Lord, my heart is not hopeful.
This psalm speaks of almost the same subject as the previous psalm, except that it expresses a little more clearly the contrast by which it shows that the heart is depressed by the feeling of sin. Hence it has become a proverb among theologians in the general saying: "To walk in great things that are too high for one," that is, as one usually speaks: to fly too high, to undertake something that exceeds one's strength, and thus to put oneself in danger. Thus, in general, according to a not improper inauthentic use (catachresi), or rather according to the [just mentioned] general saying, this psalm has been used against all hopefulness, the common fault of the human race in which we all are; and this can be removed by no other remedy than either by divine grace, or by God's wrath or anger, that is, when the godly are afflicted either with afflictions, or the godless with punishments. In this way, presumption, the vice inherent in all men by nature, is cured. Otherwise, it is impossible that a man should not be presumptuous, either of his power, or his wisdom, or his justice.
This hopefulness then gives birth to strife and quarrels, as we see, concerning the glory of the spiritual gifts (ingenii); in how many ways do men chase after this glory! Not only do they want to be considered wiser and more learned than their contemporaries, but they also direct their attacks on the earlier times and, as they say, gouge out the eyes of the crows. 1) What do you think will become of it, if such spirits then set about the sacred things? In such a way the hearts will be heard by power, that they will
1) Oorninum oeulo8 eonÜMrs actually means: to outsmart clever people; here as much as: to want to be better than the best.
They do not keep any measure in their hopeful suggestions and thoughts. The same happened when the Pharisees and the hypocrites (for these are the ones to whom this is really attached) had caught the delusion of their own holiness and righteousness. In short, hopeful and presumptuous people, as they say, are destroyers, not only of themselves, but also of the world regime, of the church, of domestic life and of all things. Those who know the histories see how much misfortune ambitious people have always caused. Thus, in the church, the heretics, incited by the conviction of their own wisdom, are the destroyers of harmony and peace. The same thing happens in the home; hence the fine and good saying in German, in which they say: let the fall evil befall him who does it better than he can. 2)
But, dear, who are these people? All the world. For who is content with his gift, and does not sometimes presume to do something better and more accurately than he can? Hence follows the third, that as presumption abolishes peace and harmony, but gives birth to strife and strife, as a fruitful mother, so at last it follows with necessity that all is vain, and ungodly efforts are in vain. Wouldn't our neighbor, Duke [George], have enough to do with ruling his country and carrying out the work of his profession? But the presumption does not let him rest, that he also submits to governing the church, which he is not commanded to do. Thus, those who first caused us the unrest concerning the sacraments were not satisfied with the ministry in their churches; they also arrogated to themselves, as it were, dominion over the whole of the sacred Scriptures, so that they thought that it was theirs to govern them according to
2) lVlalo äiZnum 6886, yni nonutur, yuoü non pvt68t pra68tar6 he is worthy of misfortune, who subjects himself to what he cannot perform. For our translation, compare Walch, old edition, vol. V, 1218, s?4.
to interpret their will, and, as Basil speaks, την άλή&ειαυ παρασύρειν [the truth.
to drag aside].
This is how far this vice extends, and it is, as I have said, completely incurable unless it is cured either by the grace of God or by His wrath. Grace is when we are brought back to moderation or humility through tribulations; wrath is when the Lord showers punishment on the hopeful and takes them away as he took away Pharaoh. Pharaoh's obstinacy and stubbornness could not be cured in any other way than by sinking in the Red Sea. So the children of Benjamin did not cease their raging until they were almost destroyed [Judges 20:46 ff]. Absalom did not stop until he hung on a tree [2 Sam. 18, 9]. Thus Arius, Cerinth, and many innovators of doctrine in our time did not cease until they found the destruction of which their deeds were worthy. Thus it happens that when the wicked, like a mad horse, have begun their course out of arrogance, they do not stand still until they have perished. The same happens to the saints of works. The Pharisees did not stop pursuing the gospel and relying on their righteousness until Jerusalem, the kingdom and the priesthood were destroyed from the bottom up. This is the end of presumption, unless it is stopped by the Word. Therefore, it is true that this plague cannot be cured in any other way than either by grace or by wrath.
