Psalms 5:3

My voice shall thou hear in the morning, O Lord,.... These words may be considered either as expressing the confidence of the psalmist, that the Lord would hear and answer him, and that in the

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

In the morning; either, 1. Metaphorically, i.e. early, seasonably, in a time when thou wilt be found, and art ready to hear. Or, 2. Properly, every morning. As soon as I awake, I am still with thee, as he saith, . The first thing that I do is to pray to thee, I neither neglect nor delay that work. But this is not spoken exclusively as to his other times of prayer, as appears from ; but only eminently, to show his constancy, diligence, and eagerness in the work. My prayer; or, mine eyes; which may be well understood out of the following word, which is usual in Scripture. Or, it, (so it is only a defect of the pronoun, which is most frequent,) to wit, my voice, last mentioned; or, which is equivalent, my words, which is also understood with this very verb, , and is expressed with it, . And the verb here and there used is very emphatical, and notes his great care and exactness so to direct, or order, or compose himself and his prayers in such a manner as was most pleasing to God. Will look up, to wit, unto thee (as he now said) for help. The word implies a confident, and withal a patient, expectation of relief, as . See also .

Psalms 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct [my prayer] unto thee, and will look up.Ver. 3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning] That fittest season, usually, for prayer, or any other serious business, πανεργον. The very heathens chose the morning chiefly for sacrifice, as Nestor in Homer, the Argonauts in Apollonius. The Persian magi sang hymns to their gods at break of day, and worshipped the rising sun. The Pinarii and Potitii (certain idolatrous priests) sacrificed every morning and evening to Hercules upon the great altar at Rome. The Jews counted and called it an abomination of desolation if at any time the morning and evening sacrifice to the Lord were intermitted; so should Christians if they offer not unto him twice a day at least, viz. morning and evening, prayers and praises. Mass and meat hinder no man’ s thrift, say the very Papists. A whet is no let, a bait by the way hindereth not the journey; so neither doth prayer in a morning hinder a man’ s business, be it never so hasty or weighty, but furthereth it rather. Cardinal Wolsey, though he were Lord Chancellor, when he came in a morning out of his privy chamber, would not go abroad till he had heard two masses, nor go to bed at night with any part of his service unsaid, no, not so much as one collect (His Life and Death, by his gentleman usher, p. 18.) Mahometans, whatever occasion they have by profit or pleasure, pray constantly five times a day. Christians have a charge to continue instant in prayer, προσκαρτερειν, and to let all business wait upon it, Romans 12:12, with Acts 6:4. David knew that if prayer stand still the trade of godliness standeth still. He, therefore, will be up and at it betimes, and rather break his sleep than leave such a duty undone. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up] Or, look out, spy like a watchman. Two military words the prophet here maketh use of; he would not only pray, but marshal up his prayers, put them in array. And when he had done, he would be as a spy upon a tower, to see whether he prevailed, whether he got the day. Gnarach. Ordinavit, aciem disposuit. Tsaphah. Speculando expectavit. Some men pray of course, or as a task, but never look after their prayers, or mark what answer: this is very great folly and oscitancy. Who sends forth a ship, and waits not for the return thereof? Who shoots an arrow, or casts a bowl, and looks not where it lands? Prayer is the soul’ s arrow, angel, seed, dove, messenger, &c. And they that take not notice how they speed deal as scoffing Pilate did, who scornfully asked Christ, What is truth? but stayed not for the answer. If God shall hearken what David speaketh, David must likewise hearken what God would speak.

(3) The daily morning sacrifice sees the Psalmist in the Temple. The word “direct,” or, better, prepare, is the same employed in Leviticus 1:8; Leviticus 1:12; Leviticus 6:12, of the priest laying out the wood for the sacrifice, or the parts of the offering itself, and suggest that the author may himself have been a priest. The word “offering” should be supplied, instead of “prayer.” Henry Vaughan’s fine hymn— “When first thine eyes unveil, give thy soul leave To do the like”— was probably suggested by this verse. Look up.—The Hebrew is from the root which forms “Mizpeh,” or “watch-tower.” The psalmist looks up for the answer to his prayer as the seer on his tower (Habakkuk 2:1) looked up for his inspiration. The usual attitude of prayer in the East was then, as now, either standing or prostrate, the hands lifted up or spread out (Exodus 9:33; Psalms 28:2; Psalms 134:2; Psalms 141:2). To raise the eyes was not so usual. Virgil, describing the capture of Cassandra by the Greeks, makes her look up, but only because her hands were bound. “Ad coelum tendens ardentia lumina frustra, Lumina—nam teneras arcebant vincula palmas.”

Verse 3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning] We find from this that he had not prayed in vain. He had received a blessed answer; God had lifted upon him the light of his countenance; and he therefore determines to be an early applicant at the throne of grace: "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning." He finds it good to begin the day with God; to let Divine things occupy the first place in his waking thoughts; as that which first occupies the mind on awaking is most likely to keep possession of the heart all the day through. In the morning will I direct my prayer] Here seems to be a metaphor taken from an archer. He sees his mark; puts his arrow in his bow; directs his shaft to the mark, i.e., takes his aim; lets fly, and then looks up, to see if he have hit his mark. Prayers that have a right aim, will have a prompt answer; and he who sends up his petitions to God through Christ, from a warm, affectionate heart, may confidently look up for an answer, for it will come. If an immediate answer be not given, let not the upright heart suppose that the prayer is not heard. It has found its way to the throne; and there it is registered.

3. O Lord, in the morning shalt thou hear my voice; In the morning will I order my prayer unto thee, and will keep watch. (R.V.). ‘In the morning’ is repeated with emphasis. The first thought of the day is prayer. cp. Psalms 55:17, Psalms 88:13, Psalms 59:16, Psalms 92:2, Psalms 57:8. will I direct] Better, as R.V., will I order. The word means to arrange, and is used of setting in order the pieces of wood (Genesis 22:9; Leviticus 1:7), or the parts of the sacrifice (Leviticus 1:8), upon the altar. One of the first duties of the priests in the morning was to prepare the wood for the morning sacrifice, which was offered at sunrise (Leviticus 6:12; Numbers 28:4). Hence some commentators think that the Psalmist intends to compare his daily morning prayer to the daily morning sacrifice. Cp. Psalms 141:2. But the word ‘order’ has no exclusive or even predominant sacrificial reference; and we should probably rather compare the expressions ‘to order one’s words’ or ‘one’s cause’ in Job 32:14; Job 23:4, and the more closely parallel use of the word without an object in Job 33:5; Job 37:19. and will look up] Rather, as R.V., will keep watch, for an answer, like a sentinel on the look out (2 Samuel 18:24). Cp. Micah 7:7; Habakkuk 2:1.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord - The voice of prayer. Compare the notes at Psalms 3:5.

3. In the morning—Showing that this is an early morning prayer, and that prayer is now his first business and sole reliance. Will I direct my prayer—The word prayer is not in the original.