Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 125:5
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.
5. But as for such as turn aside &c.] Renegades who forsake the straight course of duty to their God and country for tortuous courses of intrigue with enemies: the disloyal party in Jerusalem, some of whom, like Shemaiah, took bribes from Sanballat and Tobiah to entrap Nehemiah, while others kept up a treasonable correspondence with them. See Neh 6:12-13; Neh 6:17.
shall lead them away] To share the judgement of those whose hostility to Israel they have chosen to abet. Cp. Mat 25:41.
but peace shall be upon Israel ] Better as a separate sentence, a concluding prayer or benediction: Peace be upon Israel (R.V.). Cp. Psa 122:6-8; Psa 128:6; Num 6:26; and Gal 6:16, “Peace be upon the Israel of God.” The preceding words “as many as shall walk by this rule” suggest that St Paul may have had this passage in mind. “In these words the Psalmist gathers up all his hopes and prayers and wishes, as it were stretching out his hands over Israel in priestly benediction. Peace is the end of tyranny, hostility, division, disquiet, alarm: peace is freedom and harmony and security and blessedness” (Delitzsch).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways – The wicked. Those who leave the right or straight path, and wander in forbidden ways. The word here rendered crooked ways occurs nowhere else except in Jdg 5:6, where it is rendered by-ways, meaning unfrequented paths or roads; narrow and crooked paths, remote from the highways, or the ways commonly traversed. Hence, the word means also paths of sin – as deviations from the straight road which man should travel.
The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity – They shall be dealt with as sinners. They shall be punished. The allusion is to backsliders; to those who forsake the worship of God; who cease to do good; who, though among the professed people of God, wander from him in by-paths and forbidden ways. The idea is, that their profession of religion will not save them; that they will not obtain the divine blessing merely because they are avowedly the people of God, or are numbered among them, but that they will be treated as all other sinners are: they will be led forth with all the wicked, and will be treated like them. Compare Eze 33:12-13; Mat 7:22-23; Mat 25:11-12.
But peace shall be upon Israel – Upon the real Israel; upon the true people of God. Gal 6:16; Isa 54:13; Isa 55:12; Isa 57:2; Isa 66:12; Joh 14:27; Joh 16:33; Eph 2:17; Phi 4:7.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 125:5
The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel
The time of trial
1.
In the time of trial, there will sundry be found hypocrites, counterfeit dealers, misbelievers, who will shift for themselves, and turn aside from the obedience of faith, by their own crooked courses.
2. God will decipher hypocrites, who do not trust God, or do not adhere to the obedience of faith in time of trouble and trial, and will put them as corn-pliers with the wicked, in the same reckoning with His open enemies.
3. To look upon the judgments of God, pursuing backsliding misbelievers in time of persecution, should be a strong motive to make professors constant in the obedience of faith, on all hazards in time of trial: for the punishment of the wily misbeliever is set down here to teach men to be honest and stout in the faith and obedience of God. 4, Whatsoever trouble the Lords people shall be put unto in the time of trial, they shall still remain in Gods favour and grace; and when the Lord hath purged His Church in some measure, by winnowing corrupt hypocrites out from among His people, the Church shall be restored to her peace. (D. Dickson.)
Peace shall be upon Israel.—
The peace of Gods people
Theirs is a peace which the world can neither give nor take away. Tumult there may be without, but there is tranquillity within; and probably not the less so because there is tumult without. The music in a room does not fall with less pleasure on the ear, and less move the soul with its wondrous harmonies, because at times, during a pause, you hear the wind raging outside, and the rain rattling against the windowpanes. What can disturb him upon whom the Divine countenance is shining, and who pillows his head on the bosom of Jesus! If there be wars and rumours of wars in the world, it is not the fault of the Christian. He has been at the foot of the Cross, and he has learned there, that he who loves God must love his brother also. Receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, he has no apprehensions as to its stability. He has no feeling except of pity to the poor victims, who are involved in fields of slaughter, in the shakings of nations, and the revolutions of empires. Their roots shall be as rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust, who would dim the starry brightness of the Redeemers glory, and keep back the worlds regeneration. Peace shall be his at death. The Christian knows in whom he has believed. No unknown Redeemer stands beside his bed. No unknown hands are thrown around him. And there shall be peace in heaven. No jarring discords are there; but the delightful anthems of gratitude, which burst almost unconsciously from the hearts of the redeemed. How pleasant the murmurs of the crystal river of life, which glides so gently between its green banks! How softly the wind breathes, as it stirs the branches of the tree of life, distilling odorous dews! How sublime the repose of that magnificent city of our God! (N. McMichael.)
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Psa 126:1-6
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 5. As for such as turn aside] Who are not faithful; who give way to sin; who backslide, and walk in a crooked way, widely different from the straight way of the upright, yesharim, the straight in heart; they shall be led forth to punishment with the common workers of iniquity. Thus thy Church will be purified, and thy peace rest upon thy true Israel. Let him that readeth understand.