In this way, almost everyone interprets this Psalm in a general way against hopefulness or presumption, but I believe that it can be more correctly interpreted by spiritual pride or the hopefulness of righteousness. For, as I have shown above, these three things, namely power, wisdom, and righteousness, generally make people hopeful. Therefore, if any man will, let him make a threefold hope according to these three objects. For the gifts are distributed among men and have their measure and manner. Therefore the mighty are mighty according to their measure and cannot be mightier; the wise are wise according to their measure and cannot be wiser; the righteous are wise according to their measure and cannot be wiser.
They are righteous to a great extent and cannot be more righteous. But arrogance makes them want to be and seem more powerful, wiser and more just than they really are. Therefore, when the matter comes to dispute, and sin fights with righteousness, which does not remain in its gift, way and measure, the latter is defeated, and righteousness becomes despair, which often drives the hypocrites to take up the rope. Thus it happens that weakness struggles with power and conquers, but power is put to shame, as happened to the Israelites when they fought against the one tribe of Benjamin [Judges 20:21, 25].
What is the cause of this unexpected outcome? Of course, it is because people do not trust in the Lord, but are presumptuous in their own righteousness, power and wisdom, contrary to the word and will of God. For God wants us to trust only in His power and mercy, but people do not want this, and think that they are powerful, just and wise for this reason, so that they trust in these things and are presumptuous because of them. They are therefore justified in coming to grief. For why do they not do what they are able, and do what they are not able? Therefore they are worthy of their misfortune, as the German proverb says, because they undertake what they cannot accomplish. Therefore, let us remain humble and temperate in our gifts; let us not judge others or oppress them; let us not focus our attention on the work of others, but let us each do for ourselves what is our calling, and resist this vice all the more carefully, the deeper it is in the nature of all of us, although it is more evident in some and less in others, as the histories of the pagans also show. Cicero is more ambitious than Demo fthenes, perhaps because he lived in a larger empire and in an exceedingly powerful monarchy. Julius Caesar is more ambitious than Augustus. So it goes also in the sacred history: Pharaoh connected the stubbornness with the hopefulness. But all the examples of the holy scriptures as well as of the pagan histories show the same outcome.
2072 L. xx, 220-222. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 131. w. iv, 2873-2876. 2073
and end, namely, that they fall into misfortune contrary to their expectations, become disgraced and perish. But, as I have said, let us leave this general view and interpret this psalm from the spiritual hope that stands in the delusion of its own wisdom and righteousness.
V. 1. O Lord, my heart is not hopeful, neither are mine eyes proud, neither walk thou in great things that are too high for me.
That David boasts here, he does as one who is instructed by experience, as if he wanted to say: I have come to realize how great an evil it is to be exalted in heart and secure in righteousness, therefore I will no longer be proud, no longer boast of my own righteousness. For the haughty Pharisee, who boasts that he is not like other people, falls at the first word of conscience that accuses him, and becomes lifeless with terror; he cannot even stand against the slightest sin, let alone the mountains and seas of sins that destroy the presumptuous and secure people in an instant. Therefore it is good, he says [Ps. 119, 71.], that thou hast humbled me, and hast instructed me through tribulations, lest I should be hopeful, lest I should think myself holy, lest I should raise myself up to be an avenger (executorem) of righteousness, judging and condemning all. For this is peculiar to all saints of works, that they judge others, and make themselves, as it were, the executioners of others, as is shown by the example of the Pharisee in the Gospel [Luc. 18, 11. f.], who cannot be content with simply remembering his virtues, but at the same time condemns the poor publican. This is the very real sin of natural, legal and civil justice, that it condemns others, that it interferes with God's judicial office and passes judgment against those of whom it sees 1) that they are, as it were, on a lower level. Whoever is a good citizen, whoever is a well-learned lawyer, admires himself, and all that is lacking is that he makes himself a kind of idol for himself; but he judges others and despises them in comparison with himself. If a peasant, who is not entirely stupid, finds any fault in
1) Erlanger: viäss instead of: viäst.
of his authority, he thinks like the servant in the comedy [of Terence] who rebuked his master's stinginess: O, I should have been king!
