Psalm 4 is a declaration by David, emphasizing the need for divine assistance amidst persecution and adversity. It reflects on the role of sacred musicians and the significance of musical instruments in worship, illustrating a contrast between the peace of the faithful and the turmoil of the ungodly. The psalm conveys themes of trusting in God's righteousness, seeking His mercy, and highlights the spiritual nature of worship that transcends mere musical expression.

1. PSALM 4 COMMETARY[a]
Edited by Glenn Pease
ITRODUCTIO
1. Henry, “The title of the psalm acquaints us that David, having penned it by divine inspiration
for the use of the church, delivered it to the chief musician, or master of the song, who (according
to the divine appointment of psalmody made in his time, which he was chiefly instrumental in the
establishment of) presided in that service. We have a particular account of the constitution, the
modelling of the several classes of singers, each with a chief, and the share each bore in the work,
1 Chr. 25. Some prophesied according to the order of the king, Psa_4:2. Others prophesied with a
harp, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, Psa_4:3. Of others it is said that they were to lift up
the horn, Psa_4:5. But of them all, that they were for song in the house of the Lord (Psa_4:6) and
were instructed in the songs of the Lord, Psa_4:7. This psalm was committed to one of the chiefs,
to be sung on neginoth - stringed instruments (Hab_3:19), which were played on with the hand;
with music of that kind the choristers were to sing this psalm: and it should seem that then they
only sung, not the people; but the ew Testament appoints all Christians to sing (Eph_5:19;
Col_3:16), from whom it is expected that they do it decently, not artfully; and therefore there is
not now so much occasion for musical instruments as there was then: the melody is to be made in
the heart.
2. Spurgeon, “Title. This Psalm is apparently intended to accompany the third, and make a pair
with it. If the last may be entitled THE MORIG PSALM, this from its matter is equally
deserving of the title of THE EVEIG HYM. May the choice words Psalms 4:8 be our sweet
song of rest as we retire to our repose!
Thus with my thoughts composed to peace,
I will give mine eyes to sleep; Thy hand in safety keeps my days, And will my slumbers
keep.
The Inspired title runs thus: To the chief Musician on eginoth, a Psalm of David. The chief
musician was the master or director of the sacred music of the sanctuary. Concerning this person
carefully read 1 Chronicles 6:31-32 15:16-22 25:1,7. In these passages will be found much that is
interesting to the lover of sacred song, and very much that will throw a light upon the mode of
praising God in the temple. Some of the titles of the Psalms are, we doubt not, derived from the
names of certain renowned singers, who composed the music to which they were set.
On eginoth, that is, on stringed instruments, or hand instruments, which were played on with
the hand alone, as harps and cymbals. The joy of the Jewish church was so great that they needed
music to set forth the delightful feelings of their souls. Our holy mirth is none the less overflowing
because we prefer to express it in a more spiritual manner, as becometh a more spiritual
dispensation. In allusion to these instruments to be played on with the hand, azianzen says,

2. Lord, I am an instrument for thee to touch. Let us lay ourselves open to the Spirit's touch, so
shall we make melody. May we be full of faith and love, and we shall be living instruments of
music. Hawker says: The Septuagint read the word which we have rendered in our translation
chief musician Lamenetz, instead of Lamenetzoth, the meaning of which is unto the end. From
whence the Greek and Latin fathers imagined, that all psalms which bear this inscription refer to
the Messiah, the great end. If so, this Psalm is addressed to Christ; and well it may, for it is all of
Christ, and spoken by Christ, and hath respect only to his people as being one with Christ. The
Lord the Spirit give the reader to see this, and he will find it most blessed.
Division. In Psalms 4:1 David pleads with God for help. In Psalms 4:2 he expostulates with his
enemies, and continues to address them to the end of Psalms 4:5. Then from Psalms 4:6 to the
close he delightfully contrasts his own satisfaction and safety with the disquietude of the ungodly
in their best estate. The Psalm was most probably written upon the same occasion as the
preceding, and is another choice flower from the garden of affliction. Happy is it for us that
David was tried, or probably we should never have heard these sweet sonnets of faith.
3. Luther, “THIS is a Psalm of consolation : yet it at the same time teaches us to bear afflictions
patiently, to expect the help of God, and to trust in him in all adversities. For that greatest of all
wisdom, true and real Christian wisdom, is unknown to the world : which wisdom is, to learn and
to know, by daily temptations and by various trials of faith, that God exercises his people in all
these afflictions, to the end that they may understand his will ; and that his design in exposing
them to the all-bitter hatred of the world and the devil, is, that he might save, deliver, comfort,
strengthen, and glorify them in a wonderful manner, in the midst of perils, and even in death
itself; and that he might make known his conflicting church as being invincible, through faith
and the word, in the midst of the kingdom of the devil, against all the storms of the world, and
under all the clouds, darkness, and tempests of temptations of every kind.
This Psalm also most severely strikes at all hypocrites and wicked men of every description, who,
before the eyes of the world, would have us believe that they are the only true saints and the
people of God ; who even say that they worship God, while they know nothing of him ; for in the
time of affliction, they tremble with cowardly fear, and impatiently mutter in their hearts against
God and his holy will ; they soon forget his words and his works, and, wickedly forsaking him
who alone is able to comfort them, cease from expecting his aid, hate the cross, and seek for
human consolation : whereas, there is no sure consolation to be obtained either from friends or
from all the resources of human help ; for in God alone is sure consolation ; and that is all-sure,
and eternal ; which no creature can take away, either in this world or in that which is to come.
This peace and consolation of God, however, is not like the peace of the world. For, Know ye,
(saith David) that the Lord dealeth wonderfully with his saints : he casts them down, that he
may raise them up ; he afflicts them that he may minister consolation unto them ; he humbles
them that he may exalt them ; he makes them sorrowful that he may make them glad : in a word,
he kills them that he may make them alive.
The agonizing struggles of the godly, therefore, in this life against sin, and the devil who
unceasingly assaults them, and desires to sift them as wheat, are their exercises of faith and
patience : from which exercises those that fear God learn more satisfactorily to know his presence
that he is ever present with them ; and that he will never leave nor forsake those that believe in

3. him, but will ever marvelously deliver, save and rescue them from all their deaths and
destruction.
But the wicked and hypocrites, how much soever they may talk about God with their lips, yet
hate God, and hate this his will in the afflictions of his saints ; as it is written in the first
commandment Unto them that hate me. And again, as Paul saith Whose God is their belly.
These characters wish first, and above all things, that all theirs, their fortunes, their property,
their friends, should be safe ; and they trust in their riches and possessions. AH such, therefore,
deride this doctrine of faith : and if any one should preach to such this patience, and this word of
the cross, they would laugh at it, and would boast of their holiness and religion in opposition to
those who truly fear God. They would say, What ! are we to be taught what is right by such a fool
as you ? Are you to teach us what is good, and what the true worship of God is ?
This Psalm also pertains to the First Commandment. It teaches us to trust in God both in pros
-perity and adversity, and patiently to wait for his help, calling upon him with earnestness and
con stancy. The subject matter of this Psalm is contained in the third and seventh petition of the
Lord s Prayer Thy will be done, and Deliver us from evil : and also in the fourth, where we
pray, that there may be given us our daily bread : that is, peace, and all those things that are
required unto the sustaining of this life, against all the various evils of poverty, hunger, and
want ; with which things the devil, in an especial manner, exercises the church of God in this
world.”
4. Calvin, “After David in the beginning of the psalm has prayed to God to help him, he
immediately turns his discourse to his enemies, and depending on the promise of God, triumphs
over them as a conqueror. He, therefore, teaches us by his example, that as often as we are
weighed down by adversity, or involved in very great distress, we ought to meditate upon the
promises of God, in which the hope of salvation is held forth to us, so that defending ourselves by
this shield, we may break through all the temptations which assail us.
To the chief musician on eginoth. A psalm of David.
It is uncertain at what time this psalm was composed. But from the tenor of it, it is conjectured,
with probability, that David was then a fugitive and an exile. I therefore refer it to the time when
he was persecuted by Saul. If, however, any person is disposed rather to understand it as
referring to the time when he was compelled by the conspiracy of Absalom to secure his safety by
flight, I will not greatly contend about the matter. But as, a little after, he uses an expression,
namely, “How long?” (verse 3) which indicates that he had a lengthened struggle, the opinion
which I have already brought forward is the more probable. For we know with what varied trials
he was harassed, before he obtained complete deliverance, from the time when Saul began to be
his enemy. Concerning the words which are contained in this verse, I shall only make one or two
brief observations. Some Lamnetsah, for ever; and they say that it was , מנתה translate the word
the commencement of a common song, to the tune of which this psalm was composed: but this I
Menetsah, , מנצה reject as a forced translation. Others, with more truth, are of opinion, that
signifies one who excels and surpasses all others. But because expositors are not agreed as to the
particular kind of excellence and dignity here spoken of, let it suffice, that by this word is denoted
the chief master or president of the band. Fr. The chief singer or leader of the music who had the
charge of setting the psalms to tunes and harmonies. I do not approve of rendering the word,
conqueror; for although it answers to the subject-matter of the present psalm, yet it does not at
all suit other places where we shall find the same Hebrew word used. With respect to the second

4. word, eginoth, I think it agan, which signifies to strike or sound; and, , נגך comes from the verb
therefore, I doubt not, but it was an instrument of music. Whence it follows, that this psalm was
designed to be sung, not only with the voice, but also with musical instruments, which were
.presided over, and regulated by the chief musician of whom we have just now spoken
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A
psalm of David.
1. Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
1. Barnes, “Hear me when I call - When I pray. The word “hear” in such cases is always used in
the sense of “listen to,” “hear favorably,” or “attend to;” hence, in the literal sense it is always
true that God “hears” all that is said. The meaning is, “hear and answer me,” or grant me what I
ask.
O God of my righteousness - That is, O my righteous God. This is a common mode of
expression in Hebrew. Thus, in Psa_2:6, “hill of my holiness,” meaning “my holy hill;” Psa_3:4,
“his hill of holiness,” meaning “his holy hill.” The psalmist here appeals to God as “his” God - the
God in whom he trusted; and as a “righteous” God - a God who would do that which was right,
and on whom, therefore, he might rely as one who would protect his own people. The appeal to
God as a righteous God implies a conviction in the mind of the psalmist of the justice of his cause;
and he asks God merely to do “right” in the case. It is not on the ground of his own claim as a
righteous man, but it is that, in this particular case, he was wrongfully persecuted; and he asks
God to interpose, and to cause justice to be done. This is always a proper ground of appeal to
God. A man may be sensible that in a particular case he has justice on his side, though he has a
general conviction that he himself is a sinner; and he may pray to God to cause his enemies to do
right, or to lead those whose office it is to decide the case, to do what ought to be done to
vindicate his name, or to save him from wrong.
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress - That is, on some former occasion. When he was
“pressed” or “confined,” and knew not how to escape, God had interposed and had given him
room, so that he felt free. He now implores the same mercy again. He feels that the God who had
done it in former troubles could do it again; and he asks him to repeat his mercy. The prayer
indicates confidence in the power and the unchangeableness of God, and proves that it is right in
our prayers to recall the former instances of the divine interposition, as an argument, or as a
ground of hope that God would again interpose.
Have mercy upon me - In my present troubles. That is, Pity me, and have compassion on me, as
thou hast done in former times. Who that has felt the assurance that God has heard his prayer in

5. former times, and has delivered him from trouble, will not go to him with the more confident
assurance that he will hear him again?
2. Clarke, “Hear me when I call - o man has a right to expect God to hear him if he do not call.
Indeed, how shall he be heard if he speak not? There are multitudes who expect the blessings of
God as confidently as if they had prayed for them most fervently; and yet such people pray not at
all!
God of my righteousness - Whatever pardon, peace, holiness, or truth I possess, has come
entirely from thyself. Thou art the God of my salvation, as thou art the God of my life.
Thou hast enlarged me - I was in prison; and thou hast brought me forth abroad. Have mercy
on me - continue to act in the same way. I shall always need thy help; I shall never deserve to
have it; let me have it in the way of mere mercy, as thou hast hitherto done.
3. Gill, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness,.... Or, my righteous God (h), who is
righteous in his nature, ways, and works, the just Judge of the whole earth, who will do right; or
the vindicator of my righteousness, as the Syriac version renders it; that is, of his innocence
and uprightness, which the Lord knew and was a witness of: and since he was his covenant God,
he doubted not but he would bring it forth as the light, and favour his righteous cause, and do
him justice upon his enemies: or the psalmist addresses God in this manner, because he was the
author of his righteousness, and was the justifier of him, by imputing the righteousness of his Son
unto him. So Christ addresses his Father, Joh_17:26; who he knew would justify him, and by
whom he was justified as the surety of his people, when he, rose from the dead: and so the saints
can draw nigh to God the Judge of all, through the righteousness of Christ; knowing that he is
just, and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus; and that he is just and faithful to forgive their
sins, and cleanse them from all unrighteousness, on account of his blood. The petition put up by
the psalmist is, to be heard when he called, that is, to hear his prayer, as it is explained in the
latter part of the verse: and God is a God hearing prayer; and so David, Christ, and all the saints,
have found him to be: and the encouragement to pray to the Lord, in hope of being heard, arose
from past experience of divine goodness;
thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; when he had like to have been killed by Saul
casting a javelin at him; and when his house was watched by men that Saul set there, and he was
let down through a window and escaped; and when he was shut in at Keilah, where Saul thought
he had him safe; and at other times, to which he may here refer, as in Psa_18:19; and this may be
applied to the Messiah, when in the garden, beset with sorrows, and an angel strengthened him;
and when on the cross, surrounded by various enemies, whom he conquered; and when in death
and the grave, from the pains and cords of which he was loosed, and set in a large place. And this
agrees also with the experience of the saints; who, when in distress through sin, Satan, and the
law, have been set free, through the Gospel proclaiming liberty to the captives to such enemies;
and the opening of the prison to them that have been bound by them: and when they have been
so shut up and straitened in themselves, that they could not come forth in the discharge of duty,
and in the exercise of grace; through the Spirit of the Lord, who is a spirit of liberty, they have
been enlarged in the duty of prayer and of praise, and in the exercise of faith and love; and their
hearts have been enlarged through the discoveries of the love of God towards them, so that they

6. have run cheerfully in the ways of his commandments; who also gives them largeness of heart, an
increase of the knowledge of Christ, and of the love of God, and tills them with joy and peace in
believing, and draws out the desires of their souls to his name, and the remembrance of him;
have mercy upon me: the psalmist pleads no merit nor worthiness of his own, but applies to the
grace and mercy of God; and sensible of his sin, both original and actual, he entreats a discovery
of pardoning grace and mercy. The words may be rendered, be gracious unto me (i), or show
me favour; bestow the blessings of grace, grant larger measures of grace, and fresh supplies of
it: and so all sensible sinners apply to God for mercy; and all the saints have recourse to him as
the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, for every mercy, both temporal and spiritual.
or is this unsuitable to the Messiah, as man and Mediator; with whom, God keeps his mercy for
evermore, as the head and surety of his people, and upon whom, as man, the grace of God was;
and who increased, as in stature, so in favour with God and man; and which, no doubt, was
desirable by him;
and hear my prayer: the same petition with that in the beginning of the verse; invocation and
prayer being the same thing.
4. Henry, “I. David addresses himself to God, Psa_4:1. Whether the sons of men, to whom he is
about to speak, will hear, or whether they will forbear, he hopes and prays that God will give him
a generous audience, and an answer of peace: “Hear me when I call, and accept my adorations,
grant my petitions, and judge upon my appeals; have mercy upon me, and hear me.” All the notice
God is pleased to take of our prayers, and all the returns he is pleased to make to them, must be
ascribed, not to our merit, but purely to his mercy. “Hear me for thy mercy-sake” is our best
plea. Two things David here pleads further: - 1. “Thou art the God of my righteousness; not only a
righteous God thyself, but the author of my righteous dispositions, who hast by the grace
wrought that good that is in me, hast made me a righteous man; therefore hear men, and so attest
thy own work in me; thou art also the patron of my righteous cause, the protector of my wronged
innocency, to whom I commit my way, and whom I trust to bring forth my righteousness as the
light.” When men condemn us unjustly, this is our comfort, It is God that justifies; he is the God of
a believer's righteousness. 2. “Thou has formerly enlarged me when I was in distress, enlarged my
heart in holy joy and comfort under my distresses, enlarged my condition by bringing me out of
my distresses; therefore now, Lord, have mercy upon me, and hear me.” The experience we have
had of God's goodness to us in enlarging us when we have been in distress is not only a great
encouragement to our faith and hope for the future, but a good plea with God in prayer. “Thou
hast; wilt thou not? For thou art God, and changest not; thy work is perfect.”
II. He addresses himself to the children of men, for the conviction and conversion of those that
are yet strangers to God, and that will not have the Messiah, the Son of David, to reign over
them.
5. KD, “Jahve is הֵי צֶדֶק Y אֱ, the possessor of righteousness, the author of righteousness, and the
vindicator of misjudged and persecuted righteousness. This God of righteousness David
believingly calls his God (cf. Psa_24:5; Psa_59:11); for the righteousness he possesses, he
possesses in Him, and the righteousness he looks for, he looks for in Him. That this is not in vain,
his previous experience assures him: Thou hast made a breadth (space) for me when in a strait.
In connection with this confirmatory relation of בַּצָּר הִרְהַבְתָּ לִּ י it is more probable that we have

