Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 36:7
How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
7. How excellent ] How precious (R.V.). It is the Psalmist’s treasure. Cp. Psa 139:17.
O God ] The substitution of God for Jehovah is significant. The Psalmist is speaking of a love which extends beyond the limits of the chosen people, and embraces all mankind. The children of men lit. sons of man (Psa 14:2) are men regarded as earthborn and mortal in contrast to God.
therefore &c.] And the children of men take refuge &c. (R.V.). Cp. Psa 17:7-8, note; Rth 2:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
How excellent – Margin, as in Hebrew: precious. The word used here is one that would be applicable to precious stones 1Ki 10:2, 1Ki 10:10-11; or to the more costly kind of stones employed in building, as marble 2Ch 3:6; and then, anything that is costly or valuable. The meaning is, that the loving-kindness of God is to be estimated only by the value set on the most rare and costly objects.
Is thy loving-kindness – Thy mercy. The same word is used here which occurs in Psa 36:5, and which is there rendered mercy. It is not a new attribute of God which is here celebrated or brought into view, but the same characteristic which is referred to in Psa 36:5. The repetition of the word indicates the state of mind of the writer of the psalm, and shows that he delights to dwell on this; he naturally turns to this; his meditations begin and end with this. While he is deeply impressed by the faithfulness, the righteousness, and the judgment of God, still it is His mercy or His loving-kindness that is the beginning and the ending of his thoughts; to this the soul turns with ever new delight and wonder when reflecting on the character and the doings of God. Here our hope begins; and to this attribute of the Almighty, when we have learned all else that we can learn about God, the soul turns with ever new delight.
Therefore – In view of that mercy; or because God is a merciful God. It is not in his justice that we can take refuge, for we are sinners, but the foundation of all our hope is his mercy. A holy creature could fly to a holy Creator for refuge and defense; he who has given himself to Him, and who has been pardoned, can appeal to his faithfulness; but the refuge of a sinner, as such, is only his mercy; and it is only to that mercy that he can flee.
The children of men – literally, the sons of man; that is, the human race, considered as descended from their great ancestor, or as one family. The meaning is not that all the children of men actually do thus put their trust in the mercy of God – for that is not true; but:
(a) all may do it as the children of men, or as men; and
(b) all who do put their trust under the shadow of his wings confide in His mercy alone, as the ground of their hope.
Under the shadow of thy wings – As little, helpless birds seek protection under the wings of the mother-bird. See the notes at Mat 23:37; compare Deu 32:11-12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 36:7-8
How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God.
The excellence of Gods loving-kindness
I. The subject of the text. Thy loving-kindness, O God.
1. Manifested–
(1) In creation.
(2) In providence.
(3) In grace.
2. Felt or experienced–
(1) In conversion.
(2) In reconciliation and adoption.
(3) In Christian fellowship and communion with God.
(4) In ordinances and promises.
(5) In heaven.
II. Its excellence. This appears–
1. In being manifested to the most unworthy.
2. In the multitude of blessings of which it is the source.
3. It gives security in all dangers, and produces confidence.
4. It is infinitely satisfying.
5. It is constant.
6. It is pregnant with prospective blessedness and ineffable glory.
Application.
