Commentary on Psalms Volume 3 John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON PSALMS - VOLUME 3
I live: I will sing psalms to my God as long as I have my being. 199
34. Let my speech [or words 200 ] be acceptable to him: 201 I will rejoice in Jehovah. 35. Let sinners perish from the earth, and the wicked till they cease to be any more. O my soul! bless thou Jehovah. Hallelujah.
31. Glory be to Jehovah for ever The inspired writer shows for what purpose he has celebrated in the preceding part of the psalm the power, wisdom, and goodness of God in his works, namely, to stir up men to praise him. It is no small honor that God for our sake has so magnificently adorned the world, in order that we may not only be spectators of this beauteous theater, but also enjoy the multiplied abundance and variety of good things which are presented to us in it. Our gratitude in yielding to God the praise which is his due, is regarded by him as a singular recompense. What the Psalmist adds, Let Jehovah rejoice in his works, is not superfluous; for he desires that the order which God has established from the beginning may be continued in the lawful use of his gifts. As we read in Genesis 6:6, that "it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth," so when he sees that the good things which he bestows are polluted by our corruptions, he ceases to take delight in bestowing them. And certainly the confusion and disorder which take place, when the elements cease to perform their office, testify that God, displeased and wearied out, is provoked to discontinue, and put a stop to the regular course of his beneficence; although anger and impatience have strictly speaking no place in his mind. What is here taught is, that he bears the character of the best of fathers, who takes pleasure in tenderly cherishing his children, and in bountifully nourishing them. In the following verse it is shown, that the stability of the world depends on this rejoicing of God in his works; for did he not give vigor to the earth "They smoke. Gejerus, Patrick, etc., refer this to Exodus 19:18. But may it not have respect also to volcanic mountains in general?" — Dimock.
"Through the whole of my existence,,בעודיfor my perpetuality. — See the word used in the same sense, Psalm 139:18." — Horsley.
"Ou, meditation." — Fr. marg. "Or, meditation."
In our English Bible it is, my meditation of him shall be sweet." As the prefix,עלal, signifies to, as well as on, it may be doubtful whetherעליוshould be rendered to him or on him. If in the latter sense, our English version is correct, "My meditation of or on him shall be sweet;" and with this the last clause of the verse would well accord, "I will be glad in the Lord," which is an effect of the sweetness felt in meditating upon him. But all the ancient versions give the former rendering, according to these words in Psalm 19:14, "Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight." Thus the Septuagint has ἡδυνθείη αὐτῷ, "Let it be sweet to him," and similar is the rendering in the other versions.