Psalms 38:22

Psa 38:22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Ver. 22. Make haste to help me] Nam mora frangit etiam fortes, God oft delayeth, that he may set an edge on our desires; he holdeth us in request, that he may commend his blessings to us.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. (Psa 38:22). Hasten to help me, (O) Lord, my salvation! The literal meaning of the first clause is hasten to (or for) my help. The same words form the last clause of Psa 22:20 (19). My salvation, my deliverer, my saviour. This form of address bears a strong resemblance to the prayer in Psa 35:3 : Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38:22 Asking the Lord to act quickly in times of great need is common in the Psalter (22:19; 31:2; 40:13; 69:17; 70:1; 71:12; 79:8; 102:2; 141:1; 143:7). However, wisdom and experience teach that God’s people must often wait for him to act (27:14; 37:7; Isa 8:17; 40:31).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Which are the author of my salvation: and this declareth that he prayed with sure hope of deliverance.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 22. Make haste to help me] I am dying; save, Lord, or I perish. Whoever carefully reads over this Psalm will see what a grievous and bitter thing it is to sin against the Lord, and especially to sin after having known his mercy, and after having escaped from the corruption that is in the world. Reader, be on thy guard; a life of righteousness may be lost by giving way to a moment's temptation, and a fair character sullied for ever! Let him that most assuredly standeth take heed lest he fall.

'Tis but a grain of sweet that one can sow,

To reap a harvest of wide-wasting wo.

ANALYSIS OF THE THIRTY-EIGHTH PSALM

This Psalm may be divided into two parts: - I. A deprecation; begun Ps 38:1, and continued in Ps 38:21-22.

II. A grievous complaint of sin, disease misery, God's anger, the ingratitude of his friends, coldness of his acquaintances, and cruelty of his enemies; all which he uses as arguments to induce God to help him; continued, Ps 38:2-20.

I. In the first part he deprecates God's anger, and entreats a mitigation of it; though rebuked, let it not be in wrath; if corrected, let it not be in rigour: "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath," c.

II. His complaint, on which he falls instantly, and amplifies in a variety of ways.

1. From the prime cause, GOD: "Thine arrows stick fast in me," c.

2. From the impulsive cause: "His sin, his iniquities," Ps 38:4 "His foolishness," Ps 38:5.

3. From the weight of his afflictions, which were, in general, "the arrows of God which stuck in him the hand of God, by which he was pressed;" which were so grievous "that there was no soundness in his flesh - no rest in his bones."

4. By an induction of particulars, where he declares many effects of the disease: -

1. Putrefaction of his flesh: "My wounds stink, and are corrupt."

2. The uncomfortable posture of his body: "I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly."

3. Torment in his bowels, c.: "My loins are filled with a loathsome disease."

4. Diseases through the whole system: "There is no soundness in my flesh."

5. Debility and grievous plague: "I am feeble," c.

6. Anguish that forced him to cry out: "I have roared," &c.

7. His heart was disquieted: "The disquietness of my heart." But that it might appear that he had not lost his hold of his hope and his confidence in God, he directs his speech to him, and says: "Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hidden from thee."

8. He had a palpitation or trembling of heart: "My heart pants."

9. His strength decayed: "My strength fails."

10. A defect of sight: "The sight of my eyes is gone from me."

All these calamities David suffered from within. He was tormented in body and mind but had he any comfort from without? Not any.

1. None from his friends: "My lovers and my friends stand aloof." 2. As for his enemies, they even then added to his affliction: "They also that seek after my life lay snares for me." In purpose, word, and deed, they sought to undo him.

He next shows his behaviour in these sufferings he murmured not, but was silent and patient. "I was as a deaf man; - I was as a dumb man." He made no defence.

This he uses as an argument to induce the Lord to mitigate his sufferings; and of his patience he gives the following reasons: -

1. His reliance on God for audience and redress: "For in thee, O Lord, do I hope; thou wilt hear me."

2. For this he petitions; for to God he was not silent, though deaf and dumb to man. For I said, Hear me! and the assurance that he should be heard made him patient; for if not heard, his enemies would triumph: "Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me."

3. He was thus patient when his grief was extreme: "For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me." I am under a bitter cross; and I know that if I be thy servant, I must bear my cross; therefore, I take it up, and suffer patiently.

4. This cross I have deserved to bear; it comes on account of mine iniquity, and I will not conceal it: "I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." I suffer justly, and therefore have reason to be patient.

He complains again of his enemies. Though he suffered justly, yet this was no excuse for their cruelty; he complains of their strength, their number, and their hatred. My enemies are living, while I am at death's door; they are multiplied while I am minished; they render me evil for the good I have done them.

Then he concludes with a petition to God, in which he begs three things: -

1. God's presence: forsake me not, O Lord; my God, be not far from me."

2. He begs for help: "Help me, O Lord."

3. And prays that this help may come speedily: "Make haste to help me."

And these three petitions are directed to the Most High, as the God of his salvation: "O Lord, my salvation;" my deliverer from sin, guilt, pain, death, and hell.

In this Psalm, deeply descriptive of the anguish of a penitent soul, most persons, who feel distress on account of sin, may meet with something suitable to their case.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. Make haste &c.] Cp. Psa_22:19; Psa_40:13.

O Lord my salvation] Cp. Psa_62:2; Psa_51:14.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Make haste to help me - Margin, as in Hebrew: “for my help.” This is an earnest prayer that God would come immediately to his rescue.

O Lord my salvation - See the notes at Psa 27:1. The effect, therefore, of the trials that came upon the psalmist was to lead him to cry most earnestly to God. Those sorrows led him to God. This is one of the designed effects of affliction. Trouble never accomplishes its proper effect unless it leads us to God; and anything that “will” lead us to him is a gain in the end. The deeper our trouble, therefore, the greater may be the ultimate good to us; and at the end of life, when we come to look over all that has happened in our journey through this world, that on which we may look back with most satisfaction and gratitude may be the sorrows and afflictions that have befallen us - for these will be then seen to have been among the chief instrumentalities by which we were weaned from sin; by which we were led to the Saviour; by which we were induced to seek a preparation for heaven. No Christian, when he comes to die, ever feels that he has been too much afflicted, or that any trial has come upon him for which there was not occasion, and which was not designed and adapted to do him good.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 22. Make haste to help me. Delay would prove destruction. The poor pleader was far gone and ready to expire, only speedy help would serve his turn. See how sorrow quickens the importunity of prayer! Here is one of the sweet results of affliction, it gives new life to our pleading, and drives us with eagerness to our God. O Lord my salvation. Not my Saviour only, but my salvation. He who has the Lord on his side has salvation in present possession. Faith foresees the blessed issue of all her pleas, and in this verse begins to ascribe to God the glory of the expected mercy. We shall not be left of the Lord. His grace will succour us most opportunely, and in heaven we shall see that we had not one trial too many, or one pang too severe. A sense of sin shall melt into the joy of salvation; grief shall lead on to gratitude, and gratitude to joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Ver. 22. O Lord my salvation. Faith the suppliant is now made faith triumphant. Franz Delitzsch.

Ver. 22. Faith tried, faith trembling, faith crying, faith grasping, faith conquering.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Make haste to help me, O Lord my Salvation. (see Psa_22:19 Psa_31:2 Psa_40:13 Psa_70:1 Psa_71:12, etc.) This so frequent cry always shows imminent peril; or at any rate, a belief in it. The writer hero was in danger doubly from disease and from his enemies. Thus he might well cry out.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.