Psalm 32:4 Komentář

This psalm, though it speaks not of Christ, as many of the psalms we have hitherto met with have done, has yet a great deal of gospel in it. The apostle tells us that David, in this psalm, describes "the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputes righteousness without words," Rom 4:6. We have here a summary, I. Of gospel grace in the pardon of sin (Psa 32:1, Psa 32:2), in divine protection (Psa 32:7), and divine guidance (Psa 32:8). II. Of gospel duty. To confess sin (Psa 32:3-5), to pray (Psa 32:6), to govern ourselves well (Psa 32:9, Psa 32:10), and to rejoice in God (Psa 32:11). The way to obtain these privileges is to make conscience of these duties, which we ought to think of - of the former for our comfort, of the latter for our quickening, when we sing this psalm. Grotius thinks it was designed to be sung on the day of atonement. A psalm of David, Maschil.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 32 A Psalm, of David, Maschil. This is the first of the psalms that bears this title: some think it is the name of a musical instrument, on which this psalm was sung; others the first word of a song, to the tune of which it was sung, as Aben Ezra; some say it is so called, because it was explained by an interpreter, as Jarchi; and the Rabbins (k) say, that every psalm that is called "Maschil" was dictated by an interpreter: the Targum renders it "a good understanding"; and the word properly signifies "instruction", or "causing to understand" (l); and it may be the apostle has some reference to this title in Co1 14:15; It is an instructive psalm; a didascalic ode, as Junius renders it: it gives an account how the psalmist was instructed under a dispensation of Providence; and was brought to a sense of sin, and acknowledgment of it; and was favoured with a discovery of pardoning grace; and in it he takes upon him to instruct others, Psa 32:8, and does instruct in the doctrine of the pardon of sin by the grace of God. (k) Elias Levita in Tishbi, p. 271. (l) "erudiens", Musculus, Munster, Vatablus, Montanus; "informans", Gejerus; "an instructing psalm", Ainsworth.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me,.... Meaning the afflicting hand of God, which is not joyous, but grievous, and heavy to be borne; especially without his gracious presence, and the discoveries of his love: this continued night and day, without any intermission; and may design some violent distemper; perhaps a fever; since it follows, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. That is, the radical moisture in him was almost dried up, as brooks in the summer season; his body was parched, as it were, with the burning heat of the disease; or with an apprehension of the wrath of God under it, or both: and so he continued until be was brought to a true sense of sin, and an acknowledgment of it, when he had the discoveries of pardoning love, as is expressed in Psa 32:5. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions read, "I am turned into distress, through a thorn being fixed"; and so Apollinarius paraphrases the words, "I am become miserable, because thorns are fixed in my skin;'' reading for and which Suidas (o) interprets "sin", that being like the thorn, unfruitful and pricking; see Co2 12:7. Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psa 3:2. (o) In voce

"Because day and night Your Hand was heavy upon me:" because, through the continual punishment of Your scourges, "I was turned in misery, while a thorn was fixed through me" [Psalm 32:4]: I was made miserable by knowing my misery, being pricked with an evil conscience.

The hand that applies the lashes is oppressive to the sinner, and the hand that avenges is heavy. “Day and night” indicate continuous time so that the hand which did not draw back from punishment was rightly felt to be heavy. He would not have experienced this type of humiliation with such a happy demeanor unless it had been the hand of the Godhead that had pressed upon him.

"Because I was silent." This is the second part, where the way of arriving at the remission of sins is set forth. And concerning this he does three things. First, he sets forth the state of sin. Second, the conversion that is the cause of the remission of sin, at "I have made known my offense." He says therefore, "Because I was silent," etc. There seems to be a contradiction here. For while he cries out all day, he says he is silent. I respond: he was silent about what ought to have been said, but he was crying out what ought not to have been said, much less cried out. And in both there is sin. Concerning the first, Is. 6: "Woe to me, because I was silent." For the sinner ought to declare his sins: Job 16: "If I am silent, it does not depart from me; but now," etc. Therefore, "Because I was silent about my sins, my bones grew old," that is, my interior strength failed. Often in Sacred Scripture, interior virtues are understood through bodily members. Hence by "bones," in which there is strength, interior virtue is understood. And because what fails (that is, is diminished) grows old, he therefore says, "My bones grew old": Bar. 3: "What is it, O Israel, that you are in the land of your enemies? You have grown old," etc. Concerning the second, Is. 5: "I waited for him to do judgment, and behold, iniquity; justice, and behold, a cry." And this is what he says: "While I cried out all day long." For he was crying out that he was just, he was crying out about punishment, and he was silent about guilt. But what did the Lord do? He converted him by making the hand of the Lord heavy, inflicting a burden: "For day and night." Second, with the resulting conversion, "I was turned," etc. He says therefore, "Day and night," that is, continually, "your hand was heavy," etc. The hand of the Lord sometimes consoles: Ezek. 3: "The hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me." Sometimes it makes heavy, as here: 1 Sam. 5: "The hand of the Lord was very heavy." Is. 26: "In tribulation," etc. And therefore he says, "I was turned in my wretchedness," that is, in the misery I suffer for my sins. "While the thorn is fixed" -- while the thorn, that is, the remorse of conscience, is driven into my heart. Or, as the backbone, which holds the whole person upright, "while it is fixed." And it signifies pride; when this is constrained, the person is corrected. Or, why were you crying out? On account of the heaviness, he says, of your hand. And this is because I was not turned to you, but to sin. And this while the thorn of sins is fixed, that is, is established in me; and so "thorn," that is, sin, is understood. Or while reason, which is like the spine directing the back, is pressed down. Or according to the Hebrews, "My moisture was turned into the dryness of summer," that is, from the pressing of your hand, whatever was carnal and moist in me was turned into the dryness of summer. Jerome has, "I was tossed about in my misery while the heat of harvest burns," that is, like the harvest, I dried up.

Maschil--literally, "giving instruction." The Psalmist describes the blessings of His forgiveness, succeeding the pains of conviction, and deduces from his own experience instruction and exhortation to others. (Psa 32:1-11) (Compare Rom 4:6). forgiven--literally, "taken away," opposed to retain (Joh 20:23). covered--so that God no longer regards the sin (Psa 85:3).

thy hand--of God, or power in distressing him (Psa 38:2). moisture--vital juices of the body, the parching heat of which expresses the anguish of the soul. On the other figures, compare Psa 6:2, Psa 6:7; Psa 31:9-11. If composed on the occasion of the fifty-first Psalm, this distress may have been protracted for several months.