7. before us an attributive clause (Hitz.), than that we have an independent one, and at any rate it is
a retrospective clause. הרחבת is not precative (Böttch.), for the perf. of certainty with a precative
colouring is confined to such exclamatory utterances as Job_21:16 (which see). He bases his
prayer on two things, viz., on his fellowship with God, the righteous God, and on His justifying
grace which he has already experienced. He has been many times in a strait already, and God has
made a broad place for him. The idea of the expansion of the breathing (of the stream of air) and
of space is attached to the ח, Arab. ḥ, of רחב , root רח (Deutsch. Morgenl. Zeitschr. xii. 657). What is
meant is the expansion of the straitened heart, Psa_25:17. Isa_60:5, and the widening of a
straitened position, Psa_18:20; Psa_118:5. On the Dag. in לִּ י vid., on Psa_84:4.
6. Warren Wiersbe, “Psalm 4 is encouraging because it tells us that God cares for us and gives us
several blessings in the midst of our trials. First, He gives us the blessing of enlargement (v. 1).
Relieved means enlarged. When God permits enlarged troubles, He enlarges His people; that
is, we grow. Joseph is a good example of this (Ps. 18:19,36). His difficulties revealed his character,
and he grew. Enlarged troubles lead to an enlarged life, which leads to an enlarged place and
enlarged paths. God had an enlarged ministry for David, but He first had to make him grow.
Second, God gives us the blessing of encouragement (vv. 2,3). Eventually, all earthly causes will
fail. Only the plan of God will succeed. The Lord is our shield, our glory and the One who lifts
our head. In this life we will have problems, but God encourages us.
Third, God gives us the blessing of enablement (vv. 4,5). Tight corners bring us face to face with
trusting versus temptation (Matt. 4:3,4). David had a right to be angry. Anger can be used of God
to bring about righteousness, or it can be used by Satan to bring about sin (James 1:20). Meditate
means to discuss with yourself. It's so easy to brood when we're lying in bed, but God gives
quietness when we meditate (Ps. 46:10).
Fourth, God gives us the blessings of enlightenment and enjoyment (vv. 6-8). David's people were
discouraged. Are you a discourager or an encourager? As Christians, we should have the smile of
God upon us (um. 6:25). We should exhibit gladness and joy in the Lord. God adds to this the
blessing of peace and sleep. This is possible when Christ is Savior. So get your eyes off the enemy
and on the Lord. The temptation to sin is great during difficulties, but trust in the Lord, and He
will give you peace and joy in the midst of difficulty.
God's blessings are designed to do more than simply comfort us in our difficulties; they are to
help us grow. Take strength from knowing that God is weaving His purposes into your life and
that He will reward your trust in Him. And we know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).
7. Spurgeon, “This is another instance of David's common habit of pleading past mercies as a
ground for present favour. Here he reviews his Ebenezers and takes comfort from them. It is not
to be imagined that he who has helped us in six troubles will leave us in the seventh. God does
nothing by halves, and he will never cease to help us until we cease to need. The manna shall fall

8. every morning until we cross the Jordan.
Observe, that David speaks first to God and then to men. Surely we should all speak the more
boldly to men if we had more constant converse with God. He who dares to face his Maker will
not tremble before the sons of men.
The name by which the Lord is here addressed,
God of my righteousness, deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It
means, Thou art the author, the witness, the maintainer, the judge, and the rewarder of my
righteousness; to thee I appeal from the calumnies and harsh judgments of men. Herein is
wisdom, let us imitate it and always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but
into the superior court, the King's Bench of heaven.
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. A figure taken from an army enclosed in a defile,
and hardly pressed by the surrounding enemy. God hath dashed down the rocks and given me
room; he hath broken the barriers and set me in a large place. Or, we may understand it thus: --
God hath enlarged my heart with joy and comfort, when I was like a man imprisoned by grief
and sorrow. God is a never failing comforter.
Have mercy upon me. Though thou mayest justly permit my enemies to destroy me, on account
of my many and great sins, yet I flee to thy mercy, and I beseech thee hear my prayer, and bring
thy servant out of his troubles. The best of men need mercy as truly as the worst of men. All the
deliverances of saints, as well as the pardons of sinners, are the free gifts of heavenly grace.
8. Calvin, “In these words there is shown the faith of David, who, although brought to the
uttermost distress, and indeed almost consumed by a long series of calamities, did not sink under
his sorrow; nor was he so broken in heart as to be prevented from betaking himself to God his
deliverer. By his praying, he testified, that when utterly deprived of all earthly succor, there yet
remained for him hope in God. Moreover, he calls him the God of his righteousness, which is the
same thing as if he had called him the vindicator of his right; 50 50 “Mon protecteur, celuy qui
maintient mon droit.” — Fr. My protector, he who maintains my right. and he appeals to God,
because all men everywhere condemned him, and his innocence was borne down by the
slanderous reports of his enemies and the perverse judgments of the common people. And this
cruel and unjust treatment which David met with, ought to be carefully marked. For while
nothing is more painful to us than to be falsely condemned, and to endure, at one and the same
time, wrongful violence and slander; yet to be ill spoken of for doing well, is an affliction which
daily befalls the saints. And it becomes them to be so exercised under it as to turn away from all
the enticements of the world, and to depend wholly upon God alone. Righteousness, therefore, is
here to be understood of a good cause, of which David makes God the witness, while he
complains of the malicious and wrongful conduct of men towards him; and, by his example, he
teaches us, that if at any time our uprightness is not seen and acknowledged by the world, we
ought not on that account to despond, inasmuch as we have one in heaven to vindicate our cause.
Even the heathen have said there is no better stage for virtue than a man’s own conscience. But it
is a consolation far surpassing this, to know when men vaunt themselves over us wrongfully, that
we are standing in the view of God and of the angels. Paul, we know, was endued with courage
arising from this source, (1 Corinthians 4:5) for when many evil reports were spread abroad
concerning him among the Corinthians, he appeals to the judgment-seat of God. Isaiah also,
fortified by the same confidence, (Isaiah 50:6 and following verse) despises all the slanders by
which his enemies calumniated him. If, therefore, we cannot find justice anywhere in the world

9. the only support of our patience is to look to God, and to rest contented with the equity of his
judgment. It may, however, be asked by way of objection, Since all the purity of men is mere
pollution in the sight of God, how can the godly dare to bring forward their own righteousness
before him? With respect to David, it is easy to answer this question. He did not boast of his own
righteousness except in reference to his enemies, from whose calumnies he vindicated himself. He
had the testimony of a good conscience that he had attempted nothing without the call and
commandment of God, and therefore he does not speak rashly when he calls God the protector
and defender of his right. Hence we learn that David honored God with this title of praise, in
order the more readily to set him in contrast with the whole world. And as he asks twice to be
heard, in this there is expressed to us both the vehemence of his grief and the earnestness of his
prayers. In the last clause of the verse, he also shows whence he expected to obtain what he
needed, namely, from the mercy of God. And certainly, as often as we ask anything from God, it
becomes us to begin with this, and to beseech him, according to his free goodness, to relieve our
miseries.
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Some think that David here promises himself what
he had not yet experienced; and in the exercise of hope anticipates the manifestations of God’s
grace with which he should afterwards be favored. But, in my opinion, he rather mentions the
benefits which he formerly received from God, and by these strengthens himself against the time
to come. Thus the faithful are accustomed to call to their remembrance those things which tend
to strengthen their faith. We shall, hereafter meet with many passages similar to this, where
David, in order to give energy to his faith against terrors and dangers, Against the terrors and
dangers which presented themselves. brings together the many experiences from which he had
learned that God is always present with his own people and will never disappoint their desires.
The mode of expression which he here employs is metaphorical, and by it he intimates that a way
of escape was opened up to him even when he was besieged and enclosed on every side. The
distress of which he speaks, in my opinion, refers not less to the state of his mind than to
circumstances of outward affliction; for David’s heart was not of such an iron mould as to
prevent him from being cast into deeper mental anguish by adversity.”
9. Treasury of David, “Verse 1. Hear me when I call, etc. Faith is a good orator and a noble
disputer in a strait; it can reason from God's readiness to hear: Hear me when I call, O God.
And from the everlasting righteousness given to the man in the justification of his person: O God
of my righteousness. And from God's constant justice in defending the righteousness of his
servant's cause: O God of my righteousness. And from both present distresses and those that
are by past, wherein he hath been, and from by gone mercies received: Thou hast enlarged me
when I was in distress. And from God's grace, which is able to answer all objections from the
man's unworthiness or ill deserving: Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. David Dickson,
1653.
Verse 1. Hear me. The great Author of nature and of all things does nothing in vain. He instituted
not this law, and, if I may so express it, art of praying, as a vain and insufficient thing, but
endows it with wonderful efficacy for producing the greatest and happiest consequences. He
would have it to be the key by which all the treasures of heaven should be opened. He has
constructed it as a powerful machine, by which we may, with easy and pleasant labour, remove
from us the most dire and unhappy machinations of our enemy, and may with equal ease draw to
ourselves what is most propitious and advantageous. Heaven and earth, and all the elements,
obey and minister to the hands which are often lifted up to heaven in earnest prayer. Yea, all

10. works, and, which is yet more and greater, all the words of God obey it. Well known in the sacred
Scriptures are the examples of Moses and Joshua, and that which (James 5:17) particularly
mentions of Elijah, whom he expressly calls keraunoboloz, a man subject to like infirmities with
ourselves, that he might illustrate the admirable force of prayer, by the common and human
weakness of the person by whom it was offered. And that Christian legion under Antonius is well
known and justly celebrated, which for the singular ardour and efficacy of its prayers, obtained
the name of keraunoboloz, the thundering legion. Robert Leighton, D.D., Archbishop of Glasgow,
1611-1684.
2. How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?
[c]
1. Barnes, “O ye sons of men - Turning from God to men; from Him in whom he hoped for
protection to those who were engaged in persecuting him. We are not, of course, to suppose that
they were present with him, but this is an earnest, poetic remonstrance, “as if” they were with
him. The reference is doubtless to Absalom and his followers; and he calls them “sons of men,” as
having human feelings, passions, and purposes, in strong distinction from that righteous God to
whom he had just made his solemn appeal. God was holy, true, and just, and he might appeal to
Him; they were ambitious and wicked, and from them he had nothing to hope. He looked upon
God as righteous altogether; he looked upon them as altogether depraved and wicked. God he
regarded as his just Protector; them he regarded as seeking only to wrong and crush him.
How long - The phrase used here might refer either to “time” or to “extent.” How long in
regard to “time,” - or to what “degree” or “extent” will you thus persecute me? The former,
however, seems to be the true signification.
Will ye turn my glory into shame - My honor, or what becomes my rank and station. If this
refers to the rebellion in the time of Absalom, the allusion is to the fact that his enemies were
endeavoring to rob him of his scepter and his crown, and to reduce him to the lowest condition of
beggary and want; and he asks with earnestness how long they intended to do him so great
injustice and wrong.
Will ye love vanity - Compare the notes at Psa_2:1. That is, how long will you act as if you were
in love with a vain and impracticable thing; a thing which “must” be hopeless in the end. The
idea is, that God had chosen him, and anointed him, and had determined that he should be king
Psa_4:3, and therefore, that their efforts “must be” ultimately unsuccessful. The object at which
they were aiming could not be accomplished, and he asks how long they would thus engage in
what must, from the nature of the case, be fruitless.
And seek after leasing - The word “leasing” is the Old English word for “lie.” The idea here is,
that they were pursuing a course which would yet prove to be a delusion - the hope of
overturning his throne. The same question, in other respects, may be asked now. Men are seeking

11. that which cannot be accomplished, and are acting under the influence of a lie. What else are the
promises of permanent happiness in the pursuits of pleasure and ambition? What else are their
attempts to overthrow religion and virtue in the world?
Selah - See the notes at Psa_3:2.
2. Clarke, “O ye sons of men - בני איש beney ish, ye powerful men - ye who are now at the head of
affairs, or who are leaders of the multitude.
Love vanity - The poor, empty, shallow-brained, pretty-faced Absalom; whose prospects are all
vain, and whose promises are all empty!
Seek after leasing? - This is a Saxon word, from falsehood, from to lie. Cardmarden has
adopted this word in his translation, Rouen, 1566. It is in none of the Bibles previously to that
time, nor in any after, as far as my own collection affords me evidence; and appears to have been
borrowed by King James’s translators from the above.
Selah - Mark this! See what the end will be!
3. Gill, “O ye sons of men,.... Meaning great men, the nobles of Israel; and so the Jewish
interpreters (k) generally explain it; such as Ahithophel, and others, who were in the conspiracy
with Absalom, 2Sa_15:12, and so they were the kings and princes of the earth, and the rulers of
the Jewish sanhedrim, the chief priests and elders, who were the enemies of Christ; and such,
generally speaking, have been the persecutors of the saints; these men of power and authority, of
dignity and honour, and who were in high places, and boasted of their titles and grandeur, the
psalmist addresses by way of expostulation in the following words;
how long will ye turn my glory into shame? Meaning either God, who was his glory, Psa_3:3;
whom they reproached when they said there was no help for him in him; or his tongue, the
instrument of praise, and the songs of praise he expressed by it, Psa_7:8; which they jeered and
scoffed at: or rather his royal glory and majesty, which they attempted to vail by casting him
down from his excellency, by dethroning him, and setting up Absalom in his room. So the Jews
endeavoured to turn the glory of Christ into shame, which lay in his being the only begotten of
the Father; by denying his sonship, by condemning him to death; because he said he was the Son
of God; and by mocking at him under that character on the cross; and also by their spitting
upon, buffeting, and crucifying the Lord of glory; by reproaching his Gospel, ministers, and
people; and by not acknowledging him as the Messiah, and submitting to his righteousness. And
wicked men do as much as in them lies to turn the glory of the saints into shame, by aspersing
their character, taking away their good name and reputation among men; by reproaching and
reviling them, and speaking all manner of evil of them; and by persecuting them in the most
violent manner;
how long will ye love vanity; or a vain thing (l). Such as the placing of Absalom upon the
throne, on which their hearts were set; and such was the vain imagination of the Jews, with which
they pleased themselves, that Jesus should die, and his name perish; and such are all the attempts
of wicked men to ruin and destroy the people and interest of Christ; for no weapon formed
against them shall prosper;

12. and seek after leasing? Or a lie (m); or that which fails and deceives, as a lie does: and such
were all the counsels and designs of the great men of Israel against David: and so the Jews may
be said to seek after a lie, when they seek after another Messiah besides Jesus of azareth: for
every other proves a Bar Cozbi, that is, the son of a lie; as the false Messiah in Adrian's time
was called by themselves. And so do all such as seek after and embrace false doctrines, errors,
and heresies, and are given up to believe them. ow the psalmist suggests that these great men
were obstinate, and continued in these sinful practices; and that in the issue all their efforts
would be vain and fruitless; and which he further strengthens by observing to them what follows.
4. Henry, “He endeavours to convince them of the folly of their impiety (Psa_4:2). “O you sons of
Men” (of great men, so some, men of high degree, understanding it of the partisans of Saul or
Absalom), “how long will you oppose me and my government, and continue disaffected to it,
under the influence of the false and groundless suggestions of those that wish evil to me?” Or it
may be taken more generally. God, by the psalmist, here reasons with sinners to bring them to
repentance. “You that go on in the neglect of God and his worship, and in contempt of the
kingdom of Christ and his government, consider what you do.” (1.) “You debase yourselves, for
you are sons of men” (the word signifies man as a noble creature); “consider the dignity of your
nature, and the excellency of those powers of reason with which you are endued, and do not act
thus irrationally and unbecoming yourselves.” Let the sons of men consider and show themselves
men. (2.) “You dishonour your Maker, and turn his glory into shame.” They may well be taken as
God's own words, charging sinners with the wrong they do him in his honour: or, if David's
words, the term glory may be understood of God, whom he called his glory, Psa_3:3. Idolaters are
charged with changing the glory of God into shame, Rom_1:23. All wilful sinners do so by
disobeying the commands of his law, despising the offers of his grace, and giving the affection and
service to the creature which are due to God only. Those that profane God's holy name, that
ridicule his word and ordinances, and, while they profess to know him, in works deny him, do
what in them lies to turn his glory into shame. (3.) “You put a cheat upon yourselves: You love
vanity, and seek after leasing, or lying, or that which is a lie. You are yourselves vain and lying,
and you love to be so.” Or, “You set your hearts upon that which will prove, at last, but vanity
and a lie.” Those that love the world, and seek the things that are beneath, love vanity, and seek
lies; as those also do that please themselves with the delights of sense, and portion themselves
with the wealth of this world; for these will deceive them, and so ruin them. “How long will you
do this? Will you never be wise for yourselves, never consider your duty and interest? When shall
it once be?” Jer_13:27. The God of heaven thinks the time long that sinners persist in
dishonouring him and in deceiving and ruining themselves.
5. Spurgeon, “In this second division of the Psalm, we are led from the closet of prayer into the
field of conflict. Remark the undaunted courage of the man of God. He allows that his enemies
are great men for such is the import of the Hebrew words translated -- sons of men, but still he
believes them to be foolish men, and therefore chides them, as though they were but children. He
tells them that they love vanity, and seek after leasing, that is, lying, empty fancies, vain conceits,
wicked fabrications. He asks them how long they mean to make his honour a jest, and his fame a
mockery? A little of such mirth is too much, why need they continue to indulge in it? Had they
not been long enough upon the watch for his halting? Had not repeated disappointments
convinced them that the Lord's anointed was not to be overcome by all their calumnies? Did they
mean to jest their souls into hell, and go on with their laughter until swift vengeance should turn

