Title: For the heritage.
1. the word "inheritance" is often taken for a reward, fruit, usefulness, as Ps. 127, 3.: "Behold, children are a gift (hereditas) of the Lord." Thus this Psalm is called "for inheritance," that is, for rewards, namely, what the faithful and the wicked have for reward. For they have different rewards: the wicked are prospered here, that they may perish; the godly are afflicted here, that they may come to prosperity. So this psalm speaks of
The challenge with the heretics, or the challenge in the word and the doctrine, that those who have the right word are condemned as heretics, but the ungodly have the inheritance, the reward that they are considered holy people. But such an affliction torments the godly greatly, that so many adhere to error, and so few follow the truth; that so great a multitude of the Turks and Papists should be damned, but we, who are so few, retain the right word and blessedness. This is a great annoyance. He
But also in this psalm he does not only fight against the heretics, but also against his own conscience, so that he does not fall away from the word, moved by the multitude of examples.
2 We learn here how to resist the heretics. One should indeed fight against them with the outward word; but if fervent prayer is not added, one will not be able to do much against them. For our prayer causes our preaching, teaching and writing to do something.
Lord, hear my word, heed my speech, hear my cry, my King and my God; for I will pray before you.
(3) He takes it all upon himself to fortify his conscience. As if he should say: They want and boast that they are your people, that you are favorable and inclined to them, that you hear their words; but I know that you hear my words, my prayer, not their word, because they are godless. So Moses prays, 4 Mos. 16, 15.: "Do not turn to their sacrifice", do not let it please you.
V. 4. Lord, early would you hear my voice.
4 I come, he says, that I will pray, hear thou me early. But this word "early" can be understood either according to the letter or in a figurative way (ad metaphoram). According to the letter, because the morning time has always been ordered to prayer and the word of God; as we often see in the Psalms. In figurative speech, "early" means before all things. Surgens mane in Jeremiah 1) [Cap. 11, 7. Vulg.] means: "I was there all the way."
Early I will send myself to you.
5. arach among the Hebrews means to prepare, to make ready, as a table or bed is prepared. The Jews understand it here for a prayer to perform: I will send myself with a prayer.
And remember it.
I want to look, that is, I want to come and pay attention. It is all ways mighty fähr-
Latin. Hiero. is read from Hiere. In the old translation this sentence is missing.
lich with the false preachers, therefore it may well Zusehens. That is why he speaks: I will watch, I will be careful not to lose the word.
V. 5. For you are not a god to whom ungodly beings are pleasing.
I know that for sure. This is a painting of the wicked, intended more to assure one's conscience than to disprove them by it. They want their thing to be right; it also seems as if it were true, and if one judges according to reason, it is also true, so we must have lost; over this our Lord God gives them good and honor. Just as Moses had to fear as if God would look at their sacrifice, since he says Deut. 16:15: "Lord, do not turn to their grain offering." Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen one's conscience, so that one may say: "Even if it seems like it, I know that you do not like it; I find many things about them that are not pleasing to you.
I. The first is "the ungodly being," which I do not miss, namely, that they teach not of faith, but of works alone. So it is certain that no pope either will or can teach that we are justified without works, through faith in Christ; for they do not understand the first commandment at all. This is now our test and touchstone, that we live solely on the promise that God is gracious to us and has given us his dear Son as a propitiation; and whoever does not teach this, we conclude that he is ungodly.
II. He who is evil does not remain before you.
8 This belongs to the works. So also Paul [Tit. 1, 16.]: "Since they are unbelieving and incapable of all good works." So now the papists sin, who daily deal with such thoughts as they may kill and burn us; if they can take from ours honor, body, goods, they do it. We kill no one, but because they kill, he says: I am sure they shall not abide in thy sight, that is, where God dwelleth, in the temple; though they appear, yet verily I know that they shall not abide in the ministry of the word.
