TITLE AND SUBJECT. There is no title to
this psalm, but it is evidently a companion to the hundred and
eleventh, and, like it, it is an alphabetical psalm. Even in the
number of verses, and clauses of each verse, it coincides with
its predecessor, as also in many of its words and phrases. The
reader should carefully compare the two psalms line by line. The
subject of the poem before us is—the blessedness of the
righteous man, and so it bears the same relation to the
preceding which the moon does to the sun; for, while the first
declares the glory of God, the second speaks of the reflection
of the divine brightness in men born from above. God is here
praised for the manifestation of his glory which is seen in his
people, just as in the preceding psalm he was magnified for his
own personal acts. The hundred and eleventh speaks of the great
Father, and this describes his children renewed after his image.
The psalm cannot be viewed as the extolling of man, for it
commences with "Praise ye the Lord; "and it is
intended to give to God all the honour of his grace which is
manifested in the sons of God.
DIVISION. The subject is stated in the
first verse, and enlarged upon under several heads from 2 to 9.
The blessedness of the righteousness is set forth by contrast
with the fate of the ungodly in verse 10.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. Praise ye the LORD. This exhortation
is never given too often; the Lord always deserves praise, we
ought always to render it, we are frequently forgetful of it,
and it is always well to be stirred up to it. The exhortation is
addressed to all thoughtful persons who observe the way and
manner of life of men that fear the Lord. If there be any
virtue, if there be any praise, the Lord should have all the
glory of it, for we are his workmanship. Blessed is the man that
feareth the Lord. According to the last verse of Psalm 111, the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; this man,
therefore, has begun to be wise, and wisdom has brought him
present happiness, and secured him eternal felicity. Jehovah is
so great that he is to be feared and had in reverence of all
them that are round about him, and he is at the same time so
infinitely good that the fear is sweetened into filial love, and
becomes a delightful emotion, by no means engendering bondage.
There is a slavish fear which is accursed; but that godly fear
which leads to delight in the service of God is infinitely
blessed. Jehovah is to be praised both for inspiring men with
godly fear and for the blessedness which they enjoy in
consequence thereof. We ought to bless God for blessing any man,
and especially for setting the seal of his approbation upon the
godly. His favour towards the God fearing displays his character
and encourages gracious feelings in others, therefore let him be
praised. That delighteth greatly in his commandments. The man
not only studies the divine precepts and endeavours to observe
them, but rejoices to do so: holiness is his happiness, devotion
is his delight, truth is his treasure. He rejoices in the
precepts of godliness, yea, and delights greatly in them. We
have known hypocrites rejoice in the doctrines, but never in the
commandments. Ungodly men may in some measure obey the
commandments out of fear, but only a gracious man will observe
them with delight. Cheerful obedience is the only acceptable
obedience; he who obeys reluctantly is disobedient at heart, but
he who takes pleasure in the command is truly loyal. If through
divine grace we find ourselves described in these two sentences,
let us give all the praise to God, for he hath wrought all our
works in us, and the dispositions out of which they spring. Let
self righteous men praise themselves, but he who has been made
righteous by grace renders all the praise to the Lord.
Verse 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth,
that is to say, successive generations of God fearing men shall
be strong and influential in society, and in the latter days
they shall have dominion. The true seed of the righteous are
those who follow them in their virtues, even as believers are
the seed of Abraham, because they imitate his faith; and these
are the real heroes of their era, the truly great men among the
sons of Adam; their lives are sublime, and their power upon
their age is far greater than at first sight appears. If the
promise must be regarded as alluding to natural seed, it must be
understood as a general statement rather than a promise made to
every individual, for the children of the godly are not all
prosperous, nor all famous. Nevertheless, he who fears God, and
leads a holy life, is, as a rule, doing the best he can for the
future advancement of his house; no inheritance is equal to that
of an unblemished name, no legacy can excel the benediction of a
saint; and, taking matters for all in all, the children of the
righteous man commence life with greater advantages than others,
and are more likely to succeed in it, in the best and highest
sense. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. The race
of sincere, devout, righteous men, is kept up from age to age,
and ever abides under the blessing of God. The godly may be
persecuted, but they shall not be forsaken; the curses of men
cannot deprive them of the blessing of God, for the words of
Balaam are true, "He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse
it." Their children also are under the special care of
heaven, and as a rule it shall be found that they inherit the
divine blessing. Honesty and integrity are better cornerstones
for an honourable house than mere cunning and avarice, or even
talent and push. To fear God and to walk uprightly is a higher
nobility than blood or birth can bestow.
Verse 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house.
Understood literally this is rather a promise of the old
covenant than of the new, for many of the best of the people of
God are very poor; yet it has been found true that uprightness
is the road to success, and, all other things being equal, the
honest man is the rising man. Many are kept poor through knavery
and profligacy; but godliness hath the promise of the life that
now is. If we understand the passage spiritually it is
abundantly true. What wealth can equal that of the love of God?
What riches can rival a contented heart? It matters nothing that
the roof is thatched, and the floor is of cold stone: the heart
which is cheered with the favour of heaven is "rich to all
the intents of bliss." And his righteousness endureth for
ever. Often when gold comes in the gospel goes out; but it is
not so with the blessed man. Prosperity does not destroy the
holiness of his life, or the humility of his heart. His
character stands the test of examination, overcomes the
temptations of wealth, survives the assaults of slander,
outlives the afflictions of time, and endures the trial of the
last great day. The righteousness of a true saint endureth for
ever, because it springs from the same root as the righteousness
of God, and is, indeed, the reflection of it. So long as the
Lord abideth righteous he will maintain by his grace the
righteousness of his people. They shall hold on their way, and
wax stronger and stronger. There is also another righteousness
which belongs to the Lord's chosen, which is sure to endure for
ever, namely, the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus, which
is called "everlasting righteousness, "belonging as it
does to the Son of God himself, who is "the Lord our
righteousness."
