PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Psalms
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 746,590 words · 1615 reading sections
Psalms 14:4
Psalms 14:4 Ver. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?.... Of the being of God, of the nature of sin, and of the punishment due unto it? This question is put either by way of admiration, as Kimchi and Aben Ezra observe; the psalmist, or rather God speaking after the manner of men, wondering that there shou…
627 wordsSECTION 122Psalms 14:5
Psalms 14:5 Ver. 5. There were they in great fear,.... This, shows that they had some knowledge of God, and consciousness of guilt, which they endeavoured to banish out of their minds by their fears of punishment; and these fears men of the most atheistic principles cannot get rid of. In Ps 53:5 it is added, "where no…
362 wordsSECTION 123Psalms 14:6
Psalms 14:6 Ver. 6. You have shamed the counsel of the poor,.... The poor saints, the Lord's people, the generation of the righteous, who are generally the poor of this world; poor in spirit, and an afflicted people: and the counsel of them intends not the counsel which they give to others, but the counsel which they …
174 wordsSECTION 124Psalms 14:7
Psalms 14:7 Ver. 7. O that the salvation of Israel [were come] out of Zion!.... By whom is meant the Messiah, the Saviour of Israel, of all the elect of God, whether Jews or Gentiles; and who is so called, because the salvation of them was put into his hands, and he undertook it; and because he is the Captain and Auth…
399 wordsSECTION 125Psalms 15:1
Psalms 15:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 15 A Psalm of David. As in the preceding psalm, according to Theodoret, the salvation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is foretold, and the liberty of the captives; so in this advice is given to them, and the life they ought to live proposed, who should share in such benefits. Ver. 1…
536 wordsSECTION 126Psalms 15:2
Psalms 15:2 Ver. 2. He that walketh uprightly,.... Or "perfectly" {e}; see Ge 17:1; not so as to be without sin entirely, but as not to be chargeable with any notorious crime, and living in it; moreover, perfection and uprightness often signify sincerity, and the phrase here may design an Israelite indeed, in whom is …
404 wordsSECTION 127Psalms 15:3
Psalms 15:3 Ver. 3. [He that] backbiteth not with his tongue,.... Is not a slanderer, a defamer, a tale bearer; a backbiter is one who privately, secretly, behind a man's back speaks evil of him, devours and destroys his credit and reputation: the word here used comes from lgr, which signifies the "foot", and denotes …
236 wordsSECTION 128Psalms 15:4
Psalms 15:4 Ver. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned,.... A "vile" man is a very wicked, profligate, and abandoned creature, one that is to every good work reprobate; and such sometimes are in high places, Ps 12:8; and are greatly caressed and esteemed by the men of the world; but then, as they are an abominat…
514 wordsSECTION 129Psalms 15:5
Psalms 15:5 Ver. 5. [He that] putteth not out his money to usury,.... To the poor, in an extravagant and exorbitant way, by which he bites, devours, and destroys his little substance, and sadly afflicts and distresses him; see Ex 22:25; otherwise, to lend money on moderate interest, and according to the laws, customs,…
356 wordsSECTION 130Psalms 16:1
Psalms 16:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 16 Michtam of David. This is a new title, not met with before, though it afterwards is prefixed to "five" psalms running, the fifty sixth, the fifty seventh, the fifty eighth, the fifty ninth, and the sixtieth psalms. Some take the word "michtam" to be the name of a musical instrumen…
787 wordsSECTION 131Psalms 16:2
Psalms 16:2 Ver. 2. [O my soul], thou hast said unto the Lord,.... Some take these to be the words of David speaking to the church, who had owned the Lord to be her Lord, and had declared what follows; others think they are the words of God the Father to his Son, suggesting to him what he had said; but they are rather…
672 wordsSECTION 132Psalms 16:3
Psalms 16:3 Ver. 3. [But] to the saints that [are] in the earth,.... Who are sanctified or set apart by God the Father in election; whose sins are expiated by the blood of Christ in redemption, and who are sanctified or made holy by the Spirit of God in the effectual calling; and who live a holy life and conversation:…
