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5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. |
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This Psalm points to the sinful nature of mankind and the compassionate forgiveness of the guilty through the LORD's lovingkindness.
[1] Out of the depths this is a fairly common expression used to show despair. This type of language is also used to show distresses elsewhere in the Bible
"Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God." (Psalm 69:1-3).
"I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick. Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:55-66).
[2] Here we read the cry of a deepyly grieved heart. This is a supplication, which is a plea to the LORD to manifest His favor. The LORD is merciful and may be gracious to one's cries:
"Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment" (Psalm 119:149).
"Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer." (Nehemiah 1:6,11).
[3] The LORD's forgiveness is here invoked; all men are sinners (Romans 3:10-18; Psalm 143:2); but apart from His grace and forgiveness, no one can withstand His anger:
[4] We must approach the LORD with fear, reverence and trembling as we recognize the hope in His forgiving love:
"In these verses we are taught, I. Whatever condition we are in, though ever so deplorable, to continue calling upon God, v. 1. The best men may sometimes be in the depths, in great trouble and affliction, and utterly at a loss what to do, in the depths of distress and almost in the depths of despair, the spirit low and dark, sinking and drooping, cast down and disquieted. But, in the greatest depths, it is our privilege that we may cry unto God and be heard. A prayer may reach the heights of heaven, though not out of the depths of hell, yet out of the depths of the greatest trouble we can be in in this world, Jeremiah’s out of the dungeon, Daniel’s out of the den, and Jonah’s out of the fish’s belly. It is our duty and interest to cry unto God, for that is the likeliest way both to prevent our sinking lower and to recover us out of the horrible pit and miry clay, Ps. 40:1, 2." - Matthew Henry.
[5,6] The psalmist seems to build up the intensity by first saying I wait followed by my soul doth wait; then again by my soul doth wait more than they that watch for the morning; and then repeating this phrase again. The repetition to place further emphasis of the anguish of waiting. The night watchman is on guard against any possible evil that lurks in the night so that when morning comes he is at ease from his watch, in a like manner the psalmist wishes his distresses would flee from him and the LORD deliver Him to happiness and comfort as he waits through his affliction. There is a difference however in that the psalmists afflictions are present and real while the watchman anticipates the possibility of danger. This is why the psalmists longing is more extreme.
"I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word." (Psalm 11:146-148).
[7,8] The key exhortation of the Psalm is found here in verse 7, namely to hope in the LORD; how important is hope! And He will redeem His people; Israel typifies the true believer (Romans 2:28,29; Galatians 3:28,29); to redeem is to forgive of sins as in Ephesians 1:7. :
"Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:4,5).
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