13. their merriment into howling? In the contemplation of their perverse continuance in their vain
and lying pursuits, the Psalmist solemnly pauses and inserts a
Selah. Surely we too may stop awhile, and meditate upon the deep seated folly of the wicked,
their continuance in evil, and their sure destruction; and we may learn to admire that grace
which has made us to differ, and taught us to love truth, and seek after righteousness.
“An instructive writer has made a mournful list of the honors which the blinded people of Israel
awarded to their long expected King.
1. They gave him a procession of honor, in which Roman legionaries, Jewish priests, men and
women, took a part, he himself bearing his cross. This is the triumph which the world awards to
him who comes to overthrow man’s direst foes. Derisive shouts are his only acclamations, and
cruel taunts his only paeans of praise.
2. They presented him with the wine of honor. Instead of a golden cup of generous wine they
offered him the criminal’s stupefying death-draught, which he refused because he would preserve
an uninjured taste wherewith to taste of death; and afterward when he cried, “I thirst,” they gave
him vinegar mixed with gall, thrust to his mouth upon a sponge. Oh! wretched, detestable
inhospitality to the King’s Son.
3. He was provided with a guard of honor, who showed their esteem of him by gambling over his
garments, which they had seized as their booty. Such was the body-guard of the adored of
heaven; a quaternion of brutal gamblers.
4. A throne of honor was found for him upon the bloody tree; no easier place of rest would rebel
men yield to their liege Lord. The cross was, in fact, the full expression of the world’s feeling
towards him; “There,” they seemed to say, “thou Son of God, this is the manner in which God
himself should be treated, could we reach him.”
5. The title of honor was nominally “King of the Jews,” but that the blinded nation distinctly
repudiated, and really called him “King of thieves,” by preferring Barabbas, and by placing
Jesus in the place of highest shame between two thieves. His glory was thus in all things turned
into shame by the sons of men, but it shall yet gladden the eyes of saints and angels, world
without end.
5B. Spurgeon preached on this text, and a small part of what he said I will quote: “DAVID had
many times been the subject of cruel mockery; and, therefore, while writing this Psalm probably
in the first place about himself, he also described in it one of the bitterest of our Saviour’s
sufferings. What an illustration this is of the union which exists between Christ and his people in
the matter of experience! He had a cross to bear, God so have they. He was “despised and
rejected of men,” and so are they. The Church of God is not like the image that ebuchadnezzar
saw in his dream, which had a head of gold and feet of iron and clay; but, as is the Head, such are
also the members. As the Head had to endure cruel mockings, the members must not expect to be
exempted from similar treatment. This is why so many of the Psalms of David are equally
applicable to David and to his Lord; and I believe that we have, in this verse, answered not only
to David himself, but also to “great David’s greater Son.” In the case of both of them, the sons of
men turned their glory into shame, but I want especially to call to your remembrance the

14. sufferings of our Savior in this respect.
So, in the first place, notice that EVERYTHIG ABOUT OUR SAVIOUR THAT WAS
GLORIOUS WAS MADE THE SUBJECT OF SCOR. Begin with his glorious Person, and
think how shamefully that was treated by the sons of men in the time of his humiliation. He was
betrayed, but the betrayer was one who had been his disciple, and who, in the very act of
betrayal called him “Master.” This was shameful cruelty on the part of Judas, not only to betray
him to his enemies, but to hail him as “ Master “ in mockery and be kiss him in scorn. There was
shame even in the way in which they went to Gethsemane to arrest the Savior, with swords and
staves, and lanterns and torches, as though he had been some desperate malefactor who would
resist to the utmost the office” of the law. o lanterns or torches were needed to show the way to
the light of the world, and their swords and staves would have availed them nothing if he had
chosen to put forth his omnipotent energy. When he was dragged before Annas and Caiaphas,
Pilate and Herod, his precious person was the constant subject of scorn, so that he could truly
say, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not
my face from shame and spitting.” “ The soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his
head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him
with their hands.” And when Pilate brought him forth to the people, and cried, “Behold the
man!” instead of pitying him in his distress, they shouted, “Crucify him, crucify him.” His
agonies upon the cross provided further subjects for their contempt and scorn; he could
truthfully employ the language of the twenty-second Psalm: “All them that see me laugh me to
scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would
deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.” They looked upon his person as
beg so utterly contemptible that they desired that he should suffer death in its most ignominious
form, “even the death of the cross.”
6. KD, “(Heb.: 4:3-4) Righteous in his relation to God he turns rebukingly towards those who
contemn his whose honour is God's honour, viz., to the partisans of Absolom. In contrast with בְּנֵי
אָדָם , men who are lost in the multitude, בְּנֵי אִישׁ denotes such as stand prominently forward out of
the multitude; passages like Psa_49:3; Psa_62:10; Pro_8:4; Isa_2:9; Isa_5:15, show this
distinction. In this and the preceding Psalm David makes as little mention of his degenerate son
as he does of the deluded king in the Psalms belonging to the period of his persecution by Saul.
The address is directed to the aristocratic party, whose tool Absolom has become. To these he
days: till when ( עַד־מֶה beside the non-guttural which follows with Segol, without any manifest
reason, as in Psa_10:13; Isa_1:5; Jer_16:10), i.e., how long shall my honour become a mockery,
namely to you and by you, just as we can also say in Latin quousque tandem dignitas mea
ludibrio? The two following members are circumstantial clauses subordinate to the principal
clause with עַד־מֶה (similar to Isa_1:5; Ew. §341, b). The energetic fut. with un parag. does not
usually stand at the head of independent clauses; it is therefore to be rendered: since ye love ,רִיק
that which is empty - the proper name for their high rank is hollow appearance - how long will ye
pursue after כָּזָ ב , falsehood?-they seek to find out every possible lying pretext, in order to trail the
honour of the legitimate king in the dust. The assertion that the personal honour of David, not his
kingly dignity, is meant by כְּבוֹדִי , separates what is inseparable. They are eager to injure his
official at the same time as his personal reputation. Therefore David appeals in opposition to
them (Psa_4:4) not only to the divine choice, but also to his personal relationship to God, on
which that choice is based. The ו of וּדְעוּ is, as in 2Ki_4:41, the ו of sequence: so know then. The
Hiph. חִפְלָה (from פָּלָ ה = פָּלָא , cogn. פָּלַ ל , prop. to divide) to make a separation, make a distinction

15. Exo_9:4; Exo_11:7, then to distinguish in an extraordinary and remarkable way Exo_8:18, and
to show Psa_17:7, cf. Psa_31:22, so that consequently what is meant is not the mere selection (
בָּחַר ), but the remarkable selection to a remarkable position of honour (lxx, Vulg. mirificavit,
Windberg translation of the Psalms gewunderlichet). ו Y belongs to the verb, as in Psa_135:4, and
the principal accent lies on חָסִיד : he whom Jahve Himself, not men, has thus remarkably
distinguished is a חָסִיד , a pious man, i.e., either, like the Syriac חֲסִידָא = רְהִימָ א : God's favourite, or,
according to the biblical usage of the language (cf. Psa_12:2 with Isa_17:1), in an active
signification like פָּלִיט, פָּרִיץ , and the like: a lover of God, from חָסַד (root חס Arab. ḥs, stringere,
whence ḥassa to curry, maḥassa a curry-comb) prop. to feel one's self drawn, i.e., strongly
affected (comp. ḥiss is mental impression), in Hebrew, of a strong ardent affection. As a חסיד he
does not call upon God in vain, but finds a ready hearing. Their undertaking consequently runs
counter to the miraculously evidenced will of God and must fail by reason of the loving
relationship in which the dethroned and debased one stands to God.”
7. Calvin, “O ye sons of men. The happy result of the prayer of David was, that resuming courage,
he was able not only to repel the fury of his enemies, but also to challenge them on his part, and
fearlessly to despise all their machinations. That our confidence, therefore, may remain
unshaken, we ought not, when assailed by the wicked, to enter into conflict without being
furnished like David with the same armor. The sum is, that since God was determined to defend
David by his own power, it was in vain for all the men in the world to endeavor to destroy him;
however great the power which they otherwise might have of doing him injury. By calling those
whom he addresses the sons, not of Adam, or of some common persons but of men, he seems by
the way to reprove their pride. 52 52 “Le mot Hebrieu ne signifie pas simplement Homme, mais
homme viril at robuste; en quoy il semble taxer, en passant, leur arrogance.” — Fr. The Hebrew
word signifies not simply man, but a strong and robust man; and by this word he seems, in
passing, to rebuke their arrogance. I do not agree with certain Jewish expositors who think that
nobles or men of rank are meant. It is rather an ironical concession of what they claimed to
themselves, by which he ridicules their presumption, in esteeming themselves to be noble and
wise, whereas it was only blind rage which impelled them to wicked enterprises. In the words
how long, he condemns their perverse obstinacy; for what he means, is not that they were stirred
up against him merely by some sudden impulses, but that the stubborn purpose of injuring him
was deeply fixed in their hearts. Had not their maliciousness deprived them of their
understanding, the many instances in which God had proved himself to be David’s defender
would have compelled them to desist from their attempts against him. But as they were fully
determined to disgrace him whom God had exalted to the royal throne he asks them, How long
they will persevere in their endeavors to turn his glory into shame And it is to be observed that
although loaded with every kind of reproach, both among the high and the low he yet
courageously keeps fast hold of the glory or the honor of royalty which God had graciously
promised him, or had conferred upon him, and is fully persuaded that God will at length
vindicate his right to it, however much his enemies might wickedly endeavor to blot and obscure
it by treating his pretensions with derision and scorn.
How long will ye love vanity? In these words, he partly reproaches his enemies for the wicked and
perverse passions with which he saw them to be impelled, although they falsely pretended to be
actuated by a godly zeal; and he partly derides their folly in flattering themselves with the hope
of success while fighting against God. And it is a most pointed rebuke. Even when the ungodly
rush headlong into all manner of wickedness with the grossest 53 53 “D’une malice si evidente
qu’on la pourroit toucher au doigt.” — Fr. With a malice so evident that one could touch it with

16. the finger. malice, they soothe themselves with deceitful flatteries in order not to be disturbed
with the feelings of remorse. David, therefore, cries out, that wilfully to shut their eyes and
varnish their unrighteousness with deceitful colors, would avail them nothing. The ungodly may
indeed flatter and delude themselves, but when they are brought in good earnest to the trial, it
will be always manifest that the reason why they are deceived is, because from the beginning they
were determined to deal deceitfully. ow, from this place, we ought to take a shield of invincible
steadfastness as often as we see ourselves overmatched in prudence and subtlety by the wicked.
For with whatever engines they assault us, yet if we have the testimony of a good conscience, God
will remain on our side, and against him they shall not prevail. They may greatly excel in
ingenuity, and possess much power of hurting us, and have their plans and subsidiary aid in the
greatest readiness, and be very shrewd in discernment, yet whatever they may invent, it will be
but lying and vanity.
8. Treasury of David, “Verse 2. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how
long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. Prayer soars above the violence and
impiety of men, and with a swift wing commits itself to heaven, with happy omen, if I may allude
to what the learned tell us of the augury of the ancients, which I shall not minutely discuss.
Fervent prayers stretch forth a strong, wide extended wing, and while the birds of night hover
beneath, they mount aloft, and point out, as it were, the proper seats to which we should aspire.
For certainly there is nothing that cuts the air so swiftly, nothing that takes so sublime, so happy,
so auspicious a flight as prayer, which bears the soul on its pinions, and leaves far behind all the
dangers, and even the delights of this low world of ours. Behold this holy man, who just before
was crying to God in the midst of distress, and with urgent importunity entreating that he might
be heard, now, as if he were already possessed of all he had asked, taking upon him boldly to
rebuke his enemies, how highly soever they were exalted, and how potent soever they might be
even in the royal palace. Robert Leighton, D.D.
Verse 2. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? etc. We might imagine
every syllable of this precious Psalm used by our Master some evening, when about to leave the
temple for the day, and retiring to his wonted rest at Bethany (Psalms 4:8), after another fruitless
expostulation with the men of Israel. And we may read it still as the very utterance of his heart,
longing over man, and delighting in God. But, further, not only is this the utterance of the Head,
it is also the language of one of his members in full sympathy with him in holy feeling. This is a
Psalm with which the righteous may make their dwellings resound, morning and evening, as they
cast a sad look over a world that rejects God's grace. They may sing it while they cling more and
more every day to Jehovah, as their all sufficient heritage, now and in the age to come. They may
sing it, too, in the happy confidence of faith and hope, when the evening of the world's day is
coming, and may then fall asleep in the certainty of what shall greet their eyes on the resurrection
morning --
Sleeping embosomed in his grace,
Till morning shadows flee.
Andrew A. Bonar, 1859
Verse 2. Love vanity. They that love sin, love vanity; they chase a bubble, they lean upon a reed,
their hope is as a spider's web.
Leasing. This is an old Saxon word signifying falsehood.

17. Verse 2. How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.
This our first parents found, and therefore named their second son Abel, or vanity. Solomon, that
had tried these things, and could best tell the vanity of them, he preacheth this sermon over again
and again. Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. It is sad to think how many thousands there be
that can say with the preacher, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity; nay, swear it, and yet follow
after these things as if there were no other glory, nor felicity, but what is to be found in these
things they call vanity. Such men will sell Christ, heaven, and their souls, for a trifle, that call
these things vanity, but do not cordially believe them to be vanity, but set their hearts upon them
as if they were their crown, the top of all their royalty and glory. Oh! let your souls dwell upon
the vanity of all things here below, till your hearts so thoroughly convinced and persuaded of the
vanity of them, as to trample upon them, and make them a footstool for Christ to get up, and ride
in a holy triumph in your hearts.
Gilemex, king of Vandals, led in triumph by Belisarius, cried out, Vanity of vanities, all is
vanity. The fancy of Lucian, who placeth Charon on the top of a high hill, viewing all the affairs
of men living, and looking on their greatest cities as little bird's nests, is very pleasant. Oh, the
imperfection, the ingratitude, the levity, the inconstancy, the perfidiousness of those creatures we
most servilely affect! Ah, did we but weigh man's pain with his payment, his crosses with his
mercies, his miseries with his pleasures, we should then see that there is nothing got by the
bargain, and conclude, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Chrysostom said once, That if he were
the fittest in the world to preach a sermon to the whole world, gathered together in one
congregation, and had some high mountain for his pulpit, from whence he might have a prospect
of all the world in his view, and were furnished with a voice of brass, a voice as loud as the
trumpets of the archangel, that all the world might hear him, he would choose to preach upon no
other text than that in the Psalms, O mortal men, How long will ye love vanity, and follow after
leasing? Thomas Brooks, 1608-1680.
Verse 2. Love vanity. Men's affections are according to their principles; and every one loves that
most without him which is most suitable to somewhat within him: liking is founded in likeness,
and has therefore that word put upon it. It is so in whatsoever we can imagine; whether in
temporals or spirituals, as to the things of this life, or of a better. Men's love is according to some
working and impression upon their own spirits. And so it is here in the point of vanity; those
which are vain persons, they delight in vain things; as children, they love such matters as are
most agreeable to their childish dispositions, and as do suit them in that particular. Out of the
heart comes all kind of evil. Thomas Horton, 1675.
3. Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant
for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
1. Barnes, “But know - This is addressed to those whom, in the previous verse, he had called the
“sons of men;” that is, his foes. This is designed to show them that their opposition to him must
be vain, since God had determined to set him apart for his own service, and would, therefore,
hear his prayer for relief and protection.