1390 D- xvn, 4i-t3. Interpretations on the Psalms. W. iv. iss4-i88e. 1391
III. v. 6. the glorifiers do not pass before your eyes.
9 The verb XXX, from which this noun "Ruhmredige" is derived, means to praise. By metaphor, however, a praiser is taken for a fool, ass, and fantasist, as Thraso is in the Comedy [of Terence]. Therefore he calls praisers or glorifiers those who do nothing else but praise their thing, who thus say: Our works shall do it; who praise their works' righteousness. This also is a reason of proof, saith he, that thou hast no pleasure in them. Thou canst not suffer fools; for "the heavens tell thy glory" [Ps. 19:2.] He that will boast, let him boast that he has a gracious God [Jer. 9, 23. 1 Cor. 1, 31. 2 Cor. 10, 17.1 ).
IV. You are the enemy of all evildoers.
10 There they are all together. Their whole life, he says, all their works are condemned. What they do for themselves, even though they do no harm to others, is evil; their righteousness is evil etc. Cause: out of their works they make an idol, like the monks, the enthusiasts, the Turks, the Jews, and everything that does not believe. Their works they do not for the glory of God, but for their own glory. You are an enemy to them, I know that. Why? Because they are greedy for your majesty. These words also strengthen our consciences.
V. 7. You kill the liars.
(11) You are not only hostile to them, but you are so hostile that you also kill those who speak lies. I know, he says, that they preach lies.
The Lord has abhorrence for the bloodthirsty.
(12) These two praiseworthy things have joined them together, that they are bloodthirsty and hypocrites. Killing and strangling is with them, therefore they are also "false ones," pretending to mean well; saying they do everything out of zeal for righteousness, and yet they are false, desperate hearts; what they do and say is a lie. To the same,
1) In the Latin edition: 2 Cor. 11. In the old translation 2 Cor. II, 30. 31. The passage we quoted, which in our Bible is drawn to the 11th chapter, will be meant.
He says that the Lord has an abomination, because they intend to cover up their ungodly nature and pass it off as righteousness. This is called defying our Lord God, when they cover themselves as they do now. So all the wicked can be judged from the first commandment. But what shall I do? I will do it, and I know you will be pleased:
V. 8. But I will go into your house on your great goodness.
013 I know not how to boast of righteousness nor of works: this only do I know, that thou art good. Now therefore will I come before thee, and live in no other despite, but in thy mercy, which is great. This is the first commandment; and this is a fine pure heart, which formeth nothing before it, but the mercy of the Lord alone.
And worship against thy holy temple in thy fear.
14 These two things, which he summarizes here, namely faith and fear of God, those do not have. They do not fear, but boast, as the 36th Psalm, v. 2, says: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." But it shall be thus: before men we shall be pious, but before God we shall fear. Now what I have in me that is worthy of fear is already forgiven in your mercy. I am afraid as far as my person is concerned, and I trust as far as you are concerned. So now the consolation is complete. Now follows the prayer that our Lord God will give constancy.
V. 9. Lord, guide me.
(15) As if to say, I know that I am thus right; only keep me, that we be not presumptuous in our own things, but in our Lord God. It is ever better to rejoice in His grace than in my good works. Yet they do not want to suffer the doctrine. This is the devil's sorrow.
In your righteousness, for the sake of my enemies.
16. "In thine" which is before thee, and which is not mine, nor man's, but "thine". This verse is to be drawn to the first
Commandment that our Lord God be our God, as he has shown in Christ. Now it is dangerous to fight against the ungodly being and to persevere in such a fight; therefore this prayer is necessary.
Direct your path before me.
Confirm my ways. This is what is said about constancy: that my eyes look no other way than your road, for my adversaries always want to lead me another way. It is very difficult to remain devout among godless people; as in Strasbourg many good men have been brought to ruin by them.
V. 10: For there is nothing certain in their mouths.
18 Their doctrine remains uncertain. Even if one listens to them for a long time, the heart still never becomes sure; for their thing does not stand on the first commandment and God's word. Fasting, masses etc. do not make a confident conscience. It has no reason; for they are without the word of God. They cannot comfort a heart rightly. Therefore, dear Lord, protect me from this.
Their inside is heartache.
19 Havoth means heartache, misfortune, harm, sorrow. Even though they teach for a long time, the heart always remains in sorrow and heartache, so that no real joy ever enters the heart.
Your throat is an open grave.