Verse 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in
the darkness. He does not lean to injustice in order to ease
himself, but like a pillar stands erect, and he shall be found
so standing when the ungodly, who are as a bowing wall and a
tottering fence, shall lie in ruins. He will have his days of
darkness, he may be sick and sorry, poor and pining, as well as
others; his former riches may take to themselves wings and fly
away, while even his righteousness may be cruelly suspected;
thus the clouds may lower around him, but his gloom shall not
last for ever, the Lord will bring him light in due season, for
as surely as a good man's sun goes down it shall rise again. If
the darkness be caused by depression of spirit, the Holy Ghost
will comfort him; if by pecuniary loss or personal bereavement,
the presence of Christ shall be his solace; and if by the
cruelty and malignity of men, the sympathy of his Lord shall be
his support. It is as ordinary for the righteous to be comforted
as for the day to dawn. Wait for the light and it will surely
come; for even if our heavenly Father should in our last hours
put us to bed in the dark, we shall find it morning when we
awake. He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
This is spoken of God in the fourth verse of the hundred and
eleventh Psalm, and now the same words are used of his servant:
thus we are taught that when God makes a man upright, he makes
him like himself. We are at best but humble copies of the great
original; still we are copies, and because we are so we praise
the Lord, who hath created us anew in Christ Jesus. The upright
man is "gracious, "that is, full of kindness to
all around him; he is not sour and churlish, but he is courteous
to friends, kind to the needy, forgiving to the erring, and
earnest for the good of all. He is also "full of
compassion"; that is to say, he tenderly feels for
others, pities them, and as far as he can assists them in their
time of trouble. He does not need to be driven to benevolence,
he is brimful of humanity; it is his joy to sympathize with the
sorrowing. He is also said to be "righteous":
in all his transactions with his fellow men he obeys the
dictates of right, and none can say that he goes beyond or
defrauds his neighbour. His justice is, however, tempered with
compassion, and seasoned with graciousness. Such men are to be
found in our churches, and they are by no means so rare as the
censorious imagine; but at the same time they are far scarcer
than the breadth of profession might lead us to hope. Lord, make
us all to possess these admirable qualities.
Verse 5. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth.
Having passed beyond stern integrity into open handed
benevolence he looks kindly upon all around him, and finding
himself in circumstances which enable him to spare a little of
his wealth he lends judiciously where a loan will be of
permanent service. Providence has made him able to lend, and
grace makes him willing to lend. He is not a borrower, for God
has lifted him above that necessity; neither is he a hoarder,
for his new nature saves him from that temptation; but he wisely
uses the talents committed to him. He will guide his affairs
with discretion. Those who neglect their worldly business must
not plead religion as an excuse, for when a man is truly upright
he exercises great care in managing his accounts, in order that
he may remain so. It is sometimes hard to distinguish between
indiscretion and dishonesty; carelessness in business may become
almost as great an evil to others as actual knavery; a good man
should not only be upright, but he should be so discreet that no
one may have the slightest reason to suspect him of being
otherwise. When the righteous man lends he exercises prudence,
not risking his all, for fear he should not be able to lend
again, and not lending so very little that the loan is of no
service. He drives his affairs, and does not allow them to drive
him; his accounts are straight and clear, his plans are wisely
laid, and his modes of operation carefully selected. He is
prudent, thrifty, economical, sensible, judicious, discreet. Men
call him a fool for his religion, but they do not find him so
when they come to deal with him. "The beginning of
wisdom" has made him wise, the guidance of heaven has
taught him to guide his affairs, and with half an eye one can
see that he is a man of sound sense. Such persons greatly
commend godliness. Alas, some professedly good men act as if
they had taken leave of their senses; this is not religion, but
stupidity. True religion is sanctified common sense. Attention
to the things of heaven does not necessitate the neglect of the
affairs of earth; on the contrary, he who has learned how to
transact business with God ought to be best able to do business
with men. The children of this world often are in their
generation wiser than the children of light, but there is no
reason why this proverb should continue to be true.
Verse 6. Surely he shall not be moved for ever.
God has rooted and established him so that neither men nor
devils shall sweep him from his place. His prosperity shall be
permanent, and not like that of the gambler and the cheat, whose
gains are evanescent: his reputation shall be bright and
lustrous from year to year, for it is not a mere pretence; his
home shall be permanent, and he shall not need to wander from
place to place as a bird that wanders from her nest; and even
his memory shall be abiding, for a good man is not soon
forgotten, and the righteous shall be in everlasting
remembrance. They are of a most ancient family, and not
mushrooms of an hour, and their grand old stock shall be found
flourishing when all the proud houses of ungodly men shall have
faded into nothing. The righteous are worth remembering, their
actions are of the kind which record themselves, and God himself
takes charge of their memorials. None of us likes the idea of
being forgotten, and yet the only way to avoid it is to be
righteous before God.
Verse 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings.
He shall have no dread that evil tidings will come, and he shall
not be alarmed when they do come. Rumours and reports he
despises; prophecies of evil, vented by fanatical mouths, he
ridicules; actual and verified information of loss and distress
he bears with equanimity, resigning everything into the hands of
God. His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. He is neither
fickle nor cowardly; when he is undecided as to his course he is
still fixed in heart: he may change his plan, but not the
purpose of his soul. His heart being fixed in solid reliance
upon God, a change in his circumstances but slightly affects
him; faith has made him firm and steadfast, and therefore if the
worst should come to the worst, he would remain quiet and
patient, waiting for the salvation of God.
