Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me - in beautiful contrast to Psalms 42:3, "My tears have been my meat day and night." The two clauses mutually complement one another - "The Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time (and so, since experienced loving-kindness generates praise in the recipient, his song shall be with me in the day-time), and in the night His song shall be with me" (even as He will command His loving-kindness to be with me in the night). Compare Psalms 92:1-2. "By day and by night" God gives me His consoling grace to counteract "my tears day and night;" so I am enabled by Him (such is the meaning of "His song") to exchange my tears for songs of praise both day and night. So Job 35:10, "God my maker ... giveth songs in the night." As a sample of such a song, cf. Psalms 40:3. So Paul and Silas in the prison "sang praises unto God at midnight" (Acts 16:25). And my prayer unto the God of my life. Prayer follows naturally praise for loving-kindness received. We are likely then to pray for further blessings most successfully when we acknowledge most gratefully those already received. The prayer itself is given in Psalms 42:9-10. He calls God 'the God of his life,' as being that character of God which he prays now to be manifested in his behalf, since sorrow has brought him well-nigh unto death. It answers to "My soul thirsteth for the living God" (Psalms 42:2).