Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John CalvinPSALM 69There is a close resemblance between this psalm and the twenty-second. In the opening verses,David complains of the barbarous cruelty of his enemies, and of the grievous wrongs which theyhad inflicted upon him. 63 But his mind, he affirms, was not hereby reduced to such a state of distressas to prevent him from patiently relying on the protection of God, or to discourage him fromcontinuing in the undeviating course of a holy and an upright life. He rather testifies that his piety,and the courage and activity which he had manifested in maintaining the interests of the divineglory, were the cause of the hostility borne to him by the generality of men. After having againcomplained of being not less shamefully than cruelly oppressed by his enemies, he invokes Godto visit them with deserved punishment. In the close, exulting as if he had obtained his highestwishes, he engages to yield to God a solemn sacrifice of praise.To the chief musician upon Shoshannim of David.We have already spoken elsewhere of the word Shoshannim. Its proper meaning is uncertainand obscure; but the most probable conjecture is, that it was the commencement of some song. If,however, any would prefer considering it as the name of some musical instrument, I have noobjections. But the opinion held by some that this psalm was composed at the season of spring,when the lilies begin to blossom, is altogether unfounded and frivolous. 64 Before proceeding farther,we would have you to observe that David wrote this inspired ode not so much in his own name, asin the name of the whole Church, of whose Head he was an eminent type, as will be more dearlybrought out in the sequel. This is highly worthy of our notice, that from this consideration we maybe led to contemplate with the greater attention the representation which is here given of the commoncondition of all the people of God. Besides, it is highly probable that David did not here comprehendonly one kind of persecution, but all the evils which he had suffered during the course of manyyears.Psalm 69:1-51. Save me, O God! for the waters have entered in unto my soul. 2. I am sunk in deep mire,where there is no footing, [or standing place:] I am come into deep waters, and the flood 65 of thewater overfloweth me. 3. I am weary of crying; my throat has become hoarse therewith: my eyeshave failed with [or in] waiting for my God. 4. They who hate me without cause are more in numberthan the hairs of my head: my lying adversaries, who eagerly desire to destroy me, are increased;63 The particular enemies of whom he speaks are uncertain; some referring the occasion of the composition of the psalm tohis persecution by Saul, and others to the rebellion of Absalom. But to whatever part of David’s eventful life the psalm primarilyrefers, it may be concluded, from the frequency with which it is quoted and applied to Christ in the New Testament, that it wasprophetic of him, of whom David, rejected and persecuted, was an eminent type. It is quoted in the New Testament at least seventimes; the 4th verse in John 15:25; the 9th verse in John 2:17, and Romans 15:3; the 21st verse in Matthew 27:34, 48, and John19:28, 29; the 22d and 23d verses in Romans 11:9, 10; and the 25th verse in Acts 1:16, 20.64 They rest this opinion upon the meaning which they attach to the word , Shoshannim, in the title of the psalm, whichthey translate lilies65 “Ou, la force et le fil.” — Fr. marg. “Or, the force and course.”28