Psalm 11:5 Komentář

In this psalm we have David's struggle with and triumph over a strong temptation to distrust God and betake himself to indirect means for his own safety in a time of danger. It is supposed to have been penned when he began to feel the resentments of Saul's envy, and had had the javelin thrown at him once and again. He was then advised to run his country. "No," says he, "I trust in God, and therefore will keep my ground." Observe, I. How he represents the temptation, and perhaps parleys with it, (Psa 11:1-3). II. How he answers it, and puts it to silence with the consideration of God's dominion and providence (Psa 11:4), his favour to the righteous, and the wrath which the wicked are reserved for (Psa 11:5-7). In times of public fear, when the insults of the church's enemies are daring and threatening, it will be profitable to meditate on this psalm. To the chief musician. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 11 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm has no name; it is neither called a psalm, nor hymn, nor song, nor prayer, only said to be David's; and is inscribed and directed as others to the chief musician, or master of the song, to be used in public service; and seems to be written much upon the same subject with the two preceding psalms. According to Theodoret it was written when David was persecuted by Saul, and was advised by some to flee for his safety.

The Lord trieth the righteous,.... As gold is tried in the fire, by afflictive providences; hereby he tries their graces, their faith, and patience, their hope, and love, and fear; and, by so doing, expresses his love to them, since this is all for their good: and therefore, when he suffers the wicked to go great lengths in persecuting and distressing them, this should not weaken, their confidence in him; he still loves them, and loves when he rebukes and chastises them; but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth; that is, such who live in a course of sin and wickedness, and who not only do injury to the persons, characters, and properties of men, but love it, and delight therein, and also take pleasure in them that do the same: these God has a continued and inward aversion to; sin and wickedness being the abominable thing his righteous soul hates: and he shows his hatred to them, by not chastising them now, as he does his own people, but reserving everlasting punishment for them hereafter; see Pro 13:24.

Wickedness, after all, is the soul’s enemy, its foe and ruination, and so the wicked person pays the penalty even before punishment is imposed. Do you see how he shows on every score that his adversaries … are hoisted on their own weapons by which they protect themselves, consumed by them and damaging themselves?

"The Lord questions the righteous and ungodly" [Psalm 11:5]. Why then do we fear lest the ungodly should be any hurt to us, if so be they do with insincere heart share the sacraments with us, seeing that He "questions the righteous and the ungodly." "But whoso loves iniquity, hates his own soul:" that is, not him who believes God, and puts not his hope in man, but only his own soul does the lover of iniquity hurt.

If the one who values iniquity hates his own life, then the one who hates iniquity esteems his own life.

If a murderer is one who hates his brother, what is he who, loving iniquity, hates his own soul? And if the one who hates his brother does not have eternal life remaining in him, how will he who ends this life in the love of iniquity and hatred of his own soul be able to attain the forgiveness of sins through which one attains life?

I do not think that anyone who keeps precious garments locked up in a chest would agree to enclose within it either a live coal or any kind of spark. Why is this, brothers? Because he would be afraid that the clothing that he wears to a feast may be burned. I ask you, brothers, if a person does not want to put a spark of fire in his chest of clothes, why does he not fear to kindle the flame of wrath in his soul? We know clearly and plainly why this happens. We do not put fire into a chest of clothes because we love our garments; but we do not extinguish the fire of wrath because we not only fail to love our soul but even harbor hatred for it. This is according to what is written: “The lover of violence hates his own soul.”

If, then, you hate your own soul by loving iniquity, do you wonder that you hate the Word of God, which wishes well to your soul?