Verse 8. His heart is established. His love to
God is deep and true, his confidence in God is firm and unmoved;
his courage has a firm foundation, and is supported by
Omnipotence. He has become settled by experience, and confirmed
by years. He is not a rolling stone, but a pillar in the house
of the Lord. He shall not be afraid. He is ready to face any
adversary—a holy heart gives a brave face. Until he see his
desire upon his enemies. All through the conflict, even till he
seizes the victory, he is devoid of fear. When the battle
wavers, and the result seems doubtful, he nevertheless believes
in God, and is a stranger to dismay. Grace makes him desire his
enemies' good: though nature leads him to wish to see justice
done to his cause, he does not desire for those who injure him
anything by way of private revenge.
Verse 9. He hath dispersed, he hath given, to the
poor. What he received, he distributed; and distributed to
those who most needed it. He was God's reservoir, and forth from
his abundance flowed streams of liberality to supply the needy.
If this be one of the marks of a man who feareth the Lord, there
are some who are strangely destitute of it. They are great at
gathering, but very slow at dispersing; they enjoy the
blessedness of receiving, but seldom taste the greater joy of
giving. "It is more blessed to give than to
receive"—perhaps they think that the blessing of
receiving is enough for them. His righteousness endureth for
ever. His liberality has salted his righteousness, proved its
reality, and secured its perpetuity. This is the second time
that we have this remarkable sentence applied to the godly man,
and it must be understood as resulting from the enduring mercy
of the Lord. The character of a righteous man is not spasmodic,
he is not generous by fits and starts, nor upright in a few
points only; his life is the result of principle, his actions
flow from settled, sure, and fixed convictions, and therefore
his integrity is maintained when others fail. He is not turned
about by companions, nor affected by the customs of society; he
is resolute, determined, and immovable. His horn shall be
exalted with honour. God shall honour him, the universe of holy
beings shall honour him, and even the wicked shall feel an
unconscious reverence of him. Let it be observed, in summing up
the qualities of the God fearing man, that he is described not
merely as righteous, but as one bearing the character to which
Paul refers in the memorable verse, "For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die." Kindness, benevolence, and
generosity, are essential to the perfect character; to be
strictly just is not enough, for God is love, and we must love
our neighbour as ourselves: to give every one his due is not
sufficient, we must act upon those same principles of grace
which reign in the heart of God. The promises of establishment
and prosperity are not to churlish Nabals, nor to niggard Labans,
but to bountiful souls who have proved their fitness to be
stewards of the Lord by the right way in which they use their
substance.
Verse 10. The tenth and last verse sets forth very
forcibly the contrast between the righteous and the ungodly,
thus making the blessedness of the godly appear all the more
remarkable. Usually we see Ebal and Gerizim, the blessing and
the curse, set the one over against the other, to invest both
with the greater solemnity. The wicked shall see it, and be
grieved. The ungodly shall first see the example of the saints
to their own condemnation, and shall at last behold the
happiness of the godly and to the increase of their eternal
misery. The child of wrath shall be obliged to witness the
blessedness of the righteous, though the sight shall make him
gnaw his own heart. He shall fret and fume, lament and wax
angry, but he shall not be able to prevent it, for God's
blessing is sure and effectual. He shall gnash with his teeth.
Being very wrathful, and exceedingly envious, he would fain
grind the righteous between his teeth; but as he cannot do that,
he grinds his teeth against each other.
And melt away. The heat of his passion shall melt him like
wax, and the sun of God's providence shall dissolve him like
snow, and at the last the fire of divine vengeance shall consume
him as the fat of rams. How horrible must that life be which
like the snail melts as it proceeds, leaving a slimy trail
behind. Those who are grieved at goodness deserve to be worn
away by such an abominable sorrow. The desire of the wicked
shall perish. He shall not achieve his purpose, he shall die a
disappointed man. By wickedness he hoped to accomplish his
purpose—that very wickedness shall be his defeat. While the
righteous shall endure for ever, and their memory shall be
always green; the ungodly man and his name shall rot from off
the face of the earth. He desired to be the founder of a family,
and to be remembered as some great one: he shall pass away and
his name shall die with him. How wide is the gulf which
separates the righteous from the wicked, and how different are
the portions which the Lord deals out to them. O for grace to be
blessed of the Lord! This will make us praise him with our whole
heart.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. The hundred and eleventh and the hundred
and twelfth psalms, two very short poems, dating apparently from
the latest age of inspired psalmody, present such features of
resemblance as to leave no doubt that they came from the same
pen. In structure they are identical; and this superficial
resemblance is designed to call attention to something deeper
and more important. The subject of the one is the exact
counterpart of the subject of the other. The first celebrates
the character and works of God; the second, the character and
felicity of the godly man.—William Binnie.
Whole Psalm. Here are rehearsed the blessings which
God is wont to bestow on the godly. And as in the previous Psalm
the praises of God were directly celebrated, so in this Psalm
they are indirectly declared by those gifts which are
conspicuous in those who fear him.—Solomon Gesner.
Whole Psalm. This psalm is a banquet of heavenly
wisdom; and as Basil speaketh of another part of Scripture,
likening it to an apothecary's shop; so may this book of the
psalms fitly be compared; in which are so many sundry sorts of
medicines, that every man may have that which is convenient for
his disease.—T. S., 1621.
Whole Psalm. The righteousness of the Mediator, I make
no doubt, is celebrated in this psalm; for surely that alone is
worthy to be extolled in songs of praise: especially since we
are taught by the Holy Ghost to say, "I will make mention
of thy righteousness, even of thine only." I conclude,
therefore, that in this alphabetical psalm, for such is its
construction, Christ is "the Alpha and the Omega."—John
Fry.
