Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 56:4
In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
4. in God I will praise his word ] In God’s strength, by the help of His grace, I shall be enabled to praise His words of promise (Psa 130:5). Cp. Psa 44:8. This rendering is preferable to the possible alternative, In God do I make my boast, even in his word.
in God &c.] R.V., In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; what can flesh do unto me? Flesh, synonymous with man in Psa 56:11, denotes man on the material side of his nature, as a frail and perishable being, contrasted with God the Eternal and Almighty. Cp. Psa 78:39; Gen 6:3; Job 10:4; Isa 40:5-6; Jer 17:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In God I will praise his word – The meaning of this seems to be, In reference to God – or, in my trust on God – I will especially have respect to his word – his gracious promise; I will make that the special object of my praise. In dwelling in my own mind on the divine perfections; in finding there materials for praise, I will have special respect to his revealed truth – to what he has spoken as an encouragement to me. I will be thankful that he has spoken, and that he has given me assurances on which I may rely in the times of danger. The idea is, that he would always find in God that which was the ground or foundation for praise; and that that which called for special praise in meditating on the divine character, was the word or promise which God had made to his people.
I will not fear what flesh can do unto me – What man can do to me. Compare the notes at Mat 10:28 (notes); Rom 8:31-34 (notes); Heb 13:6 (notes).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 56:4
In God will I praise His word.
The moral impulse imparted to individuals and communities by the study of the Bible
My object is not merely to demonstrate the inspiration of the Bible, but to win you to the study of it. It may possibly be alleged by many persons, especially of the more busy classes of society, that they have no time for the attention to the Bible which is recommended.
1. The plea is dangerous as well as monstrous and criminal. If a son or a friend were to aver that he had become too busy, that he was too much engaged, for days and weeks and months together, to read an epistle from a distant land, dictated by parental love or by friendship, to what conclusion should we come as to the nature of the pretence or the character of the mind that could dictate it? Could we, even in this ordinary ease, admit for an instant the validity of the excuse, or suppose that any business of life could be so urgent?
2. The plea is untrue. A few verses, snatched from the hurry of life (if life must indeed be so hurried) may suffice. In a few minutes you may read enough to furnish materials for reflection and inquiry. You may walk or work–and think. And we claim such study for the Bible because–
I. The influence which it exerts is distinctly moral. It deals with man as a moral being, responsible for his actions, and to be influenced by motives.
II. And this impulse which it communicates is holy. Notwithstanding passages in it which infidels have urged have an unholy tendency, the overwhelming effect of the book is towards holiness. Not so other sacred books–the Koran, and the like.
III. And this impulse is mighty.
IV. Progressive.
V. But simply instrumental. The truth contained in the sacred volume exerts an influence analogous, both in its force and its secrecy, to that of some of the most wonder-working agencies of nature. It resembles the unseen presence of magnetism or electricity, which move as by a touch the elements and masses around us–disposing them to order or clothing them with beauty; or it is like the vegetative power, that in the darkness and concealment of the earth and the clods of the valley impels the seed to shoot and rise and spread fertility upon the smiling surface. In the secret recesses of the soul, and in the dark and hidden depths of a heart, no human eye can penetrate and no human philosophy unravel–it subdues and sanctifies, works repentance and humiliation, and the settled purposes of a renewed mind, till on the surface appears the penitential tear, the bended knee, the contrite sigh, the believing and imploring reception of Christ, the moral and spiritual renewal of character, the outward, fearless, and heaven-sealing profession of a true religion; and every right-minded observer attests the truth of the Divine declaration, Behold I make all things new. (F. A. Cox, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. In God I will praise his word] belohim may mean here, through God, or by the help of God, I will praise his word. And, that he should have cause to do it, he says, “In God I have put my trust,” and therefore he says, “I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Man is but FLESH, weak and perishing; God is an infinite SPIRIT, almighty and eternal. He repeats this sentiment in the tenth and eleventh verses. Ps 56:10-11
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In God I will praise his word: the sense is, either,
1. I will praise or boast in the Lords word, or the Lord for his word. Or,
2. With or by the Lord (i.e. by his favour or help) I will praise his word. Or rather,
3. This, as I humbly conceive: There are many things to be praised and celebrated in God, his power and wisdom, &c.; but amongst all, and above all, I shall at this time praise him for his word, which he hath magnified above all his name, as is said, Psa 138:2, even for his promises of protection and deliverance made to his people in all their exigencies, and particularly and especially for that promise of the kingdom made to me; for which I will now praise him, because I am as sure of its accomplishment as if I had it already in mine hand.
