When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
To weep and discipline the self by going without food is to humble oneself, for the soul here is the physical person who hungers and eats and is disciplined by abstaining from eating. Such devotion brings reproach from others, as deep sorrow and falling tears over zeal for the Lord and grief at opposition to God are mocked and turned to bitter shame. The words belong first to David yet prefigure the experience of Jesus when the sins of the world rested upon him in suffering, betrayal, condemnation and crucifixion, though the psalm applies partly to what stood immediately before the reader and partly to what was remote and not every verse transfers to him in the same literal way. Those whose history runs parallel to David's may take these reproaches upon themselves and pray these prayers when their circumstances call for them, sharing in Christ's triumph with assurance that God will hear.
Words and Sorrow Described
In this verse soul means the self, the physical person. To weep and chasten the soul with fasting is to humble oneself by going without food. This proves the soul is what hungers and eats and is disciplined by abstaining from eating. Such chastening of the soul with fasting was practiced by God's children and stands as proof that they have fasted.
The verse shows a sufferer sunk in deep sorrow and trembling fear whose weeping is turned into reproach. Bitter shame fills his aching heart. Even those who bear a brother's name fail to act as brothers, and enemies mock his falling tears. Thus humbling of self through fasting and weeping brings reproach from others, so that devotion itself becomes the ground of reproach.
The weeping turned to reproach is bitter grief over opposition to God and hatred toward the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the institution made and blessed and sanctified before sin entered, once the delight of God and man and now hated, spurned, and loaded with reproach while marriage is honored. The reproach falls on one ranked with thieves and murderers for believing the seventh day is the Sabbath. His very weeping becomes his reproach because it is borne for God's sake.
The weeping and fasting that becomes reproach belongs to the same experience as zeal for the Lord's house eating up the speaker and bearing the reproaches of those who reproach the Lord.
Prophecy of Christ Foretold
Psalm 69 is prophetic of Christ, with David's words prefiguring events and conditions in the Saviour's life. It describes an experience through which He passed when the sins of the world rested upon Him for humanity's sake. Its references to reproach and affliction belong to His suffering, betrayal, condemnation, and crucifixion. It stands as evidence that Christ experienced human suffering and infirmity.
The burden relates primarily to David and finally and antitypically to Christ, with portions quoted in the New Testament as fulfilled in Him. It applies literally to Christ as expressly stated, yet the whole psalm does not apply to Him in the same literal way throughout. A prophecy may apply partly to what is immediately before the reader and partly to what is remote. Not every verse transfers to Christ, since the confession of foolishness and sin in Psalm 69:5 cannot be applied to Him without making Him a sinner. Other portions were fulfilled in Him, such as the verse on zeal for the Lord's house eating up the speaker in verse 9 and the suffering at the crucifixion in verse 21.
The psalm belongs with the cursing psalms together with Psalm 109 and Psalm 137. Its severe tone does not show vindictive revenge contrary to a benevolent heart but reveals the sin-hating God who punishes sin. Like their other imprecations it is typical of tribulation on the enemies of the church and predictive, simply declarative of the retributive providence and justice of God. Taking individual histories that run parallel to David's as appropriated quotation is different from fulfillment of prediction, though both may be called fulfillment of Scripture but not in the same sense. By a contrary position held by some, the psalm is not a prediction but a simple record of David's experience and applies no more to Jesus than to anyone in the present day whose history is tangent to David's in certain points, such as being hated without a cause.
Believers Share Its Experience
The psalm that contains this weeping and fasting unto reproach is prophetic of Christ and sets forth an experience through which he passed. Its prayers are not confined to him, for they may also be prayed by God's children whenever their own circumstances call for them. Those who so pray do so with assurance that God will hear them. Christ's triumph in that experience becomes theirs as well.
The weeping and fasting that turns to reproach belongs with zeal for the Lord's house consuming the speaker and with bearing the reproaches of those who reproach the Lord. Christians whose personal history runs parallel to David's in these things may take those reproaches upon themselves just as David did. Such taking up of the words is appropriated quotation where individual histories run parallel, which is different from fulfillment of prediction. Both may be called fulfillment of Scripture, yet not in the same sense.