1. Does your experience lead you to admire this loving-kindness?
2. If not, it is a proof of slothfulness, and barrenness, and calls for repentance.
3. However much of this loving-kindness you enjoy now, it is but a foretaste. (Helps for the Pulpit.)
The guests of the Lord
How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O Lord! Here is a burst of doxology born out of a great contemplation. This man sings but as the linnet sings; he sings because he must; his song is the spontaneous outbreaking of a jubilant soul. So many of our doxologies are forced and artificial; they are not natural and inevitable. This mans song is the sure and certain issue of prepared and definite conditions. He has been surveying the wondrous power of God. And where has the meditation taken place? In the open air. He is a great lover of nature, and as he fixes his wondering eye upon its glories, Nature becomes to him a literature, and he discerns the character of God. It is a long and leisurely meditation. Moment by moment he seems to peer into ever-deepening depths in the immeasurable sky. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens! Thy mercy is just like what I am gazing at! Depth beyond depth, and a comprehension that encircles everybody! And then he turns to the gathering clouds, brewing away in the south-west, and coming with their ladened treasures to moisten the slopes of Carmel, and to drench the dried plains with their fertilizing wealth. And again his heart reads the spiritual evangel brought by this material messenger. Thy faithfulness reacheth out of the clouds! The looming storm, the gathering darkness, are not chaotic forces raging at will without command; they are all in the charge of the Almighty God! The clouds drop fatness! Then his eyes wander away to the uplifted mountains, to Hermon and to distant Lebanon, or across to the hills of Moab. These are the emphases in the landscape, the abiding realities amid all its shifting moods. The river comes and goes; there is time of drought and time of plenty! Generations arise and pass away, but in each succeeding day the harvester looks up from the feverish plains and sees the cool and towering heights of the unchanging Lebanon. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains! Whatever happens, that endures! And so his contemplative eye wanders about in this great field of spiritual symbolism, till the heart glows and burns in the accumulated glory. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! Surely we might imitate the psalmist in this fruitful method of devotion. Now this loving-kindness, so precious and so excellent, represents itself to the psalmist as a home for the soul, a home in which all the children of men can be the guests of God. The loving-kindness of our Lord is just the guest-house of the soul! For what does the psalmist assure us we may find in this gracious home? First., it offers us shelter. Therefore the children of men take refuge under the shadow of Thy wings. I think there is something very pathetic in the conjunction. After the towering mountains, and the far-stretched heavens, and the battalions of storm-clouds, and the mysterious sea, he mentions the children of men. He appears to be half-terrified and half-confident in the association. Man seems so pitiably small by the side of the colossal phenomena of the material world. And yet, although the psalmist trembles for a moment in the sense of his own insignificance, he soon recovers the confidence of his soul. Therefore the children of men fake refuge under the shadow of Thy wings. That is the privilege of the sons of God. We can hide in the immediate presence of the Creator of all things, We can turn into the loving-kindness of God as little chicks cuddle under their mothers wings. There is room for everybody, always and everywhere. The peril or the crisis never finds us far away from home. But in the guest-house we not only find shelter and security, we find gracious and perfect sustenance. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house. The Lord always gives His guest the best. The word fatness literally means the top of a thing. The top of milk is the cream, and it is always the cream of things with which our Lord entertains His children. Thou feedest them with the finest of the wheat. He provides fat visions for the mind, delivering us from poor and thin conceptions of God, of man, of life and duty. He provides fat promises for the heart, saving us from thin and poor affections, from emotions in which there is no strength and no sacrificial ministry. And He provides fat energies for the will, nourishing us into powers of resoluteness which make us invulnerable in the pilgrim way. And with this fatness we are to be abundantly satisfied. There are so many unsatisfied people in our streets, possessed of comforts, but no comfort, having found ease but not having gained peace. But the food of the Lord is to abundantly satisfy, and the heart is to be at rest. He satisfieth thy mouth with good things. But more than shelter and sustenance are to be given to us. Our great Host entertains His guests with rare delights. Thou shelf make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. This may mean the pleasures that God provides us, Or it may mean Gods own pleasures, or it may probably mean both. The things that give pleasure to the Lord are to give joy to us, In what does our Lord find His delight? He delighteth in mercy! And I am to drink of this river, and to relish the taste of it, and to find it a gracious delight. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth! And of this river I am to drink, and my heart is to be glad at the prodigals return. When I see another rejoicing I am to rejoice, and in my delight I shall share the joy of the Lord. And all these pleasures are to come my way like a river. They are not to be like a pool, exposed to the immediate drought, dried up in the critical day. And the psalmist, before closing his doxology, gives us the great secret of this all-sufficient hospitality. With Thee is the fountain of life. All good is to be found in God. All our springs are in Him, the springs of impulse, and desire, and will, and of all vitality. (J. H. Jowett, M.A.)
The excellence of Gods loving-kindness
I. Take the words directly and absolutely, as they lie in themselves.
1. Gods loving-kindness is most excellent, that is, His favour and good-will (Psa 30:5; Psa 63:3; Psa 106:4).
(1) In regard of the subject of it, by considering whose it is.