Verse 1. This psalm is a praising of God for blessing
the believer, and the whole Psalm doth prove that the believer
is blessed: which proposition is set down in verse 1, and
confirmed with as many reasons as there are verses following.
Whence learn,
1. Albeit, in singing of certain psalms, or parts thereof,
there be nothing directly spoken of the Lord, or to the Lord,
yet he is praised when his truth is our song, or when his works
and doctrine are our song; as here it is said, Praise ye the
Lord, and then in the following verses the blessedness of
the believer taketh up all the psalm.
2. It is the Lord's praise that his servants are the only
blessed people in the world. Praise ye the Lord. Why?
because Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.
3. He is not the blessed man who is most observant to catch
opportunities to have pleasure, profit, and worldly preferment,
and careth not how he cometh by them: but he is the blessed man
who is most observant of God's will, and careful to follow
it.—David Dickson.
Verse 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.
It is not said simply, "Blessed is the man who fears":
for there is a fear which of itself produces misery and
wretchedness rather than happiness. It has to do, therefore,
chiefly with what is feared. To fear when it is not becoming,
and not to fear when fear is proper, these are not blessedness
for a man, but misery and wretchedness. The prophet, therefore,
says rightly, "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord":and
in the 7th and 8th verses he says of this blessed one that he
shall not be afraid of evil tidings. Therefore, he who fears God
and, according to the exhortation of Christ, does not fear those
who can kill the body, he truly may be numbered among the
blessed.—Wolfgang Musculus.
Verse 1. Feareth the Lord. Filial fear is here
intended. Whereby we are both restrained from evil, Pr 3:7; and
incited unto well doing, Ec 12:13; and whereof God alone is the
author, Jer 32:39-40; A duty required of every one, Ps 33:8;
Early, 1Ki 18:12; Only, Lu 12:5; Continually, Pr 23:17; With
confidence, Ps 115:11; With joyfulness, Ps 119:74; With
thankfulness, Re 19:5.—Thomas Wilson, in "A Complete
Christian Dictionary," 1661.
Verse 1. That delighteth greatly in his
commandments. The Hebrew word Upx, chaphets, is
rather emphatic, which is, as it were, to take his pleasure,
and I have rendered it to delight himself. For the
prophet makes a distinction between a willing and prompt
endeavour to keep the law, and that which consists in mere
servile and constrained obedience.—John Calvin.
Verse 1. That delighteth greatly in his
commandments—defining what constitutes the true "fear
of the Lord, "which was termed "the beginning of
wisdom, "Ps 111:10. He who hath this true "fear" delights
(Ps 111:2) not merely in the theory, but in the practice of all
"the Lord's commandments." Such fear, so far from
being a "hard" service, is the only
"blessed" one (Jer 32:39). Compare the Gospel
commandments, 1Jo 3:23-24 Ps 112:3. True obedience is not task
work, as formalists regard religion, but a "delight"
(Ps 1:2). Worldly delights, which made piety irksome, are
supplanted by the newborn delight in and taste for the will and
ways of God (Ps 19:7-10).—A. R. Fausset.
Verse 1. In his commandments. When we
cheerfully practice all that the Lord requireth of us, love
sweetens all things, and it becomes our meat and drink to do his
will. The thing commanded is excellent, but it is sweeter
because commanded by him—"his
commandments." A man is never thoroughly converted till he
delighteth in God and his service, and his heart is overpowered
by the sweetness of divine love. A slavish kind of
religiousness, when we had rather not do than do our work, is no
fruit of grace, and cannot evidence a sincere love.—Thomas
Manton.
Verse 2. His seed. If any one should desire to
leave behind him a flourishing posterity, let him not think to
accomplish it by accumulating heaps of gold and silver, and
leaving them behind him; but by rightly recognising God and
serving Him; and commending his children to the guardianship and
protection of God.—Mollerus.
Verse 2. The generation of the upright—the
family; the children—shall be blessed. Such promises
are expected to be fulfilled in general;it is not
required by any proper rules of interpreting language that this
should be universally and always true.—Albert Barnes.
Verse 2. The generation of the upright shall be
blessed. Albeit, few do believe it, yet is it true, that
upright dealing hath better fruits than witty projecting and
cunning catching.—David Dickson.
Verses 2-3. It is probable that Lot thought of
enriching his family when he chose the fertile plains of wicked
Sodom, yet the event was very different; but Abraham
"feared the Lord, and delighted greatly in his
commandments, "and his descendants were "mighty
upon earth." And thus it will generally be, in every
age, with the posterity of those who imitate the father of the
faithful; and their disinterested and liberal conduct shall
prove, in the event, a far preferable inheritance laid up for
their children, than gold and silver, houses and lands, would
have been.—Thomas Scott.
Verse 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house,
and his righteousness endureth for ever. He is not the worse
for his wealth, nor drawn aside by the deceitfulness of riches,
which yet is hard and happy.—John Trapp.
Verse 3. In the lower sense, we may read these words
literally of abundant wealth bestowed on the righteous by God,
and used, not for pride and luxury, but for continual works of
mercy, whence it is said of the person so enriched, that his
righteousness endureth for ever. But the higher meaning bids us
see here those true spiritual riches which are stored up for the
poor in spirit, often most needy in the prosperity of the world;
and we may come at the truest sense by comparing the words
wherein the great apostle describes his own condition, "As
poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet
possessing all things." 2Co 6:10. For who can be richer
than he who is heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ?—Agellius,
Chrysostom, and Didymus, in Neale and Littledale.
Verse 3. His righteousness endureth for ever.
It seems a bold thing to say this of anything human, and yet it
is true; for all human righteousness has its root in the
righteousness of God. It is not merely man striving to copy God.
