1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.
12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.
19 In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.
<html><b>I wished that the Lord would hear my voice</b> So did David say after Saul’s demise, when he became king, “Return, my soul, to your resting place, for the Lord has bestowed kindness upon you.” And to You, my Master, I pine, for You extricated my soul from death. <b>I wished that the Lord would hear</b> Heb. אהבתי, I wished (תאבתי) that God would hear my voice.</html>
<html><b>and I shall call out in my days</b> In the days of my distress I shall call Him, and in the days of my redemption I shall praise Him.</html>
<html><b>bands of death</b> Heb. חבלי, bands of enemies who sought to kill me. [The expressions] חבלי מות, חבלי שאוֹל, are all an expression of bands, like (I Sam. 10:5): “a band of (חבל) prophets.”</html>
<html><b>in the lands of the living</b> The land of Israel, for my enemies and my pursuers chased me out of it in the days of Saul, and against their will, I returned.</html>
<html><b>I believed so that I spoke</b> I believed the words of Ziba which he spoke about Mephibosheth, so that I should say (II Sam. 16:4), “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Then I humbled myself exceedingly. I had spoken harshly, and I submitted myself to you [Mephibosheth].</html>
<html><b>I said in my haste</b> to flee from before Absalom. <b>“All men are liars”</b> Heb. כזב, [meaning that one] betrays his friend, for I saw my son betray me and seek my life, and [I saw] all Israel repay me with evil for good; therefore, I believed Ziba and said that Mephibosheth also lies and betrays me. Every expression of כָּזָב is purely an expression of lack of trust that they trusted in him; falenze in Old French, betrayal, deceit, like (Isa. 58:11): “whose water does not fail (יכזבו).” Others interpret it: <b>I said in my haste</b> at the Rock of the Divisions, when Saul and his men were encircling me and my men, to seize me, and there it says (I Sam. 23:26): “and David was hastening to get away.” <b>“All men are liars”</b> Even the prophet Samuel, who is faithful as a prophet, even he is a deceiver, for he anointed me king.</html>
<html><b>I shall lift up a cup of salvations</b> I shall bring the libations for the thanksgiving offerings that I vowed, as he says, “To You I shall slaughter a thanksgiving offering,” and on that cup I shall call out about this salvation, for the Levite does not recite a song unless over the wine [libations].</html>
<html><b>in the presence of all His people</b> Heb. נגדה, in the presence of (נגד) all His people.</html>
<html><b>Difficult in the eyes of the Lord</b> The Holy One, blessed be He, showed me that it is a difficult thing and heavy in His eyes to kill His pious ones. <b>the death</b> המותה, the death (המות), [the final “hey” being superfluous] like (Gen. 39:11, 12): “into the house (הביתה)…outside (החוצה).”</html>
<html><b>Your servant the son of Your maidservant</b> There is no comparison between the training of a slave who was bought in the market and one who was born to a maidservant in the house. <b>You loosed my thongs</b> You untied from my neck the bars and the thongs.</html>
<html><b>thanksgiving</b> Sacrifices of thanksgiving for the miracles that You performed for me.</html>
<html><b>my vows</b> The sacrifices that I vowed.</html>
<html><b>in your midst</b> Heb. בתוככי, like בְּתוֹכֵךְ.</html>