Introduction

TITLE.—To the Chief Musician. That mighty minstrel by degrees acquired a noble repertoire of hallowed songs, and set them all to music. Upon Jonath-elem-rechokim—this was probably the title of the tune, as we should say Old Hundred, or Sicilian Mariners. Perhaps the title may however belong to the Psalm, and if so it is instructive, for it has been translated “the silent dove in distant places.” We have here the songs of God’s servant, who rejoices once more to return from banishment, and to leave those dangerous places where he was compelled to hold his peace even from good. There is such deep spiritual knowledge in this Psalm that we might say of it, “Blessed art thou David Bar-jonas, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee.” When David plays the Jonah he is not like the prophet of that name; in David the love of the dove predominates, but in Jonah its moaning and complaining are most notable. Michtam of David. This is the second golden Psalm; we had the first in Psalm xvi., to which this Psalm has a great likeness, especially in its close, for it ends in the joyful presence. A golden mystery, the gracious secret of the life of faith is in both these Psalms most sweetly unveiled, and a pillar is set up because of God’s truth. When the Philistines took him in Gath. He was then like a dove in strangers’ hands, and on his escape he records his gratitude.

DIVISIONS.—In verses 1 and 2, he pours out his complaint; in verses 3 and 4 he declares his confidence in God; in verses 5 and 6 he returns to his complaining, but pleads with earnest hope in verses 7-9, and sings a grateful song from verse 10 to the close.