The prophet, in confidence, prays for God's favor, Psa 71:1-5; recounts God's kindness to him from youth to old age, Psa 71:6-9; shows what his adversaries plot against him, and prays for their confusion, Psa 71:10-13; promises fidelity, and determines to be a diligent preacher of righteousness even in old age, Psa 71:14-19; takes encouragement in God's mercy, and foresees the confusion of all his adversaries, Psa 71:20-24.
There is no title to this Psalm either in the Hebrew or Chaldee; and the reason is, it was written as a part of the preceding Psalm, as appears by about twenty-seven of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. The Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic, have, "A Psalm of David for the sons of Jonadab, and the first of those who were led captives." For the first, second, and third verses, see the notes on their parallels, Psa 31:1-3 (note).