18. That the Lord hath set apart - That Yahweh had done this; that is, that he had designated him
to accomplish a certain work, or that he regarded him as an instrument to perform it. He would,
therefore, protect him whom he had thus appointed; and their efforts were really directed against
Yahweh himself, and must be vain.
Him that is godly for himself - For his own purposes, or to accomplish his own designs. The
reference is here undoubtedly to the psalmist himself; that is, to David. The word “godly,” as
applied to himself, is probably used in contrast with his enemies as being engaged in wicked
designs, to wit, in rebellion, and in seeking to dispossess him of his lawful throne. The psalmist
felt that his cause was a righteous cause, that he had done nothing to deserve this treatment at
their hands; and that he had been originally exalted to the throne because God regarded him as a
friend of himself and of his cause; and because he knew that he would promote the interests of
that cause. The word here rendered “godly,” חסיד châsı̂yd, is derived from חסד chesed, which
means desire, ardor, zeal; and then kindness, benignity, love toward God or man. Here the word
properly denotes one who has love to God, or one who is truly pious; and it is correctly rendered
“godly.” Compare Psa_30:4-5; Psa_31:23; Psa_37:28. The idea is, that as God had appointed him
for his own great purposes, the real aim of the rebels was to oppose Yahweh; and the purposes in
which they were engaged could not, therefore, be successful.
The Lord will hear when I call unto him - As I am engaged in his service; as I am appointed to
accomplish a certain purpose for him, I may confidently believe that he will hear me, and will
deliver me out of their hands. Is not this always the true ground of encouragement to pray - that
if God has a purpose to accomplish by us he will hear our prayer, and save us from danger, and
deliver us out of the hand of our enemies? And should not this be the main design in our prayers -
that God “would” thus spare us that we may accomplish the work which he has given us to do?
2. Clarke, “The Lord hath set apart him that is godly - חסיד chasid, the pious, benevolent man.
He has marked such, and put them aside as his own property. “This merciful man, this feeling,
tender-hearted man, is my own property; touch not a hair of his head!”
3. Gill, “But know,.... Take notice of it, consider it, be assured of the truth, of it; it may be
depended upon as fact,
that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: which may be understood of David
himself, an holy good man; a man after God's own heart; whom the Lord chose, and in a
marvellous manner separated from the rest of his brethren; took him from the sheepfold, and set
him upon the throne of Israel, for the glory of his great name; and therefore the attempts of his
enemies against him would be without success: and also of the Messiah, God's Holy One, whom
he has chosen out from among the people to be their Saviour and Redeemer, to the glory of his
grace; wherefore the work of the Lord has prospered in his hands: and likewise of all the saints,
and of their election; which act is expressed by their being set apart, or separated from others,
who are called the rest; and which is a marvellous act of grace: for the word may be rendered,
he hath wonderfully set apart (n). It is an amazing instance of grace that God should make one
to differ from another, and separate them from their mother's womb, and call them by his grace.
The object of this act is him that is godly, or holy (o): not that any are set apart or chosen by
God for their godliness, or holiness; for they are chosen through sanctification of the Spirit, and

19. not because they were or it was foreseen they would be holy. Holiness, faith, godliness, and good
works, are the fruits of election, and not the causes of it: but the word חסיד , rendered godly,
signifies good and merciful (p); and designs one, that God is good, and gracious, and
merciful unto; who is an object of his free grace and favour; and therefore he chooses and sets
him apart of his own grace and mercy, and according to his sovereign will and pleasure: and that
for himself; for his own use and service, for his praise and honour, and to the glory of his
grace; which is his grand end in predestination, election, and in all spiritual blessings. And now
all attempts against such persons are in vain; all charges against them are of no avail; all
methods, whether by open force of persecutors, or by the cunning of false teachers, that lie in
wait to deceive, to prevail against them, prove failures: and God will avenge his elect, that cry
unto him day and night; as follows;
the Lord will hear when I call unto him; and deliver out of the hands of enemies, and cut them
off: wherefore it is a vain thing for men to set themselves against Christ and his people.
4. Henry, “He shows them the peculiar favour which God has for good people, the special
protection they are under, and the singular privileges to which they are entitled, Psa_4:3. This
comes in here, (1.) As a reason why they should not oppose or persecute him that is godly, nor
think to run him down. It is at their peril if they offend one of these little ones, whom God has set
apart for himself, Mat_18:6. God reckons that those who touch them touch the apple of his eye;
and he will make their persecutors to know it, sooner or later. They have an interest in heaven,
God will hear them, and therefore let none dare to do them any injury, for God will hear their cry
and plead their cause, Exo_22:23. It is generally supposed that David speaks of his own
designation to the throne; he is the godly man whom the Lord has set apart for that honour, and
who does not usurp it or assume it to himself: “The opposition therefore which you give to him
and to his advancement is very criminal, for therein you fight against God, and it will be vain and
ineffectual.” God has, in like manner, set apart the Lord Jesus for himself, that merciful One;
and those that attempt to hinder his advancement will certainly be baffled, for the Father hears
him always. Or, (2.) As a reason why they should themselves be good, and walk no longer in the
counsel of the ungodly: “You have hitherto sought vanity; be truly religious, and you will be truly
happy here and for ever; for,” [1.] “God will secure to himself his interest in you.” The Lord has
set apart him that is godly, every particular godly man, for himself, in his eternal choice, in his
effectual calling, in the special disposals of his providence and operations of his grace; his people
are purified unto him a peculiar people. Godly men are God's separated, sealed, ones; he knows
those that are his, and has set his image and superscription upon them; he distinguishes them
with uncommon favours: They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels.
Know this; let godly people know it, and let them never alienate themselves from him to whom
they are thus appropriated; let wicked people know it, and take heed how they hurt those whom
God protects. [2.] “God will secure to you an interest in himself.” This David speaks with
application: The Lord will hear when I call unto him. We should think ourselves happy if we had
the ear of an earthly prince; and is it not worth while upon any terms, especially such easy ones,
to gain the ear of the King of kings? Let us know this, and forsake lying vanities for our own
mercies.
5. Spurgeon, “But know. Fools will not learn, and therefore they must again and again be told the
same thing, especially when it is such a bitter truth which is to be taught them, viz.: -- the fact

20. that the godly are the chosen of God, and are, by distinguishing grace, set apart and separated
from among men. Election is a doctrine which unrenewed men cannot endure, but nevertheless, it
is a glorious and well attested truth, and one which should comfort the tempted believer. Election
is the guarantee of complete salvation, and an argument for success at the throne of grace. He
who chose us for himself will surely hear our prayer. The Lord's elect shall not be condemned,
nor shall their cry be unheard. David was king by divine decree, and we are the Lord's people in
the same manner: let us tell our enemies to their faces, that they fight against God and destiny,
when they strive to overthrow our souls. O beloved, when you are on your knees, the fact of your
being set apart as God's own peculiar treasure, should give you courage and inspire you with
fervency and faith. Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?
Since he chose to love us he cannot but choose to hear us.
6. Calvin, “Know that Jehovah hath set apart, etc This is a confirmation of the preceding verse, for
it shows that the cause of David’s boldness consisted in this, that he depended upon God, the
founder of his kingdom. And surely we may then safely triumph over our enemies when we are
assured of having the call of God to the office which we hold, or the work in which we are
engaged. Accordingly, David does not here boast of his own strength, or riches, or armies by
which he obtained the kingdom. But as he was chosen by God, he intimates that the many
attempts of his enemies against him would be without success, because they would find from
experience, that God, whose power they could not successfully resist, was against them. In the
first place, he says that he was set apart by God, by which he means that he was advanced to the
throne, not by the will of man, or by his own ambition, but by the appointment of God. The
Hebrew word פלה , Phalah, signifies to separate, and it here refers to separation to honor and
dignity; as if he had said you admit no one as king but he who is chosen by your own suffrages, or
who pleases you; but it is the peculiar prerogative of God to make choice of whom he will. By the
word merciful or bountiful, he doubtless vindicates his right to be king, from the fact that this was
a quality which belonged to himself; it is as if he had produced the mark or badge of his calling.
For it was truly said in the old proverb, Mercy is the virtue most suitable for kings. ow, God
usually furnishes those whom he reckons worthy of having this honor conferred upon them, with
the endowments requisite for the exercise of their office, that they may not be as dead idols. Some
understand the word חסיד , chasid, in a passive sense, not as denoting a beneficent person, but
one who is placed on the throne by the favor of God. As, however, I meet with no examples of this
signification of the word in Scripture, I think it safer to follow the common interpretation, which
is this: God has chosen a king, who answers to the character which should be possessed by all
who are called to fill such an exalted station, in as much as he is merciful and beneficent. Hence,
he infers that he would be heard by God as often as he called upon him; for God principally
proves his faithfulness in this, that he does not forsake the work of his own hands, but continually
defends those whom he has once received into his favor. Hence, we are taught fearlessly to
proceed in our path; because whatever we may have undertaken according to his will, shall never
be ineffectual. Let this truth then, obtain a fixed place in our minds, that God will never withhold
his assistance from those who go on sincerely in their course. Without this comfort, the faithful
must inevitably sink into despondency every moment.
7. Treasury of David, “Verse 3. The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself. When God
chooseth a man, he chooseth him for himself; for himself to converse with, to communicate
himself unto him as a friend, a companion, and his delight. ow, it is holiness that makes us fit to
live with the holy God for ever, since without it we cannot see him (Hebrews 12:14), which is

21. God's main aim, and more than our being his children; as one must be supposed a man, one of
mankind, having a soul reasonable, ere we can suppose him capable of adoption, or to be another
man's heir. As therefore it was the main first design in God's eye, before the consideration of our
happiness, let it be so in ours. Thomas Goodwin, 1600-1679.
Verse 3. What rare persons the godly are: The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour.
Proverbs 12:26. As the flower of the sun, as the wine of Lebanon, as the sparkling upon Aaron's
breastplate, such is the orient splendour of a person embellished with godliness ... The godly are
precious, therefore they are set apart for God, Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is
godly for himself. We set apart things that are precious; the godly are set apart as God's peculiar
treasure (Psalms 135:4); as his garden of delight (So 4:12); as his royal diadem (Isaiah 43:3); the
godly are the excellent of the earth (Psalms 16:3); comparable to fine gold (Lamentations 4:2);
double refined (Zechariah 13:9). They are the glory of the creation. (Isaiah 46:13). Origen
compares the saints to sapphires and crystals: God calls them jewels (Malachi 3:17). Thomas
Watson.
Verse 3. The Lord will hear when I call unto him. Let us remember that the experience of one of
the saints concerning the verity of God's promises, and of the certainty of the written privileges
of the Lord's people, is a sufficient proof of the right which all his children have to the same
mercies, and a ground of hope that they also shall partake of them in their times of need. David
Dickson, 1653.
4. Tremble and[d] do not sin; when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
1. Barnes, “Stand in awe - Still addressed to those who in Psa_4:2 are called “sons of men;” that
is, to his enemies. This is rendered by Prof. Alexander, “Rage and sin not.” The Aramaic
Paraphrase renders it, “Tremble before him, and sin not.” The Latin Vulgate, “Irascimini” - “be
angry.” The Septuagint ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε orgizesthe kai mē hamartanete, “Be ye
angry, and sin not” - a rendering which Paul seems to have had in his eye in Eph_4:26, where the
same language is found. It is not necessary, however, to suppose that, in this case, or by so quoting
this language, Paul meant to give his sanction to the Septuagint translation of the passage. The
truth doubtless is, that he found this language in that version, and that he quoted it, not as a
correct translation, but as exactly expressing an idea which he wished to convey - in the same way
as he would have quoted an expression from a Greek classic.
It was made to convey an inspired sentiment by his use of it; whether it was a fair translation of
the original Hebrew was another question. For the meaning of the sentiment, see the notes at
Eph_4:26. The original word here - רגז râgaz - means to be moved, disturbed, disquieted, thrown
into commotion; and as this may be by anger, fear, or grief, so the word comes to be used with
reference to any one of these things. - Gesenius, Lexicon. The connection here would seem to
require that it should be understood with reference to “fear” - since we cannot suppose that the
writer would counsel them to be moved or agitated by wrath or anger, and since there was no
ground for exhorting them to be moved by grief. The true idea is, doubtless, that which is

22. conveyed in our translation - that they were to fear; to stand in awe; to reflect on the course
which they were pursuing, and on the consequences of that course, and by so doing to cease from
their plans, and to sin no further. God had determined to protect him whom they were engaged in
persecuting, and, in prosecuting their plans, they must come into conflict with His power, and be
overcome. The counsel, therefore, is just such as may properly be given to all men who are
engaged in executing plans of evil.
And sin not - That is, by continuing to prosecute these plans. Your course is one of rebellion
against Yahweh, since he has determined to protect him whom you are endeavoring to drive from
his throne, and any further prosecution of your schemes must be regarded as additional guilt.
They had indeed sinned by what they had already done; they would only sin the more unless they
abandoned their undertaking.
Commune with your own heart - Hebrew: “Speak with your own heart;” that is, consult your
own “heart” on the subject, and be guided by the result of such a deliberation. The language is
similar to what we often use when we say, “Consult your better judgment,” or “Consult your
feelings,” or “Take counsel of your own good sense;” as if a man were divided against himself,
and his passions, his ambition, or his avarice, were contrary to his own better judgment. The
word “heart” here is used in the sense in which we now use it as denoting the seat of the
affections, and especially of right affections; and the meaning is, “Do not take counsel of, or be
influenced by, your head, your will, your passions, your evil advisers and counselors; but consult
your own better feelings, your generous emotions, your sense of right, and act accordingly.”
People would frequently be much more likely to do right if they would consult their “hearts” as
to what should be done than they are in following the counsels which actually influence them.
The secret, silent teachings of the “heart” - the heart when unbiased and uninfluenced by bad
counselors - is often our best and safest guide.
Upon your bed - Admirable advice to those who are engaged in plans of wickedness. In the
silence of night; in solitary musings on our bed; when withdrawn from the world, and from all
the promptings of passion and ambition, and when, if at any time, we cannot but feel that the eye
of God is upon us, the mind is most likely to be in a proper state to review its plans, and to
inquire whether those plans can be expected to meet the divine approbation.
And be still - When you are thus quiet, reflect on your doings. For a most beautiful description
of the effect of night and silence in recalling wicked men from their schemes, see Job_33:14-17.
Compare the notes at that passage.
Selah - This, as explained in the notes at Psa_3:2, marks a musical pause. The pause here would
well accord with the sense, and would most happily occur after the allusion to the quiet
communion on the bed, and the exhortation to be still.
2. Clarke, “Stand in awe, and sin not - The Septuagint, which is copied by St. Paul, Eph_4:26,
translate this clause, Οργιζεσθε, και μη ἁμαρτανετε; Be ye angry, and sin not. The Vulgate,
Syriac, Ethiopic, and Arabic, give the same reading; and thus the original רגזו rigzu might be
translated: If ye be angry, and if ye think ye have cause to be angry; do not let your disaffection
carry you to acts of rebellion against both God and your king. Consider the subject deeply before
you attempt to act. Do nothing rashly; do not justify one evil act by another: sleep on the
business; converse with your oten heart upon your bed; consult your pillow.
And be still - ודמו vedommu, “and be dumb.” Hold your peace; fear lest ye be found fighting
against God. Selah. Mark this!

23. 3. Gill, “Stand in awe, and sin not,.... That is, stand in awe of God, and his righteous, judgments;
be afraid of him, and tremble before him; make him your fear and your dread, and go on no
longer and proceed no further in sinning against him. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac,
Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, render it, be ye angry, and sin not: which are the words of the
apostle, Eph_4:26; referring to this place; and which doubtless is the reason of these versions.
There is an anger that is sinful, when it is without a cause, or exceeds due bounds, and is not
directed to a good end, and is productive of bad effects, by words or deeds; and when it is soon
raised, or long continued; and there is an anger that is not sinful; when it arises from a true zeal
for God and religion; when it is kindled, not against the persons, but sins, of men; and when it is
continued to answer good purposes; as the good of those with whom we are angry, and the glory
of God, and the promoting of the kingdom and interest of Christ;
commune with your own heart upon your bed: when retired from men and business, and you are
at leisure to think and meditate then reflect upon your actions, seriously consider them; ask your
heart some proper and close questions; examine narrowly and thoroughly the principles on
which, and the views with which, you act;
and be still; cease from all your rage and fury against me, against the Lord, and against his
people; or say in your own hearts (q), as follows.
4. Henry, “ He warns them against sin, and exhorts them both to frighten and to reason
themselves out of it (Psa_4:4): “Stand in awe and sin not” (be angry and sin not, so the Septuagint,
and some think the apostle takes that exhortation from him, Eph_4:26); “commune with your
own hearts; be converted, and, in order thereunto, consider and fear.” ote, (1.) We must not sin,
must not miss our way and so miss our aim. (2.) One good remedy against sin is to stand in awe.
Be moved (so some), in opposition to carelessness and carnal security. “Always keep up a holy
reverence of the glory and majesty of God, and a holy dread of his wrath and curse, and dare not
to provoke him.” (3.) One good means of preventing sin, and preserving a holy awe, is to be
frequent and serious in communing with our own hearts: “Talk with your hearts; you have a great
deal to say to them; they may be spoken with at any time; let it not be unsaid.” A thinking man is
in a fair way to be a wise and a good man. “Commune with your hearts; examine them by serious
self-reflection, that you may acquaint yourselves with them and amend what is amiss in them;
employ them in solemn pious meditations; let your thoughts fasten upon that which is good and
keep closely to it. Consider your ways, and observe the directions here given in order to the doing
of this work well and to good purpose.” [1.] “Choose a solitary time; do it when you lie awake
upon your beds. Before you turn yourself to go to sleep at night” (as some of the heathen moralists
have directed) “examine your consciences with respect to what you have done that day,
particularly what you have done amiss, that you may repent of it. When you awake in the night
meditate upon God, and the things that belong to your peace.” David himself practised what he
here counsels others to do (Psa_63:6), I remember thee on my bed. Upon a sick-bed, particularly,
we should consider our ways and commune with our own hearts about them. [2.] “Compose
yourselves into a serious frame: Be still. When you have asked conscience a question be silent,
and wait for an answer; even in unquiet times keep you spirits calm and quiet.”