(2) In regard of the fulness of it. He that hath but Gods favour, what can he be said to want? Theres nothing here in the world, but when a man has as much of it as his heart can wish, yet he will still want somewhat with it, and that sometimes which he can least be without; but he that hath an interest in Gods loving-kindness, he hath all good things made over to him, so far forth as he hath use and need of them.
(3) In regard of the efficacy of it, it is such as is of sweet influence wheresoever it is; it makes comforts to be so much the more comfortable, and it makes crosses to be so much the more tolerable and beneficial.
(4) For its freeness and impartiality.
(5) For its continuance and duration. Whom He loves, He loves to the end (Isa 54:8).
2. The psalmist blesses God for His activity of goodness to His church, for that loving-kindness which does put itself forth in His proceedings and dispensations to them. Now this also as well as the former is very excellent, and that in these regards.
(1) In regard of the substance of it, and the materials whereof it consists, which are various. God has shown His loving-kindness to His church in divers expressions. In giving them His Son for their redemption, and reconciliation to Himself; how excellent is His loving-kindness here (Rom 8:32). In the ordinances and means of grace. In His Spirit, and the workings thereof, whereby His ordinances and ministry are made effectual to those who enjoy them. In His care of it, and providence towards it.
(2) In regard of the extent of it, enlarging and diffusing itself.
(3) In regard of the peculiarity and appropriation of it.
II. Consider the words reflexively, as coming from the psalmist.
1. Here is a sound judgment.
2. A special favour. David does not only speak here out of judgment, and the strength of his understanding; but out of sense and the certainty of his experience, who had found and felt the workings of this special favour, and accordingly speaks triumphantly about it. The frequent thoughts upon this point are such as may be very beneficial to us; and may have a very great influence upon our lives.
(1) To quicken us to duty, and to make us so much the more diligent in our business.
(2) To restrain us from sin, and to make us so much the more shy of our miscarriages.
(3) To satisfy us in our afflictions, and to make us more contented with our condition.
3. Here is a thankful acknowledgment.
4. Here is a joyful publication (Psa 92:2) calls for showing forth the loving-kindness of the Lord (Psa 63:8). (T. Herren, D. D.)
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.—
The character and privileges of Gods people
I. Their character. They highly esteem the loving-kindness of God.
II. Their privileges.
1. They shall be abundantly satisfied, etc.
2. They drink of the river of His pleasures. All joy is theirs. (D. Rees.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. How excellent is thy loving-kindness] He asks the question in the way of admiration; but expects no answer from angels or men. It is indescribably excellent, abundant, and free; and, “therefore, the children of Adam put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” They trust in thy good providence for the supply of their bodies; they trust in thy mercy for the salvation of their souls. These, speaking after the figure, are the two wings of the Divine goodness, under which the children of men take refuge. The allusion may be to the wings of the cherubim, above the mercy-seat.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thy loving-kindness; or, thy mercy; for it is the same word which is used and so rendered, Psa 36:5. The sense is, Though all thine attributes now reckoned, and the rest of them, be excellent and glorious, yet above all thy mercy is most
excellent or precious and amiable, as being most necessary and beneficial unto us, poor sinful, miserable men.
