Psalm 15:5 Komentář

The scope of this short but excellent psalm is to show us the way to heaven, and to convince us that, if we would be happy, we must be holy and honest. Christ, who is himself the way, and in whom we must walk as our way, has also shown us the same way that is here prescribed, Mat 19:17. "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." In this psalm, I. By the question (Psa 15:1) we are directed and excited to enquire for the way. II. By the answer to that question, in the rest of the psalm, we are directed to walk in that way (Psa 15:2-5). III. By the assurance given in the close of the psalm of the safety and happiness of those who answer these characters we are encouraged to walk in that way (Psa 15:5). A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 15 A Psalm of David. As in the preceding psalm, according to Theodoret, the salvation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is foretold, and the liberty of the captives; so in this advice is given to them, and the life they ought to live proposed, who should share in such benefits.

He that putteth not out his money to usury,.... To the poor, in an extravagant and exorbitant way, by which he bites, devours, and destroys his little substance, and sadly afflicts and distresses him; see Exo 22:25; otherwise, to lend money on moderate interest, and according to the laws, customs, and usages of nations, and to take interest for it, is no more unlawful than to take interest for houses and land; yea, it is according to the law of common justice and equity, that if one man lends money to another to trade with, and gain by, that he should have a proportionate share in the gain of such a trade; but the design of this passage, and the law on which it is founded, is, to forbid all exactions and oppressions of the poor, and all avaricious practices, and to encourage liberality and beneficence; and such who are covetous, and bite and oppress the poor, are not fit for church communion; see Co1 5:11; nor taketh reward against the innocent; either to swear falsely against him, or to pass a wrong sentence on him; see Sa1 12:3; he that doeth these things shall never be moved; from the tabernacle of God, and his holy hill; he is fit to be a member of the church of God, and an inhabitant of Zion; and he shall dwell and abide there, he shall be a pillar which shall never go out, Rev 3:12; he shall finally persevere, through the grace of God; he shall hold on and out unto the end: and though he may fall through infirmity and temptation into sin, and that many times, yet he shall not finally and totally fall, Pe2 1:10; but shall be as Mount Zion which can never be removed, Psa 125:1; The words should be rendered, since the accent "athnach" is on "these things", thus; "he that doeth these things", not only what is mentioned in this verse, but in the foregoing, "he", I say, "shall never be moved". Next: Psalms Chapter 16

We advise the poor … to persevere in their terrible situations rather than to accept the misfortunes that come from the payment of interest. But if you [who are rich] obey the Lord, what need is there of these words? What is the counsel of the Master? “Lend to those from whom you do not hope to receive in return.” “And what sort of a loan is this,” one might ask, “to which there is no hope of a return attached?” Consider the force of the Lord’s statement, and you will admire the kindness of the Lawmaker. Whenever you have the intention of providing for a poor person for the Lord’s sake, the same thing is both a gift and a loan, a gift because of the expectation of no repayment but a loan because of the great gift of the Master who pays in his place.… “He who has mercy on the poor lends to God.” Do you not wish to have the Lord of the universe answerable to you for payment?… Give the money, since it is lying idle, without weighing it down with additional charges, and it will be good for both of you. There will be for you the assurance of its safety because of his custody; for him receiving it, the advantage from its use. And, if you are seeking additional payment, be satisfied with that from the Lord. He himself will pay the interest for the poor. Expect kindly acts from him who is truly kind. This interest, which you take, is full of extreme inhumanity. You make profit from misfortune, you collect money from tears, you strangle the naked, you beat the famished; nowhere is there mercy, no thought of relationship with the sufferer; and you call the profits from these things humane! Woe to you who say that the bitter is sweet and the sweet bitter, and who call inhumanity by the name of humanity. … “People do not gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles,” or humanity from interest. Every “bad tree bears bad fruit.” Some are collectors of a hundredfold and some collectors of tenfold, names horrible indeed to hear; monthly exactors, they attack the poor according to the cycles of the moon, like those demons that cause epileptic fits. It is wicked lending for both, for the giver and for the receiver, bringing loss to the one in money and to the other in soul.… It is not evident for whom you collect. It is indeed apparent who he is who weeps because of the interest, but it is doubtful who he is who is to enjoy the abundance that comes from it. In fact, it is uncertain whether you will not leave to others the gift of wealth, but the evil of injustice you have treasured up for yourself. “And from him who would borrow of you, do not turn away,” and do not give your money at interest, in order that, having been taught what is good from the Old and the New Testament, you may depart to the Lord with good hope, receiving there the interest from your good deeds, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power forever. Amen.

