Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John CalvinPsalm 89:46-4846. How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy fury burn like fire? 47.Remember of what age I am! 555 why shouldst thou have created all the sons of men in vain? 55648. What man shall live, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul [or life] from the handof the grave? 557 Selah.46. How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? After having poured forth hiscomplaints respecting the sad and calamitous condition of the Church, the Psalmist now turnshimself to prayer. Whence it follows that the language of lamentation to which he had hithertogiven utterance, although it emanated from carnal sense, was nevertheless conjoined with faith.Unbelievers, in the agitation of trouble, may sometimes engage in prayer, yet whatever they askproceeds from feigned lips. But the prophet, by connecting prayer with his complaints, bearstestimony that he had never lost his confidence in the truth of the Divine promises. With respectto this manner of expression, How long, for ever? we have spoken on Psalm 79:5, where we haveshown that it denotes a long and continued succession of calamities. Moreover, by asking Howlong God will hide himself, he tacitly intimates that all will be well as soon as God is pleased tolook upon his chosen people with a benignant countenance. In the second clause of the verse, heagain mentions as the reason why God did not vouchsafe to look upon them with paternal favor,that his anger was incensed against them. The obvious conclusion from which is, that all theafflictions endured by us proceed from our sins; these being the scourges of an offended God.47 Remember how short my time is. After having confessed that the severe and deplorableafflictions which had befallen the Church were to be traced to her own sins as the procuring cause,the prophet, the more effectually to move God to commiseration, lays before him the brevity ofhuman life, in which, if we receive no taste of the Divine goodness, it will seem that we have beencreated in vain. That we may understand the passage the more clearly, it will be better to beginwith the consideration of the last member of the verse, Why shouldst thou have created all the sonsof men in vain? The faithful, in putting this question, proceed upon an established first principle,That God has created men and placed them in the world, to show himself a father to them. And,indeed, as his goodness extends itself even to the cattle and lower animals of every kind, 558 it cannot555 Some of the Jewish interpreters take this view, and suppose the allusion to be to king Jehoiachin, (2 Kings 24:8.) Kennicottinfers from the expression, “Thou hast shortened the days of his youth,” that this portion of the psalm refers to Ahaz, who diedat thirty-six years of age.556 “‘Remember at what an age or time of life I am.’ Or, ‘of what duration,’ or, ‘how fleeting,’ , (by a transposition of lettersfrom , he ceased,) denotes the present time rapidly passing away. Or, the short race of our life; or this world, ‘the fashion ofwhich passeth away,’ (1 Corinthians 7:31.)” — Bythner557 Ainsworth reads, “O call thou to remembrance how transitory I am; into what vain state thou hast made all the sons ofAdam.”558 This appeal respecting the universality of death, and the impossibility of avoiding it, meets with a ready response in thebosom of every child of Adam, however exalted or humble his lot. And, when death has once seized on its victim, all the wealth,power, and skill of the world cannot spoil the grave of its dominion. The admirable lines of Gray, in his celebrated Elegy, furnisha very good comment on this verse: —“The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave,Await alike th’ inevitable hour: —The paths of glory lead but to the grave.272