Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John Calvintempted with this unlawful and perverse envy and emulation. 179 What follows, Waters of a full cupare wrung out to them, 180 seems to be the reason of the statement in the preceding clause, implyingthat they are tormented with vexation and sorrow, when no advantage appears to be derived fromcultivating true religion. To be saturated with waters is put metaphorically for to drink the bitterestdistresses, and to be filled with immeasurable sorrows.11. And they say, How doth God know? Some commentators maintain that the Prophet herereturns to the ungodly, and relates the scoffings and blasphemies with which they stimulate andstir up themselves to commit sin; but of this I cannot approve. David rather explains what he hadstated in the preceding verse, as to the fact that the faithful fall into evil thoughts and wickedimaginations when the short-lived prosperity of the ungodly dazzles their eyes. He tells us that theybegin then to call in question, Whether there is knowledge in God. Among worldly men, thismadness is too common. Ovid thus speaks in one of his verses:“Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos;”“I am tempted to think that there are no gods.”It was, indeed, a heathen poet who spake in this manner; but as we know that the poets expressthe common thoughts of men, and the language which generally predominates in their minds, 181 itis certain that he spake, as it were, in the person of the great mass of mankind, when he franklyconfessed, that as soon as any adversity happens, men forget all knowledge of God. They not onlydoubt whether there is a God, but they even enter into debate with, and chide him. What else is themeaning of that complaint which we meet with in the ancient Latin Poet-“Nec Saturnius haec oculis pater adspicit aequis:”“Nor does the great god, the son of Saturn, regard these things with impartial eyes,” — but thatthe woman, of whom he there speaks, accuses her god Jupiter of unrighteousness, because she wasnot dealt with in the way which she desired? It is then too common, among the unbelieving part ofmankind, to deny that God cares for and governs the world, and to maintain that all is the result ofchance. 182 But David here informs us that even true believers stumble in this respect: not that theybreak forth into this blasphemy, but because they are unable, all at once, to keep their minds underrestraint when God seems to cease from executing his office. The expostulation of Jeremiah is wellknown,179 While Calvin admits that the words, his people, may refer to true believers, he conceives that carnal and hypocriticalIsraelites are rather intended. One great objection to the opinion, that true believers are at all intended is, that stumbled thoughthey often are at the unequal distributions of the present state, and chargeable though they may be with entertaining murmuringthoughts in reference to this matter, we can scarcely suppose that they would so far depart from every principle of truth andpropriety, as to break forth into such language as is ascribed in verse 11th to the persons here spoken of, “How doth God know?and is there knowledge in the Most High?” Neither David nor Jeremiah, though much perplexed in reconciling the prosperityof the wicked and the afflicted state of God’s people, with the righteousness and goodness of Divine Providence, ever gaveutterance to any such language. See Psalm 38 and Jeremiah 12. Walford thinks that “it is far more agreeable to the design of theentire passage, to interpret the words, his people, of the friends and connections of the wicked, who imitate their actions.” Insupport of this it may be observed, that the description of the condition, conduct, and words, of these prosperous ungodly men,commences at the 4th verse, and seems to be continued to the 13th verse, where the Psalmist’s reflections upon the subject begin,and are continued to the close of the psalm.180 This has also been understood as denoting the prosperity, the abundance of all outward good things bestowed upon thepersons referred to.181 “Et les discours qui regnent communeement en leur cerveaux.” — Fr.182 “Que tout vient a l’aventure.” — Fr.82