These civil things are full of vanity and the greatest folly, which nevertheless no one can abstain from, unless the Holy Spirit guides and governs the hearts, and teaches us that this righteousness, whether it be natural or moral, is like a kind of handicraft, through which we are no better before God. And, of course, no one is so foolish that he should consider himself a better Christian and more pleasing before God because he is a tailor, a cobbler, a potter, a blacksmith etc. But, although it is quite the same with righteousness, whether it be moral or natural, there is no one who should not be presumptuous because of it, unless the Holy Spirit brings him back to the right way. For it has a semblance of holiness; hence hearts are puffed up until they are humbled and learn that in this righteousness there is nothing on which they can rely before the judgment of God. How often have we seen that great theologians, who walked among men in a great pride, finally, when they were close to death, in a kind of despair took refuge in the greatest folly and put on a monk's cap! Thus I remember that a great man who had a famous name among the jurists, as he was dying, said: O, if only I had been a swineherd rather than a jurist! For he felt that in this emergency even the careful handling of justice could not help. This is how it was with Cicero. When he realized that he was in danger because of the power of Augustus and Antonius, he realized that all his science could not help him, but all his erudition and the immense diligence he had spent on philosophy vanished like nothing. The same happened to Demosthenes when he fled from Antipater. In short, all such examples teach that what Solomon says [Proverbs 17:19] is true: "He who makes his house 2) high runs after misfortune."
2) Instead of ostium in the Vulgate and "Thür" in the German Bible, Luther put äomum here.
But our courtiers do not believe this. They complain that the scribes (for that is what they call learned people) are used for the business of the princes, but the nobility is neglected. But when they are called upon to do business, they manage it in such a way that it is like a wagon that has sunk into deep mud and can be moved neither backward nor forward. It serves them right. For why do they subject themselves to what they cannot accomplish? This is the cause that in general the rulers (imperia) are nothing but destruction and murder. Who is he that looks closely at the government that was under the first [Roman] emperors, and should think that the Roman empire could have lasted even one day? For, as Livius says, it seemed neither to be able to bear its infirmities nor its remedies, but simply to collapse through its mass, like an all-too-high building.
But there is far more danger when men are proud-eyed in religion and walk in great things that are too high for them, that is, when they please themselves because of their holiness and think they are sitting in the bosom of God, and yet know nothing of the atonement and of the forgiveness of sins, but walk in their works par excellence, that they fast twice a week, that they tithe, that they are not adulterers, robbers etc. although their hearts are full of every kind of shameful desire. This presumption remains until the danger of death masters it. Then all those aids fall away from the hands, and the words of despair follow: I have lived shamefully, I have not kept our vows, I have not kept our rule etc. Why then did you become a monk? Was it not so that you might ascend to righteousness? But so you descended to hell because you wanted to exalt yourself. Now those who are not exercised by such temptations die like cows.
V. 2. If I did not sit down and nurse my soul, my soul was weaned, as one is weaned from his mother.
Here he speaks clearly of his experience, that he had seen how great a danger
If anyone is presumptuous about his righteousness, it is in this. Therefore we are to learn what it is that the epistle to the Hebrews [Cap. 12, 1.] αμαρτίαν εύπερίστατο^, which everywhere gives us
and not follow the iniquity of the great multitude, who, if they have not heard many sermons, think that they have learned the whole gospel sufficiently. Perhaps you have heard it in full, but you have not yet believed it in full, you have not yet had the experiences of faith, of prayer, of the cross, which are the noblest for a Christian, of which David preaches here very earnestly, as the greatness of things and the movement of the heart require. He says, I have stilled my soul, and sat me down; I have said unto my soul, Be still, boast not, but be silent. For that he says, "I have quieted," or, as the Hebrew phrase is, "I have made silent," really means to make to nothing, as in Hosea [Cap. 4, 5. Vulg.], "At night I have made silent," that is, I have made desolate and solitary, that there no noise nor sound should be heard. So it is said in another Psalm [Ps. 46, 11.], "Be still," that is, do not provoke the Lord by your stubbornness and hopefulness, but be obedient, obey etc. So also here: If I did not make my soul silent, that is, if I did not humble myself, if I did not abstain from presumption and trust in my own righteousness, in the righteousness of the law, even in God, whom I had served through the law; if I did not humble myself and confess that, though I had kept the law to some extent, yet I wished that the Lord would not enter into judgment with his servant; I say, if I did not do this, then I was in truth like one weaned.
