I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,

“Nor was Mary less than was befitting the mother of Christ. When the apostles fled, she stood before the cross and with reverent gaze beheld her Son's wounds, for she awaited not her child's death but the world's salvation. Or perhaps that "regal chamber" knew that through her Son's death would be the world's redemption, and through her own death she thought she would give herself for the common good. But Jesus had no need of a helper in redeeming all, for he saved all without a helper. Therefore he says, "I have become as a man without help, free among the dead." Indeed, he received the devotion of his parent, but he did not seek another's aid.”

“Next, David made it clear that Christ would be buried when he said, "They have put me in the lowest pit in the dark places and in the shadow of death." Nor was David silent about the spices used on his shroud. Since the women brought myrrh, spice and cassia, hear what the prophet said: "Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh, spice and cassia, and with them the daughters of kings gladdened you in your honor." See how he also predicted that Christ would rise again. "You will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption." Isaiah expressed the same thing in a different way. For he said, "The Lord wishes to cleanse him from his wounds, to show him light, to justify the righteous one who has served many well."”

“Free among the dead,.... If he was a freeman, it was only among the dead, not among the living; if he was free of any city, it was of the city of the dead; he looked upon himself as a dead man, as one belonging to the state of the dead, who are free from all relations, and from all business and labour, and removed from all company and society; he thought himself quite neglected, of whom there was no more care and notice taken than of a dead man: like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more; in a providential way, as in life, to clothe them, and feed them, and protect and preserve them; in which sense God is said to be mindful of men, Psa 8:4, who when dead have no need to be minded, and remembered in such a manner; otherwise God does remember the dead, and takes care of their dust, and will raise them again; and especially he remembers his own people, those that sleep in Jesus, who will be thought of in the resurrection morn, and will be raised first, and brought with Christ; see Job 14:13, and they are cut off from thy hand; that is, the slain that lie in the grave, the dead that are buried there; these are cut off from the hand of Providence, they needing no supplies from thence as in the time of life. The Targum is, "and they are separated from the face of thy majesty.'' or "they are cut off by thine hand" (i); by the immediate hand of God, in a judicial way; so Christ in his death was like one of these, he was cut off in a judicial way, not for his own sins, but for the transgressions of his people, Isa 53:8. (i) "manu tua", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Amama.”