"His eyes." Here he treats of the examination of the judgment. And first he sets forth the perfection of divine knowledge. Second, the diligent investigation, at "his eyelids question the children of men." Third, the equity of the judgment, at "the Lord examines the just and the wicked." By the first, no one can be hidden, because He sees the sentiment of the poor and the wicked, the sinner and the just. Sir. 23: "The eyes of the Lord are brighter than the sun, surveying all the ways of men, and the depths of the abyss, and beholding the hearts of men." Prov. 16: "All the ways of a man are open to His eyes; the Lord is a weigher of spirits," that is, of thoughts, or of souls, according to the Gloss. And so he says, "His eyes look upon the poor," to have compassion. Ps. 30: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am troubled." Likewise Ps. 27: "The Lord is my protector, and in Him my heart has hoped," etc. Also to protect by testing: Ps. 33: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the just." Likewise Ps. 31: "In this way in which you walk, I will fix my eyes upon you." And thus looking, He examines diligently. "His eyelids question," etc. By eyelids is signified discernment, because just as the eyelids direct the gaze of the eye, so discernment moderates human wisdom. Prov. 4: "Let your eyelids go before your steps." The very discernment of God therefore questions, that is, tests and examines. Wis. 1: "There shall be an examination of the thoughts of the ungodly; and the hearing of his words shall come to God." And how? Because sometimes He punishes, sometimes He spares, sometimes He gives benefits, sometimes He takes them away. Job 6: "The arrows of the Lord," etc. He also closes and opens His eyelids: Mt. 15: "I have compassion on the multitude," etc. Likewise, Mt. 21: "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you." Ps. 146: "He gives their food to the beasts," etc. "He questions the children of men," because some of them are made better by this, and some worse; or some from Scripture are made good, and some bad -- because some understand it well and are not wearied but exercised; but the wicked do the contrary. The equity of judgment is set forth: because "He examines the just and the wicked," because He sends afflictions upon the just and unjust alike, and bestows temporal goods on good and bad alike. Wis. 11: "The good you tested as a father admonishing; but the wicked you examined and condemned as a harsh king." Therefore he says, "the Lord examines the just and the wicked," that is, He tests them through tribulations. Gregory: An inflicted punishment questions whether one placed in tribulation truly loves God. The just He examines, that is, the Lord tests them, so they may be rewarded. Wis. 10: "God rendered the reward of the labors of His saints." But the wicked or sinners He examines to be condemned. Mt. 22: "Bind his hands and feet and cast him into the outer darkness."

Here the condemnation is set forth, and concerning this he does two things: first he sets forth the guilt; second, the punishment, at "he shall rain upon sinners." He shows that as far as God's part is concerned, there is no perdition of the wicked, but it comes from our part; hence he says, "he who loves iniquity," that is, sin. 1 Jn. 3: "Everyone who commits sin commits iniquity also, because sin is iniquity." "He hates his own soul." Wis. 16: "A man by his wickedness kills his own soul." But the question arises: how can someone hate himself? It must be said that in a certain way the sinner hates himself; but simply speaking, no one does. Eph. 5: "No man ever hated his own flesh." But that the wicked in a certain way hate themselves, and that also the good in a certain way hate themselves, is explained as follows. Our soul has two faces: one toward God, according to reason; the other toward the flesh, according to the sensitive nature, which comprehends only corporeal things. And just as every thing loves its own good, so a man loves what he considers to be his soul. For sinners consider their soul to be that which they principally pursue, because everything is that which is preeminent in it, just as the king is said to be the kingdom. Those, therefore, who hold the sensitive nature as principal love it; but those who hold the intellective nature love that. No one therefore hates his soul with regard to what he considers principal. The good therefore hate themselves with regard to the sensitive nature; the wicked, with regard to the intellective nature.

On title, see Introduction. Alluding to some event in his history, as in Sa1 23:13, the Psalmist avows his confidence in God, when admonished to flee from his raging persecutors, whose destruction of the usual foundations of safety rendered all his efforts useless. The grounds of his confidence are God's supreme dominion, His watchful care of His people, His hatred to the wicked and judgments on them, and His love for righteousness and the righteous. (Psa 11:1-7) my soul--me (Psa 3:2). Flee--literally, "flee ye"; that is, he and his companion. as a bird to your mountain--having as such no safety but in flight (compare Sa1 26:20; Lam 3:52).

The trial of the righteous results in their approval, as it is contrasted with God's hatred to the wicked.