My heart is fixed, O God - Margin, as in Hebrew, "prepared." Compare the notes at Psalm 51:10. The word "suited" or "prepared" accurately expresses the sense of the Hebrew, and it is so rendered in the Septuagint, (ἑτοίμη hetoimē); in the Vulgate, "paratum;" and by Luther, "bereit." The word is used, however, in the sense of "standing erect," Psalm 9:7; to "establish" or "strengthen," Psalm 89:4; Psalm 10:17; and hence, to be erect; to be firm, steady, constant, fixed. This seems to be the meaning here, as it is expressed in our common version. His heart was firm and decided. He did not waver in his purpose, or lean now to one side and then to the other; he was not "swayed" or "moved" by the events that had occurred. He felt conscious of standing firm in the midst of all his troubles. He confided in God. He did not doubt his justice, his goodness, his mercy; and, even in his trials, he was ready to praise him, and was "resolved" to praise him. The repetition of the word "fixed" gives emphasis and intensity to the expression, and is designed to show in the strongest manner that his heart, his purpose, his confidence in God, did not waver in the slightest degree.

I will sing and give praise - My heart shall confide in thee; my lips shall utter the language of praise. In all his troubles God was his refuge; in all, he found occasion for praise. So it should be the fixed and settled purpose of our hearts that we will at all times confide in God, and that in every situation in life we will render him praise.

My heart is fixed - My heart is prepared to do and suffer thy will. It is fixed - it has made the firmest purpose through his strength by which I can do all things.

My heart is fixed, O God,.... Firm and sure, trusting in the Lord, believing that he should be saved by him out of his troubles; see Psalm 101:1. So, in a spiritual sense, a heart fixed and established, or that is firm and sure, is one that is assured of its salvation by Christ, rooted and grounded in the love of God, firmly built on the foundation, Christ, and has its affections set on him; and is unmoved, from the hope of the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, by whatsoever it meets with in the world. It may be rendered, "my heart is prepared", or "ready" (r); that is, according to some, to receive good or evil, prosperity or adversity, at the hand of God; to which sense is Jarchi's note,

"my heart is faithful with thee in the measure of judgment, and it is faithful with thee in the measure of mercy.''

That is, whether I am chastised with judgments, or followed with mercies, my heart is firm and true to God. The Targum is,

"my heart is prepared for thy law, O Lord; my heart is prepared for thy fear;''

that is, it is prepared for the worship and service of God; it is ready to every good work; it is prepared to pray unto him, and to wait for an answer, which are both from the Lord, Proverbs 16:1; and particularly to sing praise unto him, as follows;

my heart is fixed; this is repeated, to show the vehemency of his spirit, and the certainty of the thing;

I will sing and give praise; for the salvation wrought for him, and which he was sure of; and before he had finished this psalm, or while he had composed it, did enjoy it.

(r) "paratum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people' I will sing unto thee among the nations.

10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

Psalm 57:7

"My heart is fixed." One would have thought he would have said, "My heart is fluttered;" but no, he is calm, firm, happy, resolute, established. When the central axle is secure, the whole wheel is right. If our great bower anchor holds, the ship cannot drive. "O God, my heart is fixed." I am resolved to trust thee, to serve thee, and to praise thee. Twice does he declare this to the glory of God who thus comforts the souls of his servants. Reader, it is surely well with thee, if thy once roving heart is now firmly fixed upon God and the proclamation of his glory. "I will sing and give praise." Vocally and instrumentally will I celebrate thy worship. With lip and with heart will I ascribe honour to thee. Satan shall not stop me, nor Saul, nor the Philistines. I will make Adullam ring with music, and all the caverns thereof echo with joyous song. Believer, make a firm decree that your soul in all seasons shall magnify the Lord.

"Sing, though sense and carnal reason

Fain would stop the joyful song:

Sing, and count it highest treason

For a saint to hold his tongue."

Psalm 57:8

"Awake up, my glory." Let the noblest powers of my nature bestir them-selves: the intellect which conceives thought, the tongue which expresses it, and the inspired imagination which beautifies it - let all be on the alert now that the hour for praise has come. "Awake, Psaltery and harp." Let all the music with which I am familiar be well attuned for the hallowed service of praise. "I myself will awake early." I will awake the dawn with my joyous notes. No sleepy verses and weary notes shall be heard from; I will thoroughly arouse myself for this high employ. When we are at our best we fall far short of the Lord's deserts, let us, therefore, make sure that what we bring him is our best, and, if marred with infirmity, at least let it not be deteriorated by indolence. Three times the Psalmist calls upon himself to awake. Do we need so much arousing, and for such work? Then let us not spare it, for the engagement is too honourable, too needful to be left undone or ill done for want of arousing ourselves.

Psalm 57:9

continued...

My heart is {h} fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: {i} I will sing and give praise.

(h) That is, wholly bent to give you praise for my deliverance.

(i) He shows that both his heart will praise God, and his tongue will confess him, and also he will use other means to provoke himself forward to the same.

57:7 Fixed - In a stedfast belief of thy promises.

fixed: or, prepared

7. I will . praise-both with voice and instrument.

57:7-11 By lively faith, David's prayers and complaints are at once turned into praises. His heart is fixed; it is prepared for every event, being stayed upon God. If by the grace of God we are brought into this even, composed frame of mind, we have great reason to be thankful. Nothing is done to purpose, in religion, unless it is done with the heart. The heart must be fixed for the duty, put in frame for it; fixed in the duty by close attention. Our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when praising God; dull and sleepy devotions will never be acceptable to God. Let us awake early in the morning, to begin the day with God; early in the beginning of a mercy. When God comes toward us with his favours, let us go forth to meet him with our praises. David desired to bring others to join in praising God; and in his psalms, he is still praising God among the people, singing to Him among the nations. Let us seek to have our hearts fixed to praise his boundless mercy and unfailing faithfulness; and to glorify him with body, soul, and spirit, which are his. Let us earnestly pray that the blessings of the gospel may be sent through every land.