(1) This psalm is a complaint against the wicked teachers who persecute the godly. He describes them as very sure and proud heads, like stones and demons, who want to banish him and say: Think and hold with us, or you must die. Thus they threaten; but he answers:
V. 1. I trust in the Lord.
This is my service, that I trust in the Lord. But he makes a difference between the services. The first is that one trusts in pure grace, the other that one trusts in his own merits. These two services have always been and will be until the end of the world. Abel and Cain beat each other to death over this. Therefore David says: "They rely on their works, but I trust in God's mercy. This is my doctrine and my faith also. Now he refutes their teaching.
How then do you say to my soul, Let it fly like a bird to your mountains?
You want to teach me as if yours is a better way to heaven than mine. You want to be wise, and advise me: Fly to the mountains like a bird 2c. With these few words he scolds them, and judges their teaching and life. If I would follow you, I would be uncertain, I would stray like a bird, I would be cast out of my nest. As he says in another psalm about the nest, that is, about the temple, about the promises, about the first commandment. Since my nest is where I live, you want to push me away into the forest, where there is no certain place. For so it goes, when one has left the faith, that there remains nothing, but that one must go astray. The word Nudi (XXX), which he uses here, actually means to float back and forth, to wander, as is said of Cain, Gen. 4:14: "I must be idle and fugitive on earth." Therefore, if someone has strayed from the faith, then
he becomes a wandering bird. As Paul also says 2 Tim. 3, 7: "Learning always, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." For apart from faith there is nothing else but wandering on the mountains, wandering in the wilderness, since the conscience cannot be sure or calm. But such confession of faith and punishment of the unbelievers is immediately followed by the cross. Therefore he speaks further:
V. 2 For behold, the wicked draw the bow, and lay their arrows upon the sinews.
4. "I believe, therefore I speak. But I am greatly afflicted" [Ps. 116:10]. For they do not suffer that their preaching and teaching should be called heresies. But these words, "They draw the bow," can be understood in two ways; namely, in reference to the doctrine, and from the persecution. But I will rather understand it from the persecution. They persecute me with the sword and with the word. They are ready to shed blood, are prepared and eager to do harm, body and soul. That is what they seek. Those who say, "I trust in the Lord," must be called heretics, that is, the right-hearted who walk by faith.
With it secretly to shoot the pious.
5 As he also said above [Ps. 10:8]. Not that they suffer not to be strangled publicly, but "secretly," that it should not come to lawful action. [They say badly, it is heresy; they go about with secrecy, as Christ said, not liking to hear much disputing or talking about it. They proceed simply and without much ado: This one is a heretic 2c.
V. 3. for they overthrow the foundation.
(6) This also is a goodly virtue of the wicked; this is all their work, to pull down that which thou hast established. Thy foundations, thy commandments, thy law, they have torn down. They teach badly the works, and thus blaspheme thy
Law. All the Sophists do is to outline the ground and build up their own.
What should the righteous man align?
7 This is a word that imitates the speech of the wicked, like Ps. 4:7: "Should this one show us what is good?" The heretic, should he know the truth? Does he want to teach us? So in them is the highest security against faith, against God's commandment, and against the confessors of the truth. Furthermore, the wicked do not call him a righteous man, but a heretic. But the Holy Spirit calls him a righteous man. Now the promises follow.
V. 4. The Lord is in His holy temple.
8 The antitype: Ye tell me to wander in the mountains; but I will not, but will abide with the Lord in the temple. There he is; but if ye will not believe it, let it be; I will keep his word. He has bound himself to the temple. But to know God in the temple is to know him in his word. But now he has his memory in all places where the church is.
The Lord's throne is in heaven.
The Lord, who is in heaven, nevertheless dwells here among the people. Now he continues to comfort that God will not abandon his faithful.
His eyes look at it.
(10) This is a great comfort: I know that he sees. It may seem as if he is asleep, for he lets them draw their bow; but he sees it. These are words of faith.
His eyelids test the children of men.
11. his eyelids are closed, he slumbers; but this is how he tests the children of men. Only be thou confident, and fear not; let thine adversaries be afraid. Because he closes his eyes like this, he listens carefully to a thing and thinks about it diligently. He thus tests the children of men; he wants to see whether the righteous will hold fast and whether the wicked will mend their ways, so that the latter will be rejected and the latter proven.
that he may judge "and say, Thus thou hast done, thus thou. Follow now further, as he examines.
V. 5 The Lord tests the righteous, his soul hates the wicked, and those who gladly transgress.
This is a promise. He closes his eyes to test the righteous, and becomes hostile to the wicked. He tests the righteous, that he may love him; but the wicked, that he may become an enemy to him; for he is wicked in his doctrine, and wicked in condemning and choking the godly, as he says, and loving iniquity.
V. 6. He will rain lightning, fire and swallow upon the wicked, and will give them a weather to reward them.
This is the judgment of the wicked. He will prove by deed that he is the enemy of the wicked. The word in the Latin text, laqueus [rope], is a word that has two meanings; for it means both rope and coals of fire. I prefer to interpret it, coals of fire. But the opinion is, Lightning and thunder, brimstone and pitch, he shall cast upon them, and shall deal with them as he dealt with the Egyptians. Then he caused a great tempest to come, and thrust them into the sea. So this verse is a description of the weather over the wicked, who do not always perish in such a physical storm as the Egyptians perished. But this happens nevertheless, that they also get over their weather, no matter what it may be, so that they do not perish with pleasure and rest.
V. 7. The Lord is righteous.
14 This is the consolation, that the righteous may not despair in his affliction. Where faith is called righteousness, our Lord God delights in it.
Therefore, that their faces may look upon that which is right.
(15) Therefore, if they continue in righteousness and are not moved by it, our Lord God will come and help them and prove that he loves them. So this psalm is a comfort to those who are in distress because of faith.