Psalmen 36:7 Kommentar

It is uncertain when, and upon what occasion, David penned this psalm, probably when he was struck at either by Saul or by Absalom; for in it he complains of the malice of his enemies against him, but triumphs in the goodness of God to him. We are here led to consider, and it will do us good to consider seriously, I. The sinfulness of sin, and how mischievous it is (Psa 36:1-4). II. The goodness of God, and how gracious he is, 1. To all his creatures in general (Psa 36:5, Psa 36:6). 2. To his own people in a special manner (Psa 36:7-9). By this the psalmist is encouraged to pray for all the saints (Psa 36:10), for himself in particular and his own preservation (Psa 36:11), and to triumph in the certain fall of his enemies (Psa 36:12). If, in singing this psalm, our hearts be duly affected with the hatred of sin and satisfaction in God's lovingkindness, we sing it with grace and understanding. To the chief Musician. A psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 36 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. This title, which the psalmist takes to himself, regards him not only as a creature, every man being the servant of the Lord as such, of right, though not in fact; but as a king, he being a minister of God for good to good men, and for evil to evil men; and also may respect him as a renewed man; and it is here used in opposition to and distinction from the wicked, who are the servants of sin and Satan, of whom he speaks in this psalm. The Syriac and Arabic versions in their titles suggest that this psalm was written when David was persecuted by Saul, and which is the sense of some interpreters; but R. Obadiah thinks Ahithophel is designed by the wicked man in it; and so it was penned on account of Absalom's rebellion.

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God,.... Which has appeared to men and not angels, to some and not others; to the chief of sinners, who are by nature children of wrath as others; in choosing, redeeming, and calling them, taking them into his family, and making them heirs of eternal glory; and all this of his sovereign good will and pleasure, there being nothing in them that could move him to it; which lovingkindness was in his heart from everlasting, and will never change in him, nor depart from them; and hence it must be most excellent and precious: therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings; not all men; for all have not faith, only some, to whom it is given to believe, and who know the Lord and his lovingkindness; by which they are induced and encouraged to trust in him, to betake themselves to him for mercy and protection, which they find in him: the allusion is either to the hen that gathers her chickens under her wings, and protects them in time of danger, and so it expresses both the paternal affection of God to his people, and the protection of them; or else to the wings of the cherubim over the mercy seat, between which the Lord sat and communed with his people, and showed mercy and favour to them, which encouraged them to trust in him.

But the sons of men will hope in the protection of your wings; that is, not the generation of vipers, but the sons of men who live in the image and likeness of God.

Because he said, Your Mercy is in the Heavens, that it may be known to be also on earth, he said, "O Lord, You save man and beast, as Your Mercy is multiplied, O God" [Psalm 36:7]. Great is Your Mercy, and manifold is Your Mercy, O God; and that showest Thou both to man and beast. For from whom is the saving of men? From God. Is not the saving of beasts also from God? For He who made man, made also beasts; He who made both, saves both; but the saving of beasts is temporal. But there are who as a great thing ask this of God, which He has given to beasts. "Your Mercy, O God, is multiplied," so that not only unto men, but unto beasts also is given the same saving which is given to men, a carnal and temporal saving.

Next he marvels at the divine mercy, at "How you have multiplied." Namely, how greatly you have multiplied your mercy, namely that you save not only men but also beasts. Or that you care not only for the just but also for sinners, as to the temporal goods which you multiply in them. Jerome has "How precious," etc. For the mercy of God is great, in that he saves all: great also, because he gives to each one more than he merited: Ps. 85: "Your mercy is great upon me."

"But the children." Here he sets forth the spiritual goods, which are three: confidence, spiritual nourishment, and intelligible knowledge: and these correspond to the grades of beings. Of beings, some merely exist; some exist and live; some in addition to this also understand; and among beings the rational creature participates in a certain eternity, because the rational soul does not perish. And therefore he says, "The children of men," that is, the children of God, of Christ: or by "the children of men" are understood generally all men. "They shall hope under the covering of your wings." And he speaks metaphorically. A hen protects her chicks with her wings lest they be killed; so God himself with spiritual protection protects the rational creature lest it fail, especially in the soul: Mt. 23: "How often I wanted to gather your children," etc. Is. 49: "Under the covering of his hand he protected me." Or "under the covering," that is, under spiritual protection. And so the two wings are the teaching of the New and the Old Testament.

On servant of the Lord, see on Psa 18:1, title. The wickedness of man contrasted with the excellency of God's perfections and dispensations; and the benefit of the latter sought, and the evils of the former deprecated. (Psa 36:1-12) The general sense of this difficult verse is, "that the wicked have no fear of God." The first clause may be rendered, "Saith transgression in my heart, in respect to the wicked, there is no fear," &c., that is, such is my reflection on men's transgressions.

shadow of thy wings--(Compare Deu 32:11; Psa 91:1).