Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 71. This is another individual lament, suited to a faithful person in danger from enemies who would cause hurt by taking advantage of any weakness or distress (vv. 9-11). These enemies could be foreign, and they could be Israelite; the wording is general enough to apply to either. There is no title for the psalm; it would appear that its author composed it using material from earlier psalms (esp. Davidic ones), albeit with variations (e.g., 71:1-3 echoes 31:1-3; the cross-references give other examples). The exposition here discerns the stanza structure of the psalm by following the vocatives, "O God" or "O Lord."

71:1-3 Be My Refuge Always. The song opens with a sturdy profession of faith, taking assurance from God's covenant promises: God's righteousness is his faithfulness to keep his promises, and this is the ground of hope (cf. vv. 15, 16, 19, 24).