Psalms 31:22

31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, ¹ 

“I am cut off from your presence!” ² 

But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

Psalms 31:1

Psalm 31 ³ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!

Never let me be humiliated!

Vindicate me by rescuing me! ⁴ 

Psalms 27:1

Psalm 27 ⁵ 

By David.

27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! ⁶ 

I fear no one! ⁷ 

The Lord protects my life!

I am afraid of no one! ⁸ 

[31:22]  ¹ tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”

[31:22]  ² tn Heb “from before your eyes.”

[31:1]  ³ sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.

[31:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”

[27:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.

[27:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “the Lord [is] my light and my deliverance.” “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Another option is that “light” refers here to divine guidance (see Ps 43:3).

[27:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”

[27:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”