Psalm 32:6 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 this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee,.... Meaning either that the success he had met with, in acknowledging his sin, would encourage others also to take a like step, and make their supplications to the Lord also; or that every godly person should pray to God for the same blessing of pardoning grace likewise. Pardon of sin is to be prayed for; not only Moses, David, Daniel, and other Old Testament saints, prayed for it; but Christ has directed his disciples and followers, under the Gospel dispensation, to do the same, Luk 11:4; and which must be understood of praying for the manifestation of it to their consciences; for God has by one eternal act forgiven all trespasses at once, for Christ's sake; nor can any new act of pardon arise in the mind of God, or a fresh one pass in the court of heaven, nor the blood of Christ be shed again for the remission of it. Moreover, godly men will, in this sense, pray for it, as they have daily occasion to do: a godly man is a man that is created after the image of God, is born of him, and is possessed of internal powerful godliness, and has all things pertaining to it; and particularly has a godly sorrow for sin, and the fear of God in his heart, and before his eyes: and such a man is a praying one; having the spirit of grace, he has the spirit of supplication, and prays with the Spirit and with the understanding; and his praying for the pardon of sin shows that he is not without it, but daily commits it, and so needs fresh discoveries of forgiving love: and which he prays for in a time when thou mayest be found; which is to be understood, not of any particular stated times of prayer, as morning, noon, and night; for the throne of grace is always open, and God is to be found, and grace and mercy with him at all times; and much less does this respect a day of grace for particular persons, which, if improved, and the opportunity taken, they may have pardon; but if neglected till it is over, then there is no pardon for them; for there is no such day of grace: the whole Gospel dispensation is a day of grace; and that will not be over until all the elect of God are gathered in; and until then it is, and will be; now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation; but it designs a time of need, of soul distress, in which, when persons call upon God in truth, and seek him with their whole heart, he is found by them, and they find grace and mercy with him to relieve them in their distress; the Targum is, "in an acceptable time;'' surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him; that is, unto the godly man; not but that afflictions, which are comparable to great floods of waters, do reach godly persons; but not so as to overwhelm them and destroy them; they are delivered out of them. The phrase seems to denote safety in the greatest calamities; that though even a deluge of vengeance and awful judgments should come upon the world, yet the godly man is safe; his place is the munition of rocks; he is in the hands of Christ, and is enclosed in the arms of everlasting love, from whence he can never be taken by men or devils: the Targum interprets these "waters of many people"; and adds, so as "to do any evil", or "hurt".

"For this shall every one that is holy pray unto You in an acceptable time:" for this wickedness of heart shall every one that is righteous pray unto You. For not by their own merits will they be holy, but by that acceptable time, that is, at His coming, who redeemed us from sin. "Nevertheless in the flood of great waters they shall not come near him" [Psalm 32:6]: nevertheless, let none think, when the end has come suddenly, as in the days of Noah, [Matthew 24:37-41] that there remains a place of confession, whereby he may draw near unto God.

Immediately after the sin is a fitting time for confession … since a sin that lingers is entrenched.

One who is no stranger to sin ought to immerse himself in prayers of supplication. O saving medicine! To counteract the diseases of all sinners, various remedies are offered to the ill. But this is a single remedy; if it is taken with a pure mind, the poisons of all transgressions are overcome.

Here, third, he sets forth the desire of the saints for the remission of sins. And concerning this he does three things. First, the desire of the saints for this is proposed. Second, the admonition of sinners: "Do not become like the horse." Third, the Psalm concludes with thanksgiving, at "Rejoice." Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he expresses the desire of the saints for the remission of sins in general. Second, he shows his own refuge in particular, at "You are." Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he proposes the desire of the saints through the sign of prayer. Second, he shows the effect of prayer, at "Nevertheless, in the flood." He says therefore: "I said, I will confess (...) for this matter," that is, for the remission of sins. And he says three things. First, what should be prayed for, namely, that we may obtain remission; for we have all sinned: 1 Jn. 1: "If we say that we have no sin," etc. And therefore remission should be sought: Sir. 38: "Pray to the Lord, and he will heal you": Mt. 6: "Forgive us our debts." Second, who should pray, namely "every holy one": Jas. 5: "The fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much." Third, when: "In a favorable time," namely, of grace and of the present life, because at the last the door is shut, Mt. 25; 2 Cor. 6: "Behold, now is the acceptable time," etc. Jn. 9: "Night comes, when no one can work."

Then when he says "Nevertheless," the effect of prayer is shown: because "in the flood of many waters." Water can here be taken in three ways. In one way, as pleasures: Gen. 49: "You were poured out like water." In another way, as false doctrines: Prov. 9: "Stolen waters are sweeter." Third, as tribulations: Ps. 68: "The waters have come in even to my soul." There follows, "They shall not draw near to him." What he says, "to him," can be understood in two ways. In one way, so that "him" refers to the holy one; as if to say: although the holy one prays, he nevertheless endures many waters, but they do not overwhelm him, whether they be waters of pleasure, or of false doctrine, or of tribulation. Hence, "They shall not draw near": Is. 43: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers shall not cover you": Ps. 65: "We have passed through fire and water," etc. In another way, so that "him" refers to God; and thus he speaks with a change of person, because first he speaks to God, now to others. As if to say: those who are in the flood of many waters, as described above, shall not draw near to God.

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).

For this--that is, my happy experience. godly--pious in the sense of Psa 4:3. a time-- (Isa 55:6); when God's Spirit inclines us to seek pardon, He is ready to forgive. floods, &c.--denotes great danger (Psa 18:17; Psa 66:12).

For this mercy, which is provided for every sinner who repents and confesses his sin, let then, every חסיד, who longs for חסד, turn in prayer to Jahve לעת מצא, at the time (Psa 21:10; Ch1 12:22; cf. בּעת, Isa 49:8) when He, and His mercy, is to be found (cf. Deu 4:29 with Jer 29:13; Isa 55:6, בּהמּצאו). This hortatory wish is followed by a promissory assurance. The fact of לשׁטף מים רבּים being virtually a protasis: quam inundant aquae magnae (ל of the time), which separates רק from אליו, prohibits our regarding רק as belonging to אליו in this instance, although like אף, אך, גּם, and פּן, רק is also placed per hypallage at the head of the clause (as in Pro 13:10 : with pride there is only contention), even when belonging to a part of the clause that follows further on. The restrictive meaning of רק here, as is frequently the case (Deu 4:6; Jdg 14:16; Kg1 21:25, cf. Psa 91:8), has passed over to the affirmative: certo quum, etc. Inundation or flooding is an exemplificative description of the divine judgment (cf. Nah 1:8); Psa 32:6 is a brief form of expressing the promise which is expanded in Ps 91. In Psa 32:7, David confirms it from his own experience. The assonance in מצּר תּצּרני (Thou wilt preserve me, so that צר, angustum = angustiae, does not come upon me, Psa 119:143) is not undesigned; and after תצרני comes רני, just like כלו after בהיכלו in Psa 29:9. There is no sufficient ground for setting aside רני, with Houbigant and others, as a repetition of the half of the word תצרני. The infinitive רן (Job 38:7) might, like רב, plur. רבּי, חק, plur. חקּי, with equal right be inflected as a substantive; and פּלּט (as in Psa 56:8), which is likewise treated as a substantive, cf. נפּץ, Dan 12:7, presents, as a genitive, no more difficulty than does דעת in the expression אישׁ דּעת. With songs of deliverance doth Jahve surround him, so that they encompass him on all sides, and on occasion of exulting meets him in whatever direction he turns. The music here again for the third time becomes forte, and that to express the highest feeling of delight.