Where God's word does not shine, there can be nothing but darkness and erroneous ways. Therefore the Lord says John 8:12, Cap. 12:35: "I am the light of the world. "Walk in the light, because ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not. For the night is coming, in which you can work nothing."
V. 103. 127. Your word is sweeter than honey to my mouth. Therefore I love your commandments above gold and fine gold.
If we are to be blessed, we must come to the point where God is dearer to us than the creature, and heaven is more pleasing than all that is on earth; for there is no abiding here, but we must go there, where we can come with pleasure and not with displeasure, as Psalm 34:9 says: "Taste and see how sweet or pleasant the Lord is. And Psalm 73:25, 26: "If I have thee only, I ask nothing of heaven and earth. Though my body and soul languish, yet, O God, thou art always the comfort of my heart and my portion." But against this says Sirach Cap. 41, 1. 2.: "O death, how bitter thou art, when a man remembers thee, who hath good days and plenty, and liveth without sorrow, and is well in all things, and may yet eat well."
Your testimonies are my eternal inheritance, for they are the delight of my heart.
This means that God's word is gloriously praised, and that we are reminded with pleasure to read that it is not a temporal inheritance that must pass away, but an eternal inheritance that may nourish and sustain us forever. If a man could believe this, how little would he regard the glory, goods, and joy of this life (or rather of death), and as life is mortal every hour, so also goods, honor, splendor, and everything, mortal. But against this [the] flesh and the afflicted devil are armed in the strongest possible way," that one is blinded and
cannot see or feel such things, even in great, wise, holy people. Help, dear Lord, your little group, amen.
V. 165. Great peace have they that love thy law, and shall not stumble. 1)
Again, those must have great strife, and cling to men or to the devil, or their disciples fine, who despise or hate God's law; for there can be no peaceful conscience or heart against God, but must suffer temporal unrest here, and eternal strife and hellish torment there. But he says, "Those who love your law." For it is not enough to read God's word in the book alone, or to carry it in your mouth, but you must have it in your heart, that is, you must have a desire and love for it. Then you will be safe from stumbling and trouble. For love for the word of God does not allow heresy or evil. Therefore St. Paul says in 2 Thess. 2, 10. f. that the reason why God sends powerful errors is that they have not accepted the love of truth. 1544 Martin Luther, D.
Great peace have 2c.
He who lives without God's word must stumble, err and fall without ceasing, and cannot have a good, peaceful conscience. For he himself does not know what he is doing, or how he is with God. For God does not take care of him, because he neglects and despises His word.
Psalm 143:5.
I remember the former times, I speak of all your deeds, and say of the works of your hands.
The holy Christian church is the most noble work of God, for the sake of which everything was created. In it the great miracles take place daily, as forgiving sin, taking away death, giving righteousness and eternal life, which no one sees except faith, therefore it must be preached through the Word. Unbelief does not see anything, not even the sun, the heavens and the earth, or does not consider it to be God's work, but needs it like a cow or a sow, because it does not speak of it, nor does it praise the Creator for it.
1) This saying is found in the second part of the (Col. 1762) already mentioned Bible in the princely library at Dessau.
Psalm 145:4.
Children's children will praise your works and speak of your power.
Divine works and power are which he exercises through his word. By his word heaven and earth were created and preserved; then by his word death and the devil, sin and all evil were overcome (and are still being overcome daily), and all blessedness was given to us in Christ our Savior. As he says Joh. 8, 51: "Whoever keeps my word will not see death forever." And Rom. 1, 16: "The gospel is the power of God, which makes all who believe in it fearful."
V. 5. I will speak of your glorious, beautiful splendor, and of your wonders.
Flesh and blood, born in sins, does not let us see in this life what beautiful works and wonders God does for us. Therefore it must be preached, spoken of, heard, so that we may believe it through the Word and begin to know it until we get there; then we will see with the dear angels what we are now preaching and hearing, yet we will not be satisfied, yet we will live eternally from it, as John 17:3 of which 2) is written: Haec est vita aeterna etc.