24. 5. KD, “(Heb.: 4:5-6) The address is continued: they are to repent and cleave to Jahve instead
of allowing themselves to be carried away by arrogance and discontent. The lxx has rendered it
correctly: ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε (cf. Eph_4:26): if ye will be angry beware of sinning, viz.,
backbiting and rebellion (cf. the similar paratactic combinations Psa_28:1; Jos_6:18; Isa_12:1).
In connection with the rendering contremiscite we feel to miss any expression of that before which
they are to tremble (viz., the sure punishment which God decrees). He warns his adversaries
against blind passion, and counsels them to quiet converse with their own hearts, and solitary
meditation, in order that they may not imperil their own salvation. To commune with one's own
heart, without the addition of the object, is equivalent to to think alone by one's self, and the bed
or resting-place, without requiring to be understood literally, points to a condition of mind that is
favourable to quiet contemplation. The heart is the seat of the conscience, and the Spirit of God
(as Hamann, Werke i. 98, observes on this subject) disguises itself as our own voice that we may
see His exhortation, His counsel, and His wisdom well up out of our own stony heart. The second
imper. continues the first: and cease, prop. be still ( דָּמַם from the sound of the closed mouth
checking the discourse), i.e., come to your right mind by self-examination, cease your tumult-a
warning coming with the semblance of command by reason of the consciousness of innocence on
his part; and this impression has to be rendered here by the striking in of the music. The
dehortation passes over into exhortation in Psa_4:6. Of course the sacrifices were continued in
the sanctuary while David, with his faithful followers, was a fugitive from Jerusalem. Referring
to this, David cries out to the Absolomites: offer זִבְחֵי־צֶדֶק . Here at least these are not offerings
consisting of actions which are in accordance with the will of God, instead of slaughtered animals,
but sacrifices offered with a right mind, conformed to the will of God, instead of the hypocritical
mind with which they consecrate their evil doings and think to flatter God. In Ps 51:21,
Deu_33:19 also, “the sacrifices of righteousness” are real sacrifices, not merely symbols of moral
acts. ot less full of meaning is the exhortation וּבִטְחוּ אֶל־ה . The verb בָּטַח is construed with אֶל as in
Psa_31:7; Psa_56:4; Psa_86:2, combining with the notion of trusting that of drawing near to,
hanging on, attaching one's self to any one. The Arabic word bṭḥ, expandere, has preserved the
primary notion of the word, a notion which, as in the synon. Arab. bsṭ, when referred to the effect
which is produced on the heart, countenance and whole nature of the man by a joyous cheerful
state of mind, passes over to the notion of this state of mind itself, so that בָּטַח (like the Arab.
inbasaṭa to be cheerful, fearless, bold, lit., expanded [cf. רהב Isa_60:5] = unstraitened)
consequently signifies to be courageous, confident. They are to renounce the self-trust which
blinds them in their opposition to the king who is deprived of all human assistance. If they will
trustingly submit themselves to God, then at the same time the murmuring and rancorous
discontent, from which the rebellion has sprung, will be stilled. Thus far the address to the
rebellious magnates goes.
6. Spurgeon, “Tremble and sin not. How many reverse this counsel and sin but tremble not. O
that men would take the advice of this verse and commune with their own hearts. Surely a want
of thought must be one reason why men are so mad as to despite Christ and hate their own
mercies. O that for once their passions would be quiet and let them be still, that so in solemn
silence they might review the past, and meditate upon their inevitable doom. Surely a thinking
man might have enough sense to discover the vanity of sin and the worthlessness of the world.
Stay, rash sinner, stay, ere thou take the last leap. Go to thy bed and think upon thy ways. Ask
counsel of thy pillow, and let the quietude of night instruct thee! Throw not away thy soul for
nought! Let reason speak! Let the clamorous world be still awhile, and let thy poor soul plead
with thee to bethink thyself before thou seal its fate, and ruin it for ever!
Selah. O sinner! pause while I question thee awhile in the words of a sacred poet, --

25. Sinner, is thy heart at rest?
Is thy bosom void of fear? Art thou not by guilt oppressed? Speaks not conscience in
thine ear?
Can this world afford thee bliss? Can it chase away thy gloom? Flattering, false, and vain it is;
Tremble at the worldling's doom!
Think, O sinner, on thy end, See the judgment day appear, Thither must thy spirit wend, There
thy righteous sentence hear.
Wretched, ruined, helpless soul, To a Saviour's blood apply; He alone can make thee whole, Fly
to Jesus, sinner, fly!
7. Calvin, “Tremble then. ow he exhorts his enemies to repentance, if peradventure, their
madness was not wholly incorrigible. In the first place, he bids them tremble, or be troubled; a
word by which he rebukes their stupidity in running headlong in their wicked course, without
any fear of God, or any sense of danger. And certainly the great presumption of all the ungodly in
not hesitating to engage in war against God, proceeds from their being hardened through an
infatuated security; and by their thoughtlessness, they render themselves stupid, and become
more obdurate by forgetting both God and themselves, and following whithersoever lust leads
them. He tells them that the best remedy to cure their rage, and prevent them from sinning any
longer, would be to awaken from their lethargy and begin to be afraid and tremble; as if he had
said, As soon as you shall have shaken off your drowsiness and insensibility, your desire of
sinning will abate; for the reason why the ungodly are troublesome to the good and the simple,
and cause so much confusion, is because they are too much at peace with themselves.
He afterward admonishes them to commune with their own heart upon their bed, that is, to take
And being retired by themselves to probe or examine their consciences. an exercise which is
opposed to their indulgence of their unruly passions. In the end of the verse he enjoins them to be
still. ow, it is to be observed, that the cause of this stillness is the agitation and trembling, of
which he before made mention. For if any have been hurried into sin by their infatuated
recklessness, the first step of their return to a sound mind is to awaken themselves from their
deep sleep to fearfulness and trembling. After this follows calm and deliberate reflection; then
they consider and reconsider to what dangers they have been exposing themselves; and thus at
length they, whose audacious spirits shrink at nothing, learn to be orderly and peaceable, or, at
least, they restrain their frantic violence.
To commune upon one’s bed, is a form of expression taken from the common practice and
experience of men. We know that, during our intercourse with men in the day time, our thoughts
are distracted, and we often judge rashly, being deceived by the external appearance; whereas in
solitude, we can give to any subject a closer attention; and, farther, the sense of shame does not
then hinder a man from thinking without disguise of his own faults. David, therefore, exhorts his
enemies to withdraw from those who witnessed and judged of their actions on the public stage of
life, and to be alone, that they may examine themselves more truthfully and honestly. And this
exhortation has a respect to us all; for there is nothing to which men are more prone than to
deceive one another with empty applause, until each man enter into himself, and commune alone
with his own heart. Paul, when quoting this passage in Ephesians 4:26, or, at least when alluding
to the sentiment of David, follows the Septuagint, “Be ye angry and sin not.” And yet he has
skilfully and beautifully applied it to his purpose. He there teaches us that men, instead of
wickedly pouring forth their anger against their neighbors, have rather just cause to be angry

26. with themselves, in order that, by this means, they may abstain from sin. And, therefore, he
commands them rather to fret inwardly, and be angry with themselves; and then to be angry, not
so much at the persons, as at the vices of others.
8. Treasury of David, “Verse 4. Stand in awe and sin not. Jehovah is a name of great power and
efficacy, a name that hath in it five vowels, without which no language can be expressed; a name
that hath in it also three syllables, to signify the Trinity of persons, the eternity of God, One in
Three and Three in One; a name of such dread and reverence amongst the Jews, that they
tremble to name it, and therefore they use the name Adonai (Lord) in all their devotions. And
thus ought every one to stand in awe, and sin not, by taking the name of God in vain; but to
sing praise, and honour, to remember, to declare, to exalt, to praise and bless it; for holy and
reverend, only worthy and excellent is his name. Rayment, 1630.
Verse 4. Commune with your own heart. The language is similar to that which we use when we say,
Consult your better judgment, or Take counsel of your own good sense. Albert Barnes, in
loc.
Verse 4. If thou wouldst exercise thyself to godliness in solitude, accustom thyself to soliloquies, I
mean to conference with thyself. He needs never be idle that hath so much business to do with his
own soul. It was a famous answer which Antisthenes gave when he was asked what fruit he
reaped by all his studies. By them, saith he, I have learned both to live and talk with myself.
Soliloquies are the best disputes; every good man is best company for himself of all the creatures.
Holy David enjoins this to others, Commune with your own hearts upon your bed, and be still.
Commune with your own hearts; when ye have none to speak with, talk to yourselves. Ask
yourselves for what end ye were made, what lives ye have led, what times ye have lost, what love
ye have abused, what wrath ye have deserved. Call yourselves to a reckoning, how ye have
improved your talents, how true or false ye have been to your trust, what provision ye have laid
in for an hour of death, what preparation ye have made for a great day of account.
Upon your beds. Secrecy is the best opportunity for this duty. The silent night is a good time for
this speech. When we have no outward objects to disturb us, and to call our eyes, as the fools'
eyes are always, to the ends of the earth; then our eyes, as the eyes of the wise, may be in our
heads; and then our minds, like the windows in Solomon's temple, may be broad inwards. The
most successful searches have been made in the night season; the soul is then wholly shut up in
the earthly house of the body, and hath no visits from strangers to disquiet its thoughts.
Physicians have judged dreams a probable sign whereby they might find out the distempers of
the body. Surely, then, the bed is no bad place to examine and search into the state of the soul.
And be still. Self communion will much help to curb your headstrong, ungodly passions. Serious
consideration, like the casting up of earth amongst bees, will allay inordinate affections when
they are full of fury, and make such a hideous noise. Though sensual appetites and unruly desires
are, as the people of Ephesus, in an uproar, pleading for their former privilege, and expecting
their wonted provisions, as in the days of their predominance, if conscience use its authority,
commanding them in God's name, whose officer it is, to keep the king's peace, and argue it with
them, as the town clerk of Ephesus, We are in danger to be called in question for this day's
uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this day's concourse; all is
frequently by this means hushed, and the tumult appeased without any further mischief. George
Swinnock, 1627-1673.

27. Verse 4. Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. When we are most retired
from the world, then we are most fit to have, and usually have, most communion with God. If a
man would but abridge himself of sleep, and wake with holy thoughts, when deep sleep falleth
upon sorrowful labouring men, he might be entertained with visions from God, though not such
visions as Eliphaz and others of the saints have had, yet visions he might have. Every time God
communicates himself to the soul, there is a vision of love, or mercy, or power, somewhat of God
in his nature, or in his will, is showed unto us. David shows us divine work when we go to rest.
The bed is not all for sleep: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Be still
or quiet, and then commune with your hearts; and if you will commune with your hearts, God
will come and commune with your hearts, too, his Spirit will give you a loving visit and visions of
his love. Joseph Caryl.
5. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the LORD.
1. Barnes, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness - Offer righteous sacrifices; that is, sacrifices
prompted by right motives, and in accordance with the prescriptions in the law of God. This
appears to be addressed also to those who in Psa_4:2 are called “sons of men;” that is, those who
were arrayed against the psalmist. According to the common opinion this psalm was composed
by David on occasion of his being driven from his throne and kingdom; and, of course, Zion, the
ark, and the tabernacle, were in the hands of his enemies. The exhortation here may be, either
that, as his enemies were now in possession of the usual seat of public worship, they would
conduct the worship of God by keeping up the regular daily sacrifice; or, more probably, it means
that in view of their sins, particularly in this rebellion, and as the result of the calm reflection to
which he had exhorted them in Psa_4:4, they should now manifest their repentance, and their
purpose to turn to God, by presenting to him an appropriate sacrifice. They were sinners. They
were engaged in an unholy cause. He exhorts them to pause, to reflect, to turn to God, and to
bring a sacrifice for their sins, that their guilt might be blotted out.
And put your trust in the Lord - That is, turn from your evil ways, and confide in God in all his
arrangements, and submit to him. Compare Psa_2:12.
2. Clarke, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness - Do not attempt to offer a sacrifice to God for
prosperity in your present rebellious conduct. Such a sacrifice would be a sin. Turn to God from
whom you have revolted; and offer to him a righteous sacrifice, such as the law prescribes, and
such as he can receive. Let all hear and consider this saying. o sacrifice - no performance of
religious duty, will avail any man, if his heart be not right with God. And let all know, that under
the Gospel dispensation no sacrifice of any kind will be received but through the all-atoning
sacrifice made by Christ.
Because of sin, justice has stopped every man’s mouth; so that none can have access to God,

28. but through the Mediator. By him only can the mouth of a sinner be opened to plead with God.
Hear this, ye who trust in yourselves, and hope for heaven without either faith or dependence on
the vicarious sacrifice of Christ.
3. Gill, “ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,.... Offer for sacrifice things righteously gotten, for
the Lord hates robbery for burnt offering, Isa_61:8. Some respect may be had to the unrighteous
acquisitions of Absalom and his men, and who were now in possession of Jerusalem, and of the
altars of the Lord, and were sacrificing on them; in which they gloried; and to which this may be
opposed. Likewise sacrifices of righteousness are such as were according to the law, and were
offered in a right manner; which were not maimed, nor had any blemish in them; see Mal_1:13;
and particularly such as were offered up in the faith of the great sacrifice, Christ; for, without
faith, it is impossible to please God by any sacrifice. And this sense is confirmed by the following
clause, which requires trust in the Lord. Moreover, righteousness, with the Jews, signifies alms,
beneficence, showing mercy to the indigent; and acts of liberality are sacrifices, with which God
is well pleased; and which are preferred by him to the sacrifices of the ceremonial law,
Heb_13:16. The sacrifices also of a broken heart, and of a contrite spirit, are such as God esteems
of; he looks to those that have them, and dwells with them. And to this sense the Chaldee
paraphrase inclines, in which the words are thus paraphrased;
subdue your corruptions, and it shall be reckoned to you as a sacrifice of righteousness?''
and why may not the sacrifice of praise for mercies received, especially for the righteousness of
Christ, be at least included, if not principally designed; since these are sacrifices which, under the
ceremonial law, were more pleasing to God than others; and are always acceptable to him
through Jesus Christ our Lord? Agreeably to this, Aben Ezra thinks the peace offerings are
intended, which were in a way of thanksgiving; and are opposed to sin offerings, and trespass
offerings, and burnt offerings; from the last of which sacrifices of righteousness are distinguished
in Psa_51:19;
and put your trust in the Lord: not in your strength, in horses and chariots, and numbers of men;
nor in wise counsels, nor in riches, nor in fleshly privileges, nor in works of righteousness, or
sacrifices of righteousness: for though they are to be performed, they are not to be trusted in; nor
in your own hearts. And while the psalmist is striking at the false confidence of the sons of men he
is addressing, he may at the same time be thought to be encouraging those that were with him to
trust in the Lord, Jehovah, the Son of God, before spoken of by him as the object of trust,
Psa_2:12; to trust in his person for the acceptance of their persons and sacrifices of
righteousness; and in his righteousness for justification; in his blood for pardon; in his sacrifice
for expiation of sin; in his fulness for daily supplies; and in his power for protection and safety.
And it is right to trust in him at all times; in times of affliction, temptation, and desertion: he is
always the same; in him is everlasting strength; he has an heart as well as an ability to help and
succour, and none ever trusted in him and were confounded. Such have peace and safety, and can
want no good thing.
4. Henry, “He counsels them to make conscience of their duty (Psa_4:5): Offer to God the sacrifice
of righteousness. We must not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well. Those that were
disaffected to David and his government would soon come to a better temper, and return to their

29. allegiance, if they would but worship God aright; and those that know the concerns that lie
between them and God will be glad of the Mediator, the Son of David. It is required here from
every one of us, (1.) That we serve him: “Offer sacrifices to him, your own selves first, and your
best sacrifices.” But they must be sacrifices of righteousness, that is, good works, all the fruits of
the reigning love of God and our neighbour, and all the instances of a religious conversation,
which are better than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices. “Let all your devotions come from an
upright heart; let all your alms be sacrifices of righteousness.” The sacrifices of the unrighteous
God will not accept; they are an abomination, Isa_1:11, etc. (2.) That we confide in him. “First
make conscience of offering the sacrifices of righteousness and then you are welcome to put your
trust in the Lord. Serve God without any diffidence of him, or any fear of losing by him. Honour
him, by trusting in him only, and not in your wealth nor in an arm of flesh; trust in his
providence, and lean not to your own understanding; trust in his grace, and go not about to
establish your own righteousness or sufficiency.”
In singing these verses we must preach to ourselves the doctrine of the provoking nature of sin,
the lying vanity of the world, and the unspeakable happiness of God's people; and we must press
upon ourselves the duties of fearing God, conversing with our own hearts, and offering spiritual
sacrifices; and in praying over these verses we must beg of God grace thus to think and thus to
do.
5. Spurgeon, “Provided that the rebels had obeyed the voice of the last verse, they would now be
crying, -- What shall we do to be saved? And in the present verse, they are pointed to the
sacrifice, and exhorted to trust in the Lord. When the Jew offered sacrifice righteously, that is, in
a spiritual manner, he thereby set forth the Redeemer, the great sin atoning Lamb; there is,
therefore, the full gospel in this exhortation of the Psalmist. O sinners, flee ye to the sacrifice of
Calvary, and there put your whole confidence and trust, for he who died for men is the LORD
JEHOVAH.
6. Calvin, “Sacrifice ye. Many are of opinion that David exhorts his enemies to give some evidence
of their repentance; and I certainly admit, that sacrifices were partly enjoined for the purpose of
inducing men to walk in newness of life. But when I consider the character of the men who
opposed David, I am satisfied that he here censures their hypocrisy, and beats down their
groundless boasting. David, when he wandered as a fugitive in deserts, or in caves, or on
mountains, or in the regions beyond his own country, might seem to have been separated from
the Church of God; and certainly he was commonly accounted as a corrupt member cut off from
the body and the communion of the saints. Meanwhile the ark of the covenant was in the hands of
his enemies, they kept possession of the temple, and they were the first in offering sacrifices.
They, therefore, vaunted themselves against David with the same boldness and presumption with
which we know hypocrites to have been always puffed up. or is it to be doubted, but they
proudly abused the name of God as if they only had been his true worshipers. As if they had been
his genuine people devoted to his service, and that there was no zeal but among them. But as
Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:4) rebukes the ungodly, because of the false confidence which they placed
in the temple of the Lord; so David also denies that God is pacified by mere outward ceremonies,
since he requires pure sacrifices. There is in the words an implied contrast between the sacrifices
of righteousness, and all those vain and spurious rites Between the sacrifices of righteousness,
and all ceremonies, when they are unaccompanied with sincerity of heart, and perverted from
their proper use, and are consequently spurious. with which the counterfeit worshipers of God
satisfy themselves. The sum, therefore, is, “You boast of having God on your side, because you