Put their trust under the shadow of thy wings, i.e. cheerfully commit themselves to thy care and kindness, notwithstanding their own sinfulness, and the rage and power of their adversaries, against all which thy mercy is a sufficient security.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. shadow of thy wings(CompareDeu 32:11; Psa 91:1).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God,…. Which has appeared to men and not angels, to some and not others; to the chief of sinners, who are by nature children of wrath as others; in choosing, redeeming, and calling them, taking them into his family, and making them heirs of eternal glory; and all this of his sovereign good will and pleasure, there being nothing in them that could move him to it; which lovingkindness was in his heart from everlasting, and will never change in him, nor depart from them; and hence it must be most excellent and precious:
therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings; not all men; for all have not faith, only some, to whom it is given to believe, and who know the Lord and his lovingkindness; by which they are induced and encouraged to trust in him, to betake themselves to him for mercy and protection, which they find in him: the allusion is either to the hen that gathers her chickens under her wings, and protects them in time of danger, and so it expresses both the paternal affection of God to his people, and the protection of them; or else to the wings of the cherubim over the mercy seat, between which the Lord sat and communed with his people, and showed mercy and favour to them, which encouraged them to trust in him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7 O God! how precious is thy loving-kindness! Some explain these words in this sense: That the mercy of God is precious, and that the children of men who put their trust in it are precious; but this is a sense too far removed from the words of the text. Others understand them as meaning, that the mercy of God is very great to the gods, that is to say, to the angels and the sons of men; but this is too refined. I am also surprised that the Jewish Rabbins have wearied and bewildered themselves, without any occasion, in seeking to find out new and subtile interpretations, since the meaning of the prophet is of itself perfectly evident; namely, that it is because the mercy of God is great and clearly manifested, that the children of men put their trust under the shadow of it. As David has hitherto been speaking in commendation of the goodness of God, which extends to every creature, the opinion of other commentators, who consider that David is here discoursing of the peculiar favor which God manifests towards his children, is in my judgment very correct. The language seems to refer in general to all the sons of men, but what follows is applicable properly to the faithful alone. In order to manifest more clearly the greatness of divine grace, he thus speaks in general terms, telling us, that God condescends to gather together under his wings the mortal offspring of Adam, as it is said in Psa 8:4,
“
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
The substance of the passage is this: The ungodly may run to every excess in wickedness, but this temptation does not prevent the people of God from trusting in his goodness, and casting themselves upon his fatherly care; while the ungodly, whose minds are degraded, and whose hearts are polluted, never taste the sweetness of his goodness so as to be led by it to the faith, and thus to enjoy repose under the shadow of his wings. The metaphorical expression of wings, as applied to God, is common enough in Scripture. (9) By it God teaches us that we are preserved in safety under his protecting care, even as the hen cherishes her chickens under her wings; and thus he invites us kindly and affectionately to return to him.
(9) “ Frequens in Psalmis figura ab alio Cherubinorum Arcae,” etc. i. e. “A common figure in the Psalms, taken more immediately, in my opinion, from the wings of the Cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat which covered the ark; but more remotely from birds, which defend their young from the solar rays by overshadowing them with their wings. See Psa 17:8, etc., and Deu 32:11.” — Bishop Hare.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) How excellent.Better, how precious.
Therefore . . .Better, the simple conjunction, and sons of men, they find shelter, &c
Shadow of thy wings.See Psa. 17:8, Note.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Shadow of thy wings A strong anthropomorphism, indicating the protection of love and tenderness. Psa 63:7; Mat 23:37
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
What The Covenant Love Of God Offers To All Who Respond To Him ( Psa 36:7-9 ).
We now turn from what God is to what He offers. Note the change from YHWH to God, even though the offering is still of His covenant love. His offer is universal, for it is to all ‘the children of men’ (compare Rth 2:12).
Psa 36:7-9
‘How precious is your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
They will be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of your house,
And you will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.
For with you is the fountain of life,
In your light shall we see light.’
Here is the alternative life of the people who respond to God instead of to ‘transgression’. As a result of His precious covenant love revealed towards them they:
Take shelter under the shadow of His wings (comparePsa 17:8; Psa 57:1; Psa 61:4; Psa 91:4; Rth 2:12). This is the privileged position to which Jesus calls His own. It was because they refused this that Jerusalem was destroyed (see Mat 23:37-38; Luk 13:34).
Are abundantly satisfied with the luxurious provision of His house (Psa 23:5-6; Psa 27:4; Psa 65:4). They eat and drink at His table. Originally in mind is the sacrificial meal of which all YHWH’s guests partake before Him (Lev 7:15-16; Deu 12:7; Jer 31:14. And compare also Isa 55:1-2). Jesus expanded the idea to reflect the possibility of partaking of Him and enjoying the benefits that He offers (compareJoh 6:35; Joh 7:38; Luk 22:18; Luk 22:30; Mat 22:2-4).
