Psalm 53:5 Komentář

God speaks once, yea, twice, and it were well if man would even then perceive it; God, in this psalm, speaks twice, for this is the same almost verbatim with the fourteenth psalm. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins, to set us a blushing and trembling because of them; and this is what we are with so much difficulty brought to that there is need of line upon line to this purport. The word, as a convincing word, is compared to a hammer, the strokes whereof must be frequently repeated. God, by the psalmist here, I. Shows us how bad we are (Psa 53:1). II. Proves it upon us by his own certain knowledge (Psa 53:2, Psa 53:3). III. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners (Psa 53:4, Psa 53:5). IV. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people (Psa 53:6). Some little variation there is between Psa 14:1-7 and this, but none considerable, only between Psa 14:5, Psa 14:6, there, and Psa 53:5 here; some expressions there used are here left out, concerning the shame which the wicked put upon God's people, and instead of that, is here foretold the shame which God would put upon the wicked, which alteration, with some others, he made by divine direction when he delivered it the second time to the chief musician. In singing it we ought to lament the corruption of the human nature, and the wretched degeneracy of the world we live in, yet rejoicing in hope of the great salvation. To the chief musician upon Mahalath, Maschil. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 53 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The word "mahalath" is only used here and in Psa 88:1. Some, with Aben Ezra, take it to be the first word of a song, to the tune of which this psalm was set; others, with Jarchi, that it is the name of a musical instrument on which it was sung; a hollow instrument; of the same nature with "nehiloth", See Gill on Psa 5:1, title. Though it may relate to the argument or subject matter of the psalm, and be rendered, "concerning sickness" or "infirmity" (e); and, as Jarchi observes, some interpret it, "concerning the sickness or weakness of Israel", when the temple was destroyed. But it seems much better to understand it of the sickness and disease of sin, and the weakness following upon that, to which all mankind are subject; since the psalm manifestly treats of the general corruption and depravity of human nature. This psalm is the same with Psa 14:1, and is expressed in the same words, with some little difference; the reason of its repetition is variously conjectured. Some think that the compiler of the book of Psalms, observing various readings in it occasioned by copying, thought fit to insert it both ways; but it is most likely to be composed by David himself, at different times, and it may be on different occasions, and with different views. Some think the former, namely the fourteenth psalm, was written concerning Nabal, and this concerning Doeg; according to Jarchi, that was concerning Nebuchadnezzar, this concerning Titus Vespasian; or, as others think, Antiochus Epiphanes. Kimchi is of opinion that this psalm, being placed between one that relates to Doeg, and another that refers to the Ziphites, points at the likeness there is between the case of David and the Messiah; that as David had many who sought to ensnare him, yet God rewarded them, and established him in the kingdom; so it will be with the Messiah: but it is much more reasonable with others to conclude, that it is repeated either because of the importance of it; because that as the former may refer to the corruption of the Jews in the times of David, this to the corruption of men in the times of Christ and his apostles, and under the Gospel dispensation, until the second coming of Christ, especially under the reign of antichrist. The argument of the psalm, according to the Syriac version, is concerning Ahithophel, who gave counsel to Absalom to pursue his father David and kill him: and, according to the Arabic version, it is a prophecy concerning Babel and Sennacherib; so Theodoret: but rather concerning mystical Babylon, and the man of sin. (e) "de miseria", Tigurine version, "vel infirmitate"; so Ainsworth.

There were they in great, fear, where no fear was,.... Before; neither of God nor man, nor any dread of punishment, but the utmost security, Rev 18:7; also See Gill on Psa 14:5; for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee; either against Christ, or against his church and people; who set themselves against the person, office, and grace of Christ, and seek to distress and destroy his interest: "the bones of such God will scatter": that is, he will destroy antichrist and his armies, which are his strength, as the bones are the strength of the human body; and make such a carnage of them, that the fowls of the air shall eat their flesh, and their bones shall be scattered here and there; see Rev 19:17. So the Targum, "for God scatters the strength of the armies of the wicked.'' Kimchi interprets it of the bones of the nations that shall encamp against Jerusalem, in the days of Gog; see Rev 20:8; and Aben Ezra observes, that "thee" respects either God or the Messiah; thou hast put them to shame; this is either an address of the psalmist unto God, declaring what he had done; or rather of God the Father to his Son Christ Jesus; and so Kimchi and Ben Melech say this refers to the Messiah: and it may be expressive of the shame and confusion that antichrist and his followers will be thrown into, when they shall make war with the Lamb, and he shall overcome them, Rev 17:14; because God hath despised them; or rejected them as reprobates; given them up to a reprobate mind; and being ungodly men, has before ordained them to this condemnation. The Targum is, "for the Word of the Lord hath rejected them;'' as filthy, loathsome, and abominable, and cast them alive into the lake of fire, Rev 19:20.