346 wordsSECTION 133Psalms 16:4
Psalms 16:4 Ver. 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied,.... Not the sorrows of the saints and excellent ones, by seeing the idolatry of men, as Aben Ezra interprets it; but the sorrows of such [that] hasten [after] another [god]; a false god, an idol, to serve and worship it; for, generally speaking, idolaters are mor…
841 wordsSECTION 134Psalms 16:5
Psalms 16:5 Ver. 5. The Lord [is] the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup,.... This is said by Christ as a priest, and in allusion to the Levitical priests, who had no inheritance in the land of Canaan with their brethren, but the Lord was their part and portion, and their inheritance, Nu 18:20; and it expresses…
328 wordsSECTION 135Psalms 16:6
Psalms 16:6 Ver. 6. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant [places],.... The allusion is to the measuring of land by lines, and appropriating each part to the proper owners; and lines design the land that is measured out by them, and here the church and people of God, the chosen ones who are given to Christ, as his …
270 wordsSECTION 136Psalms 16:7
Psalms 16:7 Ver. 7. I will bless the Lord,.... As prayer, so thanksgiving belongs to Christ, as man and Mediator; see Mt 11:25; and here he determines to praise the Lord, and give thanks to him for counsel and instruction: who hath given me counsel; for though he himself is the Counsellor, with respect to his people,…
316 wordsSECTION 137Psalms 16:8
Psalms 16:8 Ver. 8. I have set the Lord always before me, Not his fear only, or the book of the law, as Jarchi interprets it, but the Lord himself; or, "I foresaw the Lord always before my face", Ac 2:26; as Christ is set before men in the Gospel, to look unto as the object of faith and hope, to trust in and depend up…
306 wordsSECTION 138Psalms 16:9
Psalms 16:9 Ver. 9. Therefore my heart is glad,.... Because he had the Lord always in view; he was at his right hand, for his support and assistance, as well as because of what is expressed in the next verses: this is the same with rejoicing in spirit, Lu 10:21; it denotes an inward joy, and fulness of it, because of …
257 wordsSECTION 139Psalms 16:10
Psalms 16:10 Ver. 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,.... Meaning, not in the place of the damned, where Christ never went, nor was; for at his death his soul was committed to his Father, and was the same day in paradise: but rather, "sheol" here, as "hades" in the Near Testament, signifies the state of the d…
1,268 wordsSECTION 140Psalms 17:1
Psalms 17:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 17 A Prayer of David. This prayer was put up by David either in his own person, on his own account, praying to God for the vindication of his cause, and for salvation and deliverance from his enemies; or in the person of the Messiah, whose type he was, and of the whole church, so Jer…
652 wordsSECTION 141Psalms 17:2
Psalms 17:2 Ver. 2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence,.... Not of condemnation, such as came forth from God and passed on Adam and all his posterity, Ro 5:12; though such an one was executed on Christ, as he was the surety and representative of his people; but of justification, which came forth from God and…
268 wordsSECTION 142Psalms 17:3
Psalms 17:3 Ver. 3. Thou hast proved mine heart,.... This properly belongs to God, who is the searcher of the heart and reins, and is desired by all good men; and though God has no need to make use of any means to know the heart, and what is in it; yet in order to know, or rather to make known, what is in the hearts o…
700 wordsSECTION 143Psalms 17:4
Psalms 17:4 Ver. 4. Concerning the works of men,.... Of wicked men, as to what respects and concerns them, or in the midst of them; in the midst of a wicked generation of men, and their filthy conversation; who appear to be so, by the word of thy lips; the law of God, the Scriptures of truth, the rule and standard of…
227 wordsSECTION 144Psalms 17:5
Psalms 17:5 Ver. 5. Hold up my goings in thy paths,.... Which being spoken by David in his own person, and for himself, shows that he was conscious of his own weakness to keep himself in the ways of God, and to direct his steps therein; and that he was sensible of, the need he stood in of divine power to uphold and su…