30. have free access to his altar to offer your sacrifices there with great pomp; and because I am
banished from the Holy Land, and not suffered to come to the temple, you think that I am not an
object of the divine care. But you must worship God in a far different manner, if you would
expect any good at his hand; for your unclean sacrifices with which you pollute his altar, so far
from rendering him favorable to you, will do nothing else but provoke his wrath.” Let us learn
from this passage, that, in contending with the corrupters of true religion, who may have the
name of God continually in their mouth, and vaunt themselves on account of their observance of
his outward worship, we may safely rebuke their boasting, because they do not offer the right
sacrifices. But, at the same time, we must beware lest a vain pretense of godliness foster in us a
perverse and ill founded confidence, in place of true hope.
6. Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us
prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.
1. Barnes, “There be many that say - Some have supposed, as DeWette and others, that the
allusion of the psalmist here is to his own followers, and that the reference is to their anxious
fears in their misfortunes, as if they were poor and forsaken, and knew not from from where the
supply of their wants would come. The more probable interpretation, however, is that the allusion
is to the general anxiety of mankind, as contrasted with the feelings and desires of the psalmist
himself in reference to the manner in which the desire was to be gratified. That is, the general
inquiry among mankind is, who will show us good? Or, where shall we obtain that which seems to
us to be good, or which will promote our happiness?
Who will show us any good? - The word “any” here is improperly supplied by the translators.
The question is more emphatic as it is in the original - “Who will show us good?” That is, Where
shall happiness be found? In what does it consist? How is it to be obtained? What will contribute
to it? This is the “general” question asked by mankind. The “answer” to this question, of course,
would be very various, and the psalmist evidently intends to place the answer which “he” would
give in strong contrast with that which would be given by the mass of men. Some would place it
in wealth; some in honor; some in palaces and pleasure grounds; some in gross sensual pleasure;
some in literature; and some in refined social enjoyments. In contrast with all such views of the
sources of true happiness, the psalmist says that he regards it as consisting in the favor and
friendship of God. To him that was enough; and in this respect his views stood in strong contrast
with those of the world around him. The “connection” here seems to be this - the psalmist saw
those persons who were arrayed against him intent on their own selfish aims, prosecuting their
purposes, regardless of the honor of God and the rights of other men; and he is led to make the
reflection that this is the “general” character of mankind. They are seeking for happiness; they
are actively employed in prosecuting their own selfish ends and purposes. They live simply to
know how they shall be “happy,” and they prosecute any scheme which would seem to promise
happiness, regardless of the rights of others and the claims of religion.
Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us - That is, in contrast with the feelings
and plans of others. In the pursuit of what “they” regarded as good they were engaged in
purposes of gain, of pleasure, or of ambition; he, on the contrary, asked only the favor of God -

31. the light of the divine countenance. The phrase, “to lift up the light of the countenance” on one, is
of frequent occurrence in the Scriptures, and is expressive of favor and friendship. When we are
angry or displeased, the face seems covered with a dark cloud; when pleased, it brightens up and
expresses benignity. There is undoubtedly allusion in this expression to the sun as it rises free
from clouds and tempests, seeming to smile upon the world. The language here was not
improbably derived from the benediction which the high priest was commanded to pronounce
when he blessed the people of Israel um_6:24-26, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord
make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance
upon thee, and give thee peace.” It may be added here, that what the psalmist regarded as the
“supreme good” - the favor and friendship of God - is expressive of true piety in all ages and at
all times. While the world is busy in seeking happiness in other things - in wealth, pleasure,
gaiety, ambition, sensual delights - the child of God feels that true happiness is to be found only in
religion, and in the service and friendship of the Creator; and, after all the anxious inquiries
which men make, and the various experiments tried in succeeding ages, to find the source of true
happiness, all who ever find it will be led to seek it where the psalmist said his happiness was
found - in the light of the countenance of God.
2. Clarke, “Who will show us any good? - This is not a fair translation. The word any is not in the
text, nor any thing equivalent to it; and not a few have quoted it, and preached upon the text,
placing the principal emphasis on this illegitimate word.
The place is sufficiently emphatic without this. There are multitudes who say, Who will show us
good? Man wants good; he hates evil as evil, because he has pain, suffering, and death through it;
and he wishes to find that supreme good which will content his heart, and save him from evil. But
men mistake this good. They look for a good that is to gratify their passions; they have no notion
of any happiness that does not come to them through the medium of their senses. Therefore they
reject spiritual good, and they reject the Supreme God, by whom alone all the powers of the soul
of man can be gratified.
Lift thou up the light of thy countenance - This alone, the light of thy countenance - thy peace
and approbation, constitute the supreme good. This is what we want, wish, and pray for. The first
is the wish of the worldling, the latter the wish of the godly.
3. Gill, “ There be many that say, who will show us any good?.... These may be thought to be the
men of the world; carnal worldly minded men, seeking after temporal good, and taking up their
rest and contentment in it; to whom the psalmist opposes his wish and request, in the following
words. Or these are the words of the men that were along with David, wishing themselves at
home and in their families, enjoying the good things of life they before had; or rather these are
the words of the same many, the enemies of David, spoken of in Psa_3:1; who were wishing, as
Kimchi observes, that Absalom's rebellion might prosper; that David might die and his son reign
in his stead, so the evil they wished to him was good to them: or they may be the words of the
same men, expressing the desperate condition that David and his friends were in, which the
psalmist represents in this manner, who will show us any good? none, say they, will show them
any good, neither God nor man; there is no help for him in God; he and his friends must
unavoidably perish: and this produces the following petition,

32. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us; meaning his gracious presence, the
manifestations of himself, the discoveries of his love, communion with him, the comforts of his
Spirit, and the joys of his salvation; suggesting that in the enjoyment of these things lay their
good and happiness, and their safety also; his face and favour, love and grace, being as a shield to
encompass them, and as a banner over them, Psa_5:12; and so Jarchi observes, that the word
here used signifies to lift up for a banner (r); so, me respect seems to be had to the form of the
priests blessing, um_6:24; and the words are opposed to the good desired by carnal men, and
express the true happiness of the saints, Psa_89:15; this is a blessing wished for not only by
David, but by his antitype the Messiah, Mat_27:46; and by all believers.
4. Henry, “The wise choice which godly people make. David, and the pious few that adhered to
him, dissented from that wish, and joined in this prayer, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy
countenance upon us. 1. He disagrees from the vote of the many. God had set him apart for
himself by distinguishing favours, and therefore he sets himself apart by a distinguishing
character. “They are for any good, for worldly good, but so am not I; I will not say as they say;
any good will not serve my turn; the wealth of the world will never make a portion for my soul,
and therefore I cannot take up with it.” 2. He and his friends agree in their choice of God's favour
as their felicity; it is this which in their account is better than life and all the comforts of life. (1.)
This is what they most earnestly desire and seek after; this is the breathing of their souls, “Lord,
lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Most are for other things, but we are for this.”
Good people, as they are distinguished by their practices, so they are by their prayers, not the
length and language of them, but the faith and fervency of them; those whom God has set apart
have a prayer by themselves, which, though others may speak the words of it, they only offer up
in sincerity; and this is a prayer which they all say Amen to; “Lord, let us have thy favor, and let
us know that we have it, and we desire no more; that is enough to make us happy. Lord, be at
peace with us, accept of us, manifest thyself to us, let us be satisfied of thy loving-kindness and we
will be satisfied with it.” Observe, Though David speaks of himself only in the Psa_4:7, he speaks,
in this prayer, for others also, - “upon us,” as Christ taught us to pray, “Our Father.” All the
saints come to the throne of grace on the same errand, and in this they are one, they all desire
God's favor as their chief good. We should beg it for others as well as for ourselves, for in God's
favor there is enough for us all and we shall have never the less for others sharing in what we
have.
5. KD, “(Heb.: 4:7-8) Looking into his own small camp David is conscious of a disheartened
feeling which is gaining power over him. The words: who will make us see, i.e., (as in Psa_34:13)
experience any good? can be taken as expressive of a wish according to 2Sa_23:15; Isa_42:23; but
the situation gives it the character of a despondent question arising from a disheartened view of
the future. The gloom has now, lasted so long with David's companions in tribulation that their
faith is turned to fear, their hope to despair. David therefore prays as he looks upon them: Oh lift
upon us ( (נְֽסַה־עַלִינוּ
(ote: The Metheg which stands in the second syllable before the tone stands by the Shebâ,
in the metrical books, if this syllable is the first in a word marked with a greater distinctive
without any conjunctive preceding it, and beginning with Shebâ; it is, therefore, not נְסַֽה־עַלִינוּ
but נְֽסָה־עָלִינוּ , cf. Psa_51:2 ־ בְּֽבוא , Psa_69:28 ־ תְּֽנה , Psa_81:3 ־ שְֽׂאו , Psa_116:17 ־ לְֽך , Psa_119:175
תְּֽחי־ . The reason and object are the same as stated in note p. *84 supra.)
the light of Thy countenance. The form of the petition reminds one of the priestly benediction in

33. um 6. There it is: פָּנָיו יָאֵר ה in the second portion, in the third פָּנָיו יִשָּׂא ה , here these two wishes
are blended into one prayer; and moreover in נְסָה there is an allusion to neec a banner, for the
imper. of נָשָׂ א , the regular form of which is שָׂא , will also admit of the form נְשָׂ א (Psa_10:12), but
the mode of writing נְסָה (without example elsewhere, for נִסָּה Job_4:2 signifies “to be attempted”)
is only explained by the mingling of the verbs נָשָׂ א and נָסַ ס , Arab. nṣṣ, extollere (Psa_60:6); נִסִּ י ה
(cf. Psa_60:6) is, moreover, a primeval word of the Tôra (Exo_17:15). If we may suppose that this
mingling is not merely a mingling of forms in writing, but also a mingling of the ideas in those
forms, then we have three thoughts in this prayer which are brought before the eye and ear in the
briefest possible expression: may Jahve cause His face to shine upon them; may He lift upon
them the light of His countenance so that they may have it above them like the sun in the sky, and
may that light be a banner promising them the victory, around which they shall rally.
David, however, despite the hopelessness of the present, is even now at peace in His God. The
joy which Jahve has put into his heart in the midst of outward trial and adversity is מֵעֵת דְּגָנָם
וְתִירוֹשָׁם רָֽבּוּ . The expression is as concise as possible: (1) gaudium prae equivalent to gaudium
magnum prae -majus quam; then (2) מֵעֵת after the analogy of the comparatio decurtata (e.g.,
Psa_18:34 my feet are like hinds, i.e., like the feet of hinds) is equivalent to מִשִּׂמְחַת עֵת; ( 3) אֲשֶׁר is
omitted after עֵ ת according to Ges. §123, 3, for עַ ת is the construct state, and what follows is the
second member of the genitival relation, dependent upon it (cf. Psa_90:15; Isa_29:1); the
plurality of things: corn and new wine, inasmuch as it is the stores of both that are specially
meant, is exceptionally joined with the plur. instead of the sing., and the chief word raabbu stands
at the end by way of emphasis. The suff. does not refer to the people of the land in general (as in
Psa_65:10), but, in accordance with the contrast, to the Absolomites, to those of the nation who
have fallen away from David. When David came to Mahanaim, while the rebels were encamped
in Gilead, the country round about him was hostile, so that he had to receive provisions by
stealth, 2Sa_17:26-29. Perhaps it was at the time of the feast of tabernacles. The harvest and the
vintage were over. A rich harvest of corn and new wine was garnered. The followers of Absolom
had, in these rich stores which were at their disposal, a powerful reserve upon which to fall back.
David and his host were like a band of beggars or marauders. But the king brought down from
the sceptre of the beggar's staff is nevertheless happier than they, the rebels against him. What he
possesses in his heart is a richer treasure than all that they have in their barns and cellars.
6. Spurgeon, “We have now entered upon the third division of the Psalm, in which the faith of the
afflicted one finds utterance in sweet expressions of contentment and peace.
There were many, even among David's own followers, who wanted to see rather than to believe.
Alas! this is the tendency of us all! Even the regenerate sometimes groan after the sense and sight
of prosperity, and are sad when darkness covers all good from view. As for worldlings, this is
their unceasing cry.
Who will shew us any good? ever satisfied, their gaping mouths are turned in every direction,
their empty hearts are ready to drink in any fine delusion which impostors may invent; and when
these fail, they soon yield to despair, and declare that there is no good thing in either heaven or
earth. The true believer is a man of a very different mould. His face is not downward like the
beasts', but upward like the angels'. He drinks not from the muddy pools of Mammon, but from
the fountain of life above. The light of God's countenance is enough for him. This is his riches, his
honour, his health, his ambition, his ease. Give him this, and he will ask no more. This is joy
unspeakable, and full of glory. Oh, for more of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that our
fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ may be constant and abiding!

34. 6B. In his sermon on this text Spurgeon said a number of things, and I will only share his two
basic points here. “THIS is a text which, by the rich assistance of the Holy Ghost, may serve as a
touchstone to try our state. See, here are two classes of men; the many, panting after the good of
this world, and the few, turning the eye of faith to their God, and begging that he would lift up
the light of his countenance upon them.
I. Let us contemplate with sadness, and with searching of heart, THE
MAY,-trembling lest we should find ourselves among the number.
“THE MAY”: what multitudes of thoughts cluster around these two
words! The million-peopled city, the populous town, the wide-spread
country, this isle, kingdoms, empires, continents, the world, all seem to
issue forth, like armies from the hundred-gated Thebes, at the mention of
those two words, “The many.” Here we see the toiling peasant and his
lordly squire, the artizan and the princely merchant, the courtier and the
king, the young and the old, the learned and the unlearned, all gathered
within the compass of a word.
And all that, form this vast gathering of human souls are joining in one cry,
and moving in one direction. This is a thought at which the faithful may
well weep, for their cry is SELF, their course is SI. Here and there are
the chosen few struggling against the mighty tide; but the masses, the
multitude still, as in the days of David, are hurrying along their mad career
in search of a fancied good, and reaping the fruit of their futile search in
disappointment, death, and hell. O my hearer, art thou like the dead fish,
floating with the stream; or art thou, by constraining grace, drawn onward
and upward to the bliss prepared for the elect? If a Christian, I beseech
thee to pause and admire the grace which hath made thee to differ. If thine
heart is right with God, I know thou wilt confess that there is no intrinsic
natural goodness in thee, for, like thy friend the speaker, I doubt not that
thou art made to groan over a strong propensity within, which often tempts
thee to join in the world’s chase, and leave “the fountain of living waters”
for the “broken cisterns” of earth, and therefore thou wilt join with the
preacher in singing, —
“’Tis all of free grace we were brought to obey,
While others were suffer’d to go
The road which, by nature, WE chose as our way,

35. Which leads to the regions of woe.”
Come, then, with me, and behold the evil and the folly of the world; listen
to their never-ceasing cry, “Who will show us any good?”
Mark, first, its sensual character: “Who will SHOW US any good?” The
world desires something which it may see, and taste, and handle. The joys
of faith it does not understand. We, by divine grace, do not walk by sight;
but the poor sons of earth must have visible, present, terrestrial joys. We
have an unseen portion, an invisible inheritance; we have higher faculties,
and nobler delights. We want no carnal showman to bid the puppet joys of
time dance before us; we have seen “the King in his beauty,” and spiritually
we behold “the land which is very far off.” Let us pity the worldling, who is
seeking water where there is none, in a salt land, a thirsty soil. Let us
earnestly intercede for poor, short-sighted man, that he may yet have “the
wisdom that is from above,” and the eye-salve of divine illumination; then
will he no more seek for his happiness below, or look for pleasure in things
of time and sense.
Take care, my hearer, that thou dost not suffer under the same delusion.
Ever pray that thou mayest be kept from hunting in the purlieus of sense,
and fixing thine affection on earthly things; for, be sure of this, that the
roses of this world are covered with thorns, and her hives of honey, if
broken open, will surround thee with stinging remembrances, but not a
drop of sweetness will they afford. Remember to lay to heart the words of
a holy poet, —
“or earth, nor all the sky
Can one delight afford;
o, not a drop of real joy,
Without thy presence, Lord.”
II. A happier sight now awaits us. Yonder is a company whose constant
utterance is widely different from the enquiry of the many. These are THE
FEW; not so many as the moralist and formalist believe them, and at the
same time not, so few as Bigotry in her narrowness would make them, for
God has his hidden thousands whose knees have never bowed to Baal.

36. These seek not a good, for they have found it; they ask not a question, but
they breathe a prayer; they apply not to mortals, but they address to their
God this petition, “Lord, lift thou up the light, of thy countenance upon
us.”
Let us tarry on the very threshold of these words, and devoutly ask for
divine searching, lest we should be deceived in our belief that this is our
prayer. Let us not take the words lightly on our unhallowed lips, lest we
ask for our own damnation. Perhaps, my hearer, if the light of God’s
countenance were at once to shine upon you, your heart is so far from
God, so full of hatred to him, that it would suddenly destroy you, for,
remember, he is “a consuming fire.”
Let us, however, if the answer of conscience and the inward witness are
agreed to give is hope, behold the countenance of our God.
For, first, it is a reconciled contenance. “Though thou wast angry with me,
thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.” “I have sworn that I
would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.” The anger of God
towards believers in Jesus is for ever appeased; they are so perfect, in the
righteousness of Christ, that he sees no spot of sin in them. Though of
“purer eyes than to behold evil,” he doth yet regard poor sinners with
affection; and towards thee, my Christian brother or sister, he hath no
sentiments but those of unmingled love. Think of thy glorious condition,
reconciled! beloved! adopted!
ext, it is a cheering countenance. The smile of a fond friend will nerve us
to duty; the approving glance of a wise man will give us courage in trial;
but the looks of God, the smiles of our Father who is in heaven, these are
better than the applause of a colossal audience, or the shouts of an empire
of admirers. Give me the comforts of God, and I can well bear the taunts of
men. Let me lay my head on the bosom of Jesus, and I fear not the
distraction of care and trouble. If my God will give me ever the light of his
smile, and the glance of his approval, it is enough for me. Come on, foes,
persecutors, fiends, ay, Apollyon himself, for “he Lord God is a sun and
shield.” Gather, ye clouds, and environ me, I carry a sun within; blow,
wind of the frozen orth, I have a fire of living coals within; yea, death,
slay me, but I have another life,-a life, in the light, of God’s countenance.

