Bird's-eye view
In this portion of Psalm 71, the psalmist, likely an aged David, pivots from his initial plea for deliverance to the solid ground of his lifelong testimony. This is not the prayer of a novice in the faith, but the seasoned declaration of one who has seen God's faithfulness from the very beginning. The core of these verses is a profound reflection on God's unwavering sustenance and the corresponding duty of man to render unending praise. The argument is simple and powerful: the God who formed me in the womb and has been my trust ever since is my only secure refuge in the present distress. This personal history with God becomes the foundation for a public testimony, making the psalmist a "marvel" or a sign to others of God's steadfastness. The passage moves from personal hope and trust (v. 5), to God's foundational, creative, and sustaining power (v. 6), to the public impact of such a life (v. 7), and culminates in a life overflowing with praise (v. 8).
This is the voice of what Spurgeon called a "struggling, but unstaggering, faith." The psalmist is in trouble, no doubt about it. He is surrounded by enemies. But his response is not to look inward at his own strength, which he admits is failing, but to look backward at the long line of God's providential care. This history is not just a collection of fond memories; it is a series of theological premises from which he draws his current conclusion: God is a strong refuge. Therefore, his mouth will be filled with praise, not with complaint. It is a beautiful illustration of how a deep personal history with God fuels a robust public worship, regardless of the circumstances.
Clause-by-Clause Commentary
v. 5 For You are my hope; O Lord Yahweh, You are my trust from my youth.
The psalmist begins his testimony with a direct address to God, grounding his entire plea in the character and identity of the One he is addressing. Hope is not a vague optimism here; it is not a wish cast into the void. Hope has a name: Lord Yahweh. This is covenant language. This is the God who makes and keeps promises. The psalmist is not hoping in an abstract force, but in the personal, self-revealing God of Israel. This hope is not a recent development. He states that Yahweh has been his "trust from my youth." This is a crucial point. A lifelong trust is not easily shaken. The faith being expressed here is not a foxhole conversion; it is a faith that has been tested and proven over decades. It is a faith that began in youth and has been the constant variable through all the changing scenes of life. This is the kind of faith that parents should desire to cultivate in their children, a trust that takes root early and grows deep. The Christian life is from faith to faith, from the beginning to the end (Rom. 1:17).
v. 6 By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You.
He pushes his testimony back even further. Before his youth, before he could consciously place his trust in God, God was already at work. "By You I have been sustained from my birth." This is a recognition of absolute dependence. We do not sustain ourselves. From our first breath, we are recipients of divine grace. The psalmist sees the hand of God not just in the dramatic deliverances, but in the mundane reality of continued existence. He then goes to the very beginning: "You are He who took me from my mother's womb." This is a profound statement of God's intimate, personal sovereignty. God is not a distant clockmaker; He is the divine midwife, personally superintending our entry into the world. This is a truth that our abortion-crazed culture has utterly rejected, but it is the bedrock of a biblical worldview. Every life is a direct, intentional act of God. The necessary response to this truth is found in the final clause: "My praise is continually of You." If God's sustaining grace is continual, then our praise must also be continual. Praise is not just for the good times; it is the constant, fitting response to the constant, sustaining goodness of God.
v. 7 I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge.
A life lived in such dependence on God will inevitably become a public spectacle. The psalmist says he has "become a marvel to many." The Hebrew word can mean a wonder, a sign, or even a portent. This can be understood in two ways, and both are likely true. On the one hand, his deep afflictions, coupled with his unwavering faith, made people wonder. They looked at his troubles and were astonished that he could still trust God. How can this man endure so much? On the other hand, his divine deliverances were so remarkable that he became a living signpost pointing to the power of God. His life was a sermon. The reason for this is stated plainly: "For You are my strong refuge." He is a marvel not because of his own inner strength or resilience, but because his refuge is objectively strong. God is his fortress. When the world sees a frail man standing firm in the midst of a siege, they marvel. They are not marveling at the man, but at the unseen fortress in which he is dwelling. This is the nature of Christian witness. We are not called to be impressive in ourselves, but to be living demonstrations of the strength and sufficiency of our God.
v. 8 My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your beauty all day long.
This final verse is the overflow. Because God has been his hope from his youth, his sustainer from the womb, and his strong refuge in times of trouble, the psalmist's mouth is not filled with murmuring or complaining, but with praise. This is not a grudging, dutiful praise. It is a mouth that is "filled", stuffed to capacity, overflowing. And what is the content of this praise? It is God's "beauty" or splendor. He is not just praising God for what He does, but for who He is. He has caught a glimpse of the glory of God, and this has captured his heart and his tongue. This praise is not reserved for the Sabbath. It is an "all day long" affair. This is what it means to live a life of worship. It is a continual orientation of the heart and mouth toward the glory of God. This is the goal of the Christian life: to have our lives so saturated with the reality of God's goodness and power that praise becomes as natural and constant as breathing. When we understand our utter dependence on Him from the womb to the grave, our mouths will have no room for anything else.