184 wordsSECTION 145Psalms 17:6
Psalms 17:6 Ver. 6. I have called upon thee,.... In prayer. This had been the constant practice of the psalmist, and he still continued in it; for thou wilt hear me, O God; God is a God hearing prayer; he is used to hear his people, and they have frequent experience of it, and they may be assured that whatsoever they…
135 wordsSECTION 146Psalms 17:7
Psalms 17:7 Ver. 7. Show thy marvellous loving kindness,.... Such is the lovingkindness of God to his people in Christ; which is sovereign, free, special, distinguishing, everlasting, and unchangeable; it is better than life, and passes knowledge; and which is set upon men and not angels, some and not all, and these m…
634 wordsSECTION 147Psalms 17:8
Psalms 17:8 Ver. 8. Keep me as the apple of the eye,.... Which is weak and tender, and is hurt and put to pain, and made uneasy by every little thing that annoys it, and than which nothing is more dear to a man, or he is more careful of preserving from being hurt; and fitly represents the weak estate and condition of …
188 wordsSECTION 148Psalms 17:9
Psalms 17:9 Ver. 9. From the wicked that oppress me,.... Or "waste" or "destroy" {g}; as wild beasts do a field or vineyard when they get into it; and such havoc do persecutors and false teachers make of the church and people of God, when they are suffered to get in among them, Ps 80:13; wherefore from such wicked and…
134 wordsSECTION 149Psalms 17:10
Psalms 17:10 Ver. 10. They are enclosed in their own fat,.... Or "their fat has enclosed them"; either their eyes, that they can hardly see out of them, or their hearts, so that they are stupid and senseless, and devoid of the fear of God; the phrase is expressive of the multitude of their wealth and increase of power…
161 wordsSECTION 150Psalms 17:11
Psalms 17:11 Ver. 11. They have now compassed us in our steps,.... The sense is, they could not stir a step but they were at their heels, surrounding them on every side. This was true of David, when he was pursued by Saul, and followed by him to Keilah and the wilderness of Maon, 1Sa 23:8; according to the "Cetib", or…
2,210 wordsSECTION 151Psalms 18:1
Psalms 18:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 18 To the chief Musician, [a Psalm] of David. This is the same with that in 2Sa 22:1, with some variations, omissions, and alterations: the servant of the Lord; not only by creation, nor merely by regeneration, but by office, as king of Israel, being put into it by the Lord, and act…
987 wordsSECTION 152Psalms 18:2
Psalms 18:2 Ver. 2. The Lord [is] my rock,.... To whom the saints have recourse for shelter and safety, for supply, support, and divine refreshment; and in whom they are secure, and on whom they build their hopes of eternal life and happiness, and so are safe from all enemies, and from all danger. Christ is called a R…
380 wordsSECTION 153Psalms 18:3
Psalms 18:3 Ver. 3. I will call upon the Lord,.... In prayer, for fresh mercies, and further appearances of himself, and discoveries of his grace and favour; [who is worthy] to be praised; for the perfections of his nature, the works of his hands, his providential goodness, and more especially for his covenant grace …
124 wordsSECTION 154Psalms 18:4
Psalms 18:4 Ver. 4. The sorrows of death compassed me,.... These words and the following, in this verse and Ps 18:5, as they respect David, show the snares that were laid for his life, the danger of death he was in, and the anxiety of mind he was possessed of on account of it; and as they refer to Christ, include all …
678 wordsSECTION 155Psalms 18:5
Psalms 18:5 Ver. 5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about,.... Or "the cords of the grave" {s}, under the power of which he was detained for awhile; the allusion may be to the manner of burying among the Jews, who wound up their dead bodies in linen clothes; so that they were as persons bound hand and foot; and thus …
178 wordsSECTION 156Psalms 18:6
Psalms 18:6 Ver. 6. In my distress I called upon the Lord,.... The great Jehovah, the everlasting I AM, who is the most High in all the earth, and who is able to save, Heb 5:7; and cried unto my God; as Jesus did, Mt 27:46; so the members of Christ, when in distress, as they often are, through sin and Satan, through …