37. Let us not forget another sweet and precious consideration. It is a peculiar
countenance, from the fact that it is transforming, changing the beholder
into its own likeness. I gaze on beauty, yet may be myself deformed. I
admire the light, and may yet dwell in darkness; but, if the light of the
countenance of God rests upon me, I shall become like unto him; the
lineaments of his visage will be on me, and the great outlines of his
attributes will be mine. Oh, wondrous glass, which thus renders the
beholder lovely! Oh, admirable mirror, which reflects not self with its
imperfections, but gives a perfect image to those that are uncomely! May
you and I, beloved, so fix our contemplations upon Jesus, and all the
persons of the Godhead, that we may have our unholiness removed, and
our depravity overcome. Happy day when we shall be like him; but the
only reason of it will be that, then, “we shall see him as he is.” Oh, could
we look less to the smile and favor of man and more to the regard and
notice of heaven, how far should we be in advance of what we are! Our
puny spirits would become gigantic in stature, and our feeble faith would,
through grace, wax mighty. We should no longer be the sport of
temptation, and the pliant servants of our corruptions. O our God, amid
our folly and our sin, we turn to thee with strong desire, crying out, “Lord
lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us!”
7. Calvin, “Many say. Some are of opinion that David here complains of the cruel malice of his
enemies, because they greedily sought for his life. But David, I have no doubt, compares the sole
wish with which his own heart was burning, to the many desires with which almost all mankind
are distracted. As it is not a principle held and acted upon by ungodly men, that those only can be
truly and perfectly happy who are interested in the favor of God, and that they ought to live as
strangers and pilgrims in the world, in order through hope and patience to obtain, in due time, a
better life, they remain contented with perishing good things; and, therefore, if they enjoy
outward prosperity, they are not influenced by any great concern about God. Accordingly, while,
after the manner of the lower animals, they grasp at various objects, some at one thing, and some
at another, thinking to find in them supreme happiness, David, with very good reason, separates
himself from them, and proposes to himself an end of an entirely opposite description. I do not
quarrel with the interpretation which supposes that David is here complaining of his own
followers, who, finding their strength insufficient for bearing the hardships which befell them,
and exhausted by weariness and grief, indulged in complaints, and anxiously desired repose. But
I am rather inclined to extend the words farther, and to view them as meaning that David,
contented with the favor of God alone, protests that he disregards, and sets no value on objects
which others ardently desire. This comparison of the desire of David with the desires of the
world, well illustrates this important doctrine, that the faithful, forming a low estimate of present
good things, rest in God alone, and account nothing of more value than to know from experience

38. that they are interested in his favor. David, therefore, intimates in the first place, that all those
are fools, who, wishing to enjoy prosperity, do not begin with seeking the favor of God; for, by
neglecting to do this, they are carried about by the various false opinions which are abroad. In
the second place, he rebukes another vice, namely, that of gross and earthly men in giving
themselves wholly to the ease and comforts of the flesh, and in settling down in, or contenting
themselves with, the enjoyment of these alone, without thinking of any thing higher. Whence also
it comes to pass, that as long as they are supplied with other things according to their desire, they
are altogether indifferent about God, just as if they had no need of him. David, on the contrary,
testifies, that although he may be destitute of all other good things, the fatherly love of God is
sufficient to compensate for the loss of them all. This, therefore, is the purport of the whole: ”The
greater number of men greedily seek after present pleasures and advantages; but I maintain that
perfect felicity is only to be found in the favor of God.”
David uses the expression, The light of God’s countenance, to denote his serene and pleasant
countenance — the manifestations of his favor and love; just as, on the other hand, the face of
God seems to us dark and clouded when he shows the tokens of his anger. This light, by a
beautiful metaphor, is said to be lifted up, when, shining in our hearts, it produces trust and hope.
It would not be enough for us to be beloved by God, unless the sense of this love came home to
our hearts; but, shining upon them by the Holy Spirit, he cheers us with true and solid joy. This
passage teaches us that those are miserable who do not, with full resolution, repose themselves
wholly in God, and take satisfaction therein, even although they may have an overflowing
abundance of all earthly things; while, on the other hand, the faithful, although they are tossed
amidst many troubles, are truly happy, were there no other ground for it but this, that God’s
fatherly countenance shines upon them, which turns darkness into light, and, as I may say,
quickens even death itself.
8. Treasury of David, “Verse 6. Where Christ reveals himself there is satisfaction in the slenderest
portion, and without Christ there is emptiness in the greatest fullness. Alexander Grosse, on
enjoying Christ, 1632.
Verse 6. Many, said David, ask who will shew us any good? meaning riches, and honour, and
pleasure, which are not good. But when he came to godliness itself, he leaves out many, and
prayeth in his own person, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us; as if none
would join with him. Henry Smith.
Verse 6. Who will shew us any good? This is not a fair translation. The word any is not in the text,
nor anything equivalent to it; and not a few have quoted it, and preached upon the text, placing
the principal emphasis upon this illegitimate. The place is sufficiently emphatic. There are
multitudes who say, Who will shew us good? Man wants good; he hates evil as evil, because he
has pain, suffering, and death through it; and he wishes to find that supreme good which will
content his heart, and save him from evil. But men mistake this good. They look for a good that is
to gratify their passions; they have no notion of any happiness that does not come to them
through the medium of their senses. Therefore they reject spiritual good, and they reject the
Supreme God, by whom alone all the powers of the soul of man can be gratified. Adam Clarke.
Verse 6. Lift thou up, etc. This was the blessing of the high priest and is the heritage of all the
saints. It includes reconciliation, assurance, communion, benediction, in a word, the fulness of
God. Oh, to be filled therewith! C.H.S.

39. Verse 6-7. Lest riches should be accounted evil in themselves, God sometimes gives them to the
righteous; and lest they should be considered as the chief good, he frequently bestows them on
the wicked. But they are more generally the portion of his enemies than his friends. Alas! what is
it to receive and not to be received? to have none other dews of blessing than such as shall be
followed by showers of brimstone? We may compass ourselves with sparks of security, and
afterwards be secured in eternal misery. This world is a floating island, and so sure as we cast
anchor upon it, we shall be carried away by it. God, and all that he has made, is not more that
God without anything that he has made. He can never want treasure who has such a golden mine.
He is enough without the creature, but the creature is not anything without him. It is, therefore,
better to enjoy him without anything else, than to enjoy everything else without him. It is better
to be a wooden vessel filled with wine, that a golden one filled with water. William Secker's
onsuch Professor, 1660.
7. Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine
abound.
1. Barnes, “Thou hast put gladness in my heart - Thou hast made me happy, to wit, in the
manner specified in Psa_4:6. Many had sought happiness in other things; he had sought it in the
favor of the Lord, and the Lord had given him a degree of happiness which they had never found
in the most prosperous worldly condition. This happiness had its seat in the “heart,” and not in
any external circumstances. All true happiness must have its seat there, for if the heart is sad, of
what avail are the most prosperous external circumstances?
More than in the time - More than they have had in the time referred to; or, more than I should
have in such circumstances.
That their corn and their wine increased - When they were most successful and prosperous in
worldly things. This shows that when, in Psa_4:6, he says that many inquired who would show
them any “good,” what they aspired after was worldly prosperity, here expressed by an increase
of grain and wine. The word rendered “corn” means grain in general; the word rendered “wine”
תירושׁ - tı̂yrôsh - means properly “must, new wine,” Isa_65:8. The reference here is probably to
the joy of harvest, when the fruits of the earth were gathered in, an occasion among the Hebrews,
as it is among most people, of joy and rejoicing.
2. Clarke, “Thou hast put gladness in my heart - Thou hast given my soul what it wanted and
wished for. I find now a happiness which earthly things could not produce. I have peace of
conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost; such inward happiness as they cannot boast who have got
the highest increase of corn and wine; those Two Things in the abundance of which many suppose
happiness to be found.
To corn and wine all the versions, except the Chaldee, add oil; for corn, wine, and oil, were

40. considered the highest blessings of a temporal kind that man could possess.
3. Gill, “ Thou hast put gladness in my heart,.... The Ethiopic version reads it into our heart; in
granting the above request; for, nothing so rejoices the hearts of God's people as the light of his
countenance, or the enjoyment of his gracious presence: this was matter of exceeding joy to
Christ himself, Psa_21:6; and so it is to all his members; this causes inward gladness, gladness of
heart, and is opposed to the external rejoicings of wicked men and of hypocrites: and this is of
God's putting into the heart; and indeed none can put gladness either into a wounded conscience,
into the heart of a sensible sinner, or into the soul of one that is panting after the presence of God,
and communion with him, but God himself;
more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased: meaning the time of harvest and
of vintage; when there is a good harvest, and a good vintage, there is joy among men, and the
contrary when it is otherwise, Isa_9:3; these things being of general use, spread an universal joy
among people; there is scarce any earthly thing that occasions more joy than these do: and yet
the joy on such occasions is not to be compared with spiritual joy, that is a joy unspeakable and
full of glory. Some take the מ to be not comparative, but causal, and render the words (s), thou
hast put gladness in ray heart from the time that their corn, c. as do the Chaldee paraphrase
and Syriac versions; and the Arabic version renders it, because of the multitude of fruits, c.
and then the sense is, as if David should say concerning his enemies,
I never envied their prosperity, I always rejoiced when they had a good harvest, or vintage, and
still do; and yet they have rose up and rebelled against me, and requited me evil for good.''
And this sense is given into by the Jewish commentators (t), and shows of what an admirable
spirit, and in what a sweet disposition of mind, the psalmist was; that while his enemies were
seeking his life he was rejoicing in their prosperity; and is a sad aggravation of their wickedness:
and this may also be understood of the rejoicing of David, and even of the Messiah, and likewise
of all good men, at the spiritual prosperity of the saints, at any increase of grace, spiritual
knowledge, and joy, signified by these outward things, as in Jer_31:12; the Septuagint, Vulgate
Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, add oil to corn and wine.
4. Henry, “This is what, above any thing, they rejoice in (Psa_4:7): “Thou hast hereby often put
gladness into my heart; not only supported and refreshed me, but filled me with joy unspeakable;
and therefore this is what I will still pursue, what I will seek after all the days of my life.” When
God puts grace in the heart he puts gladness in the heart; nor is any joy comparable to that which
gracious souls have in the communications of the divine favour, no, not the joy of harvest, of a
plentiful harvest, when the corn and wine increase. This is gladness in the heart, inward, solid,
substantial joy. The mirth of worldly people is but a flash, a shadow; even in laughter their heart
is sorrowful, Pro_14:13. “Thou hast given gladness in my heart;” so the word is. True joy is God's
gift, not as the world giveth, Joh_14:27. The saints have no reason to envy carnal worldlings their
mirth and joy, but should pity them rather, for they may know better and will not.
5. It is better, said one, to feel God's favor one hour in our repenting souls, that to sit whole

41. ages under the warmest sunshine that this world affords. Christ in the heart is better than corn
in the barn, or wine in the vat. Corn and wine are but fruits of the world, but the light of God's
countenance is the ripe fruit of heaven. Thou art with me, is a far more blessed cry than
Harvest home. Let my granary be empty, I am yet full of blessings if Jesus Christ smiles upon
me; but if I have all the world, I am poor without him.
We should not fail to remark that this verse is the saying of the righteous man, in opposition to
the saying of the many. How quickly doth the tongue betray the character! Speak, that I may
see thee! said Socrates to a fair boy. The metal of a bell is best known by its sound. Birds reveal
their nature by their song. Owls cannot sing the carol of the lark, nor can the nightingale hoot
like the owl. Let us, then, weigh and watch our words, lest our speech should prove us to be
foreigners, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.
6. Spurgeon, “The harvest and the vintage were the two seasons of greatest joy in the East, they
shouted “Harvest Home” with gladness that the fruits of the earth had again been ingathered,
and they drank the new wine, and danced for joy; but David says to the Lord, “ Thou hast put
gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. “ When God
puts gladness in the heart, it is real gladness, for God is not the Giver of a sham joy; and it is
lasting gladness, for God does not give temporary gifts. David says, “ Thou hast put gladness in
my heart,” and then he compares it with the gladness of the sons of men, and he says that his joy
was greater than theirs when their earthly stores were increased. Boaz went to sleep on the
threshing-floor, but he that sleeps upon the bosom of God has a far softer bed than that.
7. Calvin, “Thou hast given more joy to my heart. By another comparison he better expresses and
illustrates the strength of his affection, showing that, having obtained the good which he had
longed for, he does not in the least degree envy the wealth and enjoyments of others, but is
altogether contented with his own lot. The sum is, that he had more satisfaction in seeing the
reconciled countenance of God beaming upon him, than if he had possessed garners full of corn,
and cellars full of wine. The allusion is to the joy of the harvest and vintage. Interpreters are not
agreed as to the word מעת , me-eth, which we have translated, in the time. Some give this
rendering, Thou hast put gladness into my heart, Since The Time that their corn and wine
increased; as if David had said, I rejoice when I see mine enemies prospering in the world. But
the former translation appears to me much more suitable; according to which David declares,
that he rejoices more in the favor of God alone, than earthly men rejoice when they enjoy all
earthly good things, with the desire of which they are generally inflamed. He had represented
them as so bent upon, and addicted to, the pursuit of worldly prosperity, as to have no great care
about God; and now he adds, that their joy in the abundance and increase of their wine and corn
is not so great as is his joy in a sense of the divine goodness alone. This verse contains very
profitable instruction. We see how earthly men, after they have despised the grace of God, and
plunged themselves over head and ears in transitory pleasures, are so far from being satisfied
with them, that the very abundance of them inflames their desires the more; and thus, in the
midst of their fullness, a secret uneasiness renders their minds uncomfortable. ever, therefore,
shall we obtain undisturbed peace and solid joy until the favor of God shine upon us. And
although the faithful also desire and seek after their worldly comforts, yet they do not pursue
them with immoderate and irregular ardor; but can patiently bear to be deprived of them,
provided they know themselves to be the objects of the divine care.

42. 8. Treasury of David, “Verse 6-7. See Psalms on Psalms 4:6 for further information.
Verse 7. What madness and folly is it that the favourites of heaven should envy the men of the world,
who at best do but feed upon the scraps that come from God's table! Temporals are the bones;
spirituals are the marrow. Is it below a man to envy the dogs, because of the bones? And is it not
much more below a Christian to envy others for temporals, when himself enjoys spirituals?
Thomas Brooks.
Verse 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart. The comforts which God reserves for his mourners
are filling comforts (Romans 15:13); The God of hope fill you with joy (John 16:24); Ask that
your joy may be full. When God pours in the joys of heaven they fill the heart, and make it run
over (2 Corinthians 7:4 ); I am exceeding joyful; the Greek is, I overflow with joy, as a cup that
is filled with wine till it runs over. Outward comforts can no more fill the heart than a triangle
can fill a circle. Spiritual joys are satisfying (Psalms 63:5); My heart shall be satisfied as with
marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; Thou hast put gladness
in my heart. Worldly joys do put gladness into the face, but the spirit of God puts gladness into
the heart; divine joys are heart joys (Zechariah 10:7 John 16:22); Your heart shall rejoice
(Luke 1:47); My spirit rejoiced in God. And to show how filling these comforts are, which are
of a heavenly extraction, the psalmist says they create greater joy than when corn and wine
increase. Wine and oil may delight but not satisfy; they have their vacuity and indigence. We
may say, as Zechariah 10:2, They comfort in vain; outward comforts do sooner cloy than
cheer, and sooner weary that fill. Xerxes offered great rewards to him that could find out a new
pleasure; but the comforts of the Spirit are satisfactory, they recruit the heart (Psalms 94:19),
Thy comforts delight my soul. There is as much difference between heavenly comforts and
earthly, as between a banquet that is eaten, and one that is painted on the wall. Thomas Watson.
8. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone,
LORD, make me dwell in safety.
1. Barnes, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep - The word “both” here means “at the
same time;” that is, I will alike be in peace, and I will lie down and will sleep; I will have a mind
at peace (or, in tranquility) when I lie down, and will sleep calmly. This is said in view of his
confidence in God, and of his belief that God would preserve him. He had put his trust in him; he
had sought his happiness in him, and now he felt assured that he had nothing to fear, and, at
peace with God, he would lie down and compose himself to rest. This is the counterpart of what is
said in Psa_3:5. There he says in the morning, that, though surrounded by fear, he “had” been
permitted to lie calmly down and sleep; here he says, that, though he is surrounded by fear, he
has such confidence in God, that he “will” give himself to quiet slumber. His mind was free from
anxiety as to the result of the present troubles; he had calm confidence in God; he committed all
to him; and thus gave himself to rest. o one can fail to admire the beauty of this; and no one can
fail to perceive that entire confidence in God, and an assurance that all things are under his
control, are best adapted of all things to give peaceful days and nights.

