Psa 43:1 | Clarke | STEP | The psalmist begs God to take his part against his enemies, , ; to send his light and truth to guide him to the tabernacle, ; promises, if brought thither, to be faithful in the Divine service, ; chides himself for despondency, and takes courage, . There is no title to this Psalm in the Hebrew, nor in the Chaldee. The Syriac says it was composed "by David when Jonathan told him that Saul intended to slay him." The Arabic says of this, as of the preceding, that it is a prayer for the backsliding Jews. It is most evidently on the same subject with the forty-second Psalm, had the same author or authors, and contains the remaining part of the complaint of the captive Jews in Babylon. It is written as a part of the forty-second Psalm in forty-six of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. Verse 1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause - ריבה ריבי ribah ribi, a forensic term, properly enough translated, plead my cause, be my counsellor and advocate. Ungodly nation - The Babylonians; the impious, perfidious, wicked, and deceitful Babylonians. The deceitful and unjust man

Psalms 43:1

Introduction

The psalmist begs God to take his part against his enemies, Psa 43:1, Psa 43:2; to send his light and truth to guide him to the tabernacle, Psa 43:3; promises, if brought thither, to be faithful in the Divine service, Psa 43:4; chides himself for despondency, and takes courage, Psa 43:5.

There is no title to this Psalm in the Hebrew, nor in the Chaldee. The Syriac says it was composed "by David when Jonathan told him that Saul intended to slay him." The Arabic says of this, as of the preceding, that it is a prayer for the backsliding Jews. It is most evidently on the same subject with the forty-second Psalm, had the same author or authors, and contains the remaining part of the complaint of the captive Jews in Babylon. It is written as a part of the forty-second Psalm in forty-six of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.

Verse 1

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause - ריבה ריבי ribah ribi, a forensic term, properly enough translated, plead my cause, be my counsellor and advocate.

Ungodly nation - The Babylonians; the impious, perfidious, wicked, and deceitful Babylonians.

The deceitful and unjust man - Nebuchadnezzar.