Psalms 69:28

Of the living; or, of life: either,

1. Of this life. Out of the number of living men; which anciently used to be written in catalogues, out of which the names of those who died were blotted. Or rather,

2. Of eternal life, as both Jewish and Christian interpreters commonly understand it; which agrees best,

1. To the use of this phrase in Scripture; for in this sense men are said to be written in the book, Daniel 12:1, or in God's book, Exodus 32:32, or in the book of life, Philippians 4:3 Revelation 3:5, Revelation 13:8 17:8 20:12 21:27.

2. To the last clause of the verse, which explains it of that book, wherein none but the righteous are written; whereas this life, and that attended with health and prosperity, is promiscuously given to and taken from good and bad men.

3. To the quality of the persons of whom this is said; which are the malicious enemies of God, and of his people, and the murderers of the Lord of glory, who shall be punished with eternal death. In this book men may be said to be written, either,

1. In reality, by God's election or predestination. Or,

2. In appearance, when a man is called by God to the profession and practice of the true religion, and into covenant with himself, and professeth to comply with it; and so is written in the writing of the house of Israel, which is said of all that are in the assembly of God's people, Ezekiel 13:9, and so seems to others, and it may be to himself, to be really written in the book of life. And when a man renounceth this profession and religion, he may be said to be blotted out of that book, because his apostacy makes it evident that he was not written in it, as he seemed to be. For this is a known and approved rule for the understanding of many texts of Scripture, that things are oft said to be done when they only seem to be done, and are not really done; as he is said to find his life,.Matthew 10:39, who falsely imagined that he did find it, when in truth he lost it; and to have, Matthew 13:12, who only seemed to have, as it is explained in the parallel place, Luke 8:18; and to live, Romans 7:9, when he vainly conceited himself to be alive. And in like manner men may be said to be written in or blotted out of this book, when they seem to be so by the course of their lives and actions. But that this blotting out is not meant properly and positively, is clear from the last branch of this verse; which, after the manner of these books, expounds the former, wherein this doubtful phrase is explained by one which is evident and unquestionable, even by his not being written in it; for it is impossible that a man's name should be properly blotted out of that book in which it was never written. The sense of the verse seems to be this, Let their wickedness be so notorious, and the tokens of God's wrath upon them so manifest, that all men may discern that they are blotted out; that is, that they never were written in the book of life, in which the righteous are written. With the righteous, i.e. in the book of life, in which all righteous or holy persons, and only they, are written; whereby it may appear that whatsoever show or profession they once made, yet they neither are nor were truly righteous persons.