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH PSALM
It is the purpose of the psalmist to comfort the people of God, –
I. By an assurance of their perpetuity, both from God’s presence and protection, Ps 125:1-2.
II. That though he may permit them to be harassed by the wicked, yet he will not leave them under their rod. Ps 125:3.
III. He prays for the good; and,
IV. Sets down the portion of the wicked, Ps 125:4-5.
I. A general promise of the perpetuity of the Church; that is, of them “that trust in God.”
1. “They that trust in the Lord:” “The congregation of God’s faithful people, who have the pure word of God preached, and the sacraments duly administered,” Acts xix. ??
2. “Shall be as Mount Zion,” secure and immovable; immovable, because a mountain, – a holy mountain, – and particularly dear to God.
3. “Which abideth for ever:” So surely as Mount Zion shall never be removed, so surely shall the Church of God be preserved. Is it not strange that wicked and idolatrous powers have not joined together, dug down this mount, and carried it into the sea, that they might nullify a promise in which the people of God exult! Till ye can carry Mount Zion into the Mediterranean Sea, the Church of Christ shall grow and prevail. Hear this, ye murderous Mohammedans!
4. “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem,” – to fortify it.
5. “So the Lord is round about his people” – to preserve them.
6.”From henceforth, even for ever:” Through both time and eternity.
II. 1. But the Church is often persecuted and harassed. Granted; for the “rod,” the power and scourge, “of the wicked, may come into the heritage of the righteous.”
2. But then may it not finally prevail? No: for though it come, it shall not rest.
3. And why? Because it might finally destroy the Church, pervert the good, and cause them to join issue with the ungodly. Therefore, “they shall not be tempted above that they are able.”
III. Therefore the psalmist prays, –
1. “Do good to the good:” Give them patience, and keep them faithful.
2. And “to the upright in heart:” Let not the weak and the sincere be overcome by their enemies:
IV. He sets down the lot of the ungodly: –
1. “They turn aside.”
2. They get into crooked paths; they get into the spirit of the world, and are warped into its crooked and winding ways.
3. They shall be condemned, and then led forth to punishment. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways; he shall have writhing in pain, for crooked walking in sin.
4. But while this is their portion, “peace,” prosperity, and blessedness, “shall be upon Israel.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But those hypocrites, who either through fear of the rod, mentioned Psa 125:3, or for other considerations, shall turn aside from the ways of God, which for a time they professed and seemed to own, unto sinful courses, whom he opposeth to the upright, Psa 125:4, the Lord shall lead them forth, to wit, unto punishment, as malefactors are commonly led to the place of execution.
With the workers of iniquity; with the most obstinate and profligate sinners, of whose plagues they shall certainly partake, as they did of their sins.
Upon Israel; upon the true Israel of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Those who turn aside (undertemptation) permanently show that they are hypocrites, and their lotor portion shall be with the wicked (Ps28:3).
crooked ways(CompareDeu 9:16; Mal 2:8;Mal 2:9).
theiris emphatic; the”crooked ways” proceed from their own hearts. Thetrue Israel is here distinguished from the false. Scriptureeverywhere opposes the Jewish delusion that mere outward descentwould save (Rom 2:28; Rom 2:29;Rom 9:6; Rom 9:7;Gal 6:16). The byways of sin fromthe way of life.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways,…. The ways of sin, immorality, or error; which are crooked ways, not agreeing with the word of God, the rule of faith and practice. This seems to design not openly profane sinners, who have always lived in a course of sin and wickedness; but carnal professors, who, through affliction and persecution because of the word, are offended, and desert the good ways of God; and turn from the holy commandment, word, and ordinances, they have professionally embraced;
the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; the Targum adds,
“to hell.”