The prophet speaks of an exceedingly great thing, and yet the likeness seems to indicate something small and quite insignificant. For why does he prefer to take the simile from a small child rather than from a man who already has his full powers? But this image is not only a very suitable one, but also extraordinarily lovely. For what danger, what harm could befall a child that would be greater than if it were to fall to its mother's breast?
2076 n- 224-22". Au[1. about the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 131. w. iv. 2879-srwi. 2077
would be deprived? This seems to be, as it were, a verdict of condemnation and death for the child. Thus, he says, when I was seized by the spirit of hope and security and lost the mother's breast of divine grace, forgiveness of sins and reconciliation, I was in truth like a child who has lost its mother and cannot live without the good deed of the mother, that is, I was in the very certain and extreme danger of death.
Therefore, the prophet directs us here to the necessary difference between the law and the gospel. For the law is the doctrine that is necessary to break that hope and the rebellious wickedness of our sin, which (quam) gives birth to the presumption of our righteousness. There is indeed, as I said above, a presumption of riches, power and wisdom, but this can be countenanced in many ways. But this, which is presumptuous because of one's own righteousness, is quite incurable, and cannot be lifted unless this weaning comes, of which David speaks here, that the conscience, awakened by the law, should examine our life and our works. But because we must confess that we have sinned against the law in many ways, evident despair follows unless Christ, like a kind mother, gives us the mother's breast of grace and restores the afflicted soul. Thus Judas, by the sight of his sin, is made to confess himself [Matt. 27:5, 1. For there is no means by which a conscience troubled by its sins can be healed but this one thing, that we may firmly stand for it, as the preceding Psalm sings, that with God there is grace and much salvation [Ps. 130:7]. This is the voice of the gospel, which must follow the law, and for which the way is paved by the law. For just as our sins require punishment and accusation, so the fright which accusation produces requires consolation. Therefore, the right consolation and the right reconciliation, which are presented to us in the Gospel, belong to the right sins, which sink into hell when they are committed.
1) Erlanger: odstipatam instead of: odstiMm. Cf. Walch, St. Louiser Ausg., vol. IX, 444, s 544.
not be healed by the confidence in the mercy of God, which is presented to us in Christ. For mercy is not for imaginary sins, but for true sins that kill and condemn.
We must be careful of this change, so that when we boast and are sure of our own righteousness, the law comes and Moses with his horns or his shining face, which cannot bear our weakness, and yet cannot escape it or avoid it. But after the law and Moses have thus performed their office with accusations of conscience and threats of God's judgment and punishments, then it is in place and the most opportune time for Christ to come with the mother's breast of grace and to refresh the weaned child who desires milk and cries out. It is therefore a fine similitude, which first of all shows us our weakness, that in us there are no powers at all with which we can resist the devil and heal our conscience; then the mercy of God and the power of his word, through which he nourishes her child with milk like a mother and drives away the tears. Thus, the gospel is also the womb of God, in which we are carried and formed by the Spirit of Christ; it is also the mother's breast, through which we are nourished. Therefore, if this is lost, we are like the weaned.
