The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

And my sin is always before me.

  4dAgainst You, You only, have I sinned,

  And done this evil ein Your sight—

  fThat You may be found just 1when You speak,

  And blameless when You judge.

  5gBehold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

  And in sin my mother conceived me.

  6Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

  And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

  7hPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

  Wash me, and I shall be iwhiter than snow.

  8Make me hear joy and gladness,

  That the bones You have broken jmay rejoice.

  9Hide Your face from my sins,

  And blot out all my iniquities.

  10kCreate in me a clean heart, O God,

  And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

  11Do not cast me away from Your presence,

  And do not take Your lHoly Spirit from me.

  12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

  And uphold me by Your mgenerous Spirit.

  13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

  And sinners shall be converted to You.

  14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

  The God of my salvation,

  And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

  15O Lord, open my lips,

  And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

  16For nYou do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

  You do not delight in burnt offering.

  17oThe sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

  A broken and a contrite heart—

  These, O God, You will not despise.

  18Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

  Build the walls of Jerusalem.

  19Then You shall be pleased with pthe sacrifices of righteousness,

  With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

  Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

  Psalm 52

  The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly

  To the Chief Musician. A 1Contemplation of David awhen Doeg the Edomite went and btold Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

  1Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

  The goodness of God endures continually.

  2Your tongue devises destruction,

  Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

  3You love evil more than good,

  Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah

  4You love all devouring words,

  You deceitful tongue.

  5God shall likewise destroy you forever;

  He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,

  And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

  6The righteous also shall see and fear,

  And shall laugh at him, saying,

  7“Here is the man who did not make God his strength,

  But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

  And strengthened himself in his 2wickedness.”

  8But I am clike a green olive tree in the house of God;

  I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

  9I will praise You forever,

  Because You have done it;

  And in the presence of Your saints

  I will wait on Your name, for it 3is good.

  Psalm 53

  Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel

  (Ps. 14:1–7)

  To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A 1Contemplation of David.

  1The afool has said in his heart,

  “There is no God.”

  They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;

  bThere is none who does good.

  2God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,

  To see if there are any who understand, who cseek God.

  3Every one of them has turned aside;

  They have together become corrupt;

  There is none who does good,

  No, not one.

  4Have the workers of iniquity dno knowledge,

  Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

  And do not call upon God?

  5eThere they are in great fear

  Where no fear was,

  For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;

  You have put them to shame,

  Because God has despised them.

  6fOh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

  When God brings back 2the captivity of His people,

  Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

  Psalm 54

  Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries

  To the Chief Musician. With 1stringed instruments. A 2Contemplation of David awhen the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”

  1Save me, O God, by Your name,

  And vindicate me by Your strength.

  2Hear my prayer, O God;

  Give ear to the words of my mouth.

  3For strangers have risen up against me,

  And oppressors have sought after my life;

  They have not set God before them. Selah

  4Behold, God is my helper;

  The Lord is with those who 3uphold my life.

  5He will repay my enemies for their evil.

  4Cut them off in Your 5truth.

  6I will freely sacrifice to You;

  I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.

  7For He has delivered me out of all trouble;

  bAnd my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

  Psalm 55

  Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends

  To the Chief Musician. With 1stringed instruments. A 2Contemplation of David.

  1Give ear to my prayer, O God,

  And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

  2Attend to me, and hear me;

  I aam3 restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,

  3Because of the voice of the enemy,

  Because of the oppression of the wicked;

  bFor they bring down trouble upon me,

  And in wrath they hate me.

  4cMy heart is severely pained within me,

  And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

  5Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,

  And horror has overwhelmed me.

  6So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

  I would fly away and be at rest.

  7Indeed, I would wander far off,

  And remain in the wilderness. Selah

  8I would hasten my escape

  From the windy storm and tempest.”

  9Destroy, O Lord, and divide their 4tongues,

  For I have seen dviolence and strife in the city.

  10Day and night they go around it on its walls;

  eIniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.

  11Destruction is in its midst;

  fOppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

  12gFor it is not an enemy who reproaches me;

  Then I could bear it.

  Nor is it one who hates me who has hexalted himself against me;

  Then I could hide from him.

  13But it was you, a man my equal,

  iMy companion and my acquaintance.

  14We took sweet counsel together,

  And jwalked to the house of God in the throng.

  15Let death seize them;

  Let them kgo down alive into 5hell,

  For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

  16As for me, I will call upon God,

  And the LORD shall save me.

  17lEvening and morning and at noon

  I will pray, and cry aloud,

  And He shall hear my voice.

  18He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,

  For mthere
were many against me.

  19God will hear, and afflict them,

  nEven He who abides from of old. Selah

  Because they do not change,

  Therefore they do not fear God.

  20He has oput forth his hands against those who pwere at peace with him;

  He has broken his 6covenant.

  21qThe words of his mouth were smoother than butter,

  But war was in his heart;

  His words were softer than oil,

  Yet they were drawn swords.

  22rCast your burden on the LORD,

  And sHe shall sustain you;

  He shall never permit the righteous to be 7moved.

  23But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;

  tBloodthirsty and deceitful men ushall not live out half their days;

  But I will trust in You.

  Psalm 56

  Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

  To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the aPhilistines captured him in Gath.

  1Be bmerciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;

  Fighting all day he oppresses me.

  2My enemies would chound me all day,

  For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

  3Whenever I am afraid,

  I will trust in You.

  4In God (I will praise His word),

  In God I have put my trust;

  dI will not fear.

  What can flesh do to me?

  5All day they twist my words;

  All their thoughts are against me for evil.

