1. 1) This psalm is also against the false teachers, so that we may see how much harder a battle we have against the devils than against the persecutions. For there are not so many psalms against persecutors as against false teachers. First, there is a complaint; second, a prayer; third, a promise; fourth, a prayer.
V. 2. Help, Lord.
2 Dear Lord God, there are so many enthusiasts that one can hardly find a pious preacher anymore.
Because the saints have decreased.
This name "holy" actually belongs to persons and not to things, because it denotes such a person who is gifted with God's mercy, a man of grace who has grace. That is why he asks for laborers in the harvest. Create pious preachers, dear Lord.
And of the faithful is little.
4. amunim (XXXXX) means faithful, fervent, truthful, righteous people. It is actually opposed to falsehood and hypocrisy: faithful and true, he who believes and may be believed. Therefore this is his complaint: The world is full of hypocrites. There are few faithful workers; everything is full of hirelings.
Among the children of men.
5 That is, the children of men are not true; there is a lack of such people among the children of men. What are they doing? He adds:
V. 3: One talks to the other about useless things.
(6) That they blow out big, and call it truth, he calls a useless thing. If they teach a lot of works for a long time, it is still a vain, lost and useless thing, like indulgences, purgatory etc.
1) On May 31 <45304 (Note in the original.)
And pretend.
This is evil in the first place, because they cheat the people with it, as they are doing now. Nevertheless, they say, there was a fine discipline under the papacy. So they have this before, that all people like to hear that their works are accepted. To such inclination is added hypocrisy; thus they deceive the people.
And teach from a discordant heart.
8. corde [et] corde, that is, out of a discordant heart. They have a false heart, they pretend to be friendly with words, but have it differently in their heart; they are vain liars. The reason is that they are uncertain in their heart. This is the accusation. Now he prays and wishes them misfortune.
V. 4. May the Lord cut off all hypocrisy and the tongue that speaks proudly.
9. actually it means a Znnge who speaks great things, as Peter also calls it, 2 Petr. 2, 18.: Υπέρογκα ματαιότητας, "proud words.
since there is nothing behind". And St. Paul Rom. 16, 18.: Δια της ευλογίας χαϊ χρηστολογίας,2 )
"by sweet and splendid words they seduce the hearts of the innocent"; they help their cause with splendor and pretense.
V. 5 Those who say, "Our tongue shall have the upper hand.
10 Behold, they now boast of their prestige, as Peter says, 2 Peter 2:14: "Let not sin hinder them." They cannot be resisted, for they sit on the chair and are in the teaching office. We are, they say, bishops and doctors; with this they shut the mouths of the pious preachers.
It behooves us to speak.
(11) That is, our mouths must not be after others, nor subject to others. Your mouth is not our mouth; as the Scripture speaks of Moses [Ex. 4:16], "Aaron shall
context, but does not correspond to the citation. In s 20 of this psalm is also found again: "esirmtoloAm".
be your mouth," as the servants are the mouth of him who sent them. So now they say, "You are not our mouth; we did not command you. It is our duty to speak; it is ours; keep silent, or do not speak any more than we want you to.
Who is our Lord?
(12) So they accuse us of wanting to attack their dignities and cause turmoil. David must hear this here too.
V. 6 Because the wretched are desolate, and the poor groan, I will arise, saith the Lord.
This is a promise. It grieves me that the poor are thus disturbed. What pious people are left, they cannot stay in front of the boys, therefore I will arise and send out workers.
I want to create a helper.
14. against such disturbance I will raise up my word, which is a word of salvation and of victory. The word "create" is spoken with great emphasis: I will lay a foundation. This is by the word, as he says [v. 7.], "The speech" etc. It is the same word above [Ps. 11, 3.]: They tear down the foundation etc.
That one should teach confidently.
here: "He should speak freshly and cheerfully against them, not in a corner, but quickly under the eyes. Thereby he gives at the same time a secret stab against the angle preachers. But now he praises the word and the thanksgiving.
V. 7. The speech of the Lord is loud.
16 These are the right sermons, the pure, dear word, which has now come into place.
Like silver in an earthen crucible.
These vessels of earth, or earthen and potter's vessels, are we who have this treasure [2 Cor. 4:7]. In us our Lord God practices the word, the more it is challenged, the purer and purer it becomes.
Proved seven times.
18 This is that which is thoroughly purified. Therefore, he who has the word will also have the cross.
But the cross should be useful and not harmful. So the cross must be called purification and probation. This is how it happened to us: if they had not sermonized 1) and driven us in this way, the word would never have come to light so loudly. Now he adds a blessing and prayer.
V. 8. You, Lord, will preserve them.
19 Dear Lord, let us keep it, help us keep it, we cannot lift it up alone. And protect us from this generation forever.
20 And keep us from the smooth and glorious words, lest they corrupt us with them. As we see that many of them have been deceived by our heretics today. This is a very necessary prayer, for the devil can often take away the whole Scripture with one word.
V. 9 For it becomes full of the ungodly everywhere where such loose people rule among men.
(21) A king that loveth falsehood, and is ungodly, hath all ungodly servants; all things are according to the head. As the teacher is, so is the disciple. Where those come into the preaching office, no one can preserve the people. The Hebrew word (suile), which stands here, means a glutton and a demmer; as v. Eck is one. This same word is also found in the fifth book of Moses, Cap. 21, 20, that parents should accuse such a son who is a [reveler]. It is a very significant name, as if to say, They devour my people, and seek how they may fill their bellies. But here the word Schlemmerei] is put in abstracto [instead of Schlemmers, as we say instead of "young men": the youth. When among men reigns, that is, the assembly of the feasters (Schlemmorum), άσωτων, the heap of such servants:
when that comes up, it's bad everywhere.
1) In the old translation correctly: "geheiet", that is, mocked, ridiculed, vexed. In the original: "gehäuet", just as in the interpretation of the 18th Psalm, § 96, where likewise "geheiet" must be read. In the 22nd Psalm, K 23, we encounter the word "verhaute," which is, heal, mock.
2) This will probably be meant by: "lsuUosi".