Commentary on Psalms Volume 3 John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
that each of us endeavor to please God; we must also desire that his law may be held in estimation by all men. In this way holy Lot, as the Apostle Peter testifies, vexed his soul when he beheld Sodom a sink of all kinds of wickedness. (2 Peter 2:8.) If, in former times, the ungodliness of the world extorted from the children of God such bitter grief, so great is the corruption into which we at this day are fallen, that those who can look upon the present state of things unconcerned and without tears, are thrice, yea four times, insensible. How great in our day is the frenzy of the world in despising God and neglecting his doctrine? A few, no doubt, are to be found who with the mouth profess their willingness to receive it, but scarcely one in ten proves the sincerity of his profession by his life. Meanwhile countless multitudes are hurried away to the impostures of Satan and to the Pope; others are as thoughtless and indifferent about their salvation as the lower animals; 457 and many Epicureans openly mock at all religion. If there is, then, the smallest portion of piety remaining in us, full rivers of tears, and not merely small drops, will flow from our eyes. But if we would give evidence of pure and uncorrupted zeal, let our grief begin at ourselves — at our seeing that we are yet far from having attained to a perfect observance of the law; yea, that the depraved lusts of our carnal nature are often rising up against the righteousness of God.
Psalm 119:137-144
137.ץO Jehovah! thou art righteous, and thy judgments are right. 138.ץThou hast commanded righteousness in thy testimonies, and truth greatly. 139.ץMy zeal hath consumed me, because my adversaries have forgotten thy words. 140.ץThy word is exceedingly refined, and thy servant hath loved it. 141.ץI am insignificant and despised; I have not forgotten thy commandments. 142.ץThy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness; and the law is truth. 143.ץTrouble and anguish have come upon me; but thy commandments are my delight. 144.ץThe righteousness of thy testimonies endereth for ever; give me understanding and I shall live.
137. O Jehovah! thou art righteous. The Prophet yields to God the praise of righteousness, and also acknowledges that it is to be found in his law. Some understand judgments as referring to those infliction's by which God chastises the sins of men; but this does not seem so fitly to agree with the scope of the passage. Besides, as the adjective,ישרyashar, translated right, is put in the singular number with the word judgments, the sentence should be explained thus that there is not any one of the judgments of God which is not right. Should we be inclined to takeישרas a substantive, the sense will be almost the same. All men indeed grant that God is righteous;
"Les autres s'endorment sans grand soin de leur salut comme bestes brutes." — Fr