(13) But.--A better arrangement of the clauses of this verse is:

But as for me my prayer (is) to Thee

Jehovah in a time of grace,

God in the abundance of Thy (covenant) mercy

Hear me with the faithfulness of Thy help.

For the favourable or gracious time comp Isaiah 49:8.

Whatever the sin of Psalm 69:5, &c., it had not cut the offender off from the sense of the blessings of the covenant, or he had been by pardon restored to it.

Verses 13-21. - The psalmist now betakes himself to earnest prayer - he has sufficiently represented his condition, though he still adds a few words respecting it (vers. 19-21), and the immediate need is relief. He therefore approaches God in what he hopes is "an acceptable time" (ver. 13), and humbly entreats for mercy (vers. 14-18). Verse 13. - But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time (comp. Psalm 32:6; Isaiah 49:8). Professor Cheyne asks, "How has it been revealed to the psalmist that this is an acceptable time?" We can only answer - Perhaps it has not been revealed; he may express a hope rather than a full assurance. Or it may have been revealed to him in the way that other things were. O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me; or, "in the greatness of thy mercy;" i.e. as thy mercy is so great. In the truth of thy salvation. "In the exercise of that fidelity which secures the salvation of all that trust it" (Professor Alexander).

69:13-21 Whatever deep waters of affliction or temptation we sink into, whatever floods of trouble or ungodly men seem ready to overwhelm us, let us persevere in prayer to our Lord to save us. The tokens of God's favour to us are enough to keep our spirits from sinking in the deepest outward troubles. If we think well of God, and continue to do so under the greatest hardships, we need not fear but he will do well for us. And if at any time we are called on to suffer reproach and shame, for Christ's sake, this may be our comfort, that he knows it. It bears hard on one that knows the worth of a good name, to be oppressed with a bad one; but when we consider what a favour it is to be accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus, we shall see that there is no reason why it should be heart-breaking to us. The sufferings of Christ were here particularly foretold, which proves the Scripture to be the word of God; and how exactly these predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which proves him to be the true Messiah. The vinegar and the gall given to him, were a faint emblem of that bitter cup which he drank up, that we might drink the cup of salvation. We cannot expect too little from men, miserable comforters are they all; nor can we expect too much from the God of all comfort and consolation.But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord,.... Christ betook himself to prayer in these circumstances, and not to railing and reviling again: he applied to his divine Father, and committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, and prayed both for himself and for his enemies too: and this he did

in an acceptable time; or "a time of good will" (c); which was the time of his sufferings and death; so called, because the good will and pleasure of God was seen therein; in not sparing his Son, his own and only begotten Son, his beloved Son, and delivering him up to justice and death for the worst of sinners; and because at this time the good will of God was done: Christ laid down his life by the commandment of his Father, offered himself a sacrifice by the will of God, and hereby the law of God was fulfilled, justice satisfied, and the work of man's redemption finished; which was the pleasure of the Lord, that prospered in his hands; and therefore this must be an acceptable time to God. The sufferings of Christ were well pleasing to him; the sacrifice of Christ was for a sweet smelling savour; the righteousness of Christ was acceptable to him, the law being magnified and made honourable by it: peace was now made by the blood of his cross; the perfections of God were glorified, his purposes executed, his promises fulfilled, his covenant confirmed, and his people saved; and so a proper time for the Mediator to offer up his supplications and prayers, in which he was heard, as appears from Isaiah 49:8;

O God, in the multitude of thy mercy; these words, according to the accents in the Hebrew text, should be rendered in connection with the preceding words, thus: "in the time of good will, O God"; or "in the time of the good will of God, through the multitude of thy mercy"; and then the sense is, that the acceptable time was owing to the greatness of divine mercy; it was from hence that the dayspring from on high visited men; or Christ came in the flesh, and suffered in the room and stead of sinners; in which there was a wonderful display of the abundant mercy of God to men; for otherwise there was none shown to the surety and Saviour; he was not spared, but delivered up; and then it follows,

hear me, in the truth of thy salvation; or "because of", or "by thy true salvation" (d); that which God contrived in council, and secured in covenant, and sent his Son to effect, and which he is become the author of, is a true and real salvation; not figurative and shadowy, as the salvation of Israel out of Egypt and Babylon were: or because of the truth and faithfulness of God, who had promised salvation to the Messiah, that he should be carried through his sufferings, be raised from the dead, and be crowned with glory and honour; and therefore he prays he might be heard on this account, and his prayer follows, and the several petitions in it.

(c) "tempus beneplaciti", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c. (d) "per salutem tuam veram", Gejerus.