Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

Ps 31 The psalmist encourages the godly to find refuge in the Lord and wait for his salvation. Despite having had a death-like experience, he testifies to the Lord’s faithfulness. This psalm foreshadows the suffering of Jesus (Luke 23:46).

31:1-5 The Lord offers refuge to anyone who comes to him for protection. The psalmist trusts in and submits to the Lord. See also 71:1-3.

Verse 2

31:2 The psalmist issues an urgent call for the Lord to pay attention to his desperate situation (71:2; 88:2; 102:2).

Verse 5

31:5 I entrust my spirit into your hand: Whether he lives or dies, the psalmist will trust his Lord. Jesus uttered these words on the cross just before he died (Luke 23:46).

Verse 6

31:6-8 Trust in the Lord requires confidence that he has our best interests at heart.

Verse 8

31:8 A safe place literally means a broad place, in contrast to a “narrow” or constricted place of distress (see 18:19).

Verse 9

31:9-13 In this prayer for mercy, the psalmist wedges a description of the intensity of suffering and the pain of rejection between two affirmations of trust (31:6, 14).

Verse 10

31:10 wasting away from within: This is a powerful description of how despair takes a toll on our physical well-being.

Verse 14

31:14-18 Hope does not confide in frail and changeable human beings but only in the Lord. The sufferer entrusts himself to God while waiting for the Lord’s justice.

Verse 15

31:15 My future is in your hands: To relinquish control of timing is one way to express submission.

Verse 17

31:17 The psalmist, who did not deserve to be disgraced, invokes the principle of retribution (see study note on 1:6; see also “Prayers for Vengeance” Theme Note).

Verse 19

31:19-24 The psalmist thanks the Lord for answering his prayer (31:1-18) and rescuing him.

31:19-20 Since the godly are under the Lord’s protection and shelter, evil has no power over them.

Verse 21

31:21-22 Praise the Lord: The psalmist expresses his joy at the experience of God’s goodness and love. Throughout his ordeal, the Lord has cared for him.

Verse 23

31:23-24 Out of his own pain and renewed awareness of the Lord’s goodness, the psalmist turns to others who suffer. He holds out the promise of God’s loving care for those who persevere in hoping for the Lord.