Commentary on Psalms Volume 1 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
1. Hear my righteousness, 337 O Jehovah, attend to my cry; hearken to my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips. 2. Let my judgment [or judgment in my favor] come forth from the presence of thy countenance; 338 let thine eyes look upon my uprightness.
1. Hear my righteousness, O Jehovah. The Psalmist begins the psalm by setting forth the goodness of his cause. He does this because God has promised that he will not suffer the innocent to be oppressed, but will always, at length, succor them. Some explain the word righteousness as denoting righteous prayer, an interpretation which appears to me unsatisfactory. The meaning rather is, that David, confiding in his own integrity, interposes God as a Judge between himself and his enemies, to cognosce or determine in his cause. We have already seen, in a preceding psalm, that when we have to deal with wicked men, we may warrantably protest our innocence before God. As, however, it would not be enough for the faithful to have the approving testimony of a good conscience, David adds to his protestation earnest prayer. Even irreligious persons may often be able justly to boast of having a good cause; but as they do not acknowledge that the world is governed by the providence of God, they content themselves with enjoying the approbation of their own conscience, as they speak, and, gnawing the bit, bear the injuries which are done to them rather obstinately than steadfastly, seeing they do not seek for any consolation in faith and prayer. But the faithful not only depend upon the goodness of their cause, they also commit it to God that he may defend and maintain it; and whenever any adversity befalls them, they betake themselves to him for help. This, therefore, is the meaning of the passage; it is a prayer that God, who knew David to have done justly, and to have performed his duty without giving occasion to any to blame him, 339 and, therefore, to be unrighteously molested by
The Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions read "my righteousness," or my right, as here and in our English version, meaning, his righteous cause. The Septuagint, "Κυριε της δικαιοσυνης μου," "O Lord of my righteousness." Jerome reads, "Audi, Deus, justum," "Hear O God, the just one, a reading which Horsley is inclined to adopt, viewing the Messiah as the speaker in this psalm. In the Syriac version the reading is, "Hear, O righteous Lord;" and this is followed by Bishop Horne, Dr Adam Clarke, and Dr Boothroyd
"Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; that is, be thou, O Jehovah, my judge in thine own person." — Horsley.
"Que David se soit portd justement et fait son devoir sans donner a aucun occasion de le blasmer." — Fr.