(20) This may be understood of avarice, that they are insatiable. But I am tempted to think that they are death slayers, who murder and devour many. Their throat is a hell-throat, and their throat, through which they shout and preach, is like an insatiable grave that is always open.
With their tongues they pretend.
They have good words and good appearances, as we now see in public. Take heed, O Lord; if any man enter therein, he shall go down as into hell.
V. 11. Blame them, O God, that they fall from their nobility; cast them out for their great transgression.
(22) Behold, they blaspheme and rebuke thee; rebuke them again, reproach them, accuse them; make them feel it, bring them to the school, give them an evil conscience, that they may know that they do wrong, that they may therefore depart from their thoughts. These are the counsels of the wicked, as it is written in the first Psalm [v. 1]. So make sure that their teaching does not go out as they intend.
For they are recalcitrant to you.
(23) They think their thoughts are God's thoughts, but they anger you and do not please you.
V. 12. Let all who trust in you rejoice.
24. It is about the first commandment. They have no hope nor correction in thy promises, but hope of themselves. Therefore all they that hope in thee must be sorrowful: create thou that they may rejoice.
Eternally let them boast.
(25) Let them boast; they have just cause to boast, for they boast of our Lord God.
For you shield them.
(26) Though they say that we are ruled by the devil, it is you who protect us.
Let there be joy in you.
27. let them be of good cheer, but in you. For apart from you there is nothing but mourning.
Who love your name.
28 Hereby he points again to the first commandment.
V. 13 For you, O Lord, bless the righteous.
29. is a concluding speech, as above in the third Psalm, v. 9: "With the Lord one finds help. It is with you. They curse, but you bless. "The righteous are those who hope in God and love His name, but they are cursed by the world.
You crown them with graces, as with a shield.
30. Your gracious will is their shield. It is a glorious and very good psalm.
1Z94 L. xvii, 46f. Interpretations on the Psalms. W. iv, isss-iMi. 1395
About the same Psalm.
V. 1. in finem pro hereditatibus.
1. finis, that is, for the sake of that for which you are striving; as if someone wanted to say: This they have willed, this they seek. De hereditatibus [of the inheritance], that is, of two kinds of gain (lucris), purpose, reward, fruit, pre
theil, enjoyment, profit, benefit, as Ps. 127:3: "Behold, children are a gift (hereditas) from the Lord." Likewise Ps. 16, 16: "A beautiful inheritance has become mine," that is, a fruit of my suffering. The reward of the wicked is damnation. The reward of the godly is blessedness.
2. the purpose of this psalm is
Those he condemns in their righteousness, himself he boasts in the grace of God.
to describe <
of the wicked
of the godly
Taking, teaching,
and the wage through ver
The godly does not miss any thing from himself, but
l seeks everything through prayer.
The godless
misses all things and asks nothing from God.
(3) But he prays especially in this psalm for the grace that justifies those whom the wicked despise.
V. 3. My King and my God.
4. king GOt
> in <
worldly things, spiritual things,
because GOd reigns
the body, the soul.
Therefore, the godly man does not measure himself in strength and wisdom, not even in bodily, worldly and domestic matters. He gives everything of himself. You [Lord] shall be all in all.
We, on the other hand
tions rather,
that God is a creature and
would be a servant,
that we were gods and kings.
so that he
of ours, would be shaped by ours, would be reconciled by ours.
V. 4. Early you would hear my voice.
5. early according to the time, before all things; /// according to the spirit, hurriedly.
That this may be the opinion: I seek first the kingdom of God and pray; therefore hear me also before all things.
Early I will send myself to you.
6. that is, I will let myself be prepared, I will surrender to you that you may shape me, I will
I will be diligent to be taught by you and to be taught by you; I will not be quick to speak, as those wicked are always quick to teach. I will pay attention, and listen to you, as my God and my King, what you speak to me. "Oh that I should hear that God the Lord speaketh" [Ps. 85:9]. My first concern should be that I hear God's word.
There is a contrast in the words
I want to send myself, because I want to remember it.