  6They gather together,

  They hide, they mark my steps,

  When they lie in wait for my life.

  7Shall they escape by iniquity?

  In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

  8You number my wanderings;

  Put my tears into Your bottle;

  eAre they not in Your book?

  9When I cry out to You,

  Then my enemies will turn back;

  This I know, because fGod is for me.

  10In God (I will praise His word),

  In the LORD (I will praise His word),

  11In God I have put my trust;

  I will not be afraid.

  What can man do to me?

  12Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;

  I will render praises to You,

  13gFor You have delivered my soul from death.

  Have You not kept my feet from falling,

  That I may walk before God

  In the hlight of the living?

  Psalm 57

  Prayer for Safety from Enemies

  (cf. Ps. 108:1–5)

  To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David awhen he fled from Saul into the cave.

  1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

  For my soul trusts in You;

  bAnd in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

  cUntil these calamities have passed by.

  2I will cry out to God Most High,

  To God dwho performs all things for me.

  3eHe shall send from heaven and save me;

  He reproaches the one who 2would swallow me up. Selah

  God fshall send forth His mercy and His truth.

  4My soul is among lions;

  I lie among the sons of men

  Who are set on fire,

  gWhose teeth are spears and arrows,

  And their tongue a sharp sword.

  5hBe exalted, O God, above the heavens;

  Let Your glory be above all the earth.

  6iThey have prepared a net for my steps;

  My soul is bowed down;

  They have dug a pit before me;

  Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah

  7jMy heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;

  I will sing and give praise.

  8Awake, kmy glory!

  Awake, lute and harp!

  I will awaken the dawn.

  9lI will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;

  I will sing to You among the 3nations.

  10mFor Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,

  And Your truth unto the clouds.

  11nBe exalted, O God, above the heavens;

  Let Your glory be above all the earth.

  Psalm 58

  The Just Judgment of the Wicked

  To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.

  1Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?

  Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?

  2No, in heart you work wickedness;

  You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

  3aThe wicked are estranged from the womb;

  They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

  4bTheir poison is like the poison of a serpent;

  They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,

  5Which will not cheed the voice of charmers,

  Charming ever so skillfully.

  6dBreak2 their teeth in their mouth, O God!

  Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

  7eLet them flow away as waters which run continually;

  When he bends his bow,

  Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.

  8Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,

  fLike a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

  9Before your gpots can feel the burning thorns,

  He shall take them away has with a whirlwind,

  As in His living and burning wrath.

  10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the ivengeance;

  jHe shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

  11kSo that men will say,

  “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

  Surely He is God who ljudges in the earth.”

  Psalm 59

  The Assured Judgment of the Wicked

  To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David awhen Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.

  1Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

  2Defend me from those who rise up against me.

  2Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,

  And save me from bloodthirsty men.

  3For look, they lie in wait for my life;

  bThe mighty gather against me,

  Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.

  4They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.

  cAwake to help me, and behold!

  5You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,

  Awake to punish all the 3nations;

  Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

  6dAt evening they return,

  They growl like a dog,

  And go all around the city.

  7Indeed, they belch with their mouth;

  eSwords are in their lips;

  For they say, f“Who hears?”

  8But gYou, O LORD, shall laugh at them;

  You shall have all the 4nations in derision.

  9I will wait for You, O You 5his Strength;

  hFor God is my 6defense.

  107My God of mercy shall icome to meet me;

  God shall let jme see my desire on my enemies.

  11Do not slay them, lest my people forget;

  Scatter them by Your power,

  And bring them down,

  O Lord our shield.

  12kFor the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,

  Let them even be taken in their pride,

  And for the cursing and lying which they speak.

  13lConsume them in wrath, consume them,

  That they may not be;

  And mlet them know that God rules in Jacob

  To the ends of the earth. Selah

  14And nat
evening they return,

  They growl like a dog,

  And go all around the city.

  15They owander up and down for food,

  And 8howl if they are not satisfied.

  16But I will sing of Your power;

  Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;

  For You have been my defense

  And refuge in the day of my trouble.

  17To You, pO my Strength, I will sing praises;

  For God is my defense,

  My God of mercy.

  Psalm 60

  Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God

  (cf. Ps. 108:6–13)

  To the Chief Musician. aSet to 1“Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. bWhen he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

  1O GOD, cYou have cast us off;

  You have broken us down;

  You have been displeased;

  Oh, restore us again!

  2You have made the earth tremble;

  You have broken it;

  dHeal its breaches, for it is shaking.

  3eYou have shown Your people hard things;

  fYou have made us drink the wine of 2confusion.

  4gYou have given a banner to those who fear You,

  That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

  5hThat Your beloved may be delivered,

  Save with Your right hand, and hear me.

  6God has ispoken in His holiness:

  “I will rejoice;

  I will jdivide kShechem

  And measure out lthe Valley of Succoth.

  7Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;

  mEphraim also is the 3helmet for My head;

  nJudah is My lawgiver.

  8oMoab is My washpot;

  pOver Edom I will cast My shoe;

  qPhilistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”

  9Who will bring me to the strong city?

  Who will lead me to Edom?

  10Is it not You, O God, rwho cast us off?

  And You, O God, who did snot go out with our armies?

  11Give us help from trouble,

  tFor the help of man is useless.

  12Through God uwe will do valiantly,

  For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

  Psalm 61

  Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection

  To the Chief Musician. On 1a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.

  1Hear my cry, O God;

  Attend to my prayer.

  2From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

  When my heart is overwhelmed;

  Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

  3For You have been a shelter for me,