Psalm 71:15

My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) Comp. Psalm 40:5, which indicates the meaning here. Mere reminiscence must give place to actual calculation, which too must fail before the sense of Divine interference in his favour.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

71:14-24 The psalmist declares that the righteousness of Christ, and the great salvation obtained thereby, shall be the chosen subject of his discourse. Not on a sabbath only, but on every day of the week, of the year, of his life. Not merely at stated returns of solemn devotion, but on every occasion, all the day long. Why will he always dwell on this? Because he knew not the numbers thereof. It is impossible to measure the value or the fulness of these blessings. The righteousness is unspeakable, the salvation everlasting. God will not cast off his grey-headed servants when no longer capable of labouring as they have done. The Lord often strengthens his people in their souls, when nature is sinking into decay. And it is a debt which the old disciples of Christ owe to succeeding generations, to leave behind them a solemn testimony to the advantage of religion, and the truth of God's promises; and especially to the everlasting righteousness of the Redeemer. Assured of deliverance and victory, let us spend our days, while waiting the approach of death, in praising the Holy One of Israel with all our powers. And while speaking of his righteousness, and singing his praises, we shall rise above fears and infirmities, and have earnests of the joys of heaven. The work of redemption ought, above all God's works, to be spoken of by us in our praises. The Lamb that was slain, and has redeemed us to God, is worthy of all blessing and praise.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness ... - See the notes at Psalm 71:8. The word "righteousness" here refers to the righteous character of God, particularly as manifested in his behalf; the word "salvation" refers to what God had done to deliver him from his dangers.

For I know not the numbers thereof - That is, I cannot estimate the amount of thy favors; they are innumerable. See the notes at Psalm 40:5.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. for I know … thereof—innumerable, as he had not time to count them.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

i.e. Of thy salvations and mercies vouchsafed to me, which being innumerable, oblige me the more to celebrate thy praises.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness,.... Both his punitive justice in taking vengeance on his enemies, agreeably to the above imprecations; and his faithfulness in the performance of promises of good things unto him; as also his essential righteousness displayed and glorified in the redemption that is by Christ; and particularly the righteousness of Christ, accepted of God, and imputed by him; which the psalmist with his mouth declared his faith in, expressed his joy at, and set forth in a strong manner the glory and excellency of it, and determined to make mention of it, and of that only, as in Psalm 71:16;

and thy salvation all the day; both temporal and eternal; the glory of both, and praise for the same;

for I know not the numbers thereof; of that righteousness and salvation, the numerous blessings which are contained in them; see Psalm 40:5; or "though I know not the numbers of them" (c); though he could not fully declare the glories and excellencies of the righteousness and salvation of God, and the numerous mercies and rich grace included in them; yet he would attempt to set them forth in the best way he could, though in a feeble and imperfect manner.

(c) "quamvis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus; So Ainsworth.

Geneva Study Bible

My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; {k} for I know not the numbers thereof.

(k) Because your benefits toward me are innumerable, I cannot but continually meditate and rehearse them.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. My mouth shall tell of thy righteousness,

And of thy salvation all the day;

For I know not the tale thereof.

Salvation is coupled with righteousness, because the one is the outcome and visible manifestation of the other. Cp. Psalm 71:2; Isaiah 45:21. There is a play in the Heb. on the words tell and tale. They are derived from the same root, which, like tell in old English, means both to count and to recount. God’s mercies are an inexhaustible theme. Cp. Psalm 40:5; Psalm 139:17-18.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day. Salvation is inseparable from righteousness. It is as being righteous himself that God accepts the righteous, and as faithful to his promises, which is a part of his righteousness, that he pardons penitents. For I know not the numbers thereof (comp. Psalm 40:5). God's acts of pardoning mercy, by which he brings about the salvation of penitents, are innumerable. Psalm 71:15

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In view of Psalm 40:15 (Psalm 70:3), Psalm 35:4, Psalm 35:26; Psalm 109:29, and other passages, the reading of יכּלמוּ, with the Syriac, instead of יכלוּ in Psalm 71:13 commends itself; but there are also other instances in this Psalm of a modification of the original passages, and the course of the thoughts is now climactic: confusion, ruin (cf. Psalm 6:11), and in fact ruin accompanied by reproach and shame. This is the fate that the poet desires for his deadly foes. In prospect of this he patiently composes himself, Psalm 71:14 (cf. 31:25); and when righteous retribution appears, he will find new matter and ground and motive for the praise of God in addition to all such occasion as he has hitherto had. The late origin of the Psalm betrays itself again here; for instead of the praet. Hiph. הוסיף (which is found only in the Books of Kings and in Ecclesiastes), the older language made use of the praet. Ka. Without ceasing shall his mouth tell (ספּר, as in Jeremiah 51:10) of God's righteousness, of God's salvation for he knows not numbers, i.e., the counting over or through of them (Psalm 139:17.);

(Note: The lxx renders οὐκ ἔγνων πραγματείας; the Psalterium Romanum, non cognovi negotiationes; Psalt. Gallicum (Vulgate), non cognovi literaturam (instead of which the Psalt. Hebr., literaturas). According to Bttcher, the poet really means that he did not understand the art of writing.)

the divine proofs of righteousness or salvation עצמוּ מסּפּר (Psalm 40:6), they are in themselves endless, and therefore the matter also which they furnish for praise is inexhaustible. He will tell those things which cannot be so reckoned up; he will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord Jahve, and with praise acknowledge His righteousness, Him alone. Since גּברות, like the New Testament δυνάμεις, usually signifies the proofs of the divine גּבוּרה (e.g., Psalm 20:7), the Beth is the Beth of accompaniment, as e.g., in Psalm 40:8; Psalm 66:13. בּוא בּ, vernire cum, is like Arab. j'â' b (atâ), equivalent to afferre, he will bring the proofs of the divine power, this rich material, with him. It is evident from Psalm 71:18. that בגברות does not refer to the poet (in the fulness of divine strength), but, together with צדקתך, forms a pair of words that have reference to God. לבדּך, according to the sense, joins closely upon the suffix of צדקתך (cf. Psalm 83:19): Thy righteousness (which has been in mercy turned towards me), Thine alone (te solum equals tui solius). From youth up God has instructed him, viz., in His ways (Psalm 25:4), which are worthy of all praise, and hitherto (עד־הנּה, found only in this passage in the Psalter, and elsewhere almost entirely confined to prose) has he, "the taught of Jahve" (למּוּד ה), had to praise the wonders of His rule and of His leadings. May God, then, not forsake him even further on עד־זקנה ושׂיבה. The poet is already old (זקן), and is drawing ever nearer to שׂיבה, silvery, hoary old age (cf. 1 Samuel 12:2). May God, then, in this stage of life also to which he has attained, preserve him in life and in His favour, until (עד equals עד־אשׁר, as in Psalm 132:5; Genesis 38:11, and frequently) he shall have declared His arm, i.e., His mighty interposition in human history, to posterity (דּור), and to all who shall come (supply אשׁר), i.e., the whole of the future generation, His strength, i.e., the impossibility of thwarting His purposes. The primary passage for this is Psalm 22:31.