Psalms Chapter 43 · Matthew Poole

Psalm 43:1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. THE ARGUMENT

This Psalm seems to have been composed by the same author, and upon the same occasion with the former.

David, praying against his fierce and crafty enemies,

Psalm 43:1; and to be restored to the temple,

Psalm 43:2 ,3; promiseth to serve God joyfully,

Psalm 43:4. He encourageth his soul to trust in God,

Psalm 43:5.

Judge me;

or,

judge or give sentence

for me, as this phrase is used,

Psalm 26:1, and elsewhere.

Ungodly,

or

unmerciful, i.e. cruel or inhuman; for it is a meiosis. Nation; so he calls the company of his enemies for their great numbers, and because they were the far greatest part, and almost the whole body of the nation.

Deceitful and unjust;

who covereth his wicked designs with fair and false pretences; which sort of men are hateful to thee, and to all good men.

Man;

either Saul; or rather, Ahithophel or Absalom. For he speaks of

the holy hill

of Zion,

Psalm 43:3, which was not so till after Saul’s time. Or

man

may be put collectively for the men of that time.

Psalm 43:2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? No text from Poole on this verse.

Psalm 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Send out,

i.e. actually impart and discover them; for at present thou seemest to conceal and withhold them from me.

Thy light and thy truth,

i.e. thy favour, or the light of thy countenance, and the truth of thy promises made to me; as God’s mercy and truth oft go together, as

2 Samuel 15:20 Psalm 61:7 Psalm 89:14, &c. Or this may be a figure called

hendiaduo, whereby

light and truth

is put either for

the light of God’s truth; or rather, for true light, the illumination of God’s Spirit, and the direction of providence, his gracious whereby he might be led (as it follows) in the right way, which would bring him to God’s holy hill.

Unto thy holy hill,

to wit, of Zion, the place of God’s presence and worship.

To thy tabernacles,

i.e. tabernacle; which he calls

tabernacles, either,

1. Because there were now two tabernacles, one at Zion, where the ark was; and another at Gibeon,

1 Chronicles 16:37 ,39. Although he here seems to speak but of one of them, even of that which was upon God’s holy hill. Or,

2. Because of the several parts of it, the most holy, and the holy place, and the church. These indeed were in that of Gibeon, but not in that of Zion. Or rather,

3. By a mere enallage of the number, the plural for the singular; which is frequent, as in other words, so in those which belong to this matter, as

tabernacles,

Psalm 46:4, and

sanctuaries,

Leviticus 26:31 Psalm 73:17, &c.

Psalm 74:7 Jeremiah 51:51. Nay, the most holy place, though but one simple part, is by the Greeks called

holies. So in other authors, we read the

rivers of Nilus, of that one river; and

right hands, for one right hand; and many like phrases.

Psalm 43:4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. Then will I go unto the altar of God,

to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving for my deliverance.

My exceeding joy;

the principal author and matter of all my joy and comfort.

Psalm 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. No notes from Poole on this verse.