From all sides they rumble along, overpowering and hindering the wicked masters, who do not care or pay attention when you teach, but are thrown through each other, divided and scattered into various sects, and listen to and pay attention to no one but themselves. This image is taken
From the layering of the wood when it was laid over each other for sacrifice. "Send" in Hebrew means Arach (XXX). He wants to pay attention badly and only to One Word, and to listen to One Master, One King, One God, in the midst of the most different rotters.
V. 5. For you are not a god to whom ungodly beings are pleasing.
7. the wicked are not pleasing to you, the saints.
It will not remain the wicked, the pious.
He hates the liars, the preachers.
He kills, he abhors the cruel and false, the severe. They zeal for justice by killing the Son of God for the sake of God, because of the most holy cause of truth, which they prove with their lives without falsehood.
The opposite is true with the wicked.
8. for this hurts the prophet.
that the wicked will and boast that they are
to please, to remain, to endure, to be loved, to be blessed, to be pleasant,
and that the godly are rather what the Psalm says.
Therefore he straightens up and speaks out angrily against them: I know that they are not pleasing to you. For he speaks here with joy of faith, out of anger against such boasters.
V. 6. insipientes.
9. the great ones. I think they are called that because they make a lot of boasts about themselves.
They are taken for fools who know a lot of boasting and mastering, hear no one, and want to suffer no discipline. Such a Holel (^n), praiser, is actually Erasmus. It comes from halal praise, as the fools know how to praise themselves magnificently.
V. 8. but I will go into your house on your great goodness etc.
10. my service is,
trust
fear me
at
due to
your grace, of my works.
When the apostles came again with joy, and said that the devils also were subject unto them. But Christ chastised them, and taught that they should cleave unto grace: "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven" [Luc. 10:20.]. "When ye have done all things, say, We are unprofitable servants" [Luc. 17:10.], that is, rejoice not, boast not, trust not in your work. Apost. 7, 41: "And they rejoiced in the works of their hands."
Notice now how much these two are against each other.
trust, fear
and
have done everything, are useless servants.
Who will continue to do something good if he is finally judged to be a useless servant when he has done everything he was supposed to do?
perfect, but useless, who has done everything? The world does not understand this.
V. 9. Lord, guide me in your righteousness.
(11) He prays that he may do so and be guided in the midst of his enemies, who teach and do the adversary, that they may not entrap him or lure him into their sects, and that he may leave them.
the justice <
the fear of confidence
against God.
As if he wanted to say: Because there are so many others who teach and do against it, keep me in your way, that is, in your grace. It is astonishing that the prophet asks for it, as if he did not have it and did not know about it, while our red spirits can and do know everything in one breath.
V. 10. There is nothing certain in their mouths.
12. they are uncertain thoughts, speculations without the word, whether they consider it stronger than the very strongest rocks.
V. 11. Their inner life is heartache.
(13) That is, their conscience is the most wretched thing, for their doctrine leads to despair, brings us sorrow, heartache, and all misfortune.
Blame them, God.
(14) The ungodly must be fought against with prayer, that God may reproach and disgrace them, and that their endeavors may be in vain, and that they may be excluded from the church and our fellowship.
For they are recalcitrant to you.
15. they make you bitter, that is, they delight you in the most delightful way.
V. 12. Let all who trust in you rejoice.
(16) This is a prayer for the pious, that they may rejoice by faith in the Lord, not by their works, nor in themselves.
[Forever let them boast.]
Likewise, they shall glory forever and ever. Their glory shall endure forever,
for they do not glory in themselves, but in you.
Let them rejoice in your honor, name and praise, not in theirs; for they love your honor, and are enemies to theirs. Neither can any man. For the wicked love their name, in which they rejoice etc., and they hate the name and honor of the Lord.
For you shield them.
(17) You protect them against the wicked's folly and all, against the accusation of the law, sin, wrath and death, namely, by forgiving their sin and showing them your mercy.
V. 13 For you, O Lord, bless the righteous.
(18) Whom the whole world curses, including sin itself and its conscience, so that without you alone there is no one to bless them. But the wicked are blessed by everyone, but not by you alone.
You crown them with graces.
019 Yea, thou crownest the wicked, but the crowns of the righteous are wrath, persecutions, and all the calamities of the world. Therefore by faith and from the word it is known that these things are true.