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« To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. » I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

I waited patiently for the Lord — Heb. In waiting I waited; Diutissime quidem, sed optimo successu; I prayed and waited, I waited and prayed again; persevering in prayer, and begging audience, as Psalms 39:12 , with which Basil maketh this psalm to cohere; and well he may, for it seemeth to be of the same time and argument with the two former. Est sensus eiusdem cum duobus prioribus. R. Obadiah saith, that David composed this psalm after that he was recovered of his leprosy, Psalms 38:7 .

And he inclined unto me — i.e. He began at length to show favour; for he waiteth to be gracious, and well knoweth that desideria dilatione crescant, et cito data vilescant; nothing is lost by holding his people long in request.

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He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit — E puteo sonitus, ut Isaiah 51:14 , out of a noiseful pit, where there is a continual hurry by the great tall of waters into it: he meaneth out of dreadful dangers, out of a desperate disease, saith R. Obadiah; who also by rock here understandeth perfect health, Sanitatem in corpore, sanctitatem in corde.

Out of the miry clay — E luto, luto, saith Kimchi, for here are two words used of one and the same sense; to show that, as a bemired beast, he was in a perishing condition till God pulled him out, and set him on firm ground.

And established my goings — That I might not relapse into the same or fall into another malady or mischief.

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And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even] praise unto our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth — i.e. New matter, which I shall soon contrive into a new song, by the help of his Holy Spirit; for I cannot breathe out a desire after him except he first give me breath therewith, and so put a new song in my mouth.

Even praise unto our God — i.e. Unto Christ, saith Junius, to whom and of whom the Church singeth, saith he, in the following verses.

Many shall see it, and fear, and trust in the Lord — Their eye shall affect their heart, both with fear of and faith in the Lord, that bringeth greatest things to pass, and is fearful in praises, doing wonders, Exodus 15:11 .

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Blessed [is] that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Blessed is that man, … — See Psalms 2:12 .

And respecteth not the proud — Who are set in opposition to believers, as they are also, Habakkuk 2:4 . Self-justitiaries especially, and meritmongers: faith is a humbling grace.

Nor such as turn aside to lies — As do heretics and idolaters. These the true believer, out of the greatness of his spirit, slighteth, how great soever they be; animo magno nihil magnum.

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Many, O LORD my God, [are] thy wonderful works [which] thou hast done, and thy thoughts [which are] to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: [if] I would declare and speak [of them], they are more than can be numbered.

Many, O Lord my God, are thy works which thou hast done — Many and great, and all for them that trust in thee; who therefore must needs be blessed, as Psalms 40:4 .

And thy thoughts which are to us-ward — Thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give us an expected end, Jeremiah 29:11 .

They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee — No, nor yet out of order; and yet we must be reckoning and relating them as we are able, to God, and men, by speaking good of his name; and at this David was old excellent, as we say.

If I should declare and speak of them — By wholesale we must do it, though we cannot so well by retail; particulars also must be instanced, as Moses doth to Jethro, Exodus 18:7-8 , and for that end catalogues must be kept. See one Judges 10:11-12 .

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Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire — Comparatively to the obedience of faith, 1 Samuel 15:22 , without which, when hypocrites thought to bribe God by cold ceremonies, they were rejected. Christ is the end of the law to all that believe; that Lamb of God, slain from the beginning of the world, is the only expiatory sacrifice, and the foundation of that fore-mentioned blessedness, Psalms 40:4 . Now, since Christ suffered, the Levitical sacrifices being abolished, we have none to offer but such as are gratulatory, to show our thankfulness for such a Redeemer, whose perfect obedience, with the fruit of it, is here and in the following verses both described, and set forth for an absolute pattern to us of performing our duty toward God, for this inexplicable mercy. Confer Hebrews 10:5-6 , … Here we have in Christ for our instruction, and in David also (his type) for our example, 1. A firm purpose of obedience, in a bored ear add a yielding heart. 2. A ready performance thereof, "Lo, I come." 3. A carefull observance of the word written, "In the volume of thy book it is written of me," Psalms 40:7 Psalms 40:4 . A hearty delight in that observance, Psalms 40:8 Psalms 40:5 . A public profession and communication of God’s goodness to others, Psalms 40:9-10 (D. Ames). Now, we should labour to express Christ to the world, to walk as he walked, 1 John 2:6 ; our lives should be in some sense parallel with his life, as the transcript with the original. He left us a copy to write by, saith St Peter, 1 Peter 2:21

Mine ears hast thou opened — Heb. digged, bored; a hearing ear hast thou bestowed upon me, which is a singular favour; for life entereth by the ear, Isaiah 55:3 , as did death at first, Genesis 3:19 Oh, pray that God would make the bore wide enough; that the inward ears being drawn up to the outward, one sound may pierce both at once.

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Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me,

Then said I, Lo, I come — Christ became obedient even to the death, yea, that of the cross, Philippians 2:8 . Christ’s people also are a willing people, Psalms 110:3 , their obedience is prompt and present, ready and speedy, without delays and consults, Psalms 119:60 , without capitulation and security, Isaiah 56:6 .

In the volume of the book — In libro plicatili, in thy law, which was anciently (and is still this day among the Jews) written in paper or parchment rolled up; because it will last longer rolled than folded.

It is written of me — Of Christ, in many places; for he is both author, object, matter, and mark of both Testaments. Of David also, and all God’s people, doth the law speak with fruit and efficacy; and they do use to read their own names, written, as it were, in every precept, promise, threatening. Look how men read the statute book of the land, as holding themselves highly concerned therein: so here.

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I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.

I delight to do thy will, O my God — To Christ it was his meat and drink, John 4:34 , he set his face to do it, and to suffer it, Luke 9:51 ; yea, he was straitened, pained, till it was done, Luke 12:50 . And the same mind is also in the saints that was in Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:5 . They delight in the law of God after the inward man, Romans 7:22 , they prefer it before their necessary food, Job 23:12 .

Yea, thy law is within my heart — Heb. in the midst of my bowels; there is the counterpane, the duplicate of the law written, yea, printed, Jeremiah 31:33 2 Corinthians 3:3 . Rip up my heart (said Queen Mary) when I am dead, and there shall you find Calais, the loss whereof (it is thought) killed her. Rip up the most men’s hearts, and there you shall find written, The god of this present world. But God’s law is in good men’s hearts, to live and to die with it: O beata Apocalypsis (said that martyr, catching up that revelation cast into the same fire with him to be burnt), O blessed revelation, how happy am I to be burned with thee in my hands!

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