Psalms 55:22

55:16-23 In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome. David had thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he supposed; and the glory of this he gives to God, for it is he that raises us up friends, and makes them faithful to us. There are more true Christians, and believers have more real friends, than in their gloomy hours they suppose. His enemies should be reckoned with, and brought down; they could not ease themselves of their fears, as David could, by faith in God. Mortal men, though ever so high and strong, will easily be crushed by an eternal God. Those who are not reclaimed by the rod of affliction, will certainly be brought down to the pit of destruction. The burden of afflictions is very heavy, especially when attended with the temptations of Satan; there is also the burden of sin and corruption. The only relief under it is, to look to Christ, who bore it. Whatever it is that thou desirest God should give thee, leave it to him to give it in his own way and time. Care is a burden, it makes the heart stoop. We must commit our ways and works to the Lord; let him do as seemeth him good, and let us be satisfied. To cast our burden upon God, is to rest upon his providence and promise.

And if we do so, he will carry us in the arms of his power, as a nurse carries a child; and will strengthen our spirits by his Spirit, so that they shall sustain the trial. He will never suffer the righteous to be moved; to be so shaken by any troubles, as to quit their duty to God, or their comfort in him. He will not suffer them to be utterly cast down. He, who bore the burden of our sorrows, desires us to leave to him to bear the burden of our cares, that, as he knows what is best for us, he may provide it accordingly. Why do not we trust Christ to govern the world which he redeemed?

Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord — Whoever thou art that art burdened, and whatever the burden is; whatever affliction God sendeth to thee; all thy trials and troubles, thy crosses and distresses, thy cares and fears, nay, and all thy affairs, lay upon the shoulders of the Almighty, and commit to him, by faith and prayer, with a confident expectation of a good issue. He directs his speech to himself, or to his own soul, as he often does in this book, and withal to all good men in like circumstances. The word יהבךְ , jehabecha, however, here rendered thy burden, properly means, thy gift, or portion: for even the afflictions, trials, and troubles of good men are God’s gifts to them, and are termed such in Scripture, Php 1:29 ; John 18:11 . Or, he may intend gifts of another kind, namely, such as are agreeable and pleasing to us; and then his meaning is, Whatever blessings God has given thee to enjoy, commit to his custody, and use to his glory; and particularly commit the keeping of thy soul to him. Or, Whatever it is that thou desirest God should give thee, leave it to him to give it thee in his own way and time. The version of the LXX. is excellent, επιρριψον επι Κυριον την μεριμναν σου . Throw, or cast, upon the Lord thy care; to which St. Peter refers, 1 Peter 5:7 . Care is a burden to many, which depresses their spirits.

This burden we should learn to cast upon God by faith and prayer, committing our ways and works to him, and saying, Let him do what seemeth him good, and I shall be satisfied. To cast our burden upon the Lord, is to stay ourselves on his providence and promise, and to be very easy in the assurance that all shall work for good. And he shall sustain thee — Both support or bear thee up, and supply thy wants. He has not promised immediately to free us from the trouble which gives rise to our cares and fears, but he will strengthen our spirits by his Spirit, so that they shall not sink under the trial, and he will provide that we be not tempted above what we are able, and that as our day is our strength shall be. The LXX. render it, αυτος σε , διαθρεψει , he himself shall nourish thee, shall supply thy every need, according to his riches in glory, Php 4:19 . Shall give thee all things that pertain to life, as well as those that pertain to godliness. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved — As he doth wicked men. Though he may, for a season, suffer them to be shaken, yet he will not suffer them to be utterly overwhelmed.

22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. "Thy burden," or what thy God lays upon thee, lay thou it "upon the Lord." His wisdom casts it on thee, it is thy wisdom to cast it on him. He cast thy lot for thee, cast thy lot on him. He gives thee thy portion of suffering, accept it with cheerful resignation, and then take it back to him by thine assured confidence. "He shall sustain thee." Thy bread shall be given thee, thy waters shall be sure. Abundant nourishment shall fit thee to bear all thy labours and trials. As thy days so shall thy strength be. "He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." He may move like the boughs of a tree in the tempest, but he shall never be moved like a tree torn up by the roots. He stands firm who stands in God. Many would destroy the saints, but God has not suffered it, and never will. Like pillars, the godly stand immovable, to the glory of the Great Architect.