It is God's gift and God's work. There is a living connexion
between the righteousness of God and the righteousness of man,
and therefore the imperishableness of the one appertains to the
other also. Hence the same thing is affirmed here of the human
righteousness which in Ps 111:3 is affirmed of the Divine.—J.
J. S. Perowne.
Verse 3. His righteousness endureth for ever.
We are justified before God by faith only: Ro 3:4: but they are
righteous before men, who live honestly, piously, humbly, as the
law of God requires. Concerning this righteousness the Psalmist
says that it endureth for ever, while the feigned and simulated
uprightness of hypocrites is abominable before God, and with men
speedily passes away.—Solomon Gesner.
Verse 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in
the darkness. The arising of light out of darkness, although
one of the most common, is one of the most beautiful, as it is
one of the most beneficent natural phenomena. The sunrise is a
daily victory of light over darkness. Every morning the darkness
flees away. Heavy sleepers in the city are not apt to be very
well acquainted with the rising sun. They know the tender
beauties of the dawning, and the glories of sunrise by poetical
description, or by the word of others. The light has fully come,
and the day has long begun its work, especially if it be summer
time, before ordinary citizens are awake; and, unless on some
rare occasions, the millions of men who, every day, see more or
less the fading of the light into the dark, never see the rising
of the light out of the dark again; and, perhaps, seldom or
never think with what thankfulness and joy it is hailed by those
who need it—by the sailor, tempest tossed all night, and
driven too near the sandbank or the shore; by the benighted
traveller lost in the wood, or in the wild, who knows not south
from north until the sun shall rise; by the night watcher in the
sick room, who hears, and weeps to hear, through the weary
night, the moaning of that old refrain of sorrow, "Would
God it were morning!" What intensity of sorrow, fear, hope,
there may be in that expression, "more than they that watch
for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the
morning"! Now I make no doubt that there is at least
somewhat of that more intense meaning carried up into the higher
region of spiritual experience, and expressed by the text,
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the
darkness." ...Sincerity: an honest desire to know the
truth: readiness to make any sacrifice in order to the
knowledge: obedience to the truth so far as it is known
already—these will bring the light when nothing else will
bring it.—Alexander Raleigh, in "The Little Sanctuary
and other Meditations," 1872.
Verse 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in
the darkness. The great lesson taught by this simile is the
connection which obtains between integrity of purpose and
clearness of perception, insomuch that a duteous conformity to
what is right, is generally followed up by a ready and luminous
discernment of what is true. It tells us that if we have but
grace to do as we ought, we shall be made to see as we ought. It
is a lesson repeatedly affirmed in Scripture, and that in
various places both of the Old and New Testament: "The path
of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more
unto the perfect day"; "The righteousness of the
upright shall deliver them"; "Light is sown for the
righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart"; or still
more specifically, "To him that ordereth his conversation
aright will I shew the salvation of God."—Thomas
Chalmers, 1780-1847.
Verse 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in
the darkness: that is, comfort in affliction. He hath
comforted others in affliction, and been light to them in their
darkness, as is showed in the latter end of the fourth verse,
and in the fifth, and therefore by way of gracious retaliation,
the Lord will comfort him in his affliction, and command the
light to rise upon him in his darkness.—Joseph Caryl.
Verse 4. Light. Darkness. While we are on
earth, we are subject to a threefold "darkness";
the darkness of error, the darkness of sorrow, and the darkness
of death. To dispel these, God visiteth us, by his Word, with a
threefold "light"; the light of truth, the
light of comfort, and the light of life.—George Horne.
Verse 4. Gracious, and full of compassion, and
righteous—attributes usually applied to God, but
here said of "the upright." The children of
God, knowing in their own experience that God our Father is "gracious,
full of compassion, and righteous, "seek themselves to
be the same towards their fellow- men from instinctive imitation
of him (Mt 5:45,48; Eph 5:8; Lu 6:36).—A. R. Fausset.
Verse 5. A good man sheweth favour, etc.
Consider that power to do good is a dangerous ability, unless we
use it. Remember that it is God who giveth wealth, and that he
expects some answerable return of it. Live not in such an
inhuman manner as if Nabal and Judas were come again into the
world. Think frequently and warmly of the love of God and Jesus
to you. You will not deny your crumbs to the miserable, when you
thankfully call to mind that Christ gave for you his very flesh
and blood. Consider as one great end of poverty is patience, so
one great end of wealth is charity. Think how honourable it is
to make a present to the great King of the world; and what a
condescension it is in his all sufficiency to do that good by
us, which he could so abundantly do without us.—Thomas
Tenison, 1636-1715.
Verse 5. Lendeth. The original word here, hwl, lavah,
means to join oneself to any one; to cleave to him; then to form
the union which is constituted between debtor and creditor,
borrower and lender. Here it is used in the latter sense, and it
means that a good man will accommodate another—a neighbour—with
money, or with articles to be used temporarily and returned
again. A man who always borrows is not a desirable neighbour;
but a man who never lends—who never is willing to
accommodate—is a neighbour that no one would wish to live
near—a crooked, perverse, bad man. True religion will always
dispose a man to do acts of kindness in any and every way
possible.—Albert Barnes.
Verse 5. Charity though it springs in the heart should
be guided by the head, that it may spread itself abroad to the
best advantage. He will guide his affairs with discretion, and
no affairs are so properly the good man's own as the
dispensation and stewardship of those blessings which God has
entrusted him with, for "it is required in stewards that a
man be found faithful."—Michael Cox, 1748.
Verse 5. He will guide his affairs with discretion.
