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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.
My hope from my youth, "cast me not away in time of old age" [Psalm 71:9]. What is this time of old age? "When my strength shall fail, forsake not me." Here God makes this answer to you, yea indeed let your strength fail, in order that in you mine may abide: in order that you may say with the Apostle, "When I am made weak, then I am mighty." [2 Corinthians 12:10] Fear not, that you be cast away in that weakness, in that old age. But why? Was not your Lord made weak on the Cross? Did not most mighty men and fat bulls before Him, as though a man of no strength, made captive and oppressed, shake the head and say, "If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross"? Has he deserted because He was made weak, who preferred not to come down from the Cross, lest He should seem not to have displayed power, but to have yielded to them reviling? What did He hanging teach you, that would not come down, but patience amid men reviling, but that you should be strong in your God? Perchance too in His person was said, "As it were a monster I have become unto many, and You are a strong Helper." In His person according to His weakness, not according to His power; according to that whereby He had transformed us into Himself, not according to that wherein He had Himself come down. For He became a monster unto many. And perchance the same was the old age of Him; because on account of its oldness it is not improperly called old age, and the Apostle says, "Our old man has been crucified together with Him." [Romans 6:6] If there was there our old man, old age was there; because old, old age. Nevertheless, because a true saying is, "Renewed as an eagle's shall be Your youth;" He rose Himself the third day, promised a resurrection at the end of the world. Already there has gone before the Head, the members are to follow. Why do you fear lest He should forsake you, lest He cast you away for the time of old age, when your strength shall have failed? Yea at that time in you will be the strength of Him, when your strength shall have failed.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 71:9 is a poignant and deeply personal prayer from an aging psalmist, articulating a profound human vulnerability and an unwavering reliance on God's enduring faithfulness. It expresses the universal anxieties of decline and abandonment that can accompany old age and diminishing physical strength, while simultaneously affirming a lifelong, tested trust in the Lord. This verse serves as a heartfelt plea for God's continued presence, protection, and provision, rooted in a history of divine deliverance and a confident expectation that God's character remains steadfast through all seasons of life.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The profound emotional and theological weight of Psalms 71:9 is amplified through the skillful use of several literary devices. Most prominent is Synonymous Parallelism, where the second clause, "forsake me not when my strength faileth," echoes and intensifies the meaning of the first, "Cast me not off in the time of old age." This repetition with variation emphasizes the psalmist's central plea for enduring divine presence and protection against abandonment, reinforcing the idea that both the "time of old age" and the "failing of strength" are contexts of profound vulnerability that necessitate God's unwavering commitment. The psalmist also employs Personification in the phrase "when my strength faileth," attributing an active capacity to "strength" to "fail," rather than simply stating that the psalmist's strength is diminishing. This makes the decline feel more like an external force acting upon him, highlighting his helplessness without divine intervention. Furthermore, the entire verse functions as a powerful Lament, a common genre in the Psalms, where the speaker expresses deep distress and appeals to God for deliverance. The direct address and the earnest negative imperatives ("Cast me not off," "forsake me not") convey a profound sense of urgency and dependence, characteristic of this poetic form. The use of Merism can also be observed implicitly, as "old age" and "failing strength" represent the totality of human decline, encompassing both the temporal and physical aspects of vulnerability.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 71:9 stands as a timeless testament to the enduring nature of God's covenantal faithfulness and the human need for divine sustenance through all stages of life. It challenges any notion that God's care is conditional upon our physical prowess or youthful vigor, asserting instead that His commitment is rooted in His unchanging character. This verse resonates deeply with the biblical theme of God as the ultimate refuge and strength, particularly for the vulnerable and those whose earthly resources are diminishing. It portrays a God who remains intimately involved in the lives of His people, even into the "gray hairs," fulfilling His promise to be with them always. The psalmist's plea is not one of doubt, but of fervent trust, appealing to a God whose track record of deliverance inspires confidence even in the face of life's final challenges.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 71:9 offers profound comfort and a powerful model for prayer, speaking to the universal human experience of aging and vulnerability while affirming God's unwavering faithfulness. For those in old age, it validates their fears and challenges, reminding them that it is not only permissible but righteous to bring their deepest anxieties before God, trusting that He who has sustained them from youth will not abandon them in their later years. It encourages a continued, vibrant relationship with the Lord, emphasizing that spiritual vitality can transcend physical decline. It calls for a posture of humble dependence, recognizing that true strength comes from God alone. For caregivers, family members, and society at large, this verse serves as a poignant reminder of our sacred responsibility to honor and care for the elderly, reflecting God's heart of compassion and non-abandonment. It calls us to be instruments of God's sustained presence and love in the lives of those who are aging or facing decline, ensuring they are not "cast off" or "forsaken" by human hands. For all believers, regardless of age, it underscores the fundamental truth that our ultimate security and strength derive solely from God, not from our own abilities, achievements, or circumstances. It encourages a lifelong posture of dependence on Him, fostering a deep trust that He will never leave us nor forsake us, even when our own resources are depleted, and our strength fails. This psalm teaches us to pray boldly, confident in His unfailing love and eternal power.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this psalm imply that God might actually abandon His faithful servants in old age?
Answer: No, the psalmist's prayer "Cast me not off... forsake me not" is not an expression of doubt in God's character, but rather a fervent appeal rooted in a deep, lifelong trust. It reflects a very human fear of vulnerability and abandonment, particularly when one's physical strength diminishes and external threats may arise, as seen in Psalms 71:10-11. The psalmist is appealing to God's known faithfulness and covenant promises, reminding God (and himself) of the divine nature that does not change or fail. Throughout Scripture, God consistently promises to be with His people in all seasons of life, even to old age and gray hairs (Isaiah 46:4). Therefore, this prayer is a profound demonstration of faith, articulating a deep human need while confidently expecting God's unwavering response, knowing He is "a very present help in trouble" (Psalms 46:1).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 71:9, with its raw plea for God's enduring presence in the face of old age and failing strength, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The psalmist's fear of abandonment is utterly conquered by the New Covenant reality established through Christ. While the psalmist laments his diminishing strength, Jesus Christ embodies the unchanging, eternal strength of God, through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). Furthermore, the ultimate act of "being cast off" and "forsaken" was experienced by Christ Himself on the cross, when He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). He endured this cosmic abandonment, bearing the full weight of humanity's sin and separation from God, so that those who trust in Him would never be forsaken by the Father. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered death, weakness, and the limitations of human flesh, offering eternal life and unending strength to all believers. The promise that God "will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5) is irrevocably sealed in Christ, who is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Thus, the psalmist's hope for continued divine presence in old age is not merely a wish but a guaranteed reality for those united with Christ, who promises to be with His followers "always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). In Christ, our weakness is met with His perfect strength, and our fear of abandonment is swallowed up by His eternal embrace and unwavering faithfulness.