Flesh; infirm and mortal men, altogether unable to oppose thy infinite Majesty; called flesh by way of contempt, as Psa 78:39; Isa 31:3; Jer 17:5.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. in God . . . his wordByHis grace or aid (Psa 60:12;Psa 108:13), or, “I willboast in God as to His word”; in either case His word is thespecial matter and cause of praise.
fleshfor mankind(Psa 65:2; Isa 31:3),intimating frailty.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In God I will praise his word,…. Or praise him for his words for the whole Scripture that was then in being; for those testimonies which were David’s counsellors in times of difficulty and distress; and particularly for some word of promise made unto him, he was persuaded would be fulfilled, and in which he gloried and made his boast of, and on which his faith and hope were built; and this he did, and determined to do, in the strength of the Lord, and by the assistance of his grace;
in God I have put my trust; either in times past, and was not ashamed or confounded; or now, as he determined he would in Ps 56:3;
I will not fear what flesh can do unto me: or continue to fear any or all of my enemies; though I have been afraid of them, I will shake off these fears, trusting in the Lord, and depending on his word. Or, “what can flesh do unto me?” t which is as grass, and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field. Poor, frail, mortal man! what can he do against me, if God be for me? And therefore why should I fear? Men may contrive schemes, form weapons, and attempt many things against the saints, but can execute nothing, except permitted by the Lord; and the utmost they can do, when suffered, is to kill the body.
t So Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. In God I will praise his word Here he grows more courageous in the exercise of hope, as generally happens with the people of God. They find it difficult at first to reach this exercise. It is only after a severe struggle that they rise to it, but the effort being once made, they emerge from their fears into the fullness of confidence, and are prepared to grapple with the most formidable enemies. To praise, is here synonymous with glorying or boasting. He was now in possession of a triumphant confidence, and rejoiced in the certainty of hope. The ground of his joy is said to be the divine word; and this implies, that however much he might seem to be forsaken and abandoned by God, he satisfied himself by reflecting on the truthfulness of his promises. He would glory in God notwithstanding, and although there should be no outward appearance of help, or it should even be sensibly withdrawn, he would rest contented with the simple security of his word. The declaration is one that deserves our notice. How prone are we to fret and to murmur when it has not pleased God immediately to grant us our requests! Our discontent may not be openly expressed, but it is inwardly felt, when we are left in this manner to depend upon his naked promises. It was no small attainment in David, that he could thus proceed to praise the Lord, in the midst of dangers, and with no other ground of support but the word of God. The sentiment contained in the latter clause of the verse might seem at first glance to merit little consideration. What more obvious than that God is able to protect us from the hand of men, that his power to defend is immensely greater than their power to injure? This may be true, but we all know too well how much of that perverse unbelief there is in our hearts, which leads us to rate the ability of God below that of the creature. It was no small proof, therefore, of the faith of David, that he could despise the threatenings of his enemies. And it would be well if all the saints of God were impressed with such a sense of his superiority to their adversaries as would lead them to show a similar contempt of danger. When assailed by these, it should never escape their recollection, that the contest is in reality between their enemies and God, and that it were blasphemous in this case to doubt the issue. The great object which these have in view is to shake our faith in the promised help of the Lord; and we are chargeable with limiting his power, unless we realize him standing at our right hand, able with one movement of his finger, or one breath of his mouth, to dissipate