Just as a steward, servant, or agent in any secular concern has
to feel that his mind is his master's, as well as his hands, and
that his attention, thought, tact, and talent, should be
vigorously and faithfully given to the interests of his
employer; so the Christian stewardship of money, demands on the
part of God's servant, in respect to every form of its use and
disposal, the exercise of reflection; a reference to conscience;
the recollection of responsibility to God; attention to the
appeals of humanity as addressed to the ear of justice and love.
Everything is to be weighed as in the balance of the sanctuary;
a decision formed; and then energy, skill, schemes, and plans
wisely constructed, prudential limitations or beneficent
liberality as may seem best. Spending, saving, giving, or
lending, all being done so as best to meet what may be felt to
be the Master's will, and what may best evince at once the
wisdom and the fidelity of his servant.—Thomas Binney, in
"Money: a Popular Exposition in Rough Notes,"
1865.
Verse 5. Discretion. There is a story,
concerning divers ancient Fathers, that they came to St.
Anthony, enquiring of him, what virtue did by a direct line lead
to perfection, that so a man might shun the snares of Satan. He
bade every one of them speak his opinion; one said, watching and
sobriety; another said, fasting and discipline; a third said,
humble prayer; a fourth said, poverty and obedience; and
another, piety and works of mercy; but when every one had spoken
his mind, his answer was, That all these were excellent graces
indeed, but discretion was the chief of them all. And so beyond
doubt it is; being the very Auriga virtutum, the guide of
all virtuous and religious actions, the moderator and orderer of
all the affections; for whatsoever is done with it is virtue,
and what without it is vice. An ounce of discretion is said to
be worth a pound of learning. As zeal without knowledge is
blind, so knowledge without discretion is lame, like a sword in
a madman's hand, able to do much, apt to do nothing. Tolle
hanc et virtus vitium erit. He that will fast must fast with
discretion, he must so mortify that he does not kill his flesh;
he that gives alms to the poor, must do it with discretion, Omni
petenti non omnia petenti—to every one that doth ask, but
not everything that he doth ask; so likewise pray with
discretion, observing place and time; place, lest he be reputed
a hypocrite; time, lest he be accounted a heretic. Thus it is
that discretion is to be made the guide of all religious
performances.—Quoted by John Spencer, 1658.
Verse 6. What doth the text say? The righteous (that
is the bountiful) shall be in everlasting remembrance.
God remembers our good deeds, when he rewards them (as he does
our prayers, when he hears them). If to remember, then, be to
reward, an everlasting reward is our everlasting remembrance...
Now in those who are to be partakers of mercy, the divine wisdom
requires this congruity, that they be such as have been ready to
show mercy to others.—Joseph Mede, 1586-1638.
Verse 6. The righteous shall be in everlasting
remembrance. The stately and durable pyramids of Egypt have
not transmitted to posterity even the names of those buried in
them. And what has even embalming done, but tossed them about,
and exposed them to all the world as spectacles to the curious,
of meanness, or horror? But the piety of Abraham, of Jacob, of
David and Samuel, of Hezekiah, Josiah and others, is celebrated
to this very day. So when pyramids shall sink, and seas cease to
roll, when sun and moon and stars shall be no more, "the
righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."—John
Dun, 1790.
Verse 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings.
How can you affright him? Bring him word his estate is ruined;
"yet my inheritance is safe, "says he. Your wife, or
child, or dear friend is dead; "yet my Father lives."
You yourself must die; "well, then, I go home to my Father,
and to my inheritance." For the public troubles of the
Church, doubtless it is both a most pious and generous temper,
to be more deeply affected for these than for all our private
ones; and to sympathise in the common calamities of any people,
but especially of God's own people, hath been the character of
men near unto him. Observe the pathetic strains of the prophet's
bewailing, when he foretells the desolation even of foreign
kingdoms, much more of the Lord's chosen people, still mindful
of Sion, and mournful of her distresses. (Jer 9:1, and the whole
Book of Lamentations.) Yet even in this, with much compassion,
there is a calm in a believer's mind; he finds amidst all hard
news, yet still a fixed heart, trusting, satisfied in this, that
deliverance shall come in due time, Ps 102:13, and that in those
judgments that are inflicted, man shall be humbled and God
exalted, Isa 2:11,15,16; and that in all tumults and changes,
and subversion of states, still the throne of God is fixed, and
with that the believer's heart likewise, Ps 93:2. So Ps
29:10.—Robert Leighton.
Verse 7. He shall not be afraid, etc. If a man
would lead a happy life, let him but seek a sure object for his
trust, and he shall be safe: He shall not be afraid of evil
tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. A
man that puts his confidence in God, if he hears bad news of
mischief coming towards him, as suppose a bad debt, a loss at
sea, accidents by fire, tempests, or earthquakes, as Job had his
messenger's of evil tidings, which came thick and threefold upon
him, yet he is not afraid, for his heart is fixed on God: he
hath laid up his confidence in God, therefore his heart is kept
in an equal poise; he can say, as Job, "The Lord gave, and
the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,
"Job 1:21. His comforts did not ebb and flow with the
creature, but his heart was fixed, trusting in the Lord.—Thomas
Manton.
Verse 7 (first clause). The good man will not be
alarmed by any report of danger, whilst the dishonest man,
conscious of his wickedness, is always in a state of fear.—George
Phillips.
Verse 7. His heart is fixed, or prepared,
ready, and in arms for all services; resolved not to give back,
able to meet all adventures, and stand its ground. God is
unchangeable; and therefore faith is invincible, for it sets the
heart on him; fastens it there on the rock of eternity; then let
winds blow and storms arise, it cares not.—Robert Leighton.