43. For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety - There are two ideas here:
(a) One a confidence that he would abide in safety;
(b) the other, that he owed this entirely to the Lord.
He had no power to defend himself, and yet he felt assured that he would be safe - for he put
his trust entirely in the Lord. The whole language implies unwavering trust or confidence in God,
and is thus instructive and useful for all. It teaches us:
(1) that in the midst of troubles we may put our trust in God; and
(2) that religion is adapted to make the mind calm in such circumstances, and to enable its
possessor to lie down without anxiety in the slumbers of the night, and to pursue without anxiety
the duties of the day.
2. Clarke, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep - Most men lie down, and most sleep,
daily, for without rest and steep life could not be preserved; but alas! how few lie down in peace!
peace with their own consciences, and peace with God! David had then two great blessings, rest
by sleep, and peace in his soul. He had a happy soul; and when he lay down on his bed, his body
soon enjoyed its repose, as the conscience was in peace. And he had a third blessing, a confidence
that he should sleep in safety. And it was so. o fearful dreams disturbed his repose, for he had a
mind tranquillized by the peace of God. As to his body, that enjoyed its due rest, for he had not
overloaded nature either with dainties or superfluities. Reader, are not many of thy sleepless
hours to be attributed to thy disordered soul - to a sense of guilt on thy conscience, or to a fear of
death and hell?
Pray incessantly till thou get the light of God’s countenance, till his Spirit bear witness with
thine that thou art a child of God. Then thy repose will do thee good: and even in thy sleep thy
happy soul will be getting forward to heaven.
3. Gill, “ I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep,.... Signifying, that he had such a calmness
and serenity of mind, amidst all his troubles, that he could not only lay himself down in great
peace, and much composure of mind, but sleep also, and that as soon as laid down almost; some
lay themselves down, but cannot sleep, through the anxiety of their minds; but the psalmist could
do both: or the word rendered both may he translated together (u); and the sense be either
that he would lie down and sleep together with his friends, committing himself and them to the
care and protection of God; or that he should lie down and sleep together with his enemies;
meaning that he was assured that there would quickly be a reconciliation and peace between
them; see Pro_16:7;
for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety; suggesting that his protection and safety were
owing to the power and presence of God only; and that was the reason of the tranquillity of his
mind, and why he slept so quietly in the night watches, though in such danger from his enemies;
or thou, Lord, makest me only or alone (w), being solitary and destitute of friends, to dwell
in safety; finder the shadow of thy wings, encompassed by thy favour, and surrounded by thy
power; see Deu_33:28.

44. 4. Henry, “This is what they entirely confide in, and in this confidence they are always easy,
Psa_4:8. He had laid himself down and slept (Psa_3:5), and so he will still: “I will lay myself down
(having the assurance of thy favour) in peace, and with as much pleasure as those whose corn and
wine increase, and who lie down as Boaz did in his threshing-floor, at the end of the heap of corn,
to sleep there when his heart was merry (Rth_3:7), for thou only makest me to dwell in safety.
Though I am alone, yet I am not alone, for God is with me; though I have no guards to attend me,
the Lord alone is sufficient to protect me; he can do it himself when all other defences fail.” If he
have the light of God's countenance, [1.] He can enjoy himself. His soul returns to God, and
reposes itself in him as its rest, and so he lays himself down and sleeps in peace. He has what he
would have and is sure that nothing can come amiss to him. [2.] He fears no disturbance from his
enemies, sleeps quietly, and is very secure, because God himself has undertaken to keep him safe.
When he comes to sleep the sleep of death, and to lie down in the grave, and to make his bed in
the darkness, he will then, with good old Simeon, depart in peace (Luk_2:29), being assured that
God will receive his soul, to be safe with himself, and that his body also shall be made to dwell in
safety in the grave. [3.] He commits all his affairs to God, and contentedly leaves the issue of them
with him. It is said of the husbandman that, having cast his seed into the ground, he sleeps and
rises night and day, and the seed springs and grows up, he knows not how, Mar_4:26, Mar_4:27. So
a good man, having by faith and prayer cast his care upon God, sleeps and rests night and day,
and is very easy, leaving it to his God to perform all things for him and prepared to welcome his
holy will.
In singing these verses, and praying over them, let us, with a holy contempt of the wealth and
pleasure of this world, as insufficient to make us happy, earnestly seek the favour of God and
pleasingly solace ourselves in that favour; and, with a holy indifferency about the issue of all our
worldly concerns, let us commit ourselves and all our affairs to the guidance and custody of the
divine Providence, and be satisfied that all shall be made to work for good to us if we keep
ourselves in the love of God.
5. KD, “(Heb.: 4:9) Thus then he lies down to sleep, cheerfully and peacefully. The hymn closes
as it began with a three line verse. יַחְדּוּ (lit., in its unions = collectively, Olshausen, §135, c, like וœ כֻּ
altogether, בְּעִתּוֹ at the right time) is by no means unemphatic; nor is it so in Psa_19:10 where it
means “all together, without exception.” With synonymous verbs it denotes the combination of
that which they imply, as Isa_42:14. It is similar in Psa_141:10 where it expresses the coincidence
of the fall of his enemies and the escape of the persecuted one. So here: he wishes to go to sleep
and also at once he falls asleep ( וְאִישַׁן in a likewise cohortative sense = וְאִישָׁנָה ). His God makes
him to dwell in seclusion free of care. לְבָרָד is a first definition of condition, and לָבֶטַח a second. The
former is not, after Deu_32:12, equivalent to Ÿ לְבַדְּ , an addition which would be without any
implied antithesis and consequently meaningless. One must therefore, as is indeed required by
the situation, understand לְבַדָד according to um_23:9; Mic_7:14; Deu_33:28; Jer_49:31. He
needs no guards for he is guarded round about by Jahve and kept in safety. The seclusion, בָּדָד , in
which he is, is security, בֶּטַח , because Jahve is near him. Under what a many phases and how
sweetly the nature of faith is expressed in this and the foregoing Psalm: his righteousness,
exaltation, joy, peace, contentment in God! And how delicately conceived is the rhythm! In the
last line the evening hymn itself sinks to rest. The iambics with which it closes are like the last
strains of a lullaby which die away softly and as though falling asleep themselves. Dante is right
when he says in his Convito, that the sweetness of the music had harmony of the Hebrew Psalter
is lost in the Greek and Latin translations.

45. 6. Warren Wiersbe, “Sometimes God's people can be so discouraging! In Psalm 4 we find David
listening to people saying, Who will show us any good? (v. 6). David's own men were
discouraged. They were going through a trial, and some were saying, O David, this is the end.
God is no longer going to help us. That's hard to take. It's rough when your associates or friends
say to you, Well, you've reached the end. Who will show us any good?
But David called on the Lord, and God enlarged him. You have relieved (enlarged) me when I
was in distress (v. 1). Pressure on the outside should make us bigger on the inside. The trials of
life will press against us and make us either midgets or giants--either smaller or bigger. But we
have to start on the inside. You have relieved me when I was in distress. How did this happen?
David cried out to God, You have put gladness in my heart (v. 7). He started out with sadness
and ended with gladness. He started with tears and ended with triumph. Once again he's sleeping
beautifully. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in
safety (v. 8).
David discovered that what was important was not the circumstance around him but the attitude
within him. Let God enlarge you when you are going through distress. He can do it. You can't do
it, and others can't do it for you. In fact, others may want to make things even tighter and
narrower for you. But when you turn to the Lord and trust Him, He will enlarge you on the
inside. You'll come out of your distresses a bigger person because you've trusted in the Lord.
There is a relationship between our attitude inside and our circumstances outside. If we maintain
the proper attitude, God will use our trials to enlarge us. Are you going through a trial today?
Give your circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to enlarge you.
7. Spurgeon, “Sweet Evening Hymn! I shall not sit up to watch through fear, but I will lie down;
and then I will not lie awake listening to every rustling sound, but I will lie down in peace and
sleep, for I have nought to fear. He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain.
Better than bolts or bars is the protection of the Lord. Armed men kept the bed of Solomon, but
we do not believe that he slept more soundly than his father, whose bed was the hard ground, and
who was haunted by blood thirsty foes. ote the word only, which means that God alone was his
keeper, and that though alone, without man's help, he was even then in good keeping, for he was
alone with God. A quiet conscience is a good bedfellow. How many of our sleepless hours might
be traced to our untrusting and disordered minds. They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to
sleep. o pillow so soft as a promise; no coverlet so warm as an assured interest in Christ.
O Lord, give us this calm repose on thee, that like David we may lie down in peace, and sleep
each night while we live; and joyfully may we lie down in the appointed season, to sleep in death,
to rest in God!
Dr. Hawker's reflection upon this Psalm is worthy to be prayed over and fed upon with sacred
delight. We cannot help transcribing it.

46. Reader! let us never lose sight of the Lord Jesus while reading this Psalm. He is the Lord our
righteousness; and therefore, in all our approaches to the mercy seat, let us go there in a language
corresponding to this which calls Jesus the Lord our righteousness. While men of the world, from
the world are seeking their chief good, let us desire his favour which infinitely transcends corn
and wine, and all the good things which perish in the using. Yes, Lord, thy favour is better than
life itself. Thou causest them that love thee to inherit substance, and fillest all their treasure.
Oh! thou gracious God and Father, hast thou in such a wonderful manner set apart one in our
nature for thyself? Hast thou indeed chosen one out of the people? Hast thou beheld him in the
purity of his nature, -- as one in every point Godly? Hast thou given him as the covenant of the
people? And hast thou declared thyself well pleased in him? Oh! then, well may my soul be well
pleased in him also. ow do I know that my God and Father will hear me when I call upon him in
Jesus' name, and when I look up to him for acceptance for Jesus' sake! Yes, my heart is fixed, O
Lord, my heart is fixed; Jesus is my hope and righteousness; the Lord will hear me when I call.
And henceforth will I both lay me down in peace and sleep securely in Jesus, accepted in the
Beloved; for this is the rest wherewith the Lord causeth the weary to rest, and this is the
refreshing.
8. Calvin, “He concludes, by stating, that as he is protected by the power of God, he enjoys as
much security and quiet as if he had been defended by all the garrisons on earth. ow, we know,
that to be free from all fear, and from the torment and vexation of care, is a blessing to be desired
above all other things. This verse, therefore, is a confirmation of the former sentence, intimating
that David justly prefers the joy produced by the light of God’s fatherly love before all other
objects for inward peace of mind certainly surpasses all the blessings of which we can form any
conception. Many commentators explain this place as expressing David’s hope, that his enemies
will be reconciled to him, so that he may sleep with them in peace, God having granted him the
peculiar privilege of being able to rest without being disturbed or disquieted by any man. But in
my judgment the proper meaning is this, that he will live as quietly and securely alone, as in the
midst of a great host of men, because God defends him for in the words, I will sleep together, I
consider the particle as to be understood, as if the reading were as together, that is to say, as with
a multitude. Some refer לבדד , lebadad, alone, to God, translating the words thus, Thou alone, O
Lord, hast set me in safety; but this I do not at all approve, because, by taking away the contrast
between these two words, together and alone, much of the beauty of the sentence is lost. In short,
David boasts that the protection of God alone was sufficient, and that under it he sleeps as
securely, although destitute of all human guardianship, as if he had had many to keep watch and
ward continually over him, or as if he had been defended on all sides by a great company. Let us
therefore, learn from his example, to yield this honor to God — to believe, that although there
may appear no help for us from men, yet under his hand alone we are kept in peace and safety, as
if we were surrounded by a great host.
9. Treasury of David, “Verse 8. It is said of the husbandman, that having cast his seed into the
ground, he sleeps and riseth day and night, and the seed springs and grows he knoweth not how.
Mr 4:26,27. So a good man having by faith and prayer cast his care upon God, he resteth night
and day, and is very easy, leaving it to his God to perform all things for him according to his holy
will. Matthew Henry.
Verse 8. When you have walked with God from morning until night, it remaineth that you conclude
the day well, when you would give yourself to rest at night. Wherefore, first, look back and take a

47. strict view of your whole carriage that day past. Reform what you find amiss; and rejoice, or be
grieved, as you find you have done well or ill, as you have advanced or declined in grace that day.
Secondly, since you cannot sleep in safety if God, who is your keeper (Psalms 121:4-5), do not
wake and watch for you (Psalms 127:1); and though you have God to watch when you sleep, you
cannot be safe, if he that watcheth be your enemy. Wherefore it is very convenient that at night
you renew and confirm your peace with God by faith and prayer, commending and committing
yourself to God's tuition by prayer (Ps 3:4-5 92:2), with thanksgiving before you go to bed. Then
shall you lie down in safety. Psalms 4:8. All this being done, yet while you are putting off your
apparel, when you are lying down, and when you are in bed, before you sleep, it is good that you
commune with your own heart. Psalms 4:4. If possibly you can fall asleep with some heavenly
meditation, then will your sleep be more sweet (Proverbs 3:21,24-25); and more secure (Proverbs
6:21-22); your dreams fewer, or more comfortable; your head will be fuller of good thoughts
(Proverbs 6:22), and your heart will be in a better frame when you awake, whether in the night
or in the morning. Condensed from Henry Scudder's Daily Walk, 1633.
Verse 8. I will both, etc. We have now to retire for a moment from the strife of tongues and the
open hostility of foes, into the stillness and privacy of the chamber of sleep. Here, also, we find the
I will of trust. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me
dwell in safety. God is here revealed to us as exercising personal care in the still chamber. And
there is something here which should be inexpressibly sweet to the believer, for this shows the
minuteness of God's care, the individuality of his love; how it condescends and stoops, and acts,
not only in great, but also in little spheres; not only where glory might be procured from great
results, but where nought is to be had save the gratitude and love of a poor feeble creature, whose
life has been protected and preserved, in a period of helplessness and sleep. How blessed would it
be if we made larger recognition of God in the still chamber; if we thought of him as being there
in all hours of illness, of weariness, and pain; if we believed that his interest and care are as much
concentrated upon the feeble believer there as upon his people when in the wider battle field of
the strife of tongues. There is something inexpressibly touching in this lying down of the
Psalmist. In thus lying down he voluntarily gave up any guardianship of himself; he resigned
himself into the hands of another; he did so completely, for in the absence of all care he slept;
there was here a perfect trust. Many a believer lies down, but it is not to sleep. Perhaps he feels
safe enough so far as his body is concerned, but cares and anxieties invade the privacy of his
chamber; they come to try his faith and trust; they threaten, they frighten, and alas! prove too
strong for trust. Many a poor believer might say, I will lay me down, but not to sleep. The
author met with a touching instance of this, in the case of an aged minister whom he visited in
severe illness. This worthy man's circumstances were narrow, and his family trials were great; he
said, The doctor wants me to sleep, but how can I sleep with care sitting on my pillow? It is the
experience of some of the Lord's people, that although equal to an emergency or a continued
pressure, a reaction sets in afterwards; and when they come to be alone their spirits sink, and
they do not realise that strength from God, or feel that confidence in him which they felt while
the pressure was exerting its force. ... There is a trial in stillness; and oftentimes the still chamber
makes a larger demand upon loving trust than the battle field. O that we could trust God more
and more with personal things! O that he were the God of our chamber, as well as of our temples
and houses! O that we could bring him more and more into the minutiae of daily life! If we did
thus, we should experience a measure of rest to which we are, perhaps, strangers now; we should
have less dread of the sick chamber; we should have that unharassed mind which conduces most
to repose, in body and soul; we should be able to say, I will lie down and sleep, and leave
tomorrow with God! Ridley's brother offered to remain with him during the night preceding his
martyrdom, but the bishop declined, saying, that he meant to go to bed, and sleep as quietly as

48. ever he did in his life. Philip Bennett Power's I Wills of the Psalms.
Verse 8. Due observation of Providence will both beget and secure inward tranquility in your minds
amidst the vicissitudes and revolutions of things in this unstable vain world. I will both lay me down
in peace, and sleep; for the Lord only maketh me dwell in safety. He resolves that sinful fears of
events shall not rob him of his inward quiet, nor torture his thoughts with anxious presages; he
will commit all his concerns into that faithful fatherly hand that had hitherto wrought all things
for him; and he means not to lose the comfort of one night's rest, nor bring the evil of tomorrow
upon the day; but knowing in whose hand he was, wisely enjoys the sweet felicity of a resigned
will. ow this tranquility of our minds is as much begotten and preserved by a due consideration
of providence as by anything whatsoever. John Flavel, 1627-1691.
Verse 8. Happy is the Christian, who having nightly with this verse, committed himself to his bed
as to his grave, shall at last, with the same words, resign himself to his grave as to his bed, from
which he expects in due time to arise, and sing a morning hymn with the children of the
resurrection. George Horne, D.D., 1776.
Verse 8. Sleep,
How blessed was that sleep
The sinless Savior knew!
In vain the storm winds blew,
Till he awoke to others woes,
And hushed the billows to repose.
How beautiful is sleep --
The sleep that Christians know!
Ye mourners! cease your woe,
While soft upon his Savior's breast,
The righteous sinks to endless rest.
Mrs. Mcartree.
All of my commentaries and other studies can be found at,
http://www.scribd.com/glennpease/documents?page=139
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-8 is numbered 4:2-9.
b. Psalm 4:2 Or seek lies
c. Psalm 4:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.
d. Psalm 4:4 Or In your anger (see Septuagint)