These hypocrites shall be led forth by the Lord with abandoned sinners, like malefactors to the place of execution; when he shall bid them depart from him, and they shall go into everlasting fire; and if there is any place in hell hotter than another, those shall have it; see Mt 7:23;
[but] peace [shall be] upon Israel; upon every true Israelite, upon the whole Israel of God; the apostle seems to have respect to this passage in Ga 6:16; such shall have spiritual peace in their hearts now, and eternal peace hereafter. The words may be read either as a prayer that it might be, or as a prophecy that it should be; and may have regard unto the latter day, when all the enemies of Christ and his church shall be destroyed, and there shall be abundance of peace, so long as the moon endures, Ps 72:7. Aben Ezra observes, that the psalmist prays that God would remove the wicked far off, and then there would be peace in Israel; and to the same purpose Arama and Kimchi interpret it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. But those who turn aside into their crooked paths, etc. As the participle המטים, hammattim, is in the conjugation Hiphil, it should, according to the rules of grammar, be rather translated in an active sense — those who cause to turn aside; but it being no uncommon thing for verbs in that conjugation to be taken in a neuter sense, the, version which I have followed is probably the correct one. Still, as the active signification is not less appropriate, I would leave the reader freely to exercise his own judgment. The meaning is, that God does not always connive at the wickedness of those who, while boasting of a hollow and counterfeit profession, wander hither and thither according to their own lust, or even corrupt the simple, and draw them into the same excess of sinning with themselves. I have no doubt that the Psalmist here speaks of hypocrites, who are so hardened by temporary impunity, as to claim to themselves a place among the holiest of men, because God exercises forbearance towards them. Not only do we see the good mingled with the bad in the world, but we also behold on the barn-floor of the Lord the wheat lying hidden under the chaff and refuse. In this dubious and confused state of matters, the bad are elated with pride, as if they were among the best of God’s servants. We ought therefore to pray that God would drag them into the light, and, with the workers of iniquity, thrust them down into the punishment which they have deserved. The consequence is that peace, which the Prophet desires may be the privilege of Israel. He does not speak generally of all the race of Abraham, according to the flesh; he rather wishes that the Church of God may be purged of hypocrites, who occupy a place in her, until God lift up his hand to judgment. On this account I have said, that the peace of the Church springs from this — that; God, while executing his just vengeance upon reigned and counterfeit Israelites, who rend and tear in pieces her bowels, gathers together the upright in heart, and openly shows by his blessing the fatherly love which he bears towards them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Turn aside unto their crooked ways.Or, bend their crooked ways, i.e., pursue evil courses.
But peace.Better, as an innovation on the customary form, peace be in Israel. (See Note on Psa. 122:6, and comp. Psa. 128:6.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Such as turn aside Incline to crooked ways. See introduction to the psalm, Haggai 1, and Zec 1:1-6. In all ages there have been superficial and unstable professors of the true religion, ready to give up their faith at sight of persecution. See Mat 13:20-21; Mal 3:8-15.
Crooked ways The paths of an apostate, ever devious through a worldly policy, and opposed to integrity, uprightness, fidelity. See Mat 7:14; Jer 6:16; Jer 18:15.
The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity God shall classify these false professors with the openly wicked and abandoned, and treat them as such in the judgment. The leading forth is judicial the bringing them to trial and execution.
But peace shall be upon Israel Can language make it more plain, that false profession is irreligion, and that the outcome of the lives of the true and false Israelites shall be finally and totally different?
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
MY soul! contemplate in this Psalm the security of the Lord’s people, and beg of thy gracious God to give thee, an everlasting, steady, and unshaken faith in him. Thou hast been sweetly taught, that there is nothing to be depended upon but Jesus: and having, through grace, made a covenant God in Christ thy portion; see to it, that He, the rock of ages, is thy rock, thy confidence, thy strong hold, and thine abiding place, for-ever. So that strengthened in his strength, and made powerful in his might, thou wilt be more than conqueror through Him that loveth thee. Learn Paul’s maxim, and under the Holy Ghost’s sweet influence, from day today bring it forth into continual exercise: I c an do nothing of myself, but I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me. Rejoice in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 125:5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.
Ver. 5. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways ] In lubricitates vel tortuositates, such as pretend piety to their worldly and wicked designs and dealings; dissemblers, warpers, versuti et vafri, who would defraud God of heaven if they could tell how.
The Lord shall lead them forth
With the workers of iniquity
But peace shall be upon Israel
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
iniquity. Hebrew ‘aval. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
As for such: Psa 40:4, Psa 101:3, 1Ch 10:13, 1Ch 10:14, Pro 14:14, Jer 2:19, Zep 1:6, Heb 10:38
crooked: Pro 2:15, Isa 59:8, Phi 2:15
with the workers: Mat 7:23, Mat 24:48-51
peace: Psa 128:6, Isa 54:10, Isa 54:13, Eze 37:26, Hos 2:18, Joh 14:27, Gal 6:16, 1Pe 1:2
Reciprocal: Gen 37:14 – see whether it be well with Deu 5:32 – ye shall not Jos 23:12 – go back Jdg 5:6 – byways Rth 1:15 – gone back 1Sa 12:20 – turn not 1Sa 15:11 – turned 2Sa 22:22 – have not 2Sa 22:27 – froward 1Ki 22:43 – he turned 2Ki 10:11 – and Job 23:11 – his way Job 34:27 – turned Psa 28:2 – when Psa 36:3 – he hath Psa 44:18 – heart Psa 94:15 – and all Psa 119:10 – O let me Pro 21:16 – wandereth Pro 28:18 – but Isa 1:28 – the destruction Isa 30:31 – which smote Jer 18:10 – do Jer 34:11 – General Eze 3:20 – When Eze 18:24 – when Hos 4:10 – left Amo 5:7 – leave Luk 11:25 – he findeth Luk 13:27 – depart Col 1:23 – ye continue 2Pe 2:21 – to turn
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
125:5 {c} As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.
(c) He desires God to purge his Church from hypocrites and such as have no zeal for the truth.