Verse 7. His heart is fixed—established
fearlessly. So Moses, with the Red Sea before and the Egyptian
foes behind (Ex 14:13); Jehoshaphat before the Ammonite horde of
invaders (2Ch 20:12,15,17); Asa before Zerah, the Ethiopian's
"thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots" (2Ch
14:9-12). Contrast with the persecuted David's fearless trust,
Saul's panic stricken feeling at the Philistine invasion,
inasmuch as he repaired for help to a witch. How bold were the
three youths in prospect of Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace! How
fearless Stephen before the council! Basilius could say, in
answer to the threats of Caesar Valens, "such bug bears
should be set before children." Athanasius said of Julian,
his persecutor, "He is a mist that will soon
disappear."—A. R. Fausset.
Verse 7. Trusting in the Lord, I need not prove
that a man can have no other sure comfort and support. For what
can he confide in? His treasure? This may soon be
exhausted, or it may awaken the avarice or ambition of a
powerful enemy, as Hezekiah's did the king of Babylon, and so
instead of being a defence, prove the occasion of his ruin. Can
he confide in power? Alas, he knows that when this is
grown too big to fall by any other hands, it generally falls by
its own. Can he finally confide in worldly wisdom? Alas,
a thousand unexpected accidents, and unobserved latent
circumstances, cross and frustrate this, and render the
Ahithophels not only unfortunate, but often contemptible too.—Richard
Lucas, 1648-1715.
Verse 8. His heart is established. Happy
surely, is the man whose heart is thus established. Others may
be politic, he only is wise; others may be fortunate, he only is
great; others may drink deeper draughts of sensual pleasure, he
only can eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God. He is an image of that great Being whom he
trusts...and in the midst of storms, and thunders, and
earthquakes sits himself serene and undisturbed, bidding the
prostrate world adore the Lord of the universe.—George
Gleig, 1803.
Verse 8. Until he see his desire upon his enemies.
His faith will not fail, nor shrink, nor change, while one by
one his enemies are brought to the knowledge of the truth and
the love of Christ, and he shall see his heart's desire
fulfilled upon them, even that they may be saved.—Plain
Commentary.
Verse 8. Until he see his desire upon his enemies.
Or, according to the original, Until he looks upon his
oppressors; that is, till he behold them securely, and, as
we say, confidently looks in their faces; as being now no longer
under their power, but being freed from their tyranny and
oppression.—Thomas Fenton.
Verse 9. When all the flashes of sensual pleasure are
quite extinct, when all the flowers of secular glory are
withered away; when all earthly treasures are buried in
darkness; when this world, and all the fashion of it, are
utterly vanished and gone, the bountiful man's state will be
still firm and flourishing, and "his righteousness shall
endure for ever." His horn shall be exalted with honour.
A horn is an emblem of power; for it is the beast's
strength, offensive and defensive: and of plenty, for it
hath within it a capacity apt to contain what is put into it;
and of sanctity, for in it was put the holy oil, with
which kings were consecrated; and of dignity, both in
consequence upon the reasons mentioned (as denoting might, and
influence, and sacredness accompanying sovereign dignity) and
because also it is an especial beauty and ornament to the
creature which hath it; so that this expression, "his
horn shall be exalted with honour, "may be supposed to
import that an abundance of high, and holy, of firm and solid
honour shall attend upon the bountiful person ... God will thus
exalt the bountiful man's horn even here in this world, and to
an infinitely higher pitch he will advance it in a future
state.—Isaac Barrow, 1630-1677.
Verse 9. For ever. The Hebrew phrase in this
text is not Mlwel, in seculum, which is sometimes used of
a limited eternity, but del, in eternum, which seems more
expressive of an endless duration, and is the very same phrase
whereby the duration of God's righteousness is expressed in the
foregoing psalm at the third verse.—William Berriman,
1688-1749.
Verses 9-10. These words are an enlargement of the
character, begun at the first verse, of the blessed man that
feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
The author closes that character with an amiable description of
his charity, and so leaves on our minds a strong impression,
that benevolence of heart when displayed in the benefaction of
the hand is the surest mark and fairest accomplishment of a
moral and religious mind; which, whether it rewards the worthy,
or relieves the unworthy object, is the noblest imitation of the
dealings of God with mankind. For he rewardeth the good if any
can be called so but himself, (though the name good is
but God spread out). He beareth even with the wicked and
stretcheth out his hand to save even them.—Michael Cox.
Verse 10. The wicked. The word evr, the
wicked, is used emphatically, by the Jews, to denote him who
neither gives to the poor himself, nor can endure to see other
people give; while he who deserves but one part of this
character is only said to have an evil eye in regard of other
people's substance, or in regard of his own.—Mishna.
Verse 10. The wicked shall see it and be grieved,
etc. The sight of Christ in glory with his saints, will, in an
inexpressible manner torment the crucifiers of the one, and the
persecutors of the other; as it will show them the hopes and
wishes of their adversaries all granted to the full, and all
their own "desires" and designs for ever at an end; it
will excite envy which must prey upon itself, produce a grief
which can admit of no comfort, give birth to a worm which can
never die, and blow up those fires which nothing can quench.—George
Horne.
Verse 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved,
etc. It is the property of the Devil, not to mistake the nature
of virtue, and esteem it criminal, but to hate it for this
reason, because it is good, and therefore most opposite to his
designs. The wicked, as his proper emissaries, resemble him in
this, and grieve to have the foulness of their vices made
conspicuous by being placed near the light of virtuous
example...They may, like the giants of ancient fable, attempt a
romantic war with heaven; but all their preparations for that
purpose must recoil with double force upon themselves, and cover
them with shame and confusion...If such be the effect of their
malice in the present life, that, instead of injuring those they
rage against, it usually turns to their own vexation, how much
more, when the scene shall open in the life to come... They
shall continue then to gnash their teeth (the wretched amusement
of that cursed state) as well in grief and anguish for their own
torments, as in rage and envy at the abundant honour which is
done the saints.—William Berriman.
