Commentary on Psalms Volume 3 John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON PSALMS - VOLUME 3 same time, he distinguishes the constancy of his pious affection from the transient favor of others. Thus, that he might not fail in the midst of his course, or even go backward, he affirms that he had resolved to continue in the same course during the whole of his life. The word,עקבekeb, to the end, in my opinion, is added to the word,לעולםleolam, for ever, by way of exposition; and to show us that he struggled manfully against all obstacles and difficulties, that they might not break his constancy; for no man perseveres in the service of God without arduous exertions. Some take the word as denoting a reward; 435 but this seems too foreign to the design of the passage.
Psalm 119:113-120
ס113. I have hated crooked thoughts, and loved thy law.ס114. Thou art my hiding-place and my shield: I have trusted in thy word.ס 115. Depart from me, ye wicked! and I will keep the commandments of my God.ס116. Sustain me by thy word, and I shall live: and make me not ashamed of my expectation.ס117. Establish me, and I shall be safe: and I will consider thy statutes continually.ס118. Thou hast trodden under foot all those who wander from thy statutes; for their deceit is falsehood.ס119. Thou hast made all the wicked of the earth to cease as dross; therefore I have loved thy testimonies. ס120. My flesh trembled for fear of thee, and I was afraid of thy judgments.
113. I have hated crooked thoughts. Those who are of opinion that the wordסעפוםseaphim, the first in the verse, and which is rendered crooked thoughts, is an appellate noun, translate it, those who think evil; 436 but it is more correct to understand it of the thoughts themselves, 437 and this interpretation is very generally adopted. The noun,סעףsaeph, properly signifies a branch, but it is applied metaphorically to the thoughts, which,
Thus, in the Arabic, it is, "on account of an eternal reward;" that is, the reward of grace promised to all the faithful. According to this view, the Psalmist would have a respect to the end and reward of faith and holy obedience. See Hebrews 11:26; 1 Peter 1:8, 9. As, however, the Psalmist, like all true believers, did not embrace and obey the law of God, only or chiefly from the hope of reward, but was chiefly attracted to obedience by love to God, and the intrinsic excellence of the law, others prefer reading "the reward is eternal."
In the Chaldee, it is "vain thinkers;" and thus the meaning would be, "I hate men that think evil, that devise wicked devices, or that have false and evil opinions, opposite to God's law, or tending to seduce men from it."
It signifies thoughts in Job 4:14, and 20:2; and opinions in 1 Kings 18:21: and these may be either good or evil, their character being determined by the context of the passage in which the word occurs.