326 wordsSECTION 157Psalms 18:7
Psalms 18:7 Ver. 7. Then the earth shook and trembled,.... As it did quickly after Christ called upon the Lord, and cried to his God upon the cross, Mt 27:50; and so some time after, when his people were praying together, the place where they were assembled was shaken, Ac 4:31; as a token of God's presence being with …
13,040 wordsSECTION 158Psalms 19:1
Psalms 19:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 19 To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm was penned by David, and inscribed to the chief musician, as others, to be used in public service, and was designed for Gospel times, as the subject of it shows; which is first, not an account of the light of nature, and then of …
521 wordsSECTION 159Psalms 19:2
Psalms 19:2 Ver. 2. Day untoday uttereth speech,.... This, with the following clause, and night untonight showeth knowledge, some understand of the constant and continued succession of day and night; which declares the glory of God, and shows him to be possessed of infinite knowledge and wisdom; and which brings a ne…
295 wordsSECTION 160Psalms 19:3
Psalms 19:3 Ver. 3. [There is] no speech nor language [where] their voice is not heard,.... Not the voice of the day and night; as if the sense was, that there is no people, of any speech or language under the sun, but there is something said every day and night of the weather, what it is, or will be, as the face of t…
429 wordsSECTION 161Psalms 19:4
Psalms 19:4 Ver. 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth,.... Not the line or writings in the book of the creatures, the heavens, and the earth, which lie open, and are legible, and to be seen and read of all men; nor the line and writings in the book of the Scriptures, called line upon line, and precept upon …
462 wordsSECTION 162Psalms 19:5
Psalms 19:5 Ver. 5. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,.... His nuptial chamber, on which Elias writes {y}, "we call the garment (or canopy) spread over the head of the bridegroom and bride, supported by four pillars, in the time of their espousals, hpx.'' who looks lovely and beautiful in his nuptia…
283 wordsSECTION 163Psalms 19:6
Psalms 19:6 Ver. 6. His going forth is from the end of the heaven,.... From the east, where it rises: and his circuit to the ends of it; to the west, where it sets; which is expressive of the large compass the Gospel administration took in the times of the apostles; whereby the grace of God appeared to all men, shone…
183 wordsSECTION 164Psalms 19:7
Psalms 19:7 Ver. 7. The law of the Lord [is] perfect,.... By which is meant, not the law of Moses, or the ten commandments, but the "doctrine" of the Lord; as the word hrwt, "torah", signifies, even the whole word of God, as in Isa 8:20. All the Scriptures of truth, which are profitable for doctrine; for setting doctr…
1,065 wordsSECTION 165Psalms 19:8
Psalms 19:8 Ver. 8. The statutes of the Lord [are] right,.... The word of God may be called "statutes", or "visitations" {d} because that God will visit, in a way of resentment, such persons as despise its authority, do not act according to it, or add unto it, or detract from it; or the word may be rendered "commissio…
584 wordsSECTION 166Psalms 19:9
Psalms 19:9 Ver. 9. The fear of the Lord [is] clean,.... Still the word of God is intended, which teaches men to fear the Lord; gives a full account of the worship of God, which is often meant by the fear of God; it instructs in the matter and manner of worship; and nothing more powerfully engages to serve the Lord wi…
338 wordsSECTION 167Psalms 19:10
Psalms 19:10 Ver. 10. More to be desired [are they] than gold,.... This refers to all the truths in the word of God; to all the doctrines of the Gospel; which, by good men, are more desirable, and by them more prized and valued, than all worldly riches and treasure; yea, than much fine gold: more than gold, and the b…
209 wordsSECTION 168Psalms 19:11
Psalms 19:11 Ver. 11. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned,.... By whom the psalmist means himself, who was the servant of the Lord, not only in common with other saints, but as he was a king and prophet, and as such he received advantage from the word of God; all his instructions as a prophet, and all his rules of…
616 wordsSECTION 169Psalms 19:12