Verse 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved;
that is, he shall have secret indignation in himself to see
matters go so; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away.
Gnashing of teeth is caused by vexing the heart; and therefore
it follows, he melts away; which notes (melting is from the
heart) an extreme heat within. The sense is very suitable to
that of Eliphaz (Job 5:2) "wrath slayeth the foolish,
"or wrath makes him melt away, it melts his grease with
chafing, as we say of a man furiously vexed. Hence that
deplorable condition of the damned, who are cast out of the
presence of God for ever, is described by "weeping, and
wailing, and gnashing of teeth"; which imports not only
pain, but extreme vexing at, or in themselves. These finally
impenitent ones shall be slain for ever with their own wrath, as
well as with the wrath of God.—Joseph Caryl.
Verse 10. The wicked shall see it. The psalm
which speaks of the blessedness of the saints also bears solemn
testimony to the doom of the wicked. Cowper sings as if this
verse was before his eyes.
...The same word, that like the polished share
Ploughs up the roots of a believer's care,
Kills, too, the flowery weeds wherever they grow,
That bind the sinner's Bacchanalian brow.
Oh that unwelcome voice of heavenly love,
Sad messenger of mercy from above,
How does it grate upon his thankless ear,
Crippling his pleasures with the cramp of fear.
His will and judgment at continual strife,
That civil war embitters all his life;
In vain he points his powers against the skies,
In vain he closes or averts his eyes;
Truth will intrude.
Verse 10. He shall gnash with his teeth. An
enraged man snaps his teeth together, as if about to bite the
object of his anger. Thus in the book Ramyanum, the giant
Ravanan is described as in his fury gnashing together his
"thirty-two teeth!" Of angry men it is frequently
said, "Look at the beast, how he gnashes his teeth!"
"Go near that fellow! not I, indeed! he will only
gnash his teeth."—Joseph Roberts.
Verse 10. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt
away. The effect of envy, which consumes the envious. Thus
the poet: "Envy is most hateful, but has some good in it,
for it makes the eyes and the heart of the envious to pine
away."—John Le Clerc, 1657-1736.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse 1. "Praise ye the LORD."
1. Who should be praised? Not man, self, wealth, etc., but
God only.
2. Who should praise him? All men, but specially his people,
the blessed ones described in this psalm.
3. Why should they do it? For all the reasons mentioned in
succeeding verses.
4. How should they do it? Chiefly by leading such a life as
is here described.
Verse 1 (second clause).
1. Fear of the Lord; what it is.
2. Its connection with the delight mentioned.
3. The qualities in the commandments which excite delight in
God fearing minds.
Verse 2. The real might of the holy seed and their
true blessedness.
Verse 3. The riches of a Christian: content, peace,
security, power in prayer, promises, providence, yea, God
himself.
Verse 3. The enduring character of true righteousness.
1. Based on eternal principles.
2. Growing out of an incorruptible seed.
3. Sustained by a faithful God.
4. United to the ever living Christ.
Verse 3. Connection of the two clauses—How to be
wealthy and righteous. Note the following verses, and show how
liberality is needful if rich men would be righteous men.
Verse 4 (whole verse).
1. The upright have their dark times.
2. They shall receive comfort.
3. Their own character will secure this.
Verse 4 (first clause).
1. The character of the righteous: "upright, "
"gracious, "etc.
2. His privilege.
(a) Light as well as darkness.
(b) More light than darkness.
(c) Light in darkness: inward light in the midst of
surrounding darkness. Light seen above, when all is dark below.
Even darkness itself becomes the harbinger of day.—G. R.
Verse 4 (last clause). A Trinity of excellencies found
in true Christians, in Christ, and in God: their union forms a
perfect character when they are well balanced. Show how they are
exemplified in daily life.
Verse 5.
1. A good man is benevolent, but a benevolent man is not
always good.
2. A good man is prudent, but a prudent man is not always a
good man. There must first be goodness and then its fruits.
"Make the tree good, "etc.—G.R.
Verse 5. "Lending."
1. It is to be done.
2. It is to be done as a favour; borrowing is seeking alms.
3. It should be done very discreetly. Add to this a homily on
borrowing and repaying.
Verse 6.
1. In this life the Christian is,
a. Steadfast;
b. Calm;
c. Unconquerable: and
2. When this life is over his memory is,
a. Beloved;
b. Influential;
c. Perpetual.
Verse 6.
1. The character of the righteous is eternal:
"surely," etc.
2. His influence upon others is eternal: "shall be
had," etc.—G.R.
Verse 7.
1. "He shall not be afraid, "etc.: peaceful.
2. "His heart is fixed": restful.
3. "Trusting in the Lord": trustful; the cause of the
former.
Verse 7.
1. The waves: "evil tidings."
2. The steady ship: "he shall not be afraid."
3. The anchor: "his heart is fixed, trusting."
4. The anchorage: "in the Lord."
Verse 8. Heart establishment, the confidence which
flows from it, the sight which shall be seen by him who
possesses it.
Verse 8.
1. The security of the righteous: "his heart is
established."
2. His tranquillity: "he shall not be afraid; "and,
3. His expectancy: "until, "etc.—G.R.
Verse 9. Benevolence: its exercise in alms giving, its
preserving influence upon character, and the honour which it
wins.
Verse 10.
1. What the wicked must see, and its effect upon them.
2. What they shall never see (their desire), and the result of
their disappointment.
WORK UPON THE HUNDRED AND TWELFTH PSALM
An Exposition upon the 112 Psalme. The high
way to everlasting blessednesse. Written for the benefit of
God's Church. By T. S. . . . London, 1621. (8vo. This
exposition is upon the first two verses of the Psalm only.)