Verse 22. - Cast thy burden upon the Lord ; rather, thy portion - or , the lot assigned thee - that which God has given thee to bear. And he shall sustain thee . God will support thee under the lot which he assigns, however hard it is. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved ; i.e. to be disturbed, shaken, unsettled from their faith in him. Note that these promises are made to the righteous only; and, among them, only to those who cast themselves in full faith upon God. Psalm 55:22

Thy burden, or portion , Heb. gift ; whatsoever affliction God giveth or sendeth to thee; for even the sufferings of good men are called God’s gifts in Scripture, Philippians 1:29 John 18:11 . So it is a synecdochical expression. Or, whatsoever gift thou desirest from him. Although the following words of the verse seem to restrain it to afflictions. The sense is, All thy affairs, and crosses, and cares, and fears, lay them upon the shoulders of the Almighty by faith and prayer, with a confident expectation of a good issue. He directeth this speech to himself, or his own soul, as he oft doth in this book, and withal to all good men in like circumstances. To be moved , i.e. to be removed, to wit, from his sure and happy estate. Or, which agrees as well with the Hebrew, he shall not suffer the righteous to be moved, or fall for ever , as he doth wicked men; though he may for a season suffer them to be shaken, yet he will not suffer them to be utterly overwhelmed.

22 . Cast thy burden ] The word rendered burden is of uncertain meaning. The LXX, from which St Peter borrows ( 1 Peter 5:7 ), renders thy care . But for this explanation there is no philological ground, and the word seems rather to mean that which he hath given thee , the burden of care or suffering which He hath laid upon thee to bear. He shall sustain thee , not necessarily removing the burden, but giving strength to bear it, upholding thee lest thou shouldest fall under its weight. Cp. Psalm 22:8 , Psalm 37:5 , and notes. The later Greek Versions and Jerome presume a reading which differs very slightly so far as the appearance of the consonants is concerned: Cast [ thy burden, or, thy cause ] upon Jehovah, who loveth thee . The form of the sentence would then resemble Psalm 22:8 . But the reading is scarcely probable. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved ] We must either understand moved of final and fatal disaster, or else render, He will not suffer the righteous to be moved for ever: though they may be in distress for awhile, there will be an end to their suffering. For the phrase cp. Psalm 10:6 ; Psalm 13:4 ; Psalm 30:6 . 22, 23 . Conclusion. The Psalmist’s exhortation to himself and everyone in like case, assuring himself and them that God will uphold the righteous and judge the wicked. It has been suggested that in the liturgical use of the Psalm these verses may have been sung by a different voice, as an answer of encouragement to the Psalmist.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord - This may be regarded as an address of the psalmist to himself, or to his own soul - an exhortation to himself to roll all his care upon the Lord, and to be calm. It is expressed, however, in so general language, that it may be applicable to all persons in similar circumstances. Compare Matthew 11:28-29 ; Philippians 4:6-7 ; 1 Peter 5:7 . The Margin here is, "gift." The "literal" rendering would be, "Cast upon Jehovah what he hath given (or laid upon) thee; that is, thy lot." (Gesenius, Lexicon) The phrase, "he gives thee," here means what he appoints for thee; what he allots to thee as thy portion; what, in the great distribution of things in his world, he has assigned to "thee" to be done or to be borne; cast it all on him. Receive the allotment as coming from him; as what "he" has, in his infinite wisdom, assigned to thee as thy portion in this life; as what "he" has judged it to be best that then shouldest do or bear; as "thy" part of toil, or trouble, or sacrifice, in carrying out his great arrangements in the world. All that is to be "borne" or to be "done" in this world he has "divided up" among people, giving or assigning to each one what He thought best suited to his ability, his circumstances, his position in life - what "he" could do or bear best - and what, therefore, would most conduce to the great end in view.