Commentary on Psalms Volume 3 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
claim for themselves all the praise of the spiritual life. Else what mean the preachers of free-will, unless it be to tell us that by our own endeavors we have, from being sons of Adam, become the sons of God? In opposition to this, the prophet in calling us the people of God, informs us that it is of his own good will that we are spiritually regenerated. And by denominating us the sheep of his pasture, he gives us to know that through the same grace which has once been imparted to us, we continue safe and unimpaired until the end. It might be otherwise rendered, he made us his people, etc. 124
But as the meaning is not altered, I have retained that which was the more generally received reading.
Psalm 100:4-5
4. Enter into his gates with praise, and into his courts with rejoicing: give glory 125 to him, and bless his name. 5. Because Jehovah is good, his mercy endureth for ever, and his truth from generation to generation.
4 Enter his gates The conclusion of the psalm is almost the same as the beginning of it, excepting that he adopts a mode of speech which relates to the worship of God which obtained under the law; 126 in which, however, he merely reminds us that believers, in rendering thanks to God, do not discharge their duty aright, unless they also continue in the practice of a steady profession of piety. Meanwhile, under the name of the temple, he signifies that God cannot be otherwise worshipped than in strict accordance with the manner prescribed in his law. And, besides, he adds, that God's mercy endureth for ever, and that his truth also is everlasting, to point out to us that we can never be at a loss for constant cause of praising him. If, then, God never ceases to deal with us in this manner, it would argue the basest ingratitude on our part, if we wearied in rendering to Him the tribute of praise to which he is entitled. We have elsewhere taken notice of the reason why truth is connected with mercy. For so foolish are we, that we scarcely feel the mercy of God while he openly manifests it, not even in The Hebrew text has a keri, which is" ,אנחנו ולוand we are his," instead ofאנחנו ולא "and not ourselves." The Septuagint supports the latter reading, the ketib, καὶοὐχ ἡμεῖς, "and not we ourselves;" in which it is followed by the Syriac and Vulgate versions. Jerome agrees with the keri, Ipse fecit nos, et ipsius sumus; and so does the Chaldee. "I am persuaded," says Lowth, in Merrick's Annotations, "that the Masoretical correction, ( ,ולוand we are his,) is right: the construction and parallelism both favour it."
"Donnez-luy gloire." — Fr.
"Sinon qu'il mesle des maniers de parler, qui se rapportent au service de Dieu qui estoit sous la Loy." — Fr.
COMMENTARY ON PSALMS - VOLUME 3 the most palpable displays of it, until he open his holy lips to declare his paternal regard for us.