Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, it was a time when true piety was decreasing both in amount and in influence; FOR THE FAITHFUL FAIL FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF MEN, true loyalty and faithfulness having become exceedingly rare in the world, vanished, to all intents and purposes.... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAYER FOR GOD'S PROTECTION OF HIS CHURCH. This psalm again shows a prophetical strain; it is applicable throughout to the little flock, the poor, small crew of the Christian Church, in its many vicissitudes. Cf Acts 2:30. To the chief musician upon Sheminith, upon the octave, to be sung or played... [ Continue Reading ]
They, namely, men in general, the rank and file of people on earth, SPEAK VANITY EVERYONE WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, falsehood, lies, being the order of the day; WITH FLATTERING LIPS, without a shred of sincerity, AND WITH A DOUBLE HEART, both hypocritical and inconsistent, DO THEY SPEAK. Cf Hosea 4:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things, great and swelling words of boastfulness, utterly uprooting the whole kingdom of lies;... [ Continue Reading ]
who have said, With our tongues will we prevail, showing strength with them, believing themselves to be absolute masters of their words; OUR LIPS ARE OUR OWN, to formulate all the flattering speeches which they might choose to make; WHO IS LORD OVER US? Who would dare to interfere with their haughti... [ Continue Reading ]
For the oppression of the poor, those in misery and distress, FOR THE SIGHING OF THE NEEDY, NOW WILL I ARISE, SAITH THE LORD, as the almighty Avenger of wrong; I WILL SET HIM, the poor and downtrodden, IN SAFETY FROM HIM THAT PUFFETH AT HIM, with a gesture of proud disdain, or, "I will place him in... [ Continue Reading ]
The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, a workshop with its crucible surrounded with earth being in the poet's mind, PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES, to insure the highest possible degree of purity.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, namely, the believers, the faithful; THOU SHALT PRESERVE THEM FROM THIS GENERATION, from those pervaded with the wicked spirit of the age, FOREVER.... [ Continue Reading ]
The wicked walk on every side, their entire bearing showing the pride of their hearts, WHEN THE VILEST MEN ARE EXALTED, in accordance with the increase of vileness among the sons of men, that is, the more the Christians neglect to act as the salt of the earth, as the leaven in the perverse generatio... [ Continue Reading ]