"Shall not all know that work iniquity, that devour My people for the food of bread"? [Psalm 53:5]....There is therefore here a people of God that is being devoured. Nay, "There is not one that does good, there is not so much as one." We reply by the rule above. But this people that is devoured, this people that suffers evil men, this that groans and travails amid evil men, now out of sons of men have been made sons of God: therefore are they devoured. For, "The counsel of the needy man you have confounded, because the Lord is his hope." For ofttimes, in order that the people of God may be devoured, this very thing in it is despised, that it is the people of God. I will pillage, he says, and despoil; if he is a Christian, what will he do to me?...But what follows? "I will convince you, and will set you before your face." You will not now know so as you should be displeasing to yourself, you shall know so as you may mourn. For God cannot but show to the unrighteous their iniquity. If He is not to show, who will they be that are to say, "What has profited us pride, and what has boasting of riches bestowed upon us?" [Wisdom 5:8] For then shall they know, that now will not know. "Shall not all know?" etc. Why has He added, "for the food of bread"? As it were as bread, they eat My people. For all other things which we eat, we can eat now these, now those; not always this vegetable, not always this flesh, not always these apples: but always bread. What is then, "Devour My people for the food of bread"? Without intermission, without cessation they devour.

Perhaps he calls them saints in this psalm in the same way that he calls them just in the Gospel when he says, “I am not come to call the just but sinners,” that is, those just who boast of the holiness of their race and the letter of the Law, to whom it is said, “Do not boast of your father Abraham, for God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” This type is exemplified in the Pharisee who recited his good works in the temple, as if recalling them to an ignorant Lord, not praying to be heard but demanding the reward due to his good conduct. Yet, this was displeasing to God because he tore down by his pride what he had built up by his justice; he did not do this silently but at the top of his voice; and it is evident that he did not speak to divine ears, because he wished to be heard by people. Hence, he was not pleasing to God because he was pleasing to himself. “For God has scattered the bones of people pleasing to themselves; they have been confounded,” he says, “because he has despised them,” who “does not despise a contrite and humbled heart.”

Such a person not only cuts himself off from the rewards of his virtues but even lays himself open to being condemned to eternal punishment, because the good action, which ought to be performed in consideration of a merciful God, has been performed in order to gain praise. Take away the favors, take away people’s admiration, and you will find few who do something good either for the love of God, or barring that, for fear of God; yet no less is the blame with which we are tainted, because we place people before God and human glory before heavenly glory. This disease of pride is acute; it poisons from either side, and it wounds when least expected. For some boast of themselves because they are good, others because they are bad. Of the good who boast, it is said, “For God has scattered the bones of those who are pleased with themselves.” Of the evil who boast it is said, “For the wicked person is praised in the desires of his soul, and the worker of injustice shall be blessed.” There are also the words of the apostle: “Their god is the belly, their glory is in their shame.”

"Shall they not know," etc. Above, the Psalmist introduced the judge looking upon iniquity and uselessness. Here he treats of the sentence of judgment. And first as to the condemnation of the wicked. Second as to the salvation of the good, at "Who shall give," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he proposes the question. Second he makes the proposal clear, at "Because God will scatter." Concerning the first he does two things. First he investigates the defect of penance itself. Second he assigns the merit of punishment, at "Who work." Concerning the first, it should be considered that it frequently happens that in a state of prosperity men do not acknowledge God, but through punishments inflicted by God they remember that God exists; as if to say, this is necessary because of their guilt. Ps.: "The Lord will be known by the judgments he executes." And we have an example of this in Pharaoh. Ex. 5: "I do not know the Lord." And after the inflicted punishments the Egyptians said: "Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord fights for them against us." It was said above that "the fool has said, there is no God," and for this reason he says: "Shall not all who work iniquity know," at least through punishments, "that God exists?" As if to say: indeed they will know, because no one can inflict punishments except God. And this is very necessary because of the guilt they have committed. And they have committed a twofold guilt, namely in deed and in affection. The guilt is the working of iniquity; and therefore he says, "Who work iniquity." Iniquity properly is sin against one's neighbor, because it is opposed to equity. He aggravates this guilt when he says, "Who devour my people as the food of bread." The food of bread is habitual and delightful; as if to say, those men delightfully persevere in their malice and take delight in inflicting injuries. Mic. 3: "They have eaten the flesh of my people and their corpses, and have taken away their goods." Jer. 50: "The first, the king of Assyria." As to the affection, he says, "They have not called upon God." Sinners are disordered in their affection in two ways. First, through contempt of God. Second, through disordered love of temporal things. As to the first, he says, "They have not called upon God," for two reasons. First, because they do not believe in God. Rom. 10: "How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed?" Second, because they believe they are sufficient by themselves. Ps.: "Our lips are our own." As to the second, he says, "There they trembled where there was no fear"; as if to say, from this cause they feared where there is nothing to fear. By the word "there" he designates not a place but a cause. Hence Augustine says that fear is caused by love. Those men, namely the wicked or sinners, have only love of temporal things; and therefore they fear only temporal losses -- that is, "for that cause" where there is nothing to fear, that is, for which there is nothing to fear. Mt. 10: "Do not fear those," etc.; and therefore there is nothing to fear in the loss of temporal things, because in them there is not properly our true good; and it is certain that if we would cling to God, he would give us even these things. Mt. 6: "Seek first the kingdom of God," etc.

