This is a prayer in which David commits himself to the protection of
God. He does not, however, here implore the aid of God, in some
particular emergency, as he often does in other psalms, but he
beseeches him to show himself his protector during the whole course of
his life, and indeed our safety b... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Thou shalt say unto Jehovah. _David begins by stating that he can
bestow nothing upon God, not only because God stands in no need of any
thing, but also because mortal man cannot merit the favor of God by
any service which he can perform to him. At the same time, however, he
takes courage, and, a... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Unto the saints who are on the earth. _Almost all are agreed in
understanding this place, as if David, after the sentence which we
have just now been considering, had added, The only way of serving God
aright is to endeavor to do good to his holy servants. And the truth
is, that God, as our good... [ Continue Reading ]
The Psalmist now describes the true way of maintaining brotherly
concord with the saints, by declaring that he will have nothing to do
with unbelievers and the superstitious. We cannot be united into the
one body of the Church under God, if we do not break off all the bonds
of impiety, separate ours... [ Continue Reading ]
5._The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance. _Here the Psalmist
explains his sentiments more clearly. He shows the reason why he
separates himself from idolaters, and resolves to continue in the
church of God, why he shuns, with abhorrence, all participation in
their errors, and cleaves to the pu... [ Continue Reading ]
6._The lines _(325) _have fallen to me. _The Psalmist confirms more
fully what he had already said in the preceding verse with respect to
his resting, with a composed and tranquil mind, in God alone; or
rather, he so glories in God as nobly to despise all that the world
imagines to be excellent and... [ Continue Reading ]
Last of all, David confesses that it was entirely owing to the pure
grace of God that he had come to possess so great a good, and that he
had been made a partaker of it by faith. It would be of no advantage
to us for God to offer himself freely and graciously to us, if we did
not receive him by fait... [ Continue Reading ]
8._I have set Jehovah, etc. _The Psalmist again shows the firmness and
stability of his faith. To set God before us is nothing else than to
keep all our senses bound and captive, that they may not run out and
go astray after any other object. We must look to him with other eyes
than those of the fle... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Therefore my heart is glad. _In this verse the Psalmist commends
the inestimable fruit of faith, of which Scripture every where makes
mention, in that, by placing us under the protection of God, it makes
us not only to live in the enjoyment of mental tranquillity, but, what
is more, to live joyfu... [ Continue Reading ]
The Psalmist goes on to explain still more fully the preceding
doctrine, by declaring that as he is not afraid of death, there is
nothing wanting which is requisite to the completion of his joy.
Whence it follows, that no one truly trusts in God but he who takes
such hold of the salvation which God... [ Continue Reading ]
The Psalmist confirms the statement made in the preceding verse, and
explains the way in which God will exempt him from the bondage of
death, namely, by conducting and bringing him at length safely to the
possession of eternal life. Whence we again learn what I have already
observed, that this passa... [ Continue Reading ]