenges us to cultivate a faith that is not merely reactive to crises or a last resort, but one that is deeply rooted, consistently nurtured, and continuously growing from our earliest spiritual awakenings. This verse powerfully reminds us that God desires a sustained, intimate, and all-encompassing relationship with us, one where He is consistently our primary source of security, confident expectation, and ultimate purpose, regardless of our age, circumstances, or the trials we face. In a world characterized by shifting sands, fleeting promises, and pervasive anxieties, the psalmist's unwavering confidence in "Lord GOD" calls us to anchor our souls firmly in the One who is eternally faithful and unchanging. It encourages us to reflect on God's past faithfulness in our lives, allowing those experiences to build and strengthen our trust for the present and future, knowing with certainty that He who has been our hope from our spiritual "youth" will never abandon us, even into our spiritual "old age" and beyond.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
How does the psalmist's reference to "youth" relate to the overall message of Psalm 71, given that the psalmist is depicted as an elderly individual?
Answer: The reference to "my youth" in Psalms 71:5 is profoundly significant because it establishes the continuity, duration, and historical foundation of the psalmist's trust in God. While the psalmist is indeed old and vulnerable, facing intense opposition in the broader context of Psalm 71, stating that God has been their hope and trust "from youth" underscores that their current faith is not a desperate, last-minute plea born of immediate crisis. Rather, it is the culmination of a lifelong, deeply cultivated relationship with God. This declaration serves as a powerful testimony to God's consistent faithfulness across all seasons of life—from the earliest, formative years to the challenges of old age. This deep, historical reliance on God provides the unshakeable foundation and theological justification for the psalmist's fervent pleas for deliverance and continued sustenance in their advanced years, affirming that the God who has always been reliable will continue to be so, proving His steadfast love and covenant faithfulness through an entire lifetime.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 71:5, with its poignant declaration of God as the psalmist's lifelong hope and trust, finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament saints looked forward to God's future deliverance and the coming of the Messiah, believers in Christ now possess the very embodiment of that hope. Jesus is not merely an object of hope, but the living reality, the very substance of our confident expectation: He is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27. The steadfastness and unwavering reliability of God, which the psalmist experienced from youth, are perfectly and completely revealed in Christ's flawless life, His atoning death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection from the dead. Through Christ's resurrection, God has given us a "living hope" 1 Peter 1:3, an expectation that is not based on fleeting human strength or the uncertainties of this world, but on the omnipotent power and faithfulness of God Himself. Our trust, like the psalmist's, is anchored in a Divine Person, Jesus Christ, who is eternally "the same yesterday and today and forever" Hebrews 13:8. He is the secure "anchor for the soul, firm and steadfast" Hebrews 6:19, providing unwavering stability and profound assurance in every season of life, from the spiritual "youth" of conversion to the "old age" of spiritual maturity and the glorious approach of eternity. In Him, our hope does not put us to shame Romans 5:5, for He is the faithful One who will complete the good work He has begun in us until the day of Christ Jesus.