Drink of the river of His pleasures (comparePsa 16:11; Amo 5:24; Rev 21:6; Rev 22:17). ‘Whoever will may drink of the water of life freely’.
Enjoy partaking of the fountain or spring of life. ‘He who drinks of the water that I will give him, will never thirst, but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water, welling forth to eternal life’ (Joh 4:10-14; Joh 7:37-38; Isa 41:18; Isa 44:3-4; Isa 49:10; Jer 2:13; Eze 47:1-12; Zec 13:1).
Find light in His light. Compare ‘YHWH is my light’ (Psa 27:1). In mind here is probably the light of the glory of God which filled the Tabernacle (Exo 40:34), and which was considered to be behind the veil which hid the Most Holy Place from the eyes of the priests. The Psalmist may also have had in mind the seven-branched lampstand in the Tabernacle/Temple which continually burned (see Psa 36:4), and which pictured the glory hidden behind the veil. This last was a perpetual reminder of the glory of God as it had been revealed in the pillar of fire which had led His people out of Egypt, and of the further glory of YHWH which had been revealed on Mount Sinai. Compare here Psa 78:14, ‘In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.’ Thus His light gave them the light of the assurance of His presence. This also ties in with Isa 60:1, ‘arise, shine, for your light is come, and the glory of YHWH is risen upon you.’
Furthermore it was from His light that His people obtained guidance, assurance and truth. ‘The entrance of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple’ (Psa 119:130). ‘Your word is a lamp to my way, and a light to my path’ (Psa 119:105). ‘He lightens the lampstand of His people and lightens their darkness’ (Psa 18:28). ‘They look to Him and are lightened, and their faces are thus not ashamed’ (Psa 34:5). ‘Oh send out your light and your truth, let them lead me’ (Psa 43:3). In His light they see light.
YHWH is also elsewhere compared by David with the glorious light of the noonday sun. ‘He will be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds’ (2Sa 23:4). But to the Psalmist YHWH outshines the sun, and His light shines on His people, revealing truth and making them righteous too. ‘He will make your righteousness go forth as the light, and your just dealings as the noonday’ (Psa 37:6). That is why Jesus could say, ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in Heaven’ (Mat 5:16).
And we need not doubt that it includes the thought of the light of YHWH’s favour. The Psalmists regularly speak of ‘the light of His countenance’ as shining on His people (Psa 4:6; Psa 44:3; Psa 89:15; Psa 90:8; compare Pro 16:15) as they enjoyed the favour of God.
For us the light shines even more clearly. Not for us the dim light of the Tabernacle lampstand, but the glorious light of Him Who is ‘the light of the world’, Who gives the light of life to His own (Joh 8:12; Joh 12:35-36; Joh 12:46; Joh 1:4; Joh 1:9). ‘The Word was made flesh and dwelt among and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth’ (Joh 1:14), so that we see ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2Co 4:6). As He said, ‘I am come a light into the world, so that whoever believes in me may not continue on in darkness’ (Joh 12:46), ‘but will have the light of life’ (Joh 8:12).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psa 36:7-9. How excellent, &c. The expressions here, which denote the abundance of divine blessings upon the righteous man, seem to be taken from the temple, from whence they were to issue. Under the covert of the temple, the wings of the cherubim, he was to be sheltered. The richness of the sacrifices, the streams of oil, wine, odours, &c. and the light of the golden candlestick, are all plainly referred to. As to the fountain of life, Psa 36:9 possibly there might be a living spring within the precincts of the temple, from whence the brazen sea, &c. might be supplied. See Psa 36:9 and Mudge; who reads the beginning of the 9th verse thus, In thy temple is the fountain of life. Others suppose that, with thee is the fountain of life, mean, “Thou art the source not only of our temporal, but also of our spiritual and of our eternal life.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 561
THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF GOD
Psa 36:7-8. How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house: and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
THE more we know of man, the more shall we see the folly of trusting in an arm of flesh: but, the more we are acquainted with God, the more enlarged will be our expectations from him, and the more unreserved our confidence in his power and grace. David had found by bitter experience, that no dependence could be placed on the protestations of Saul. But he had a friend, in whose protection he could trust; and in the contemplation of whose character he could find the richest consolation, while his views of man filled him with nothing but grief and anguish. Having expatiated upon his perfections, as contrasted with the deceitfulness and depravity of man, he bursts forth into a rapturous admiration of his love.
