Commentary on Psalms Volume 1 John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON PSALMS
man who upon going into battle, considers himself well secured as to his breast, because he has a breastplate and a shield to defend him, and yet is afraid of his head, because he is without a helmet. David, therefore, here furnishes the faithful with a complete suit of armor, 389 that they may feel that they are in no danger of being wounded, provided they are shielded by the power of God. That such is the object he has in view, is apparent from the declaration which he makes of his confidence in God: I will trust in him Let us, therefore, learn from his example, to apply to our own use those titles which are here attributed to God, and to apply them as an antidote against all the perplexities and distresses which may assail us; or rather, let them be deeply imprinted upon our memory, so that we may be able at once to repel to a distance whatever fear Satan may suggest to our mind. I give this exhortation, not only because we tremble under the calamities with which we are presently assailed, but also because we groundlessly conjure up in our own imaginations dangers as to the time to come, and thus needlessly disquiet ourselves by the mere creations of fancy. In the song, as recorded in 2 Samuel 22:3, instead of these words, My God, my rock, it is, God of my rock. And after the word refuge, there is, My fortress, my savior, thou shalt preserve me from violence; words which make the sentence fuller, but the meaning comes to the same thing.
Psalm 18:3-6
3. I will call upon the praised Jehovah, and I shall be saved from mine enemies. 4. The cords 390 of death had compassed me about; the torrents of wickedness 391 had made me afraid. 5. The cords of the grave 392 had compassed me about; the snares of death had prevented me. 6. In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and cried to my God: and he heard my voice from his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
"Et pourtant David equippe yci les fideles de pied en cap comme on dit." — Fr. "David, therefore, here equips the faithful from head to foot, as we say."
"Ou brisemens. — Fr. marg. "Or contritions."
"Hebrews de Belial." — Fr. marg. "Hebrews of Belial."
"Ou de corruption." — Fr. marg. "Or of corruption."