Psalms 32:8

“I will instruct thee, etc.] Or “cause thee to understand” f474. These are by many thought to be the words of the Lord, who gives to a man an understanding of spiritual things; he instructs by his providence, and even by afflictive dispensations of providence; and by his word, which is written for the learning of men, and is profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness, and by the ministers of it, who are therefore called instructors in Christ; and by his Spirit, when he instructs effectually and to purpose; by him he instructs men in the knowledge of themselves, and of himself in Christ, and of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ; and leads into all truth as it…”

“Whether, as most likely, the language of David (compare Psa 51:13), or that of God, this is a promise of divine guidance. I will . . . mine eye--or, My eye shall be on thee, watching and directing thy way.”

“I will instruct thee - Many interpreters have understood this to refer to God - as if he were now introduced as speaking, and as saying that he would be the guide of those who thus submitted to him, and who sought him by penitence and confession. But it is more natural to regard the psalmist as still speaking, and referring to his own experience as qualifying him to give counsel to others, showing them how they might find peace, and with what views and feelings they should come before God if they wished to secure his favor. He had himself learned by painful experience, and after much delay, how the favor of God was to be obtained, and how deliverance from the distressing consciousness of…”

“I will - This and the next verse seems to be the words of God, whom David brings in as returning this answer to his prayers. Mine eye - So Christ did St. Peter, when he turned and looked upon him. Psalms 32:9”

“32:8 God interrupts the psalmist’s teaching with a message that invites the godly to receive the Lord’s wisdom (see 5:8; 23:3; 25:4-6).”

“instruct: Psa 34:11; Pro 3:1, Pro 4:1-13, Pro 8:10, Pro 8:11; Mat 11:29 I will guide: etc. Heb. I will counsel thee, mine eye shall be upon thee, Psa 25:9, Psa 25:10, Psa 33:18; Pro 3:5, Pro 3:6; Isa 49:10 Psalms 32:9”

“It is not Jahve, who here speaks in answer to the words that have been thus far addressed to Him. In this case the person addressed must be the poet, who, however, has already attained the knowledge here treated of. It is he himself who now directly adopts the tone of the teacher (cf. Psa 34:12). That which David, in Psa 51:15, promises to do, he here takes in hand, viz., the instruction of sinners in the way of salvation. It is unnecessary to read איעצך instead of איעצה, as Olshausen does; the suffix of אשׂכּילך and אורך (for אורך) avails also for this third verb, to which עליך עיני, equivalent to שׂם עליך עיני (fixing my eye upon thee, i.e., with sympathising love taking an interest in…”