What is more cruel than to lend money to one who has none and then to exact double the amount? If one cannot pay the simple amount, how will he pay double?… Nations have often failed because of usury, and this has been the cause of public calamity.

"Who swears unto his neighbour, and deceives him not." "Who has not given his money upon usury, and has not taken rewards against the innocent" [Psalm 15:5]. These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, "yea, yea; nay, nay;" [Matthew 5:37] and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one has been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, "Whoso does these things shall not be moved for ever:" that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was said, "The malicious one has been brought to nought in his sight:" but here, "shall not be moved for ever."

The evil of usury must be shunned, and the profit that lacks all human kindness must be avoided. The means for unjust and grievous gain is increased, but the essence of the soul is worn down, since usury in money is the ruin of the soul. The holy prophet David showed what God thinks about the people of this kind when he says, “Lord, who will dwell in your tent, or who will rest on your holy mountain?” Those are taught by the reply of the divine voice, and those know that they have a part in eternal rest if, among the other rules of a holy life, “they do not give their own money at usury.” They are shown to be strangers to the “tent” of God and foreign to his “holy mountain” if they seize a deceitful profit for their money by usury, and, while they want to be rich through another’s loss, they are worthy to be punished by eternal penury. But you, dearly beloved, who have believed the promises of the Lord with your whole heart, flee the foul leprosy of avarice and make a holy and wise use of God’s gifts. Since you enjoy his generosity, take care that you may be able to have companions of your joy. The things that are supplied to you are lacking to many, and in their need the material has been given to you for imitating the divine goodness, so that through you the divine goodness might pass over to others. As you give out your temporal goods well, you are acquiring eternal.

Money is clearly to be understood in two senses in the Holy Scriptures. The first is the metal money that we are completely forbidden to loan out for interest, because the vice of greed consists of the desire to demand back what you know that you have not lent. The Lord Christ certainly had this sort of money, which he entrusted to Judas to be distributed to the poor. He did not devote this type of money to making interest, but he gave it to those in need because of his merciful generosity in order to teach us. The other kind of money is the sort that we are persuaded by the gospel’s teaching to give over to gain interest, namely, the most holy proclamations and divine instructions.

Likewise, in contracts; hence: "he who has not lent his money at usury." Lk. 6: "Lend, hoping for nothing in return." "And he has not accepted bribes against the innocent." Prov. 17: "The wicked man accepts a bribe from the bosom," that is, of the Church, "to pervert the paths of justice." Deut. 23 forbids lending to a brother at usury, because the lender sells what does not exist, since he does not actually have the use of the thing. Likewise, in judgments, when one gives a sentence against the innocent; and so he says, "and bribes." Is. 5: "Woe to you who justify the ungodly for the sake of bribes." Job 15: "Fire shall devour the tabernacles of those who willingly accept bribes." Then the reward is set forth. "He who does," that is, observes, "these things," all the aforementioned. Jas. 1: "Be doers of the word." Rom. 2: "Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers." "He shall not be moved forever," that is, he shall dwell here on my holy mountain. Below, Ps. 124: "Those who trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion," etc. Ps. 54: "You shall never permit the just to waver."

Those who are fit for communion with God may be known by a conformity to His law, which is illustrated in various important particulars. (Psa 15:1-5) abide--or, "sojourn" (compare Psa 5:4), where it means under God's protection here, as (Psa 23:6, Psa 27:4, Psa 27:6) communion. tabernacle--seat of the ark (Sa2 6:17), the symbol of God's presence. holy hill--(Compare Psa 2:6).

(Compare Lev 25:37; Deu 23:19-20). usury is derived from a verb meaning "to bite." All gains made by the wrongful loss of others are forbidden. taketh reward, &c.--The innocent would not otherwise be condemned (compare Exo 23:8; Deu 16:19). Bribery of all sorts is denounced. doeth these, &c.--Such persons admitted to God's presence and favor shall never be moved (Psa 10:6; Psa 13:5). Next: Psalms Chapter 16