To weep and discipline the self by going without food is to humble oneself, for the soul here is the physical person who hungers and eats and is disciplined by abstaining from eating. Such devotion brings reproach from others, as deep sorrow and falling tears over zeal for the Lord and grief at opposition to God are mocked and turned to bitter shame. The words belong first to David yet prefigure the experience of Jesus when the sins of the world rested upon him in suffering, betrayal, condemnation and crucifixion, though the psalm applies partly to what stood immediately before the reader and partly to what was remote and not every verse transfers to him in the same literal way. Those whose history runs parallel to David's may take these reproaches upon themselves and pray these prayers when their circumstances call for them, sharing in Christ's triumph with assurance that God will hear.
Words and Sorrow Described
In this verse soul means the self, the physical person. To weep and chasten the soul with fasting is to humble oneself by going without food. This proves the soul is what hungers and eats and is disciplined by abstaining from eating. Such chastening of the soul with fasting was practiced by God's children and stands as proof that they have fasted.
The verse shows a sufferer sunk in deep sorrow and trembling fear whose weeping is turned into reproach. Bitter shame fills his aching heart. Even those who bear a brother's name fail to act as brothers, and enemies mock his falling tears. Thus humbling of self through fasting and weeping brings reproach from others, so that devotion itself becomes the ground of reproach.
The weeping turned to reproach is bitter grief over opposition to God and hatred toward the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the institution made and blessed and sanctified before sin entered, once the delight of God and man and now hated, spurned, and loaded with reproach while marriage is honored. The reproach falls on one ranked with thieves and murderers for believing the seventh day is the Sabbath. His very weeping becomes his reproach because it is borne for God's sake.
The weeping and fasting that becomes reproach belongs to the same experience as zeal for the Lord's house eating up the speaker and bearing the reproaches of those who reproach the Lord.
Prophecy of Christ Foretold
Psalm 69 is prophetic of Christ, with David's words prefiguring events and conditions in the Saviour's life. It describes an experience through which He passed when the sins of the world rested upon Him for humanity's sake. Its references to reproach and affliction belong to His suffering, betrayal, condemnation, and crucifixion. It stands as evidence that Christ experienced human suffering and infirmity.
The burden relates primarily to David and finally and antitypically to Christ, with portions quoted in the New Testament as fulfilled in Him. It applies literally to Christ as expressly stated, yet the whole psalm does not apply to Him in the same literal way throughout. A prophecy may apply partly to what is immediately before the reader and partly to what is remote. Not every verse transfers to Christ, since the confession of foolishness and sin in Psalm 69:5 cannot be applied to Him without making Him a sinner. Other portions were fulfilled in Him, such as the verse on zeal for the Lord's house eating up the speaker in verse 9 and the suffering at the crucifixion in verse 21.
The psalm belongs with the cursing psalms together with Psalm 109 and Psalm 137. Its severe tone does not show vindictive revenge contrary to a benevolent heart but reveals the sin-hating God who punishes sin. Like their other imprecations it is typical of tribulation on the enemies of the church and predictive, simply declarative of the retributive providence and justice of God. Taking individual histories that run parallel to David's as appropriated quotation is different from fulfillment of prediction, though both may be called fulfillment of Scripture but not in the same sense. By a contrary position held by some, the psalm is not a prediction but a simple record of David's experience and applies no more to Jesus than to anyone in the present day whose history is tangent to David's in certain points, such as being hated without a cause.
Believers Share Its Experience
The psalm that contains this weeping and fasting unto reproach is prophetic of Christ and sets forth an experience through which he passed. Its prayers are not confined to him, for they may also be prayed by God's children whenever their own circumstances call for them. Those who so pray do so with assurance that God will hear them. Christ's triumph in that experience becomes theirs as well.
The weeping and fasting that turns to reproach belongs with zeal for the Lord's house consuming the speaker and with bearing the reproaches of those who reproach the Lord. Christians whose personal history runs parallel to David's in these things may take those reproaches upon themselves just as David did. Such taking up of the words is appropriated quotation where individual histories run parallel, which is different from fulfillment of prediction. Both may be called fulfillment of Scripture, yet not in the same sense.