His words furnish us with an occasion to consider the loving-kindness of God, in the precise view in which it is exhibited in our text,
I.
As a subject for adoring gratitude
[Wherever we turn our eyes, we behold the most astonishing displays of Gods love. Every work of creation, every dispensation of providence, every effort of Grace, exhibits him to us in the most endearing view. But most of all must we admire the wonders of redemption. This is the work whereby God commends his love to us [Note: Rom 5:8.]. This is the one subject of adoration to all the saints in glory [Note: Rev 5:11-14.]. No sooner was it declared in the incarnation of Christ, than multitudes of the heavenly host began a new song, singing Glory to God in the highest [Note: Luk 2:13-14.]. Yea, from that moment have they been occupied in exploring its mysteries [Note: 1Pe 1:12.]. But so unsearchable are its heights and depths, that no finite understanding can fuily comprehend, nor will eternity suffice to unfold, all the wonders contained in it [Note: Eph 3:18-19.]. How excellent then is thy loving-kindness, O God!]
II.
As a ground for implicit confidence
[This is not a speculative subject, but is influential in the hearts of all that give it a due measure of their attention. It is this which encourages sinners to approach their God with confidence. In the view of this, no guilt appals, no strait depresses, no grief dejects. Whatever we want of pardon, peace, or strength, one thought suffices to support the soul; he who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things [Note: Rom 8:32.]! This is the genuine and legitimate use which we are to make of the loving-kindness of God [Note: Psa 9:10.]. We are to go to him as to a Father, confessing our faults [Note: Luk 15:18-19.]; to follow him as our Guide in all our ways [Note: Heb 11:8.]; and to commit ourselves to him without fear, knowing that he will either extricate us from all trouble [Note: Dan 3:17.], or overrule it for our good [Note: Php 1:19-20. 1Pe 4:19.].]
III.
As a pledge of all imaginable blessings at his hands
[There is nothing which can conduce to our happiness either in time or eternity, which we are not warranted to expect at Gods hands, provided we contemplate, and be suitably impressed with, the excellencies of his love.
The priests of old feasted their families with the offerings which belonged to them by virtue of their office [Note: Num 18:11.]. Now to our great High-Priest belong all the glory and blessedness of heaven: and every member of his family is privileged to partake with him. In his house he spreads his feast [Note: Isa 25:6.], and says to his dear children, Come, out and drink abundantly, O beloved [Note: Son 5:1.], and let your souls delight themselves with fatness [Note: Isa 55:2.]. And who can declare what abundant satisfaction their souls feel while feeding on the promises of his word, and the communications of his love; or how enviable is the state of those who are thus highly privileged [Note: Psa 65:4.]? Surely if we taste this promised blessing [Note: Jer 31:14.], we may well desire rather to be door-keepers in his house, than to enjoy the splendour of an earthly court [Note: Psa 84:10.].
But there are still sweeter fruits of Gods love to be enjoyed in heaven. There flows a river, which gladdens that holy city, the new Jerusalem [Note: Psa 46:4.], and fills with unspeakable delight every inhabitant of those blissful mansions. There is a fulness of joy, emanating from the fountain of the Deity, and filling with Gods own blessedness every soul according to its capacity [Note: Rev 22:1 and Psa 16:11.]. Of this shall every one be made to drink; and, drinking of it, shall thirst no more for ever [Note: Psa 17:15.].]
Application
[Let the love of God in Christ Jesus be our meditation all the day Let it lead us to trust in him both for body and soul And let a sense of it shed abroad in our hearts, be the one object of our desire [Note: Psa 27:4.] and delight [Note: Php 3:8.] ]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 36:7 How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Ver. 7. How excellent (Heb. precious) is thy lovingkindness!] That special love and favour that thou vouchsafest to thine own elect only. Oh, this is incomparable and inexpressible! It maketh a vast difference between the righteous and the wicked, though the blind world observeth it not.