V. 10-12 All thy works give thee thanks, O LORD; and thy saints praise thee, and magnify the glory of thy kingdom, and speak of thy power, that the children of men may know thy might, and the glorious majesty of thy kingdom.
He who likes to preach, read, write, speak, listen, or remember God's word with earnestness is the one who praises, extols, and thanks God's kingdom and power, honor and miracles. For in the word we have the works and wonders that God works on us and in us, and makes us His kingdom.
V. 13. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures forever.
In spite of him, be he and be he called what he will, who has this rhyme, which Christ our Lord, from the beginning of the church in paradise (for he is yesterday, today, and forever, Hebr. 13, 8.).
2) "thereof" is missing in the Erlanger.
that has hitherto led with all honors. Many kings and monarchs, even the most powerful ones, who have been on earth, have taken it upon themselves to suppress and destroy the kingdom of Christ, that is, His church or people who have His word, diligently practice it, hear it, learn it, confess it, and call upon Him in right faith; but they have not succeeded, and one after another has always perished and fallen to the ground, as the Scriptures testify about Pharaoh, 2 Mos. 14, 28, Sanherib, 2 Kings 19, 37, and many others.
On the other hand, Christ's kingdom or church has existed for all time and has remained until us; although it has been, still is, and will remain to be seen as a small and weak group against the world's multitude and power, and will always have to suffer much pressure and coercion from the devil and his members; it will also remain until the last day, although the devil and the world oppose it in the most hostile way, and with all their power and cunning, they are willing to exterminate it. For here it is written: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom". No one should or will hinder this, but must let it remain true, without his thanks. And Psalm 2, 6. God says: "I have set my Son on my holy mountain." And Psalm 110, 1: "Sit at my right hand." There he will certainly remain safely seated before all his enemies, and, if God wills, will soon put them at the footstool of his feet, amen.
V. 18, 19: The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him earnestly. He does what the godly desire, hears their cries and helps them.
Here you hear that God is inclined and ready to hear, help, do or give us everything that we ask and desire from Him according to His will. But that such things do not happen to us is our fault, because we do not see or feel our misfortune, misery and distress, which is only great and various, and therefore do not cry and call out to him in right faith and confidence in his promise, which is certain and true in Christ, nor do we earnestly desire his help. This is what we have to thank our old Adam for, the sorrowful unbelief. May God strengthen our faith, amen.
Psalm 149:1.
Sing to the Lord a new song, let the congregation of the saints praise him.
A new song, thanksgiving and sermon belong to a new miraculous work. This is the new miraculous work of God, that through His dear Son He has torn apart the right sea of red and death, and delivered us from the right Pharaoh, Satan. This means a new song, namely, singing the holy gospel and thanking God for it. May God help us, amen.
Such a new song shall also help the following Psalm to sing, and Wolf Heinz, 1) and all pious Christian musicians, both, with their organs, symphonies, virginal, 2) regal, and what is more of the dear Musica, of which (as of very new art and God's gift) neither David nor Solomon, neither Persia, Grecia, nor Roma, knew anything, let their singing and playing go with joy, in praise of the Father of all graces, Amen.
Sing to the Lord a new song.
To such a new song also belongs a new singer and new miracles, that is, you must be baptized in the new testament, and not live in the law; also the new miracles that God's Son has done through Himself, overcoming sin, death, hell, and bringing you to eternal life, where you believe otherwise. These are not the old miracles in the Red Sea, shown to the children of Israel in this life.
From the Proverbs of Solomon.
Short Summarium on the Proverbs of Solomon.
Take care, take care, my dear child, Many are the bad boys. They live like sows and cattle, and remain blind in sin.
But soon she finds God's punishment. And make her the child of the devil.
