The issue:Christ seen as the true Israel before God, and, heard amid the sorrows of death, the ground of their deliverances, from Egypt to the last days. He is delivered from the strivings of the people (Israel), and made the head of the Gentiles, and all serve Him.

To the chief musician, [a psalm] of the servant of Jehovah, of David, who spake to Jehovah the words of this song, in the day when Jehovah had delivered him from the grasp of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said,-

I do love Thee, Jehovah, my strength. 2. Jehovah my rock, and my stronghold, and my deliverer! my God*, my strong rock, in whom I will take refuge; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation; my high place!

3. I call upon Jehovah [as] object of [my] praise; and I am saved from mine enemies.

4. The toils of death faced me about, and the torrents of Belial put me in fear.

5. The toils of hades compassed me round; the snares of death overtook me.

6. In my strait 1 called upon Jehovah, and cried for help unto my God:He heard my voice gut of His temple, and my cry came before Him, into His ears.

7. Then the earth quaked and shook; and the foundations of the mountains moved and quaked because His anger burned.

8. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured:coals were kindled by it;

9. He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet.

10. And He rode upon the cherub, and did fly:yea, He swooped upon wings of wind.

11. He made darkness His covert; His pavilion about Him darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12. From the brightness of His presence His thick clouds passed:hailstones and coals of fire!

13. And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice:hailstones and coals of fire!

14. He sent forth His arrows also and scattered them; yea, He shot out lightnings and discomfited them.

15. Then the channels of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the habitable earth were uncovered at Thy rebuke, Jehovah,-at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.

16. He reached from on high, He laid hold of me, He drew me out of many waters.

17. He rescued me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me.

18. They overtook me in the day of my calamity; but Jehovah is my stay.

19. And He brought me forth into a large place:He delivered me, because He had delight in me.

20. According to my righteousness hath Jehovah recompensed me; according to the cleanness of my hands He hath returned me.

21. For I have kept Jehovah's ways, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22. For all His judgments were before me; nor did I put away His statutes from me.

23. I was also perfect with Him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.

24. And Jehovah hath returned me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes.

25. With the merciful Thou showest Thyself merciful, and with the perfect man Thou showest Thyself perfect.

26. With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, and with the perverse Thou showest Thyself tortuous.

27. For Thou savest the humble people, and bringest low the lofty looks.

28. For it is Thou that lightest my lamp:Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.

29. For by Thee I run through a troop, and by Thee I leap over a wall.

30. As for God, His way is perfect; Jehovah's word is tried; He is a buckler to all who take refuge in Him.

31. For who is God beside Jehovah? and who a rock except our God?

32. The God who girdeth me with strength, and maketh perfect my way!

33. That maketh my feet as hinds'; and setteth me on my high places;

34. That traineth my hands for the war, so that a bow of bronze is bent by my arms.

35. Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, and Thy right hand upholdeth me; Thy condescension also maketh me great.

36. Thou makest room for my steps under me, so that my ankles have not wavered.

37. I pursue my enemies and overtake them; nor do I turn till they are made a full end.

38. I wound them so that they cannot rise:they fall under my feet.

39. For Thou girdest me with strength unto the war:Thou castest beneath me those that rise against me.

40. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; and them that hate me I cut off.

41. They cry for help, and none saveth; to Jehovah, and He answereth them not.

42. And I beat them as small as dust upon the wind, and as mire of the streets I pour them out.

43. Thou shalt deliver me from the contentions of the people, and Thou shalt set me for head of the Gentiles:a people I have not known shall serve me.

44. As soon as they hear they shall obey me:sons of the stranger, they lie unto me.

45. Sons of the stranger shall wither away, and be forced by fear out of their coverts.

46. Jehovah liveth, and blessed be my Rock! and exalted be the God of my salvation!

47. The God who giveth me vengeance, and subdueth the peoples under me;

48; That delivereth me from mine enemies:yea, Thou raisest me above those that rise against me; Thou rescuest me from the man of violence.

49. Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, Jehovah, among the Gentiles, and sing psalms unto Thy name.

50. He multiplieth salvations for His king, and showeth mercy unto His anointed, to David and his seed, forever.

Notes.-Ver. 1-3 give first the praise for the deliverance. 4-6, the Lord in His sorrows as in Gethsemane. 7-9 seem to blend the deliverance out of death of the Lord personally, and that of the people from Egypt.

20-27, the ground of deliverance in His personal righteousness.

28-42, power and victory in Him for them.

43-45, millennial rule of Christ.

46-50, closing praises.
The latter part of ver. 23 must be carefully guarded in any possible application of it to the Lord. Here, "my iniquity" could only be whatever would have been that to one in His position.