their hosts, and confound their infatuated machinations. Shall we place him on a level with mortal man, and measure his probable success by the numbers which are set against him? “But how,” may it be asked, “are we to account for this sudden change in the exercise of David? A moment before, he was expressing his dread of destruction, and now he bids defiance to the collected strength of his enemies.” I reply, that there is nothing in his words which insinuate that he was absolutely raised above the influence of fear, and every sense of the dangers by which he was encompassed. They imply no more than that he triumphed over his apprehensions, through that confident hope of salvation with which he was armed. Men he terms in this verse flesh, to impress the more upon his mind the madness of their folly in attempting a contest so infinitely above their strength.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) In God.This verse, which forms the refrain (Psa. 56:11-12 are wrongly separated), is as it stands hardly intelligible, and the text is rendered suspicious by the fact that the LXX. read my words, instead of his word, and by the omission of the suffix altogether in Psa. 56:11, where the first clause of the refrain is doubled. The obvious treatment of the verse is to take the construction as in Psa. 44:8, I praise God with my word, i.e., in spite of all my enemies I find words to praise God.
I will not.Rather, I fear not What can flesh do?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. In God I will praise his word God’s “word,” here, probably refers specially to that spoken by Samuel when he anointed him, 1Sa 16:13; and also probably at Ramah, 1Sa 19:18, by which David became the promised king of Israel. The phrase “in God I will praise,” etc., is equal to by his help, or through his grace, I will praise, etc. His faith held firmly to the word of promise against contradictory appearances.
What flesh can do What all mankind can do. When the word “flesh” is thus figuratively and genetically used, it always takes the adsignification of weakness, mortality. The same word occurs Psa 56:1. The Hebrew punctuation places the text thus:
In God I have confidence,
I will not fear;
What can flesh [frail man] do to me?
Noble words of a triumphant faith.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 56:4. In God I will praise his word Truth, and faithfulness to his promises, are attributes which dwell in, or belong to God. God had promised David the kingdom of Israel, and therefore in God he would praise his word or promise: i.e. under his protection and by trusting in his power, even amidst the greatest enemies, he would celebrate the praises of his truth and goodness; not doubting but that God would, in due time, accomplish his promise: for it follows, In God will I trust; I will not fear what man can do.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Ver. 4. In God I will praise his word ] Having placed my confidence in God, I will take his bare word for my security. He hath promised to make me king, 1Sa 16:13 , and he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail, or alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, Psa 89:33 . The word of God cannot be broken, Joh 5:35 . David once doubted it, but he soon took himself up for halting, Psa 116:11 .
I will not fear what flesh can do unto me
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
In God. Figure of speech Cycloides. App-6. Compare Psa 56:10.
flesh. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), App-6, for man.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
In God I will: Psa 56:10, Psa 56:11, Psa 12:6, Psa 19:7, Psa 19:8, Psa 119:89, Psa 119:90, Psa 119:160, Psa 138:2, Joh 10:35
in God I have: Psa 27:1, Psa 46:1, Psa 46:2, Psa 118:6, Isa 31:3, Isa 41:10, Luk 12:4, Luk 12:5, Rom 8:31-39, Heb 13:6
Reciprocal: 1Sa 30:6 – David 2Ch 20:3 – feared Psa 28:7 – heart Psa 31:14 – Thou Psa 60:6 – rejoice Psa 71:22 – even Psa 112:7 – shall not Psa 119:42 – for I trust Psa 119:58 – be merciful Psa 119:147 – hoped Pro 18:10 – the righteous Eph 6:16 – the shield Heb 11:23 – and they 1Pe 5:7 – Casting
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
56:4 In God I will praise his {c} word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
(c) He stays his conscience on God’s promise though he sees no present help.