1) Wolf Heinz was an organist at Halle (De Wette, Vol. V, p. 589). Probably Luther wrote this interpretation in 1541 in a Bible, which he gave him as a gift. On Nov. 10, 1541, he wrote about it to Jonas (De Wette, vol. V, p. 408): "Wolf Heinz has answered nothing of the Bible, which I have with me as a gift for him, as I wrote."
2) Birginal is similar in shape to the piano, a kind of spinet. - Regal is a pipework of the organ; a small portable organ.
Beware of him, and do not follow him. Remember God, who fights everything.
Truly, his judgment is not jesting, as the holy scripture tells us;
Even if a boy himself is dense. He has no need of him for a long time, And asks nothing of God's commandment, Even takes his parents' word for a mockery, Soon death overtakes him.
Therefore, my child and dear son, Listen to King Solomon, He already gives you much of the teaching, 1) Which pleases God in the heavenly throne. And you will be richly rewarded, if you have diligently done so.
Cap. 8, 17. 36. 2)
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early find me. But whoever sins against me injures his soul. All who hate me love death.
Wisdom is the word of God, by which all things were created, Genesis 1:3: "God said, Let there be light" 2c. It is the same wisdom or word of God that speaks to all people in the holy scriptures and through the mouth of all saints, and gives life to all who seek it and gladly hear it. For it is gladly found, and is gladly with men, to counsel and help them. As it is said: God greets many who could thank him. But the greatest multitude can neither be advised nor helped; they prefer death and damnation to life and blessedness.
Cap. 18, 22.
He who finds a wife finds something good, and can be of good cheer in the Lord.
For a Christian husband, even if it sometimes happens unevenly, he knows that his marriage state, and what he does or suffers in it, is called well done and well suffered before God. For the marriage state, created, founded, and ordered by God, is also governed by Him.
1) already - beautiful.
2) This interpretation is found in Ootttr. Olearii Leriniurn nntiHunriurn etc., p. 153 8<p Olearius took it from a Bible preserved in the Marienbibliothek at Halle. Reprinted in De Wette, vol. VI, p. 359. We give the text according to the Wittenberg. Only the last sentence is different: "But the crowd prefers death, and wants death more than life."
The devil should otherwise turn everything around in a short time. Otherwise, the devil should turn everything around in a short time, as God sometimes decrees him to do in some married couples as an example. In this 3) we learn that God alone is the right grandfather of all legitimate children. Such is not the case in fornication and adultery or other evil, carnal debauchery.
Cap. 30, 5.
All of God's words are purified, and are a shield to those who trust in Him.
The gloss and understanding of Scripture is called trusting and believing God, without which it is impossible for anyone to understand a letter in it; rather, he will be annoyed by it. For it is not how a faithless heart thinks or wills, but futura et non apparentia, they are called, of which God's word speaks. Therefore you must believe and wait until it comes. Certainly it will come, if you believe and wait, not only eternal life, but also here the temporal help in the present distress, which seems long to us, because it lasts and presses.
All the words of God are 2c.
God's word is refined, for it is proven and purer than gold, tried by fire, so that nothing is lost from it, but all its heat appears, and it is and remains fine gold. So he that keepeth the word, and believeth, overcometh all things, and is strong and sure against all things for ever. For he is protected with such a shield, who neither shuns nor fears sin, death and the devil, but the gates of hell fear and flee from him. For the word of God abideth for ever, and maketh them to stand firm and steadfast against all evil 4) that trust therein.
All the words of God are 2c.
Without God's word, the devil has won, for nothing can resist him, nor can he defend himself, without God's word alone. Whoever takes hold of it, believes in it, and sticks to it, has won. Therefore we should not forget it, much less despise it; for the devil does not sleep nor celebrate.
3) Erlanger: "that" instead of: in it.
4) "against all misfortune" is missing in the Erlanger.
Cap. 31, 30.
To be lovely and beautiful is nothing; a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
That is, a woman can live with her husband conjugally and godly, and be a fine housewife with a clear conscience, but above and beside that she should fear God, believe and pray.
From the prophet Isaiah.
Cap. 7, 9. 1)