Commentary on Psalms Volume 2 John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON PSALMS - VOLUME 2 they have no idea of any difficulty arising from such a quarter. Thus, there is no obstacle to repress their proud and vaunting speeches, but their tongue walketh through the whole earth. This form of expression seems to be hyperbolical; but when we consider how great and unbounded their presumption is, we will admit that the Psalmist teaches nothing but what experience shows to be matter of fact.
Psalm 73:10-14
10. On this account his people will return hither, and waters of a full cup will be wrung out to them. 11. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? 12. Behold! These are the ungodly, and yet they enjoy repose [or quietness] for ever: they heap up riches. 13. Surely I have purified my heart in vain, and washed my hands daily. 655 14. And I have been scourged daily, and my chastisement has been every morning.
10. On this account his people will return hither. Commentators wrest this sentence into a variety of meanings. In the first place, as the relative his is used, without an antecedent indicating whose people are spoken of, some understand it simply of the ungodly, as if it had been said, That the ungodly always fall back upon this reflection: and they view the word people as denoting a great troop or band; for as soon as a wicked man raises his standard, he always succeeds in drawing a multitude of associates after him. They, therefore, think the meaning to be, that every prosperous ungodly man has people flocking about him, as it were, in troops; and that, when within his palace or magnificent mansion, they are content with getting water to drink; so much does this perverse imagination bewitch them. But there is another sense much more correct, and which is also approved by the majority of commentators; namely, that the people of God 656 return hither. Some take the word,הלםhalom, which we have rendered hither, as denoting afflicted; 657 but this is a forced interpretation.
"Et lave mes mains en nettete." — Fr. "And washed my hands in innocency." The Psalmist may allude to the rite of ablution which was in use among the Jews. See Deuteronomy 21:6, and Psalm 26:6. Or he may be understood as signifying by the metaphor of washing the hands in general, the pains which he took to be blameless in the whole of his outward conduct. "Opposite to the phrase, to wash in innocence," says Merrick, "is the scelere imbuere of Cicero, (Philipp. v.) 'Cum autem semel gladium scelere imbuisset,'" etc. See Job 9:30.
The Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Æthiopic versions read, "my people."
JOHN CALVIN
The meaning is not, however, as yet, sufficiently evident, and therefore we must inquire into it more closely. 658 Some read the whole verse connectedly, thus: The people of God return hither, that they may drain full cups of the water of sorrow. But, in my opinion, this verse depends upon the preceding statements, and the sense is, That many who had been regarded as belonging to the people of God were carried away by this temptation, and were even shipwrecked and swallowed up by it. The prophet does not seem to speak here of the chosen people of God, but only to point to hypocrites and counterfeit Israelites who occupy a place in the Church. He declares that such persons are overwhelmed in destruction, because, being foolishly led away to envy the wicked, and to desire to follow them, 659 they bid adieu to God and to all religion. Still, however, this might, without any impropriety, be referred to the chosen seed, many of whom are so violently harassed by this temptation, that they turn aside into crooked by-paths: not that they devote themselves to wickedness, but because they do not firmly persevere in the right path. The sense then will be, that not only the herd of the profane, but even true believers, who have determined to serve God, are tempted with this unlawful and perverse envy and emulation.
"Abu Walid," says Hammond, "hath a peculiar way of rendering,הלםas if it were,הלם the infinitive, with breaking of spirit." A similar interpretation is adopted by Horsley. "For",הלםsays he, "many MSS. read,הלוםwhich I take as the participle Pual of the verb' ,הלםContusus miseria,' scilicet." He reads,
"Therefore his [God's] people sit woebegone." To make out this translation, he adopts another of the various readings of MSS. "For ",ישיבsays he, "many MSS. have:ישובI would transpose the vau, and read.יושבThe third person future, Hophal, signifies is made to sit, is settled, attended with grief and consternation at the unpunished audacity of the profane."
"Et pourtant il nous y faut aviser de plus pres." — Fr.
"Stulta aemulatione decepti." — Lat. "Se abusans par leur folie a porter envie aux meschans, et les vouloir ensuyvre." — Fr