Therefore the children of men
Put their trust in the shadow of thy wings
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
lovingkindness. Compare “mercy”, Psa 36:5.
God. Hebrew. Elohim.(App-4.), because of His creatures, the sons of men.
children = sons.
put their trust under = flee for refuge to. Hebrew. hasah. App-69.
wings. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
trust
(See Scofield “Psa 2:12”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
How: Psa 31:19, Psa 86:5, Psa 86:15, Psa 145:7, Psa 145:8, Exo 34:6, Joh 3:16, 1Jo 3:1, 1Jo 4:9, 1Jo 4:10
excellent: Heb. precious, Psa 139:17, 1Pe 2:6, 1Pe 2:7, 2Pe 1:4
put their: Psa 17:8, Psa 57:1, Psa 63:7, Psa 91:4, Rth 2:12, Luk 13:34
Reciprocal: Deu 33:27 – refuge 2Sa 7:19 – And is this Psa 13:5 – But Psa 23:6 – goodness Psa 30:5 – in his Psa 34:8 – Lord Psa 63:5 – my soul Psa 69:16 – for thy Psa 90:14 – satisfy Psa 91:1 – under Psa 109:21 – thy mercy Psa 145:9 – good Psa 145:19 – fulfil Son 1:2 – thy love Isa 18:1 – shadowing Zec 9:17 – how great is his goodness Mat 23:37 – even Mar 10:18 – that is Heb 2:13 – I will 1Jo 4:16 – we
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 36:7-8. How excellent is thy loving-kindness Or thy mercy: for it is the same word which is so rendered, Psa 36:5. The sense is, though all thine attributes be excellent and glorious, yet, above all, thy mercy is most excellent, or precious and amiable, as being most necessary and beneficial unto us, poor sinful miserable men. Therefore the children of men put their trust, &c. Cheerfully commit themselves to thy care and kindness, notwithstanding their own sinfulness, and the rage and power of their adversaries; against all which thy mercy is a sufficient security. They shall be abundantly satisfied That is, those children of men who trust in thee, as he now said, though they are straitened, oppressed, and persecuted; yet they shall not only be protected and supported for the present; but in due time shall have all their wants and desires fully satisfied. Hebrew, , jirvejun, shall be watered, or made drunk, that is, shall be, as it were, overwhelmed with the abundance of its blessings. With the fatness of thy house With those rich and delightful provisions which thou hast prepared for them in the place of thy worship on earth, thy tabernacle, where thou displayest thy glory, communicatest thy blessings, and acceptest the prayers and praises of thy people. The benefit of holy ordinances is the fatness of Gods house here below, sweet to a sanctified soul, and strengthening to the spiritual and divine life; with this Gods people are abundantly satisfied; they desire nothing more in this world than to live a life of communion with God; and to have the comfort of the promises. But the full, the complete satisfaction is reserved for the future state, and the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Every vessel will be perfectly full there. Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures Pleasures that are truly divine; which not only come from thee, as the author of them, but which terminate in thee as the matter and centre of them; which, being purely spiritual, are of the same nature with those of the glorious inhabitants of the heavenly world, and bear some analogy even to the delights of the Eternal Mind. There is a river of these pleasures always full, always fresh, always flowing. There is enough for all, enough for each, enough for evermore, Psa 46:4. God has not only provided this river for his people, but he makes them to drink of it; works in them a gracious appetite for these spiritual enjoyments, and, by his Spirit, refreshes their souls with them. In heaven they shall for ever drink of them, and shall be satiated with a fulness of joy.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The result of this philosophy of life contrasts with that of the wicked (Psa 36:2-4). Because God is lovingly loyal, His people can find refuge in Him (cf. Rth 2:12; Mat 23:37). They also enjoy the provisions of His house. They experience a virtual paradise on earth, as Adam and Eve did in Eden before the Fall. God provides life and the light of understanding for those who take Him into account.
"Knowing the character of God is essential to a balanced Christian life, and these five verses are a concise systematic theology." [Note: Ibid.]