Psalms 19:12 Ver. 12. Who can understand [his] errors?.... Sin is an error, a wandering out of the way of God, swerving from the rule of his word; and many mistakes are made by the people of God themselves; even so many that they cannot number them; they are more than the hairs of their head; they cannot understand, f…
1,162 wordsSECTION 170Psalms 20:1
Psalms 20:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 20 To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm is thought, by some, to be written by David, on account of himself, and as a form to be used by the people for him, when he was about to go to war; particularly with the Ammonites and Syrians, 2Sa 10:6; mention being made of char…
913 wordsSECTION 171Psalms 20:2
Psalms 20:2 Ver. 2. Send thee help from the sanctuary,.... Meaning either from the tabernacle, the holy place, where was the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence; or rather heaven, the habitation of God's holiness unless the same is meant by it as by Zion, in the next clause, the church of God, from whence he sends …
206 wordsSECTION 172Psalms 20:3
Psalms 20:3 Ver. 3. Remember all thy offerings,.... The spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise which Christ, as the great High Priest, offers up for his people; or which they offer by him, and are acceptable to God through him, by virtue of the incense of his mediation; or the offering up of himself, which answers …
253 wordsSECTION 173Psalms 20:4
Psalms 20:4 Ver. 4. Grant thee according to thine own heart,.... Which is to see his seed, the travail of his soul, and to have the pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand; to have all his people called, preserved, and glorified; and fulfil all thy counsel; whatever was agreed upon in the council and covenant of pea…
76 wordsSECTION 174Psalms 20:5
Psalms 20:5 Ver. 5. We will rejoice in thy salvation,.... That is, "so will we", &c. or "that we may" {p}, &c. or "let us"; these words, with what follow, point at the end of the church's requests, and what she resolved to do upon the accomplishment of the above things; for instance, she would rejoice in the salvation…
441 wordsSECTION 175Psalms 20:6
Psalms 20:6 Ver. 6. Now know I that the Lord saveth his Anointed,.... Not David, though he was the anointed of the God of Jacob, and was anointed with material oil to be king of Israel by Samuel, at the express order of God himself; but David is not here speaking of himself, nor the church of him, but of the Messiah; …
312 wordsSECTION 176Psalms 20:7
Psalms 20:7 Ver. 7. Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses,.... That is, in chariots and horses prepared for war; which, besides their use for carriage, did great annoyance to the enemy in battle, and were very terrible to them, and were greatly trusted in by those that possessed them, De 20:1; such chariots as …
469 wordsSECTION 177Psalms 20:8
Psalms 20:8 Ver. 8. They are brought down and fallen,.... These are they that rode in chariots and on horses, and trusted in them; who are brought down from their places of honour and safety; and fall, not into the hands of their enemies, and into a low and mean estate, but to the ground by death; as also such who, be…
334 wordsSECTION 178Psalms 20:9
Psalms 20:9 Ver. 9. Save, Lord,.... Not "the king", as the Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions read the words, joining the word "king" to them, which is in the next clause; but this, as Aben Ezra observes, is not right, because of the accent "athnach", which divides these words from the following; rather the wor…
224 wordsSECTION 179Psalms 21:1
Psalms 21:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 21 To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm was either written by David; and therefore called a "psalm of David"; or it was written, as it may be rendered, "for David", by some other person, on account of his victories and triumphs; or rather "concerning David" {s}; that i…
668 wordsSECTION 180Psalms 21:2
Psalms 21:2 Ver. 2. Thou hast given him his heart's desire,.... Which the church had prayed for in Ps 20:4; whatever Christ's heart desired, or his lips requested, has been given him; and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Whatever he asked in the council and covenant of peace was granted; he asked for all …
239 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.