Psalm 31:19-21

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 31:19-24

We have three things in these verses:? I. The believing acknowledgment which David makes of God's goodness to his people in general, Ps. 31:19, 20. 1. God is good to all, but he is, in a special manner, good to Israel. His goodness to them is wonderful, and will be, to eternity, matter of admiration: O how great is thy goodness! How profound are the counsels of it! how rich are the treasures of it! how free and extensive are the communications of it! Those very persons whom men load with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:19

O how great is thy goodness ,.... Not the natural and essential goodness of God; for though that is large and abundant, yea, infinite, as every perfection of his is, yet it cannot with propriety be said to be laid up and wrought out; but rather the effects of his goodness, and not those which appear in Providence, for they, though very large and plenteous, are common to all, and are not restrained to them that fear the Lord, and trust in him; but such as are displayed in a way of special... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:20

Thou shall hide them in the secret of thy presence ,.... That is, those that fear the Lord and trust in him; and therefore they are called his "hidden ones", Psalm 83:3 ; these the Lord preserves in times of trouble and danger, and when his indignation is out against others; and so the Targum is, "in the time of thine anger"; see Isaiah 26:20 ; the presence of God is their protection, he himself is a wall of fire round about them, his favour compasses them as a shield, and they are kept... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 31:21

Blessed be the Lord ,.... A form of thanksgiving, in which the psalmist calls upon himself and others to bless and praise the Lord for the singular mercy granted him, expressed in the next clause; See Gill on Psalm 18:46 ; for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city ; either in the city Keilah, so Jarchi; a city which had gates and bars, where Saul thought he had David safe, and he could not escape his hands; but notwithstanding that, and though the inhabitants of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:19

O how great is thy goodness - God's goodness is infinite; there is enough for all. enough for each, enough for evermore. It is laid up where neither devils nor men can reach it, and it is laid up for them that fear the Lord; therefore every one who trembles at his word, may expect all he needs from this Fountain that can never be dried ufp. Which thou hast wrought - Thou hast already prepared it; it is the work of thy own hands; thou hast provided it and proportioned it to the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:20

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence - פניך בסתר besether paneycha , "With the covering of thy countenance." Their life shall be so hidden with Christ in God, that their enemies shall not be able to find them out. To such a hiding-place Satan himself dare not approach. There the pride of man cannot come. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion - Thou shalt put them in the innermost part of thy tent. This implies that they shall have much communion and union with... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:21

In a strong city - If this Psalm was written by David, this must refer to his taking refuge with achish, king of Gath, who gave him Ziklag, a fortified city, to secure himself and followers in. See 1 Samuel 27:6 . This is more likely than that it was Keilah, where he only had intimation of the traitorous design of the inhabitants to deliver him up to Saul; so that the place was no refuge to him, howsoever fortified. Perhaps the passage may mean that, under the protection of God, he was as... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:19

Verse 19 19.O how great is thy goodness which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee! In this verse the Psalmist exclaims that God is incomprehensibly good and beneficent towards his servants. Goodness here means those divine blessings which are the effects of it. The interrogatory form of the sentence has a peculiar emphasis; for David not only asserts that God is good, but he is ravished with admiration of the goodness which he had experienced. It was this experience, undoubtedly, which... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:20

Verse 20 20.Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy countenance. In this verse the Psalmist specially commends the grace of God, because it preserves and protects the faithful against all harm. As Satan assiduously and by innumerable means opposes their welfare, and as the greater part of the world is at deadly war with them, they must be exposed to many dangers. Unless God, therefore, protected them by his power, and came from time to time to their aid, their condition would be most... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 31:21

Verse 21 21.Blessed be Jehovah! These general truths the Psalmist here proceeds to apply to his own circumstances, and he declares that the goodness of God in preserving his life was wondrously displayed. As he speaks of aid which had been suddenly and unexpectedly afforded him in very desperate circumstances, those interpreters judge aright who here supply as, the mark of similitude, (653) in this way, as in a fortified city David lay open to every blow, and had been exposed to every sort of... read more

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