"Because God has scattered." Here he makes clear the question of how correction takes place, that is, through punishment. And he introduces a twofold punishment, namely interior and exterior. He shows the first when he says, "God has scattered the bones of those who please men," that is, who ultimately desire to please men. By "bones" is understood strength. This strength is either bodily -- and this is consumed by God -- or spiritual -- and this is consumed by sin. These bones are the virtues of good men; hence on the cross the bones of Christ were not broken. But the bones of the thieves were crushed. But he says, "Of those who please men." Is it wrong to please men? It seems not. 1 Cor. 10: "Be without offense," etc. Likewise, "I please all in all things," says the Apostle. It must be said that if someone wishes to please another for the sake of vain glory, that is, to have human glory, this is wrong in those who place their end in this, because such men confidently sin in secret provided they please in public. But sometimes someone wishes to please others in order to draw them to God; and in this way such pleasing is meritorious and good; and it was in this way that the Apostle wished us to please others, and in this way he himself pleased. The contrary is set forth as the exterior punishment: hence he says, "They are confounded," that is, let them be confounded, because their sins are uncovered. Job 20: "The heavens shall reveal his iniquity," because they have deceived, and because they shall lose the temporal things through which they believed they had happiness. Jer. 20: "They shall be greatly confounded." Jer. 17: "Let those who persecute me be confounded." And they shall suffer this "because God has despised them." Those are honored whom God loves. Ps.: "But to me your friends are exceedingly honored," etc. But those whom God has despised are confounded.

Upon Mahalath--(See on Psa 88:1, title). Why this repetition of the fourteenth Psalm is given we do not know. (Psa 53:1-6) with few verbal changes, correspond with Psa 14:1-4.

Instead of assurances of God's presence with the pious, and a complaint of the wicked, Psa 14:5-6 portrays the ruin of the latter, whose "bones" even "are scattered" (compare Psa 141:7), and who are put to shame as contemptuously rejected of God. Next: Psalms Chapter 54

The last two lines of this tristich are in letters so similar to the two distichs of Psa 14:1-7, that they look like an attempt at the restoration of some faded manuscript. Nevertheless, such a close following of the sound of the letters of the original, and such a changing of the same by means of an interchange of letters, is also to be found elsewhere (more especially in Jeremiah, and e.g., also in the relation of the Second Epistle of Peter to Jude). And the two lines sound so complete in themselves and full of life, that this way of accounting for their origin takes too low an estimate of them. A later poet, perhaps belonging to the time of Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah, has here adapted the Davidic Psalm to some terrible catastrophe that has just taken place, and given a special character to the universal announcement of judgment. The addition of לא־היה פּחד (supply אשׁר = אשׁר שׁם, Psa 84:4) is meant to imply that fear of judgment had seized upon the enemies of the people of God, when no fear, i.e., no outward ground for fear, existed; it was therefore חרדּת אלהים (Sa1 14:15), a God-wrought panic. Such as the case with the host of the confederates in the days of Jehoshaphat (Ch2 20:22-24); such also with the army of Sennacherib before Jerusalem (Isa 37:36). כּי gives the proof in support of this fright from the working of the divine power. The words are addressed to the people of God: Elohim hath scattered the bones (so that unburied they lie like dirt upon the plain a prey to wild beasts, Psa 141:7; Eze 6:5) of thy besieger, i.e., of him who had encamped against thee. חנך .eeht tsniaga instead of חנך = חנה עליך. (Note: So it has been explained by Menachem; whereas Dunash wrongly takes the ך of חנך as part of the root, overlooking the fact that with the suffix it ought rather to have been חנך instead of חנך. It is true that within the province of the verb âch does occur as a pausal masculine suffix instead of écha, with the preterite (Deu 6:17; Isa 30:19; Isa 55:5, and even out of pause in Jer 23:37), and with the infinitive (Deu 28:24; Eze 28:15), but only in the passage before us with the participle. Attached to the participle this masculine suffix closely approximates to the Aramaic; with proper substantives there are no examples of it found in Hebrew. Simson ha-Nakdan, in his חבור הקונים (a MS in Leipzig University Library, fol. 29b), correctly observes that forms like שׁמך, עמּך, are not biblical Hebrew, but Aramaic, and are only found in the language of the Talmud, formed by a mingling of the Hebrew and Aramaic.) By the might of his God, who has overthrown them, the enemies of His people, Israel has put them to shame, i.e., brought to nought in a way most shameful to them, the project of those who were so sure of victory, who imagined they could devour Israel as easily and comfortably as bread. It is clear that in this connection even Psa 53:5 receives a reference to the foreign foes of Israel originally alien to the Psalm, so that consequently Mic 3:3 is no longer a parallel passage, but passages like Num 14:9, our bread are they (the inhabitants of Canaan); and Jer 30:16, all they that devour thee shall be devoured.