Some think that they understand this well, but beware of this presumption and count yourselves among the number of disciples. For the devil is such an artist of thousands that he can easily abolish this distinction, and substitute the law for the gospel, and again the gospel for the law. For how often does it happen to those who are in the throes of death that their poor consciences take hold of some sayings of the gospel that in truth belong to the law, and through them lose the comfort of the gospel! Such is this saying [Matth. 19, 17]: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments of God." Likewise this [Matth. 7, 21.]: "Not all who say to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven." By such sayings
the minds are sometimes so shattered that they see nothing but what they have done and what they should have done, what God demands and what He forbids. When the hearts look at this, they forget all the things that Christ has done and that God has promised to accomplish through Christ. Therefore, let no one presume that he has fully attained this; in word this distinction is easy, but in death and danger we learn how little good dialecticians we are, namely, when the dispute arises as to what we have done and what we ought to have done, when the law reproaches us: The Lord commanded you to do this, but you did not do it, but did the opposite; therefore you will be condemned according to the judgment of the Lawgiver [Deut. 27:26]. He who is a good dialectician here distinguishes between the law and the gospel, and admits that he has not done the law, but he says: "From this proposition it does not follow that for its sake I should despair and be damned. For the gospel commands me to believe in Christ and to base myself on Christ's works and righteousness. Whoever thus holds the difference, and grasps this mother's breast of the gospel, is saved and overcomes; whoever does not grasp it, perishes and despairs.
Therefore, in this doctrine of righteousness before God, there is very great danger; therefore, one should not be presumptuous, but act with fear in humility. For if presumption in worldly things, where hearts are puffed up by confidence in wealth, or power, or wisdom, never goes off without danger, it is by far most dangerous in theology, and yet it is there that it is found most. For the devil comes to the children of God and endeavors with all diligence to seduce them into presumption and security. Therefore, one must fight daily against this hidden plague, and be especially careful not to please oneself, as if one had well grasped the difference between the Law and the Gospel. You may have it, but see to it that you hold it fast, so that it may be taken away from you.
It cannot be snatched from the conscience and from the devil. Paul at least freely confesses [Phil. 3, 12. ff.] that he has not yet grasped it, but that he is pursuing this knowledge, as it were as a goal in the race course. We are all like this; we turn our faces to the goal, and are anxious to reach it, but this does not happen until the flesh is drawn out and buried. In the meantime, therefore, let us walk in fear, praying that the Lord may not put out the light which he has shown us, but may daily enlighten our hearts more, and accomplish the work which he has begun in us [Phil. 1:6]. Those who do not do this will fall into despair and become like the weaned.
V. 3. Israel, hope in the Lord from now until forever.
This verse clearly shows that this psalm speaks of presumption, which is actually against faith and is called presumption of one's own righteousness. Therefore, he exhorts them to trust in the Lord and learn to be steadfast in humility, and to put to death the trust that is based on the support of the law and their own worthiness. This, he says, will happen when you trust and hope in the Lord, not only today or tomorrow, but from now until eternity, that this is a kind of eternal presumption (to speak so) on the mercy of God, the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness that is given to us through Christ; on the other hand, never be presumptuous, not even for a moment, because of your works, even though they should be holy and conformed to the law of God. For this is to remain the sole and entire (nudissima nuda) trust, which is called the trust and hope in the mercy of God shown in Christ. This trust is reliable. For God does not lie, but faithfully keeps what He has promised; you should only trust in Him constantly and faithfully. But here is danger from the devil, who strives with all his might to dissuade us from this firm trust. Therefore, we must fight, and practice this doctrine in daily conflict against the devil and evil spirits.
2080 xx, 228-230. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 132. w. iv, 2884-2891. 2081
-which do and intend nothing else than to first pull us up to presumption, but then again to plunge us down into despair.
On the other hand, God first terrifies us with His law and brings us down, so that He may raise us up; He leads us into hell, so that He may bring us out again [1 Sam. 2, 6.He also sometimes withdraws the mother's breast of grace even from the righteous, so that we may learn what our own righteousness tends to do, namely, that it tends to bring us down through despair, so that, having experienced this, we do not follow our feelings, but raise ourselves up by trusting in Christ, through whom the dead are made alive and saved.
will be. This mercy is like the sky, which always remains fixed over us; if we are covered by it, we are safe wherever we may be. Thus Isaiah calls [Cap. 4, 6J that we are covered by the mercy of the Lord against wrath, despair, the devil and death. Those who leave this shade will suffer unbearable heat. In this way, this verse teaches that David is speaking of the damnable presumption of one's own righteousness, and he exhorts that one should fight against it by the hope of eternal mercy and by eternal faith. This is the only way in which we are preserved.